Bankrupt Clubs

Arresting fact: Of the 5,800 golf clubs in the U. S., 1,100 are members of the U. S. Golf Association; 25% of U. S. G. A. member clubs have disbanded or gone bankrupt in the last three years.

Golfers who were busy last week speculating on minor problems such as 8-in. cups (see above) were reminded of this serious one again last week when the Engineers' Country Club at Roslyn. L. I., most famed links which has thus far succumbed to Depression, announced that the club would disband, sell its property at foreclosure.

The Engineers' Club was organized in 1917. The Amateur Championship that was played there in 1920 contained three historic matches: the one in which Chick Evans beat Reginald Lewis in 41 holes; the one in which Francis Ouimet beat young Bobby Jones, who was pursued by an angry bee; the final in which Evans beat Ouimet, 7 & 6. Whether the course-- one of the best in the U. S.. with a particularly terrifying one-shot hole. No. 14 --would be sold for building lots, reorganized or taken over by one of many neighboring clubs had not been decided last week.

One reason why the disbanding of golf courses is particularly unfortunate is that it greatly diminishes the value of surrounding real estate, by providing a superfluity of land and at the same time making the community less attractive. Other well-known U. S. clubs which have gone bankrupt or disbanded in the last two years: Bucks County at Langhorne, Pa.; North Hills at St. Louis; Glenoaks at Farmington, Mich.; Ojai Valley near Santa Barbara, Calif.; Hollywood Country Club; Lakeville Golf & Country Club at Great Neck, L. I. with land valued at $1,500,000, which in 1931 hired Gene Sarazen as its professional at $4,000 a year.

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