Evening star., 1938-03-10
GOLF CARDL0ADED
WITH EXHIBITIONS
Pros Here Plan Schedule
That Would Dwarf Last
Years Program.

iNo| y tVSi oIlis
Washington golf professionals are
getting ready to put on q series of
weekend exhibition matches this year
that will dwarf the -patronized
contests of 1887. Soon after the Mid
die Atlantic P. G. A. championship at
Old Point Comfort late in April they
will begin group of exhibition con-
tests that will take them to every club
around the Capital, much longer
schedule than they played in 1887,
when they listed eight exhibitions at
as many clubs
Early in April George Diffenbaugh,
president Of the Middle Atlantic P.
G. A., will call meeting of the pros
in this sector to outline schedule
of tournaments for the year. This
meeting may result in withdrawal of
the Washington pros from the mid
Atlantic Association and formation of
Washington chapter. although that
hasn't yet been decided The sched-
ule for the local matches will be made
up soon after the sectional meeting.
Other Clubs to See Matches.
A total of probably six or seven
thousand people followed the matches
IN 1887. They produced a lot of
spectacular golf, with Witty Cox, Leo
Walper, Roland Mackenzie, Mel
Shorey, Bob Barnett, George Diffen-
baugh, Al Treder and Cliff Spencer
juggling subpar scores around In near
ly every contest. But this year they
plan to extend the matches to some
clubs which did not see them last
year. Such clubs as Chevy Chase.
Army-Navy, Belle Haven, White Flint
and Capital will be placed on the
1888 schedule, and the list OF COM
petitors will be enlarged to include
some pros who did not play last year.
Witty Cox won the scoring race for
a special prize last year and followed
with a confirming victory in the Dis
trict open championship at Indian
Spring.
Last year the matches were free
to spectators and each club made a
donation to the contesting pros, which
they split up among themselves, re-
tanning percentage for the District
open championship. But they could
do better by charging a nominal fee,
say two-bits a head, to the galleryites
and thus could pile up a good surplus
Tor the District open, usually played
IN the fall. This year the major pro
tourney in this sector comes early in
the year. and the Middle Atlantic P.
G. A. champ will have his title on
display throughout the season. Walper
won the crown last year with total
of 289.
Predicts Lower Score.
That course at Old Point ought to
be in fine shape for the championship
IN April" said Diffenbaugh. I'VE
played it last year in August, when
the greens had gone into their sum-
mer coat of Bermuda grass. All the
boys had trouble around the cup But
in the spring they are planted to rye
grass and they are smoother and
easier to handle. I think the WIN
ming score in April will be below 285
1t should be- The course isn't the
toughest we've ever played. and with
true putting greens the boys might
bust it wide open"
Beaver Dam Country Club has q
flock of applications for the profess
sional berth, vacated last fall by Cliff
Spencer. Among the applications is
one from Spencer who has been selling
automobiles in Washington this WIN
ter. The club Board of Governors
will meet shortly and take up the ap-
pointment of a professional for 1888
Would Shorten Courses in Winter.
William R. Stone, author of the
Stone plan for standardzing golf
courses, which got some publicity last
winter, thinks golf courses should be
shortened in the winter when the ball
gets little roll.> He also holds that
so-called short holes are too long and
too testing for moderate hitters, and
he agrees with Arthur w. Tillinghast,
noted course architect, that no short
hole should be more than 1870 yards in
length.
Il guess am an average golfer, even
though I play nearly every day." says
Stone. Il hit the ball about average
length, probably little longer than
average, but can't get my second
shot home on most of the para holes
at Indian Spring in the winter time.
They are too long, and that length
destroys the pleasure of the game
for me. 1 believe all golf courses
should be shortened in the winter to
make it possible to reach the greens
in the normal number of shots"
OF course there's a good deal of
truth in Stones thought. Even though
aided by winter rules and front tees
the ball gets no roll in the winter,
and the courses thereby are heightened
an average of around 20 yards to the
hole by that fact and the added cir
cumstance that the golf ball loses
some distance in cold weather. It
doesn't have the rebound it has dur
ing the summer.
TWO FOR LITTLE HOYAS.