Evening star., 1940-02-27
Dog-Legged First Hole
To Be Strengthened,
No. 7 Stiffened
+ Blasts by Tom Doerer
I At Links Situation
! Here Supported
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

bia Country Club golf course in
many years will find that champion
ship layout lengthened by around
IS yards this year when the new
second tee is put in play and new
green for the first hole is construct
ed. The new second tee now is
under construction, while plans for
the new first hole are being consid-
cred by the Greens Committee,
headed by Dana c. Belser.
Since 1921, when Columbia staged
the National Open championship, the
major change in that fine course
was installation of fairway water
ing system. This was done three
years ago. The few green's changes
have had no effect on the course
itself, nor the play to the holes. But
the proposed changes will have that
effect.
The second hole, where Jim
Barnes in 1921 ran into the lucky
eagle deuce that set him on the
championship road, will be con-
verted from fairly simple drive and
pitch affair to a hole around 800
yards, far removed from the "sim-
pie" category. The second shot will
become a lengthy iron wallop, while
the tee shot itself will take consider
able accuracy.
Would Shorten First Hole.
Plans for the new first green have
not yet been worked out completely.
But il they are approved as drawn
by Greenkeeper o. P. Fits they will
shorten the hole around yards.
making 1t about 800 yards in length.
More important, the hole which now
is right-angled, dog-legged affair.
will become a straightaway drive
and iron hole. The present first
green will be retained and the new
green. located about so yards south,
will be used alternately.
Changes in recent years at Colum-
bia have tended toward stiffening
the layout without radically altering
the holes. But the two changes to
come won't make the course any
easier. Like its neighbor down the
road-Chevy Chase-that Columbia
course has stood the championship
test. Faster golf balls and better
equipment haven't turned the old
course into one where par is broken
with any regularity.
Chip Shots.
In the women's tournament sched-
ule out last week, did you notice
that no Journeys were assigned to
Indian Spring, which in the past
has held several events each year?
Indian Spring will be a nine-hole
layout this year, which is the reason.
The gals have gone about their
schedule in the usual busi-
ness-like fashion. The result is
good list of affairs. Another of
those pal" affairs, that tie between
Tony Penna and Jimmy Demaret
for the Western Open. The boys
have been companions for years,
split their prize winnings and are
anseparable. Tony represents we'll
known golf club manufacturing out
ut, and what clubs do you think
Jimmy plays? Yep, that's right.
Jimmy, by the way, hits about as
long a spoon shot as any living
golfer. He walloped a couple of
them around 245 yards a few days
back. when Jimmy misses fair
way it's an event." says Penna, his
edmiring booster.
Doerer's Argument Supported.
Those blasts at the local golf situ-
alton by Tommy Doerer in The Star
the other day weren't so far wrong
The pros should get together and
iron out their squabbles, and the
District Golf Association should 60
back to an old custom and invite a
few of the best public links golfers to
play in its championship. They
couldn't win, for there aren't many
really good golfers around the public
courses nowadays. But they would
have their chance, and the District
of Columbia championship, which is
synthetic at best, would become a
reality instead Of hollow title.
Don't forget that there isn't
private golf club located in the Dis
trict. Yet they call it the District
championship. The only real "Dis-
trict" championship played in the
District is the public links title
tourney, won for the last two years
by Handy Andy Oliveri, a lad who
can play lot of golf.
Washington Golf and Country
Club hasn't had a really top-notch
golf team for several years, but it
may have one this year because of
the probable addition of Claude
Rippy to the club membership list.
With ample time for practice, Rippy
would come pretty close to being the
best amateur clubswinger around
Washington. But he has to work
for the wife and kiddies, and golf is
. weekend pastime.