Evening star., 1933-03-01
INTEREST IN GAME
" AS GREAT AS EVER
Pros Still Reaping Harvest,
Although Simmer Than
in Boom Times.
BY W. R. McCALLUM.
THERE is no depression in
golf and among golfers in
Florida and narticularlV


golf and among golfers in
l Florida, and particularly
around Miami, the Winter
capital of that golfing sector of
the land, who can get away to
swing a club or two during the
colder months.
Down in that land of sunshine there
certainly is no diminution in interest
in the game. Tournaments go on Just
the same, the State is crowded with
golfers and the professionals, as OF OLD,
are reaping golden harvest, simmer
than in the boom years, but harvest
Just the same.
We followed the professional golf
trail from St. Petersburg early in Feb
ruary, through Tampa, where the gents
who stage the Gasparilla open put on
a big 72-hole open tourney, to Miami,
where the international four-ball was
held. At no time was there any ev1-
dence of any depression either in purses
or in gallery interest. And if we take
full stock in what thats irrespressible
booster of professional gols-Robert E;
Harlow-says, 1888 will - bigger and
better golf tournaments than any OF
the past two years.
Florida never has been noted for large
golf galleries. But this year more peo-
pie followed the headliners at the tour
naments named than ever before, purses
were as large as in previous years and
all in all Interest in golf is just as
pronounced as ever it has been.
NUT of the whirl of tournament golf
~ in Florida two youngsters stand
IN,yt ha hrillio nf their deeds
on golf courses scattered over the State
this year. These are Paul Runyan,
nicknamed Little Poison because of
his accuracy around the putting greens,
and Densmore Shute, the former am
ateur from Ohio who won the Miami
Biltmore in November and then won
the Gasparilla open at Tampa with
one Of those final rounds of which golf
ers dream.
Denny played the last round in
SO strokes, over an easy course, pulling
himself up from 6 strokes back to first
place missing a 15-inch putt on the
final green for 81. AS it was he only
got into a tie with Willie MacFarlane
because he missed that wee putt, but
he won on the play-off with the be-
spectacled New Yorker. Between Run
yam and Shute most of the big money
prizes have been split in Florida this
Winter. with John Revolta getting
away with a considerable slice of the
purses.
This Revolta chap has a dash of
glamour about him, what with his first
. big bid for fame at Miami and his sub
sequent steady play in succeeding tour
neys A big, raW-boned lad he knocks
the ball as far as any Of the pros and
like Runyan, he is terror around the
putting greens. He is sure to be
factor in the big events in the North
during the coming Summer.
MO matter what the balance of the
~ State may claim by way of golfing
attractions, there isn't any doubt
that in so far as Washington golfers
are concerned. the city OF Miami is the
Winter capital of the East. We saw a
flock of golfers from the Capital in
and around Miami, either slugging a
ball over those fine courses scattered
over the length of Miami Beach or at
Coral Gables, or following the stars
who played in the international four
ball.
Among them were such we'll known
Washingtonians as Donald Woodward,
Hugh Mackenzie, L. w Laudick, Ar
thur c. Moses, James E. Baines, Horace
G. Smithy and Roger Whiteford of
Columbia; Joe Murphy Guy Mason and
Sandy Armour of Congressional; John
c. Wineman of Indian Spring, Mrs.
Harry A. Knox of Congressional Bob
Barnett of Chevy Chase Holly Slower
of Burning Tree and many others whose
names do not come to mind at the mo-
ment.
Those fine courses, the La Gorce,
Bayshore, Miami Country Club, Coral
Gables and the others scattered around
Miami, are real layouts. and how they
do attract the golfers. Imagine playing
golf through and around coconut
palms in shirt sleeves in February, and
playing on real golf course, too.
nLIN DUTRA, the P. G. A. cham
~ pion, who has been dubbed the
California man-mountain" by his
professional associates. is nowhere
near the hot" performer he was on
Northern courses last Summer. Dutra
cannot seem to get the feel of the
Florida putting greens, and his usually
effective short game has let him down
badly. Those putting green's down
there take lot of knowing, for they
are much slower than those of the
North and golf ball does funny tricks
on them. If you do not get the grain
of the grass right the ball will travel off
at queer tangents and angles. Dutra
Has UcSll pullulB LdOly, N11ACIl dCCOullCo
for his mediocre showing in the Florida
Journeys.
But he is the same accurate per-
former from the tee and through the
fairway who performed in such spec
tacular fashion in the National Open
and the p G. A. He is quite golfer.
SaraZen gave him a sound whipping at
Coral Gables yesterday, but that match
was played over Genes own course and
Dutra has not yet accustomed himself
to the quirks of Florida golf It's diff
ferent from anything else.
NEW officers of the Indian Spring
~ Golf Club were swept into Office
last night in an election which al
most completely overthrew the old
regime
Chester C. Caywood, a past president
of the club, and one OF its most prom
inent members, was chosen president to
succeed Herbert A Mihills; Forest
Thompson was chosen vice president,
James v. Brownell was elected secre-
tary and william NJ Smith was re-
elected treasurer. The board will con-
sist of the new officers and Thomas M.
Belshe, Joseph Cissell, Harold NJ
Graves, F. J. Kennedy, George O.
Schweinhaut, E. B. Wagner and w. R.
Winslow CayWood is a former president
of the District Golf Association.
Belshe is to be chairman of the i'm
portant Golf Committee, succeeding j.
w. Harvey jr., in that post. Winslow
will act as chairman of the Greens
Committee and Wagner will serve as
chairman of the Membership Commit
tee.
The mems golf team will be headed
by DR.. L. S. Otell, present club cham
pion, and the women's team will be led
by Mrs Betty P. Meckley women's club
title holder.
Indian Spring will continue to oper-
ate as it has operated for the past
eight years.
Reduction of the initiation fee and in
annual dues has resulted in an almost
11nnrecedented wave of applicationS for