Show GOLF YS GRO IN INo INU 1 U. U S S1 8 IN I SHORT RT PER PERiOD Billion Dollars Spent An An- Annually By Players Says Noted Writer n II By n n. Ic pC 11 Correspondent Corre of The Standard Mandal Copyright hl 1927 Consolidated Press Association YORK April 30 The The NEW IN first thIrty first year of ot golf golt in I the United d States Stales is about to be ushered in by some 2000 golf and country countr c 0 U n t r club and nearly 2 aspiring 4 InS ing or perspiring players scattered throughout hout the country countr This statement In itself may not mean much to 0 the average Jayr JAY S but when men it fC is considered Si ke that the tho gane of ot fI S golf up to ten en or J r J Wt fifteen en years ears ear ao ago was all practically unknown In the tat s one can readily realize how rapid has been Us its ts' ts growth here If It golf golt is not the national game of ot the country now It Is destined to be Certainly the number of ot those in the states stales now engaged in this sport will about equal the number playIng any other game I 3 J. J may be well before analyzing analyzIng ing log the reasons for tor the spread of ot popularity of ot golf golt to recall a little of or the history of ot the game In Inthis Inthis Inthis this country countr It Jt Is r Jd several se charter members of ot the St St. An An- Andrews Andrws drews club on the Hudson In inest Westchester est besler county introduced golf olt to the states sLAtes back in the OI A few others Newport not- not notably ably dispute the claim of ot St St. An An- Andrews Andrews Andrews drews as being the oldest golf golt club In the United States Slates r oT L LUN I. GITS UN rs However It Is definitely known that the first amateur as M well as u the first open championship tournaments In this country were held at the Newport R n. n I I. I golf club In October 1895 Some 40 players were ere entered for both tournaments The entry list for the national open championship alone this year jear ear will wilt number more than with the number of qualifiers restricted to Gradually until 1918 1913 1 golf golt de- de eloped In but at the close of ot the war it suddenly gained gall great Impetus and its It growth In the past six years ears has been phenomenal J Today there are ate some Bome 2000 firmly established golf golt clubs with fine courses and with membership lists averaging about persons In addition there arc are nearly municipal courses man many semi semI publIc public la lay 13 outs outa and a a. list of oC golfers number number- numbering ing InS hundreds of ot thousands who do not belong belong- to any clubs From a a. game golf golt his has devel- devel developed developed into Inlo one of ot the country's country s greatest Industries The total ex ex- expenditures on golf goH each year for Cor equipment clothes clothe clubs chubs dues s annual fees caddie fees etc and not Including the real estate value of oC the courses is more than one billion dollars And it is not exaggerating to say that the game of ot golf golC like the automobile game Is far from the saturation point Probably it never will reach It Ithen When hen the cost coat of ot the is 15 game re re- reduced re- re reduced so the great majority of ot white collar boys bos and workers can play it IL the number of ot golf golf- golfers goiters ers era will ill reach far into inlo the mil mil- lions The automobile undoubtedly was the first and most Influential Influential means of 0 popularizing golf golt The auto got more people Into the country and brought brou ht about development of ot the country club The other principal reason for tor the rapid spread of ot the tho game gume has been the Improvement In the the game itself that itself that improvement In golf golt architecture in the ball bali balland balland and in the clubs and facilities ril nl P Also golf golt is a a. game that can can be he played at any pace that suits Bulls the contestants contestant lIe He can take plenty of ot time lime in playing a a. round and yet jet et obtain practically as much exercise as the person who gal gal- gallops gallops lops over oyer the links in a couple ot hours or less What is more it has been proved pro conclusively golf golt has done much to prolong the tho health of ot of many individuals Walter alter J J. J Travis former Ameri Amen American can and British amateur cham cham- champion champion champion pion who took up the game came after arter he was 40 years old declares golf saved his Ute life Nothing better exemplified the great popularity and growth of golf golt than the pamphlet just Is Issued Is- Is Issued Issued sued by the U U. S S. S G 0 A A. A giving details regarding the thirty first competition for the open cham- cham il of the United States In 1895 eleven players competed for tor the title lIlIe The number en en- entered entered for tor the 1927 tournament is isso Isso isso so great creat It is necessary nece ar to hold qualifying rounds In 17 different sections of ot the country The Tho Th 30 leading pla I players In the open championship at Columbus Ohio last year ear are not required to compete in these sectional qualifying rounds Tho The members of or the British professional team who will arrive In this country about the first ot of June also will wilt willbo willbe be bo exempted from qualifying The he play players era who finished among the first 30 In the tho open last year ear and andare andare andare are automatically eligible for the coming classic are Robert T. T Jones Iones Jr open champion Joe Bill Mehl- Mehl horn Gene Leo Diegel Johnny Farrell Valter Walter Hagen hager Willie Hunter Willie Klein W I-W ln Mac- Mac MacDonald MacDonald Donald Smith Dan Williams Tommy Tommy p Armour Jack 1 Forrester Al At Espinosa Charles Evans Jr Mike Brady George McLean Jimmy Thompson Laurie Ayton Willie Ie MacParland MacFarland J J. J E E. Rogers Clarence Hackney Hackner Tom Stevens Arthur Demane P P. O O. O Hart Har Han Harrison rIsen rison R R. Johnston Johnton Emmett French Tommy Harmon Jr Harry Hampton Bob MacDonald and Eddie Murphy |