Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-26
BY WALTER r.. MCCALLUM.

u ONE folks have it that the man
who can putt well is the man
who scores well, Which is true.
In part, as Bob Barnett, the keen
little student of the game, who holds
down the professional berth at the
Chevy Chase Club. admits. But Barnett.
who is as methodical as grandfather's
clock about this business Of playing a
golf course in respectable figures, de-
clares that to 60 far along the road of
low scoring any golfer must hit his tee
shots far and straight, as well as putt
accurately.
Sitting at lunch with Barnett yes
terday at Chevy Chase while a group OF
Argentine tennis players Sharpened up
their strokes on adjacent ping-pong
tables few yards away, We listened to
an unusual argument from the lips OF
the Chevy Chase mentor on the value
Of long and accurate hitting from the
tee as major factor in knocking a
golf bail around any course in figures
somewhere near par.
The other day went around Chevy
Chase in IS puts" Bob said Now
that. mind you, is 8 below the normal
number OF puts for the round Par,
you know. comedies So puts to the
round. but par does not concede any
missed shots from tee and fairway
And with % puts, what do you think
my score wss?" We guessed and guessed
and guessed again, and every time we
were wrong
MY score was TO-" Barnett said
And it all came about because l did
not hit my tee shots on the holes where
I really needed to hit them. You know,
this business of putting and approach
ing is fine If you can do it right. but /
maintain that for coed golfer to score
within two strokes Of par--cither way
he must be hitting his tee shots. And.
he must not miss it in a spot where it
may cost him more than one stroke.
Seven Strokes Above Par.
There I was with % puts, eight be-
low par for the putting green's. and vet
my score was seven strokes above par
for the course. And I was not hitting
my second shots badly. The real reason
for that score was that 7 missed tee
shots on two holes where the penalty
for bad tee shot is severe. Holes like
DAD
tee shot, while holes like the first. sec
ond and third do not penalize a poor
tee shot so severely.
Il mean by that that even II I miss a
tee shot at the first three holes on this
course / have a chance to get home
with long second shot or knock the
ball somewhere up around the green.
where I may get down with a chip and
a putt. But i'll miss my tee shot at
the fifth. sixth. seventh sixteenth and
such holes. simply cannot get home.
That is where the value CT tee shots
comes in. I do not believe any man
can score really well unless he hits his
tee shots well, no matter how well he
may be putting"
And there Bob went into a discussion
of how tee shots count in a medal
round. IF you mishit your tee shots
on course like Oakmcnt. you simply
have no chance" he said That is
why chose Oakmont for the qualify
ing round for the open. I believe a
course like that where trouble in
plenty awaits shot off the line or
badly hit, keeps golfer on his toes at
all times. Persc nally I would rather
play Oakmont and not qualify than
play another and easier course and
qualify. I think Oakmont is a testing
course for the tee shot and that playing