Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-16

W hat are the best five gOlf courses
in America? That was the question
which was asked me the other day by
very we'll read golfer and a fine player.
] had often been thinking the very
same question, and it was with little
hesitation that / said: There are no
five best courses. There are two best
courses and then others which can
rightfully be called in q distinct second
class by themselves" writes John q.
Anderson in the New York Sun.
l suppose that | rather shocked my
friend by this strange answer. but it is
the best which l have been able to
fashion after much thought on the
topic. 1 would place the National and
Myopia in class by themselves, the
former little bit in the lead, and then
hesitate to classify all the other prom
lnent links in any definite order. Pine
Valley, near Philadelphia, and the Lido
course, on Long Island, promise to fur
uish two more of the very first class
No man can say with certainty that
Baltusrol. Garden City, Mayfeld, De-
troit Bon Air. Brae Burn, Brookline,
Essex County. Mass; Ekwanok and one
or two others can be classed in a
definite order and SO place them. 1t is
impossible because. of the varying ele-
mentS which enter into the choice. One
has exceptionally fine bunkers, as at
Garden City and Brookline; another
has grand greens, such as at Ekwanok
and Brae Burn; distance gets it's en-
chantment from the Detroit links, while
Mayf1eld and Essex county have gen
eral all-round excellence, with defects
as well in moderation.
AS for Bon Air, ! do not know as yet
personally, just what causes its choice
as member of a class with the above
named courses, but 1 have included it
because of the fine reports which
nave heard from many professionals
who have played over It. Tom McNa-
mara the day that he arrived at De-
troit ard had seen the course said that
Bon Air far surpassed the western
links in difficulty. Moreover, he said
that when he and other professionals
went down there for the first time they
were surprised when the resident pro-
fessIonal said that he would wager So
with each Of the five that they could
not break so on the round. Needless to
say. the professionals took up the bets
and doubled and tripled them when
they could, and of all the lot only one,
Mcnamara. who holed q twenty-foot
putt on the last hole and made a 70,
won the wager. Two of the players
picked up before they had gone half
| way. The course I feel sure. merits
all the good things which have been
said about it. The greens have the
finest grass imaginable and the bunker
ing lie OF the finest type.
National Links Well Known.
The National links has been written
about until each hole Is fairly well
known to the average golfer. The
placing of each shot is the great de-
mand there. as well as several other
true golfng requisites which hope to
speak about in another article. Myo-
pia. however, has been neglected of
late years because no important tour
naments have been held there, per-
haps, and yet still in the minds of a
vast number of golfers looms up as
being of superior class.
II the request is made to try to name
in one word the attribute which makes
Myopia of outstanding importance and
excellence. l would give the word ga
riety. When you can play over a
course day after day and never get
tired of IT, and each time be forced to
play many varied kinds of golf shots,
then it is real championship golf
links. That is essentially the case
with Myopia. From the very first hole
eighteenth the player who takes the
play seriously must forever be think
ing of the trouble which must be
avoided. Myopia has that quality of
forcing upon one a feeling of dread as
to what the next shot will bring forth,
and as result the strokes are
scared" shots, which make the newt
able miss an ever present danger even
IL IL be at the very last hole. There is
always some bunker which catches you
just the first moment that you are off
your guard. which Is the sign. I should
say. of the supreme in trapping.
The most scientific method of bunk
ering a course is not TO do 1t by foot
rule and by measuring the distances
from the tee or from the green. 1t is
rather to have some one stay for hours
near a given spot and make note of
where all the shots which come from
the drivers of the average good play
ers end up and make careful note Of
those which are sliced and pulled,
which should be punished in some way
or other. Then II you stick a trap in
where the greatest number OF poor