Evening star., 1942-02-15
All Pros Capital Golf Clubs Solid But Face Problem Lining Up Aides
Cox, Treder, Burton
And Diffenbaugh in
Need Of Helpers
Wiffy's Plan Of Keeping
= Down Rough to Save
Balls Sweeps U. S.
By WALTER McCALLUM.

BY WALTER McCALLUM.
There will be no professional
changes in the golf shops around
Washington during the coming
spring, when changes usually are
made. That is, there won't be any
changes at the private clubs, al
though a reshufning Of jobs may
come about on the public courses.
The pro golfers around town are
solid in their posts and all are going
to remain. But at least four have
task on their hands in getting COM
petent assistants.
At Manor AL Treder Is looking
around for an assistant to take the
place Of Eddie Stevens, who is back
in the Army. Witty Cox, at Con-
gressional, has lost Warner Gray,
who is in the Navy, and George
Diffenbaugh at Kenwood will have
q job filling the shoes of Lew Faren-
valid, who is in the Marine Corps.
Allan Burton, pro at Army Navy,
has lost the services of Eddie Light
bown, who did a good job last year.
That situation in the golf shops
around town is an advance notice of
lack Of caddies, which probably will
develop into something pretty ser
ious before the summer Is over.
Scores of bag-toters are being
drafted or are going into the armed
forces, and the caddie situation. al
ready serious, will become worse as
the links season gathers momentum.
The feminine golfers have recog-
nized the coming caddie shortage by
arranging a late start for their
Journeys, hoping to get enough cad
dies from the ranks Of schoolboys
released from studies. But several
mems tournaments are scheduled
before the close Of classes.
All See Big Year Ahead.
Universally the golf pros look
toward big year, basing their pre-
diction on swelling membership lists
at the country clubs, and the horde
of newcomers to the Capital. The
public courses, already overcrowded
on week ends during the season, also
will come in for heavy play, the
pros say, although the Fairfax and
Bradley Hills courses will 60 a long
way toward relieving public course
congestion.
The District Golf Association,
planning to hold several one-day
Journeys this year in addition to the
District championship, has handi-
cap problem on it's hands. For the
first tournament or two the men
who run these affairs will have to
accept the statements of entrants as
to their handicaps, meanwhile
building up from scores made by the
contestants the nucleus of a handi-
cap list for future use That's the
way President Tommy Utz of the
District association sees the picture.
At present the District Golf Associa-
tion has no handicap list. Secretary
Bill Barr Is in Florida.
George j. Voigt is going on the
roll of fame at Pinehurst, along with
other former amateur stars from
the Capital. The men in charge of
golf at Pinehurst are getting
together pictures OF all winners of
the North and Sou1l amateur title
tourney. Voigt thrice won it in 1927,
1928 and 1929.
Allan Lard, inventor of the steel
shaft, and a crack amateur around
Washington IS years ago, won the
North and South in 1907 and 1908.
Allan no longer plays golf but
retains his membership at Chevy
Chase. Page Hufty of Burning Tree
won the tourney in 1925.
WHY'S Idea Spreads.
That idea started by Witty Cox
soon after the golf ball situation
became serious has swept the coun-
try. All through the land pros and
greenkeepers are planning to keep
the rough cut and to eliminate bad
spots where golf balls can be lost.
Witty started it last month. The
scheme for keeping the rough cut
was the main subject at the Green
keepers convention in Chicago last
week and you can be sure the rough
will be kept cut down at all courses
this year. It's bright picture for
the buffers.
Columbia, while continuing its
program of bunker elimination,
plans to retain the water hazard
in front of the 18th green, where
plenty of golf balls vanish.
Virginia golfers probably will carry
on their usual program of State
Journeys. Fritz Souder of Chariot
tesville, Va, president of the Vir-
ginia State Golf Association. and
vice president of the Middle Atlantic
golf body, will recommend to the
April meeting that they schedule the
amateur and senior championships
at Hot Springs over the July 4 holi-
day. He also suggested that all prizes
be in defense bonds. In the latter
suggestion he sees eye to eye with
DIR. Utz, who says that all money
raised over that needed for modest
'token" prizes in local Journeys
either should be turned into defense
savings funds or diverted directly to