The boom in sales of custom made distance-enhancing clubs means Jimmy Mearns needs to be at his workshop every day by the crack of dawn.

The 62-year-old retired Royal Navy captain is swamped with orders from happy hackers hoping to follow in the divot marks of prodigious hitters like Tiger Woods and Ernie Els.

They are making a nonsense out of even the longest courses, consistently driving well over 300 yards.

On the way to winning in Perth the other day, Els' longest drive was 376 yards with a club approved by the Royal and Ancient and the USGA.

Some pros say the clubs they used at the end of last season are already out of date. To avoid making a mockery of the game they want a curb on the latest equipment that also includes high-tech balls.

But Mearns is delighted at the ongoing trend as he fashions clubs at his workshop at Appledram near Chichester.

He said: "There is so much work that I am getting up before it is light. I cannot wait to get started every day. I am into hot-face woods technology. It is the difference between hitting the ball with a cricket bat or a tennis raquet. I love it. The increased length comes from the flex torque of the shaft and the degree of elasticity of the face.

"We are in a different ball game from a few years ago and I have more customers now than I can shake a stick at. I think I am ahead of the game for the club golfer but, new technology apart, I am still in business for repairs and using my other skills."

Golfers seeking greater length come to Mearns from all age groups. He has just introduced a 78-year-old to the latest model.

"He will be frightened to death when he sees how far the ball will go," beamed Jimmy. Another satisfied customer is a 92-year-old woman.

Not only elderly people are on Jimmy's order book. There is Tiger Tom, a two-year-old who sleeps with a seven iron instead of a teddy bear. And Matthew Draper, a cousin of Mearns, was the world's youngest achiever of a hole in one aged five years, seven months using a club made by the master craftsman.

Jimmy supplies to order. The amount of detail he requires before starting work on the imported heads and shafts is staggering.

"What I do is entirely complementary to what the professional does. For the most part he hasn't got the equipment or time and inclination. Some pros appreciate what I do and send people along."

Jimmy is a member of several important bodies like the Professional Clubmakers of America and he maintains close links.

"One in three clubs in the States is custom-built. It makes sense as you have the right ingredients and you can go back if it does not work."

Where will the constantly improving new technology end?

"The sky's the limit. The latest clubs are approved by the authorities here and in America so there is no telling what lengths can be achieved."