Evening star., 1937-07-20
T IAVE you noticed how your
favorite putting greens have
been getting a little thin in
Il Srotc AR HolForo porhons

been getting a little thin in
L Il spots, Mr. Golfer? Perhaps
you also have noticed big brown
patches scattered over the surface OF
what, up to couple weeks ago, WAS
an Immediately green and smooth
plot of bent grass.
Don't kick about it. for just now
We here in Washington are going
through one Of the toughest seasons
for brown patch and allied grass
troubles we've had in 4 decade. And
1t isn't going to get any better until
cool nights come along.
So says o. B. Fits, who has been
course supervisor At Columbia for
nearly 10 years
Before that, Fits was one OF DR..
John Monteith's boys attached to the
greens section of the Department of
Agriculture and the United States
Golf Association. Dr. Monteith and
his associates know more about put
ting green grasses and the ills these
grasses fall heir to than any others
in the world. Fits was one OF
Monteiths best men.
Wilt Has Greenkeeper Worried.
LIE LOOKED at couple of foot
prints in the smooth surface OF
the eighteenth green at Columbia and
directed helper to spread water over
the green-in the heat of the day.
Watering Of putting greens in the
heat of Summer day generally Is
not regarded as good stuff But there
were those footprints. If I didn't
water this green right now, every man
who walked on it would leave those
footprints" he said Tomorrow that
grass would be dead. It's something
new in my experience, but immediate
watering seems to stop it,
How Gomez" Fits was asked. How
can a green almost within an hour
fall into this condition."
Il don't yet know said Fits. But
there it is. This morning this green
was OK, and yet half an hour ago
two golfers walked on it. They weren't
trying to do any damage. but you
can see what happened. II I didn't
get at it right away. every time a
player stepped on that grass it would
curl and die, and tomorrow we'd have
a green covered with footprints.
L call it wilt for lack of a better
nams, but it's new to me. 1t must
happen by a coincidence Of circum-
stances and sunshine after warm
nj inh y,y q " ctiv ipr Ant
does happen? Why? That's what I'd
like to know.
We've had more trouble this Sum-
mer than in any other Summer l can
remember Just when it looked, too,
as If We were in for good season.
And. of course, it's general. 1t isn't
confined to Columbia or any other
particular course. It's all over this
section.
"t'he only thing We can do is to
watch the greens like q mother
watches a child and pounce on
trouble when it starts.
Much Trouble in Hot Weather.
"FOU know, a fellow in charge of a
golf course has quite 4 bunch Of
trouble on his hands when weather
like this comes along I don't know
what this property is worth. but with
out putting green's no golf course is
very good. The golf courses around
Washington must be worth many mil
lions of dollars. And a little scum
like this can come along and ruin 'em
overnight"
So give q thought to the hard
working greenkeeper. He's up at the
crack OF dawn these mornings and
out over your golf course trying to
keep down brown patch and wilt and
pythium and the hundred and one
things that torture bent grass One
moment OF relaxation and \ putting
green is gone
And just now he's right in the
middle OF his toughest time When
you see a smooth, green putting sur
face remember that it's only that way
because the greenkeeper is constantly
vigilant. Any farmer can grow grass
in the Spring and Fall, when the