THREEPENCE A ROUND

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 124, 18 February 1933, Page 18

THREEPENCE A ROUND

Economy Golf in Scotland USE OF CLUBS INCLUDED (Reuter —Special to “The Dominion.”) London, Dec. 27. The rising costs of golf have received considerable notice in the past few weeks. Miss Pauline Doran, the national girl champion, started the hare some few weeks back. A round of tournaments, she declared, could not be done under £5OO a year. That has set off Mr. F. J. C. Pignon on a tour of the country in search of courses where good but cheaper golf can be obtained. He is publishing his disclosures in the “Daily Mail.” For one thing he has found a course where good golf can be had for threepence a round. Naturally he had to go north of the border.

In Scotland everyone plays golf, because it is the cheapest sport in Scotland. Residents at St. Andrews and many other places may play on championship and similar links for nothing at all. Seldom is the green fee more than a few pence..

There is hardly a village without a golf course, and around every town several may be found where the fees are so insignificant that even a visitor need spend only a few shillings oh a golfing holiday. Anybody Can Afford It.

He finds that, wherever one may go in Scotland, golf is available at a charge anybody can afford. You may play on the greatest course in the world, the Old Championship Links, at St. Andrews for half-a-crown without any introduction, and that is fexpensive compared with most.

The municipal course at Cannock Park (Staffs) is one example. It was laid out on 24 acres of land by the miners’ welfare committee and presented to the Cannock Urban Council. The public may play on the nine-holes course for threepence a round. The charge includes the hire of .clubs!. It is no wonder that 10,000 tickets were sold for golf on this course in two months between the end of June, when it was opened, and August 30. Crookham Golf Club at Newbury (Berks) is another club where golf can be had at “bargain” prices. It is an eighteen holes natural course on the common just outside Newbury, has a membership of 150, and all the subscriptions are devoted to course maintenance. Rate for Whole Families.

Here a whole family—a man, his wife, and two children—are permitted to play at an inclusive fee of 40/- a year. Ten shillings a head seems to be cheap enough for anybody. Single membership is comparatively expensive at 30/- per annum. Thirty years ago golf was free in Oxford, and the Freemen of the city still have certain .rights over the Southfield course, the home of Oxford University. Years ago they played at Hincksey, on a course of their own construction.

' Later they moved to Post Meadow, land belonging to the Freemen of the city, and constructed a nine-holes course which was free, and where some of the university golfers used to play until their present course was opened. Now golf at Oxford costs the residents a few shillings. Some of the London 'chibs have their courses in public parks or on the commons. At Clapham Common the course is maintained by the Clapham Golf Club, which was established 60 years ago. Here is a golf course in London itself which charges members 21/- a year and offers monthly medals and cups for competition as well as providing flags and cutting green, etc. Popular London Courses.

At Tooting Common the Strcatham Golf Club maintains a course of six holes during the winter months, when play is permitted until 11 a.m., and nine holes in the summer, when play is possible prior to 10 a.m. The Streatham club enrols members for 10/-, women and juniors 5/- per annum. It is a popular little course between 6.30 and 8 a.m. during the summer, when many business men play nine holes before breakfast. The subscription entitles players to enter for numerous competitions and play in team matches. There is probably a tendency to meet the demand for cheap golf. The hon. secretary of the Brighton and Hove Ladies’ Golf Club states that for the present women are to be admitted without entrance fee anil an annual'subscription of two guineas. This, of course, is a private club, and candidates would necessarily have to be elected by the customary procedure.

Half a Million Golfers. It is estimated that there arc half a million golfers who are members of clubs in the British Isles. There are probably as many who play their golf on public courses, perhaps more. From returns obtained a very fair average of the number of rounds played on courses of this kind is between 20,000 and 25,000 per year. These figures speak for themselves, proclaiming the popularity of golf and the demand for facilities to play the game by the man and woman of limited income.