The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-11
NEW DRAFT PLAN
SADBLOW TOGOLF
Thousands Are, Affected by
Proposed Raising of Age
Limit.
LABOR AND FUEL SHORT
~ JOHN G. ANDERSON.


only the single men will be drawn at
first into the active service 1t follows
that many others will have to enter
war work to help feed and clothe and
arm the men sent across. 1t Is a corol-
larry OF other sports to expect thar
among the FIRST to be called will be
those engaged in ground keeping. cad
die manasement and house serving.
hasty review OF the classes OF men en-
ployed at the various clubs gives add
ed emphasis to this belief. .,
There are in operation to-day. omit
ting the summer and hotel links, about
1850 golf clubs. The number of men
and women employed at such clubs
who are in the limits prescribed in
the new draft section average about
four TO a club, giving an approximate
total OF $500. This number Is aug
mented by the walters, which gives an
other $500, or total OF $4,000. Ever
since the war began there has been
withdrawal from the links OF all those
in draft age until to-day there are
perhaps not a thousand men waiting
for the summons. Their places have
Deen taken py men tnHty-HNo W ioi'S
years old. u we are to judge By the
Metropolitan changes.
We have no doubt that nearly every
one OF these men and women will seek
new fields of endeavor. At half OF
the clubs the caddie master has been
a young chap of eighteen and now the
new law, II 1t goes into effect, as seems
likely. will put this class out of the
reckoning OF golf employees The most
serious losses OF course will be where
the greenkeeper Is called to an essen
tial task, for aside from the difficulty
OF securing skilful labor in this re-
spect must be met the financial loss
which comes through the inexperience
OF new labor and new ideas.
Older Men Needed.
II behooves the older men of the club,
those beyond forty-five years. who have
in times past been the backbone of the
clubs. to look TO this situation and
endeavor to be Of assistance in ma
terial way by learning. before IL is too
late. what are the greenkeeping neces-
stiles Of their particular links.
There are $50 foreign born golfers
affected by the new law. Having a
family does not interfere with being
drafted so far as Great Britain Is con-
cerned and since the age limit is set at
over 40 we may expect that half of the
golfers will be called into the service of
their native land. The genial smile Of
many Of the chaps who have been known
10 so many hundreds of golfers will be
missed but not forgotten. There is little
doubt but that most Of the clubs will
keep the positions open till the return OF
the present occupant. 1t Is no secret.
however. that there are few golfers in
this class who have been held in disfa-
>or because they were single, within the
age limits and physically perfect who
have refrained from enlisting. Their
leaving will not cause regret.
The Merton Cricket Club has for its
green helpers women who have proved
their ability to perform acceptably and
energetically the tasks of the men who
preceded them. 1t Is no great work to
sit on a mower. either motor power or
horse drawn, and do what Is required
neither is 1t difficult task to cut the
green's or rake up the traps and bunk
ers.
Women Are Satisfactory.
Only in the new construction work
and in the designing of such work are
the woElen lacking. They cannot be
expected to build new bunkers, but new
bunkers need not be built In these times,
nor need construction be furthered at
alone SO far as the links are concerned,
being content TO spend as little as pos
sible. Clubs which have been employ
ing twelve men can get along with three
men and three women. This ratio can
be carried throughout all the clubs.
There are other reasons why less COM
forting service may be expected in the
golf clubs with the links kept in condi-
ton by fewer people.
l. The new taxes will mechanically
have a twenty instead of the present
ten per cent Government tax. This
addition Will mean the dropping OF sew
eral memberships. where one man be-
longs to several clubs. This year there
are thousands who have given up one
or two OF their clubs and next year
few will spend the extra money neces-
sary to keep up generous club MEM
bership. Naturally the funds at the
various clubs will not permit of much
course labor and an unkempt course
will not attract prospective members.
On good authority 1 have heard it
stated that the fear OF having to pay
another initiation fee will not deter
golfers from resigning because there
vii be so many clubs after the war
which will offer memberships minus
that initiation consideration.
2. The golf clubs will not be per-
mtted to use coal this winter and most
of them in the North will shut down
around the middle of November The
thousands Of employees will find work
at wages far greater than any club
can afford in the spring and they will
be loath to leave when the new golf
ing season rolls round.
s, The departure Of many profess
sionals will hardly tend to increase the
Interest in the game for new members
and devotees are his stock in trade.
The average professional gives about
forty lessons a week at the big clubs
and thirty at the smaller. and those
golfers seeking instruction because
they need 1t badly will not be con-
tent to take lessons from those who
have not served a good apprenticeship.
4. Despite all reports to the con-
trary. golf play has fallen of about
ten per cent. this season over last and
the same ratio will hold next year II
the war continues. l hopeto present
the national figures In this respect
shortly. But with all these disadvan-
tages the game will still keep its APP
peal for the average devotee, while
the good done In Red Cross matches
over two hundred thousand dollars
has been contributed so far-will be
augmented by other large contributions
The golfer has been thoroughly unself-
fish In this respect.