Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-13
FRANKF0RDMAYb Be
PUBLIC GOLF LINKS
After Consolidation With Torres.
dale, Members May Run Sur
plus Links for All Corners 49,
PLAN IS A Mo.HEY.MAKER
BY SANDY McN1BLICK

NIIHILE the majority In. Council,
w which is said to be holding up ap.
propriations for more public golf courses.
sits back snugly and refuses to make
move. It looks as though private inter.
ests are about to step into the breach.
There is lot Of smoke along golfers
row concerning more public golf, and
ono plan promises to 20 through. The
citizens may have another course In the
spring, Council willy .nilly. -
It was reported some time ago how
Frankford, one of the oldest golf clubs
in the, district, had voted to consolidate
with Torresdale, moving into the latter
links. bag and baggage. Torresdale later
voted also for consolidation. The mat
ter Is now up for consent in court and
then everything will be set. ...,
Frankford will abandon its course
and play at Torresdale. The Frankford
course will be sold eventually. The
problem is what to do with the course
until that time. No combination Tor
resdale Frankford meeting has yet been
held. but individual members are all het
up over the following plan:
Open It 10 Public
Run the abandoned Frankford course
as public links charging 50 much per
Rent out sticks, sell golf balls and
supplies. rent lockers keep the res
taurant going and, In short, keep the
whole works going as heretofore.
Instead Of members playing there, let
the public have at 1t.
It is said the cost o. upkcep last year
was something like $13 900. at Frank
ford. This Is said also to have in
cluded rent until the club bought the
property later In the year.
Something like $4,000 rounds of golf
were played at Cobbs Greek, in West
Philadelphia, last year.
The district Is thickly populated
around Frankford. which Ia about as
enthusiastic a golf district as there is.
in town. The belief ~ that even moro
would play at Fraukford than at Cobbs
Creek.
But II Frankford could show $4,000
rounds at fifty cents apiece. the pro.
prietors would gather In S25 200, of
which there would be profit over up
keep Of about SO, Rental Of clubs,
IocAcIO uuu Tue SoicS ouBuI " tohe CuSc
At any rate the property will be sold
and until that time the members figure
II would be better to try and get some
revenue than to let it 90 to hay and
harvest.
Bonner Retained
II the plan goes through. members
are keen on retaining faithful Bill Bon
ner, the pro at Frankfort. to take
charge Of the privately owned public
teacher and careful manager, who has
been at the club for years.
Frankford has only nine holes. but
and 1t Is seldom cOngested. It is 4 fine
lay -out with beautiful turf and green's,
plenty of water, and very sporty.
Breaking forty there is an event for
most players.
We recall situation almost parallel
to tho above problem which arose in
France. 4 nine. hole course at St.
Pierre -des Corps had biz drive of
Yanks after the armistice.
After II round there one day We dc.
manded smacker of---well--real rhum,
Of the boss Of the bar in our best
French.
The boss replied in his. There was
something funny about it. He was also
pro there.
"Your French sounds like Scotch"
said we. -
"Aye. an why not? Mon, I'm frne
CarnOustie.'
Ran 1t Himself
With Davie Cuthbert and other pros
known IN Philadelphia he said he'd
played many round and he talked
about his course In France. Said II had
been abandoned during the war and he d
taken 1t over, running the whole works
alone. .-
He charged so much for playing. 50
much for each club ono borrowed, 80
much for balls, 80 much for caddies. SO
much for a locker, 80 much for the bath,
sold food and likker, let the cows and
sheep Craze there which cut down up.
keep and provided moving hazards free.
lie said he was making plenty.
He's probably bought the town hall In
CarnOustie and retired by this time.
We understand there are two ''pri-
vote public golf course plans like these
In this country, which are most success.
full.
1t sounds like a very worthwhile ven.
ture for the new TOrresdnle- Fra ankford
combination. with surplus golf course