Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-11-14

Those Club Pros
Have Got 1t Made
By MORRIS sIEGEE

GOLF PROFESSIONALS those shnooks call them
selvesP They're impoSters that's what they Those
spkehoed sticks with minds to match may be golf pros
at heart but in reality they cloak and suffers.
They also haberdashers. shoe saesmen shirt and
pants specialists and seasonal experts womens purses
They all belong to the Professional Golfers Association
but actually they should be affiliated with the Garment
Workers Of America.
Today'S pro-not the touring nomad, but the alpaca
clad suburbante doesn't have much time for the game
ITSELF only between inventory usually He spends most
of the day in his shop hustlng Stacks with or without
peas and sports shirts with without the alligator.
MAYBE THEY'D LIKE more time for golf, but let's
face it. With them with most Of business is business
AS result the kook who seriously wants to learn some
thing about golf relies the Arnold Palmer instruc
tons in The Star more than he does his club pro.
The golf pro might resent this sinister plot to
defame him. but the evidencs.s stacked the side Of
the Recommendation presented %ove All has to do to
obtain the proof is visit the Washingtonan Motel and
Country Club where the Middle Atlantic PGA fellows are
holding their annual three-day meeting
In the exhibition hall there where the 1868 equip
men line display almost half the space has been
taken by the clothing industry. Their domination
of the trade show accidental From IS to 40 per cent
of the golf professionals total sales volume these days
from clothing The rest is divided between golf balls
and equipment.
THE SHOPS OF GOLF PROS pose a serious threat to
the department stores whose only chance of recapurng
the lost business is to give golf lessons.
Clothing sales in pro shops are getting bigger every
year." the in charge Of the Bermuda shorts section
Of the exhibition beamed 81 know Of several big pro shops
Thunderbd Las Vegas Palm Springs and Others where
clothing sales constitute 80 per cent of the pros business
At the Stacks rack another rep made good
planning the trend USED to be time when golfers wore
their Oldest their worst clothes to play golf Not
He dresses sharply Another plus our behalf is the
country trend toward suburban shopping Why fight
the downtown traffic for merchandise can get at the
golf Shop?"
AND DON'T BELIEVE the maarkey that golf is
inexpensive game, either Just stop at the PGA trade
exhibit will convince you otherwise with a shock.
Visit the shoe STALL There they've got the last word
in shoes for the average golfer pair Of 14kara gold
brogans which look like they designed with Lberace
in mind For $50 they be yours They also come
in A-karat gold for the so bucks.
The Etonic says they're really for real I'VE sold
II pair to New England pros experimental basis"
he chored $50 we figured those conservative fellows
go for something like gold shoes the rest Of America
cinch" They plan to manufacture $500 pairs with the
gold impregnated in the leather
The also has other models-red, blue yellow, you
name it. Some sell for less than $50 but not many.
BY the way to match the gold shoes there also IA
karat gold putters This is SITS item.
NEAR ONE OF THE BOOTHS hawking $lsO irons and
500 woods there's big machine that looks exactly like
soft drink dispenser. 1t isn't It's piece of automaton
called Bal-OMatic. Dispenses golf balls.
Pluck so cents, two quarters will do the trick If you
don't have half buck and you'll get 80 practice golf
balls Holds 5000 and in addition to dispensing the balls
it also washes them Costs $780, Figures to be big item
with pros with practice ranges at their clubs.
There also is gadget which tees up ball automau-
cay and another machine which dispenses tees at Is
cents pack 1.-THE ball and tee dispenser" the salesman
said "is great boon to the pro With them he doesn't
have to bother with the twob 50cent customer and
has time to concentrate those interested in buying
clothing from his shop"
The booth with ladies apparel featured the latest in
The largest purchaser yesterday pro
at amale club Biggest selling item have at Christ
mas time," he explained.