The New York herald., 1921-02-28
HIGH GLASS GOLF
LINKS PLENTIFUL
Courses Fit for Championship
Journeys to Be Found in
Many Sections.
ny JOHN G. ANDERSON.

the championships. open and amateur. II
ia pertinent to comment upon the star
links of the various districts which In
due season may be expected to obtain
favor In the sight of the reviewing
committee.
The districts themselves will undoubt-
edly be the Ne wEnsland. with no
course far away from Boston as the
choice, the Metropolitan with no links
further than couple of hours' ride
from New York as favorites. the Phila-
delphia under the same length OF Jour-
ney conditions, Pittsburg, Cleveland. De-
troit. Chicago st. Louis and possibly
Washington. Here are ten districts with
total of championship courses listing
those capable of handling amateur and
open championships OF from forty to
fifty.
The number may seem surprisingly
large at first thought, but here Is a
partial list OF clubs which in the past
have catered to big championship events
The Country Club, Brookline, both open
and amateur, Brae Burn open and
women's. Essex county womens, Myopia
open. This is the grouping Of clubs in
New England. which might expect to
have and manage well titular event
In the Metropolitan section we find Gar
den City both open and amateur holder
Englewood open. Baltusrol amateur and
open. Siwanoy p. G. A. open match play
championship, Engineers p. G.. A. and
amateur. Apawamfs amateur. with other
courses such as Lido. the ned Essex
county. Wykagy and North Short fully
capable Of presenting high class golf
links for use of the best players in the
country.
The national links are so situated
ha nf N q
standpoint of giving spectators chance
to view matches there is little likelihood
of there ever being large galleries at the
time OF title meet. Perhaps the day
will come when galleries Of such large
proportions will compel the removal of
championships to distant points. If SO
then no place in America will compete
with the beautiful stretch OF golfing
turf which the growing breeZes of Pc
comic Bay cause to flourish In such ve,-
vety profusion. We have no way Of
knowing how many different golfers
have played over the links at South
ampton. but surely nine out Of ten play
ers know naught Of the wonderful
course which Is within four hours ride
oof New York. 1t Is the ideal spot for
tho international matches which are
scheduled for the fall. But for other
championships distance doesn't have
the appeal.
The Philadelphia grouping Is rather
small. with Merton and tho newly re-
constructed Whitemarsh as probabilities.
| The former did very nicely in 1916 in
its handling of the amateur. especially
with the arrangements of the two course
! qualifying rounds. But until the golfer
strikes Pine Valley, distant less than
| an hours run from the centre of the
| city, there are no other links Of sur
passing merit. although Huntington
| Valley Is long way from easy. At
Pine Valley there Is everything a golfer
could desire. with a perfect atmosphere
for amateur championship play.
A golfers eye is attracted by the
links at Southampton. his admiration Is
stirred by the greatness Of the holes at
Lido and the knowledge of the vast
undertakings preceding their perfection,
but the beauty of Pine Valley gets way
down deep under the skin and makes the
golfer respect the game Of golf through
the challenge Of the eighteen holes. No
links can do more.
Washington's links will always be
seasonable, and only Columbia, where
the open will be played this year. can
cater to present day performances.
Pittsburg In Clermoont c. c.. where the
| amateur was played two years ago, has
real titular links, while ST. Louis will
be weighed in the balance the coming
fall.
The Chicago section has never been
blessed with a surplus of championship
venues, mainly because the weather has
unusual vagaries. bringing about uncer-
tain turf year after year, but with
Flossmoor, Chicago Golf Club and Oak
Park as headliners the section can re-
quest ample recognition.
Detroit with the course at Crosse
Point. where was held the amateur In
1915, as the best of that district is re-
lnforced by the Detroit Golf Club and
Loochmoor. The latter will not be ready
for two years to come. but undoubtedly
when that districts turn does appear
this new club will secure the prize
Cleveland and Toledo with Mayfleld
andd Inverness have links which meas
ure up to the required standard pro-
vided the transportation problems are
solved as happily as they were last
season at Inverness at the time OF the
NATIONAL open championship.
But II will be quite apparent to the
committee, we have no doubt. that the
list which we have named Is much too
long for serious consideration. More
over, there will be in the next five years
few other links of SURPRISING merit
ana cnarm WHICH Will push DACk into
the rear not few OF the links mem
toned above. Perhaps 1t will be n wise
move to announce the championship
Venues for not more than two or ut the
most three years In advance.
And I believe that with each an
nouncement or choice of links there
should be n supplementary list of
courses also for that same year In the
event that some Unforeseen circum-
stances prevented n club from fulfilling
It's desire. drought might appear in
the section of the country where the
championship was schedued-there
have been instances before now--and II
might be impossible for course to be
put In the proper condition.
Attention to this detail would work
no hardship on the substituting club II
those chosen were seleced from the old
standbys. as We might term them links
like Garden City. for example, which Is
always In fine condition. ready at a mo-
ment's notice to undertake any tourney
and any task and perform II with pre-
cision and despatch. And the more
accessible the better tho choice.