Evening star., 1942-04-26
Inadequate Planning
Blamed Along With
Lack OF Initiative
Blueprints for Greater
Facilities Lie Dusty
At Parks Office
BY WALTER sfcCALLUM.

BY WALTER McCALLJM-
At long last a comprehensive and
overall program for all recreational
facilities IN the District OF Columbia
seems sure 70 come out Of the rec
reationAl program 70 be the result
OF the deliberations of the new
Recreation Board, authorized by
Congress. and to begin operation
next month.
Up to now public golf. which Is
the biggest single item in volume
Of Use Of public recreation facilities
in the National Capital. has been
one of those "everybody's business
is nobodys business" items If the
board realizes golf's relation 10 the
entire recreation setup and the
proved need for expansion and a
genuine paternal interest in the
game. goli at last will get a fair
shake in the recreation setup in
Washington.
The picture at present is none
too good and the fault for the lack
OF adequate public golf facilities in
the teeming National Capital can
not be laid altogether at the door
OF S. q. LeOffier, who Is In the fourth
year OF a five-year contract for op-
Grafton OF all the public golf courses
located in Washington The fault
for the overcrowdtng on public golf
courses and for failure TO carry
through already mapped-out ex-
pansion can be laid at the door of
inadequate planning, general apathy
toward golf and its part in the
recreation program, and failure Of
the golfers themselves TO make any
form of mass protest for more
adequate Fairgrounds.
Time for Plain Speaking.
Those are plain words. but the
time long has been ripe for some
plain speaking IN situation where
golfers are giving up the game in
disgust because they cannot get on
overcrowded courses; the conces-
sionaire makes little provision for
return Of net profits TO the courses
in the form of capital improve
fnents and the entire public golf
situation is at a standstill. stagnant
for want of real interest at the top
For years plans have existed in the
planning division Of the Offlce OF
National Capital Parks for con-
struction of an 1S-hole golf course
at Fort Hunt, in nearby Virginia,
near the Mount Vernon highway.
When Jeoffler was given, on Janu-
ary !, 1899. the contract for exclu-
Sive operation Of the public golf
courses in Washington it was stated
that the Fort Dupont course would
be opened as an added facility in
Ie4l. But here We are well into
1912 and the course has not been
opened. Meanwhile overcrowding
is so bad on the existing courses
these spring days, in city teeming
with people who want outdoor recre-
alton, that anywhere from four to
seven hours is required for l8 holes
on a busy Sunday. Such a situation
would not be permitted in city
where proper supervision of golf ia
cilities exists. The fault isn't en-
tirely that OF Leoffler, and perhaps
the rotund concesSionnaire would
welcome expansion of public golf.
But any expansion must be initiated
In the Interior Department and
particularly the Offlce of National
Capital Parks, which is aware of the
overcrowded golf situation and has
done nothing about it-so far.
seven Members ON Beard.
The new Recreation Board Is to
consist OF seven members. Four OF
these members are TO represent the
public on appointment by the Com
missioners. Two other members will
represent the Board of Commission
erS and another will represent the
Board OF Education, with the super
intendent of National Capital Parks
also on the board. whose members
will serve without compensation.
Out of setup such as this, long
needed in Washington and particu-
larry now, one board member
should be appointed with sympa-
thetic attitude toward golf and its
expansion. You can't laugh off
$4,000 nine-hole rounds of golf
PLAYED on the pubic courses, nor
can a situation where many people
are turned away because of over
crowding and lengthy waits to play
be condoned. That same situation
will become worse, rather than bet
ter. when gasoline rationing becomes
effective
For hundreds of golfers, discour-
aged because of overcrowdlng on
the public courses in Washington,
journey TO public courses in nearby
Maryland and Virginia, and even
to Baltimore They won't be able
10 travel when they don't have
gasoline and public course conges-
ton here will become unbearable
National Capital Parks can DO
something about the situation, and
the new Recreation Board can pro-
vide the green light by inme ediately
giving the "go-ahead" signal for
more public golf courses, preferably
outside the city and with adequate
public transportation facilities 70
get there