ERHAMPORE COURSE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 148, 19 December 1935, Page 23

ERHAMPORE COURSE

m* ALWAYS NEGLECTED

If REORGANISATION SCHEME

,:!-Complaints have been frequent re- ; viently as to the condition of the Muniv^ipal Golf. Kinks at Berhampore and Kit would appear that these links have ;.;i;.'' vigot into such' a disgraceful state that it .."is imbossible for a golfer to play a 5 : ; ;;iound without several balls, :£:4s this due* to his'straying from the ■: "--iairway, for although the grass is much *? i :!thicker in the rough, it is in places :: seven or eight inches high in the fair- '; rv'way. ,It ; seems inexplicable that the '.-.: ■-Gity Council 'should so neglect the only ■ vXbhe,'bf;its parks that returns, any re-'V.V'^nue.-'anid-'ii appears also that golf is ';■-: toeing, penalised.; to - the. advantage .of !k ; ;iither 'sports^ Spjme years ,ago the { '.parks ■ ahol'^reserves committee pur- ■ , chased a machine for cutting the grass, at-Berharinpbre, but promptly used it . -on;;all the other parks, arid the Muni- ■:;■:':, '.ci'pal'° Golf Links were unable to use V-: the.;.equipment when they' wanted\it. .-i-jchis machine; it must be understood, is v. not. a motor-mower; on the it :,• isS'ai reaper, and presumably' -the '■';■: sheaves that are cut on tjie fairway are "laidby tfie reaper on either side'as it - goes along. Thus even if the golf links . had been'; able Jto get this machine .it would be;j by-ho means adequate, and iVis absurd that such'a golf cotirse as. , Berhampore should have, : such; poor '■v^nd antiquated equipment provided for •.-'i-'rit by a'bOdy for whom it provides;so w ; much revenue. Admittedly .there .are places on the" links where an: up--'*to-date mower could not be used, but ' '■.■at the. same time it could be used to .■';.'' yery great advantage. , . .; • : . As a consequence of this, prolonged neglect.the revenue of Berhampore has fallen off considerably, although even last year there was a profit of £1700, and that was a bad year. It is safe to say that the golf links have, not .re-. , ceived a benefit ;^b half this amount and it cannot'beexpected that the public will continue to patronise a course that is in such condition as Berhampore has been iri lately. • It is: not the greenkeepers' fault; they have in fact done remarkably well within the very definite limits imposed by the council's withholding money; Admittedly, there has been some cutting done in the past few days, but the fairways will now consist of thick matted grass. • ■ • It was suggested last year by a deputation to the Director of Parks and Reserves that the club should be made a-separate - organisation, and that it should, thus cease to serve as a provider of money for the City Council to spend': on other reserves. Such a scheme has very' obvious advantages, except of course from the council's point of view, and it would ensure that "ythe golfers get some consideration ; and would at; least be able'-to dispose of their own'- funds in. some way to their own advantage. The present position is absurd; and unfair.