The New York herald., 1920-12-03
LINKS SELECTION
INVITES COMMENT
East May Proffer Course for
Next National Amateur
Golf Championship.
BY JOHN G. ANDERSON.

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The selection of the championship
courses by the delegates to the annual
meeting of the u. s. G. A. next January
invites more than the usual comment II
has not as yet been denied that the oper
title play will be In the East. that the
West undoubtedly will carry off the
amateur and that the ladies VIII &C
where their own committee wills. But
in all these assumptions it has not beer
mentioned that II such a course is pur-
sued there will be breaking away from
past routine or system.
In former years the records show that
the East due, no doubt, to their sup
posed preponderance of golfers. was al
ways given two amateur championships
to one for the West. In 1910 the anna
teur was held at the Country Club,
Brookline. and the following year at
Apawamis. Harold Hilton that year
taking the title back to England Then
came n visit to Chicago with Garden
City and Ekwanok capturing the plum
the next two years. Detroit followed
and then Merton. After lapse OF two
years Pittsburg offered the splendid
Oakmont course with the Engineers fol-
lowing last fall. 1t is a moot question.
therefore, whether the East will proffer
again course or more for voting.
A further glance at the records shows
that the Boston section which harbors so
many fine golfers and which never fails
to show a record entry. has not had an
amateur championship for eleven years.
Two opens, at Brookline, in 1913. and at
Brae Burn last year. with the ladies at
Belmont in 1916, comprise the total hold
ings of the Boston section. Ekwanok
can hardly be accounted in that group
ing. for 1t Is nearer New York than many
a place in New England
The questions which seem to arise are
these Are the number of players in
the West entitled to an amateur cham
pionship every other year? Figures alone
would seem to prove that the East still
deserves the two out Of three awards
which In the past have been its portion.
There is little use denying that to-day.
as ten years ago. the proportion OF
championship links In the East is still
three to one over the West.
Pine Valley in 1922.
But the second query as to the wisdom
of an Eastern links applying this year
comes in the announcement which
seems to be semi-official. at least, that
the noted Pine Valley links at Pine VAL
ley, N. j., would apply for the amateur
title play in 1922. There can be no ques-
the Philadelphia course. for the reputa-
tion of the New Jersey links is world
wide. Never golfer who plays there
but sighs for a championship over that
stretch of eighteen holes.
But it would be manifestly unfair to
force the issue and have the Eastern
clubs securing the amateur title golf for
three years in succession. Wherefore.
why not letter from the Pine Valley
officials to the secretary of the u. s.
G. A. announcing that request would
be made in 1922 for the title play? This
ought to be done soon and widely pub
1ished. SO that there could be more light
on the subject before and not on the
night of tho annual meeting
Two cities have been mentioned De-
troit and st. Louis. as bidders for the
chief event If Detroit, then we under
stand that Lochmoor is the spot But
the professionals who were at Inverness
last summer and had played over the
Lochmoor links were as one in stating
that ii was not yet a championship
course. that the turf had not developed
sufficiently. Knowing John Sweeny as
we do we doubt If he would repeat his
offer OF last year at the annual meeting
IL he was not assured and himself con-
fident that the links would be in the
at Crosse Point, Detroit, in 1915 To do
SO nowadays is to make the delegates
all wary in the years to come. st. Louis
has never had mems championship
and little has been said by any of the
golfers as to the actual championship
merit of links in that vicinity.
Course Must BE In Condition.
1t is foolish to award champ onship
TO n course which intends later to spend
thousands OF dollars to get the links in
championship condition. That only
means builtup temporary tees with
more often than not traps coming in
the wrong spots and new ones lacking a
real testing out. Not that this is true
of st. Louis more than of n hundred
other cities where golf flourishes hut
while we heard of the virtues Of Inver-
ness. Oakmont Detroit Country Club
and other championship courses we have
heard very little OF the st. Louis links
Oratory In regard to good times, fine
transfer and hotel facilities means less
than ever nowadays. Give us real
championship links to play over is the
cry of the players who are eligible to
enter, and 1t is the duty of the delegates
TO represent the playing and eligible
membership of the clubs to which they
belong.
Experience. we believe. teaches that
golf is benefited most by having the
various championships shifted about to
as many places as possible. The enthu-
siasm of a newly visited district is far
sweeter and more appreciated by the
golfers than the somewhat complacent
spirit shown by clubs which have IN the
past held title contests. st. Louis. N It
las a truly representative and cham
pionshp links, would make n venue
which might attract the Eastern golfers
In numbers. As general rule far more
Westerners come East than vice versa.
The open championship presents no
problem. The Boston section has had
| it's share of opens. The West saw the
international stars last summer. with
the 1915 open being played also In the
West at Minikhada. Baltusrol In 1915
was the Metropolitan's last selection.
and II would seem. therefore. that the
New York or the Philadelphia districts
had the right of way with New York
favored a trifle. The championship will
be distinct plum because OF its further
international flavor.