GOLF .WITHOUT GRASS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3355, 3 January 1927, Page 2

GOLF .WITHOUT GRASS.

(By Captain Tan McLaren.) There/is. of course, the veld, but that is not grass, as you know it in England. Very few' South African golf courses can boast that smooth and level greensward which is the common delight of all English courses, he they exclusive or popular, rich or poor. One expensive Transvaal club I know expends a big sum annually to maintain grass upon its eighteen greens, yet iii the summer you will find, as like as not. the greens covered with sand to protect the precious grass from the heat of the sun; and, in the winter, which is also the dry season, they are so hard that a pitched approach will bounce as from concrete. Generally, the South African fairway is the virgin veld, upon which the grass grows in little tlifts, with often just space enough between to hide a goll ball. You must not expect, as the rightful result ot a good, straight drive, that you will be able to use your brassie for the second. It is the greens, however, which are the most interesting part of the South African courses to an English visitor. To begin with, they are not green, but blue! The difficulty of maintaining grass of a smoothness fit for putting caused a search tor a substitute, and this was eventually Found m the “blue ground” from the diamond mines. This blue ground, amongst which the diamonds are found, is composed of a fine gravel, wonderfully even in grain and of a brilliant blue color. The green is first prepared as is a hard tennis court, an even surface being obtained Fiy the use of ant-heap (one sends out a cart and collects a few old ant-hills), that best of all dressings. On this is then loosely .sprinkled, to a depth of anything up to hali-an inch, the blue ground. An excellent putting surface is thus pro vided. a surface, too, that will cheek ihe bounce of a pitched ball and give grip to “hack spin.” The loose surface has this one drawback. however, that each step of player or caddie leaves an impression on the green. This is provided for by the Fixing of a ruler-like wooden cross piece to the top of the flag, and with ihis “scraper,” as it is called, it is permitted to smooth the surface of the green before putting. The “blue ground” contains many little garnets, which sparkle red in the sun, and there is, of course, always the chance of finding a diamond which has been missed in the mines, but the value of tbe former is so small and flic chances of the latter so slender as never to have been known to put even a Scotsman off his putt.

A shop where the diversity of things that can be repaired rivals the diversity of things that can he purchased is one of New York’s newest developments. Shoe'--, ’ewellery. watches, umbrellas, and the host of odds and ends that can get out of order, all have their corners under one roof, so that the busy housewife. or. more likely, the busy husband at hi- luncheon hour stroll, can save much needless searching by Faking everything to the same place.