El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-02-19

~OLF is more than a sporting
proposition these days-it is city
- builder and population increaser.
A. W. Tillinghast, the golf architect
discusses this matter in the Golfers
Magazine for February.
He says:
1T is quite impossible to estimate.
the number of golf courses which win
be constructed in America during 1916.
To observe that they will be many is
sufficient But without doubt the
south and southwest will contribute
more than any other section; and posi-
bly, personal experiences as a golf
course architect in these parts during
the past three years may enable me TO
speak of the situation there with some
little understanding.
THE native southerner wants to play
over good course, and recently there
has been manifested a determination
to create courses Of distinction but TO
a great extent the present activity
may be attributed to realization Of
the fact that the thousands of northern
tourits who visit the south during the
winter months Will not tarry where
they cannot golf.
Jacksonville Learned Lesson.
THE city Of Jacksonville, Florida,
never considered a municipal course
until the fact was driven home in no
unmistakable manner. They knew that
the city was the natural gateway
through which visitors must enter and
depart from Florida, and hosts Of them
break their journeys at this point.
But why do they not stay here
longer was the question which the
Jacksonville business man asked him
SELF and he began to investigate. He
found that the pilgrims had as their
destinations. golf resorts, and then
Jacksonville concluded that semi-public
courses must be provided in order to
transform the visitor of a night to one
whose stay would extend through days.
There was everything to attract ex-
cept satisfactory golf
Courses Must BE Modern.
so might be enumerated many other
points in the south which are touched
by tourists, and quick TO realize the
necessities Of the occasion. the up-tO-
the-minute men in these places are
building golf courses And they are
insistent upon mOdernity.
AS an illustration Of the sOuth's pro-
gressive methods today let US turn TO
Atlantic Beach, not 20 miles from the
city Of Jacksonville. At this place
there existed a bungalow colony and
large modern hotel and last summer il
was decided that a golf course was
necessary. I was called there in August
and after putting in three days in rid
ing over an unbroken tract Of palmetto
and working over charts, sufficient
work was outlined for the large force
of negro laborers, who were called in
that same week. They camped on the
ground, and the amount of work which
they accomplished was prOdigious.
Grubbing Palmetto Roots.
1T must be remembered that nearly
everywhere one puts his foot in Flor
ida he is walking on palmetto, each
springing from a gigantic root fire.
quently four and five feet long, and
much thicker than mans arm. Thou
sands on thousands Of these roots have
TO be grubbed, and this Is easier said
than done There is a knack in gettinV
them out and I have watched a pow
erful negro, who was a new hand at
the work. struggle with one root for
an hour, while at his side was a little
old man who had removed seven or
eight in the same length Of time How
ever, these palmetto roots are not
without their uses, and several years
ago on the west coast OF Florida / hit
upon the idea Of assembling them on
various parts of the fairway and COW
ering them with sand. In the fash
ion an imitation of rugged dunes was
accomplished, which not only relieved
the flat country Of monotony, but
proved an easy way of disposing Of
the roots As a rule you cannot dig
deep pits in Florida for water is en-
countered close to the surface, and in
creating hazards. it is necessary to
build up. 1t is comparatively easy TO
create artificial water hazards.
TurfIng With bermuda.
I'm laying out a course which Is to
be turfed with Bermuda, the architect
has to remember that his distances may
not be so great as thOS on northern
links. for a BAH gets but little run, and
a course of 5000 yards in those parts
would demand as much vigorous play
as one three or four hundred yards
longer over northern turf And speak,
ing of turf brings the thought Of the
green's There has existed differences
of opinion regarding the ideal south
crn green whether it should be Of
<rass or sand. Undoubtedly the ma
tive grasses which have been used Cor
greens in the south do not provide
very satisfactory turf over which to
putt, and for the most part, the inhab-
itants declare that the finer grasses
cannot be produced and maintained in
that climate This timewOrn theory has
been proved erroneous for in some
places fine greens have been devel-
oped. But, for that matter, good grass
may be grown anywhere, provided
proper preparation be made and intelli-
gence devoted to its development-and
incidentally, that amply sufficient
funds provided.
Il like turfed green's where the shots
nav be PLAYED boldly up to the hole
shots striking short of the greens and
rolling onto the billiard table like
patches of sand, the game savours
strongly of skittles.
IN the early days of golf construc-
ton the usual procedure was to con-
fine the work to the meadow lands and
open, but nowadays whole forests and
iungles are cut through by fairwavs.
is this true in the south
and l have recollections of Davista
where 1 was turned loose in a mass Of
tropical vegetation which was so dense
as to seem almost impenetrabIe. The
last of the clearing was accommodated
last winter. and they are playing golf
there today.