The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-12-17
GOLF CLUBS ARE
IMPROVING COURSES.
Chairmen of Greens Committees
Making Preparations for Next
Summers Play.
GLEN ECHO LEADING THE WAY.
Has Already Spent $4,000 on Its
New Course Links and Has
Only Commenced the
Work.

Weather II Is Qulte true traC tueTe are LO
beyond half a dozen such enthusiasts.
Some one told me the other day that Their
We're two or three players at the Fai
Grounds on Sunday last, whaling away To-
dear life with t~hick-gloved hands. Thes'
hardy devotees of the game are to be con
graduated OF their ability and their will
ingness to brave the weather TO pla!
something that may SAVIOR of golf.
II people cannot play golf just now thej
can make arrangements to do SO witt
greater comfort and pleasure than they
have experienced in the past. This Is thu
time of year to care for the green ana cui
tiyate the grass. SO that playing may moi
be a misery next season. as it has been FOL
SO MANY previous years. Many things car
be done. from clearing out ola hazards tc
making new green's. from painting club
houses to repairing fences.
Most of the local golf clubs are bent or
making improvements save perhaps INT
Country Cub, whose course Is about a:
wei as 1t can be. save in turf, and the sue
cess OF that depends more upon the spring
and sun<sS rains than upon anything ina,
As has come to be the usual thing. Glen
Echo seems to be assuming the lead In i'm.
pTovement3 for next season. Since ina,
hazy August day at st. Andrews. when Ton
Morris laid his hands upon the head OF
Apostle George S. McGrew, in fervent bene,
u.CuoI, anu caue MN go preach TIE SoSpSi
of golf In America, things have been stir
ring at Glen Echo to the tune Of some S5,Vn
That amount of money has been spent on
the course and grounds since september 10
II should. and it has. worked considerable
Improvement
The entire courss-iS holes-is deep undel
fertilizer. Mr.. McGrew had special trains
stock yards ut East St Louis to the
grounds at Glen Echo. Already Profess
sioial Fouls has laid down 40 loads of rict
fertilizer on the course. ana ne PROPOSES e
he will keep one team busy hauling ferttl
iZsr until February Is.
A great deal OF excellent work has alst
been done in other lines. The various creek
and wasnout hazards a been cleared Of
all distractions, sucn as stumps and steep
unplayable banks The stumps have beef
taken away, and the banks laid back anC
sloped SO that a bali lying in the hazard ii
playable. This is q vast Improvement. Dry
creek beds and deep washouts are eXcellen'
hazards. and there are plenty OF them a
Glen Echo. They Were pretty tough play.
ing when they o%verhung as to banks anc
abounded as to stumps Now, when vol
can go in and play out cieyeriy. you have
All of the tees have been resodded and
not a few of the new greens. Last SUN
mer's drought Certainly did spoil all the
new and expensive s5dding.. 1t was a rain.
less spring and summer from May I to
November 10.
The principal pride, the supreme joy OF
Glen Echo. is the Lake McCreery. the new
body of water which bisects the course for
100 yards right in It's center. 1t was named
for the late Wayman McCreery. who was
first chairman OF the Greens COMMITTEES al
Glen Echo.
Mr.. McGrew has not forgotten the able
colleague who is now no more. 1t was not
finished until late in the spring and never
|; o wa a G ba, sn to "ns I'll NTH r %atsr in an Az s E1gSns
Even then two brave springs he'd out
against the torrid weather and did put a
little water over the lake bed. However,
brim. There are sixteen feet Of water in the
lake now. and on top OF 1t some Of the
smootheest ice that skates ever Scared.
and the skating. there is said to be the
finest in the land. Many club members &C
out every Afternoon and evening to enjoy
the ice. The golf course is closed. but the
Glen Echo should be an ideal place for
one OF those .yuletide house parties you
read about and see pictures Of in the Lon
even If it is q club and not a private resi-
dence. Still. it has the old English tinge
and tone. Great oaks. fine grounds. old
a couple of skating and yuletide parties
to Glen Echo during this weather would be
to miss. 4 nice sleigh ride over the crisp
roads, a warm reception at the club. q
couple of hours skating in the semigloom
of Chinese lanterns-she rosy and cory in
furs, he handsome and manly in knicker-
bockers and roundabout-a dance. a CHEEKY
supper and home again behind the tinklins
bells over the glistening snow of the fine
niacadam roads. On the face of 1t, this
seems to be about the best thing that has
happened yet.
The piping for the greens is all lone at
Glen Echo. the material for the erection
of the water tank all on the ground. 1t re-
y,,,frc hut tn hf1iI1 fba tank AND frrrD tho
faucets on. The engineers calculate that
the lowest pressure on any green Will throw
water forty feet high out OF a lls,inch pipe.
Mr.. McGrew thinks that this will hold the
hottest sun for a little while.
The Normandie Park Club is also making
extensive preparations for next years golf.
This quiet but forceful organization Is going
that will be pretty near the right thing
next summer. The first thing the Greens
Committee did was 10 get water pipes
That is about all 1t needed to do. w a. Least aS, 1t
oan water 1t should be easy to make q
course.
Simpson. the Country Club professional.
course. thinks very well Of it. a deal oi
the IS holes lie through old pasture-turf
unravished by. plowshare in 100 years. On
this part 4 fair green will be secured next
season. There is a good deal of clearing
TO be done on part OF the course. but the
professional says that the soil everywhere
Is rich and suitable to the purpose to which which
level land than anything about St Louis
that is not against it, after all.
The Country Club and the Field Club
courses are a good bit out OF commission,
though not yet officially closed. Beyond
possibly the insertion of a pond. the lay Of
the Country Club course will. not be easy
Clayton course has not the ground to spread
upon that the others have. The same may
be said Of the Field Club, where little Will
be done beyond carrying out the improve
ments which the terrific summer nuulneo
and set at naught
These embrace watering or greenswsne
Nc. 3 tee and green. This lake was graded
last winter. hut. of course, the lack Of win
ter SHOWS and 81. sRpri ,H;s rains min,s made q lake
The course has already been pretty well
cleaned out, and there Is not the room
for improvement there that ps fhe Th is at th G,sa
newer and not yet had time to LICK
things In shape.
1t is already whispered that the Associa;
upon plans for next seasons play. Accord
ing to report. each club Will play two
m-atches-home and home-with the other.
number. Then there will be an open
tournament for ladies. given right ana
ship tournament for The Republic Cup
the association wants to hold much
earlier than in the past-and another open
competition or two for other big trophies.
AS far as present signs can indicate; the
season. which opens In April. Will De 2
busy one. Which leads one to remark that
it is a very great pity that the Associated
Golf Clubs did not achieve existence FOUR
Years ago. b. SHERIDAN.
MONDAY CLUB ELECTION-TAe
MONDAY Club will elect q president thres