Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-28
GOLF SURVIVES DEPRESSION
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

links, Kentucky doubtless would have a
thousand courses.
While MEMBER Of golf and country
clubs have, in many cases. been COM
PEELED to let their dues fall in arrears,
they are continuing to buy golf para
phernalia. The latest figures show
1,655,S47 dozen golf balls made and
sold. They had value of $6.444, 727.
For the same period 2,64e, 063 golf sticks
were manufactured and valued It
Boss ODD. an C1e Gays w1en only tnA
elect played golf, every golfer had q
bag. The figures on manufacture and
sale of golf bags show that only about
one-quarter of the players is so equip
ped now.
Players on municipal courses and
many members of clubs have cut down
the number of sticks they use to two
or three. 1t used to be the practice
for q golfer to tote around a whole
grove of golf sticks. He had to have
special stick for every emergency
which might conceivably arise. There
were more different kinds OF golf sticks
than tools a plumber forgets. That
phase, apparently, has passed and some
feiently intrepid to essay the course
with a single iron. But, whether the
golfer carries enough to load down a
caravan Of cadu1eS or only one stick,
the game Goes OF,
Golf and tennis are the fastest
growing games in the United States.
All games show increased participR-
ton In depressed times, because so
many people have nothing else to do.
but golf is picking up more recruits
than any other pastime.
Miniature Golf Declining.
Taking in various kinds of para
phernalia, 1t is found that golf goods
to the value Of $l7,908,753 are pur-
chased in a single year. This does not
include all the plus fours, however.
Time was when these roomy garments
indicated the golfer, but no more. They
are akected by horse trainers, dentists,
dancing masters, real estate and in
surance statesmen, after dinner speakers
and Migrants. For base ball parapher-
MALTA the American people spend only
s5,793,632 in year Even fishing
tackle costs more money than the
equipment of base ball, the yearly ex-
pense being ss.572 500. This figure
does not include fish purchased on
the way home. That statistic is classi-
fed elsewhere.
The American people have $500 ,000,-
900 invested in their golf courses. That
is the value of land and buildings. 1t
costs about 100000 year to NOW
the grass, replace diVotS ana otnerWlSe
care for these premises. :.
The miniature golf business is not so
healthy as it was a year ago, although
by no means wholly pasSe. In fact,
the demand of miniature golfers is
largely responsible for the increased
sale of putters. It is expected that
1881 will show the total golf stick sales
to be in the neighborhood of 3,300,000
with putters making up the largest
item.
The investment in miniature golf
courses is set at 1926, 000, 900. This
seems very high in view of the recent
popularity of the miniature game, but
1t must be borne in mind that NINA
ture golf courses are located in the
heart of cities. The city lot on which
a miniature course is laid out may be
valued at a higher figure than a thou
sand-acre course in the country. The
value Of buildings in which the indoor
courses are housed runs the total up
1t does not seem likely, however, that
this investment will continue to be de-
voted TO the miniature game for as long
a time as the country club investments
will be.
Indeed, 1t is reported that there re-
Gently appeared on a miniature course
sign reading Opened by Mistake"