New-York tribune., 1908-01-12
IMPROVE GOLF COURSES
SIDE TRAPS IN FATOR.
important Changes Being Made 6y
Several Leading Clubs.

committees at many of the important soh ana
country clubs displaying unusual energy a.
present. Now that the advantages OF SIDE traps ar
becoming more generally recognized radical
changes have been found advisable. especially on
the long courses Without attempting to enumerate
here all the that are undergoing aiteraohS
IT may be said that changes of this KIND are Dehs
made at Baltusrol, Garden City, Brae Burn BROOK
line the Philadelphia Country Club and the Plain
field Country Club, nearly all of which are likely 10
be the scene of important championship tohrna-
ments during the coming season.
Walter J. Travis and Leighton Calkins have de-
voted much thought to the question of hunkers-
The former is putting his ideas into practice at
Garden City which has one of the longest eighteen
hole circuits in the East. Mr.. Cakins who agrees
with Travis the subject of trapping a course,
had this to say last night:
I'm the OF short links. where the majority of
holes will be found to range between 200 and S2o
yards in length. carefully placed and effective haz-
ards will be found necessary if the holes to be
any test OF good play short hole is never Objec-
tionabe IL it can be laid out 10 punish a mis-
take from the tee in approaching the green.
While cop bunkers are not scientific and are not
needed in a long links where topped ball usually
brings It's punishment in loss Of distance.
few such hazards absolutely necessary
short links to reward the long player. Aside from
the Objectionable cop bunker. perfectly guarded
green Will transform short. unintereSting hole
into which cannot be made in par after mis-
play except occasionally, by brilliant recovery
from trouble"
The committee at the PIainfed Country Club, in
remodelling several Of the holes. is taking pat
tern after some of the famous holes abroad. One
is the ninth hole Sandwich, known the
"Corsets,' from the appearance presented BY a
formidable array Of railroad ties end; two at
North Berwick holes known Perfection"
and ''Redan," and regarded two of the best
holes In the world: the Cardinal" a ia
emous hole at Prestwick, and the fourteenth
hole at Muirfed-s
Without going to the expense of buying addi-
tional land the committee some time ago mapped
out plan for lengthening the links nearly five
hundred yards thus giving total playing distance
of more than $500 yards The plan contemplates
throwing the present thirteenth and fourteenth
holes into one, the present fourteenth green be-
coming the green for the thirteenth hole. It will
make the thirteenth hole about $50 yards long.
The fourteenth hole will be about 4SO yards
long, having its tee close to Railway Road at
the extreme northerIy boundary OF the property.
the line of playing being back toward the club
house, crossing the fair green of the present ff-
teenth hole about midway between tee and green.
The fourteenth green will be between the pres
ent fourteenth tee and the seventeenth green The
fifteenth hole will be about 300 yards long
The tee will be adjacent to the fair green of the
seventeenth hole, the top of the hill, about 25
yards from the seventeenth tee. From there the
play will be in a straight line through the woods,
TO the present fifteenth green, which will remain
it is. Last winter all the trees were cut for
this hole. This last month the trees have
been cut back of the present thirteenth green,
thus opening up the extension of this hole; and
a few trees have been cut to make for the
new fourteenth. The work remaining to be done
includes blowing out the stumps, which will be
done this winter. and grading about hundred
yards of fair green for the thirteenth hole
and about hundred and fifty yards of fair
green for each of the new fourteenth and fifteenth
holes. Three small swanps will be filled in and
two new built. The sod the present thir-
teenth will be shifted to the new fourteenth
green
When the alterations under way at Garden City
are completed something like sixty traps will
have made their appearance. Probably the most
pronounced alteration will be at the home hole
the pond. Here effort will be made
reproduce the "Redan-" It is also planned to
shorten the twelfth hole from 2o4 yards to ia. As
it is the green is guarded by deep sand
bunker, the side nearest the hole being built
with boards like bukhead. With anything like
a fair wind the average driver has been compelled
to play short from the tee.
It is anticipated that before the spring
IS fairly under way practically every hole the
course will see one or more alterations As
has previously been stated, most Of the
hazards to be added along the sides of the
fairway. Golfers are aware that Garden City is a
possibility for the next amateur championship tour
nament, but is Brae Burn. let alone Deal and
Onwentsia In fact the general sentiment at pres
ent seems TO lean toward Brae Burn. for the
son that the tournament has never been decided in
the Boston district
At Baltusrol where the Metropolitan Golf Asso-
cation annual tournament will be held the latter
part of May, improvements similar to those which
caused much favorable comment year ago
again in progress. In future good direction
will be rewarded more than ever. The approaches
the green's have also been made difficult
Over at the Philadelphia Country Club which
has applied for the next national wonen's tourna-
ment sand traps and bunkeTs appearing
The officials of the club declare that when the
present work is completed, one will be able
TO refer to the "easy."