GOLDEN GAME OF GOLF.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10574, 27 January 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

GOLDEN GAME OF GOLF.

MILLIONS SPENT EVERY I'EAR

ON THE PASTIME

RECORD BOOM

The present year (says a London paper) has seen a record boom m golf, and several millions sterling have been spent on the put suit of this most fascinating game.

Throughout the summer it was almost impossible to keep pace with the nulnber of new golf clubs that were opened every day. Un an average the number of new clubs opened during the months of Uune, July, and August was seven* a week, while the average for tho past 12 months has been four a week.

This means that the past year has seen tlie opening of more than 200 new gulf clubs, and as on the average each ciub claims at least 100 acres, !i_O,OUO acres have been taken up since November last for the purpose of making links. To give some idea of the sums that arc spent on golf, it may be mentioned that it has just been decided to lay out £6000 m obtaining land for a new golf course at North Berwick. During the past year, too, £20,000 has been spent by the Tooting Bee Club, and £12,000 by the Bournemouth Corporation, while sums ranging from £2000 to £5000 have been expended m scores of cases.

LINKS TO COST £70,000. The latest, and one of the most ambitious schemes, is to acquire links just outside the north of London, at an expenditure of £70,000. It is estimated that the golf players of the United ' Kingdom now number 350,000, of whom 20,000 players arc resident m London, and find their recreation m links close to town.

On this basis it is not very difficult to calculate the amount of money which is now spent annually on the pursuit of the little white ball.

Taking £10 per year as the minimum expenditure of each player, on subscrip l tions, railway fares, and caddie fees, ono immediately arrives at the colossal sum of £3,500,000. This, however, is probably a very much under-estimated amount, as most players nowadays belong to three or four clubs, while enthusiasts can claim membership with five or six.

This £3,500,000, however, represents only a fraction of tho money spent by golfers. A very fair estimate of the expense m the matter of balls is 5s a week per player. Some men, of course, who use the cheaper kind of balls, and do not play more than once or twice a week may not spend more than 2s or 3s a week. On the other hand, many men spend 10s or 12s a week. This implies that the nations golf bill amounts annually to £7,000,000. COUNTRYCLUB. IDEA. By degrees golf clubs, as they prosper, are putting up commodious and handsome buildings, where- ample accommodation is provided for people who desire to sleep the night there. This is regarded by many interested m such institutions as the thin end of the wedge of the American "Country Ciub" idea. That is to say the clubhouse m the country, where the jaded dwellers m cities can recuperate at the week end golf being the chief recreation and attraction.

There is practically not a case, afc the present time, of a golf club m difficulties. Various trades may call out about the stress of hard times, but the finance of all that appertains to golf has never been iv.such a flourishing condition.