New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-03
NEW PAR In GOLF
BASIS FOR RATINGS.
Handbags To Be arranged on
Re11sed Distances.

After. long deliberation the executive
committee of the Metropolitan Golf Asso-
citation has adopted the revised code of
par distances practically as recommended
by the handicap committee at the last an
nual meeting. Until this question was
definitely settled one way or the other,
the handicap committee, OF which j. e.
Erickson. of Plainfield, is chairman, had
its hands tied. SO TO speak Consequently
the spring list Will make its appearance
this year later than usual Clubs in the
association are now receiving the fellow
ing communication from the committee:
Owing to d revision of the handicap table
il has been necessary to nave new platiks
ton in a few days. In the mean tlIne
please make up al once a list of your
playing members, and after each name IN
dictate the players best score average
i . his score on his home course when he
is playing his average best game In de-
Gliding what this is you must go py ms us
scores last season in competition anu u!
/ what you know his best form 10 De-
/ The revised table of par distances reads
/ this way: Up TO 2l5 yards, par 3; 2l6 to 80
wards. par SO; 251 TO 400 yards. par T.
4o1 TO 450 yards, par AZ; AL 20 47o yards par
); 476 to COO yards. par 5l2; more than go
yards, par 6.
The foregoing figures are not arbitrary,
/ because due allowance should be made for
the configuration of the ground, and FOR
the easy or difficult conditions. AS an eX-
ample. a 400-yard hole up a steep hill might
be a par AZ or ). and a 550-yard hole
down hill might he a par /. An eX-
+ ceedingIy narrow 440-yard hole might be
par >. The severity Of hazards, espe-
cially on a hole where the par is doubtful,
should be considered Par means perfect
play, without fUkes. and under ordinary
weather conditions. always allowing Two
strokes on each green. While experienced
plavers intuitfvely know the par of any
hole with which they are familiar, the OF
fetal distances previously given will be
useful in determining the total par Of the
course.
/ Local handicappers have been advised
that if on any hole the par is more or
less than the length of the hole would in
dicate they should state the reason Each
hole should be measured from the centre
o. the tee 10 the centre of the green, gen
orally following the surface of the ground,
except that in some cases an air line meas
urement, or nearly 80, may lie advisable.
/ The original handicap table placed at
scratch a PLAYER whose best score average.
that is. average best play, was par at his
nome course. This made it necessary for
an association handicap committee 10 raise
/ from one to five strokes the haadicaps as
returned from the clubs having short
courses the reason being that me shorter
the course the greater the predominance of
short holes and the easier to play in par
figures.
BY his revision OF 1910 Leighton Calkins
makes an allowance for this well reeoG-
nized fact i'll the handicap table itself.
! Courses having par Of "a or 40 are re-
I garded as standard courses, and those who
can play in par figures are placed at
scratch. On all courses, however. the
scratch player mus do better than par IN
other words. a best score average of par
gives a handicap Of one stroke where the
mar of the course is Y or 70: two strokes
where the par is 20 or Il; three strokes,
where it is 6s or So: four strokes where it
is 66 or 81. and 1--WE strokes where ii is 81
or Go. II is believed that by this new
feature players handicapped according to
the table at any club will probably be able.
as general rule, TO play with the same
handicap. OF nearly SO, at any other club.
! After having Deen flooded with more Than
one hundred applications for the job Of
golf professional, the Richmond County
! Country Club has decided TO go across the
seas for a man, Willie Fernie, jr-, of
iTroon. Will be the Richmond County pro,
and he is expected 10 reach these shores
| in the near future. Fernie is the son Of
the redoubtabie Willie Fernie, who once
won the open championship title of Great
Britain.
/ Faster time Will sec the amateurs unusual
ly active down at the Palmetto Golf club.
The principal event viii be the Southern
Cross championship. which was won a year
ago by Robert {. Watson. Of this city, sec
rotary of the Uuited States Golf Associa-
ton He viii defend his title, while others
entered are Fred Herreshoff, T.. NJ Byers
and F'indlay S. Douglas.
NELSON MAY FIGHT THOMPSON.
Chicago March battling Nelson, e&-
! channniou lin weight fighter, announced