New-York tribune., 1909-10-03
WHAT CONSTITUTES AN IDEAL HOLE At GOLF?
SO-Called improvements to
Courses That Fail
to Improve.
By P c Puiver.
CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVII
With regard to that ever interesting theme
the ideal in golf who there that is prepared 10
locate or define this wil-o -the-wisp? At all
events. II is evident that the average devotee Of
the game is al present endeavoring TO determine
TO MS own satisfaction whether or not certain
called improvements 10 courses have reached that
point where they cease to improve.
While it Is easy for the oJ'erzeaIous in their
onward rush 10 get on the wrong track it is
equally difficult for others TO point out the right
road During cOuyersat ton this subject
Gently asked 9 devoted golfer who had been
severely cTltcisng existing conditions at his home
links what he thought the requisites most
desirable in the fashioning Of ideal course.
After a moments reflection ne admitted that he
was not then prepared TO 20 into the subject
deeply. though he still insisted that his original
criticism OF his home course was well founded
just criticism is one thing, and the chances are
that almost any greens committee at club stands
ready TO pay heed to SUCH and. if possible
70 advantage. It not infrequently happens. how
ever. that person viii be heard finding fault
with hole because of its length. Then again.
hole is said to be unfair because the green is so
closely guarded on the side toward the tee to
make it TOO difficult TO hold after the carry
one kick of this nature that I recall
registered BY a man who insisted upon playing a
certain one hundred yard hole with his npdiron
Immediately in front Of the green yaWned deep
rayiue while on the far side extended long grass
Now this particular golfer. because OF his uncer
taintv with the rnashe resorted to the iron and
naturally enough, nine times out Of ten over-ran
the green into the rough. He persisted IN stamp
ing the hole ridiculous although many or his
fellow members were continually stopping their tee
shots with a mashie within q few feet Of the pin.
There are of course, times when the criticism
Of short holes is Just. As John L. Low apuy put
H. .the short hole should not be long What he
meant was that many short holes are spoiled oy
being TOO long and it may also be added that
large proportion OF the short holes that are not
- toro are NOT as good as they might be because
they require q blind shot The contention Is that
the true short hole ought exact from the player
a tee shot which answers 70 a perfect long ap-
proach As hole after hole has been played the
strong man has been making his big hlts ana
striving 10 gain what distance he can by his
drives.
on the other hand the weaker player II he be
moro sl-iIfrI Al the short game. has been endeavoT-
ing 10 make an equal thing Of It by his iron
work Then when the short hole is reached the
man who lays claim 10 pure SKIN mas chahce 10
shine. though how often II happens that the snort
hole has neen laid out not for the shoIl anu
trick, NAV but for strong driving from the Tee
Ia other words tile snort hole, II II requires
fRu drive differs in no way so far as the lee
shot is concerned from the longer holes heIlce
the absence of the hrst point dehlailueu VI
short hoe-that IL should be short enough 10 eaii
from the player some judgment DIS 10 9'ie's''
Moving on 10 the longe- or two-shot holes the
twelfth on The new national COURSE out on Lo's
Island is remarkable that IL presents almost an
exact reproduction Of the famous Alps at ffeal-
wick The distance Is 81 yards, with the sfouhu
rising abruptly for distance considerably more
,bst 200 Yards The approach f. blind which may
be considered a defect or not II all depends
upon how one regards tins subject
Thcn there is the fourteenth hole al Apawamis.
covering as it does playing length Of about 800
yards There s. a brook some 400 yards from the
tee. and requires some hitting 10 clear this on