Evening star., 1942-12-06
Few Make Big Money
Even in Good Times:
Some Are Quitting
Other Vocotions Claim
Houshton, Sylvester.
Treder, Jomison
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

siSOStt SuIUISOn
BY WALTER McCALLUM.
Coli club and ball sales are of
by IS or 10 per cent around Wash
tngton and throughout the country,
and = lot of professionals are won
dering If they can practically wash
out their shop sales. 1t isn't any
secret that club sales have been
very slow this year, in the face
of repeated warnings that when
present stocks Of golf clubs are ex-
hauSted there won't be any more
until the guns stop booming.
AL Houghton, for years one of the
top playing pros around town, puts
it this way: Club sales and ball
sales are away off. I guess it at
nearly so per cent in my own case.
We aren't getting enough golf balls
and that situation knit going to get
better. Ordinarily the pro operates
on markup (profit) of about
IS per cent. But when his busi-
ness is cut in half there isn't much
to it."
Five Sources Of Income.
The club golf professional, back
bone OF the playing and teaching
end Of golf, has four sources of
income. apart from the money he
may win in tournaments. These
are his salary, which at most clubs
averages about 500 q month and
Is little more than q retainer; les
sons, club cleaning and sale of
equipment, including clubs and
balls.
The golf pro who remains at his
post throughout the war seems sure
to take a financial beating. for two
reasons. First is that play. on
the whole, has dropped off. Around
Washington bulk Of the play is on
week ends. Second is that club
sales and lessons have dropped off.
Al Treder, former Manor pro, re-
signed many months ago with the
remark that the future of pro golf
is dark and he could make a bet
ter living elsewhere. AL Houghton
will enter the Government serv-
ice tomorrow. Al Jamison is work.
ing for Uncle Sam. So Is Cliff
Spencer. Tony Sylvester is in pri-
vate employ.
Older Men Garry On.
But the golf pro, a pretty sub
stantial fellow. will get along, His
income will drop of, and he will
buy . lot Of War bonds, but the
older men will carry on. Tourna-
ments, asgolf knew them in other
years, are out, but there will be
plenty Of friendly golf, and the
pro is needed to carry on.
Surprisingly. even in the boom
years. the golf pro throughout the
land didn't have heavy income.
There were many cases, at big clubs.
where the pro made $4,000 and
more. But also there were MANY
more cases where he made 1901.
Probably the average was around
$2.500 or $1,000, in the days when the
pro could get an unlimited supply
of clubs and balls. But the picture
OF the golf pro as a gent rolling in
money was not correct.
Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Byron
Nelson, with tournament winnings
we'll up in the thousands. were en-
WED by their brother pros. but they
were the exceptions Nowadays the
manufacturers have cut out their pro
payrolls.
All in all it isn't bright picture
for the golf pro, but ne will get along
unless there comes q complete shut.
down on golf. which isn't likely.
Even In much-bombed England golf
Is being PLAYED. Here. where the
bombs probably won t drop. golf will
keep on, and the pro will stay on
the Job.
Houghton's View Supported.
Al Houghton said mouthful when
he predicted golf is going to lose a
lot Of addicts unless the clubs stop
lengthening their courses to stop
the par-busting antics of small
percentage of players. What diff
ference does it make if Ben Hogan
breaks par?" said Houehton. That
doesn't mean that the course isn't
too tough for the l00-shooter. And
since Joe Duffer pays the bills he is
the guy who ought to get the break
Any club that wants to point with
pride to its course as the toughest in
the neighborhood can install a set
Of tournament tees away back in the
brush, but almost all courses should
be softened up for the duffer."
Fred Mcleod. Red Banagan and
Set Collinge, who were scheduled to
attend medal presentation cere-
mony at the War College the other
day. couldn't make 1t, although they
would like to have been there.
The presentation was of the
Purple Heart award to Col. John r.
Francis, a Columbia member. for
distinguished service with the India
China Ferrying Command. Among
the guests was Gen. Malin Craig,
formerly chief of staff.