Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-17
NEW BALA COURSE
IS TEST Of SKILL
Seventeen New Greens at City
Line Links Make Il Hard
for buffers
MARSTON At PINE VALLEY

when Bnla gets through Snrucing up
folks will find it hard to recognize the
! old place. Instead Of the present nine
holes which furnish n fair test Of golf
ing skill there will be the regulation
eighteen that will make good score
still more difficult to achieve.
At that, though there is a premium
on good golf. the new course will be
harder on the fair player who has a
tendency 10 hook than on the duffer
whose big fault Is slicing Most of the
trouble has been planned for the
"hOoker.' and il Is trouble n plenty.
Seventeen greens are under course Of
construction. and tho entire layout of
tho links will be different than it is
now. The new vegetation process is
being used in building the green's. and
Rnla is the only club in the Philadcl-
pha district that will have greens built
in that way.
Tho old nine hole course is still being
played. but there isn't lot of compc-
tition scheduled there. Charley Sykes.
who won his half of the semi final bat
tie for the cup. is expected to meet
George Hoffncr in the final--if George
manages to get by in his next match
Sykes was shooting around the links
yesterday afternoon whipping them over
for long distances and sinking puts
from the edge OF the green. The cx.
president of the Bala clan is looked
upon to carry Hoifner along at light
ming clip If they DO meet in that final
match.
The professional at Bala .s Bill
Hackney. of the famous golting Hack
ney family that has turned out eight
players of renown--thc greatest of
whom is Clarence. who was eleventh in
III" United States open at Skokic. Bill
hasn't been doing much competitive
work recently. his time being filed with
pupils who want to learn the Hackney
method OF walloring the gutta -percha
Pill. Clarence is continually to the fore
IN tournaments Of all sorts. But the
p''uliar fact remains that the less
famous Bill always trims his better
known brother when they meet in n
match. History does not record single
instance when Clarence has won n ri.
umph over Bill. but the reverse has beer,
noted frequently.
lt would be rather Interesting 10
watch a threesome between Clarence
Bill and Jim Hackney. who presides
over the destinics Of Green Valley.
Down at Pine Valley
gin on the incomparable course at Pine
Valley. below Clementun. y. J. The
course Is the most magnificent IN this
country. both from the point of natural
beauty and the difficulty it presents ON
almost every hole. "Chck Evans" has
repeatedly said 1t is the hardest test
h" has ever faced. and it is doubtful II
this prince of amateurs has ever ncco.
tihted the Jersey course in much less
than so.
Max Marston. whose magnificent play
in tn" Pennsylvania amateur kept
Inc crown of keystone king set firmly
on MS locks, IS scheduled to represcn;
the her!on Cricket Club in these
matches. Marston is one Of the best
golfers in this neck of the woods.
II Marston and Woody Platt meet
at Pine Valley the amateur battle of
Inc century will he staged. II will be
worth going long. long way 10 watch
ne pair or them wage war. The Merton
wonder did an untouchable GS at PITTS
burgh on Friday. and if he can come
within half dozen strokes of that ar
Pine Valley he Is almost certain 10 grab
off !irst honors.
However. no matter in what direction
me fortun" OF the campaign Sways there
S gong to be some dazzling golf at
~ "i''S NI'Il me SIaTS Ol rms ulS-
tri"t unleash their thunderbol's on the
Jersey fairways.
The New Open Champion
In ADDITION 70 being the first nerson
ot the Latin races TO win the national
open golf championship. Gene Sura2cn.
of Pittsburgh, the twenty -one .year-old
professional who performed tha, feat
at Skokie Saturday, is the first player
10 win national golf title and We,
be 50 little known To golf experts that
none can describe the style Of his play.
The gen!ul youngstcr. who snarcncd
the prime golf honors from 800 doughty
Scots and American adopters of their
native game, was not observed by eager
galleries or by critical golf writer's, lie
plowed his way around the Skoki.
course twice IN the qualifying rounds
and four times in the championship, yet
no one paid any attention to him until
he turned into the last nine.
Then. when word spread that he had
scored 3' for the penultimntes nine
golf writer's alone realized TINT he
had goodly chance 70 down the bettcr
known players.
80 the lad Of Italian ancestry trimmed
home IN 30 for a record Gs in the cham
pIonship fourth round before the news
really spread that he might be the win
ncr over al the canniness of Scotia, ,hc
imperturbab!!ty OF the Briton and the
wonderful energy Of the native Of
America. Bur It was too late TO wotch
the prodigy.