Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-15

Undoubtedly it makes a good adj
vertising slogan and one that not
only sells real estate, but main
tainS definite standards of value,
Out near the Washington Golf and
Country Club, real estate de-
velopment now is under way that
sets definite standard on the
value of the location of the golf
club near the development. There
can be little doubt that golf clubs
play a large part in raising and
maintaining real estate values.
But to the clubs themselves there is
limiting factor in this raising of
values How long will it be, members
of club boards of governors ask them
selves, before the land on which their
golf courses are laid out becomes so
valuable as suburban real estate, that
it can no longer be used for golf
course and will be taxed on basis
other than that of undeveloped property
and thereby be made a heavy burden.
1t is not so many years ago that the
old Kirkside Golf Club, which took over
the old property of the Bannockburn
Golf Club, near Chevy Chase Circle, vir-
| tually was forced to abandon its prop
| erty and give up existence because the
| property became so valuable the club
could no longer support the land. The
| logical question then is: How long will
it be before Chevy Chase and Columbia,
| and perhaps Washington, will be forced
into the same action?"
| Growth Is Northwestward.
Undoubtedly the real estate alone
| owned or leased by these clubs is stead
| lily growing in value. Their investment
| in improvements on the golf courses
and in the club houses they sustain
| amounts to a considerable piece OF
money. And the clubs have played a
major part in approaching the value
| whole thing works in a circle which is
bound, sooner or later, to force the
clubs to look elsewhere for golf facili-
| ties. In the days when President Taft
was an enthusiastic player at the Chevy
Chase Club, the golf course was out ir
the country. Automobiles were COM
| paratively new toys in those days anc
golf was a little known game-one oil
great formality, red blazers and a nine
tenth hole which was a nineteenth
hole. Likewise, while land values were
considerable, they were not anywhere
| near their present state. The automo-
bile has changed all that.
| Washington is a growing city, and
! it also is automatic that cities grow in
a northwesterly direction. Census fig
ures from all over the country bear
this out, fof the Census Bureau has
studied development of cities and al
most always, unless their growth is
restricted by geographical limitations
they grow toward the northwest. In
the case of Washington part of the
| population also has gone over into near
by Virginia, which also is partially
northwest, for the Washington Golf and
Country Club is northwest of the city.
| Today there is only one golf club To-
Gated near Washington, on the east,
and 1t is apparent that the tendency
in golf, as well as in population, is to
move toward the northwest.
Expansion Plan Rejected.
| Five or six years ago the member
ship of the Chevy Chase Club had a
! proposal laid before then to purchase
! a piece of land about four miles from
the present property. 1t was not pro-
! posed then to abandon the present
| property but to construct an additional
! golf course to relieve congestion on the
| layout in use. The proposal was re-
| iected. At about the same time a pro-
posal was laid before the Columbia
membership to purchase an additional
| piece of Ian back of the first green
/ toward Wisconsin avenue. That pro-
posal also was defeated
Needless to say the Connecticut ave-
nue. footage of both these clubs is i'm
mensely valuable. If the Columbia club
was to sell it's frontage on Connecticut
avenue it would realize a handsome
profit on the investment it made in that
! portion of the property 20 years ago.
| BIT that would mean moving the club
| house back from the street car line,
which is undesirable. Not every one
knows that on the highway plat of
Montgomery County provision is made
| for a roadway from the intersection
of Bradley Lane and Wisconsin avenue
| right through the clubs golf course to
| Chevy Chase circle. If this roadway
were to be put through it would ruin
the golf course.
And not every one knows that on the
Arlington county highway plat pro-