MUNICIPAL GOLF

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 158, 23 March 1918, Page 3

MUNICIPAL GOLF

: «—.—: .. ANNUAL TICKET WANTED. , A deputation consisting of Dr. Cameron and Mr. W. "Whitehead (secretary of the Municipal' Golf Club) waited on the Reserves Committee of the City Council on Thursday to discuss the"'matter of fees for play on the municipal links at Berhampore. At present 6d. a lound (a 9-hole course) is charged, which,'whilst- quite a reasonable charge for those who only play, now and again, is considered to be too much, for those who play a great deal, and it.is maintained that the-sixpenny fee is a penalty on enthusiasm. • Dr., .Cameron, said that' an' annual fee of £2 2s. was quite enough to'charge, if it were not too much. The links had been, .established, he understood, to encourage a poorer class of people to take up golf than those who could afford to. belong to expensive clubs. In j addition to the £2 2s. which theysug- i gested as the cost of an annual ticket | there would be a locker fee of 55., and j if they were members of the dub (as j they would be if they wished to play ; in the competitions) that would mean j another 10s. a year, so that the total, would mean £2 i?s. a year. At Berhanu.j pore they "had- Government cadets,; young men employed in shops, and j office girls, who could not afford to pay the big fees, and who, if they were keen on the game, wore penalised by ; having to pay sixpence a round. | In answer to a question by the act- j ing-chairman (Councillor W. H. P. ! Barber),-Dr. Cameron said he had a! list of twenty-four prepared™ to pay j £2 25., but only three Indies, as they j considered the 'fee too much. They | considered that £1 Is. was enough to | ask ladies to pay for an annual ticket, and at that, figure he thought there would be from; thirty to forty prepared to purchase tickets. Tlie acting-chairman: But that proposal would not abolish the game feel Dr. Cameron said that the game fee need not be interfered with at all, but to the man who played in competitions it made the game too expensive. On that account the club was loning members to the Karori, JohnsonviHe, and Waiwetu Clubs. This was giving the committee of the Municipal Club some anxiety, the cause being dissatisfaction at not being able to get their golf at a reasonable annual fee. Mr. W. Whitehead said that he probably paid more fees than anyone else at Berhampore. It had cost him between £8 and £9 during the past year, which was more than he would havo'to pay to the most expensive private club. If something were not done it would mean an exodus from the club, and, of course, that meant an oxqdus from the links.. The present position was that to constant players it was dearer to play at Berhampore than -it- would be if they joined a private club. Councillor R. A. Wright asked whether the issue of the proposed annual ticket would not lead to overcrowding by reason of the _ large increase in members they anticipated. Dr. Cameron: The more the better; but there is no great danger of such an influx'. Tho acting-chairman said . that the representation of tho deputation would be carefully considered, and an answer would be forthcoming in due course.