Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-25
Washington. D. c., Nov. 22.-1s
there danger that tie game Of golf

washington, D. c., Nov. 22.-Is
there danger that tie game of golf
Will be comerctalized7 lf'r IS
The United States Golf association
1seems to"think that there is, and
through it's executive committee has
issued a warning to that effect. The
men who rule affairs in this great put
door sport want a halt called on the
practice Of putting up unduly large
purses for professionals, to contend
for in tournaments and in special
matches. Unless this is lone the COM
mitteemen fear that the money inter-
est soon will predominate in the game,
with altogether unwholesome and de-
moralising results.
In a formal statement issued as a.
bulletin from the association the COM
mittee predicts that If golf like other
sports is allowed to be commerciaM-
lied by the PROFESSIONALS, popular in
terest in the pasttme. which has at
tanned phenomenal proportions, will
be nullified to a great extent.
Those who have followed golf de-
velopments in the United States with
in the past two or three easons have
seen the game blossom, into a garden
OF rare pickings for the men who
mako a business Of 1t. Salaries have
doubled, trebled and quadrupled, and
the money rewards Of the winners Of
the big championships have increased
in even greater proportion.
Gene 6arazen, who won this years
national open championship is said,
to be taking the money in, with both,
hands. Wealthy clubs are bidding for;
his services az q professional until, he
while he can pick up a thousand dol
lars or 80 for an exhibition match
any time he wants It. Not so bad
for q youth who was q .caddy boy but
few seasons back!
Walter Hagen, Jim Barnes, Jock
Hutchinson, Joe Kirkwood, and 9TH
ers Of the top-notchers are finding
golf . veritable money tree n the
large earnings of these leaders have
had q decided tendency to increase
the emolu1ments Of all professionals.
A craze for special matches In which
at least n OF the stars will display
his skill and jprowess to the wonder
and awe Of the average club members
has spread all over the country. and
As the demand for this sort Of thing
has grown naturally the cash prizes
that must be offered to attract the
best Of the talent have skyrocketed.
Started By English Invasion.
An Engl1eh invasion ia held: largely
Irresponsible for this craze for, exhibit
ton contests. All the English profess
SIGNALS are. not Scotch but they are
all canny and when they saw the
chance for rich pickings in the United
States they were not slow to take ad-
vantage Of II. Harry Yardon and Ted
Ray were about the first. II not the
first, team to com over from England
to play q series OF matches through
out the United 6tates. These eminent
opponents Of the ancient and honor
able game were managed and routed
like vaudeville stars and in all played
some eighty or ninety matches. They
rekeived not less than four Of five
hundred dollars for each of these ex.
htbitions. It IL undertook. and the
bankroll they took back to the old
country with them was something ia
make q profesSionRlS there decide that
he would come over here to get q BIZ
OF the easy, money II he had to swim
the hloomin' Atlantic. ss
Duncan and Mitchell and other1
soon followed and then the profess
sionAls here found that they, too,
| could cut In on the exhibition game
land the process Of Ecommercializins
Igolf was well underway. Wealthy
linen intent on getting the best OF the
talent entered In tournaments that
wers little more than exhibition affairs
began Offering larger and still larger
lprizes, until the climax was reached
recently in "a tentative proposal to put
lup $4,000 for such an affair near
Washington.
5That Ii something different from
1.-THE days. not SO long ago. when $500
was all that the man got who VIC the
open championship of the United
States and the reward TOR carrying
OF the English open vas approxirnats-
~ ths ZANE. And II u that sort Of
thing tha* led the executive commit
tss of the u. 3, q. a. 70 declare that
III had watched with misgivings the
lpractice Of Offering unusually largs
Ipurss1 indulssdS an ny. member clubs
md SectlonAl associations q the pur-
pose of Inducing rolf professionals 70
cornpsts n penItoufnarnentsSand ~
~insSrssssin Game Paftly Responsibsss.
The committee says ftst III N aWAre
pS the kAst, desire 81 the ordinary
golfer thfough 0ut the country ytssfswlt-
ina&Sssth& H6Ffprfna9co of Sthe aAAaAt1g