Evening star., 1933-08-31

to get away with the idea,
i but he is going to catch up
with a lot of opposition
from the experts who have strung
along with the theory that bent
putting greens can be kept in
good condition on Washington's
golf courses during the brown
patch months.
Al Houghton, Kenwood's hustling golf
professional, is all a-flutter these days
over a proposition which will save local
golf courses, according to his estimate,
somewhere in the neighborhood OF
100000 One hundred grand is some
thing not 20 be lightly sneeZed away,
at any time, and if AL is right he should
get commission. Briefly his scheme
is simple, for it contemplates the rele-
cation Of bent grass to the lawn and of
the putting green with the hardy Ber-
muda strain which thrives on hot
weather taking its place.
II don't know a lot Of theory
on the way bent grass acts In the
Summertime" AL says, "but do
know that greenkeepers at the
courses around Washington and
anywhere in this section have a
lot Of trouble keeping up their
bent green's when really hot
weather hits them"
IT also know that Bermuda grass Is
at its best when bent Is at its worst, IN
hot weather; that it makes a good putt
ing surface; that 1t does not have the
grain of the coarser grades OF bent, ana
that In my opinion it will solve the
putting green problem around wash
1ngton.''
And having delivered himself Of this
Thought AL further remarked that he
had talked with Bobby Cruickshank IN
Richmond a few days ago and discov-
cred from him that the putting green's
at the Country Club of Virginia course
are almost completely ruined by the
same hot humid weather that has
wrecked so many greens around WASH
ington.
"a lost Of the pros do not like
N bent grass anyhow" Houghton
says 1T has decided grain.
Putting with the grain the ball slips
away too fast and putting against the
grain It hops around too much. Ber-
muda has no grain. 1t Is little stubby
II not clipped close. but when It IS cut
down it makes very good putting sur
face. But the main factor in favor OF
Bermuda is that 1t will stay on the
green and get better the hotter the
weather, when the bent gets thin and
fades away.
"A green copered tDith Bermuda
grass, or any grass that mil stay
there through the Summer
months is far better than green
1pith no grass or very little.
Furthermore planting Of Bermuda will
save the cost of buying and spreading
the costly chemicals that are used to
prevent brown-patch and don't prevent
it. Bermuda needs little care. 1t Is
hardy and strong. You can't kill 1t ana
1t gets along well with a hot sun; l
think the local courses would do well to
give Bermuda q real try. And I think
if they did they would find their golf
course maintenance costs cut down very
materially"
The only course in this sector
Of the Land which has had Ber-
nauda green's is the Norfolk COun-
txy Club course, and I don't
know whether they now have
them o. not.
But they did have them half dozen
wears ago and they made good putting
surfaces, q little stubbly but as true as
a bent green. There isn't any question
that Bermuda makes the finest OF
fairway grass in this climate. Ger
tainly. there are not any finer fairways
to be found anywhere than at Princess
Anne, where they are solid Bermuda. But
l, fancy Al will have hard time put
ting across his scheme for Bermuda
greens. There is too much sentiment
about bent.