The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-30

nearly az possible OF the same length.
The length Of the hole should be Of such
distance that i will require either one, two
continues Taylor. "1he hole should not be
30 placed that 1t Ia impatel ial whether a
good shot Is played from the tee or not.
Take the care OF hole $50 yards long. Now,
any TWO shots Will land you on tho green.
and 1t is impossible, except In the case OF
drive Of phenomenal length, to get there in
one. Consequently. $50 yards IL bad length
Tor hole, because 1t puts q bad player and
q good player on an equality. There Ia no
object In having hole more than 500 yard.
shots to reach the green, and that Is all
that Is necessary for good golf. On each
eighteen hole course there should Re two
long holes, each about 500 yards and two
short holes. from 100 to 200 yards In length,
and one short and one long hole should be
In each set OF nine holes.
The best short hole Is one where the flag
Is In full view, and the ball has to BE- sent
by an iron right to the green to avoid a
hazard, such al a pit, which reaches almost
up to the green itself. 1t is a mistake to
fact. I deem It advisable to have mono.
How far the bunkers should be placed from
the tee when q full shot with the driver
Ia to be pla yed is moot point. am of opin-
ion that about 1876 or l40 yards Is the correct
distance. More, than this is too severe
driver which Is unfair to players whose driv-
ing may not lie their strongest point.
Il believe that every green should be
guarded, either by natural or artificial
bunkers, because object to 1t being posi-,
BILE to knock the ball along the ground
toward the hole. The player should be
compelled to pitch up his approach shot, this
being In my opinion, true golf"
As addenda TO these maxims from Tay--
lor's fundamental principles, 1t may be noted
that he selects, As the best testing holes, the
eleventh at ST. Andrews. for one stroke;
the ninth at Brancaster, for two strokes,
and the fourteenth at Sandwich, for three
strokes. Mr.. Macdonald having quoted
the eleventh at st: Andrews as one OF the
holes that might be reproduced, Taylor's
4 plump for the the High hole coming in.
or the eleventh at st. Andrews, as the
most difficult one stroke hole ! know
writes Taylor. "Perched as 1t Is on the
little plateau. that nasty bank just few
spoiled more good strokes and ruined more
scores than any other obstacle In the whole
realm Of golf.
sFor, be it remembered. it is not the
bank itself that is to be dreaded; that is
only n INK in, II the heb Shan for the ground ID
toward two OF the very worst bunkers
faces. It Is no uncommon sight to see a
perfectly played high dropping ball strike
the said bank full in the face, break back
Of one or the other hanking bunkers, and
if the player can extricate himself In one
stroke he will have every reason to con-
graduate himself
Besides all this there is the Eden, not
a great many yards beyond. to catch the
unwary player who rather exaggerates
the we'll known dictum, that ono should
always play boldly at the hole. One OF
the strongest arguments that the unbeliever
adduces, to point out the unfairness of the
Of players negotiate it; that is, by not play
ing at the hole at all but simply by knock
ing the ball up short OF the bunkers--a putter
even has been known to the used for this
stroke-thereby insuring safe and
very possible g.
Tayior's remarks were In answer to .
request from London journal, in 1901, to
golfers OF recognized standing to name IN
their judgment the best testing holes.
Other opinions were, in brief:
Willie Park, Jr.-One shot. the Redan,
No5h Ih two so shG So the Aps
John l.. Low.-One shot, eleventh, st.
Andrews; two shot, sixteenth, st. Andrews;
three shot, fourteenth. ST. Andrews.
Horace G. Hutchinson. One shot, elev-
enth. ST. Andrews; two shot. ninth. Bran
Tom Vardon.--O shot, eleventh, St.
Andrews two shot, first, Sandwich, or
second, st. Andrews three shot, fourteenth,
Sandwich. or fourteenth, st. Andrews.
James Braid.--One shot. fourth; Aberdo-
vey; two shot. third, Prestwick; three shot,
fourteenth, st. Andrews.
Leslie Balfour Melville. One shot.
eleventh, st. Andrews; two shot, second I,
St Andrews: three shot, seventeenth, st.
Andrews.
Mr. Low, in making his selection. closed
with the quotation. there are otne M.
Macdonald to select from to suit the topog-
raphy OF the ground he will obtain. The
measurements and drawings he will make
win have to be conglomerated into one per.
feet round. and, in the matters to he avoided
from. He once gave list OF such cardinal
points in an article that maintained that the
game has risen from the merely physica!
and mechanical and has become. as we'll,
philosophical and strategical. His maxiIiis
were:
or plateaux rather than in hollows.
%. No approach shot should be blind:
g. The hole should be CAPABLE Of being
APPROACHED by a variety Of shots.
-. Hazards stretched ncross $3.50. a course e
eeiaSsd imym ae in 'front.' Of green
IS. It should be necessary to play the tee
shot In relation to the second shot.
"a. Hazards should be more numerous
and the fair green Of the course much
narrower"
All such problems have been mastered by
Mr. Macdonald and to some OF the assertions
he lends no support. They reveal the many
points to which he must give consider
alton aside from the scale drawings
and specifications Of his assistants on the
tourney abroad for local color, fault
OF American links is that there Ia only
gravel or loose earth In the bunkers, not
The true sea sand. This need is paramount
for a course planned on Mr.. Macdonald,s
idea, but IL La not easy to locate suitable
strip OF surf bounded land on Long Island
Except on the borders Of the sea q sandy
soil IL seeming impossibility. and where
such tracts are available on Long Island
they are in remote places and salt hay Ia
the oniv grass on them. II IL possible to
do much by covering a course With ssnd.
than 900 loads Of sand have been spread
over the land. with the result OF creating
a GOOD imitation of a sea coast links. u
nm inland choice Ia made by Mr.. Macdonald
this eXpedient must he reeorted to for
sand. This Is but one detail. The new
club In conceived on such broad lines that
no ain ole obstacle may stand in its way.
The choice of testing holes quoted was
made before the general lse Of the rubber.
cored golf ball, but aside from making
distances easier and 30 bringing iron into use
on some long holes for wood, the hveiier
hall has not lessened the values Of the
A ward hole. how.