Evening star., 1940-12-12
Would Sponsor Title
Tourney, Tests for
National Affair
Also Fovors Letting Ace
Players in Other Big
Competitions Here
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

the game on the public courses
may get q shove up the ladder of
prestige and and recognition by the
District Golf Association. That is,
they will II President Robert A.
Keilty Of the local association has
his way.
DR.. Keilty, on the eve of an i'm
portant Executive Committee meet
ing scheduled soon for the fathers
Of local golf, said he Is in favor Of
extending the helping hand to the
boys who play the pay-as-you-play
courses. He favors going further
than even the most modest and
timid gestures made in recent years
in that direction by the District Golf
Association and would, II he could,
invite public links golfers to play
In all association-Sponsored events.
But I realize" DR.. Keilty said.
"that even though the District Golf
Association as a body may favor
such action, 1t would not necessarily
become binding on all the clubs.
The clubs which hold tournaments
can do as they please in their own
events"
DIR. Keilty Is Surprised.
Apprised OF the lackadaisical man.
ner in which public links affairs are
supervised, with chilly blessing
from the District Golf Association,
DR.. Keilty was amazed that such a
situation exists in Washington. Il
didn't know that We make no effort
to help the public links golfers" he
said. DR.. Keilty also is vice presi-
dent for Washington of the Mary
land State Golf Association.
In my opinion we should not only
sponsor the District public links
championship every year, but we also
should sponsor the sectional quail
flying rounds for the national public
championship. 7 would go further
than that. I would specifically in
vite the best players on the public
links to play in the District cham
pionship. But that is my personal
opinion and is a matter for the
Executive Committe to decide"
It's no secret among the golfers
around town that the public links
boys have had something less than
enthusiastic support from the Dis
trict Golf Association. Last year
the East Potomac Golf Club, then
headed by Tommy Doerer, jr, tried
to join the District Golf Associa-
ton, and was told mo dice" in so
many words.
But the East Potomac Golf Club
belongs to the United States Golf
Association, and holds a charter
from that national links governing
body. This year the Anacostia Golf
Club received a charter from the
U. S. G. A. Anacostia also operates
on a public golf course.
This year 1940) the city public
links championship was played at
East Potomac Park, and won by
Leroy Smith. Government en-
ploye. 1t was run entirely by the
public links boys themselves, and
had no support or encouragement
from the District Golf Association
or any other organization. I'VE
should do something about a situa-
ton like that" DR.. Keilty said. I'VE
should at least sponsor all major
public links affairs"
Offers Some Problems.
Of course, the whole situation
dates back good many years. and
there is something to be said on
both sides. Around Is years ago
some public links stars Of that era
were invited to play in club tour
neys. The story is they forgot to
pay the checks which they signed
at one or two of the swankier coun-
try clubs, which was enough in itself
to place them squarely behind the
eight-bau.
On top Of that the men in power
in the District Golf Association at
that time asked the perfectly rea-
sonable question: Suppose a pub
lie links player wins one of our val
liable trophies? (The Di Sibour-
Reyburn championship cup is worth
around $500 Where will it go?
What assurance have we that it will
be returned If it cannot be placed In
a responsible club?"
Those questions are reasonable.
But at the same time the District
fathers Of golf would help them
selves and the public links lads if
they at least sponsored and gave
their official benediction to the Dis
trict public links championship, and
sent one or two members of the
Executive Committee to handle an
affair that was loosely operated this
year. =.
In other words, the public links
golfers deserve a better break than
they have been getting. and the Dis
trist Golf Association has a possible
answer.