Evening star., 1926-04-04
OPEN-A|R SPORTS
LUR|NG THOUSANDS
Golf Courses, Tennis Courts,
Bride Paths and Other
Places Ready for Rush.

crease in the facilities during the past
wear officials of the office Of pl oliC
buildings and public parks of the
National Capital believe that there is
ample provision for ALL except per.
hapS on base ball diamonds and tennis
courts. And these latter have been
Increased to some extent.
Each year indicates the changing
III tadS tor sports. and data in the
office OF public bulldogs and public
parks are the barorleters which show
the increasing p.essure for some of
the outdoor slArts and falling pres
sure for ot<erS. Archery, for which
there are two courts, is fast disap p,
pearinx. as are cricket and lacrosse,
little use being made Of the facilities.
Hockey Grows Popular.
But hockey, popularity known in the
old days by the boys who played il
and who carry sears from the old
Shinney stick. is increasing in demand
especially among the girls. They
have taken ii up with a VICAR. ac-
rordins to the reports, but the game
under modern rules is little bit
tanner than in the old days.
The checking Of the highways on
Sundays and even on other days is
TO doubt responsible for the increas
1he great increase in their use, carry
ing the riders as they do here through
the virgin scenic beauties of the park
providing inviting and restful views
and at the same time furnishing eX
erCise for the riders. To meet this de-
mand, % additional miles of bride
paths were constructed during the
past Winter and We're opened last
week, the principal part of which was
the fNath !,
Potomac Park through the Rock
Creek and Potomac parkway. and a
few additional miles in Rock Creek
r Park proper.
Between 1928 and 1925. there was an
increase OF 80 1-3 per cent in horse
back riding in the parks here.
There are now available for horse
hack riders a miles of paths over
which they may ride. and not travel
me same path twice in a single trip.
But this length is more than the
average horseback rider takes in a
day.
II IS now possible to ramble through
out Rock Greek Park, down through
Rock Greek and Potomac Parkway
ana around the entire rim Of East
and West Potomac Parks. without
running afoul of any artery of Leavy
automobile traffic.
Rock Creek Improvements.
One of the greatest additions TO the
outdoor sport system during the year.
according to A. c. Burton, in charge
OF this work in the Office of Public
Buildings and Public Parks of the Na.
tlonal Capital, is the Zine additional
holeS IN Rock Creek, making Il full
lS-hole golf course. Here the old
field house has been renovated, hot.
water showers installed, and an OIL
burning furnace put in. Steel locke.
have been placed in both the mems
ana Women'S compartments a water
cooling system also has been provid.
ed. The house has a large sun par.
Tor which overlookS The entire course
This course is reached by way of
sixteenth street, turning west 1t IN
derwood street, and at the junction
Oh this street with the park a new,
'hard-surface roadway is being con.
structed leading directly to the lodge.
at Il cost OF $4,000. This roadway viii
De completed within three Y eckS.
making this course and its equip.
ment one of the very besr.
The greens on the new course are
SAID TO be in good shape, although it
was added that the fairways are still
Il little rough.
In East Potomac Park there are
Two courses, one or Is holes, east of
the field house. and one Of nine holes
west OF the field house, nearer the
tourist camp. In West Potomac Park
there Is a nine hole practice course
and at Potomac drive and north B
street another course for colored peo-
pie, all now open. New comfort facili-
Ties and drinking fountains are being
installed in the West Potomac Park
courses.
AnacOstia Park Underway.
Anacosti Park, in what is known
as section d, lying on the south bank
or the Anacostia River, between the
Anacostta or Eleventh street bridge
and the Pennsylvania avenue bridge.
IS the scene of one of the biggest de-
H-elopmentS now under the puhNc
parks Office. The new field house
mere Is being erected, and although
lt VIII be completed about July /. il
Was said that 1t probably would not
De opened until next year. because
neTe Is TO be large amount of grad
lES done around it, after the st,,,c-
tpral work proper is completed. The
lEees and shrubs to be used in the
decorative scheme around the house
nave been ordered, and these must be
pIdhteu before the house is thrown
open.
One Of the attractive features of tbis
parkway will be the seawau drive
Whlch VIII pass along the rivers edge
oetWeen the two bridges so that one
may drive across either bridge. ira
erse the parkway, and pass out over
me other bridge. There are plans for
further development there as soon as
money Is available, and these include
ne installation of a bathing pool for
children and another pool in which
SildI cn1ldrpn xf-oI
mere Is being constructed now, and will
pe ready this Summer, two base ball
diamonds. near the PENNSYLVANIA
bridge side, and two tennis courts.
Before Fall there will be added two
foot bali gridirons.
Tennis, aside from golf and base bal
seems to take the lead among the
sportsmen. To meet the demand, there
are 90 tennis courts located in all
parts OF the city, but there is always
= waiting list.
In the Monument grounds there
are ten clay and five concrete courts:
20 clay courts in Potomac Park; 10
clay courts In Henry Park, between
Sixth and Seventh and north and
south B streets; 10 clay and two
cement courts in Rock Creek Park at
Sixteenth and Kennedy streets, just
back of the reservoir. six clay courts
at Pierce Mill in Rock Creek Park,
10 which will be added six new courts
this year; two cement and four clay
courts in Anacostia Park; one clay
court in Garfield Park southeast:
four clay courts in the grounds south
of the Executive Mansion; four clay
courts at Montrose Park, Georgetown;
three clay courts on Reservation 19a,
at Fifth and NJ streets. southeast,
and one court in the White House
grounds proper for the use of White
House attaches.
Boat House Opens.
The water sports are not forgotten,