Evening star., 1939-10-18
Straight Off the Tee


are that way: even some of the bet
ter players. But there isn't much
they can do about it nowadays,
when handmade clubs are prem
ium affairs and the day of the old
benchmade club, and the skilled
artisans who fashioned them are
over and done.
Steel Overwhelmingly Popular.
Dallas holds that the day when
he cannot get a good wooden
shafted golf club will find him just
about ready to quit the game. But
his is lone voice crying in wilder
ness of steel shafts. The entire
country has gone steel, and except
for a few who stick lovingly to the
old equipment you won't find a
dozen wooden-shafted clubs in the
bags of hundred golfers.
John Fischer was the last man to
win the amateur championship with
wooden shafts, and probably will be
the last ever to win with such tools.
That was back in 1886, and more
than likely lanky John will be the
last amateur champ to win with the
time -honored equipment.
Redheaded Wilbur Seay, who
plays most of his golf at Anacostia,
is the Department of Agriculture
links champion. Seay put together
two good rounds of 76 and 81 for a
total of 157 to outstrip good field
of department golfers at Indian
Spring.
The net award went to DR.. L. T.
Hopkins, who won the Dunlop Cup
on his birthday.
Demon statisticians have figured
out the odds against holes in
one, but here in Washington we have
pretty good evidence that the ace is
a rare bird.
No Ace in 5000 Shots.
Tommy Doerer, jr.. East Potomac
Park golf sparkplug, has just wound
up a hole-in-one tourney, in which
well over 5000 shots were hit to a
specially constructed green 125 yards
away from the tee. mo one really
came close" said Tommy. I'VE had
some shots within a foot of the cup
but don't believe any really came
close to grabbing the 500 for the
hole in one. The funny part of it
was that some of the fellows won
prizes with topped shots; scooters
that ran through the opening be-
tween the bunkers and up onto the
green"
The odds against a hole in one
are very much more than 5000 to /,
but Tommy doesn't think the occa-
sional ace is anything to get excited
about. I'D guess we have 5000 or
5000 golfers playing every good Sum-
day around Washington" he said
And how many aces do you hear
about? One, once in while. And
when you analyze the shots you'll
find that many of them come from
some funny shots. No. I can't get
excited about an occasional hole in
one. But hole-in-one tournament
is something else again. They are
big things and we'll probably hold
another next year."
Winter rules have made their ap-
pearance around Washington, a lit
tie early, perhaps, but nonetheless
blessing for lot of folk.
The Washington Golf and Coun-
try Club has started the ball rolling
toward winter rules, invoking the
old and time -honored rule that the
ball may be teed anywhere on the
course, except in hazards, until
spring rolls around again. The other
courses will follow from time to
time, although at Army Navy they've
been teeing EN- up for years.
Washington, however, has really
sensible winter rules" rule. In
stead of defining a rough that can
not really be defined as the margin
within which a ball may not be
teed, they 60 the whole way at
Washington and say: Tee 'em up
anywhere on the course, except in
hazards" That seems the most
sensible and logical way to handle
the situation. It's hard enough to
play winter golf at best. without
playing from a heavy lie in deep
rough, or from holes in the rough
which come after frost. Why not
tee 'em everywhere barring hazards,
and isn't it fairer all around to do
just that?