Evening star., 1942-02-01
Weeds, Wafer, Brush
And Heavy Rough
ToLose peri|s
Bottle Promised When
D. c. Body Takes Up
Tourney Erosure
By WALTER McCALLUM.

Here's the picture OF wartime golf
courses as they will be this year of
1912, with golf balls veritable mug
gets the value Of gold: No rough
any more and to high grass spots
where you can lose those precious
spheres; no more tangled thickets
of brush and weeds; water hazards,
II they remain at all, converted into
shallow lakes with plenty Of ball
retrieving devices available, and in
the case of streams or bitches the
grass around the edges to be mown
and kept short. In every sense OF
the word the game will be easier
for duffer and expert alike. The
new conditions won't make the
duffer moan and can be expected to
bring lower scores by the experts.
DR.. John Monteith, chief OF the
experimental work Of the United
States Golf Association Green Sec
tion, Is one who would eliminate
water hazards and cut the rough
down to the point where a golf ball
hardly could be lost even by a cad
die with something less than an
eagle eye. All the greenkeepers
around town, with a weather eye
on golf ball conservation, plan to
go along with the new scheme of
things and are taking steps to
eliminate the spots where q golf
ball can be lost.
Will Clean Out Woods.
That means that on courses such
as Burning Tree, Army Navy. Wash
ington, Manor and some others the
fringing woods will be cleaned out,
while on courses such as Washing
ton the water hazards are to be
cleaned up and kept clean. That
happens to be no light job in sum-
mer when the grass grows fast.
Washington, Of course, has more
water hazards than any course
around town. 1t has six separate
water carriers, and two or three
more holes where a shot of line can
end in a ditch.
Already at Columbia the powers
that be are figuring they'll save
golf balls by taking the sting out
of the water hazard in front of the
18th green and concentrating on
using shorter tees at the 17th. The
carry over big water hazard from
the back tees at the 18th is quite
chore for any but long hitter.
So the whole picture is reversed
from that before the Japs got tough
about rubber. Before the war the
main idea was to penalize severely
any golfer who strayed off the fair
way. Now the idea will be to make
1t easier by eliminating the spots
where a golf ball may be lost.
Tourney Cancellation Fought.
Solons of the District Golf Asso-
citation will gather Tuesday night to
90 over the tournament situation
around Washington this year. They
will bring before the annual meet
ing a recommendation from the
Executive Committee that the four
day match-play amateur cham
pionship be Cancelled this year and
will set dates for several one-day
Journeys. Recommended cancella-
ton of the District championship
is sure to bring out scrap, for
plenty of opposition has developed
against the proposal.
The District Golf Association, in
sofar as representation at the an
nual meeting is concerned, is made
up Of a group of men who do not
compete seriously in tournaments.
The policy makers are not serious
competitors, yet they create the
pattern for the men who patronize
their events. For years the District
amateur championship, played at
medal play. was flop. 1t reached
its low mark few years back when
II competed. The championship
came back strong when the solons
changed 1t to match play and has
been a -patronized event ever
since. Now the bosses of local golf
want to eliminate it this year, even
though neighboring links associa-
tions plan to carry on with their
regular tournament schedules, in
Guiding championship affairs.
II the tournament is played, as
1t may be, Ralph Bogart and Bobby
Brownell won't be around. Ralph
is in the Navy and Bobby Is with
the F. B. I. But even il the reign
ing title holder and Brownell don't
compete, 1t won't be any less a real
championship. There are plenty of
capable inksmen around.
Some Fancy Nicknames.
The boys in the golf shop at Co.
lumbia have picturesque names for
some of the links regulars. Bill
Jones found out about it when he
overheard some Of those nicknames.
Bill still laughs about it. He found
out he is called "Lippy." Albert
Mackenzie is named Slick" DR..
Paul M. Stewart, golf chairman, is
called "Xantippe," while Earl
Skinker is called Feet" or Little
Caesar" Then, Of course, there's
Ralph Bosarts nickname, Elm
stein" pinned on him by Parker
Nolan.
Helen Hicks Harb, who now plays
golf at Congressional, Is planning
70 compete in a feminine tourna-
ment at Augusta later this month.
Helen has been keeping her shots
in gear by few rounds at Congress
sional, but she hasn't worked hard
at the game for many months. She
won the Augusta tourney two years
ago.