The New York herald., 1922-04-02
EXTRA TEES WOULD
AID SHORT DRIVER
Optional Starting Places
Would Equalize Ability and
Please Golfers.
BY KERR N. PETRIE.

BY KERR ". PETRIE.
Outlining the plans drawn for the golf
! course of new country club in the
neighborhood OF Denver. N. c. Morris
seizcs upon tho occasion to say few
kind words to those links architects who
aim always for championship qualities
and distances and religiousiy overlook
by are condemned to spend the greater
| part OF their time In the bunkers laid
out by way of buoying the channel for
the big fellows. Says Mr.. Morris:
When an architect possesses the fore
| sight and ability TO hold In the minds
eye the great army of mediocre golfers
and provide for their pleasure and COM
fort as well .as to create q champion
ship course that will vie with anything
the country possesses then that archi-
tect Is entitled TO be ranked as O
| genius"
The above Is interesting for the fact
that almost at the exact moment that
the Denver critic was voicing his opin-
ION, Allan Lard Of Chevy Chase, was
firing off an almost identical broadside
on behalf OF the mediocre golfer.
Where Mr. Lard might possibly differ
teEs remark that It Is possible for the
links architect to design course which
at one and the same time would be a
championship creation and q paradise
for the long handicap man. But the
underlying and mpelling thought re-
mains tho same. What both want Is
little more consideration for the plain
everyday players at golf who. as Mr..
Lard points out In a recent Issue or the
American Golfer. constitute ABOUT s5 per
cent. of the membership OF tho ordinary
club and who practically pay for club
house, golf course and everything on it.
A False Sense OF Pride.
! And there is evidence apienty that
plain Smith, Jones and Robinson, who
used TO be content 10 foot the bills and
| to 80 around scooping the sand with
| niblicks and filling up each others
tracks by way of playing the game as
best they could on a course little suited
Il their attalnments. are beginning to
slow up, look and listen. Hitherto It
has been enough for them that their
course should be spoken OF as of cham
pionship caltber. They had been lured
into a false sense OF pride. Now a
great many OF these tillers Of the soil
are asking, just as Mr.. Lard is doing.
what It means to have a course which
IL fit TO land a championship, say, once
every ten years and all the rest of the
time go around exploring those parts
OF the course which the scratch men
seldom see.
No longer does II suffice for the links
architect TO lay out a hole which offers
a detour for the man who cannot hit
the ball like Hagen, a Hutchison or q
Barnes.
'~rhe duffer has borne with marvellous
fortitude and patience the weary, wan
dering 'zig-zag. the embarrassing de-
tour and the dull. stupid. monotonous
grind playing short and the nlurnurs
coming from more than one source indi-
cate tho worm may turn and spill the
beans" says dr. Lard Of this phase OF
! the question. HE is entitled to some
thing that resembles golf and should
have IT,"
II Is quite easy, even from this short
quotation. TO detect what is in Mr.. Lard's
mind Where Is the golfer who does
not look back upon the day which saw
| him drive down within nice rnashie dis
| tance of the green. scoop the pellet up
las dexterously as J. II. himself. clear
all obstacles and lay IL down for a
possible 3 and O certain 4? These were
the days OF real sport.
| II did not matter that such a hole
might have been considered an abortion
| In the eyes of the star or that with the
increasing resliercy and power OF tho
ball that particular hole from the stand
point OF tho big gun became "irn-
possible" The two or three yards ex-
| tra length that sent the champion'a
drive headlong into the ditch or bunker
! in front Of tho green did not affect the
stroke of tho little fellow TO any sp-
i hn1A
manned among the joys OF life. There
was that grand mashie shot awaiting
az a reward for his perfectly hit drive
| No Thought for Poor Player.
! But a hole on which the club cham.
pion continually drove into trouble In
! front OF the green could not be tolerated
| on tho course ofnny self-respecting club.
| Back went the tee to where the distance
made Il drive and nlashie for the star.
| The fac. that Mr.. Mediocrity now found
himself blazing with brassie second. his
game spoiled. his pleasure ruined. meant
nothing at all. The hole had been iIr-
proved, saved. it's weakness remedied.
The star could now drive, approach and
putt for his par or birdie 3.
As for the little fellow who cared not
half as much for birdie as he diA
about that delightful mashie shot, he
simply had been lost In the shuttle. His
favorite hole had been spoiled beyond ro-
| demption, but. being only a mediocrity.
there was no redress. Seie-respecting
| golf clubs do not lay out their courses
for the long handicap men. The ones
they aim to please are the plus, scratch
and very low handicap players. IL the
others cannot drive the bunkers laid out
under such . plan that 10 their own
| fault. Perhaps II is their own fault. too,
that they represent % per cent. OF the
membership Of the average club.
| Mr.. Lard, doubtless like many others.
! has grown tired OF this everlasting pam
dering to the expert at tho expense of
4 tho man who likes his ganie Just as we'll
az any but cannot enjoy n because he
has not the ability 10 propei the ball OF
to these pocket handkerchief rat tchcs OF
| turf laid out between the hazards. For
tunateiy bis criticisTn OF present day
methods is constructive. Before making
his protect he has carefully studied his
subject and evolved a plan which while
boneHting tho average golfer will not
/ interfere with tho pleasure OF or I'm
| pose q handicap on the scratch man.
1T is o physical irnpossibility 20 con.
strict a fine, interesting golf course 10
suit the games OF both the crack and
the duffer and have both play from the
same toes" saws Mr.. Lard. This is as
urnistakable as tho open armament.
! Any people but golfers would have real
I ICED 1t many years ago II has been said
that. az q hody. they are tho most intelli-
! gent class IN the world about every