The sun., 1916-12-03
MORE PUBLIC LINKS
NEEDED IN NATION
Many Cities Realize Golf Must
Be Met More Than
Half Way.
NEW YORK UNCONNINCED

COLI mas taken eucn q nrm hold on all
classes Of people. has become 40 uni |
,ersally popular with the masses, that
even now II Ia a close competitor with
Ia seball as the national pastime. It Ia
an absorbing sport which demands full
blooded. strong bodied players and helps
immeasurably TO keep the nation In
condition for future troubles. No longer !
can dull wits Ming alleged facstious re-
marks toward the royal m ancient
same. Golf IL a big part Of America and
Is growing with such rapid strides that
shortly America Is going to be second In
the race II II Is not careful.
Not the least encouraging sign Of golf
prosperity n growth Ia the eagerness
OF the different Municipalities to install
public links. Practically every large city
In the country has set aside a portion Of
OF these links are suficientiy bunkered
with pitfalls TO bring out 4 hard test Of
the sport. yet there are enough trials to
give mental and physical exercise. which
10 the big reason for golf. anyway.
Until = few years Z the Pacific
coast cities neglected golf. There were
several privately owned courses, but
none open to the general public. Now
San Francisco. Los Angeles. Portland.
Seattle. Tacoma n Spokane are vying
with each other In producing public
More PaSNe Lisks.
Two and possibly more public links
will be built At once in Pacific coast
cities. Vancouver. b. c., residents have
demanded q place to exercise. and the
municipal authorities have asked for
bids for the construction of an eishteen
hole course. which they hope will be
one o: the leading links OF the hemisphere
when completed. Vancouver IL built
among hills. and there are numerous
places within easy riding distance Of the
city which would afford q links Of treat
value to the sport.
San Francisco municipal fathers
finally have seen the light. Not only IL
the big coast city arranging to add nine
holes to Its nine hole public course. but
another eighteen hole course u included
was appointed to look over the sites and
drew up plans for the course. Golden
Gate Park was the choice of many resi-
dents. but II IL entirely too congested
now TO allow Of suitable distances be-
tween tee and cup.
Chicago ha several fine public courses,
but Acknowledges It needs more. When
the lake IL filled in around Lincoln Park
the reclaimed land Ia to be used for an
eighteen hole course. which should be
one Of the most popular links In the
Of the city and close to the best residence
districts.
New York Far Behind.
While suburban New York Is fairly
we'll checkered with golf clubs. all doing
hourishing businesses. the general public
has been neglected sadly up to date. The
courses AT Van Cortlandt are inadequate
for the big demand. and the sooner the
Park Commissioners realise this the
better the taxpayers will like the com
missioners. New York should have q
dozen or more city owned golf links
II would not take q great outlay OF
money TO acquire such property. and II
would provide exercise and Amusement,
for thousands who now ave no place
to play ever II they should want to.
Since New York 10 the metropolis Of
the country it should lead. 1t Is IA
behind Chicago. Philadelphia and st
Louis as far as golf Is concerned. ant
shortly will be taking a back seat e
many other cities unless some action II
shown soon. There are innumerabl'
places in the Bronx and Queens wher'
eShA hAoO WIN OG ostk "sAS-
cost, New York needs these courses ant
will demand them shortly unless allowed
TO have them without . night.
Should the local Park Commissioner
need figures to convince them that Amer
lea Is in earnest in the demand for golf
II Is only necessary to state that . con
sentative estimate has 32s2.1s0.ooo tie.
up in golf in this country. Recently
noted statistician figured that there ar
ann -@lS l..A l., sAt. Ns,ns -lAh
membership Of $50. 900.
In this day where railroad companie
advertise their proximity TO golf course,
hotels build expensive links ard resor
md 1t impossible to attract patrons IN
less offering facilities for golf. II shout
not be unusually hard to convince q FEY
public spirited public oficiak Of the nee
OF courses for the long suffering voter
and those seeking the vote.
Question for Thought.
An ardent golfer. or one who sign
himself as such. writes In to inquir
whether II is better. with q score of IL
10 deduct 200 from the score and b
known as a cheat. or u In an hone'
card and be known as q SIT golfer. tn
played over nine or eighteen holt
smasslng the 3l7 points and how muc
real estate was damaged.
Francis Ouimet did vol have to worT
much over his amateur standing to .
some extraordinary scoring recently G
the frost hardened greens Of the Woo
land Golf Club. He had a 3 on Il
seventeenth, 3 on the fourteenth and
on the third. In each instance his Sc
ond shot landed so close to the cup tn
tho NIT xsao m aisnnIA RnoA M hA re-