New-York tribune., 1915-01-24
URGES A CIRCUIT
FOR GOLF FIXTURES
Amateur Tourney Should
Go to New Section Each
Year, Says Bole.
A BETTER WAY TO
DISTRIBUTE PLUMS
Cleveland Player Says Game IN
Middle West Is Growing In
Popularity.

Joseph n. Sole, Champion o. OHIO On
several occasions. recently visited this
section OF the country. and suggested
a broader method FOR assigning the
three national golf championships. He
believed that the system OF running
OF the amateur tourr ament az y viii
oe this season - the best that has
been devised thus fsr.
For several years the United States
Golf Association has had no end Of
trouble Is devising methods Tor keep
ing down the entry for this champion
ship. Even when the national hand-
cap list was compiled 10 failed 10
materially reduce the ield. so that the
testing round on the FRS; day could b.
AZ thirty-six holes and all Of the match
es over the same distance. The hsndi-
cap list vas further reduced las; year
without the desired result.
This year. however. the entire field
viii play eighteen holes or Saturday,
August 2s. the best siNty-four cor
tinuing a. thirty-six holes on Monday
and the bes; thirty-two OF the players
on the second qualifying day being
paired for match plsy, all AZ thirty
SIX holes
Il IS not with this method o, deeid-
ing this championship Bole differs, al
though he does not care for the addi-
tional day. but N the system OF de-
Gliding where the various champion
ships shall be played. In other words.
Bole does rot care for the selection
Of nine courses by the national eSseu-
tive committee and ,he subsequent Sc
lection OF one FOR each by the general
meeting.
The time has come" he said, when
the amateur championship most
important of all should be awarded 70
different sections OF the country with
greater regularity. Two or three year,
ago IL may be longer-s plan was sus-
geSted for a circuit OF Championship
courses. much the same as has been
in order in Great Britain FOR both the
amateur and the open. The idea was
excellent. but the United States %
America il too big a nation for that
We must improve on that scheme.
Il believe the better plan would be
for the country 90 be divided into sew
eral sections four - i've and hslf
dozen courses be selected in each sec
ton which should be up 20 required
standard. Naturally. a committee -
the national body should pass upon the
cour%s
III Section held the tournament las,
year the second division should have
il this year and the third section
next year. and so on. II the first course
in the first section held the tourna-
mcnt last year. then the next time the
championship went 20 the same section
IL should be held over course No. ,. and
in this manner there would be a regu.
lar circuit. not only OF sections, but OF
courses. Il would be a wheel within
a wheel
"Of course. understand that n there
were five sections. with FIVE courses in
each section, il would be twenty-five
years before the championship could
be held twice over the same links, but
each section would be favored every
four or FIVE years. A lot depends upon
the decision Of the executive committee
"a regards the fitness OF course for
such big tournament.
Certainly the championships are
not distributed among various sections
of the country enough. Philadelphia
never has held national tournament
Of any kind or even had a president OF
the national organization. The nearest
was Wilmington when the women
played there in 1918. IL will be only
a short while when Philadelphia will
have links the equal OF any district in
the country, excepting, perhaps. New
York. By holding each championship
in different sections there would be n
big tournament in each section nearly
every year
A. the annual meeting Of the United
States Golf Association two years ago,
when Robert 4. Watson was first
elected president. there was some talk
of a circuit % championship courses.
One Of the advocates OF such a plan
was Charles b. Macdonald and IN his
arguments he was well supported b.
Fred Herreshofi.
F.. Mortimer Barnes, secretary of the
Metropolitan Golf Association. calls at
tention 10 the fact that the executive
committee would like to hear promptly
from those clubs willing 10 run OF the
junior metropolitan championship. u
is not only necessary 70 arrange condi.
tions for running the competition. but
to arrange dates no small matter, rs
recent happenings have proved.