Jim Murray’s Columns on Hope and Tennis

In his eulogy to Bob Hope and Hope’s love of private golf courses, Jim Murray (March 14) states that Hope never did anything with the thousands of acres he picked up in the San Fernando Valley “except pay taxes on it.” However, Hope paid only piddling amounts of taxes on his vacant land compared to what was paid by homeowners with equally valuable land. And under a state constitutional amendment sponsored by Hope, private golf courses (but not public ones) pay taxes that are only a fraction of what is paid by other property.

Murray compared private golf courses to Yellowstone Park. But Yellowstone is open to everyone, not just to millionaires of the right race, religion and social standing. And Yellowstone does not demand huge amounts of desperately needed water as private golf courses do.

STANLEY M. SAPIRO

Malibu