The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-03
RENTAL OF LINKS
RISKY PROPOSITION
Clubs That Own Properties
All Getting Good Returns
on Investment.
~ JOHN @. ANDERSON.

ny JOHN @. ANDERSON.
The rapid development Of golf courses
and the eternal quest for new property
wherein to construct a club house and
eighteen holes has sent to the real coun-
try. say q couple Of hours ride. many OF
the groups Of men and women who have
consolidated into club. There are com
paratively few areas OF q hundred and
twenty-five acres,, of land suitable for q
links left within easy riding or motoring
distance OF Forty-second street and
Broadway. With each succeeding season
the numbers become fewer. while the
devotees Of tho sport increase in never
ending lines.
Tho question becomes pertinent, there
fore. in light of recent developments at
several clubs as to what 10 the best
method Of forming club. 1t IL query
which has been given u 20 answer .
number OF times lately.
The best way happens to be the safest
and easiest way and in the end by far
the cheapest. 1t Is for group Of men
to put In a thousand dollars or hfteen
hundred doliars each and buy outright
the property which affords the space for
the links. A group Of persons In search
of such land might md II twice as cheap
In price two hours from metropolitan
centres, but worth the difference In many
ways II within ffty or sixty minutes
ride.
A club which has membership Of
more than $50 runs the chance of being
overcrowded, and tho moro under that
number tho better II the members hap
pen to be extra keen golfers.
To rim Araf clAaa club GuOCe9Hfully
takes about $4,000 q year in round
numbers. Say that club takes In
$4,000 for green fees. That leaves S46.-
900 to be raised from the $50 memberA
| a sum total Of yearly dues Of $3.50. This
$4,000 allows for a loss in running the
| catering end Of the house OF several
thousand dollars and the breaking even
in other departments.
There are dues Of IS or $40 year.
preferably the former. for lockers which
gives a surplus Of a couple thousand.
The initial cost Of the land and club
house should not be over 100000. and
any repairs and additions should cost
little for few years, when the money
taken from loakers and other profits
! which accumulate will be found useful.
The dues as mentioned are not at all
| excessive In light of present day prices
at the various standard eighteen hole
/
cial end of club life are not specially
desired then there would be a chance to
have the club run on several thousand
less than $4,000 mentioned
why DIVES Are High.
The reason that the dues at many
, clubs are $50 or moro in excess OF
what many Of the members think is just
| Is due to the excessive rents. extrava-
| giant management or other waste. Lot
me give a few instances of the latter.
A club in a middle Western State
voted $4,000 for improvements. three
| new holes to be built on the course and
seven remodelled. The members wanted
to compete with their neighbors in ask
ing for and receiving championships
from the State and Western Associa
tion committed on the club committee
| were men who knew little about course
architecture, but who thought they knew
| much.
The members agreed to an assessment
OF $50 and took bonds for another 500
| and raised the money. TIE services OF
| local surrounding amateur architects
were taken, and the result is that the
whole thing has to be done over and
there is discord aplenty in that club, for
| 1t means annother assessment, totally
| unnecessary.
| This, as we have pointed out before
| Is the fault of the usual committee
system at clubs. which system. however
| is not weak at clubs which have com
munity ownership That is where the
property Is owned In common by 600
or $50 golfers. Then each one is as
much interested as the others and care
| Is taken by every man to see that
economy of the right kind--which often
| means paying we'll for first class ad-
vice-is practised.
There was one club in section not
many miles from Baltimore where the
members. numbering $50, had secured
rental privileges OF a very fine piece OF
property at rent OF $4,000 year
They ran the club very economically
but the assessments mounted each year
! Efforts to secure n more reasonable
rental failed. and It seemed the wise
move to go further out into the country
which WAS the thing least desired.
One evening at a club meeting II was
pointed out very forC!bly by n convinc-
! ing speaker that the men In charge
while no more to blame than any OF the
other business men associated in the
! club. never had tried TO discover whether
or not the land could be purchased. and
/ that the mere fact that each man paid
out of his yearly dues tho sum OF ss6
toward the rent alone made that ques-
ton a vital one
why should we men. who have made
4 success at our business he said, Tor
get tho business end of this sport so far
as II concerns our future"
A Profitable Investment.
Negotiations were made through a
third party and the property was pur-
| chased. and to-day Is owned in common
| by the members, who have had little
TO pay yearly In advance 81 their for.
ner tues The 'a,!d varHe has increa sed
nightly and the certificates are worth
double their original cost. with prospects
IN y few years OF the dues being radi.
cally cut.
/ Community ownership to-day Is the
! vital factor In club success and the only
safe proposition. Real estate in certain
localities may not he at a premium but
ten years from TODAY the golf cnt
which Is serenely drifting along with a
ten year lease may find itself swallow ed
up and house lots marked for sale
painted on signs bordering the highway
Then. indeed. the club must move, and
move far out.
The game OF golR Is going to be ar
ever increasing pleasure to greater
number Of men. Those who will pre-
pare for their sons and daughters vii
earn and mayhap enjoy the felicitation.
and thanks OF those who have goot
course capacious and well planned club
house, rich soil and land which is owned
Absolutely and in common by the mem.
| hers themaplyea