Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-25
METHOD TOPUT
GREENS IN SHAPE
DR.. Dewhurst ugge t S
Party to Weed Fall
Grass
WAR TIME Me A S U r E
Ry WILLIAM H. EVANS

DR.. F.. E. Dewhurst, of the Hunt
| ingdon Valley Country Club, made
one of the best suggestions of the yeaI
yesterday. We are all aware that our
country clubs are crippled because Of the
| lack of workmen. AS a result of this
most of the courses are on war basis
Clubs that have had twenty workmer
tending the course are lucky these days
If they have a half dozen.
Just at this time of the year the fall
grass makes ito appearance in the put
ting greens. There are several varieties
of these, principally goose grass, pigeon
grass and crab grass They are all
troublesome and if not eradicated will
! wreck any putting green for the balance
! of the season.
Crab Grass Worst Of Pests
Crab grass is the worst of the lot. II
appears early in the summer and 1t
thrives unit! the frost. 1t makes its APP
pearance more quickly where the putting
greens are burned out. 1t spreads by
stems that creep on the surface of the
green and frequently one plant will make
! a mat one or two feet in diameter
There is only one way to get rid Of II
and that is 10 weed it out by hand. II
| il is allowed to thrive ii may take UP
the entire green.
Another of these annual weed pests is
the goose grass, which you can dis.
tinguish from the crab grass by the
| sheaths which are white near the ground
1t also makes circular patches but 1t has
no creeping stems and is easily removed
by wedding.
Pigeon grass is another bothersome
hoI
three of these grasses look more or less
alike, unless you are familiar with them
and all are nuisances that cost golf clubs
! throughout the country lot of money
But here is Doctor Dewhurst's sugees
tion. He intends to put the matter up tc
the green committee at Huntingdon Val
ley. and suggest that the membership o.
the club give up a Saturday afternoon ol
Sunday morning and devote the time Il
the eradication of these three grasses
Huntingdon Valley has not the men tt
do the work so he would put 1t up to tn,
members as a patriotic and club duty
Pe would organize the whole affair un
der the green committee and have tn,
committee assign so many members t
each green As the greens are widely
scattered, he would have members takei
there in automobiles. This is very prac
tiCable, as nearly every hole on th
course is easily accessible by motor!
Every Club Should Do Likewise
If necessary he would have prizes
given to the team which does the best
and quickest work and he would make
the task as pleasant as possible by hav'
ng liquid and solid refreshments sent
out to the workers. With ten men Of
more to green working under the di
rection of the green committee he be-
lieves that the whole work could be dont
at one sitting.
The suggestion is an excellent one
and as the fall grass is bound to come
some of it is here already-ever,
club ought to take up this suggestion
of his and do likewise. The clubs ar.
all in the same boat. There are no
enough workmen 10 do this wedding anS
one afternoon of sacrifice would Civ,
the members the satisfaction of knowing
for the rest of the summer and until tn,
frost comes that these pests will no
bother them.
II the fall grass is not weeded jus
as soon as II can be picked II spread
over the green and then putting become
a misery, and without good puttinI
greens much of the pleasure of golf 1
gone.
You can get more discussion out
golf in one minute than you can out
baseball in a week. II you do not b,
lieve it start a golf argument in an
locker room in the country Many pc
sons are under the impression that II Il
cadde drops your golf bag in bunk,
In a match you lose the hole. Sewers
years ago one Of the women players p,
UP this case to me: She was playing
one of the Suburban Cup matches ar
her ball lay in bunker. She called
! he far 1,ih In