The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-17
'GREENKEEPER HIGH
GOLF FUNCTIONARY
John Anderson Places Links
Artisan as Most Important
Official.
EXPERT IN GRASSES
Also Must Have Thorough
knowledge Of Soils and
Drainage.
NJ JOHN q. ANDERSON.

NJ JOHN q. ANDERSON.
The most important man connected
with a golf clubs It the steward, sec
rotary. caddy master. chairmen of the
various club committees, president or
similar functionary7 None OF these. al
though each has a certain place to I'LL
and II important as n cog In the wheel
Of club progress
| The honor, for honor II Is, 10 our way
OF thinking falls upon the greenkeeper
of the links
| To him goes little Of the praise when
fairway and putting greens are green
ana glossy. Such praise IL reserved for
the chairman of the green committee
| (why Will people continue to say
| "greenS' committee as II nothing mat
tered except the putting greens. when It
has been explained many times that the
word green signifies the whole links or
course and was 80 used for a hundred
years or more: in fact, until America
took up the gamer) but on the other
hand. much of the blame which attaches
to those who do not get courses into re-
spectacle shape Is transferred from the
club committee to the broad shoulders of
the master workman with clubhouse in
timations that perhaps another and bet
ter man should be chosen.
| Such Ii the way Of the world.
| Now. naturally, there must be good
and sufficient reasons why a greenkeeper
Is. or should be held, in such high es-
team We refer especially to those green
men who have knowledge and are recog-
ni1ed as craftsmen In their particular
line. for nothing 10 as hurtfui as a man
who pretends to know and doesn't.
Grasses VIII not respond to ignorant
trea tment
As n general rule the men who have
charge of courses to-day are we'll suited
for the Job since haphazard methods
nave put into the discard nearly all OF
the potato planters. corn growers and
the like. who several years ago thought
they were we'll qualified for the position
as caretaker Of eighteen holes Of turf
which on frst inspection seemed easy to
handle. since II seemed to come up OF its
own accord and only needed cutting.
Now q Select Class.
This lot have been weeded out as fast
as they permitted the weeds to grow
Others. showing a fair amount Of skill,
have been carefully pruned until to-day
We can with safety say that there Is a
distinct class OF gTeenswardmen with q
knowledge all their own, and whether
| they know II or not Of uncommon value
to their three or four hundred golf club
members.
What does a present day rreenkeeper
nave to know. among other things? First
the peculiar nature OF the soil with
| which he Is dealing. westchester county
soil is different from that OF Long Island.
and Long Island differs from that of
Buffalo and so on. Usually Il is a great
mistake to take greenkesper from a
distant part Of the country unless he has
proved himself a master hand at learn
Ing and can show early in the season
that he Is capable of roofing out the Sc
crets OF the turf in that new locality.
He must be able TO recognize the vart-
Gus kinds of grasses, which is no slight
task Our favorite distributions COM
prise Kentucky blue grass. Canada blue
grass. annual blue grass. red top. creep
Ing bent, Rhode Island bent. Sleeps
fescue. perennial rye grass crested dogs
tail. orchard grass. meadow fescue. hard
fescue. timothy, English perennial rye
grass. white Dutch clover. Korean lawn
grass and others. The full number listed
Will not be found In any one community.
but the presence OF six or seven usually
Is noted Very few amateur golfers can
distinguish two kinds OF grasses, mu. .
less tire or four. Seeds have their own
peculiar soils for best growth.
The Qualifications.
Fertilizers must be used with local
knowledge, plus the written instructions
there must be a minimum OF experiment
tation on the actual course and the per-
sonality OF the greenkeeper must prevail
In manly fashion over his workmsn
Never was truer statement that links
which have had their greenkeepers for
years are best.
always have been a great admirer
OF that club committee out West which
hired George O'Neill as their links
builder and said to him: 60 all over the
country. take account OF all tho flne
points you see. visit the championship
INKS and then come back and give US
the best there is"
George did as he was bid. and I pre-
sumo that the course soon will be -four
ishing In more ways than one.
happened to be in the party con-
tanning Gilbert Nichols. Herbert Strong
Grantland Rice and Peter Lees when
number OF us played Lido. then lust
taking it's place In the forefront OF Amer
lean golf courses. and George O'Neill
walked along with us. While we stopped
to admire the architectural beauties lie
stopped 10 look at the turf When the
round was finished he had pocketful Of
taSa6- amples each properly catG!ogaea
In It's rightful place In his mind with the
conclusions to be put on paper, have
no doubt. as soon as he returned to HIS
hotel Pine Valley was his next stop,
and so on down the full run OF worth
while courses.
Not every course can afford to have
their greenkeeper take days Off In this
manner for not every one is as gifted
as ONeill but II should be the duty Of
every chairman OF green committee in
this and every other district TO insist
that their greenkeeper visit other courses.
especially at nearby clubs. in order 10
acauaint himself with the working con-
ditions and beneht accordingly.
I have no doubt that more than 1000
clubs have lost more than $4,000 each, a
grand total OF four million dollars in
the past ten years through the ignorance
OF green committees or greenkeepers.
There is no need for this situation 10
prevail any longer. Progressive golfers
will boost and will not haggle at course
improvements. when past experience has
shown that money has not been wasted