Make Pitch and Putt Courses the "Sandlots" for Golf by HERMAN L

Make Pitch and Putt Courses the "Sandlots" for Golf By HERMAN L. LEE The construction of municipal golf yards, alleys and sidewalks, using a non- courses in the United States has gone a descript selection of substitutes for balls, long way toward pi'oviding facilities for bats, tennis rackets, etc. participation in the game by a much The only boys who have a chance to broader segment of the population than learn golf at the bottom are the caddies that experienced in the early days when and the very few who do odd jobs around golf was known as "a rich man's game." the club house. But from this handful of The average man—-the white collar work- boys come a great percentage of the stars er, the industrial employee and the la- of the game. Therefore it seems that if borer make up the largest group playing we could offer opportunities to more boys, golf today. we would develop more stars and cer- However, in this expansion one group tainly better natural golfers. has been overlooked, the development of Boys and Girls Get Start boys and girls as future greats. True, Tracydale, an 18-hole, 1300-yard, pitch every club has its pro who will spend and putt course in Erie, Pa. does provide hours on end correcting your slice, hook, the opportunity for many boys and girls stance or the way you hold your mouth. to become interested in golf. Adults too, But most of their students are middle who may never otherwise have lifted a aged business men trying to improve just mashie, have become rabid addicts of the enough to win a small wager in next game. Tracydale, privately owned, has Saturday's match. operated continuously and successfully for If there were twice as many public ten seasons. Even during the war years courses in the country, each one would with gas rationing, material shortages still be jammed with muscle bound shop and long working hours, hundreds of kids workers or pale faced office workers, and grown-ups spent a couple of hours of jockeying for position on No. 1 tee, but relaxation at Tracydale. Even the golf in this conglomeration, there would be ball shortage was solved by charging a few if any, boys. That is, boys whose small rental fee for the use of a ball, thus body muscles and minds are flexible allowing many more persons to play. enough to pick up a natural poise and Everything is regulation at Tracydale eager to learn by imitating their heroes. except that the distance from tee to green What we need then is a sand lot for is shorter and the greens are smaller than golf, a place where youngsters can go and regulation courses. The holes vary from swat a ball without breaking a window, 50 to 110 yards. Traps, bunkers and even losing the ball, or needing fifty to one a water hole provide plenty of hazards, hundred dollars worth of equipment. Stars making the layout a good test even for in baseball, football, tennis, track and the experts. Even tho all holes are par 3 nearly every sport are developed in back and some quarter of a million people have Fun pairs up with excellent practice on short iron Small but fine greens and all the hazards of big shots at Tracydale's 1300 yd. course. time golf are found on this sand lot layout. been around the course, only two have It is the purpose of this article to show ever shot as low as 50. the need for earlier development of future The whole course covering some 15 golfers and to show the part that pitch acres, is lighted by seventy 1500-watt and putt courses can play in this devel- lamps. The busiest time in the day is opment. It is safe to assume that many between 7 and 10 P.M. Mosquitoes were millions of men and women could become very troublesome at first but the past golfers if the facilities to provide the year this problem was solved by a pe- initial interest were available. riodic spraying with a DDT solution. Supposing that each community had a Naturally with so many beginners, pitch and putt course similar to Tracydale many odd things happen here that and the opportunity to become a contest- ant were granted to one million persons, it would mean the construction of hundreds of additional courses, thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars worth of golf equipment sales. But even more im- portant it would provide good wholesome recreation for young and old alike and greatly increased competition for the comparatively few stars in golf today. Golf like bowling can be played by both men and women of all ages. Even better than bowling it takes the player out into the open air and provides the most health- ful of all exercises, walking. Some people will say that there are more golfers now than the courses can take care of. True, but if we create enough demand, someone, somehow will provide the means. A modest shelter type clubhouse with office, Let's start with a few pitch and putt storage and conveniences is adequate. courses. The management of Tracydale has had several inquiries and has given couldn't happen any other place. For in- advice and encouragement to persons in- stance, there was the young lady who terested in opening a course. At least fanned the breeze exactly 22 times on some of these inquiries are now realities. the first tee and then on the 23rd try, Above all, let's get the kids started, let's arched a beautiful shot directly to the develop their interest without first requir- flag. The ball took a back spin and ing them to purchase a set of clubs and dropped into the cup. Another chap made a club membership. Make golf available an ace between two elevens. Still an- to these kids and they will soon demand other scored an ace on No. 13 hole while the equipment. shooting for Number 8. AU golfdom — the private and public Need for Earlier Training courses, the pros, the architects, manu- The greatest compliment paid the facturers of balls, clubs and all the sundry course was a letter received from a man articles connected with the game, should who had been passing thru with his fam- be interested in the development of new ily and had stopped for a round of golf. talent. One of the surest ways to promote Upon his arrival home, some 200 miles golf is thru the establishment of many down state, he discovered that he had more of these Tracydales. These courses left his crutches in the club house and can be profitable and interesting to the couldn't get along without them. They owners while filling a great need in the were returned promptly. In 1942 a bride community. and groom honeymooning in Erie, started Let's develop our future major leaguers a round but only played three holes when by providing sand lots for golfers. it started to pour. It never did stop rain- ing that day, so the management gave A pro can sell what's left of his summer them a rain check for another day. In sportswear stock — and a lot more —1 if 1947, five years later, this rain check was he'll make a display of this type of mer- honored at the desk. chandise as "back to school" wear. The stu- During about four of the past ten years, dents, boys and girls both, are partial to many of our boys and girls spent various the country club type of apparel and as stretches in the armed services. No boy or most of the kids now are as big as their girl in the uniform of any of the armed parents there's no size problem with the services has ever paid to play at Tracy- stock. The "clearance sale" prices pros can dale. Thousands of these kids took ad- put on this merchandise will convert his vantage of this offer while on leave or stock into cash and a profit. stationed in Erie. — J. V. Cannon .

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