Through the Green

USGA JOURNAL: Spring, 1949 1 THROUGH THE GREEN Ben Hogan The more serious travelers are Frank Stranahan, holder of the British Cham The spirit of fraternity among golf pionship; William P. Turnesa, who won ers is unique even in the world of sports, it in 1947 and who is the current USGA where men seem to get along with one champion; and Robert H. (Skee) Riegel, another better than in most other spheres. 1947 USGA Champion. So it is that the hearts of golfers have It may sound anachronistic, but Fran gone out to Ben Hogan. cis Ouimet and Chick Evans are in the You hear all manner of comment list. So is Ellis Knowles, former Seniors' and inquiry about Ben and the injuries Champion. He is going over with his he sustained in a Texas motor accident son, James B. Knowles. That makes two father-and-son pairs, for Robert A. Stran ahan will be a rival entrant of his son Frank. Three Californians have entered — Edward E. Lowery, Clarke Hardwicke and Max Felix. Leonard Martin and Udo M. Reinach, of New York; Elmer Ward and Frank Craven, of Boston; Theodore S. Bassett of Rye, N. Y., and three soldiers stationed abroad — Major Lewis J. Wright, Lieut. Willis Johnson and M/Sgt. William G. Ebey— are in the American platoon. It will be the first holding of the British Championship on Irish soil. Mr. McCackletackle, our peripatetic philoso pher, asked us: Lathrop-Silvera "Have you seen a shamrock divot?" The British Ladies' Championship is last winter. You hear all sorts of guess to be played in the same week as the es about when he will be able to play British Amateur, at the Royal St. Da again. vid's Golf Club, Harlech, Wales. It, The remark which seems best to fit too, will have American entrants of qual the case is this very simple one: "If ity. Miss Grace S. Lenczyk, our Cham anybody can beat this bad break, Ben pion, has entered. So has Miss Peggy Hogan can." Kirk, of Findlay, Ohio. There may be There is a classic tribute—a tribute others. not so much to the Open Champion as to a person, a sportsman. Walking Off With The Flag When an Englishwoman was fined five Americans Abroad pounds for stealing two scarves from By weight of numbers, if nothing else, a shop, her husband testified that she Americans will make an impression in was very absent-minded, and that her the British Amateur Championship dur habit of walking off with a flag from the ing the week of May 23 at Portmarnock, green when playinjr golf had annoyed the near Dublin. Nearly twoscore entries other club members so much that she have been certified by the USGA. had to give up playing. USGA JOURNAL: Spring, 1949 Spreading The Word dren Federation.' This sum is being To increase the usefulness of the used to sponsor two schools, one in Fin USGA JOURNAL, Fielding Wallace, land and a Navajo Indian school in USGA President, has requested the presi Arizona." dents of all USGA Member Clubs and They Serve The Game Courses to cooperate in a widespread subscription plan. The idea is for each Maynard G. Fessenden, of Chicago, club to send to all of its individual mem President of the Western Golf Associa bers little folders containing a descrip tion, has been voted tion of the JOURNAL and a subscription by the Golf Writers' form (the folders being supplied by the Association USGA); it is suggested that they be en of America as the closed with each club's next general mail man who made the ing to its members. outstanding contri Feasibility of this plan was proved bution to golf in during a test conducted by the Sec 1948. He has been tional Affairs Committee. Each commit .. -, _ ,, . awarded the Will- teeman was asked to arrange with one M. G. Fessenden . ~ „. , , club in his section to try the plan with lam D. ruchardson its members. Results exceeded expecta Memorial Trophy for his leadership in tions. developing the Western's caddie schol arship program. The Blue Hills Club, of Kansas City, Runner-up in the writers' voting was produced 64 new subscribers; and that's Bing Crosby, followed by Mayor James testimony to diligent work by E. L. Hoth Rhodes, of Columbus, Ohio, who found of the Sectional Affairs Committee. In ed a national caddie tournament, and cidentally, 125 individuals constituting Dr. Fred V. Grau, Director of the USGA the boards of ten clubs in the Kansas Green Section. City section are JOURNAL readers. Chairmen of USGA Committees Pittsburgh Field Club, inspired by The following Chairmen of USGA Fred Brand, Jr., turned in 61 subsc-it>- committees for 1949 have been appointed tions. Col. Lee S. Read of Louisville by Fielding Wallace, of Augusta, Ga., doubled up his test, with the following President: results: Big Spring G. C, 41; Audubon C. C, 35. Other leaders were: Winged Rules of Golf- Isaac B. Grainger, New York. Foot G. C, Mamaroneck, N. Y., 34; Championship— Kenwood C. C, Cincinnati, 30; Guyan Richard S. Tufts, Pinehurst, N. C. G. and C. C, Huntington, W. Va„ 29; Implements and Ball— Illini C. C, Springfield, 111., 27; Meri John D. Ames, Chicago. Amateur Status and Conduct— dian Hills C. C, Indianapolis, 24; Mont- James W. Walker, New York. clair (N. J.) G. C, 24; Brae Burn C. C, Membership— West Newton, Mass., 23. Daniel A. Freeman, Jr., New York. Green Section— $500 To Aid Children James D. Standish, Jr., Detroit. The Women's Golf Association of Women's— Northern California had its outstanding Miss Frances E. Stebbins, Boston. season in 1948, according to Mrs. L. V. Public Links— Totton P. Heffelfinger, Mnnneapolis Parmelee, retiring secretary: 1,088 mem Sectional Affairs— bers, record tournament entries, a new William C. Hunt, Houston, Texas. Grandmothers" and Seniors' Tournament Handicap— William O. Blaney, Boston. with 90 participants, hole-in-one pins to International Relations— 15 members. Charles W. Littlefield, New York. '"With our increased membership and Museum— interest," Mrs. Parmalee savs, "we were C. Pardee Erdman, Pasadena, Cal. Public Relations— able to donate $500 to the 'Save the Chil John D. Ames, Chicago. USGA JOURNAL: Spring, 1949 3 at the annual meeting o'f 1901. In Decem ber, 1903, the Board had to take steps to warn members against bringing students out to play golf. The rule persisted for many years, until long after the Race Brook Country Club was started and a new outlet thus opened for the under graduates." At another point, an 1898 conser vative expressed the view that "Golf is a new game to the Americans and it may not appeal to them for very long." Salutations! And Happy Birthday To Us "Yes, I admit I lost my temper." Thank you very much, and this is Reprinted by courtesy of GOLF MONTHLY, Edin the beginning of the second year for the burgh m Scotland. USGA JOURNAL. It's a good occasion Pigeon Run to recall promises we made in the first edition: It took the lady the longest while to realize that the shot is not called the "We shall be mainly concerned with two things — the play and conduct of pigeon run. the game, and improvement of golf course maintenance. Happy Birthday To You "As for play of the game: We pro These are Golden Anniversary days for pose to provide a meeting place for the Western Golf Association, the Wom golf-lovers to exchange useful ideas and a medium for USGA decisions, com en's Metropolitan Golf Association, and ments and information, on such subjects the Western Pennsylvania Golf Associa as the Rules of Golf, tournament proce tion. dures, handicapping, USGA Champion Many clubs reach their 50th birthday ships, amateur status, golf balls and clubs, and new trends in the game. We'll this year. Among those which already also touch on golf history and back have come to notice are the Bellevue Golf ground. Successful players will give Club, Melrose, Mass., and the LaGrange hints on how to play. Country Club, LaGrange, 111. "As for golf course maintenance, each The New Haven (Conn.) Country Club, issue will contain a section entitled which completed a half-century in 1948, TUVTELY TURF TOPICS — informaition issued by the USGA Green Section. For has just published its history, entitled more than 25 years the Green Section "The First Fifty Years." It is replete has been advising the Member Clubs on with interest, thanks largely to pains course upkeep. Its work has been a ma taking research by Robert D. Pryde. jor factor in developing many of the best greenkeeping practices now stand Here is one excerpt: ard on many courses. The Green Sec "It is said that 'bad manners' were re tion's advice has been invaluable in terms sponsible for the founding of the New of improved playing conditions and Haven Country Club. For the New economical maintenance — elements im Haven Golf Club admitted Yale stu portant to all golfers. dents, who soon overran the course and made it impossible for the women mem "The JOURNAL thus will help further bers to play. We are told that the to unify these two major spheres of Club was not able to control the students interest — how the game is played, and or to get rid of them, and the only way where it is played." out was the formation of another club. Tin's being a non-profit publication by Whether this is too harsh a judgment may be hard to determine now; at any golfers for golfers, we welcome contri rate, the strong feeling against student butions of articles, notes and photographs play long manifested itself at the Coun of general interest.

Load more