The Topeka state journal., 1914-01-20
GOLF IS POPULAR
More Players Than in Old
Baseball Game.
Estimated xpehditures per
Year Are ssOO, ,0OO, 900.

There are more golf players and there
was more money spd MT on golf than
baseball during the year of 1913. This
Is hardly believable until one Is pre-
sentec with statistics compiled by the
golf experts of the country.
One also discovers that the 1000, 600
golfers of both sexes In this country
spend approximately $500 000. 900 a year
in pursuit of the little white ball-a
staggering almost Unbelievable total,
yet one which Is arrived at after the
compilation Of the most accurate sta
tistics from unquettionable sources.
There are more Than 1000 clubs in the
country now whefe the membership Is
composed very l3rgely of golfers.
New clubs are springing up each
year. TIE membership Of the clubs
now in existence runs from 10 to 1.0oo.
Averaging the gblfng members of each
club at only 200. 1t means that there
are 1000. 900 men and women who are
devoted to the Scotch game.
There are at the very least 100000
persons in the country who play golf.
but do not belong to any club. They
links with friends who are members of
the clubs.
Runs Into Money.
The average golf course rent a club
member must pay is $25. Even the
most careful regular golfer will use up
balls a year, averaging the golfing year
at weeks, although 1t very often ex-
ceeds that figure.
Forty balls will cost the golfer $50 at
the very least, as the least expensive
balls are so cents EACH Caddying
for eighteen holes, which means about
$25 more a year. Most Of the regular
golfers get a new set Of clubs each
year at a cost between $25 and $40. But.
assuming that they get a new set only
every other year means an average out
lay 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 50 cents for incidental ex-
trip a week. means about $175 yearly,
which makes a grand total of $2S5, ,0OO,-
900 that the !, 400 600 club golfers spend
each season.
The cost to the nonclub golfers is
somewhat less. He does not have to
pay the club fees or for rental of the
links His transportation cost is con-
siderably less than the clubman. who
usually journeys far into the country.
And he does not play quite as often as
the clubman, thus reducing by about
one-third the cost Of caddying and new
balls.
Players Spend $500, 900, 900.
Placing the yearly average expendf-
ture Of the nonclub golfer at only SIS.
it means that the 100000 nonclub play
ers spend a total of S45.0o0, 600 yearly.
To the items already enumerated
must be added the cost of special golf
toggery Women golfers must wear
special golfing skirts and special shoes
to prevent their slipping on the green's:
Men also must wear spiked or cleated
Shoes Some clubmen don complete
golfng attire every time they play the,
game.
The total spent each year by all the
golfers simply for golf togs mounts up
to around $50. 900 900 and brings the
grand total of expenditures up to the
$500 ,000, 900 mark.
And American golf il only In its in
fancy today. 1t was first introduced
into this country about twenty-five
years ago. For fifteen years there was
about as much interest in it as there Is
today in chess. Then, Of sudden. the
game began to jump forward in popu-
larity by leaps and bounds until 1t has
swept the country like a tidal wave.