Evening star., 1939-11-16

and this one man perpetuated his
control since 1921, while today the
Leofier- controlled organization is
winding up the eleventh month of a
new five-year contract for the five
existing public courses within the
District OF Columbia and one now
under construction? That is one of
the many questions the public links
golfers Of the city are asking. The
angles and ramifications are many.
Here ale few of them:
Back in 1920, when a nine-hole
course in West Potomac Park was
the only public golf course in Wash
ington (and when the city was in
the beginning of major golf BOOM !,
Col. c. o. Sheriff., then the Army
officer in charge of public buildings
and parks, asked for bids for opera
ton of the course laid out by Walter
j. Travis and Col. w. w. Harts at
Hams Point in 1919 and 1920. S.
G. Leoffler submitted what Col.
Sheriff. described as "the only busi-
nesslike bid" for the golf course
operation and secured the contract
for a limited time.
The contract called for Mr.. Leof-
f1er to maintain the course and to
provide adequate golf facilities and
at the end Of the specified time to
turn over the course in its original
condition. 1t also carried lease for
the inadequate little nine-hole
course in West Potomac Park. which
is a beginners" course and make
shift layout.
Contract Renewed Repeatedly.
Down through the years Mr..
Leoffler repeatedly has had the con-
tract renewed and expanded. At
one time two of the city's courses
Rock Creek and Anacostia-were
leased by the Welfare and Recrea-
tional Association, a semi-public
corporation operating cafeterias, ETC.,
In the Government buildings. But
Mr.. Leof1er has broadened his con-
troll and now operates all the
courses. Nor has it been altogether
a money squeezing monopoly. Mr..
Leoffler himself has acted the part
of good Samaritan on many occa-
sions. Under his direction and
with money contributed from his
pocket, or that of his company, pub
lie links teams have gone forth to
represent the National Capital in
a dozen national tournaments. Mr..
Leofler's present contract is with
the National Park Service, repre-
sented by the Office of National
Capital Parks, whose present acting
head is Frank T. Gartside.
Mr.. Gartside succeeded c. Mar
shall Finnan, recently transferred
by the National Parks Service to a
post in Utah.
Last December Mr.. Leoffler again
obtained the contract for operation
of all the public golf courses in
Washington, over the competitive
bids of three other groups. These
were the Welfare and Recreational
Association, Government-sp
sponsore unit. and two private bid
ders. 1t made the sixth or seventh
renewal of the Loeffler contract.
But what has the Leoff1er organ
ization done for public links golf in
city where golf happens to be the
main individual sport? To get back
Of all this you must realize that
public links golf is on pay-as-you-
play basis, that the fees are COM
paratively cheap and that the public
courses generally are the poor man S
country club.
Facilities Well Used.
You also must realize that it isn't
an unusual summer week end that
finds 1000 persons using the golf
facilities at East Potomac Park,
with 50 holes; 1900 using the tive
nine-hole courses at Rock Greek
Park, $500 using the Fairlaw1
course in Anacostia Park and nearly
800 playing the easier course in
West Potomac Park. Figures on
the Deanwood course for colored in
Northeast Washington are not avail
able.
The development of golf facili-
ties has been great since Mr.. Leof-
FALSE TeETA RepAIREn