The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-08
STIFFER GOLF COURSES is
AMERICAS CRYING NEED
Anderson Digests Harry Vardons R cent Scath.
ing Criticism of Our Golf al is Forced
to Agree With Him.


vldual who became very angry. lie told
Mr.. jacques. formerly president OF the
U. =. q. a., that the trap was an outrage,
that he got In II every time on his second
shot The member kept up this TRADE
until one day he cleared the trap twice
in succession. lie went at once to Mr.
Jacques and said that he took back all the
harsh things that he had said and that
he would stand back OF the committee In
any new changes that might be made.
When the Country club started out to
make "a championship course OF theif
former layout there was much criticism.
but not n single member would care to go
back now TO the old layout for even a
single round. II IL the same at the Bras
Burn club in West Newton. happen to
10 a member OF the greens committee there
and ! can tell you that there was more
than one discussion or the porch about
. the difficulty ~ the holes and the terrible
length. The course II as hard as any
In the land, although II Is by no means the
best But start has been made In the
right direction and for definite reason.
When the course was opened for this
first time last spring Il was announced
that the standard 81 play OF the Brae
Burn members was expected 10 improve
with the increased efficiency afforded by
the added golfing strength ~ the nc~
holes. That greater skill won't come for
u UulIUFT VI years bll ~ SloW ~ Ia llhN-
wise sure
At Ravlsloe. vardon tells us, an inter.
nal fight was going on In which the high
handicap men were opposed to those who
wished to have real golf course. The
greens committee went ahead and when
tho course was finished everybody was
delighted. Looking nearer home we fnd
that at Dunwoodle there was once a seri-
Gus dispute as to whether the course
ahpulI no 40 liffiruIt M
was evenly divided. but the plans were
carried out and the members became
enthusiastic over the increased quality
of the course
But what about this fallacy that A
championship course u only for the low
handicap player What are the clubs
which have the long waiting lists Are
they not those which nave the testins
courses? And what II the purpose of all
this bunkerlng anyhow X isn't alto.
sether TO make the course difficult. but
rather to make a match work out as fair
TO opponents OF equal handicap no matter
whether the handicaps are 3 or "a. The
course will call for exactitude from the
good players as well as from the poor
and the beauty Of II all will be that the
good shots from both will reap a Just
reward.
Hut II isn't always necessary to dig O
hole IN the ground or erect n mound
which will catch a drive. The proper
placing OF the drive can he forced by ths
scientific placing of the traps around tn,
green. Across the water they lay grea
stress on the necessity OF placing tn,
shots. and II that rule were followed In
| this country We would have better course.
and. In consequence. better players. IL was
| Just few days ago that I read let
ter from Francis Ouimet. lie said. 1T.
| FUNNY over here. You don't seem To 81,
many of the bunkers. yet you never maxi
| \ bad shot but you are punished" AND
! from Heinrich Schmidt. few days ago
where he speaks OF golf on the Taclh,
| coast. "My game will go to smash un-
| less can get back TO the good gras,
green and hard bunkers OF the East"
The question then naturally arises, not
Where did they get III" but rather
What are you going to do about it,
I, for one, think that there Is hardly a
committee or band Of club members In the
United states at the present time who are
satisfied with their course. These men
will ponder over the fact that whereas
they may have a hundred bunkers on their
course that three hundred would not b.
/ going too far. II takes no visionary Il
prophesy that America and Americans
! will be satisfied only with the finest tina,
is possible in golf: and for the benefit OF
| those who are now playing the game the
best" In golf should be given them al
once.
! let us hope that vardon will tell U,
more OF his beliefs and explain why II II
that the Englishman IL the poorest puttei
{ In the world, and whore the Scotchmar
comes in. for although the term England
| Is often used to mean all the British Isles
| yet II will be some time IN the eofina
world before the Scotchman will permit
/ golf TO be thus referred to with no men.
/ tlon made of them and their game.