Expensive Golf

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29010, 26 September 1959, Page 5

Expensive Golf

An interesting account of the cost of playing golf in Canada is given by the former Waitikiri and Canterbury player, Mr D. J. Ramsay, in a letter to a Christchurch friend. Courses of the same type as Shirley, Russley and Waitikiri, says Mr Ramsay, are all private courses in Canada, and are available for play only by members. The annual subscriptions to these clubs are between 300 and 400 dollars, with an entrance fee of the same amount. On the public courses the green fees are 1.25 dollars (about 9s) for each round. "After arriving at the course." says Mr Ramsay, "you may wait up to an hour to tee off. You can then count on a little over four hours to get round. Some people play by themselves, others in two’s, three’s, four’s and sometimes even a five-ball gets on.

“On a Monday morning at 7.30 two of us were out at a course, and still waited half an hour. As many people work Saturday, they have a day off during the week, and this means more golfers around. At the week-end you have to book a time, bookings open 9 a.m. Friday, and I have rung steadily until 11 or 12 o’clock before getting through,” says Mr Ramsay. Top grade balls sell In Canada for IXS dollars, says Mr Ramsay, although the United States size of a wellknown English-manufactured ball sells for 1 dollar (about 7s).