Hugh(ie) McNeill

 

Born - County Antrim c. 1882 - Religion - Irish Church. Profession - Golf Professional. Hugh was a boarder at Number 4, Quarry Court, Portrush town. [Source: Census 1911]

Born c.1880-1882, similar to Harry Hamill, an exhibition was set up against Sandy Herd in 1902 but Hughie defeated the recently crowned Open champion over thirty-six holes. Considered to have only had an elementary education he, despite being a professional playing out of Royal Portrush Golf Club ("RPGC") he merely eked out an existence as the more lucrative aspect of a professional's existence of making clubs was the preserve of John Aitken who remained with Royal Portrush until 1911 only to be replaced by Melville Brown.

Hughie was also part-time professional at Portstewart during the early few years of the twentieth century. It wasn't until the 1920s that he became a full-time professional at the RPGC where he remained until his retirement in the 1940s. Late in his golfing life he would win the Irish Professional Championship in 1929 and 1932.

In J.P. Rooney's book, Play Good Golf, Hughie was chosen to explain the rudiments of the draw shot at which he excelled. JP also puts forward his theory as to why he had not amassed more titles and it fell to his devil-may-care attitude when things started to go wrong.

In Royal Portrush's centenary book an extract of Anthony Babington recollections of the player are provided:

"Hughie was one of the ablest men I have run across......He was humbly born, had at most a Public Elementary School education, a poor start in life and no steady occupation. He after many vissitudes, became Greenkeeper to the Royal Portrush Golf Club....He carried clubs and played with members, thereby eking out some kind of living....He acquired a reputation as a player and in the summer went round a number of the smaller clubs giving lessons...(despite everything) he got to know everyone and was a great friend of Vardon's and Braid...Hughie a natural player relying on his body....and the only other player I have seen who wasted less time over his shots was George Duncan"