Evening star., 1955-02-23
By Wheeler Johnson

The DlStrlct OF Columbia Coll
Association has had a line OF
earnest golfers in the presidency
II precedence Is followed at its
meeting at Army Navy Country
Club tomorrow night the chain
will remain unbroken.
Slated to move up in the as
sociations usual order of sue
cession is Rear Admiral Jack
Phillips, USN, retired, Here is
a golfer who started swinging a
club at the age of Is, and since
he is celebrating his Goth BIRTH
day this month that gives him
As years at the game.
AS the admiral says, he took
a series of lessons at what is
now the White Sands Country
Club in New Jersey and from
that time on he was determined
ito play golf every chance I
got" And he has managed to
keep his vow.
Time to Play Now.
Fortunately, his status as a
retired naval officer gives him
plenty of those chances to play
that he always wanted. The
little admiral stands about S.
feet-7 and looks like he would
weigh somewhere in the neigh
borhood of 140 pounds. at the
outside. He retired with a so
per cent disability. but don't let
these things fool you if you are
going to play golf with him
and talk handicaps.
He is capable of shooting in
the 70s and plays on most of the
teams at Army Navy Country
Club. his home course.
But Phillips ability on the
course is not the only facet of
his golfing career that makes
him an asset in his position with
the District association. He has
made a study of the game from
all angles and is particularly an
expert on building and keeping
of greens.
The District Golf Association
can count on getting the type of
service from it's new president
that the Army Navy Club has
been getting for years. The ad-
miral throws himself into every
one Of his golflng jobs with
plenty Of energy. He is a vet
eran Army Navy Club member
and for the last six years has
been chairman of the clubs Golf
Committee.
Serious Study of Courses.
To make himself a good golf
chairman Phillips has made a
serious study of grasses, land
contours and the building of
golf greens. He has become so
well versed in this phase of golf
that he has been made an hon.
orary member of the Golf Course
Superhtendents of America.
When Phillips became CHAIR
man there was some dissatisfac-
tion among many of the members
with the clubs 81 holes. During
his term of Office the admiral
and his committee have super
the rebuilding of nine
or ne-third-of the clubs lay
out. And they have had no
more than just the normal grip
ing that every golf committee
gets.
Early in his administration as
golf chairman Phillips brought
his present superintendent, Jim
Thomas, to Army Navy from
White Sulphur Springs, w. Va,
where Thomas was making a
reputation as a greens expert.
The little admiral had the salts
faction Of seeing his man elected
a member of the Board of Direc-
tors of the Golf Course Super
Association at the
organizations meeting in st.
Louis recently.
This has been a year of honors
for Phillips. Not only is he slated
to be elevated to the presidency
Of the District association, but
ne also recently was elected as
Northern Virginia representative
on the Board of Directors of the
Virginia State Golf Association
and was named to the Tourna-
ment Committee of the USGA's
new National Senior champion
ship.
Knows Every Blade Of Grass.
Army Navy;s golf chairman
almost literally knows every
blade of grass on his home
course. He should. He is out on
It every day unless am called
out Of town." he says.
His habit Of being out there
Rvery day Is one that endears
NJ. A.