The Washington times., 1905-01-07
EXP PtNSE Of GOLF
MAKES BIG TOT Al
Game Causes $4,000, 600 to
Change Hands Annually.
AVERAGE TO PLAYER is $50
Little Ball Basis of Enormous Enter
prises Both in England
and America.
AVERAGE TO PLAYER Is $50

The sum of nearly $50 600 G60 is ex-
pended yearly on the game of golf. and
of this sum about a third is spent by
England and about ii fifth by Scotland.
Thare are no fewer than SIS golf clubs
III England alone. The United States has
176e: Scotland. 632; Ireland 134 and
Wales. i3. There are sixty-three dotted
over the continent, and no British col
ony is without one and in many cases
several links. In round numbers there
are 5000 golf links in the world.
Estimates show that not less than
sl5,o0e has been sunk in each of these
clubs ard the preparation of their
courses, so that there has been total
permanent investment OF about s45, co.,,
s0l Few CT these clubs are run on less
than s5,0G9 year. and many of them
cost ten times that sum.
The revenue is usually not entirely
derived from subscriptions. Profits on
catering and refreshments, green fees
paid by visitors who use the links and
various other items swell the clubs
revenues and make them equal to the
strain put upon them.
Yearly Expense Of Clubs.
Taking the average, these S.eGo golf
clubs OF the world cost about So. coo
each u year to run The average mem
bership is about 2G9, and the avera ge
subscription being, SO. the total amount
paid in subscriptions by the 1900 golf
clubs is nearly $40, ,G00.o90 But besides
these golfers there are many thousands
unattached, so that the entire golfine
population of the world is about $50, eco,
not Including the professionals, caddies,
and others who are intimately con-
cerned
A short calculation viii show that with
the club dues, extra green fees, pur-
chases OF clubs and balls and the many
: ether expenses of the player. prominent
among which are the railroad fares
from residences 20 links il is fnevita bic
that the golfers must spend at the very
least $50 q year. Many spent that sum.
and there IS one weH-known amateur
who gives his golfing expenses as So, 500
yearly. But at the modest average of
$50 yearly the three-quarter Of a nil
lion golfers would spend among them
50, l50. .0Ge a year
Outfits of Players.
Then each of them possesses an outfit
the average cost of which is $50. Many
players use but seven sticks, and few
use more, hut most players nave at least
twelve Thus The solIing public has sunk
: llDouL Si9.ouD,o0O IA the purchase OF cluDS
One amateur confessed that his twelve
clubs Were priceless, because he could
not replace them to MS satisfaction, bu;
that they cost him in actual money 1885
The little ball Ras been the basis set
enormous business enterprises in botf
England and Ar,erica- Till lately the
ordirary gutta-percha ball, which IS
comparatively cheap, was used, and Il
formed an Insignificant part Of 4 play
ers expenditures. But now the new bal
has 4 core Of gutta-percha strands
Wound AT a tension. and its cost is much
greater. BESIDES. it is easily damaged
and made unfit for further play, so that
comparatively few are used for more
than three or four games. They vary
in price from % TO IS cents. the popular
ball being that at the middle price The
averag &c amateur spends about 75 cents
2 week on balls, though many are
k.eowr 70 spend S. But averaging or
the minimum the golfers of the world
fritter away the sum of s2s, ,ooo or
balls.