CHAMPIONS MADE AT HARDING PARK

T IS not often that public courses 2,500 golfers filed entry for the event this I come to national notice. One that is year. different is the Harding Park Course in , present City Champion, is San Francisco, scene this month of the a product of the Harding Park course. The USGA Amateur Public Links Champion­ 2 5 year old Venturi fashioned his game ship. there and, at the age of 17, became the The 31st annual Public Links Champ­ youngest player ever to win the San Fran­ ionship is the second such event to be held cisco City Championship. He has since won at Harding Park. Bruce N. McCormick, the title twice and holds the course record of Los Angeles, Cal., won the title there in of 63. the 16th Championship, held in 1937. Sam The Harding Park alumnus won his most D. Kocsis, of Detroit, was 195 5 Champion. recent City Championship by defeating the defending Champion and USGA Amateur As the site of the San Francisco City Champion, Harvie "Ward, Jr., 5 and 4, last Championship, Harding Park annually plays March. A gallery of several thousand fans host to one of the most hotly contested jammed the course to view the final, il­ Championships in the nation. An estimated lustrating the fact that San Franciscans

San Francisco Examiner Photo This is the 10th green of Harding Park Golf Course, in San Francisco, Cal., host to the 1956 USGA Public Links Championship. The huge gallery is watching , right, in the act of putting in the recent San Francisco City Championship. Ken Venturi, left, defeated Ward to win the title for the second time.

20 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JULY, 1956 regard their City Championship seriously. Constructed in 1924, Harding Park was dedicated to the memory of the late Presi- One of the most heavily played public dent of the United States, Warren G. Hard- courses in the United States, it is estimated ing. In 1923, President Harding, an hon- that an average of 9,000 golfers tour the orary member of the USGA Executive 18 hole course each month of the year. Committee, offered to donate the Warren Favorable weather conditions allow golf G. Harding Trophy which is awarded to the year round. In recent years a number the Team Champion of the Amateur Public of new homes have been built within walk- Links event. ing distance, inviting increased play. It was at Harding Park that Byron Nel- The course measures a total of 6,683 son won the 1944 San Francisco Open yards and is situated in a setting of ma- Championship with a 275, six strokes bet- jestic natural beauty. Towering above the ter than his closest competitor. In a recent course, to the north, is beautiful Mt. Ta- visit to San Francisco he ventured the per- malpais. Another regional landmark, Lake sonal opinion that, "Harding Park is truly Merced, is also visible. Tree-lined fairways a great course and is in excellent condi- frame the course and present a natural tion." The 31st Amateur Public Links obstacle to those who venture too far from Championship bids fair to add to the golf- the fairway. ing tradition of Harding Park.

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CAST OF CHARACTERS BILL BEENEY

Sports Writer, IN THE OPEN Democrat & Chronicle, • Rochester, New York TAKING a fast look at the cast of charac- ED FURGOL-the farm boy who took a ters in the Open field, and cataloguing dictionary with him to the big city. some of them like this: FRANK STRANAHAN-the boy from the -the boy in the musical avenue who finally was accepted by the comedy who is in love with Marlene Die- kids from across the tracks. trich, but has to settle for Debbi,e Reynolds. GARDNER DICKINSON-the fellow who BOB TosK'I-the gentlemanly manager of went on a diet and REALLY stuck to it. the heavyweight champ. - the successful -the blacksmith's son young insurance salesman who is always who left town with the summer stock com- thinking of "getting into politics." pany. -the foreman of the pea- -the FBI agent who brooks picking crew. no foolishness. HARVIE WARD-the All-American boy -the captain of the pirate who hopes his mother never finds out ship. that he smokes. ED OLIVER-the fellow who plays the -the traffic cop who loves tuba at the Fourth of July picnic. to blow a whistle. -the B-17 waist gunner KEN VENTURI-the newspaper carrier who never changes expression when the boy who grew up and went to work for Messerschmidts dive in from 11 o'clock. his girl's father. MIKE SOUCHAK-the fellow at the bot- - the young bank tom of the pile on the acrobatic team. teller who secretly practioes jui-jitsu. JOHNNY BULLA-the Mississippi River Reprinted by permission of Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Rwhester. New York. boat gambler who forgot his cigars.

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