Evening star., 1930-12-01
This CITY BETTER
Off THAN OTHERS
Three Clubs Here Have Made
Financial Rearrangements
to Keep Up Standards.
BY WALTER R. McCALLUM.

~, out none the less surely,
keeping pace with the mounting
cost Of necessities and the living
standards of golf and golfers, the
cost Of belonging to golf clubs is
going up. Even with the mount
ing cost of dues and initiation
fees, however, the cost Cat private
clubs) is considerably lower than
in cities of comparable size and
Importance to the Capital Of the
Nation.
Where, near New York, for example,
could golfer belong to a club OF the
standing of the Columbia or Congress
sional clubs for less than $3.50 year
and with an initial investment of less
than $2,S00 in initiation fees? Or clubs
f-e Washington or Indian Spring? We
may pirate of the high cost of golf
course maintenance and the high cost
Of club restaurant service, but in real
ity the golfers around Washington are
getting on far cheaper than their club
swinging brethren in other cities COM
parable in size and importance.
THE golf clubs near the Capital are
l. realizing that to continue as grow
ing organizations, to maintain
their standards of operation and up
keep, they must have more money.
Three clubs already this year have gone
through fiscal arrangements by which
an assessment was levied ON the men,
bership of two of them, while at one
club the members enthusiastically and
almost without dissenting vote agreed
to increase their annual dues. Another
club Is to act tomorrow on some scheme
Of financial Encouragement which may
result either in an assessment, q loan
or an increase in annual dues. Still
another-the exclusive and historic
Chevy Chase Club-has called a gen.
eral meeting Of its members to coincide
with the annual meeting to consider a
proposed increase in annual dues. Yes,
the cost Of golf Is mounting. and the
man who says 1t should not mount is in
the hopeless minority. Golf Is pro-
crossing, interest in it is mounting,
people are demanding better golf
courses and better service-and all this
takes money. II It costs more to belong
to golf club today than 1t did decade
their money. And the increase is so
spread out that they do not feel 1t.
DURING the past Summer the mem
- bers of the Manor Club agreed to
pay an assessment to cover costs
Of current operation and to finance
Improvements at the club. This move
resulted in few designations, but IN
the main the loyal members of the club
agreed to the assessment and now are
paying 1t.
Early in June the board Of governors
Of the Washington Golf and Country
Club, realizing the mounting costs Of
maintenance Of golf course and club
house, called general meeting of the
membership, the proposal being TO con-
slider an increase In annual dues from
$50 to 500. When the proposition was
explained to them the members almost
annual dues. Along with this went an
appeal from the president OF the club
for the associate members to- become
active members at an increased initia-
ton fee. This also met with enthuSi-
aStic response. That response on the
part Of the members of the washington
club was an indication Of the way the
wind Is blowing.
Then along came Columbias annual
meeting, at which officers were chosen
and q proposal for either an increase
in dues or an assessment was consid-
cred. The members of the club, visual
ixing Q deficit, promptly agreed to q
small assessment to amortize a loan.
and the loan was made, to be repaid
In part by the assessment, and wipe
out q comparatively small debt the
club has incurred. That action fol-
lowed within q year or so after the club
had raised the initiation fee to $500.
GENERAL years ago the Congressional
- Country Club made a loan running
into several hundreds Of thousands
Of dollars, not all of which was used,
but which was available for use If
needed. The club has proceeded under
this loan to amortize its Indebtedness
and was in such good condition a year
or so ago that in view OF the attrac-
riveness Of membership in the organ
ization, the board agreed to an increase
IN initiation fees to $500.
Several years ago the Chevy Chase
Club proposed to make certain i'm
provements in the property, such as a
change in the locker room, construc-
ton Of a swimming pool and other
changes. To do this an increase in
through and the improvements were
made. Now the club proposes further
improvements, not only on the golf
course, but In the club house, to bene-
At all classes Of the membership. For
this purpose the annual meeting of
the club, to be held next Wednesday
at the willard Hotel at 4:30 O'Clock.
will consider an increase in dues from
SIS to 500. Chevy Chase has the
largest membership Of any club about
Washington, and an increase will re-
suit. II passed, IN a considerable ac-
cretion 10 club revenue and consequent
improvement in club operation and
maintenance. Members of the Chevy
Chase Club will vote for membership
On the board Of governors, for which
the following candidates have been
Thomas Dunlop, william r. Ham,
Charles Carroll Morgan, Landra B.
Platt. Frederick @. Pyne. Robert Stead,
1r., and Capt. Chester Wells.
D DANNOCKBURN members win meet
- tomorrow night at the club house,
at the call Of the board Of gov
ernors, to consider whether or not the
operations Of the club will be con-
tinued next year. But the fact Of the
matter, according to our information.
is that Bannockburn will be continued
(Which We hope is true) and that The
members are TO vote on whether cer-
tain minor changes in the golf course
viii be made or whether loan will
be fioated to make a completely new
golf course. Bannockburn has been
haroer hit than any local club this
year by the drought. The usual source
of water supply dried up and the
greens, without water, all went to pot
The loyal and enthusiastic Bannock-
burn membership has remained on,
however, and, II we are correctly In
formed, viii not permit the club TO SO
out Of operation, even II they have to
dig deep down in their Jeans TO con-
tinue such operation Yes, golf costs
are rising. and the gent who says that
Is not as 1t should be Is simply block
ing the wheels of progress, his own
comfort and that nf his fallOw FTlana- :