Officers of the Texas PGA are shown with Ben Hogon at a recent education and teaching program held at the Hotel Adolphus, Dallas. They are (from left): Lafayette Franks, Glen Lakes CC, Dallas (secy-treas.); Hogan; Bob Morris, Dallas CC (pres.); Ross Collins, Lakewood CC, Dallas (education chmn.); and Frank Baker, Lubbock CC (vp).
many stories about liis experiences as a Texas PGA Hears player and teacher, said that one of the most deplorable things about golf today is that many home pros are letting their Hogan, Nelson at games slip, "You may be the worlus best merchandiser," said Nelson, "and you may Winter Meeting not have an equal as a teacher, but if you aren't the best player at your club you By BOB MORRIS lose a lot of prestige." Professional, Dallas CC Hogan's Remarks on the Swing An overflow crowd of professionals and Ben Hogan, in summing up his remarks persons representing tlie golf manufactur- about the golf swing, declared that it is ing industry were at the two-day educa- one of the world's truly controversial sub- tion and teaching program sponsored by jects. But he added that it has been analyz- the Texas PGA in January, It was held in ed from so many different angles that there the Hotel Adolphus in Dallas, is no reason why everybody who plays Speakers included Texas' two great con- golf shouldn't shoot a fairly decent score. tributions to the playing side of the game, The reason they don't, Ben said, undoubt- Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson, a news- edly is due to lack of application. paper editor, officials of manufacturing Other Hogan observations and advice; concerns, a course supt. and home profes- It doesn't matter what kind of grip is sionals. used as long as the player can transmit First to be introduced was Felix Me- clubhead speed through his hands; Knight, executive editor and vp of the Dal- It's an accident when a player hits a las Times-Herald, who said that the best straight ball; public relations gesture for the pro that lie In preparing for a shot, the player could think of is to write a weekly, newsy should try to get a mental picturc of what letter to the local paper's golf writer. he wants to do. Off the tee, he shouldn't "Newspapers," he said, "are hungry for aim at the whole fairway but at a definite golf news, and while everything that is spot on the fairway; written by the pro won't be published, To get more distance, he should step much of it will.' McKnight said that the up the tempo of his waggle, backswing and main thing that should be kept in mind is downswing and hope that the clubliead that the name of the person, about whom travels a little faster than usual. the pro writes, is spelled correctly. He Joe Wolfe, dir. of the golf div. of Wilson added that holes-in-one are still news, and Sporting Goods Co., talked on clubs and so are tournament results along with un- their construction, using models to dem- usual happenings. onstrate everything from the rawT block or Byron Nelson, in addition to telling {Continued on page 148) How did your greens come through
the winter of 1958-59?
Admittedly, the toughest winter for bent greens was the winter of 1958-59. Hundreds of golf courses had some, if not practically all, of their greens heavily damaged by so-called "winter kill."
With over 400 golf courses having from one, to all greens, planted to
P. O, Box 350 — Tel. AL 6-6395 — R. R. Bond. Prop. — Madison 1, Wisconsin Branch Nurseries in Farmington, lowo — CamarilJo, Calif. Arlington C-l, Congressional C-19 ©LB (Jj)rrlj£iril C-52 THE GREENS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF ALL SUCCESSFUL GOLF COURSES Texas PGA Hears Hogan, 2. Casual conversation can give you a very good idea of what your customers Nelson at Winter Meet want in the way of merchandise; 3. Put 80 per cent of your money in ba- (Continued from page 62) sic items; raw iron stage to the finished product. He 4. Give more thought to what women also explained the shaft making process. golfers want and buy; Sell Shoes Out of Stock 5. Wear the same kind of merchandise Dick Tarlow, Brockton Footwear's execu- you are trying to sell. tive vp, told pros how to take the gamble Can't Remain Isolated out of handling shoes. He advised stocking Speaking of the supt.-pro relationship, at least 12 different sizes and said that 27 John Henry of Brook Hollow, Dallas, said different sizes will fit more than 80 per that the work of the two men is so closely cent of the membership. H cautioned interrelated that they no longer can afford against trying to sell shoes by using sam- to be isolated from one another. The supt. ples, saying that successful shoemen sell must, and he emphasized this word, be in- out of their stock and then re-order to re- formed of all tournaments and special plenish it. Trying to handle too many events in order to have the course clear brands, Tarlow concluded, is a sure way of for large scale play. The earlier he re- getting into trouble. ceives such information, Henry added, the A Tarlow confidential: When a customer better it is because of the extra work en- sits down and says he's interested in a pair tailed in getting things ready for other of shoes, the first tiling to do is remove than ordinary play. one of his shoes. Then he can't get away The final speaker at the two-dav confer- until you've had a chance to sell him. ence was Harvey Penick, the well known The remarks of Ernie Sabayrac, pres. of teaching pro at Austin CC. Harvey gave Ernie Sabayrac, Inc., can be summarized a very thorough explanation of the teaching in this manner: methods that have worked so successfully 1. Stick to quality merchandise; for him, stopping to demonstrate any point about which he thought there might watering system was put into the Iront be some doubt. His speed) was so well nine but a three-line system is used on the received that he was given a standing ova- back nine. Quick coupling valve systems tion when it was completed. are used throughout the links. In conjunction with the program, pro Fairway divots are re-seeded and, as a golf salesmen and manufacturers displayed special touch of grooming, divots on the their merchandise in one of the hotel's ex- greens are replaced with two-inch plug- hibition rooms. gers from the nursery. As Billy Casper said, "it's a shame to Spectacular DeAnza take a divot out of this place," (Continued from page 69) desert air. The course suffers somewhat in May Makes Slight Change in the July and August heat, of course, but Tom Golf Car-Caddie Setup that's the case both on the desert and There has been a slight change in off." George S. May's decision to dispense with The brilliant trap sand was mined near caddies in favor of exclusive use of golf Oceanside on the coast north of San Diego, cars at his Tam O'Shanter CC, Niles, 111. and trucked to the valley. The sand is (Golfdom, Feb-, p. 25). At the request of a sparkling color contrast to the fairways members, May is going to allow his golf- and greens. Its heavy texture exacts a spe- ers to directly hire their own caddies. The cial penalty for golfers who knock balls new plan is to allow a caddie to accom- into it. pany a foursome in two cars. His fee will Nine-Man Crew be paid to him at the conclusion of the Stanley, aided by a crew of nine men, round and not charged through the club. maintains the course year-round. Fairways Members who employ caddies also will be are mowed twice weekly, the greens six required to sign forms releasing the club or seven times a week. The course is from liability for any personal injuries that watered every night. The center-line a caddie may incur. POWER SPREADER USERS SAY: "It will pay for itself this year; I don't see how I did without it so long." {Oklahoma}* "Saves $3.00 fo $4.00 per hour when in use." (Florida)* "/ would not be without if." (Nevada)* "One jf my best pieces of equipment." (Connecticut)* Model 336 Lawn Beauty Power Spreader * Names furnished upon request. PROVE TO YOURSELF WHAT )T WILL DO FOR YOU. TODAY, ASK YOUR DISTRIBUTOR FOR SCHNEIDER METAL MANUFACTURING CO. A DEMONSTRATION. IBM SOUTH 55TH AVENUS - CHICAGO SO, ILLINOIS