Evening star., 1940-01-12
Golf Profits in Other Cities
Go Back Into Courses
Five Figure Returns to Concessonnoire,
As in Washington, Unknown Elsewhere

The Sirth OF q series of articles
comparing parks and recreation
facilities OF other cities NTH those
OF the District OF Columbia.
BY RUDOLPH KAUFMAN, II.
When told how a concessionnaire
running the five public golf courses
in Washington was able to pay
himself salary ranging from SIS
900 to sl8,500 year and make
profit neighboring around $4,000
each year in addition. park and rec
reation officers in the five cities
visited either registered incredulity
or jocosely remarked. How about
fixing it so that I can get a slice
of that. I'm wasting my time
here!'
For few public golf courses in the
country are operated other than
directly by public agencies. A sur
vey of fees and charges in 161
localities. made by the National
Park Service, showed only eight in
which golf courses we're let out to
a concessionnaire. And in these,
contracts are far more binding than
that which permits S. G. Leoffler to
become, with no discredit to him.
self and in a perfectly honest and
above-board way. the highly paid
"czar" of Washington public golf.
Not only would there be a huge
hue and cry from the golf-playing
public in Akron, Cleveland, Gin
cinnati, Milwaukee and Minneapolis
if public property were to be used
for private gain, but the city fathers
would rise up when they found
profits which lower the appropria-
tions they must make for parks and
Fairgrounds slipping from them and
into the pocket of single citizen
or a small group of citizens.
Higher Rates.
For m most of the cities en-
countered golf courses not only pay
their way but usually yield a
profit. And the grade of golf is
better by far than it is in Wash
ington. Rates of play are all higher,
averaging about twice what they
are in Washington, but the players
get better courses, clubhouses, and
other facilities and know at the
same time that the money they are
paying is not going into some
private commercial venture but
back into the very ground they are
taking out from under the little
white ball at their feet.
Take for example Akrons one
public course. Land was donated
by local philanthropist-in
trialist, chiefly through the efforts
of H. S. Wagner. executive-direc-
tor of the Akron Metropolitan Park
District, when he was in charge of
Akron city parks.
Mr.. Wagner. who had had previ-
Gus experience in laying out private
golf courses, transplanted the trees
to the edges of the fairways, graded
the fairways, saw that they received
an ample supply of water, and
planted bent greens.
A Non-Paid Commission.
Subsequently, the course was
turned over to a golf commission
consisting of six businessmen golfers,
the donor of the land serving as
chairman. They serve without pay
and hire a manager. The manager
has the privilege of the clubhouse
refreshment and equipment conces-
sion and sees to it that receipts
make the course pay. Little profit
has been made so far, but the course
does run itself All employees are
under Akron city civil service. The
clubhouse has lockers and showers.
Golf clubs are stored and repaired
within. Exhibitions of famous play
ers are held and a free golf school
sponsored every spring under the
auspices of local newspaper.
Says the manager, and he has the
figures to prove it: ''The course has
been self sustaining for the last 10
years, living within its own income
and receiving no tax monies"
A gradual improvement Of the
course has been under way for the
last five years, with IL new green's
being built in that time. Fairways
have been widened. Trees have
been trimmed high and trans
planted to enable uniform moving.
Rough has been reduced to expedite
play. but not discarded. Trees line
most fairways and, according to Mr..
Wagner, have been left on purpose
to create a better test of the game.
Said Mr.. Wagner: II could have cut
them all down and pretty near
double the speed Of the game that
can be played on this course"
Perhaps this is one reason for the
heavy, fast play on Washington's
courses. Perhaps playing in WASH
ington is about like hitting the ball
around on an airport.
Changeable Course.
On the Akron course provisions
for ALLEGATION of tee markers and
putting cups have been made to
speed play on congested days. This
same plan, however. permits the
CHANGING of the course into one Of