The sun., 1916-01-10

GREEN COMMITTEE HAS
MOST IMPORTANT DUTIES
1t Really Is the Backbone of the Average Golf Club
and It's Members Should Be Selected With
the Greatest Care Possible.

, excellencies which even the greehsmeh
would not admit were present.
In order to have every possible advan-
tage which can accrue TO ciuD
would advocate the placing OF the hired
greenkeeper and the professional. IT there
IL one. az the club on the green COM
mittee with the title OF ADVISORY mem
bers. Oftentines. particularly when the
club is small one. II Is left to the
greenkeeper to do the thinking, as wei
as the manual labor, the expense can
not he reckoned with any degree OF
surety. and there should be check
somewhere. II is particularly pleasing
to greenkeeper. IL he IL expert. To ne
able to have the opportunity To make
suggestions Too often the man hired TO
look after the turf and green's is mere
automaton, doing the bidding of CLUB
officials who would find it hard work to
prove their capacity for turf wisdom
The professional helps always from the
playing standpoint. II may seem strange
to ssome that an article on such subjects
is necessary, but those golfers who be-
long to clubs with "A membership of 700
or so, the nine hole variety OF course. OF
which We have a myriad, will agree that
| the best move for them to make is TO
trke the greatest pains that efficiency
and knowledge are the first yequisitcs in
:
| green committees.
one word more on this subject. There
! are now being held in one of the de-
partments Of the University of Michigan
and other Institutions where agricultural
! subjects are taught classes dealing with
! the nature of the turf which IL grown
! in the various parts of the land for golf
courses. There are many students tax
ing the courses who perhaps do not know
] tttHt hnxu sg AtNs IN
speak, and make use OF their knowledge.
! think that II the clubs which were in
. doubt about the condition Of their courses.
whether the soil was getting sour or the
! more desirable grasses were being Killed,
| might gain useful technical information
about the soil and good advice II they
hired in the summertime the brightest
of these students. The pay ror this ad-
/ vice would not have to he large. prob
ably $50 or S1J a month and board. II
is not "a long stretch of the Imagination
/ to believe that at a cost OF less than $500
the latest and most advanced truth on
/ this general subject might be gained.
! II IL new field and some day will be a
| thousand times more important than We
| think IL Is to-day.
The annual meeting Of the United
| States Golf Association will be called
| upon 10 decide the venue Of the years
/ championship, and although there is
always IA chance for a slip IT seems 20
he II certainty that the amateur cham
| pionshp Will come east together with the
| woner's tile play and that the open
will go west. II is only fair because of
the expense to which competitors are
! forced to 90 to make tho distances vary
| each year. and especially IL this true of
the professionals. Most of the clubs
make up subscription to pay the fare
| Of their professionals but the time lost
and the lessons which cannot he given
! make ii extra hard on many. especially
| thos. who are doubtful of their ability
| 10 make IA good showing
The time of year for the champion
ships IN the last two years has been es-
pe"lally good. The professional would
prefer to have the championship held in
I Jun" because Of the advantage which he
gains in that season when his victory
/ has not cooled off in the minds of his
/ friend. and all golfers. The amateur
i championship pleasos the golfers when
! f. X In the early part Of September be-
cause the weather is usually good. and
IN" womrn's tourney coming almost i'm
mediat"ly after gives the officials a
4 chance 10 take a vacation all IN a stretch
and pr-cludes for the most part the
! double jumping Of long railroad trips
! The amateur question will he dealt
with IN line with the definition framed
/ hy the Amateur Congress which met in
New York short time ago. and aside
from few minor changes Il seems likely
that the spirit of the rule as drafted can
/ easily he taken over into the L. : &; A.
| platform.