From "American Golfer", May 1911;
Alex Campbell, upon his return from Scotland, where he spent the greater part of the winter at his old home at Troon, gave an amusing interview, in which he said he was regarded in Scotland as a Yankee and did what he could to uphold the honor of his adopted country. He noted that over there the Scottish players would not allow that there were any golf courses of merit in the United States, and that some went further than that and said that this country had produced no golfers.
The professional promptly challenged everyone within hail and he played many matches. In one match he played the better ball of two of the youngsters at Troon who have developed a splendid game, and though he went round in 68, he lost by a couple of holes. Nothing daunted, he challenged his opponents to a return match, and making the round in 65, he won. Campbell says that while the scores in the 60's may be practically due to the modern ball and the improvement in the implements of the game that there is no doubt that the standard of professional golf is better than formerly.
Campbell is a sturdy defender of the links of The Country Club, and if the truth were known, he has had not a little to do with the construction of the bunkers and the excellent protection that they afford to the greens at Clyde Park. To the remark of the distinguished golfing visitor from England, Mr. Horace Hutchinson, who played at The Country Club last year and later wrote that it was "an amusing course, but too short," Campbell retorted that the course was as long as Prestwick and that the holes on the famous Scottish links in comparison with those at Brookline were wide open.
The golf committee of The Country Club, however, recognizes the justice of Mr. Hutchinson's criticism and before another national championship comes to The Country Club steps will be taken to give a larger number of holes which call for two full shots, the lack of these being the weakness of the present links.
Mr. G. Herbert Windeler, of the golf committee of The Country Club, will return from abroad this month. He has visited many of the courses in Great Britain and has played golf in France, chiefly at La Boulie and at Le Touquet. (where have we heard this before?? - comments mine) Mr. Windeler always has been very enthusiastic about the Prince's course, near Sandwich, Eng., and his knowledge of that links, of which so fine a description was given in THE AMERICAN GOLFER of April, has had its effect in the work at Clyde Park to improve the links, especially in the protection given the greens which the experts agree is very well done.
Another point made by Alex Campbell was in reference to the Myopia links at Hamilton, of which he said that no course in Scotland, not excepting St. Andrews, was so severe a test. He thought that the Myopia course was at least five strokes harder than any he had visited, but Campbell did not make his proposed trip to London and is not acquainted with the courses in the south of England. He left his family in Scotland and will return to that country at the close of the golfing season here, when he expects to find that the twins whom he left over there have developed a worthy and patriotic Scottish brogue.
Next winter Campbell intends to visit the best courses in England and will try to get on some matches. Campbell is another of the professionals who will seek every opportunity to keep up to date in the matter of golfcourse construction, and it is to the knowledge of such men that advanced ideas will be brought here for the demand for first-class golf courses in this country is becoming much more universal.
The Scottish professionals have much to do to remove the stigma from their countrymen who at the beginning of golf here were responsible for so many mistakes in lay-ing out courses, and who had not the requisite knowledge to start the game as far as links are concerned in the right way.