Evening star., 1932-05-08

the II acres Of grass turf and woodland slopes
making up the two nine-hole courses OF the
Rock Creek Park links. Uncle Sam has con-
verted the natural rolling countryside OF the
hills along the Sixteenth street flank Of the
park into course usually classified the
real golfers paradise because Of its difhcult
turns and inherent hazards. The Springtime
view from certain vantage points there is that
of tree tops glossy with tinid, bright leaves
and the wide sweeps of scenery that taper of
into Klingle Valley. The club house supplied
by the Government for these links is sug-
gestive of the charming. homelike ones Ameri-
can communities everywhere first build when
they become ambitious for country club
Some of the timbers and other materials for
the club house were garnered from the out
houses and sheds left standing on the property
when Uncle Sam acquired it. These particular
sheds were on the Pilling tract and the original
old house known the Pilling mansion was
torn down later and carted away much to the
regret of many of the neighbors, who would
have liked to have preserved the historic
structure as the golfers club house. Much of
the forested area now cleaned off to provide
fairways for these links was once the outlying
grounds around the pretentious country home
stead of several Of Washington's earliest
families and to this day are pointed out as
such locations.
1t is interesting to note some contrasts
between base ball and golf figures. On the
use there were, within a few score players, the
same number playing this favorite American
game golfers the two nine-hole golf
courses in Rock Creek Park. But the SO 996
base ball players on their 20 diamonds had
379700 spectators while the &C. 1896 golfers in
Rock Greek Park had sign of a gallery.
The Government collects satisfies the
numbers of sport spectators as well as the
players In the case of polo, which is also at
its best in May in the West Potomac field, this
is well exampled by the fact that Uncle Sam
knows $4,000 persons watched $50 players push
the ball around from horseback there and that
nearly IL 900 cars were parked for the games
last year
Tennis which was not so widely played as
was expected for some years past, suddenly
became very popular last Summer. There were
256,119 persons on the rs municipal courts for
the fiscal year 1881 and So of the courts were
paid ones This game is cheaper than golf
which costs the players 25 cents for 10 holes
except on Saturday afternoons Sundays and
holidays, when it is that price for nine holes,
yet 100000 more players followed the game that
made Bobby Jones an international hero than
that which made Big Bill Tflden known from
shore to shore Having luncheon and supper out
of doors in one of the 18 groves available for
such fun is another major recreation for this
city. 1t is estimated that 108, 500 persons in
parties Of 10 or more had picnics last year.
not to mention the smaller groups and family
parties.
Boating and horseback riding would appear
to find equal favor. as their respective
adherents about balance one another in point
of numbers. At the boat house in West
Potomac Park approximately 81 900 patrons
sought gondolas canoes, rowboats and the
speedboats at Hains Point, and cantering about
the winding bride paths of the city were
$4,000 horseback riders. (More adults rode the