The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-24
MACDONALD on GOLF QUEST.
SENDS CTROULAB FROM ENGLAND
ABOUT COMPOSITE LINKS.

Cans IL the. National Course o4 America
The vlnlOnAry Scheme New On q
Business Basis-FInds New Bal Has
Spoiled Many Classic HOles-GOssiD.
Charles B. Macdonald, who Is abroad on the
quest for the beat holes and hazards OF Great
Britain 70 reproduce in the ideal American
links, has written to Walter j. Travis, james
l.. Taylor and r. c. Watson, Jr., and doubtless
other golfers. to report progress. To Travis
he sent a request to use his name asthe "Ameri-
can address" on Al inolosed circular. The
circular Is typewriter on a printed letter head.
The document gives a name. II not the exact
location, to the project which has hitherto
been most often alluded to a. the Monte
Cristo Golf Club. A copy follow:
THE NATIONAL ooLR coURsB OF AlmRioA.
American address: Walter J. Travis, Garden City.
Long leland, N. Y.
Foreign address: Charles d. Mcdonald, care
II. J. whigham. "a Savoy Mansions, london. E. @.
March 7, 1905.
To ne subsertosrs Of Q Classic Golf Course IN
America:
DEAR SIRs: II may interest you 10 hear that the
project for building q national golf course 10 being
advanced with all possible speed compatible With
the necessity Of collecting all the opinions OF the
best golfers In America and Great Britain, Several
sites have been considered, and the choice now lies
between three localities AZ varying distance from
Now York.
In the meantime | am making IL my business TO
gather together all the requisite data obtainable
In Great Britain, so that the national American
course when completed may combine the best
features Of the classic links in England and Scotland.
II ia impossible TO settle the distances and nature
of the eighteen holes until the opinions Of the best
players have been collected and the whole matter
thoroughly ventilated In the press OF both countries.
! intend to devote two months to the taAk OF
and examining ALL the data nm this side
OF the Atlantic, and shall be able when l return In
juno to lay before you plans and Typographical
maps OF all the best holes In this country, 90 that
we shall have q number TO choose from and 90 be
able TO scheme for a national course which Will not
only be far superior TO anything at present existent
in america. but will surpass In variety and true
golnng quality even the classic links Of England
and Scotland.
We shall then be able to proceed st once to the
Anal choice Of locality and the construction Of the
course. Yours faithfully.
CHARLES. B MACDONALD
The assertion that tho course Is to be the
beet In the wide world MAJ be justified by
the promise to have 1t consist only Of ideal
holes. To formally be our national course 1t
would have to be adopted for all the cham
pionships by the United States Golf Asso-
citation. This would put the noses OF our clubs
having championship inks all out Of Joint.
That the funds were In hand has been stated
by Macdonald from the first. He has refused
10 give the names. but the company, he states.
consists OF sixty to a hundred leading golfers
In All parts OF the United States who have
agreed to subscribe 81 900 each TO start the
club. There will also be q general member
ship at q fixed yearly due. Enough land 10
to be bought to allow q villa site being sold
to each charter member. as well as to pro-
vide for the links and club grounds. Tho
running expenses and possibly q profit to the
charter members will be paid by the ordinary
II Is expected and as the villa sites
will improve the original company does n OF
stand much risk. II the cost OF tn o plant is
not too great. The or iginal feature Of the
undertakln 6 has been the promise by Maodon-
aid that the links will be a composite Of the
best golf holes in Great Britain. The selec-
ton, as the circular promises, Is to be most
carefully undertaken.
Macdonald Is board member for Hartman
4 Co., and, as he is familiar with the ha ndling
Of big financial schemes. that part Of the
has not bothered him. The circular
letter puts q cold bushes aspect on what
have deemed visionary. We have some
excellent links OF the sort termed INLAND
In England. which correspond TO their
and Walton Heath. and Macdon-
them mas H aSs present. sesst task l s to create q course
great seaside links Of St. Andrews. PrestwioE
OF the HSaf land iin Of the great links there. whose
EXQUISITE turf and yawning Grevasses awsitsd
golfer is duplicated in a hundred places along
the coast where all Is still, a barren waste.
mission would be easy u he only
coufse over there. But to do it here. where
there Is no true golinR country ready to hand.
viii be a test q ingenuity, for as the trsns;
Comments on Macdonald''s plan, are crowd
Ing - the SIv GnF YnsasT pre os tb rh ero 5e iect sn dda no%
the weekiies are beginning to fall into line.
As the United States has revolutionlzed the
Used, the prowess of the Yankee as Q golf
originator Is held In deep respect In the British
press. The composite course sounds a big
Undertaking, but the newspaper writers have
here II money can do II. The most conserva-
tive regard the ! plan as Z az dis in1eress'n a e6 ~ FL
merits OF the most famous holes on all the
classic courses.
Macdonald has taken a house at Hoylake
for the amateur championship In May, and
he will entertain a house party, OF g9lfers.
course, being on the ground, he viii be a
az to which are the best holes, Many he had
been hsurlnE on. as summsLizsd peioTe ths
advent OF the rubber eoIed 5Sll: n Mscdone H.
start fresh, Macdonald has to End the eighteen
best holes since the new ball has changed
things,
Bob Beetles, formerly OF the South Orange
Field Club, has been e engaged by the Fairview
Club Of Tuckahoe.
George B. Jenkins. president Of the East
Jersey Golf Association. has appointed tho
committees:
Handicap-M. D. W. .Thurston, chairman; Paul
E Heller, Elmer E Z; Wood, A. F. c MiillEan' Howard
tournaments r. A. Waterbury. chairman;
Elmer T.. Wood. Howard Ginen.
MoNTcL4IR. N. J March 2s-,At the meet
Morgan w, Hyres. DR.. A. H. Wallace. Franklin
Fisher and L. Hamilton Turner were elected
members OF the governing committee for
to 200 and the annual dues from SIS
TO $40. Transient members will be charged
d instead Of sS per month In future to enjoy
the cubs privileges, Thlrty-two acres OF
land have, been added to the clgb, grounds.
twelve holes. which when added 70 the present
course OF six holes will give the club one OF the
finest golf links In Essex county.
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