The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-21
GOLF GAME IS EXPENSIVE
Fifteen Million Balls Used Annually
in England.
Nearly S25,00O,OO Expended by Brit
ish Golfers Each Year-ARords
Employment for Many.

There are now about 1900 golf clubs in
Great Britain, and IL is generally esti-
mated says Frys Magazine, that there
are about 10000 players. Probably more
new courses were made in 1906 than in
1905. and money has been sunk in them
by thousands of pounds al a time While
expenditure has been on the grand scale
so have receipts. In the summer lead
ing club, with famous south coast links,
took in 200 new members, getting 5000
guineas from them in entrance fees and
making them liable to It for 600 Euineas
in annual subscriptions. One club! An
other club took $50 in green fees from Wis
itors in three days. and another drew
$500 in the same gay in August alone
So far as can be estimated it is believed
that 200o0 people who were previously
nongolfeTs were converted 10 the game
in 1905. What with entrance fees and
subscriptions and outlay on materials
the average new convert finds his initia-
ton costs him e10. As on the average
each of these new players will spend SIS
a year on the game-now happy many Of
Us would be 10 get of with four times
that amount-we have secured a perma-
nent increase in income of at least $780,
000. On an average. making the very full
est allowance for preponderance Of
comparatively small provincial organiza-
tions, a golf club cannot represent less
than 81 Coo worth of sunk capital, which
means $1,000 900 for the whole country.
We have, as stated, 200 coo golfers, and
as we have suggested that the annual ex-
pendituTe of each of them on the aver
age-such annual expenditure being al
most the sole income of the game-can-
not be less than el5. This means 6s a
week for all and sundTy, and it can
hardly be possible for it to be an overes-
innate. This gives US a total of e4500, 900
To this has to be added the special COM
mencing expenditure of 10000 new players
at so each. which for some time may be
regarded as a permanent source of in
come. These items added together give
us a sum total Of eA700,000 spent on golf
In the year
The playing of this game has given rise
to a considerable industry, and many
thousands of people earn a good living
through its agency. The majority of
clubs employ a steward, walters. and
other servants, professional. and vary
ing number of groundmen. An average of
ten would be "A very reasonable allow
ance for this staff, which gives US e, 600
for the 1900 clubs. 1t is estimated that
there are SO.GG0 caddies. giving Us a total
of 600 employees attached directly to
the various clubs.
Then there are at least 5000 people en-
gagged in the ball-making trade as sales
men and in various other capacities. Just
see how many are needed by the great
world of golf. To begin with, there are
those 100000 golfers. 1t has been reckon
ed that at the height of the summer golf
ing season. when the players are busy
everywhere, not less than 500. 900 balls are
used up every week. This, indeed, seems
to be a most reasonable estimate. It was
semi-Oficially stated in June that one
firm Of makers, and that not by any
means the biggest, was working night and
day, and turning out 100000 balls a week
Taking the whole year round, IL you say
one ball a golfer week. that is surely a
very modest reckoning. At that rate we
have a grand total of 100000 balls used
up every year by the British golfers on
British links. Fifteen millions!