The Washington times., 1916-02-05
Chevy Chase Clubs New Pro.
fessIonaI 1.-the as the Shaft
Of a Driver.
SEES BRIGHT GOLF FUTURE
He Is Much More Suggestive Of
Roderick Dhu Than Of Harry
Lauder.

been interested in golf for twenty seven
years, having been born in Montrose,
Scotland. twenty-seven years ago.
For twenty-che years he followed the
elusive white ball in its native haunts.
Montrose being just nifty miles north
of st. Andrews, and then he gathered
up a bagful OF clubs ana his copy OF
Robert Burns poems and came to
America. Perhaps 1t was the example
/. OF Andrew Carnegie that led him to
Pittsburgh, but, at any rate. he secured
n place as professional at the PITTS
burgh Golf Club a few months after
landing. and retained It until he was
made an attractive offer by the Chevy
Chase Club.
In the meantime, he has established
himself as one Of Americas leading
professionals, and he attracted wide
attention last year when he was rum
ner-up in the western Pennsylvania
open tournament at Oakmont
! Suggests ROderick Dhu.
1.-the as the shaft OF a driver and
with nair and eyebrows rs dark as a
| stormcloud over Loch Lomond, he 10
much more suggestive OF Roderick Dhu
than Of Harry Lauder. And any man
who talks with such a rich burr as his
can always make eighteen holes in par
or better. Furthermore. he is tall
six x-fcet-sonieth thing-so that when he
takes a full swing with wooden club
the caddie needs chart and COM
pass to find the ball.
But in spite of his length Of Lex and
arm the putter is his favortte club. II
took a long time to learn this. for
Burgess is as saving Of his words as the
average Scot is of his money. The
runor was verified. however. by George
Sargent. retiring professional at Chevy
Chase. who will leave March to take
up his duties as professional Of the In:
terlnchen Club at Minneapolis. And
: Burgess puts with the plainest kind OF
q. club. no goose-neck or patented head,
and one with shorter shaft than ls
) used by many.
The snow lay over the Chevy Chase
course like a white counterpane. but
Burgess brought forth his bag OF clubs
in me caddy house where small stove
successfully defled the cold and in the
talk of swings and approaches and
! sand pits and matches lost on me
eighteenth greens that followed. the
winter scene was forgotten. Incidentally.
everybody else spoke three words to one
from Burgess.
Likes Deep-grOOved Design Best.
! Here's a nice club" was his way Of
) introducing a mashier-niblick with half
! dozen deep grooves cut horizontally
in its face about an eighth Of an inch
apart. - . :.
gives 1t such a back spin that II stops
dead wherever It falls. On soft ground
II may even roll back few inches. y"
Various patterns of club faces have
been tried out to get desirable back
} spin. but both Burgess and Sargent
agreed that the deep-Rrooved design
= Another odd-appearing club was one
I resembling a section of an inverted gar.
;, den rake. Burgess explained that y
|. was one he brought from Scotland with
:. him. and that 1t had been made by htG
i brother TO be used in tall grass. the
: teeth going through the grass easier
. than a full faced club. =.
. be noted here. came to America two
!: years ago. and Is now professional al
I the Norwich, Conn. Country Club.
were as Yery IeF 'Ur oTdnary @ in appesrsnce, @ and
might have belonged to the Vertest nov
ice, though the two hrassies bore the
magic name Of 'Vardon." and theil
I owner brought them, to this country
with him. The wooden clubs seemed
light-certainly they lacked the weight
= OF clubs used by many golfers Of light
x er build thar Burgess But the prGttess ptss,
sional would not admit that IlShtel
n "Sure. some use bigger clubs. and
g that's good for business" was as neal
aS ne came CO DellS COilIIlilldi'
y More Than a Golfer.
whats tho hardest shot on th'
course" was a question that seemed t.
arouse his pity for the ignorance of thu
questioner.
the most oiTieult The real trouble
generally comes when you ale less thar
VI 100 yards from the green. There ar
J. it's the opprcacheS that lose tn
IT its the approaches that lose IN
J. Eut Jack" Burgess ia q great dee
more than just a Colfer. He is a gol
n, enthusiast, which is more than can b
Is young and he has visions for the futllr
a. OF the game especially in America
For he IS no hyphenNted citizen. thnug
heath. It was not till the talk turne
to the future OF the game that he besa
to talk easily.
II Ten years from now the ten'year-ol ol
boys now learning the game VIII b
twenty years old, and some of them,
le believe. will be better players than thi
N country has ever seen" he Said. THE
a. we can pick out the nifty best player
in this country, amateurs and profef
IN sionals. and match them against tn
al ifty best players on the other side.
Wants Public Golf Course.
- "They will probably play every year
one year in America and the next acroS
the Atlantic. 1t may be fifteen year
= before the plan can be worked out, br
a. IT is sure TO come. Golf Is spreadin
Iy fast in this country, and the ne1
n generation of players, l believe, will
d. a match for any In the world"
And you think public golf course
at are q good thingT'
v: "Certainly do, and hope there wi
'iv he one in Washington before very lonl
Why, there is hardly a city of this sis
- | IN, the United States that hasn't a pul
X lie course. The town is away benin
'ly in that respect.
"in Scotland you can almost play
hall from one coast to the other II
courses are so numerous. Some of the
0 are public courses, and some are col
3 trolled by clubs, but everybody ca
3 play. You see the boys there carryiT
I golf sticks around just like they carr
3 baseball bats and gloves here. Now Il
o hoys in this country are beginning
carry golf sticks, and 1t means
unprecedented success for the game I
. this side