sign in sign up
<<
Home , Rules of golf

By GEORGE L. HALL Treasurer, The Professional IS EVERYONE'S GAME Golfers* Association of America

hat makes golf great is that the vast W majority of those who play it do so for fun. Golf is basically an amateur game. We professionals recognize that fact and no one could be happier about it than we are. Who's the indispensable man in golf? No, it's not the No. 1 tournament player of the year. Neither is it an out­ standing executive for a major golf as­ sociation. Nor is it the greatest teacher in the game. From the standpoint of participation, the most important man in golf is the high amateur. From the standpoint of tournaments on the PGA Tour, it's the spectator, who pays for his ticket and tramps around the fairways to see the golf stars in ac­ tion. George L. Hall Abraham Lincoln is supposed to have said, "The Lord must love the poor peo­ who love golf play it when they can, as ple—he made so many of them.'' well as watching it. Following the same line of reasoning, That one fact sets golf apart from the the Lord must love the high handicap other major sports, baseball, basketball, player, too. He made them, too, by the football, horse racing, track and field and millions, wherever golf is played. all the rest. By the same token, He must love the How many people at a major-league man in the gallery. He made millions of baseball game would you say ever played them, too. Happily, their number in­ the game above the sandlot level? One creases every year. in 100? Or, perhaps, one in 1,000? The The Pro's Best Friend same would be true of the spectators at We golf professionals love the high most major-league contests in most other handicap player, too. We love him be­ sports. cause he's our customer, our friend and But golf is different. our boss . . . and because he loves golf. Golf is the one major sport in which a Yes, and we love the spectator at tour­ man—or, for that matter, a lady, a boy naments on the PGA circuit, too. He and or a girl—can be a spectator at a na­ his kind have helped make the Tour grow tional championship one weekend and a bigger and bigger every year. player the very next weekend. Between them, the high-handicap ama­ It's the one major sport in which week­ teur and the man in the gallery have end players can compete on the same helped make golf the No. 1 participant- course, under the same conditions and spectator sport in America today. using the same equipment as the game's It isn't at all surprising that the high greatest professional players. handicap amateur and the galleryite are, Thus, the man in the gallery can feel in many cases, one and the same. Those a kinship with the tournament player as

USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1961 19 he watches the skilled professional shoot Then, when the tournament actually for fabulous prizes on the PGA Tour. arrives, he buys his own ticket to get in- It is with these facts in mind that we to the grounds, so that he can continue salute the golf's indispensable men, the doing an important job. high handicap amateur and the tourna- Today's nation-wide golf boom would ment spectator. be impossible if he and his like weren't Now, why the salute? That's easy! around to keep it growing. He's the fel- Let me remind you that upwards of low the grand old game can't do without. 5,000,000 people play the royal ~nd Few Break 90 ancient pastime on 6,385 regulation People who have never tried golf may courses across this great country of ours. ask why some 90 per cent of all golfers In 1960, America's golfers spent about play a game in which their scores will $85,000,000 on golf balls, golf clubs and average 90 and over. other . Well, in my opinion, there are a num- Also in 1960, according to the National ber of reasons. Golf Foundation, $53,000,000 was invested Perhaps the most important is that a in land, construction and equipment for big percentage of people never take up 394 brand new courses. golf until their middle years, when That brought the nation's investment they're retired or nearing retirement. in courses, clubhouses, course equipment Starting late in life, one can learn to and so on to an incredible total of around enjoy golf, but it's difficult for him to $1,423,000,000. learn to play it well. An estimated 90,000,000 rounds of golf If there's a game which should be will be played on America's golf courses started young, that game is golf. in 1961, wiping out 1960's all-time record When you're young, you have the re- of 86,805,500. flexes, the muscular control and the But what you may ask, have all these ability to relax, which are vital to the statistics td do with the high handicap low handicap player. player? When you're older, you have to learn Simply this-as many as 90 per cent of to get along as well as you can without the golfers of America fall within that those things. category. Do you doubt it? If so, look However, people in their middle years around your own club. often have one advantage over the How many of the players there shoot younger folks. They have the time it in the 70s? Or even in the 80s? If more takes to take lessons and to practice. than one out of 10 do, you have a num- When one only has so much time, as ber of exceptional golfers at your club. most younger folks do, he wants to spend Who pays the freight in golf these his time playing golf with his favorite days? foursome, even if he plays poorly. For the most part, it's the man who loves the game, even though he has never Therefore, we have the high handicap mastered it and never expects to-the golfer, the older fellow who got a late high handicap amateur. start in the game or the younger one who doesn't have the time to master it. High Handicappers Work This, then is our salute to the golfer In addition, you'll find him serving who shoots 90 or higher round after your club as an officer or a director. round, but who loves the game as much You'll find him on all of your club's most as does the low handicapper. important committees. Frequently, he's the fellow who works Here's what I tell the 90-and-over hard and puts in many, many hours serv- shooters at my club and what I want to ing the interests of your club, of its mem- tell those at your club, too: bers and of the game of golf. Don't fret about your game. Enjoy When a major tournament is held at what golf has to offer you. Get out on your club, he's the man who takes the the course and play just as often as you time to serve on a key committee, can. handling one of the essentials, such as Every time the opportunity presents it- finance, marshalling, ticket sales and so self, go to a major tournament and watch on. the stars in action. However, keep this

20 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1961 word of caution ever in mind: Don't try 69 or a 96, a 72 or a 127. Golf can be fun, to improve your game by copying a regardless of your score. "name" player. The fact is that most golfers shoot 90 Remember, the touring professional or more-sometimes much more-every plays or practices every day to keep his time they play. own tailor-made swing working just However, they keep coming back for right. His swing won't work for you. more. To me, that proves how much they When you have the time, see your pro- are a part of it. fessional and arrange to take a series of So, remember, Mr. High Handicap lessons. Then, be sure that you take Golfer, that you are a very important per- time to practice what you've learned. son in the royal and ancient game. You may be surprised at the results. And, you Mr. Tournament Spectator, You may wind up playing golf bettel' remember that without you there would than you ever thought you could. be no PGA Tour and no national competi- However, don't get too good. If you do, tion in golf. you may miss the fun you used to have Without you, there would be few golf playing with the old gang which has put courses. There would be little or no golf up with you these many years. equipment to sell aJ?d no one to sell it Remember, golf is for fun. It should to. There would be no golf lessons. never become a grim, mechanical task. \Vithout you, golf would be a minor Keep the fun in golf. sport indeed. You have made it Ameri- It doesn't matter whether you shoot a ca's No.1 recreation.

ANS\VERS TO QUIZ 11. The Merion at Ardmore, Pa., has been host to 11 USGA 1. Jack Nicklaus. He was second in events. 1960 with a score of 282 and tied for 12. \Valter Hagen in 1922. fourth this year with 284, for a two- year total of 566. 13. No. By Definition 20, an out-of- bounds stake is not an obstruction. 2. The four: Jacky Cupit, Bob Harris, Further Rule 17-3 prohibits improv- Eric Monti and Bob Rosburg. ing the line of play or the position 3. No. Smiley L. Quick came closest in or lie of the ball by moving any- 1946 when he won the Amateur Pub- thing fixed or growing, and a note lic title and was defeated by Stanley (Ted) Bishop in the final to the Rule says that "things fixed include objects defining out of round of the Amateur. bounds." 4. The British Amateur. Jones won the 14. Definition 32 of the Rules of Golf U. S. Open four times, the U. S. defines the as "a Amateur five times, and the British rectangular area two club-lengths in Open three times. depth." 5. Yes. Miss JoAnne Gunderson, Girls' 15. Yes. Fred Haas, Jr., played in the Junior Champion in 1956, won the 1938 Match and the 1953 Women's Amateur in 1957 and 1960: Match. she was runner-up in 1956. 6. E. Harvie Ward, Jr., in 1955 and 16. Yes. Under Definition 20, a package 1956. of cigarettes is an obstruction, and relief is granted under Rule 31. 7. Miss Betty Jameson in 1939 and 1940. 17. No. Rule 31-1 says: "Any movable 8. W. Lawson Little, Jr., who won both in 1934 and 1935. obstruction may be removed. If the ball be moved in so doing, it shall be 9. Francis Ouimet was named eight replaced on the exact spot from consecutive times from 1923 to 1934. which it was moved, without pen- Ouimet was also non-playing Cap- alty." tain of the U. S. Teams in 1936-38- 18. No. Rule 40-lc stipulates: "If a 47-49. Joseph B. Carr, of Great Bri- player's ball move any other ball in tain, will make his eighth W

USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: AUGUST, 1961 21