Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-20
SUGGEST PLAYING
WOODS NINE LAST
Assert Present First Half of
Links Too Exacting
to Start Round.
BY WALTER r. McCALLUM.


u"OME, on, Bill, let's play
the last nine first. BY
~ the time I get down in
those woods, I want the
old swing to be in the groove.
When my ball gets to bouncing
around in those trees, it would
make a trap drummer green with
envy and I want a break today,
anyhow. I've got headache.
Such conversations as that, combined
with the practical consideration that
the tenth tee is right alongside the
golf shop and caddie house, may bring
about q shift in the use OF the two
major nine-hole courses at the Manor
Club.
Sentiment among many of the men,
bers of the club favors a reversal Of
the present procedure of playing the
course by making the present last nine
the first nine and making the woods"
nine, which is the present first nine,
the second nine for the regular course
There are arguments for and against
the change, but according to Ray F.
Clarity, president of the club, and D.
L. Thomson, chairman of the green's
committee, the change may be made In
the interest of smoother running of the
golf machinery Of the club, and of
speeding up play.
Not to Affect 'Inside" Course.
The change, If made, will not affect
the inside" or short nine-hole course
which is used extensively by the fair
members of the Manor Club, and 1t may
be made in advance of the invitation
tourney of the Norbeck organization,
scheduled for June Is, II, Is and 10.
MANY Of our members feel that they
cannot get going on the first nine holes,
and that before they have really gotten
the feel Of their clubs their score is
shot to pieces on that narrow woods
nine," Clarity said today. 80 they
plead that on the more open second
nine they can get to hitting the ball
before they venture down into the
woods.
"In addition, the golf shop and cad
die pen Is located near the tenth tee
and in the interest of better course
management it might be an economy of
time and effort to play the last nine
as the first nine. It would make no
difference in course upkeep or main
tenance."
Up to Board and Members.
Thomson agreed with sponsors for
the change, but said that the club is
laid out with the view of having the
finishing hole coming from the east,
where the lawns Of the clubhouse face
east, thus giving the gallery q good
view of the closing holes of a match.
I'VE would not have such an oppor-
t1nity II the ninth hole were made the
eighteenth" he said. Personally, feel
the suggested change would be q good
ting the kinks out of the swing in the
for the board of governors and the
eighth hole is not quite strong enough
to be the seventeenth, although the
ninth would make very strong eight
zenith hole"
And while we are on the subject of
accuracy from the tee, which that
first nine at Manor demands, may we
tell tale Of some marvellous putting
that Thomson and e. NJ McClelland
of Manor uncovered the other day. To
sum up the case in few words, they
one-putted seventeen Of the eighteen
greens of the course and between them
had % one putt green's In eighteen
holes. II Thomson was not holing a
long one, McClelland was, and If Nc
Clelland missed Thomson got his putt
down.
Frequently, as the statistics show,
they both one-putted the green. Com
bined with Dave Thomson's we'll
known accuracy from the tee, they gave
their opponents bad afternoon.