The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-20
THE COST OF GOLF.

Fifteen Million Balls Used Annually
 in Great Britain.
 There are now about 1000 golf clubs in Great Britain. and it is generally estimated that there are about 100000 players. Probably more new courses Were made in 1906 than in 1905, and money has been sunk in them by thou sands of pounds at a time. WhileN ex- .penditure has been on the grand scale, .so have receipts. In the summer leading club, with a famous south coast links, took in 200 new members, getting 5000 guineas from them in en- trance fees and making them liable to it for 500 guineas in annual subscrip- tions. One club! Another club took G60 in gree fees from visitors in three days, and another drew e60O in the same way August alone, So far as can be estimated, 1t is believed that 20,000 people who were previously nongolfers were converted to the game sn 1906. What with entrance fees and subscrip- tions and outlay on materials, the average new convert finds his initia- ton costs him 610 As on the average each of these new players will spend G15 Q year on the game-how happy many of us would be to get off with four time that amount!-we have se- cured a permanent increase in income of at least e6O0,0O0. On an average making the very fullest allowance for l a preponderance of comparatively small provincial organizations, golf club cannot represent less than 5000 worth of sunk capital, which means e2,000,OOO for the whole country.
 We have, as stated, 100000 golfers, and as we have suggested that the an- nual expenditure of each of them on the average-such annual expenditure being almost the sole income of the game-cannot be less than &15, this means 6s. a week for all and sundry, and if 1t can hardly be possible for it to be an overestimate. This gives us a total of R4,5OOOOO. To this has to be added the special commencing expendi- ture of 2O,0QO new players at e10 each, which for some time may be regarded as a permanent source of income. These items added together give us a sum total of G4,7OO,0G0 spent on golf in the year.
 The playing of this game has given rise to a considerable industry, and many thousands of people earn good living through its agency. The major \ ity of clubs employ a steward, walters and other servants, professional and a varying number of groundmen. An average of ten would be a very reason able allowance for this staff, which gives us 10000 for the 2000 clubs. It Is estimated that there are S0,0O0 caddies giving us d total of 100000 employes attacled directly to the various clubs
 Then there are at least 5000 people engaged in the ball making trade, as statesmen and in various other capaci. ties. Just see how many are needed by the great world of golf To begin with there are those S000 golfers. It has been reckoned that at the height of the summer golfting season, when the players are busy everywhere, not less than 100000 balls are used up every week. This, indeed, seems to be mos l reasonable estimate Ii was semi-of- ficially stated in June that one firm of I 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, ! if you say one ball a golfer a week, that is surely very modest reckon ing. At that rate we have grade to- tai of 100000 balls used up every { year by the British golfers on Britisil links. Fifteen millions!-Fry's Maga- zine.