MODERN GOLF COURSES.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18603, 30 January 1926, Page 13

MODERN GOLF COURSES.

QUESTIONS OF LENGTH AND DIFFICULTY. isrscuLM WRims res "tas \Bv Ilarry Yardon. six times Open Champion.) Floating in the golfing atmosphere at the present time are signs that players are beginning seriously to consider tho question as to where course architects ought to restrain their ingenuity. Of a surety has the architecture e£ courses improved vastly during th# last twenty years, but it happens all too frequently in an ag<a o£ advancement that tho spirit of tho time 3 promotes aa ambition to improve tho ideal, and it is just a question as to whether some such tendency is appearing ia the science of golf-courso construction. Every now and again wo hear of a cluh which, after mature consideration of proposed changes, decides to leave its land untouched or which, having had alterations effected with a view to being in tho fashion resolves to revert to something liko the original mode. With entirely new greens, however, thero is no opportunity of mixing eld ideals with up-to-date schemes, and so there is a danger of their becoming stereotyped in design and excessive difficult*-. Somo of the courses which have been opened during the last few seasons have been masterpieces of conception and construction, hut it is open to question whether they have been, to moderate golfers, so pleasant in tho playing as tho courses of an unsophisticated charactor.

Nothing could be more unfortunate than tho acceptance of what might be called a standard design for golf courses.' The greatest glory of the gaane is its variety, and the foundation of that variety is tho diversity of holes and courses brought about by the band of Nature. It is difficult to think that Ihoro is wisdom in the belittling of that treasure. A Viifcuo Unique. "What I like about golf is thai a® two courses' are alike," was the renin rk of a man who, after having dabbled ia most sports, had come to the conclusion that tho game of the links was tho best of the lot. In those words he .hit upon one of the secrets of tit© joy of golf—a joy which perhaps ia not always appreciated at its true worth by the person who is a trifle bias* a consequence of a life-long acqmast* anco with the pastime, One cricket ground is very much liko another, and the same may bs said football fields, lawn tennis coorta and other places devoted to tho pursuit of a game. It is left to the player# to provide all the variety. Ia tho proceedings are double*dy«l with diversion; individuals supply a lot of it, afc# tho course supplies a lot of it. Certainly an easy hoi® (that i* to say, a featureless hole) is an aboßM®** tiou which does not please the Jfoßghandicap man any more than it at" spires the plus-three stalwart, aad toe skill with which tlio architects comreri what nature intended. to ho do®, how* into highly interesting episode m round is ft dispesußataou for toco to golfing community 'is doubtless truly grateful. But there avo natural of the ground which. are abaadassßa from time to time because thoy aiw 4< not golf," and it « vhisf tttd«n«y towards tho introduction of the rtarsotyped (for any system cf beiief lead towards tho stereotyped) seems to imperil that feature rf go** which makes the greatest »pjt«*l humanity—tho fact that it is in nature's own circumstances. I suppose that everybody has an idfffi aa to how he would lay out a axtree. He would plan it mainly with an to affording him satisfaction us '|mf own game. If he chanced to eft a short driver, .ho would provide, pwf haps, one hole' of 400 yards," aad nsclude it near the end of ihe round, i» as to havo the chance of avenging ifc by winning his matches before it «uc» up for consideration. If he found » peculiar pleasure in the playing of short holes, he would have SOIR4 of prettiest little mashie pitches and fixfflt half-iron shots from the tee that ever man imagined. The course architect is in a to y trying situation, he has to «nrteav<rurvtf> please everybody. We knoiv full well: that, however devoutlv he may hopft to achieve that end. he cannot do ttOften it is surprising how avtndrontfir jiear he approaches to coniOUito nio cess. Nowadays, he geneml'y giw« the lover of giort. hales thtve or lorr of those delicacies alt suitable testinjr. He also provides plenty at epportuair ties fbr long - hitsang l withers to check it. and iBMSlim long carrying at other hole®. • What of the Moderate Piajrort All this is very welt, bat it wwrifci* less has its element of monotony. It is excellent for the accompUahad gtifvt, because' it tests him to the with nearly every shot that be is caß-M upon to execute, but it is apt to Income somewhat wearisome to «he !&©•»•» orate player. It is clear that if tta scheme of making holes more and swn* difficult be prosecuted for another fc»a years, handicappuig will have to be re» vived. The indifferent player will ba ■ vorrying his way through a »et-werk of hazards, and at gome holes wilt BWw two strokcß in order to halve witii the plus man. If ever we come to such a pass. aiiTO" iy the proper balance of the jj3Eo® »»» have been, lost? The fundamental feature of a golf course, the fact tfea& it is split up into eightwnJwtM, MBWB to suggest that the limitation ts£ leaetfe and difficulties is a matter e£ s®®" mount importance. Otherwise we might have f«w«r :intl some of them a boss TOO J*z4l long, and positively etud<k-d wftk J*#»aids- Undoubtedly these latter wan Si. he splendid sifters of ilia wheal fi**® the chaff, the crack golfer w«id fn«t> erally do them in two strokes, i*w<&r than the indifferent player. Sb£ that then sadly incomplete iatJM&BaJ would have to receive two strokes fesns, the plus man at such holes, snmta Bfflt altogether happy innoyatn&a vwafcl introduced into the {game. Perhaps the golf dab of the faiw* will always have two f«® difficult so that t ihe crack *pfas«s* mkt enjoy the excitement to wfcicls tlnff skill entitles them, wjd the oilHifli' 9 shorter and easier, so that iha rasadbsing people may be happy ia spite «f their human liability to eoaueis triors, It is poor fun for a SrsT<lasa ©alfer to play round an easy creen, asd i 4 in in the interests of a high of golf that there should be smsctt®fc difficult courses to aectnsuEOtlato is® cracks. Bat the multitudes of Sa»e handicap players suffer enough witlKSß* having courses subjected to «wt> increasing length and difficult?.