The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-04
FATE OF AMATEUR RULE
TO BE KNOWN THIS WEEK
Annual Meeting os =. s. G. A. Will Consider Much Dis
cussed Problem-Course Architects Should
Not Be Barred From Amateur Ranks.

! ma Eazins are some observations well
The section follows;
Hundreds OF golf clubs" II says, "arc
J coming into existence whose organizers
| are without any knowledge at all OF the
| science OF green keeping And the knowl-
! edge Is hard 20 acquire, for it is not
written in any one book. 1T Is amazing
how we'll to do communities embark on
| a golfing enterprise without any real un-
derstanding OF what they are going to
| do new eighteen hole golf course
with a modern club house attached can
not cost less than "A hundred thousand
dollars n 70 Is TO be a real golf course
/ Can YOU imagine men I'm any other sphere
Of life being willing to invest one or two
or three hundred thousand dollars without
possessing any expert knowledge OF the
business they are embarking upon Yet
in the golflng world this IL happening all
the time. \ golf professional who, be-
cause he Ia skilled in hitting a ball with
a club Is supposed to have all the quail
! nCations OF an agricultural expert and
| a landscape architect is called in 20 lay
ont the course and give advice to tho
greenkeeper The result is almost always
/ a series OF mistakes which It takes years
ana large sums Of money to correct. II
would be Just sensible to hire a golf
professional to build a cathedral"
The procuring OF efficient course archi-
tects Is absolutely essential. 1t has not
been possible for the professional TO hnd
out the necessary details OF advanced
| course construction and 1t is perfectly safe
to say that I'm all the United States there
are not over half a dozen good golf archi-
tects among the paid players
Among the amateurs we find that the
really worth while architects may be
counted on the fingers OF one hand and
that those who are the best never could
give their time without COMPENSATION to
one-twentieth OF the places which would
| ~. "a .t-
for the love OF the game and their desire
to produce the best possible will sacrifice
both time and money, but in all such
cases the architects are wealthy men
who have the love OF the game as an in
spiraton. But in the nature OF things
there can never be many such II would
be an injustice TO every follower OF the
game 90 deny to the clubs the right to
employ such man. II is for the benefit
OF American golf. and Il is tho weakest
spot In American golf The game here
needs more than any other one thing more
competent course construction.
We cannot get around the fact that be-
tween seventy and eight thousand golfers
are taking up this game yearly in this
country. that new clubs will have TO be
formed, that in no book is Il TO he found
how properly 10 make golf links that
each year the problems become more
and more scientific as the natural golfng
features in the land become less and less,
and what Is needed more than anything
else is the expert advice. L. II right,
Is Il fair to all the clubs to he forced
to start of where clubs did ten years
ago" For II must be admitted that there
would be few IL any golfers who would
give up their amateur standing to get
the small sums they could make by such
service. Personally I do not think that
II is the right thing for an amateur TO go
out and seek such jobs; that, / believe.
violates the amateur spirit and should be
forbidden.
In Great Britain there is no question
Mt all about the eligibility of men who
lay out courses. The links architects are
considered the makers OF golhng history.
and l would deem II unSise, 10 say the
least, to frame a rule so contrary 20 this
tradition. The British have been sticklers
for many years for strict amateur in
depreciation and yet we see them permit
ting even tho club makers 10 be classed
as amateurs.
Again. suppose there were danger OF
a players entry being refused on the
ground that ~ was A paid course archi-
teCt. What Would hinder a golfer from
this side from joining Scottish or Eng
lish club and then entering in tho amateur
championship in this country, through the
medium OF his foreign membership? 7
believe that the passing OF this rule will
make the situation worse than ever be
fore. Until the time comes when school
in green keeping has been established for
the professionals, and I am strongly in
favor OF such a move, I would deem il
extremely unwise TO professionalism men
Who are amateurs at heart and whose
ardent study OF the problems OF golf arch-
lecture and green keeping are the ono
thing more than any other needed by
American golf