The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-09
MAKING OFAGOLF-COURSE.

From 80 TO 90 acres ara required for q
full lS-hols course, entailina large ini-
tial expense in construction, and heavy
permanent Q, arges for W keep. to say
nothing OF the item of rent But golf
does not absolutely depend upon how
many holes you have; their playing
quality Is much more important Nine
or oven six good holes will give better
golf than Is short or Indifferent ones,
and 1t Is never good policy to overcrowd
tle Ilaying area. Sincs nine and six are
both multiples OF 1s, two or three rounds
Of short course will make up the per-
feet number of 10 tolss aud IL is for
this reason than z, 10, and IL hols
courses are seldom seen. For club II
say 80 to 30 mem bsrs a six-hole cours,
should be large enough accommodate
all who may bs likely to play Mt any one
time, but with longer list Of playing
mem bers 1t Is apt to gtt blocked. A ninC-
hols course will give q 100 per cent. more
playing room than one Of six holts
1t is not sl~ays possible to obtain ex-
elusive control of even the 20 or 40 acres
that we will need for our moderate zed
course. Ground under cultivation or in
hay is impossible, and the same Is true OF
woodland ana hopelsssly rocky fields.
There are obvious objections to he use Of
land upon which cattle is Rrazed, and tic
hoof m arks are particularly dc structiye
to tho putting greens On the other
hand. sheep-pasturo may be used to
excellent advantage, and indeed sheep
are purposely grazei on many of the big
golf courses for their good offices in
keeping the sra Sc short Almoss any far.
mer SHOULD bs willing to give club the
privilege Of play ing over his sheep laud at
u very moderate rental and tho arrange.
mont generally works well for both par
ties.
OF hazards on the course there are the
natural ard the artificial. No hazard
should cost the player more than one le-
eitimate stroke To extricats his ball
talthough he may very possibly take a
larger numbfr) and the difficulty should
alwass DO visibl, one. Blind puts and
the like ara unfair traps, ana should at
least haze their posi- ion marked by
special flags. At the sea. ors the sand
bunker is ths natural anu traditional
hazard. ard it's ordirary substitute on an
inland COURSE is the cop bunker. or simple
ditch partially filled with sand. In
making a. cop. bunker. the turf should
first bo removed from strip OK ground
ii to l6 feet wide, the length Of the strip
depending upou the distance of the hazard
from tee or putting green. The further
awny from either tee ~ green the longer
must be the bunker, 30 that wildly driven
halls may not escape its CLUTCHES The
excavation should 10 from IS inches to
two Il ut in depth ana the earth .Lsmoved
should bo heaped up Ia o mound three tn
iive feet in height, with the open trench
Oh the nenr side and then banked with
the turf "a ensure its preservation. The
sides should have n tolsraby steep slope
To keep the bslls from running over, tut
thoy should not be- so peri endicular rs
to be untisyatle. The trench should
now be filled with fine white sand to
within fsw inches of the playing level
of the field. OtLerwis isa the ditcn will
either bs muddy or sun-blkod, and neither
cor al ion is favorable to good golf.
In the up-keep Of the average inland
couiss the chief difficulty Is To Keep the
grass stort upon the fair green or course
b, tween the holiS Ii must lie short. or
the player will never get decent brassie
lie, and the balls will b. lest with vexa-
tious frequency. IL the srtziug of sheep
vill lot keep ths grass down. it must
then te rtgul,rly out, aud Preferably by
"A hrfSi iawn fnOw.r lhe ordinary hay
mnth ne carrot he set to cut close rro ieh
the ground. -iiarccr's Round Table.