Evening star., 1942-04-19
UneompIaining, Hope
To Make Ends Meet
Cutting Corners
S2oo, 900 Given YeorIy
In Tournament Money
Bound to Be Sliced
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

The boys aren't squawking about
II and they won't, but few men In
any business have been hit harder
in the pocketbook by wartime re-
strictions than the golf profess
sionals.
First and toughest of all came
the rubber shortage. which has hit
the pros only slightly SO far, but
will get worse. Now comes the club
manufacturing ban, and the Use OF
critical materials such as steel,
brass. aluminium and other metals
in manufacturing OF golf clubs is
barred after May 81. That. OF
course. means that all golf club
manufacture will cease by June /,
and only replacements will be avail
able. Al present, manufacturers
OF golf clubs are working on DO
per cent production basis.
But the golf pros around Wash
ington are digging In and hoping
for the best, convinced that by
cutting corners and Transforming
their business they can get along.
Not the least of the situation ma
tionally is the almost certain cur
tailment Of the professional golf
tournament schedule. which for
years has distributed around $500
600 annually to the touring pros.
Part of that schedule will 60 on this
year, but its continuance next year
is doubtful.
For while the pros will have golf
clubs TO sell, but probably the avail
able supply won't last much longer
than this year. The ban on manu-
facture caught most of the pros
and sport goods retailers with COM
plets stocks OF golf clubs ready for
1912 business.
Pros Draw Meager Salaries.
The average golf pro makes his
income mot too heavy at besD from
club sales. with a margin around
80 per cent: from sale OF golf balls,
with margin of about SO per cent,
and from lessons. He receives
small salary which is little more
than retainer. Part of his income
Ia realized from club cleaning and
storing at about 81 month or $40
year, on the average. Take away
club sales, cut ball sales in half and
his income seriously is reduced. He
must step up the lesson take" and
use other means to raise his income.
But club sales after this year will be
close to the vanishing point, and
when YOU cannot get golf balls you
can't sell EN-.
Even now associations which used
TO give golf balls as tournament
prizes are turning to other things
and the pros are being urged to
stock up their golf shops with
articles other than clubs and balls
which might be attractive prizes.
Witty Cox, prexy of the Middle
Atlantic section professionals, thinks
the pros can keep their income up
to par by concentrating on lessons
and stocking their shops with equip
ment in addition to the waning sup
plies of clubs and balls. I'VE should
concentrate on service to our men,
bers and have complete stock of
everything We can GET saidsWiffy.
Urges More Lessons.
Further. believe we can go all
out for lessons and buy War bonds
and stamps to sell to our members
as q service to them in their pay
offs and for prizes. Certainly the
average pro income will be cut, but
the boys are ingenious. They can
work out ways of making money
from other angles" Cox was the
first pro TO suggest that war bonds
and stamps be given as prizes for
the pros. His idea has not met
with universal acclaim, but he's for
1t nevertheless.
Baseball pros are doing all right
with obese salaries for working a
couple of hours day. Those phony
boxers haven't been cut, but the
golf pro. a man with high ideals in
a genuinely sporting game, is due
10 take 1t on the chin unless he
finds other chances to pick up coin,
Undoubtedly he will, but meanwhile
he isn't squawking. Can you imagine
the yelp ball players would let out
II their income was cut as the golf
pro income is sure to be cut?