New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-12
Elect Watson Head
of Golf Association
Local Man Succeeds Sl|aS n.
StraWn as President.
NO STANDARD FOR BALLS
Garden City Links Chosen for
the Amateur Champion
ship Tournament.

Robert c. Watson, Of this city, for years
prominent In golf circles. was still FUR
Their honored by being elected president OF
the United States Golf Association at
the annual meeting held at Sheyry's,
Fifth avenue and 44th street, last night
Mr.. Watson is the youngest golfer ever
elected TO this office He succeeds si'as
Fl. Straun, Of Chicago, who served two
terms.
Delegates from all points Of the com
pass gathered for the meeting. Because
Of executive committee sessions held
earlier in the day and the dinner. which
did not begin until o'clock. 1t was more
than two hours later before the main
meeting was finally called to order. More
than a hundred covers were laid at the
1inner
Applications for the three national
CHAMPIONSHIPS were received from the
following clubs:
Amateur-Homewood Country Club, OF
Flossmoor, H.. and the Wykagyl Country
Club, of New Rochelle, n. Y.
Open-The Country Club, OF Brookline'
en's-Huntingdon Valley Country
Club Of Abingdon. Penn. and Whining
| ton County Club. OF Wilmington. Del.
The Nassau Country Club, Fox HIS
Golf Club, BaItusrol Golf Club and Gar
den City Golf Club offered their courses
for any OF the three tournaments. al
though Nassau expressed a preference
for the women's meeting. while Brookllne
T, offered only 10 handle the open with the
proviso that II be held prior to June q.
In accordance with custom the officials
were elected unanimously. the secretary
being instructed to cast one ballot as
follows:
President. Robert C. Watson. National
Golf Links Of America: vice-presidents.
Milton Dargan. Atlanta Athletic Club.
and Frank l.. Woodward. Denver Coun-
try Club; secretary. John Reid. jr. st.
Andrews Golf Club: treasurer. Percy r.
Pyne. ID, Garden City Golf Club; execu-
tive committee. Charles l.. Allen. Chicago
Golf Club: Harry l.. Aver. Brae Burn
Country Club: Howard w. Perrin. Merton
Cricket Club. and Knowlton l.. Ames,
| Glen View Club.
When the delegates finally got to the
championship question they became in
volved in a long discussion as to whether
| or not IL would be advisable 10 leave the
matter to the executive committee or
| settle II then and there. IL was finally
settled 10 vote for the three attractions
| at the meeting The amateur was first
considered. and the only direct applicant
was the Wykagyl Country Club When II
came TO a vote. however. the delegates all
| focked 10 Garden City. Wykagyl and
Baltusrol received few stray votes. but
Garden City was made the unanimous
choice. The, amateur championship has
been held there twice before-in 1900 and
| 1903
| No opposition was placed in the way
| of the Country club of Brooklne for tho
! open championship. but lively contest
resulted before the women's tournament
| finally went TO the Wilmington Country
| club. Huntingdon Valley also wanted IL
! The final ballot was IS TO - In Whining
| toms favor The dates for all the cham
pionship tournaments were left TO the
committee.
with regard to the challenge from
France for professional match II was
agreed TO leave the selection To the ex-
| ocutive committee. -Four professionals
will be chosen and 1t is expected that In
order to get a better line on the ability
| OF the pros" the national open Will be
| held in the spring.
In the annual report OF the executive
| committee. made by Robert c. Watson.
| the retiring secretary. there are two sub
| jects Of Importance considered in addition
| 10 routine matters. one liz the standard
| ization OF golf balls. regarding which he
| said:
AT the last annual meeting Of the as
| ISOLATION the executive committee was
| authorized to investigate whether 1t
would be feasible or desirable to adopt
| a standard golf ball Your secretary wrote
to Captain Burn. Of the Royal and An
| cient Golf Club. asking the views OF the
| Rules OF Golf Committee on this matter
| and received a reply from Thomas Law.
| the secretary OF the club. in which no
stated that owing to the difficulty OF CIV
| ing a satisfactory definition OF stand
| ard ball which could be understood and
| applied the committee was OF the opinion
| that no Improvement along this line
would be possible at the present time As
| these views conceded with those OF your
| committee II was decided that 1t WAS both
| impracticable and impossible to prescribe
| a standard ball which should be free from
| objection and which. II adopted, would In
any way enhance the pleasure OF the
players or the best interests OF the game.
| Consequently. no further action was
taken"
| The report In touching on the national
| handicap list. which was announced for
| the first time last spring. gives the num-
| Der of players rated at al. the hand-
| caps being up TO and including six
| strokes. At the time OF the adoption OF
tho list resolution was passed providing
| for the placing thereon OF a golfer who
was not rated and who was shown to be
| worthy Of such a rating. The report con-
| tinues as follows:
"Only twelve applications for handicap
| listirgs under tho terms of this resolution
were received, which demonstrated that
| the list was as nearly correct as u was
| possible to make II. The handicap list
brought about the desired result, namely,
the limiting OF the field I'm the amateur
championship. and It was also very useful
| to the various clubs in handicapping their
players on uniform basis Your COM
mttee feels that this national handicap
list Is a most valuable asset to the asso-
oiatioD."
on membership matters the report gives
the total clubs as $685. of which II are ac-
tai