Tom -
Keeler was a mediocre golfer. But he lived inside the head of the best golfer of the era for about 15 years. His accounts of Jones's tournament play are unsurpassed. Easily the best "tournament" reportage ever. Better than anything by Darwin, Longhurst or Ward-Thomas.
Keeler had the gift of writing clearly and concisely. Darwin did not.
Darwin often rambles. I get the sense reading him that he is trying to figure out what he wants to write about by writing, until somewhere near the end of his piece he hits on something. Too often his is essays never lift off.
The truth is that Darwin was not - I think - a gifted writer. In fact he was rather clunky. His gift was (i) the breadth of his interests and (ii) uniquely among golf writers, a confessional, deeply personal approach that is irresistable. Not many golf writers showed their souls the way Darwin did. His essay on quitting golf, for example, is terrific stuff. But terrific stuff despite his writing style, not because of it.
Compare Keeler's and Darwin's accounts of Jones's tournament play in the UK in the '20's when both were covering the same event. I only wish that Keeler had spent more time writing about things not named Bobby Jones.
I don't mean to make too much of either of these guys. In the pantheon of great writing, neither deserves a statue. World class writers are at a different level. You want to read a really good writer, read Updike on golf. Neither come close to his mark.
Bob