Evening star., 1939-01-30
Tough 50 Is Planned
To Make Trouble
For Best Pros
Tremendous Advancement
In Character Of Play
Cause for Revision
BY TED MEIER,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

Associated Press Sports Writer.
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 30.-A pio-
neer step that may lead to changes
in golf courses throughout the
country will be taken at the Ma
tional Open Tournament here in
June.
For years there has been agitation
to make it tougher for top-notch
amateurs and professionals to
break par.
Several months ago officials of
the Philadelphia Country Club de-
cided to do something about it..
Result: Par on the clubs Spring
Mill course, where the open will
be held, has been changed from II
to SO, making it the first time in
history that a National Open will be
played with par below 10.
During the last decade there
has been continuous improvement
in the golf ball." said a club official.
Also the modern club has been
made much more powerful and ef-
fective by changes in the swinging
weight and improvements in the
steel shaft.
Players Now Far Better.
''In addition a new class of golf
amateur and professional has de-
veloped. The modern professional
has achieved unbelievable distance
and accuracy because he not only
practices intelligently but also. be-
cause he goes into physical and
mental training for tournament
play.
I'm the last 80 years there has
been very little change in the rule
for determining par for a course,
whereas there has been tremendous
advancement in the character and
play of our best golfers. That's why
the par of SO was established"
The 6,786-yard course was re-
vamped by William Flynn, golf
architect, after many days of tour
ing the course with the clubs pro-
fessional, Ed Dudley, and his two
assistants, Sam Byrd and George
Smith.
In what he calls his winter pre-
diction" Dudley declares the winner
of the open will be 'at least eight
over par" or 284, Ralph Guldahl's
winning score in last years open.
Metz Finds Start Furnishing.
Dick Metz of Chicago, who re-
Gently won the $4,000 San Fran
cisco and Oakland opens, and who
finished second to Guldahl in the
1888 open, played the revised course
in a practice round last fall.
ut has one of the most Furnishing
starts I ever saw he said. THE
man who gets the first five holes
in par will have a good chance, but
a good golfer can easily lose five
strokes to par on these first five"
Here are the changes made by
Flynn:
placed ESQ yards from o tee on left M side Of
fairway. forcing play. to right.
ss4 ysrds ysrds. par par q gPeen enana more diago
nal to, line of play: more heavily bunkered
" ABB yards. par 4 new traps placed
at right of drive forcing tee shot to lett
5-25 yards, par 4; bunkers placed on
left Of drive area and green frightened on
6447 yards. par I; traps, placed on
for better position. Green tigktened on
right.
S-1ad1 Yards, yards par 3; no cha. ehange, e. ,,,,
526 yards and par changed to from 5.
force tee shot uphill on right
l0--454 yards. par 4: tee moved to right
bringing more into play bunker at ripht.
New, bunker at left tightens UP drive area.
diagonal to line of play and contour
12-4SO yards. par 4: shortened from
497 yards and par changed to from 3.
1906 yards, par 3; green o-nkers
l4-:'94 yards. par 4: bunker placed at
bunker. Green entrance tightened on both
15-421 yards. par 4; new trap at right
16-32S, yards. par 4 .undulating sand
waste developed on left side from $50 yard
mark up to and around left side of green.
-Four bunkers placed right side OF Fair
ana drifting away from center. Greer
larPer in area. but narrower in width.
1T-363 yards. par 4; secondary bunker
placed at right Gaping bunker already
there. Forces a 200yard tee shot carry
uphill
1S-55s yards, par $; new tee ADDS 35
area at 250-yard mark New trap at left
Of fairway at 450-yard mark. forcing ex-
treme accuracy on a second shot long
ened on both sides.