The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-03-25
GOLF KING
RUNS 80
HOLES.
By ROSS L. CoNKLIN

SIG. Leoffler, emperor of the
East Potomac and Rock Greek
Park municipal golf courses, Is
the public links golf king of the
United States. He directly con-
trolls more golf holes on public
links courses than any other man.
His vast power is felt on exactly
90 holes that are divided up among
six courses.
Joe Lanin, the ex-Boston Red
Sox n1agnate, may own more semi
public links courses than Leoffler.
but there is q difference. Leof-
fler leases his courses; Lanin owns
his and they are not in any sense
of the word municipal enterprises
Loeffler controls the destinies Of
thousands: he carries his influence
into hundreds of homes. He causes
more anguish. more gleeful pleas
tre, and the splitting Of more verbs
than any other man in the city,
not even excepting the BARRIERS.
Loeffler runs his golf courses to
make money but at the same time
he gives the customers quite run
for their money. He doesn't spend
thousands on a golf course just to
set rid of the filthy iucre. No sir.
He wants that dough back with in
terest. and he gets it.
One Of his Iurid examples is
Rock Greek. He found that course
In miserable condition, lacking q
club house, lacking faiFWays, suit
able green's and everything else.
He poured $4,000 into Rock
Greek and made IL 3 splendid
course and one that win be |
patronized heavily. He win make
money on Rock Greek, but he |
made golf course out of IL and |
the players viii get much more
pleasure for their IS cents.
Loeffler Is quite a personality.
He's q cheerful little man, much /
like Napoleon - in stature. He |
drives hard bargain, but that's |
his business. He il usually cheer /
full and willing to listen to the sad /
tales Of his clients. His business
IL run on machine like precision. |
His employees have a duty and they Il
are expected to fulfill their obliga-
tons.
During the war. he invented
those square doughnuts, and Loeff-
ler's lunches for two bits were
famous or infamous, according to
the view point.
It was back In July Of 1920 /
that he took over East Potomac.
And anyone who has ever seen
the Baltimore, Pittsburgh, or New
York city municipal courses knows
what great condition East PotO- i
mae IS kept i'm. The place Is I
clean and enjoyable, which Is I
more than can be said for the
others.
West Potomac, the nine hole be- !,
ginners, course, was taken over by .
him in November, 1921. He even !
made that course self-supporting, Q
feat that no one else had ever been :
able to accomplish.
The course at the Lincoln Memoir
ial, a sand green affair for colored +
golfers, became his stepchild in /
May OF 1924. /
By that time Loeffler's hand /
itched for courses in other cities.
Straightaway, he gobbIed up the /
Marble Hall links, just outside Phil
adelphia, where he maintains a |
nifty 1s-hole layout.
Not content with mixing up I
the daily peaceful life Of the |
Quaker Cityians, he moved his
trusty dollars to Richmond and
there took over the Seven Pines
course in April Of 1924. Nine
holes are still there.
When he took over Rock Creek /
this winter his total went up to !!
80 holes. Every course that Loeffler
runs is kept in the best condition.
He has a good lunch counter; his |
showers are tiled and well kept;
the store room is well stocked with |
good golf supplies, and his employees
are considerable, in spite of the |
axiom that a public links course
has to be run by hard-boiled people.