The New York herald., 1922-12-10
ENGINEERS COURSE
SHORN OF TERRORS,
Changes Made on Famous
Links Eliminate Tricks
and Kicks.
BY KERR N. PETRIE.

BY KERR N. PETRIE.
Not so long ago there were few golf
courses which created such wide dis
cusslon as that of the Engineers Country
Club at Roslyn, L. l. Due to certain
typographical eccentricities and several
freakish features of design the Engi-
neers links was one about which a
perfect storm OF debate ragged at times.
Never more so than about the time OF
the national amateur championship two
years ago. Then linksmen became
rather outspoken, Influenced at times
probably by the result OF their own in
dividual showing In that fixture. but
with wealth of data accumulated dur
ing the contest for the title wherewith
to confound those who opposed them in
Golfers who have not seen the course
since the championship still retain vivid
recollections of perfect approaches"
that kicked off the mark and puts that
would have gone down on almost any
other course but which came to rest
at varying distances from the cup and
sometimes after startllngly long rolls
off the mark. So at least 1t was often
remarked.
There was that peculiar first hole.
where a shot on the pin sometimes
where the green kicked up at the least
excuse; the eighth, where another pecu-
liarly fashioned green had to be dealt
with kindly to get the best results the
dog legged ninth. where player might
kill another on the tenth green were he
the least little bit careless.
The tenth was another hole about
which much was said and written.
Then came the eleventh. a gem of a
hole in every way. Approaching the
twelfth one had to exercise caution,
and even more so at the next, where a
hook on the second shot would inevi-
tably land the performer away down
the hill.
Two or Twenty Hole.
But when 1t came to criticism every
thing else was mild compared to what
broke loose when the celebrated four
teenth hole was brought to the fore
front. Suspended in mid air like a
crows nest this fourteenth at the En-
gineers stands alone. There is every
thing to support the statement that the
scores made on that dinky little hole
also stand alone. No short hole on the
continent has broken so many hearts as
this.
Jutting out on the end of the hill the
green simply had TO be held. Short or
too strong the player was out of luck.
usually very much out This fourteenth
at the Engineers often has been made
in 2. On the other hand II has been
known to exact toll far higher than
the hardest hole on the National Links
or at Lido. Its manners were so &C.
centric that soon IL had earned for tt
self the title Two or Twenty"
When the player left the fourteenth
| a he N ha hu yf1an q
through with his round or the peculiari-
ties of this remarkable course. The
fifteenth had a green that was as tricky
as a mule. After that the player faced
the sixteenth. where trouble again
awaited unless care was exercised In
the drive and approach. Many courses
that have been called exacting were
not nearly so difficult to score over as
the Engineers. Even the home hole was
in some respects a gruelling one.
But since the days of the national
championship many changes have been
effected on the Engineers links. Play
ers who have not been down at Roslyn
since that memorable meeting might be
surprised 10 see what actually has been
accomplished there. For the great ma
jority of the features that the players
called tricky might be eliminated or al
least so toned down as 20 remove the
eleiueHI Oh luck from tne game.
From time to time have come rumors
that .the fourteenth was TO be erased
entirely from the layout. The four
teenth still stands and the chances are
that IL will be there as long as there
is an Engineers links. However. i'm
provements of decided nature have
been effected there recently, enabling
the player 70 face this hitherto amazing
hole with less OF trepidatlon than for
merly.
Meet Approval of Golfers.
N. M. Garland. the newly elected club
president, Is authority for the statemen:
that the changes made both at the
fourteenth and the seventh have been
approved by critical golfers. Also he
states, there are In contemplation
changes at the fifteenth and eighth that
will remove the last trace OF criticism
OF undue severity in green treatment.
1t is remarkable that the par OF this
course. namely 20. as been equalled but
twice and II has stood against the as.
80