Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-09
Potomac Park FIJI
May Close z Links
No Decision
Made Yet,
OfficiuI Saws
By HARRIET GRIFFTTHS

BY HARRIET GRIFFTTHS
A land Ill project on East
Potomac Park which would
knock out part of the main golf
course for at least three years
Is being discussed by Interior De-
partment and Army Corps of
Engineers officials.
Harry T. Thompson. associate
superintendent Of National Cap
ital Parks. reported that no de-
cision has been made as yet.
however.
But he said that East Potomac
Park. which Is derived from hy-
draulic I'LL from the river. is
setting at the rate Of half an
inch Q year and win be under
water by 1895.
In line with the parks program
Of filling as I'LL material becomes
available, the parks Office has
discussed q proposal by the Army
Engineers that 1t use some Of
the product of their forthcoming
dredging on the Potomac and
lower reaches Of the Anacostia
River.
Would Allow Savings
Having . place nearby to
dump the dredgings rather than
being required to load them on
scows and take them to lower
parts of the river means an es-
timated cost savings Of about
two-thirds.
The park Office wants to lift
the park property out Of flood
range and. keep it from sinking.
The proposal to I'LL about so
acres starting at the easterly
end Of the golf course and going
westward would mean taking
seven to nine holes Of golf out
Of play for at least three years
while the I'LL was made and while
1t settled.
The site involved happens to
be part Of the ofIicial course on
which tournament games are
played.
There are four nine-hole
courses at East Potomac. but two
OF them are not regulation
courses. The proposed AL work
would cut across the two regu-
lation courses.
Course Is Popular
East Potomac Is one OF the
most popular of the public golf
courses, Rock Greek being the
busiest OF the five. East Potomac
and Rock Creek have to carry
the other three. Anacostia. Du-
pont and Langston. which oper-
ate in the red, according to links
officials.
Langston presently is being
converted from q somewhat
inadequate" nine -holer to q fine
ls-hole course, with completion
hoped for by spring.
s, g. Loeffier, whose COM
pany has the concession to oper-
ate the public courses, protested
that knocking out the long
course at East Potomac would
be taking away one OF the best
courses the golfers have here.
He said there are not enough
public links now to satisfy the
demand.
Mr.. Loeffier suggested that
there are other places where the
I'LL is needed as much, and that
the proposed project is .just al
drop in the bucket" compared
with the overall job that will
have to be done some day.
Cites Past Spending
II have spent thousands of
dollars draining at East Potomac,
and have it in very good condi-I
tion," he reported. During the
last flood after the hurricane.
the course was only closed one
day"
Mr.. Thompson said that the
economies of the project are
being investigated. He estimated
it would cost from $4,000 toI
$4,000 to replace the golf
course.
He has asked parks staff mem
bers also to furnish figures on
the cost Of salvage Of good trees
In the area as an alternative to
killing them.
The Leoffler Co., he added,
will be asked to furnish informa-
ton on what is involved both
financially from lost patronage
and to the public In loss of
opportunity to play, golf. the
economies Of salvaging the
greens and what it would cost to
put the course back in playable