Evening star., 1941-08-13
Event Is Kept Going
By Generous Indian
Spring Members
Slated for September l9;
Malone Is Tuning for
U. S. Amateur Test
Ry WALTER McCAILIJM.

BY WALTER McCALLUM.
The Washington open champion
ship golf tournament, thought lost
as competitive affair two weeks
ago, will turn into one of the biggest
and best affairs ever staged around
Washington by the Middle Atlantic
Professional Golfers Association.
That was the enthusiastic predic-
ton of P. G. A. Tournament Chair
man Al Houghton today as he con-
ferred with Indian Spring Club Of
flcials on setting a date for the
event. September l9 Is the date
chosen by Houghton. 1t must ne
o. K. by the club and by Witty Cox.
preXy of the pro association. Cox
will return to town tomorrow from
a short vacation.
Rescued from apparent oblivion
by the generosity of several Indian
Spring members, the Washington
open, Houghton says, will be big
money affair. Angels of the tourney
so far have been Marty Gordon and
Frank Mirth. And there will be
others to kick in with cash that may
run as high as $500. Together with
entry fees the total prize money may
run up to $500. according to Mel
Shorey, Indian Spring pro.
Writers May Talk.
There's another angle to the tour
ney coming up. Houghton wants to
stage a dinner on the night of the
affair at which the golf writer's of
the town will be the guests of honor.
The idea is good, but Al doesn't
know what he may expect-and get.
Golf writer's can write, but they
haven't taken course in easy
speaking on your feet. They WORK
all right behind a typewriter, but
not so smoothly in the speech max
ing league. However, that's Ais
headache. He should know better
and probably will after it is all over,
The tourney will be over the usual
IS hole route. with around Sl25 60
Ing TO the top pro. The amateurs
are to be asked to enter. with ample
prizes 10 be available for the simon
pures.
Malone Printing His Game.
Charlie Malone, the big hitter
from Indian Spring, is back in town
today, preparing for the sectional
Quallhca alton rounds for the amateur
championship tomorrow at the
Country Club of Maryland. Charlie.
in case you hadn't heard, has
fondness for betting on golf matches.
And his bets don't go into cigarette
money. They go far beyond that,
Charlie was in New York last
week end, after he and Ralph Bog
art had been bumped of in the An
derson Memorial tourney at Winged
Foot. The phone rang in Witty CoX's
golf shop. Craig Wood, the national
open champ, was on the other end,
"Say. Witty" said Craig. lis Charlie
Malone's S check good for around $500.
He wants to make little bet on a
golf match and we don't know him
around here"
Sure" said Witty. Hes good
for a lot more than that" BuS
Witty never heard how the match
came out or whether Charlie won
the half-grand.
Marcy Wants Improved Courses.
Earle Marcy. president of the
East Potomac Park Golf Club. wants
to know why more public courses
cannot be built and why the present
layouts cannot be improved.
In a letter TO The Star Marcy
SAYS: Our only chance for i'm
provement of the public courses nov
being played or for new courses to
be constructed Cthat are so badly
needed is for your paper to pub
licize the deplorable conditions OF
the now existing public courses, and
the need for at least one or two new
1S hole public courses to take care
of the rapidly increasing golf popu-
lation of the District of Columbia"
Several days ago Ken Zoeller. sec
retary of the East Potomac Cluo,
said much the same thing. Zoelle;
was urged to make representations
before the proper committees OF
Congress seeking funds to build ade-
ouate public courses, and to add
weight to his words by presenting q
petition signed by several thousand
golfers. That is the way to start the
ball rolling. of course.
The Fort Hunt course exists on
paper. The Fort Dupont course ISM
moving along very fast, and when
opened Cit was promised for 1912
will not add any more golf facilities
for some of the holes at Anacostla
will be incorporated in the Dupont
layout to make one 18-hole course.
Present Layouts Shortened.
s. G.. Leoff1er, the public course
concessionnaire, has no plans for
building more golf courses. Indeed
Leof1er not long ago lost some OF his
golf empire in East Potomac PARK
when parts of courses F and G were
taken over for tennis courts and
Fairgrounds. There is room in Rock
Greek Park for more golf, but the
plans haven't been drawn, and rs
hardly likely that Leoffler will spend
the money himself to build expen-
sive got courses.
The only answer lies in getting
action on the Fort Hunt project,
and in keeping it alive before Con-
sress. Washington badly needs more
public golf facilities. 1t takes only
q peek at any public course on
crowded week end to see that. And
If the Government genuinely Is IN
terested in the welfare of its en-
ployes and their outdoor recreation
these added facilities will be pro-
vided. But they won't be PROVIDED
unless a lot of people make their
wants known It's a community job
and not a Job for one or two in
dividuals. Mass action is the an
ewer, along with mass talk and petit
t{os,s md attendance at congress