IKE RETURNS TO THE FAIRWAYS

On the morning of February 17, President Eisenhower, surely one of the ranking enthusiasts in the centuries-old history of golf, returned to play the game he loves for the first time since his September heart attack. Limiting himself to nine holes over the Glen Arven Country Club in Thomasville, Ga., the President (playing in a foursome with Jim Hagerty, the White House Press Secretary, John Walter, Glen Arven pro, and Lloyd Megahee, the club president) shot a 47, a very creditable score indeed over the par 36, 3,329-yard stretch for a man who had been away from the game so long. On two subsequent outings at Glen Arven (when the photographs above were taken) the President played 18 holes. He took things easy between shots by riding in an electric golfmobile driven by a Secret Service agent. In other respects, too, Ike took sensible precautions to curb his natural intensity for golf. "You're going to hear a heck of a lot of laughter today," he told his foursome just before beginning his first round. "My doctor has given me orders that if I don't start laughing instead of cussing when I miss those shots he's going to stop me from playing golf. So every time I miss a shot you're going to hear a haw-haw-haw." On the evenings after his rounds, friends of the President were of the opinion that his spirits were higher than they had been for months. Golf has its way.

SEVEN PHOTOS

HANK WALKER