THE POPULARITY OF GOLF

Evening Star, Issue 20254, 15 August 1929, Page 7

THE POPULARITY OF GOLF

MUNICIPAL COURSE SUGGESTED (By J. D. A. Scott;] During the last decade nothing in the world of sport has been so noticeable as the remarkable popularity achieved by the game of golf in all corners of the world. In ■ the United,, States of America there are nearly two million devotees, and in Great Britain approximately hall a million, whilst there are few places that can be dignified by the name of "township” m Australia and’ New Zealand that cannot boast of a golf course of some sort. The game has come to stay, and each vear the Cry for expansion will be heard in all cities of any size. In many large centres the demand is being adequately met by the formation of private clubs, and in certain cases, where a far-seeing city council has read the writing on the wall, by the construction of public, or, as they are generally known, municipal courses. These latter are seldom, however, of very high grade, except in Scotland, where they are considered to„bo of extreme value to the community. It seldom happens that a city has, as its own property, a piece of land suitable for a golf course that is not otherwise put to excellent use, but if such an occasion should arise the public should be given the benefit of it as speedily as possible. Although the construction of a really good golf course is apt to be a fairly costly matter, 1 have yet to hear of a case where the expenditure was not justified by the financial returns and sundry other accruing benefits. Nor is a municipal golf course of good class to be despised as a means of advertising one’s city ; and at a time when a certain amount of inevitable unemployment exists' the construction of such a course would bo a means of providing much welcome work on a project that should be an undoubted source of revenue to the city. In the matter of golf the City of Dunedin is somewhat inadequately catered for. Both the leading clubs have a membership that, if appreciably increased, would certainly lead to congestion and consequent dissatisfaction. Tho Belleknowes club, built on municipal land certainly, is hardly big enough or good enough to be taken very seriously, and during the weekends and summer evenings rather resembles a battle than a golf course. Many would-be players have hesitated to start on a golfing career owing to the conditions that prevail, and there does not seem to be any doubt that, if suitable provisions were made by tho city authorities a great real of support would bo immediately forthcoming.

That Dunedin does possess a piece of property ideally suitable for tho construction of a golf course of, quality there is no disputing. That this land is put to no very useful purpose is equally a fact. Why, then, should not the residents of Dunedin have the benefit of this casily-accessibie reserve as a municipal golf course, if some means can bo fennel to convert it to that use? It is doubtful whether any other city in Now Zealand possesses a tract of country so suitable to the construction of a golf course, and at the same time so easily accessible from any part of the town, and Dunedin has an excellent opportunity of being first in the field -with a really worthwhile municipal course. Everything points to a determined public demand for such provisions in the near future. The expansion of a city inevitably means that the private courses are forced further and further afield to avoid the increasing taxation levied by a growing community. Consequently the municipal course must become a correspondingly greater public need.

The project has been mooted from time to time in the past, but the moment was perhaps never so opportune as now, when public interest is more centred on golf than ever before.