Evening star., 1923-02-06

Here is an excerpt from one Of the
letters: 1T is too bad that every
greens committee in the country Will
not read a recent article of yours on
golf, although 1t is doubtful If a
green's committee member would get
any real good out of 1t. Greens COM
mittee members seem to feel that they
are inspired. that all their ideas about
remakiug golf courses, and paying
assessments are wonderful. while we
weak-kneed members sit quietly and
vote Aye"
Forced to Resign.
Another writer names a particular
club and tells how several young
vancing costs and continual assess
ments. And I soon will have to do
the same" this golfer continued and
for the same reason, although am a
charter member" In still another let
ter Is the statement: But. as one OF
the principal plutocrats of our cluo
said recently. We don't want anybody
but members well enough off to own
automobiles
A municipal course is, indeed. a fine
thing. The more of them the better.
but the municipal course fails to NIL
the want of many young men or TWEEN
ty-four OF twenty-five. just married.
with moderate income. who, with his
wife, ought to be member Of good
private club. To be compelled to do
his golfing on a municipal course
means to leave his wife at home. II
she doesn't play. on the one or two
days week that he gets a chance to
be out of doors. In most OF our pri :
vate country clubs today this man is
forgotten. Some of these young men
have the moral courage TO realibe that
the rising expense of private club golf
is too big an item in their budgets
and resign. but a good many of them
are tempted TO stay in and run IN
debt to the butcher, the baker and the
candle stick maker.
There has been much debate as to
whether the Briarcliff Golf Club will
let Gene Sarazen go over to play In
the British open. A short time ago IL
seemed very positive that they would
not grant consent to their newly &C
quired professional. but now there are
Indications that they might recon
slider. The truth Of the matter is that
times have changed quite q bit for US
and although the golf professional
holds d most enviab BILE position, the
club members are not so sure that the
object of their paying him a large
salary is to have him competing in
tournaments, especially if 1t takes him
away large portion of the time from
his duties at the club.
Time was when satisfaction Of hav-
Ing clubs professional "in the
money" in the big tournaments was
enough to satisfy the members. with
out demanding too much of him from
the harder and more onerous and
less exciting duties at the club. But
now there is an increasing demand
that he attend more strictly to busi-
ness and the glamour of his victories
away from home has somewhat worn
Off.
1t also is true that there is quite g
change of spirit in many golf clubs al
to the desirability Of holding the
large and important tournaments or
their club course. Formerly, aimos
all clubs had a vision that If the!
developed what they called a. cham
pionship course" at the outlay o.
considerable money, and to the ex
asperation OF their dub" pla yers, the,
might secure a big tournament. To
day i large proportion of the clubs
are OF the opinion that they woult
rather not give up their course for {
week to save the greens and general
1y put the course in "apple-pie order
for tournament. This is not to sa.
that there will not be plenty of clubs
willing to hold big tournaments, bu
that II more sober second thought u
apparent among the general ranl
and file Of the club members. If thi
takes shape In cutting down some o
the enormous expense that has beer
prevs Hing in the last few years IL
alterations of golf courses, so as L
make them so called championship
possibilities" it will be indeed wortl
while,
Copyright, 1921