New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-03
WEARING OF THE
GREENS SEEN AT
VAN CORTLANDT
Defense of Whites Pol
lev at the Public Golf
Course.
BY FRED HAWTHORNE.

II seemed to be the general opinion
at Van Cortlandt Park on Monday.
after some two or three hundred per
sons had played their first round OF
| the season on the public links, that
/ the course was in miserable condition,
/ particularly the temporary bits OF turf
known a. the greens"
From costly personal experience. we
can bear ample testimony 10 the fact
/ that putting on Monday was utterly
/ out OF the question, and that only a
mashie could entice the ball into the
hole. Tho regular greens looked TO be
! in fair shape. except for the want OF
/ rolling. and all the players demanded
20 know why they were not used.
There IS something TO be said on
both sides OF this question. Ruled
J feelings might have been smoothed
and many good putt saved, had the
regular greens been placed in commits
sion. On the other hand, the golfers
seem to forget that last winter was
a particularly severe one, leaving the
ground softer than il usually is at
this time Of the year. The rains OF
last week were the final blow.
Commissioner white, who has
charge OF the public links in The
Bronx. investigated and discovered
that the greens were so soft that roll
ing them was practically out Of the
/ question. No private links have to
submit TO the gruelling through a long
season that those a. Van Cortlandt do,
and the Commissioner undoubtedly had
this in mind when he decided TO give
them all the opportunity possible to
tougher Up. II is probable that had
they been placed in use on Monday,
with no chance 10 recuperate until next
November, they would have been seri
ously injured and rendered unplayable
within the next three weeks. The
thousands of men and women who
hammer away at the ball at Van Cort-
/ landt every day Of the season have
| small regard for the tender feelings OF
, the greens, which is one reason wig
we feel called upon TO come 20 their
defence.
/ Never before have so many appli-
cations come in 10 the Park Depart
ment for golf permits as this year
which causes one to ask If the increase
/ keeps up during the next year or two
where are these thousands going "a
play? \ man who has once become
! firmly addicted TO golf is going 10
! indulge his passion in some manner
be the cost what IL may, but the ques-
ton is, where?
Gentlemen, take off your hats to the
ladies Of the Women's metropolitan
/ Golf Association. They begin their
competitive season to-day with q series
Of team matches in Long Island, Staten
I Island. Westchestcr and New Jersey
The teams will oppose each other as
follows: Great Neck, at Fox Hills;
Westbrook, at Piping Rock Nassau, at
Woodmere; Richmond County Country
Club, at South Shore Field Club; Forest
Hill, at Montclair; Arcola. AT Hacken-
sack; Baltusrol. at Plainfeld; Glen
Ridge. at Englewood; Westfield. at Nor
wood; Ardsley. at Apawamis; Knoll
wood at Fairview; Century, at Dun.
woodie, and Sleepy Hollow, at Scars
dale.
The nigh cost of living. the Euro
pean war and the scarcity Of rubber for
golf balls has had no detrimental effect
upon golf up at Mount Vernon, to judge
from the latest reports from the
Siwanoy Country Club. The club now
has 425 members on its roster, and the
standing room only" sign has been
hung out. A greater evidence of pros
perity lies in the fact that the initis-
tion fee will be boosted from 500 TO
$3.50.