Evening star., 1940-03-03
Claims $4,000 Could
Be Seated and See
biqtime Matches
Would Graduate Par Is
$50 to 400 Yards and
Par IS $50 to 200
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

By WALTER McCALLUM.
William r. Stone, well known
Washington golfer, who came out
three years back with the revolu-
tionary idea that 18-hole golf
courses are too long and take too
much time to play, has reduced his
proposed 12-hole course to one of
two holes with staggered tees for
varying distances.
A stanch advocte of the theory
that the customary course is time
waster, Stone has worked out two
hole layout as his latest scheme for
competition before large galleries.
He claims $4,000 people can be seat
ed in position to see the play on
such a course.
Stones idea also calls for leagues
Of golfers representing different
cities playing matches over we'll
lighted courses at night.
Stone himself took up golf only
nine years ago, after retiring from
business at the age of so. His av-
erage score in his first year at the
game was 122. Today he averages
80 and a fraction over the local
courses. He is q member of three
local clubs.
Details Carefully Studied.
You would think that fellow with
only nine years background in golf
wouldn't know much about the ms
and outs of the game. But Stone
happens to have one of those keenly
analytical minds which 60 in for
detail. He has worked out in metic-
ulouos detail all the angles of the
12-hole game he proposes and also
all the possibilities of the two-hole
game.
He claims that the usual round Of
Is holes, which may take as long
as five hours on crowded days, is
the equivalent of 20 miles of walk
Ing. The 12-hole game, he says, will
complete each game in less than
half the time required for 18 holes,
will provide two-thirds as many
shots with half as much walking,
and will enable the "glutton" to
play four games or more a day, in
stead of two.
On Stones proposed two-hole
course the basic yardage would be
400 yards for one hole and 200 yards
for the other. He would provide six
tees for each hole. with the par
Is graduated from $50 to 400 yards
and the par IS from $50 to 200 yards,
with the holes parallel so play
could be seen from grandstands
erected near both greens.
Plan Demands Accuracy.
Being an efficiency expert, Stone
firmly believes that 18 holes Is a
waste of time, of land and of en-
ergy. But another objection, from
his viewpoint, is the great area given
over to rough"
To overcome this he would Sc
verely penalize a player who hits
a shot into the rough. That pen
atty would be stroke If the ball
finds the rough. Can you imagine
how that would penalize the long
hitters of today. who go "all OUT
after every tee shot, confident that
with modern clubs and short rough
they can blast their way through all
trouble. 1t would impose a very high
premium on accuracy from the tee.
Other recommendations are a
6-inch cup, standardized round
putting green 70 feet in diameter;
use of only 10 clubs (Stone believes
six irons are enough. and reten-
ton Of the present ball.
No matter what you may think
Of the Stone ideas, and they prob
ably won't be Immediately adopted
by the powers that be in the game,
his schemes have possibilities. II
foursome can play round of golf
in two hours or less, that item alone
would be worth while.