NOVEL GOLF RECORD

Evening Star, Issue 22444, 15 September 1936, Page 10

NOVEL GOLF RECORD

MAN PLAYED ON 1,500 COURSES Ralph Kennedy, a travelling salesman of New York, has (the golf correspondent of the ‘Daily Telegraph writes) set up a golf record that it will be difficult to beat. . In the course of his business, wmch takes him all over the American continent, he has played on 1,500 courses, and has kept his score for each, the card being duly attested by either the secretary or the club professional. When it is considered that Bobby Jones has played on less than 250 different courses, and that Walter Hagen has yet to reach the 400 mark, some idea of the immensity of Kennedys achievement can be gathered. At each over-night stop he makes a practice to plav on a new course. Kennedy, who is 54, and began his hobbv 26 years ago, expects to reach 'the 2,000 mark before he.tires. The strangest course he has played is at Guayaquil), Kcuador. It is under water six" months in the year, and, as there is no turf, the fairways are built of baked clay. . , A Peruvian engineer conceived the bright idea of sinking concrete emplacements for the greens. The native caddies shriek with laughter when an unsuspecting visitor plays a high pitch. The ball, when it hits the concrete base, bounces 70ft into the air. It is the wish of every golfer to play over as many courses as possible. In Great Britain one naturally turns to the famous four—Harry Vardon, James Braid, J. H. Taylor, and Alex. Herd—to supply a comparison to Kennedy s record. Each lias been playing golf well over 50 years. There are nearly 2,000 courses m Great Britain, and Braid must have played on 1,200 of them. Taylor, who has toured most countries, lias played on over 1,000 courses. Vardon has played on more than 1.000 different courses in many parts of the world. The weirdest experience was at St. Paul, Minneapolis, where he was playing a match against his brother, Tom. “On one green.” says Harry, “ my putt had dropped into the hole, when a huge frog leapt out and the ball with it.” Herd has played on 1,200 different courses, some as far away as Mexico City, and, while short of Kennedy’s total, the Scotsman holds the record in another direction. He has accomplished J 9 holes each in one. A putter made of gold awaits Herd’s twentieth ace.