'Hoo' Da 'Man'

[Jim_Kennedy]

That would be Charles Victor Lisle 'Chubby' Hooman -  English first-class cricket player and golfer who participated in the 1922 an '23 Walker cups. He was one of the long ball hitters of his day, and he had huge galleries when the cup was played at NGLA in '22.  His shot at the Cape was so impressive that George Trevor wrote "Macdonald was more enthusiastic than any man in the gallery"

The shot:


The other player in the article w/Hooman is George Rotan.    

Here's a short bio at the Texas' golf HOF.
http://texasgolfhof.org/index.php/component/zoo/item/george-v-rotan

George Trevor also wrote a series of articles on many of the superb shots he witnessed in 1922. I hunted them all down and they appear below. Some of these guys, like Hooman, Tolley, Barnes, could thump it for surprising distances some 9 1/2 decades ago.  

April 8 1923
This last article highlights a few of the worst shots of 1922
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57150207/

Now to the good ones:

Apr. 1
Hooman and Rotan
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57149926/

March 25
Wethered and Evans
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60012361/

March 18
Johnny Farrell takes it to "Long" Jim Barnes
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60009824/

March 11
Sarazen and Hutchinson
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60007090/

March 4
Sarazen and Sprogell
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60004608/

Feb. 25
Bobby Jones
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60011783/

Feb. 18
Battle of the Bobs - Jones and Gardner
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60009277/

Feb. 11
Guilford and Sweetser
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60006603/

Feb. 4
Sweetser and Evans
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60004351/

Jan. 28
Taylor, Herd and Carter
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57095445/

Jan. 21
Anderson and Evans
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57093802/

Jan. 14
Cyril Tolley
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57092086/

Jan. 7
Jones and Sweetser
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57090460/

Dec. 32 1922
"Long" Jim Barnes tames the Channel hole at Lido
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60029998/

Dec. 24
Caven and Brown
http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60029778/




    

[Peter Pallotta]

Thanks much, Jim - wonderful stuff. And interesting to see that in the Long Jim Barnes article, for example, Lido is described as one of the most challenging courses in the entire country. Of course, then as now, I guess hardly any course (that is to be played by actual golfers) can prove too challenging to the best in the world -- who, then as now, hit it a long way.

Peter

[Gib_Papazian]

The article is an interesting reminder of the original Cape configuration - and how the term has gotten bastardized to mean a diagonal carry off the tee. The NGLA "Cape" is not really a cape hole in the classical sense - I suppose the closest one is #5 at Mid Ocean as it juts into Mangrove Lake; interesting hole because the tee shot and orientation of the putting surface are both on a diagonal.

There is a distinct advantage to leaving the tee shot as close as possible to the waters edge because the putting surface contours are arranged in to act as a backstop from the left side of the fairway, but to shoulder the ball away when coming in from the chicken side of the landing area.

The original NGLA Cape is hole was actually meant to tempt players to try and traverse the bay off the tee, directly at the green.  

[Jim_Kennedy]

Peter,
Glad you enjoyed them.

There is a nice column on Raynor on the same page with "Cyril Tolley". There's also an article about Sand Herd's adventures in the USA, but the best thing I can say about it is that it's a reflection of its time. 

[Bill_McBride]

The article is an interesting reminder of the original Cape configuration - and how the term has gotten bastardized to mean a diagonal carry off the tee. The NGLA "Cape" is not really a cape hole in the classical sense - I suppose the closest one is #5 at Mid Ocean as it juts into Mangrove Lake; interesting hole because the tee shot and orientation of the putting surface are both on a diagonal.

There is a distinct advantage to leaving the tee shot as close as possible to the waters edge because the putting surface contours are arranged in to act as a backstop from the left side of the fairway, but to shoulder the ball away when coming in from the chicken side of the landing area.

The original NGLA Cape is hole was actually meant to tempt players to try and traverse the bay off the tee, directly at the green.  

Are you kidding on that last remark?  The direct line was what, 280 yards?  With hickory shafts?  To a small target designed to be approached from the left?  I'm skeptical. 

[Gib_Papazian]

No, not kidding. It was always our impression C.B. knew players would one day hit the ball much further. In my view, Cypress Point #16 was Raynor's version of a Cape Hole. Let us not forget that Marion Hollins and Raynor found it.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Some guys, like Tolley, were giving the Cape a go in 1924.

[Gib_Papazian]

Wasn't #10 at the Belfry where many players tried carry the creek onto the green? Why a great player like Tolley would try a shot like that seems foolhardy, but Macdonald's overriding design philosophy was to tempt the ego and then entrap golfers who push it one tick too far. 

[DMoriarty]

Gib.  I agree with you about the bastardization of the meaning of the term, but I don't think CBM ever intended the Cape at NGLA to be reachable.

[Thomas Dai]

Out of curiousity I looked up Mr Hooman's cricket record - 38 matches for Oxford Uni and Kent. 1,758 runs, no wickets - http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/14934.html

A 'Gentleman' rather than a 'Player' I suspect.

atb

[Bill_McBride]

Some guys, like Tolley, were giving the Cape a go in 1924.

On a straight line or just left like the diagram?   

Always great to be in agreement with Dr. Moriarity.