Evening star., 1917-04-15
PUBLIC GOLF BOOM
Courses Are Springing Up All
Over the Country.
ONE is LAID OUT HERE

Public golf is booming all over the
country. Residents of the larger cities
are coming to realize that golf offers
opportunities for a healthful and pleas
ant recreation afforded by few other
sports. The matter of expense need be
no barrier to the player who is fortu-
nate enough to reside in a municipality
which possesses q public course. The
public courses in both Chicago and New
York are very literally patrontzed
Chicago's Jackson Park course. 1t Is re-
ported, accommodates over 100000 play
ers every year and the Van Cortland
Park course in New York city has
nearly as many devotees of the game,
who, rain or shine, get out for round
at their favorite sport.
Washington has recently made good
start toward giving its residents, who
for various reasons do not belong to
a country club a chance to enjoy this
most interesting of sports According
to plans laid down some time ago hne
eighteen-hole course has been planned
for lower Potomac Park and will be In
pla ying shape within short time. The
course was laid out the second week
in March by Walter ]. Travis of Garden
City, man who has laid out more good
golf courses than any other American.
The great rise in the popularity OF
golf during the past ten years mas
probab bly, been largely due to the contin-
uous use of the public courses in the
large cities by tnUse who do not belong
to a country club. Many people who
otherwise would have the opportunity
to enjoy this most salutary OF sports
are given the chance by the extensive
and fine courses laid out in public parks
in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago
and New York. Toledo also has nfNe-
hole course.
Chicago probably leads an othes
cities in the excellence and variety OF
its public golf courses. The Windy
city has five courses where beginners
and experts alike play. The eighteen
hole course in Jackson Park. with
par of II and a length of 5.91O yards, Is
a sufficiently eXacting test for even the
best. 1t was on this course that the
present national amateur and open
champion, Charles Evans. jr.. scored his
earliest successes. winning the Chicago
amateur championship at the age of
sixteen and subsequently winning the
title twice again. The Cook county
championship is yearly held on the
3.100-yard nine-hole course in Garfield
Park and attracts a large entry list OF
the best of the city'S amateurs.
Public golf in New York has been
raised from the dignity of an occasional
afternoon of sport to an institution tes-
players who patronize the public course
in Van Cortland Park. The New York
Newspaper Golf Club yearly plays its
tournaments on this public course. and
last season held tourney for profess
sional golfers which was won by
James Barnes of Whitemarsh Valley
with a worlds record score Of 276.
Public golf in Los Angeles rivals that
afforded by the country clubs in the
enthusiasm Of the players. In Griffith
Park-a small. undulating valley. with
the Hollywood mountains rising to the
west and north. with a view of the
San Fernando valley and mountains
has been built one of the most attract
i've eighteen-hoIe courses in the coun-
try. Measuring 5.423 yards, with par
of II and bogey of 10. 1t offers diff
culties equal to those provided by some
of the finest of the championship
courses. Golf on the Pacific coast has
not received it's due recognition from
the east. California has some of the
best players in the country, and the
state of Washington boasts in H.
Chandler EgaE. former national
champion of the United States. Egan
has just finished laying out a public
course in the city of Seattle.
1t is to be hoped that the sport lovers
of Washington will foster the idea so
ably taken care of by Col. Harts and
place Washington in the front rank
of cities possessing good public courses
with the many fine players who learn
their games there.