Evening star., 1928-03-17

Now We know all about this business
Of smackink q golf bail far and true
down the alley. And We also know
the answer to the much n,ooted ques-
ton OF who is the longest hitter around
the Capital. It all came out yesterday
At CONGRESSIONAL during a tanning bee
while a group OF some OF our best anna
teurs and professionals were waiting
for a dry spot on q wet day--Arld failed
to fnd Il. Like the r1iotorman who
rides up and down the street car line
on his day of. these golfers didn't play
bridge or Kelly pool or any OF the other
things they might have done on q vet
afternoon. They sat around taking
solf and swings and the queer things
nour IA the champion. and why the
wrist functions In the golf swing. and
how soon the bali IA TO be standardized.
and even OF cabbaRes and kinEs--in 80
far as they relate to golf.
Out Of all the conversation came the.
conclusion that Bob Jones and Jesse
Guilford are not the longest hitters in
the ranks OF amateur golfers. Not by
a niblick shot The longest hitter. ac-
cording to at least majority OF those
who gathered In the warmth and COM
fort OF the Congressional locker room,
is LAD who spent part Of his boyhood
IN the great open spaces OF Alaska--
Henry 0assaway Davis, Dixie" for
short ana to his best friends: a nephew
Of former Senator Davis Elkins and
lad born to the purple-in a manner
OF speaking. referring to those with
plenitude of this worlds goods.
Bob Barnett started 1t ALL Peter
Jackson joined In with A hearty accord.
and Sandy Armour aareed--even though
Sandy mentioned that he had not seen
Davis hit the ball more than once or
twice. The name OF Bob Jones came
up. and Charlie Hall OF Birmingham
and Roland Mackenzie and Cyril Toll
ley and Abe Mitchell and Hagen and
A few others Of the knickerbocker bri-
eade who have gained fieeting renown
as lengthy hitters OF the golf ball
And Barnett related how Davis drove
on the edge OF the sixteenth green at
Chevy Chase one day and reached near
ly to the edge OF the seventeenth. and
flow. when he and Eddie Towns. late
OF Indian Spring. and Davis were play
Ing at Chevy Chase one day Davis
skied his tee shot (son1e 20 yards past
the best efforts OF Barnett and Townsl
and got home with a mashie at the
sixth where Towns used q spoon and
Barnett used A No. iron. Barnett de-
scribed Davis ball as reaching the
middle OF the green on the carry against
stiff wind. where the second shots
OF the professionals barely rolled to
the near edge OF the putting surface.
Oh. yes. Dixie" Is quite sweet
hitter. One warm Summer day when
the dew was of the grass he drove
within 10 yards OF the ditch In front
OF the eleventh green at Chevy Chase.
mere matter OF some 400 yards from
the tee In use that day. And we twho
are sometimes privileged TO play with
the great In solO have seen Davis drive
on the sixteenth green at Chevy Chase
$50 yards from the tee--and have
watched one Of his weaker efforts at
the two clubs On this occasion Dixie"
disdained a. driver for the first hole at
Washington-30S yards-possibly be.
cause Of q following wind. Instead he
took q spoon and planted a high one
that carried TO the back edge OF the
green and bounded merrily on down
the slope toward the second green. His
opponent won the hole. by the way.
with a conservative 4, for Dixie"
couldn't seem TO drive his golf bali
through the oak trees behind the green.
Hard wood" they call IL A. Washing
ton. and II does seem dificuit 10 knock
golf bali through the trunk OF an
oak tree.
Then Barnett, who Ia red-haaded and
likes arguments, started another one
with the statement that he thinks Abe
Mitchell is consistently the longest hit
ter in the game. Perhaps he u. but
Mitchell's twin starts around Wash.
ington have been quite disappointing.
HIS f1rst, against Leo Diesel. back In
1920. resulted In q sound trouncing by
Diegel, and his second. in the 1921
open, was also disappointing. for
Mitchell found the heat or something
too much for him and picked up his
ball on the third round. But Il was
hot that day ana Mitchell's game wasn't
as hot as the day.
The argument was almost a. torrid
as day In August when John Gilmore
warmed 10 his pet theory that Tommy
Armour Is one OF the longest hitters In
the game. and to prove II Gilmore fe-
lated how he played land paid with
Tommy the day the open champ socked
a couple to the middle OF the green on
the 500.yArd first hole at Congressional
ana ran down the putt for the eagle 4.
Ana. In our humble judgment. Tommy
wins all the cookies, for we still think
the nnest wooden club shot we ever saw
was made by this self.sAme Scot at
washington just before ne won the open
last June. Yes. tee shots have been
holed OF more than 800 yards In length,
ont To carry 260 yards over a flock OF