Scorecard

DRAFT DODGER

The newly formed American Basketball Association has had to go after some relatively unknown players to fill out its teams, but none quite so unknown as the one the Louisville Colonels came up with recently. In the draft last April Louisville took one "6'10" Smith (first name unavailable) from Kent State." It turned out that Kent State had no Smiths on its squad at all. Then it was believed the player drafted might be 6'10" Roy Smith, a center from Kansas State. Apparently not. Smith was planning to enter graduate school at the University of Hawaii. So Louisville tried a Bob Smith at Kansas State. Two weeks ago Bob received the following letter: "This is to notify you of the basketball tryouts on June 26 to June 30 here in Louisville. We are somewhat familiar with your ability but we need to see you work and discuss the opportunity you have in playing with the Kentucky Colonels. Please try to arrive in good physical condition and bring your playing equipment with you. Yours in sports, John Givens, basketball coach."

Bob Smith is a 41-year-old, 5'8" civil engineering professor. "I do stay in pretty good shape," he said, "but I have decided not to go."

ONE FOR THE ROAD

Construction of a $1.7 million hotel on the 17th hole at St. Andrews' Old Course has begun, with the approval, surprisingly enough, of the Royal and Ancient. Tucked into the dogleg of the famed 453-yard hole known as The Road will be an 80-room structure of native sandstone, which the planners say will not "adversely affect the appearance of the Old Course as golfers know it."

Since this corner of the Old Course has in the past been occupied by a British Railways switching yard, a coal dump and a warehouse, retaining the atmosphere must have severely tested the creativity of the architects. But they apparently have succeeded in their design. A switchman's cottage will be converted into a pub, and the black, formidable railroad sheds that have long formed a natural hazard for big hitters trying to take the short way home across the dogleg, have been incorporated into the plans. They will be demolished, but a tearoom exactly the same length and height as the sheds will be built on the site. Then, to give it the authentic look, the tearoom will be covered with planks from the old sheds—which are pockmarked from being hit by golf balls. "Some of those timbers must be in a queer state," the St. Andrews' town clerk said recently, "but it will be an interesting link with the past." In addition, a special gutter system and downspout on the tearoom will return to the ground any errant golf balls that land on the roof.

Still, it won't be the same. A man could say he "hit one into the sheds" with a sense of pride in the boldness that led to misfortune. But how will he ever be able to stand at the bar and confess he "sliced one into the tearoom"?

SIGHT FOR SORE EYES
Lady Chichester turned up at her husband's knighting ceremony last week in a rumpled pants suit, which was variously described by the British press as red, lavender, crimson, scarlet, cherry red and as "an insult to our Lord Mayor and Corporation." Obviously the outfit was an eye-catcher.