Municipal Golf Courses

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32220, 12 February 1970, Page 12

Municipal Golf Courses

Sir.—B. Frampton complains of the state of the 'Ascot Golf Course. It is a Garden of Eden compared (With the other municipal !course, Rawhiti. This arid waste must be the worst municipal course in any of the main centres, with its dried-up, waterless fairways (except where leaking water pipes provide unexpected traps round the greens) and almost complete lack of control of players. Rules, plainly displayed, prohibit more than four players in a group and demand they have sufficient

clubs each. These are consistently ignored. We have to use smelly toilets and wash our hands during the summer in cold water, using slices off a bar of soap meant for the washhouse. Now the council is asking my wife and me to pay $4O for a season ticket instead of the $25 we paid last year—an increase of 60 per cent. For what? The privilege of trying to play golf on this sandy goat track' —Yours, etc.. DISGUSTED February 3. 1970

(The Director of Reserves, (Mr H G. Gilpin) replies:! "The Rawhiti Golf Course' operates under difficult con-[ ditions. being situated in a dry, sandy environment In spite of dry conditions the greens are maintained in excellent order and the course is extremely popular The proposed increase in fees is very reasonable compared with those paid at other’ courses The new annual subscriptions on a weekly basis are as follows: Men. 49 cents; la week, woman. 39 cents, married couples. 77 cents. These charges compare more than: favourably with the fees paid by casual players, i.e.. $1 ai round a person. The toilet facilities on the course are used by club members and casual’ players alike They arc cleaned daily throughout the year and no other complaint has ever been received re-• garding their condition." | '