Evening star., 1939-01-06
Doerer Would Catch
Pros at Windup Of
Winter Season
Washington Is Figured
To Have Army Of $1,000
Divot Dieeers
By WALTER McCALLUM.

BY WALTER McCALLUM.
How many golfers are there In
Washington, and throughout the
land? Not that 1t makes any differ
ence, for golf is a fast-growing sport
and will continue to grow without
any help from the statisticians. But
Tommy Doerer, the little idea fac
tory at S. G. Leomer's public links
empire, thinks something should be
done to spur on the game and bring
more people around to thinking of
golf. with the idea of getting around
100000 people to play the game.
Any increase in the number of golf
ers here would mean more play on
the public courses-the incubators
OF the game around the Capital
and the training ground for future
club material.
Eddie Conlia, who does a good Job
OF golf promotion for one of the
major manufacturers, says his fig-
ures fail to show more than q MIL
Lion players In the land. Others have
gone as high as 100000, and a few
enthusiasts claim 5000 900. The true
figure probably lies around 5000, 900,
counting as golfers people who play
at least 20 rounds year.
Number Here Is Unknown.
There aren't any figures anywhere
which would come close to revealing
how many golfers there are in and
around Washington. But you don't
have to go further than the first tee
OF any country club In May, June,
September and October to realize
that there aren't enough golf IA
cilities to go around.
1t isn't unusual at Columbia.
Chevy Chase, Washington, Congress
sional, Manor or Indian Spring to
start more than $50 persons in a
single day. And a Sunday when
1900 people don't start at East Po-
tomac Park or a thousand at Rock
Greek Park Is classed as dull day.
Leof1er packs EN- in at East Po-
tomac to the tune of around 5000 a
week. much of which, naturally, is
repeat business But I'd guess there
must be fairly close to 10000 golfers
in Washington who play fairly regu-
larly, and perhaps $4,000 in all who
play regularly and occasional
rounds, counting them all.
That isn't enough" says Doerer
mot that We are worried about the
growth Of the game here. It's done
pretty well. But it could be better
How about something that would
make people more golfminded, some
thing like mammoth golf dinner
at which all the manufacturers
would be represented and where a
flock Of the top pros of the land
would exhibit their shots" Tommy
never has been one to lack enthusi-
asm.
Thinks 1000 Would Attend.
Warming up to his subject like
Seabiscuit in the stretch, he said
Il think we could put over a din
ner here that really would show the
country we're on the golf map. Wed
probably get about a thousand peo-
pie at $3.50 head. I'd suggest that
we turn over all money above ex-
penses to some worthy local charity
And we'd follow it up the next day
with big open championship, fo1
about five grand.
1t might be played here at East
Potomac Park or at one of the pri-
vate clubs. If we held it in April
at time when the pros are coming
North we'd get all the best of them
in the windup of the winter tourna-
ment season. That's what we need
here to bring out more golfers and
start the season off with a bang
something like that. And I'll guar
antee we'd have few thousand
more converts to this game out of an
affair like that"
OF course it doesn't take par
ticularly smart gent to figure out
that Washington needs a major
open tournament. The National
Capital open, last played in 1895
did more to touch off interest in
golf than anything that has come
along in years.
Would Pay for Itself.
Probably 5000 people turned out
at Kenwood two years ago to see
the Spalding links caravan, and all
these people were golfers or they
wouldn't have been there. The
show was free. which is a big point.
But lot Of little whistle-stop towns
in the South hold big golf tourna-
ments, and have their names
splashed all over the sport pages
for a week or more.
II you 60 on the premise that
Washington doesn't need that kind
OF publicity there isn't anything
more you can say. But it doesn't
hurt any town to promote a really
big sports show, and get the pub
Hcity 1t brings. For two or three
years now the Junior Board of Com
merce has been toying with an idea
for an open tournament in Wash
1ngton, and quietly has been gather
ing facts and data on such an
affair. It may come off this year,
but on one knows.
Doerer has something there. The
dinner idea is good, but the open
tournament scheme Is better. And
Washington is the spot for it. Per-
haps April isn't the best month in
the year, for then the pros are on
the prod, anxious to get back to
their club jobs-if any. October
might be better. But such a tour