Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-03
PUBLIC GOLF COURSE FOR D. c.
MERELY DEL AYED BY THE WAR
Work of Converting Potomac Park Into
Popular Playground to Be Resumed
When Hostilities Cease.

Movement for great public golf
course for the District of Columbia,
one on which all the people may play
at any time and one which will be a
thorough test of golf, will be carried
to a consummation after the war. In
March Of last year Walter j. Travis,
dean of golf course architects in this
country, tramped over the swampy land
east Of the railroad bridge in Potomac
Park in company with Col. W. W.
Harris. then engineer. officer in charge
Of public buildings and grounds in the
District of Columbia, and now in
charge of an engineer regiment which
will soon sail overseas, and together
they drew plans for the building Of
fine eighteen-hole golf course in the
Capital city of the nation.
Washington golfers, neglected as to
facilities for public golf since the game
had it's inception in this country. hailed
with joy the news that the city was at
last to have public course, and looked
forward to playing over course laid
out near the heart of the city by the
leading course architect and situated in
such a beautiful spot as the lower point of
Potomac Park.
Then came the war. Following the
declaration of war in April, when work
on the new course already had started.
a plan for the intensive cultivation Of
all ground not already so utilized was
Endorsed by the chief executive and by
the heads Of the newly formed food
commission. and the projected golf
course in Potomac Park was turned
over to the local Boy Scout organiza-
ton to grow corn on to help supply
the nations granaries. The plan
worked we'll. The Boy Scouts Of Wash
ington. enthusiastically following the
|exhortation Of the President to produce
as much food as possible to relieve the
starving people of Belgium and the
hungry in France. raised a bumper crop
Of corn and fulfilled their every expec-
tation.
Now the site of the golf course is &C.
cupied as training camp for soldiers.
But although plans for the golf course
rest in a niche in the desk OF the officer
in charge of public buildings and
grounds they will not be forgotten aft
er the war.
One of Col. Harris pet schemes was
the location of great playground for
lower end of Potomac Park. and his
successor, Col. Ridley, is no less enthu-
siastic over the project. Col. Harris
scheme, as outlined last spring. was to
locate the greater part. of the play
grouLd facilities of the District system
in Potomac Park. and to this end he
planned an enormous stadium in which
were to have been held the annual
Army and Navy foot ball and base ball
games; forty odd tennis courts, an
.eighteen-hole golf course unsurpassed
by any public course in the country, a
nine-hole practice course and cricket
and soccer foot ball fields.
That; the public of Washington will be
no less over public golf
course of standard length than the peo-
pie Of other cities was the belief of
Col Harris. The great public courses in
New York, Chicago and Cleveland an
nuaily afford hundreds of thousands of
people wholesome and pleasurable
recreation. The hold golf has on an ur-
ban population was strikingly illus
trated in Boston, where former Mayor
Curley closed the public course shortly
before election time, .prefacing his ac-
ton with the polite, statement that it
was necessary to save. money for the
commonwealth: The golfers, it is said,
had a great part in his defeat on run
ming for mayor the second time