The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-12-13
GOLF fever NOW
SWEEPING nation
More Playing That Game
Than Baseball-Many
Clubs in the Country.
By Farren

Chicago, Dec. 13.-Switching the
calcium from the gridiron to the tees
and the putting greens. n discovers
the fact that there r more golf
United States today. and that the
golfing fever is sweeping over the ma
ton.
One also discovers that the 2.000,-
600 golfers of both sexes in this coun-
try spend approximately. 100000. 900
a year In the pursuit Of the little
white ball-a staggering almost I'M
rived at after the compilation Of &C.
curate statistics.
There are more than 1000 clubs in
the country now where the member
ship Is composed very largely of golf
ers. New clubs are springing up each
year. The membership Of the clubs
now in existence u NJ from 100 to
of each club at only 200. it means
that there are 1.400, 900 club men and
women who are devotees OF the great
Scotch game, which even now, from
the viewpoint of participation has
supplanted baseball as Americas ma
tional pastime:
100000 Persons Play Golf.
There are at the very least 100000
persons in the country who play golf
but don't belong to any club. They
play most of their games on public
links which the big cities have cstab-
lished. although they often play on
club links with, friends who are MEM
bers of tho clubs.
The average golf course rent a club
member must pay Is $25. His dues,
at the most conservative estimate, are
SIS. Even the most careful regular
golfer will use up ball a week
which means about forty balls a year,
averaging the golflnf1g yea at forty
weeks.
Forty balls will cost the golfer $40
at the very least. Caddying charges
average from so to IS cents for eigh-
teen holes. which mean about 325
more a year. Most Of the regular
golfers get a new set Of clubs each
year at a cost between $36 and $40.
But assuming that they get a new
set only every other year means an
average outlay for clubs each year of
about $40.
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 20 cents for incl
dental expenses of each trip, and al
lowing m trip a week, mean that
the golfers doles out SEQ each year
All Of these figures are conserva-
tive. yet they show that each club
golfer spends about $175 yearly, which
makes a grand total of $235,00O,O 900
that the 1.50o,0 900 club golfers spend
each year..
Cost to Non-Club Golfer Less.
The cost to the non-club golfer is
somewhat less. He doesn't have to
pay n club fees or for rental Of the
links. His transportation cost is con-
~siderably less than the club man, who
usually journeys into the country.
And he doesn't play quite as often as
the club man, thus reducing by about
one-third the cost of caddying and
new balls.
Placing the average yearly expendi.
ture Of the non-club golfer at only
IS 1t means that the 600, 900 non-club
players spend a total Of $45. 600, 900
yearly.
To the items already enumerated
must be added the cost Of special golf
forgery. Woman golfers must wear
special golf1ng skirts and special shoes
to prevent their slipping on the greens.
Men also must wear spiked or cleated
shoes. some club men Tor complete
golfng attire every time they play
the game. y.
The total spent each year by all the
splf to ar san1p1s ,! 9Sr so55 { to sga mounts S2'nss
the grand total Of expenditure to the
5000. 200, 900 mark.
American golf is only in its infancy
today. 1t was first introduced into
this country about twenty-five ear
ago. For fifteen years there was
ABOUT as much interest In IL as there
is today in chess. Then, of q sud-
the game began to jump forward
In popularity by leaps md bounds.