The Washington herald., 1911-12-31
GOLF NOTES AND COMMENT

Few people even those intimately ac-
auainted with golf. ever stop to think OF
The immensity of the financial status of
the game. A person with a propensity
for figures might do arithmetic all night
and merely begin to realize the remark
able amount of money spent each year
by golfers at their favOrite game, says
the Louisville Ccurier-JOurnal. 1t is not
a matter of thousands, or even hundreds
of thousands, hut of millions. Add to
the cost of upkeep the original amount
expended on the erection Of clubhouses
and equipment, ground, work on courses,
&c, and the figures are increased in
Rrithmetical progression to such an eX-
tent that the total is practically inesti-
mabIe.
a we'll known professional recently es-
timated that there were 1,lS0 golf clubs
in the United States. outside of some 760
summer and winter resort clubs. Of
course, the investment in the clubhouse
and the land incident to the course varies
with the ability of the club members to
spend the money.
At Nassau the clubhouse alone cost in
the neighborhOOd Of 100000, while at Bal
tusrOl the house required an expenditure
Of close to $50. 600 The Lake Shore Coun-
try Club, Of Chicago, has spent about
SI5O.0O0 on the course, clubhouse, and
locker rooms. When 1t is considered that
there are eighty-seven clubs in the imme
date vicinity OF New York, and that
there are more than forty within an
hours ride from Chicago, and that every
city has its clientele of golfers, some idea
of the immensity of the original invest
ment may be obtained. This is con-
sdering only Clubhouses and courses.
These figures are vastly increased when
the original purchase of the land needed
by the courses is taken into consideration.
II is estimated that the average eighteen
hole course will require close to seventy
acres, although some occupy a couple of
hundred acres. Nine-hole courses require
forty to fifty acres Then there is the
cost OF grading. and putting the course
into shape. to mention nothing of some
5000 or $500 d year for upkeep.
An English writer. in estimating the
financial importance of golf in that cOun
try, says that there are nearly 1000 clubs
in the British Isles nearly - per cent of
which have their own courses. lie figures
that more than 100000 acres of land in
Great Britain are devoted to the use of
golf. He counts lSn clubs within easy
reach Of Charimg Cross. London.
This same writer who goes into minute
detail regarding the game i'll Great Brit
ain. Says that there are 10000 or %0o.ho0
members. and that the natiOu's annual
golf bill amounts to from $ImO,UOO to $3J.-
HlNOO0. He makes the interesting COM
pariSon that fifty years ago. there were
only two golf clubs in England. one at
Manchester and the other at Blackheath,
and that they had prObG bly, not more than
2oo members between them. He figures
that there are 2o00o golf r!ub members in
London alone
As for individual expenses. they are
variously estimated on both sides Of the
water. depending, of course. on tho fat
ness Of the indiv:duaTs purse. The afore-
mentioned professional. in roughly est
mating the expenses in America. saws
that the dues and iuCidcntals are much
higher than in Great Britain. In Amer
i"a. golf balls cost on an averag" of -
cents each. while over there the popular
price. is ~ cents. Golf clubs hero cost /
from s. to s; each. while on the other
side one can get good club for S.-0 or
So. /
Dues for club membership is another .
item to be considered. In this country .
membership in d hiC club will cost $l0G
annually IN sGmc of the smaller clubs
Gucs range from So to so. Then there .
;,r" other f.~e and expense galore. which, !
while small. amount to tremendous az
pr"eatr. {
one English player gives his annual ,
expenditure AS E.tN. or $50. 1t is fig !
ured that the minimum average eXpen-
diture Of an English golfer is close to Go 8
or S50 outside Of club dues. s.. It Is
estimated in Britain that the first cost