The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-24
Frederick | askin's Letter
Danger Of con,mercializing Colt
topse1ai csrrespsndeoss = - Alsua.l


~. SSAhc. Ana II n
that sort of thing that lea H. :.
ecutive committee Of the U. SGA
to declare that it had watches -
misgivings the practice OF ofs..; au
large purses INDUCED in nv ms
Der clubs and sectional associ.s; s'a
for the purpose Of inducing sa,s
professionals to compete in oc.s
tournaments and exhibitions
Interest In Game PARTLY Ca,..
The committee says that Il !.
aware of the keen desire q .as
ordinary golfer throughout ~
country to witness the perform.,s..
of the leading professional sss
assumes that the growing int..s..
in the game is partly responsisl.
for the money inducements ofIs,sy
in the open competitions tn
practice cannot be continued MA
out a protest from those who ~.
the best interests of the game :,
heart.
1T is therefore earnestly "a.
quested." concludes the commt
tees statement. that member clrhs
ami sectional associations give ~
matter their earnest considerat,o,
and in the future when contans
plating the staging of such tournl
ments, that the question of moA.
crate prize money awards Be care.
fully considered. bearing in NINA
that if this pastime is allowed IA
be commercialized by the profes.
SIGNALS, as in other sports, the phe.
nomenal interest now taken by the
ordinary golfer in the game will BE-
nullified to great extent"
DR.. Walter S. Harlan, dean o,
Washington golfers and a former
q. S. G. A. official, feels very keen.
ly on this subject He sees in the
commercializing tendency a real
menace to golf.
1T is a bad thing for the game"
said DR.. Harlan when the L. s
G. A. bulletin was received in This
city. land in the long run it win
prove to be bad thing for the
professionals themselves. Anyone
can understand why the big monss
prizes appeal to the men who make
business of golf. Naturally they
want to make all the money they
can legitimately. and playing for
cash prizes is one of the Legitimate
phases of their business.
SHowever. that should never be
permitted to BECOME their chief
source or hope of income. Coil
needs teaching professionals rath-
er than playing professionals, and
when the money rewards for COM
petitions become unduly large it is
inevitable that the professionals
will neglect their chief function,
which is to instruct and assist
those who maintain our golf clubs,
and devote themselves primarily to
transforming the country. K
Il know of instances OF profess
SIGNALS who won big champions
ships and then went into the tour
nament and exhibition playing to
such an extent that they were not
at their home clubs more than two
or three weeks out of the year.
That sort of thing is not fair to the
members of those clubs who have
right to expect to get instruction
whenever. they want it from the
professionals to whom they ara
paying big salary. Moreover, in
short time such professionals
lose their proficiency as instruc-
tors"
Another side of the problem OF
commercializing golf is seen in the
charging for admission to the BIZ
tournaments and exhibitions. This
was done in several instances dur
ing the season just closing, and II
has resulted in much criticism.
Primarily the object in charging
an admission fee was not to mAks
money, but to limit the gallery thal
| inevitably overruns a course whsI-'
ever and wherever big confess
on. However, as it has worried
out it has created funds not nasd-
ed for the maintenance OF the spor'
and it has not restricted the mum
Der of spectators. :,
Golfing authorities. accordingiy,
! are coming to the conclusion tnst
this practice is fundamenlaiiy
-. a
wrong. and that the thing 10 10 II
, to limit attendance at tournaments
to members of the clubs whele
they are held and to the 1orlnhIt
few who can secure guest ca'us
! from members.
Golf is sport, it is insisted ths'
should develop players rather thah
spectators and encourage amateula
rather than professionals.