INLAND GOLF.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18918, 5 February 1927, Page 13

INLAND GOLF.

GROWTH OF MULTIPLE-

COURSE CLUBS, f

(sMcttw-T nrmi »» »n* rasss.J

(By Harry Yardon.)'

I understand that the St. George's Hill Club, at Weybridge, is laying out a <'<econd course of eighteen holes to supplement the one which hitherto has proved sufficient to meet tho needs of the members, aud that the Wcntworth tlub, at Virginia Water, is proceeding with tho. construction of » third lull-length course. These aro surely unmistakable sigua that tw game" of golf continues, to expand, despite tho increasing popularity of lawn-tennis and other pastimes. Tho provision of a first-class course (and such clubs as St. George's Hill and Wentworth would be content with uothing less) is nowadays a very costly matter, usually running into S6OOO, aud often far more, and organisations lace such an expenditure only because the demand for playiug facilities makos the step absolutory necessary. Particularly is tho pressure marked at the week-ends round I/ondon. The Moor Park Club established a record bv constructing three courses of eighteen holes each, but. this achievement will soon be equalled by tho Wentworth tlub. During the past few years, »*- has beoh increasingly .difflcujt tq enable people whose leisure is limited to weekends to start then* rounds without the more or less irritating prelude of a wait on tho teeing ground while » dozen or more couples, who havo arrived earlier—and they are always there—go through tho long, drawn-out business of teeing up in tho appointed order, and getting out of tho way. At the favourite hnunta of the gq)fer the provision of at least two courses has pocomo essential to tho pleasure and comfort of the game on the moro crowded * days. Valuable FiTe-D»y Wnfofre, ; The man who could devise « means whereby players might be Attracted lo tho courses in mid-week—and not on {Saturdays and Sundays—would deserve well of committees. There has perhaps been; more mid-week golf this year than at any time since the war, butj even so, tho problem of making two courses contribute towards their upkeep in the period-, between week-ends is no •mall > ; one. Perhaps it will' solve itself by « revival of prosperity. At Epesent, feMty . of the clubs which elect five-day mem- - bers are. full, to far as concerns their ordinary «»«emberehjps, but cannot secure the fat-day members they d«4 sire, even at an appreciably reduced subscription. It seems fairly certain that one of the develppraenta of the, mdl|lplecouree dubs will be tj}» provision tf far greater faeffltiea far Mm f» pUy golf qn tho popular <jay« than fgtay have enjoyed in the past. Bightly of wrongly, it has been Held in most places that the Udy*roemhers' ca,n Obtain all the recreation they rjoed front Mqndav till Fridajr, in. consideration of a smaller annual subscription than that paid by the own, they have gently hut firmly beep prohibited from playing on Saturdays and Sundays—save that in some places, exceptions 1 have been made in favour of veritable leaders of their sex who could produce credentials showing that noy had impressively low handicaps irt the Ladies! Golf Union. Not long ego X Ttnw present qt a ltttl* indignation meeting ip a, motqr-oftv pa the way from the link* to the station, and the four ladles who constituted {ho mooting nil declared stoutly'that although they lacked the necessary qnaji* fieations In tbo way of L.G.U. .handi* caps, they could ploy as N esciently as -* a lot of the men who muddled round on Saturdays and Sundays; that wanted to ploy; that they .were willing" t to pay the necessary subscriptions; and ' > that it was nothing short of deliberate oppression by men in power that u»jh> polled them tq attain; (torn week-end ' golf. - <t Emancipation.* I do not know whether titpj,achate* ; was symptomatic pf ftminlrje IfiiUbgl on tbo (ratyect. M*Vf r»tt,'af the sigyauggert ': , their proper emancipation ion wjth some of tho ftMipte-' ; course clubi. I flfilf«Va that At, Jfifcir, >*■ Park, »&« have ttfWiJM.wil ,''--■ men, and that the tame condition ;ap> ? y,.; plies to the old course at Addthmon* , - ■,'' Exactly how the continued j\m to <l ■■ these first-chus greens dwe.tb/totfWv'VH trial cities win effect the ie#a)ae links;. ■, ( is a nice question. At one tlnle, > ; s person who wanted to enjoy golf »t tt* •' i» best mado a point pi tnrafiug every-,,»'!:, week-end on a seaside coarse. ' The -lit*,, * ,j f land placet, with their mud and weir, '}s elumsy-Jaokintf ramparts for bttnkersj - -•s, chilled his heart in winter time and eteit *% when they were dry a*d firftL as flfom i £ April thiyfflaYnofc thrill '-/& him greatly. Very often he belonged »"*""« to three or four ffalide flubs, and visit- -',-{ ed each in torn. Most of these eJobs still seem to be thriving. Titer haf* * ,' one quality which'the inland dob can- ■' xi / not intro4«oe-tker VNtMI a Whjff «,"; the sea air. But the development M •#' / many wptendidL inland greens eg 'tfkm golf can hfi played, in a true mfoti ** , i the game at all times of the yell Is >. i bound to present a ehallenge itfqnger *# and itfongw to tbo WW *■ > once could claim to noaseis emtrtM by ; comparison with which thoiv siiuaisa inland were spurious lmitttloM, hut whose supremacy in that respect no, ;, longer standi uncoJ»te»t«d, , , , So, too, in regard to the evolution of leading golfer*. Will the generations of the future supply a large nrojieftion , of champions from the ißiand coufmt < It is- not illogical to suggtft that v«r? . likely they will do so, seeing that the players near the big cities now * a *e training grounds of the right kind on which to perfect their skill—a btcstlng : < whieh they lacked twenty years aft. It used to he sald—it was nothing leas ■ , than a tradition—that only thl. eeiside links conld produce champion golfers. . That theory is nearly exploded. The Americans are almost eotirjey inland* trained golfers, and some of our own best players—Abe Mitchell for one-; ■ made themselves top-sawyert »t the game in rural retreats far from thi seu. _ ¥ L 4!