Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-23
GOLF|NC FEVER
SWEEPING OVER
ENTIRE NATION
Statistics Prove Scotch Game Has
SuppIanted Baseball as Amer
ica's National Pastime.
By Frank G. Menke.

NEW YORK. Nov 22.-Switch-
v ing the calcium from the grid
iron to the trees and the put
ting green's, one discovers the double
barreled fact that there are more golf
players than baseball players in The
United States to-day, and that the
golfing fever is sweeping through the
in India.
One also discovers that the 2.0O0. 900
golfers of both sexes in this country
spend approximately $780, 900, 900 In
the pursuit of the little white ball-a
staggering, almost unbelievable. 20
tai, yet one which is arrived 1T afte.
the compilation of the most accu-
rate statistics from unQuestiona BILE
sources.
There are more than 1000 clubs in
the country now where the mem
bership is composed very largely of
golfers. New clubs are springing up
each year. The membership of the
clubs now in existence runs from 100
to 900. Averaging the golfing mem
bers of each club at only 200, II
means that there. are 100000 club
members who are devotees of the
great Scotch game. which even now,
from the viewpoint of participation,
has supplanted baseball as Americas
national pastime.
THERE are at the very least $780,
900 persons in the country who
play golf, but do not belong to any
club. They play most of their games
on public links which he big cities
have established, although they often
play on club links with friends who
are members of the clubs.
The average golf course rent a club
member must pay Is s25. His dues
at the most conservative estimate,
are $25. Even the most careful reg
ular golfer will use up one ball =
week, which meal about 40 balls a
weeks, although it often exceeds that
figure.
Forty balls will cost the golfer $50
at the very least, as the most mex
pensive balls are so cents each, Cad
dying charges average from so to rs
cents for IS holes. which means
about $25 more a year. Most of the
regular golfers get a new set of clubs
each year, at a cost of between $35
and $40. But, assuming that they
get a new set only every other yea r,
lnlS IleduS an average outlay IOT
clubs each year of about $50.
Railroad fare to and from the club
is another big item of expense. At
the very lowest, the average is 81 a
round trip. Adding so cents for in
cidental expenses of each trip and
allowing one trip a week, means that
the golfer doles out $50 each year
for transportation.
All of these figures are extremely
conservative, yet they show that each
club golfer spends about SITS yearly,
which makes a grand total of $685.,
100000 that the 100000 club golfers
spend each year.
THE cost to the non-club golfer is
1 somewhat less. He does not
have to pay the club fees or rental.
His transportation is considerably
less than the club man, who usually
journeys far into the country. And
he does not play quite as often us
the club golfer thus reducing by
about one-third the cost of caddylng
and new balls.
Placing the average yearly ex-
penditure of the non club golfer at
only SIS. it means that the $780, 900
non club players spend a total Of
S45,000,000 yearly.
To the items already enumerated
must be added the cost of special golf
toggery. Women golfers must wear
special golfng skirts and special
shoes to prevent their slipping on the
greens Men also must wear spiked
or cheated shoes Some clubmen don
complete golfing attire every time
they play the game.