The New York herald., 1922-11-07
AVERAGE GOLF CLUB
DEMANDS SER VICE
Most Organizations Would
Rather Have a Good Work
man Than a Champion.
By KERR N. PETRIE.


The refusal of the Highland Country
Club of Pittsburgh to grant the demands
of Gene Sarazen. national open and pro-
fessional golf champion, throws quite a
glare OF calcium upon that uncertain
road over which the star golf profess
sional OF the playing ranks must sooner
or later travel
Ten years ago or more one of Amer
ica's most prominent amateur figures
made the remark that what he was
pleased to term the "ornamentar' pro-
fessional was no longer wanted by the
clubs. While in the main this still holds
good the changed conditions brought
about by the postwar boom have to
some extent upset the old formula.
With the mushroom growth of clubs
has come Increased competition for
patronage and members. What more
natural than that club wishing pub
licity should engage fancy professional
at fancy salary?
With the old established club with
the long waiting list 1t was service that
was chiefly demanded Of the profess
sional. service In the handling of sup
plies club repairs and instruction and
also from the direction of the golf
course, II 1t so happened that the 'pro"
also had been given charge outdoors.
But with the boom club it became a
question mainly of getting the organiza-
tion talked about, of getting the name
of the professional. and therefore of the
club, in the headlines. Naturally the two
types clashed, or rather there was a
clash Of interests. The club with the
ornamental professional sometimes was
nnf ttefia iaI
other kind in the club which did not
have such a luminary.
George Duncan's Opinion.
George Duncan believes that the game
has grown to such an extent In the
United States that there Is room for
both types of professionals, club and
playing. Duncan undoubtedly is right,
for he and Mitchell kept busy with ex-
hibitions right through the past season
even in face OF the opposition coming
from such teams on tour as Sandy Herd
and j. III. Taylor of England and Walter
Hagen and joe Kirkwood. Hagen and
Kirkwood are still going and they ex-
pect 20 be working all winter, and this
despite the fact that Hutchison and
Sarazen are to take the road before
long.
There Is room for the playing pro-
fessional unquestionably Just as there Is
great demand for the club professional,
the man who can be relied on to stay
around the links OF the organization
which pays him his salary and who Is
at the beck and call OF the members
when they go off their mashie or clesk
or mid iron and feel that they want ex-
pert advice. And when a golfer wants a
pro" he wants him badly, Just as a
nh tyQi ha
without waste of time TO a summons to
attend a patient.
The trouble comes when the square
peg gets into the wrong hole. The club
which does not require the Services"
of a playing professional does not take
long TO realize what its needs really
are. And 1t Is surprising how soon The
tinsels of the champion begin to fade.
Highland gave Sarazen rowing COM
mission last year when the exhibitions
began to pour in on him following his
success in the national open champion
ship at Skokie. When Gene went
through the p. @. A. the Highlanders
were out in force with their campaign
buttons and their pennants.
Business Sense Prevails.
Con on and play all you like, Gene"
they said. But when II came TO a sec
ond year with the prospects of n fun
season with nothing but. salary on
its hands II seems that the business
sense Of the Pttsburghers has shown
itself stronger than the longing for
glory.
Sarazen cannot be blamed for demand
ing what the freight will bear II one
cares TO see 1t In that light Neither
can Highland be blamed for declaring
an ma 4
than a champion II that means salary
without service. Highland is Just
plain club where business men go toI
play golf for relaxation. It has no
particular ak to grind, II has tasted
the sweets OF having a champion at
tached 10 the club and believes them
unpalatable There may be another
place for Sarazen, the playing star. but
not with an organization such ms High
land, where service around the club shop
and the instructional tee is the prere-
qulsite.
When Duncan remarked on the sub
ject OF the playing and the club profess
sional he did not mean TO suggest that
the two positions were interchangea bic
Still. the boom has altered conditions
considerably. SO long "a he holds the
championship or keeps up where the
l'melight hits him there may be a club
willing to pay Sarazen a good salary
and allow him to circulate.
Having completed their last monthly
tournament. settled their championships
and seeded down their two eighteen hole
courses there IS nothing now that tho
golfers of>the New York Athletic Club
can do but wait-and eat-and talk.
There will be all three IN the clubhouse
mt Sixth avenue and Fifty-ninth street
tomorrow evening on the occasion of
the annual dinner OF the Winged Foot
niblickeers.
Australia Voices Approval
&c n-xxs. C,,~ Z~~ C.a