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BRITISH GOLF LINKS

A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE

LEADING GOLF LINKS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

it I) ^ilumcrous glltusfrations au6 portraits

ED1TKD BY HORACE HUTCHJNSON

LONDON

J. S. VIRTUE & CO., LIMITED

26, IVY LANE, AND 294, CITY ROAD, E.G.

1897 EDITOR'S NOTE.

A FEW words by way of preface appear necessary, if only to explain the presence of Pau, Biarritz and Cannes among " British " Golf Links. When the title was selected, the intention was to confine the book to links on the British Islands. In course oF its preparation, it was suggested that it would add to the interest of the book if some account and views were given of greens, even outside of Britain, to which the Briton commonly resorts. Yet it scarcely seemed wise or necessary to change the title ; therefore let him who would quarrel with it do so or find some better reason for the inclusion of these foreign greens.

A further likely question is, " If Pau, Cannes and Biarritz, why not—even a fortiori—Dinard, Jersey and Guernsey i" The truth is, that the scope of the book has had to be rigidly determined by the kindness of friends—and, with the best of goodwill, they were not always able to help us—in sending accounts and views of the various greens; and, for the immense trouble which many have taken in this particular, the editor begs to give his best thanks. It was, in any case, impossible that the scope of the book should be all-exhaustive—that would have made it also all-exhausting.

Throughout it has been the editor's aim to let the honorary secretaries and others, who have been at the pains to send accounts, tell their own tale in their own words, believing that in this way a pleasant variety ot style and manner of treatment would follow, which could not have been the result if the whole had borne the mark of one pen.

For the errors, doubtless numerous, of his editorial work, the editor would wish to apologise at the outset, and, at the same time, to express his indebtedness to the various sources of reference and quotation from which, by permission, he has drawn; especially to "Famous Golf Greens," to the "Golfing Annual," and to the "Golfing Guide." In all cases he has endeavoured to acknowledge this indebtedness at the place in which the extracts have been inserted, and if, in any instance, he has failed of this due recognition, he trusts that this general expression may be taken to cover all omissions. LIST OF CLUBS AND LINKS.

N7VMK lf CT,ITH. MAM.K OF UNKS.

ROYAL AND ANCIENT ST. ANDREWS ST. ANDRKWS .. ST. GEORGE'S SANDWICH ROYAL PORTRUSI-I .. l'ORTRUSIT .- ABERDEEN ,. ABKRDOVEY ALDEHURGH ALNMOUTJI ALNMdUTII THE ROYAL ISLE OI; WIGHT . , BIARRITZ HIARRTTZ (FRANCK) .. THE ROYAL ULACKHEATH UI^ACKMIiATH MEYRICK BOURNKMOUTI-T (M1CYR ROYAL WEST NORFOLK ,; BRANCASTJiR BRIGITTON AND HOVR BRIGHTON CANNES CANNES (FRANCE) .. DALHOUSIE .. CARNOUSTIK

CF-irSLKHURST CHIST,EHURST ,. .; CINQUE PORTS DEAI COVENTRY COVENTRY THE ROYAT, nunrjN DOM.YMOUNT .. DORNOCH DORNOCH ROY At EASTBOURNE EASTBOURNK .. EDINBURGH BURGESS BARNTON ELTHAM ELTHAM GREAT YARMOUTH GREAT YARMOUTH .. GULLANE GULLANE ROYAL ST. DAVID'S HARLECH vili LIST OF CLUBS AND LINKS

NAME OF CLUB. NAME OF LINKS.

HASTINGS AND ST. LEONARD'S ,. .. HASTINGS ROYAL LIVERPOOL HOYI-AKF, I-IUDDERSFIELD HUDDERSFIELD INNERLEVEN LEVBN LTTTLESTONE LITTLKSTONE LYTHAM AND ST. ANNE'S LVTI-IAM MACHRIHAN1SH .. MACHRIHANISH. CAMPBELTOWN MINCHINHAMPTON ...... MINCHINHAMPTON PRINCE'S . . MITCHAM COMMON ROYAL ALBKRT, MONTROSE MONTROSE HON. COMPANY OF EDINBURGH GOLFERS MUIRFIELD ROYAL MUSSEI.BURGH .. MUSSELBURGH NAIRN ,-, .„ .. NAIRN ... COUNTY DOWN (NEWCASTLE) •• -- NEWCASTLE (COUNTY DOWN).. NORTH BERWICK NEW CLUB, ETC. .. NORTH BERWICK NOTTINGHAMSHIRE NOTTINGHAM PAU PAU PORTHCAWL PORTHCAWL PRESTWICK PRKSTWICK RICHMOND SUDBROOK PARK ROMFORD ROMFORD .. .. ,:. RYE RYE SCARBOROUGH .. SCARBOROUGH TOOTINCi BEC . ... FURZEDOWN TROON TROON WEMBLEY WEMBLEY ROYAL NORTH DEVON WESTWARD HO! ROYAL WIMBLEDON & LONDON SCOTTISH WIMBLEDON BRITISH GOLF LINKS.

ROYAL AND ANCIENT GOLF CLUB OF ST. ANDREWS.

Thou piv'sL me lo my Ufa's ln A golfer's fnmeiiivme; I ht, Ihy jjiftj n driver's J If J Froi, " ODE I ST. ANM ite of the magnificent venerableness of its title, the Roynl d Ancient Club of St. Andrews is by no means the oldest established golf club even in Scotland; much less does it vie with the lioary antiquity of the Elackheatli Club. Nevertheless it is regarded by universal consent as the premier golf club of the world; its traditions are the traditions of the game, its rules are the rules on which golf is universally played—with a few local exceptions, which do not affect the justness of the general statement—and to its arbitrament, or to that of a body in which its members are very largely represented, most questions are commonly referred by other clubs. Its course is probably the finest in the world, and it now possesses a second, or alternative course, which, but for the neighbourhood of the old-established one, wotild probably 1>e deemetl to vie with the best known elsewhere. The following description of the older coxirse, taken, by kind permission, from the "Golfing Animal" of 1888-9, and written, at editor has reason to believe, by a late well-known profess player, gives as excellent a notion of it as writing is likely ti

which 1 gen ral description of the

" The St. Andrew's golf course is of a sandy nature, while small hills, which contribute to the hazards of the green, are conspicuous throughout its entire extent, Starting at the teeing ground of the first hole, •which is immediately in front of the Royal and Ancient Golf Chihhouse, you have a space of from 200 to 300 yards of as level ground as there is to be found all the way round. At the end of this is the Swilcan Burn,

fe-OYAL AND ANCTENT fiOT.F CT.UR OF ST. ANDREWS. which runs across the links in a zigzag fashion, and flows into the bay. Forming a Splendid hassarcl for Hie approach to the first, or ' Burn,' hole, where the putting green is always in good order, owing to its being kept moist by its proximity to the burn. The second hole—' Coiner-of the-Dyke,' as it is generally called— is rather more undulating, traversed by little ridges witli small valleys or ditches between, It is bounded on the Tight by whins (although little now remains of these but the name ; the ground however is hillocky and rough), and on the left by the station ; it is considered a rather difficult hole, owing to the amount of bunkers around the putting green. The third hole is somewhat similar to the second, but in playing the tee shot you must lie careful to avoid a 'draw,' or you are very' apt to get into some of the catches lying around the bunker named the ' Principal's Nose,1 which is not very easy to keep clear of. By the edge of this putting green is a long bunker, which stretches nearly across the green, and is ii good trap when approaching the bole, which is placed on a very flue piece of turf. Leaving the third hole, going to the fourth, you have again a good variety oF hillocks—some lather high—but a good player can clear everything and get to the putting green in two strokes. The best play here is to keep, if anything, to the right of the course, so as to avoid bunkers. The next hole is the 'Long' hole, which requires three full drives to get Lo the putting: green, or two good shots and an iron, and if the "wind is contrary sometimes you do jiot reach it in three j but "when once on the green you discover it to be the finest on the whole links j in fact, many golfers aver it to be the best iu tlie kingdom. It measures about sixty yards long, and about forty Capiafa, 1895-0. yards broad, and is very nearly absolutely level. In driving to the sixth hole you encounter a succession of bunkers which are very treacherous. The first of these, called ' Walkinshaw,1 looks the player straight in the face, and is a nice trap for a short drive. There are no less than nine bunkers in this hole, and none oC them very easy to get out of. The putting green of the hole was alwa3'S rather bumpy and rough, but of late years, with care* ful attention, it has greatly improved, and at present ia in very excellent condition. The next hole is the 'High' Hole, which lies close to the river Eden, and is a very critical one to negotiate, as, although not long, it is difficult to approach, bunkers being all round it, and the Eden immediately at Uie back. The green itself is of a very sandy nature, consequently it is tender, and cannot stand much work. From the ' High ' hole we come to the ' Short' hole, which is

for a missed ball from the tee to escape, as bunkers are prominent, and it lakes a pretty shot to lie near the hole, i which, as a rule, ought to be taken in three strokes. Now we come to the ninth, or last, hole oivt, which is something like the first hole, rather level, and with but one slight • i hazard in it, and thia a little bunker some forty to fifty yards short of the hole, beyond which lies a good putting

"In turning homewards you play to the same putting greens as you do when going out, but the holes are placed *WM on tIle other side of the greens. To prevent mistakes flags are used to distinguish between going out and coming in, nan. Secretary.' the former white, and the latter red. Playing the first hole homewards you have a level run, as it were, to the hole, which you can reach in one stroke and an iron pitch. The only hazard consists of two bunkers, the one about twenty- Jive yards short of the green and the other about forty. This putting green is very large, but not so lively as most of the others. The next hole is the ' Short' hole coming home, and the player here has what may be termed a regular 'golfing or sporting stroke.' Leaving the tee you see plenty of bunkers ahead, B 2 ST. ANDREWS LINKS.

U Dfltllo U[/ J. Patrick £ So

Mr, Harold Wilson driving off. ST. ANDREWS LINKS. ROYAL AND ANCIENT GOLF CLUB OF ST. ANDREWS.

Mr. J. Oswald (Cafitaiil. 189J-R) pulling, ;

Mr. S. II. Gollan pulling, and Mr. J. T. B .ST. ANDREW hazards ^•vhit h the playc•r has to eiiicotmtcr. There a bunker about twenty yards to the left of the road, which rti alongside tl ,e 'Corner of the Dyke,1 an nto which, if trying to play the narrow course, you are very apt to get. II.owever, there is plenty of i m to the left of the bunker. It takes nearly three full drive:sto reach the hoile, which is situated within ew yards of the turnpike road, and has a treacherous little bunikcr imuiediately in front or the: putting g n, with all the ground around it inclining to draw the ball. Tliliscoussq •ttlj- makes the gireen rather mil, Now we come to the last or ' Home' hole, with the burn agolin to cro after wh ich the only haz I is the road some fifty or sixty yards short of the putting g i, which (!OU sists of a fine large plateau lade up for the purpose of having a good finishing hole. This green is one of the best in the round, ftlw s of course barring that at the fifth hole. " Jt may be stated that the holes are shifted every week from one side to the other, the consequence being that one week you go out by the left, and the next week by the right. Sometimes, too, the holes are taken from their original positions and put into otiieis to give the greens a rest. "The eigh teen-hole relief course has been laid out upon that part of the links on the far side of the Swilcan burn lying between the old course and the sea, and the ground available has been utilized to the best advantage. Wben a start was made with the work whins abounded, but they were soon uprooted where it was deemed necessary, and their erstwhile dwelling-places retnrfed. In the return1 ng of these places and the making of the putting- [•reens thousands of yards of turf were u^ed but tlic very common mistake of having level putting- greens has been lightly avoided, The original lie of Hie ground was retained in all cases, and ' borrow- ing ' is just as essential as on the old green alongside. In fact, in many respects the old and the new greens closely resemble each other. Long driving is rewarded on the new green as on the old, but the approaching requires to be even more accurate. The circuit of the new course is 3 miles 1,160 yards, or about 120 yards more than that of the old, and the par of the round will ultimately lie recognised as 78, as against 76 for the old course. In addition to those which nature had provided, a few bunkers have been cut, but these will not be added to until it is seen where others can be judiciously laid down. The lengths of the various boles are as follows :—(1)310 yards, (2)400, (3) 510, (4) 320, (5) 190, (6) 440, (7) 350, (8) 500, (9) 280, (10) 440, (11) 330, (12) 440, (13) 170, (14) 400, (rs) 280, (.6) 490, (17) ato, (18) 380. The management of both courses is vested in a Green Committee, consisting of iivQ members of the Club and two inhere nominated by the Corporation. The entire cost of maintaining both courses is borne by the

"No golfer, if hec .Id help it,11 writes one who knows both golf and St. Andrews well, " would begin anywhere except at tin uetropolitan city of the game, at St. Andrews. Here the sport has been practised, i shows, since the fifteenth century, behind which stretches the wide prehistoric past. St. Regulus may li :ard the cry of ' Fore !' in Pictisli when he landed with the bones of St. : the air is full of golf and of golf-balls ; here it is thought justifiable homi- cide if after shouting ' Fore I' you chance to hit anybody. No oue has any business here who is not a player, and the atmosphere whirs all day with the swing of the club. Here the smallest children display an excellent style j nay, so prevalent is the supple swing that an elderly beginner may be tempted to strive after the grace and elasticity which seem native to the St. Andrews Links. But the old, or even the mature, can never swiag with this freedom, and they must moderate their just ambition. The quantity of professional advice is so copious, the quality so frank, that error is rapidly discouraged if the learner minds his tutor. Again, however, St. Andrews is no place for making experiments in except in winter. This is the season wlien the neophyte should practise 011 links not crowded and free from Glasgow holiday-makers,"

K.OYAI, AND ANCIENT GOLF CLUB OF ST. ANDREWS. 5

and if you go too far with yonr tee shot—say ten yards past the hole—you land into the river E

left you get a good approach to the holi your third stroke, • putting green years has been much improved, and corjiside •ably enlarged. In ing for the next hole tbei a bunker •ike tbeir tee shot well, have no difficulty in cr .ssing it. However, there is another nasty trap a little further on which catches many a good lead off, a 3 it is right in the middle of the course. It is known as 'Sutherland,' deriving its name from a gentleman \ ho once had grave objections to its being filled tip. About forty or fifty yards short of the putting green there are two or three small bunkers, and to the right some rather nasty hillocks covered to some extent The green consists of a bit of fine turf, but not so level as are many of the others. The next hole is rather a nice one to play. Both the first and second shots must be kept very straight, as the railway at this point runs close alongside all the way from the teeing ground to the putting green, and the least heel from the tee lauds you comfortably in the rail; while to the left, about twenty yards, you have a nice posy of bunkers, which are about as bad as the railway to get out of. However, if you keep quite straight, two good strokes carry you right up to the putting green, which goes by the name of the ' Corner of the Dyke '—a green which some years ago was enlarged. The next hole is a particularly difficult one, being uot only long, but requiring careful work to keep clear of the It) ST. ANDREWS LINKS.

I^iitriLuce t-'ee /is * Annual SufoscripLioUr /j3 i Number of Members, 850—'exclusive of tlio.se abroad, and. also exclusive of tliose admitted in virtue of a resolution in 1877. Patroness—Her Majesty the Queen. Patron—H.R.H. t!ie Prince of Wales. Chaplain-Rev. A K. H. Boyd, D.D., LVD. Hon. Secretary-C. S. Grace, W.S., St. Andrews. Greeukeeper-Toin Mortis.

CLUB PKIZKX.—Silver Cross of St. Andrew (sertucli), mill Bombny Medal (scratch), on first Wedncsd.-iy of May; Royni rtr King Wrllinm 3V. Medal (scratch), aiul Cluli Gold Medal (scratch), on Inst Wednesday in September: George Glennie Mednl (lowest emnWnotl SCOMSS at tliesc two tncstinRs); C.ilculln Cup (handicap tonnairoeat), titsl week in August; Queen Victorin Jubilee Vnsc .hanclrrnp tnnniaiiioiil], first week in Seplcmlicr, ST. GEORGE'S GOLF CLUB.

—. HAPP C { 2. The St. George's Club IK story; has not, so to speak, passed its ' " pleasant youth, with all that age's promisp e of a bright future. What a contrast this to its situation, lying as ii ) in a corner of the world which moans with memories I Sandwich Bay 1 rTercd many vicissitudes. In the beginning of our island story, and for many following centuries, it was famous as a place of ships, the coign of vantage to invader and marauder, the harbour of the earliest missionaries, and, after the rise of England as si sea power, the gathering place of her (leet when war danger threatened. Nature the while was slowly working a sea change. The silting of the bay began by the drift of choking sand creeping from the east, and by the sea ceasing to carry away tlte alluvial deposit of the river. Roman Rntu- piae became shipJess, and Sandwich, mm' cur. " the settlement on the sand," taking Us place, arose aa the port lough often the centre of war, it grew and 2 war and rapine had failed, the faithless sea >wly driving the river ever farther from the id and lonely, with nothing to recall its early re and there architectural beauty. Towards SANDWICH LINKS.

ich fro ithe It was from the desolation of the sand-dunes that the links of the St. George's Club were formed. How the Club was established there can be easily told, but the genesis of the idea connecting the sand-hills with Golf is uncertain. It may, however, be interesting to note that a member of Llie Club remembers at a neighbouring school, some thirty years ago, a master of the good old Scottish name of OgHvie, who was fond of taking his pupils to these sand-hills and attempting; to interest them in Golf. A fruitless task, and judging from the account of how the effort was received, tlie wonder is that any memory of it still survives, or of the good master's firm conviction that one day the desert would blossom into a Golf green. At a later time, another member of the Club, Mr. Albert Gray, was similarly impressed. Probably there were earlier discoverers, but, be that as it

until about ten years ago. The reason may be that fashion then did not favour things northern, and that the Scottish occupation was not appreciated as it is now. About ten years ago, Dr. Laidlaw Purves— whose portrait, painted by the Hon. John Collier, and here reproduced, has recently been presented to the club—spied the land with a golfer's eye. He took counsel with friends, and some fifty gentlemen formed a syndicate called the Sandwich Golfing Association. They acquired in 1887 a lease of the links, and in the same year the St. George's Club was founded. The Sandwich GoiQng Association sub-let, at the original rent, the links to the Club. The success of the Club e to the late Mr. W. R. Anderson, Hon. Treasurer of the Club, was speedy, and this was due whose proved ability and wide knowledge of busiiu ere from the first ungrudgingly given to the Club.

The sentiment soon began to grow that it was desirable to own the freehold of the links, in order to justify their full development, and after a long negotiation the purchase was completed in 1892. As quiet comfort John Ball, ilin. John Oswald. Lieutenant F. G. Tait. Capt. W, H. Bum. ] H. F. de Paraviciai. SA.NDWTCH LINKS. ST. GEOKGE S GOLF CLUB. dei the Entrance Fee and Subscription ; the former from three to ten, and finally to fifteen, and the latter from two to three guineas. Such briefly is the story of the institution of the Club. Apart from immediate prosperity, its few years of life furnish little of general interest to record, but the courteous recognition of the older Clubs should always be remembered. The two established Associations of Golf Clubs, the Open Champion- ship and the Amateur Championship Associations, each elected the St. George's Club to membership of their respective Associations, and placed its links on the rota of Champion- ship greens, that is to say, greens on which the Amateur and Open Championships are periodically held. The Amateur Championship has been held there twice, namely, in 1S93 and 1896, and the Open once, in 1894. The decision to hold these meetings there now meets with general approval. One remark that arises out of the Open Championship Meeting may be recorded. The skill of many who enter is far below Champion- ship form. Hardship arises out of this in two ways. The fortune of the ballot throws a first-rate and an inferior player together, and this is practically fatal to the chance of some fine players. This is not one of the strokes of hick insepar- able from all good sports to which sportsmen must submit. U'|-«M«jf*«fe hf Vl-r.fi:. Again, it is the rule of the competition that markers must go Mr. T. B. Mills, round with each couple. The task resulting from this, save Captain, l«i)a-J. in exceptional cases, falls on the willing horses, and it is a se- ine entertaining Club to score for players whose chance from ere strain on the loyalty of U11 the outset is hopeless. The c npetitioii is

impion, 189G

open to all, practically without restriction ; but the practice of playe entering from the selfish motiv few days' golf on a good green should be put a stop to. Of the links as a golf green, the most remarkable thing is that these sand-lulls-to the eye of the general a hopeless desert, the haunt of wild birds and the ubiquitous rabbit—should in such a short space of time have been converted into a first-class course. And with this fact the name of Ramsay Hunter, the greenkeeper of the Club from its beginning until to-day, should ever be associated, for the result is SANDWICH LINKS ST. I1EORCK S GOT.F c: LIJ H. i8 SANDWICH LINKS. largely due to his diligence in his business. The features of the links are hest not described in detail. They are the features of the Protean sand-dunes which dot the shores of the North Sea, : differing In shape, yet ever the same. It is the difference and not the sameness that i characteristic <>r the St. George's Links. Their individuality is striking. The bushless knolls, the mlrnl desert of sand, and tlie loneliness of their plashy shore, looking out across Pegwell Bay on the white cliffs of Thanet, and seaward on stately ships steering- their way past the fatal Goodwins, have ft charm fill their own. The limit of this sketch lias been reached, ?wit in taking leave of the subject one general remark may lie made. There call IK no comparison between first-class greens, but between every course that conies within that category there are many accidents of difference which justify lite description being1 given to each, " there is no place like it." There is no place like St. George's Links. ROYAL PORTRUSH GOLF CLUB.

IK Clnb was started in the spring of ifi88, and shortly afterwu the committee of management obtained a twenty-one ye lease of a large portion of tin; 1>ro;ul belt of verdant 1 and hollows extending eastward along the coast fu distance of more than two miles from I'ortnish, fashionable little Ulster town, built for the most part t breezy peninsula, lapped by the Atlantic waves. Portrush is within eight miles of the Giant'!) Causcv and rather less tliau seventy miles by rail from Belfast. At the end of the first year tlie members' roll numbc about eighty, hiit it expanded by "leaps and "bourn and at the JiRginn«isv*C.

elub-hoi uilt i 1889, b i the "PORTRUSJI LINKS.

2, POR.TRUSH LINKS. or i8g6 the old course was altered by the substitution of six new holes which were laid out on the new ground, and a marked improvement and extension of the course was thereby effected. The old course was an exceedingly sporting- one, the picturesque variety of ground being perhaps its most interesting feature; and these qualities aTe also strikingly characteristic of tlie new ground. The first tee is in proximity to the club-house, two minutes' walk from the railway Station. A drive, a good brassy, and a short iron approach, bring you on Glenmanus green, which is protected by a high bunker to the right, and a public road on the left.

2.—(Alj>sTfo!e.)—This hole is reached by a long drive arid a brassy, the green being situated on high ground at tlie oilier side of a valley. 3.-(/?/vW-.)-A well-placed drive, short of the brook, and a good iron pitch lands on green. 4.—(Cameron's.)—A drive across a road ami an iron pitch over a hunker. 5.—(ZWMM.)-TWO full drives and an iron over level ground, traversed l>y a deep ditcli imrt lime dykes (raised wounds), 6.-iTranmffy.)~-Two drives, ami an iron to a high green. f .-{Primrose De/l.)—A.gaaA drive reaches green, which is protected at the sides by dykes, and beyond by a stream.

Vrm apiato I® £«, PB, true*. Mr. J,M, Russell, Mr. W. H. Mann, Him. Stxrefarj: Co/Cam, iftji-iSju.

8.—(Co,int.)—I,Q 11 g dvivt should carry two hills, ami a good * the gre 9.-{I,ager.)-A fine drive and a short pitch should reach an enclosed green. io.—(Rushes.)—A good drive, a brassy, and a short iron approach. \i.-(Patrick's Bo/e.)-k high, bunker has to be carried from the tee, and a second very fine artific bunker has to be negotiated before the green is reached. i2.-(B,mke/S H,V..)-k drive over a high bunker gets to the green. i$.—(Valley mie.y-Kfm* drive and a long second should escape a transverse bunker, and a good ii Should reach the green, l4.-(Purgatmy.)—A. good drive carries " purgatory," and a second should land on green. i5HS&MAww.H4 ROYAL PORTRUSH GOLF CLUB. 26 POETRUSH LINKS.

The Irish Open Amateur Championship was first played on the Portni.sh links, Under the auspices of tlic Golfing Union of Ireland, in 1892, and again in 1895. The first championship competition for golfers born in the Emerald Isle was held here, under the same auspices, 111 1893, and again in 1896. The Irish Ladies' Championship Meeting took place on the 1'ortnish links in 1895, and the Open Ladies' Championship in May of the same year, the latter heing won (for the third time) by Lady Margaret Scott. The Portrush course was also the scene of an important professional tournament in September, 1895, ROYAL POKTKUSJ-I UOU? CLUB. i

VALLEY (6TH) HOLE. ABERDEEN GOLF CLUB.

GOI.F appears to have been played' in Aberdeen more than two hundred years ago, for in Hie year 1642 the Aberdeen Town Council records show that one, John Dickson, was permitted to exercise " a trade by making golf balls." The present golf club cannot, however, claim to have such an early beginning; as that; but in 1780 a club then called "The Society of Golfers at Aberdeen " was instituted, and, with one or two changes of name, has existed til! the present time. The ballot box of 17S0 is still in the bands of the Club, as well as a copy 01 the rules under Tvhicli the game "was played in the year 1783* ihe old records of the Club contain some interesting and amusing reading, such as the following;—- 6th July, 1820. " The Secretary was instructed to pay Alexander Monro at the rate of ^,'4 per annum For taking charge 11 of the Links and providing accommodation for the members' Club Boxes, and for that sum Monro is to pay '• particular attention to keeping the holes in good order and to be at the call of the members 011 all necessary

The allo- i diminished in 1822 to ^3 ; an alteration which may be regarded a 11 ilhistratioi of the we! l-kn. 11 prudei of Hie Aberdonian in financial matters. 26th January, 1827. -It li ving for long- been a desideratum in the Club that one uniform coat should lie used by the " members when at the game, it was resolved that a light-coloured green should be adopted and a uniforni "button be fixed upon." 21st March, 182S. " The meeting: having been held in regard to the uniform coat, the Secretary reported that the majority '• of the members had decided on the colour being scarlet; and this meeting resolved that in cut it should be "similar to the one worn by Mr. Jopp, except in the neck, which should be similar to that worn by " Mr. A. Frasev \ and it was resolved that they should exhibit their persons to the fashioners for the Club in " order that uniformity might be secured in this important affair." History does not relate what passed at the fashioners', and whether the combination of Mr. Jopp's back with Mr. Fraser's neck resulted in a garment suitable to the {esthetic tastes of the Club. In the year 1815 the name of the Club was changed to that which it at present bears. Down to the year 1887 the Club played on the town's links, but, what with football, cricket, fishermen's nets, volunteer parades, and suchlike annoyances to the golfer the Club were driven to seek a piivate course ot their own. Xu that year the Club migrated to the Balgownie l,iuks, which lie imediately north of the mouth of Hie ltiver Don, about two miles north of the centre of the town. In 1889 club house was built, and both the club bouse ided and improved. Until recently the Club was ABERDEEN LINKS. ABERDEEN GOLF CLUB. ATCF.RDEKN LINKS. without the li.star :e of n professional greenkeeper, hut ii vas fortunate in securing the services of :d and forma a capital test of golf. The course is somewhat over three miles long—long enough, especially on a windy day, to bring out the qualities of the most experienced golfer. The chib bouse stands on a hill overlooking the mouth of the Don, and on a summer afternoon the superb view of the North Sea, dotted :h the brown sails of herring" boats from the Buliers of Buchan on the north to the Girdleness lighthouse i ruth, is not easily forgotten. The outgoing holes, with the exception of the first and nint 11 northwards in a valley along the coast. 38 is par professional play, made up of three 5's, five 4's, and The most sporting hole is probably the third, which can be reached from the tee, bxit the shot must ca ry a large and deep natural bunker 150 yards off. The return half of the course lies on higher ground faith' e hole? cross or even come near each other, This half in well played in |3, made up of thre ; 4's, and a 3, but it is probably more difficult for second-class play; half, as so ranch depends on the second shot at almost every hole. There is hardly EL hole i lich has not got its own special feature and difficulty, and we would mention specially: the the twelfth hole across the dyke, which the player has to negotiate after carrying the bum from the tee ; tin tee shot at the hill hole across a deepgnllcy some 40 yards wide and 30 feet deep (through the generosii of a member the successful player has the privilege of crossing; this gulley by a bridge); the pitch at the renteenth hole over a mound with a bunker down 11 steep bank into rough ground. The record for the green is 71, made by Archie Simpson while playing with Mr. Charles Hutchiiigs. 75 has been done by Mr. I,. S. Anderson in a Club Competition. The Club has set apart a portion of the l,inks 011 which the Aberdeen I.adics' Club have laid out a jjolf course. A neat club house has also been erected. ABERDOVEY GOLF CLUB.

LEGUND lias it timt Cardigan Bay was formerly one great plain, rejoicing in the soft-sounding luuilc of Cantref'y Gwaelod, or the land of the hundred towns. Excepting in one particular instance, tradition is dumb regarding the recreations and general goings-on of the inhabitants of this favonivd locality, and no clue has yet been afforded by tHc discovery of the fossil TIi 1 ilick or the petrified SilvcrLown. The exception is, however, an important one, for it is reported that one night an official named Keithenyn, who was the keeper of the gates in the sea wall, having taken that extra glass, neglected his charge, and nest morning the sea lapped the mountains of Carnarvon and Merioneth. Such is the legend, and there is little doubt thai at no very remote period the sea washed tlie foot or the Aberdovey hills; so'much so that the oldest inhabitant (that useful party) recollects running between the waves where there is now a road, a telegraph line, a railway, and a wain drainage scheme ; in fact, all the principal indications of modem civilisation. Fortunately for Golfers, however, some mysterious agency was at work whicli led to Lhc forum Lion of sand banks some two hundred to four hundred yards from the hills, and the space between became first a marsh and afterwards a pasture, whereon the primitive inhabitants sent tlieir flocks and their herds to establish those mysterious rights of common and of manor which have recently exercised the Aberdovey Golfers almost as much as their games. The foregoing account is perhaps open to criticism, and the strictly authentic history of the Aberdovey Hnir I,inks dates from the year 1881, when Colonel Rnck, being stationed at Formby in Lancashire, became afflicted with the Golf epidemic which had recently spread out from 1 Joy lake along the coast 34 AREHDOVEY LINKS. and carried it to Aberdovey, where a few susceptible ones were smitten and the first game was played, the holes being cunningly contrived by inserting- flower pots into Greens which knew uot the mower or roller. The Hazards aud Tees were also as nature made them; but nature had been bountiful, and it is doubtful whether any games have been more keenly appreciated than the early efforts into the flower-pots. These were spasmodic attempts, and frequently for many months at a time the rabbits and the wild- fowl, with their pursuers, were the only inhabitants of the Links. Occasionally stray visitors would get out clubs and balls ; Mr, Sanders, of Stratford-on-Avon aud War- wick, being one of the earliest invaders, and, like the ancient marauders of Britain, he brought others of his tribe, not to plunder the natives (the natives took good care of that) but to ease their house-rent, and eventually to assist in establishing a. Golf Club; tbis event taking place in August, 1892. Local enthusiasm could only raise thirteen members, who were all specially selected for the Committee, excepting a few who were appointed officials. As a matter of record the following was the list :— PATRON.—Mr. J. Corbett. PRESIDENT.—Major Ruck, R.E. VICE-PRESIDENT.—Mr.J.M. Howell. HON. TREASURER.—Mr. A. TomlinH. I-ION. SECRETARY. — Mr. w. v. Thomas. COMMITTEE.—Mr. Davies, Dr. Gros- holtz, Mr. J. Hughes Jones, Mr. M. Lewis, Captain Enoch Lewis, Mr. L- Ruck, Colonel Ruck, Captaiu Ruck, R.E.

The Officials of the Club remain the same (1896), but the Committee has altered considerably, the visiting element being now more fully represented. The riginal mbers not all experts i the oble gam official, ided tlie traditions of Golf by calling the clubs alternately instruments aud implements; whilst a member of the Committee was heard to assert that the game would be a good one if there were no holes and 110 Hazards. But any small deficiencies of this kind were amply made up for by enthusiasm in the cause, and the energy thrown into the organization of the first " Grand Concert" in aid of the funds of the tf the geeord Seore. Club would have sufficed to establish any

The improvement of the Course was naturally th rst effort of the Club; Greeu Committee was selected, Major R. M. Ruck was appointed Consulting gineer, and Mr. A. Tomlin added the duties of Superintendent of the Greeu to those of Hon. Treasur The natural features of the ground settled the position of the holes to a great extent, but consideration was also given to generally accepted principles in laying out Golf courses, and to the actual examples sseeu ou the Classic Greens. The g nd being practically unlimited, a long course was determined upon ; the holes were made chiefly oue, t or three drives length, the drives and approaches were well hazarded, and the course so arranged that it difficult to recover bad strokes. Like many of the best links, the Aberdovey course partlp y amongst the sand-hills and partly o low ground just inside. Thus is obtained the combination of good sportiug "hazards," with long stretch of very fine turf—so dear to the heart of the demon drivers. The accompanying illustrations show some AJ3ERDOVEY GOLF Cl.UB.

X \ I •ifi ABERHOVEV LINKS, attractive or repallant, according to the views of the golfer at the time being. Cadcr Green (a fine clcek shot) is perhaps the most unique, being an oasis in the midst of sand-hills; but the other short hole (the Darran, a full drive) is more formidable, looking from the lee. Of the longer holes, there are several which require that neplus ultra of golf strokes-a full, straight second shot over a fine broad " hazard," the second shot on to the ninth green of the new course being bard to beat, Another very distinctive feature is the number of greens which lie in well-marked hollows, surrounded by "hassanls/1 the Crater being perhaps the best of these. The total length of the course, as recently modified, is 5,800 yards when at its longest. The record score of the old course is 75, and was inside by Mr. B. Darwin, now Captain of the Cambridge University Golf Club. The new course will probably take some four or five strokes more. The possibilities of improving all golf links are probably endless, and the imagination and resource of the Green Committee

is usually only kept in check by the veto oftheHo aiary Treasurer. This is specially the case at Abenlovey, where the process of evolution is scarcely yet complte, tg knowledged by others besides the local hotel and lodging-house keepers that the nks high ongst good links. The first competition was held at Easter, 1893, about a dozen players facing the first drive, two of whom, stray wanderers from verdant pastures, on seeing the apparently Soundless extent of shingle and sand which constitutes the first hazard, exclaimed, "Good lord, is it all like this?" and straightway bethought them of the next train to London. For the rest of the history of the Club, is it not written in the records of all good Golf Clubs; steady increase of membership, the building of a Club House, and the holding; of Spring and Summer meeting's I- Aberdovey is specially proud hi being selected as the rendezvous for the first Championship Meeting of the Welsh Golfing Union, which took place in 1895. ARERDOVEY GOI-F CUTB. 38 ABERDOVEY LINKS.

We must not 01111L tomention tlie Badge and Motto of the Aherdovey Golf Club, the former being a shield with a bag of club g over it diagonally,gy, whilst on tie face of the shield are the ssi x bbells s o f Aberdovey (derived from the old Welselsh aiairr, " The Bells of Aberdovey "")) , the motto underneath beinbeingg, " Os iiad wyt gvyf bydd gyfrwys," or in the words of the ignorant Saxon, " If thoti art not strong he cunning." Aberdovey speeds the wandering Golfer In the words of this same air, " We hope you will remember, where'er you go, the Marshes of Aberdovey." ALDEBURGH GOLF CLUB.

AMONG all the British Golf Links, it would be hard to find half a doiten that can compare with this course, whether judged by its proximity to the sea, salubrious air, lovely scenery, or (most important of all) by the natural advantages oftiiiTand ground, which form an ideal spot for the pursuit «f the Royal and Ancient game under the :inost enjoyable

The apparent advantages of fine, springy turf, sandy soil, and natural hazards had long appealed to the golfing: instincts of Mr. J. G. S. Anderson, who, by the kind permission of tlie occupiers of the land, and with the able ;issistaucc of John Thomson, then of Wimbledon, and William Fcruie, then at Felixstowe, laid out a course of eighteen holes. Finally, in 1884, he started a club with some few Mends who had been in the habit of making Aloeburgrli

prophesied that the small company of golfers, with a single

develop into a club of the proportions now attained. ln t]ie year l8g0[ however| it was found ^^4 the ]nftnt of 1S84 had outgrown its clothes, and that its life demanded further and better accommodation. The Lord of the Manor of Aldeburgh, and proprietor of the larger part of the course, T. l-\ C. V em on-Went worth, Esq., was accordingly approached, and be, with much courtesy and kindness, confirmed the Club in their occupancy, and himself built a club house on the IJiiks from the plans of Mr. Brydon, of Newman Street, London, which has since had to be enlarged. It should be mentioned that the Club is open to ladies and gentlemen on equal terms with an entrance fee of (at present) £5 5s, and an_ annual subscription of £1 is. Situate about a mile from the ancient Borough of Aldeburgh, and Jess than a mile from the station, the course is easily reached by means of conveyances always available. The Town affords good accommodation for visitors in its hotels, boarding houses, and lodgings.

GOLF CLUB. AUIEBURfilT LINKS.

5 picturesque club hous 5 the first tee and the i8th grc nd c mis beautiful views of the rounding country. ; course is substantially riginally laid out, and measur arly tin-. liles and ft half round, with no crossings. Starting at the teeing ground of the first liole ("River") immediately in front of the club house, the player is con- fronted witli the road from Aldeburgh to Saxnmnciliam running in a cutting about four feet deep, with a sandy bank on the further side. The second shot is over a bank, whence it is plain sailing to the first green. The second drive is over a sand bunker, a stretch of whins, and a continuation of the hank mentioned in tlio description of the first hole, with a pit on the left to catch pulled balls: thence to the second hole ("Road"), the straight course is clear, with whin bushes on the right and a »and bunker on the left for the punishment of erratic players. The third hole (" Crag Pit") is somewhat shorter than the first and second holes, and a good drive leaves but a short approach to a green guarded on the left by the crag pit, and on the far side by a ditch, bank, and hedge. There are whins and a bunker to punish " tapped " or weak drives Item the tee. The fourth, hole ("Sand Pit"), which has spoilt many a promising score, is situated on the far side of a gaping sand p-t gome IQQ yards acros(5j w;th a perpeuciicular face on the Mr. H. YV far Blde aboltt twelve feet high, the tee being at a lower level than the far side of the bunker. This hole is done by bogey in 4, for once over the hunker the ground is fairly level, but once in the bunker many strokes may be lost; this green is a large one, and rather on the slope. The fifth (" I-Iasslewood "), made in r8c,6, requires a fairly good drive to clear a mass of whins, broom, and bank, and this being done all is plain sailing. The same may lie said of the sixth (" Path "), where a long drive will land the ball on an ideal green, which, with its billowy undulations, lends itself to the putter's skill. The seventh ("Broom Cover") is distinctly a long driver's hole, anil to reach the green (protected by a formidable sand bunker) in three is, under ordinary circumstances, a good performance. The eighth (" Plantation ") may be reached from the tee with the drive, but sin ever-watchful bunker lurks for the short driver. The ninth ("Valley"), as the nnme implies, is down- hill all the way, and here the drive must be straight and long. On the left, and parallel with the drive, stretches a sand road ; on the right whins and brakes play havoc with the sliced ball, while in front 11 sand bunker is ready tocatcli the shOTt drive. The tenth {"Mill Hill") was a (lukey hole, owing to cross ruts, but is now much improved and should be done in

The eleventh (" Thorn Tree ") is over a quarter of a mile in length, and a good "lie" for the brassy shot may be depended upon. The twelfth ("Warren Hmise ") is considered by many to be the most hazardous of any hole on the course, and the most . sporting. The first obstacle consists of thorn trees and whins. On the left a long stretch"of whins provides for the pulled ball,and on the right detached clumps of whins offer warnings to a sliced ball. Immediately in front of the green a deep sandy road mounts guard. This hole should be done in four, and may take any number.

44 ALTJEBURGH LINKSi.

The thirteenth (" Red House ") demands a long1 drive, and, should the "lie be lucky, the green may be readied with the s :cond shot. The fourteenth (' Bunker"), as indicated by the name, has a deep crag pit in front of the tee, while the approach to the greet1 itself is guarded by a deep sand road. Except that the " lies " from good tee shots are a little uncertain this would be an ideal golf hole. The fifteenth ("Si nd Gall and Rutty "}hole is, it must he admitted, some what of a flukey nature. The drive must be straight, for whins to the right and whins to the left threaten, and the s md shot, excellent i itself, i ith luck jle should embellish yoxir card ; if you arc unluckj', a good scor : may be marred. The sixteenth (" Forest") is n pretty easy task, a iri should not take more than four strokes. The seventeenth (" Watering Pond ") is not diflic lit, provided the drive is straight and long, hi which case on the green (one of the best) in one may lie your feu ard. But there is a pit in front of the tee, a forest to the right, and whins and a dry ditch to the left: mimd a topped, pulled, or sliced ball will prove a certain

The tee for ("Home") is on the edge of the forest, and there should be no difficulty about the drive. The second shot is the critical one, for the green is guarded by the hard carriage road and a bank, and the golfing reader will have no difficulty in appreciating the difficulties presented by his ball lying just under the bank on a smooth surface of gravel as hard as his iron. Names of Holes and Length from Tees.-~\, river, 340 yards ; 2, road, 340 yards ; 3, crag pit, 232 yards ; 4, sand pit, 133 yards ; 5, liazlewood, 227 yards ; 6, path, 171 yards; 7, broom cover, 303 yards; K, plantation, 177 yards ; 9, valley, 327 yards ; 10, mill hill, 265 yards ; 11, thorn tree, 398 yards ; 12, warren house, 310 yards ; 13, red house, 307 yards; 14, bunker, 298 yards ; 15, sand gall and rutty, 310 yards; 16, forest, 185 yards; 17, watering pond, 192 yards; 18, home, BIO yards. Total length, 4,719 yards. The total distance round the links, including the distances from greens to tees, is 5,860 yards, or three and one-third >iiles. The principal meetings of the Club are at Easter (when the Annual General Meeting is held, aud officers elected), Whitsuntide, August, aud Christmas. Thanks to the liberality of many friends, the prize list is handsomely endowed. dub Prizes. — Gentlemen's Monthly Medal, first Saturday in each month. Gold Medal (scratch), Saturday before Raster Day. Flintham Cup (handicap), Easter Monday. Aldeburgh Town Cup, 36 holes (handicap), Saturday before Whitsun Day. Pearson Summer Cup (handicap), Whit-ran Monday. Wootten Cup, 36 holes bogey (handicap), August Bank Holiday. Anderson Cup (handicap) and Godlee Junior Cup (handicap), the fourth Saturday in August. Davidson Cup (handicap against bogey), first Monday in September. Pearson Autumn Cup (handicap), second Saturday in September. Final Round of Monthly Medal on Christmas Eve. Newson, Garrett Cup (handicap), Boxing Day. The ladies1 prizes consist of a Monthly Medal and Mr. &. H. Garrett's Prize, Aldeburgh is situated on the coast of Suffolk, and on the Great Eastern Railway system 99* miles from Liverpool -Street. Letters to the Hon. Secretary should be addressed to the club house, and to prevent mistake it is well to add the name of the county, Suffolk, to the address. Visitors are, subject to certain restrictions, admitted to the use of the club house and green, on the introduction of a member, for two clays without payment, and for any subsequent period, not exceeding four weeks, on payment of 10s. per week. Office Bearers—President, T. F. C. Veruon-Wentworth, Esq. ; Captain, H. Weiler Richards, Esq, ; Hon. Secretary, John Fry, Esq. Entrance fee, £5 5a. Annual subscription, £1 is. ALNMOUTH GOLF CLUB.

THB Ainniouth Cluh was started in September, 1869, by Captain Arthtir Walker. Members have steadily increased, and there arc now aljout 260. The coiirse lies along the lmks to the north-east of the village, the first tee being within a few yards of the club house, and the course, which consists of only mite boles* is, for its mzc, an exceptionally good one, whilst the bunkers are sufficiently numerous to give a thoroughly sporting character to the green. There are but few " traps," the bunkers generally being conspicuous, and calcu- lated to punish indifferently-hit balls off the tees rather than erratic play through the green. Starting from the chib house, the first shot should carry a small blinker, known as " Smiler," as well as some sandy ground beyond, ancl if the ball has been played sufficiently to the right to avoid having, in the next shot, to cross the small bunker called the "Punch Bowl," immediately behind which is the putting green, and sufficiently to the left to avoid lying in the "Nursery" bunker, a long drive will have or>ened the hole, and the ball may " lie " dead in two—but it is a good hole hi four, the distance being souie- [m-»i»itji*B(fl*iiJ!.iv™to«-.t- UO..L«HI*O». thing over 200 yards. It may here be remarked, that the holes Earl Percy, are generally somewhat longer than shown on the plan pre-

Capta/n. pared in 18S4, the tees having been in some cases put back, "whilst the putting greeny are the same. In playing to the second hole the teed ball should be played over -the " Duffer's " bunker, 80 or go yards in front of the tee; with a good " lie " the second shot should carry a road that here crosses the links and leads to the shore; the third shot should be on the green, and the ball down in four or five. In playing to the third hole, " Walker's " bunker should be carried off the tee, as it is only a little over 100 yards, and a cleek or brassy should get the ball well towards the hole in the second shot, so that another four should be recorded for the ALNMOUTH UNKS, ALNMOUTH GOLF CLUB. 47 ALNMOUTH LINKS. tliirel hole, which is just 300 ya In playing: to the next two holes the course lies along a valley, between a low ridge on the right (1 •parates the course from the seashore) and a high hill on the left, 80 that here there is seldom n cr d. The fourth hole, altered and longer, is about 320 yards, but it is important to have a fairly straight ball off the tee, as a heeled one may be badly punished in the benty grass which covers the low ridge before mentioned, and a badly drawn one may " lie " in the road that runs along the bottom of the high hill on the left of the course. It is usual to piny a little to the left of a direct line to the hole off the tee, save with a following wind, a long straight hall is good "lie," and a good brassy shot may carry the on to the green, and the hole should be done in five or four, uid occasionally in three, The fifth, or end hole, is only about yards long, and lies on a plateau, giving scope for somevei sporting approach shots, The teed shot should be played well to the left of the green, from which side the slope upwards iwards the hole is more gradual, and the approach shot mi s the bal iay be played to have a certain amo of run off the pitch, whereas, in approaching the hole ii straight line, if the hall docs not fall almost dead on the gre t will not remain there, but may "lie" badly in bent. It good hole in four, but with a little ba fgpl /er may not always find himself down in five. This is the Ui it of the course towards the north, and the sixth hole lies o the top of the hill that 5 to the left of the d journey. The Hill hole ,nly some 250 yards, and, properly played, should be doi 11 foi Eve; but if the teed shot does IV t carry the hill, Uie ball will occasionally roll dowi the road at the bottom, in which case the second shot w 11 certainly not carry over the top. It is a hole whe lias considerable advantage ov r a weaker one, as by taking- the longest course o\ the higher part of the hill,

" funks " the hill, aad takes it at nearly right angles, gives himself the chance of a bad " lie," and the furthe: chance, if he catches the ball quite clean, of carrying it into the fields beyond tlie course, when a lost ball i: the penalty. The hole, correctly played, should not take more than four, and it is frequently done in three In playing off the top of the hill to the seventh bole, it is necessary to walk from the Hill hole 100 yards to tin ALNMOUTH GOLF CLUD. 4l-) tec. The seventh and eighth are the two longest holes on the course, being each about 360 yards and upwards, their length depending upon which tee the hall is struck off. Playing off the tee down the hill to the seventh hole is a favourite sbot of the long driver, as a clean-hit ball travels a long time in the air before reaching terra firma, and, played in the right direction, is pretty safe to be rewarded with a good " lie " ; and a full drive may be taken for the second, which ought to be exceptionally straight, and along the same couree as was played in coming out to tile third hole, for here the course is at its narrowest, though practically but little inconvenience is ever felt by the outgoing or incoming parties meeting here. The third shot may be 011 the green, and the ball down in ftrnr or five, but an approach shot too strongly played may find its way to " Walker's " bunker, mentioned with reference to the play to the third hole, or a drawn ball may lie badly in the valley to the left of the green. It is necessary for players at the tee playing to the third hole to wait ifa party is holing out at the seventh, as the best course to the third hole is to carry both the " Walker " bunker and the seventh green, though an exceptionally long driver, with the wind behind him, might successfully attempt to carry the valley to the right of the seventh green, and so not interfere with the party holing out. The eighth hole possesses no striking feature beyond being the longest of the nine. The tee shot should " lie" near the road before mentioned, that crosses the links—a good shot is sometimes badly used by lying in it— and another full drive should land the ball within an easy iron approach of the green, a small bunker beyond

the green being a trap for the ball a trifle merry, while a bunker to the left, called " ing:o Park," will catch ;s being so frequently caught by it in his approach shot- The eighth should be holed in five with an occasional lool It has once, and only once, been done in two, and that by Mungo Park some years ago; but it was a shorter hole in those days, and the ball, as was recorded in The Field newspaper at the time, went in off a second shotof 159 yards. Playing to the last, or Home hole, a ball topped may find itself in the " Blindiuan's" bunker, or in one of two small bunkers, formerly the site of the barkpots, now done away with. Two small sandy bunkers have been substituted. The best course, to insure a good " lie," is to play on the line of the Coastguard "fetation to the left of the club house; the second should be on the green (which is the largest 011 the links), and the ball down in four or three. A first-rate player should, with fair luck, get round the links in 40, say five fours and four fives, ir exceptional play or luck produce one or two threes, it is as likely that some of the estimated fours may turn out fives, and one or two sixes represent the estimated fives, but no hole, without bad play or bad luck, should take seven. The handicaps arc based at a scratch score of 85 for the two rounds, and a player who can average that would be very bad to beat. The greens, though smaller than on many courses, are very good and true and during the last two years a great deal of additional attention has been given to the tees, of which there are three distinct sets to each hole, tlie worn ones being now regularly re-turfed, during the winter. From the greatly increased play, the course is much improved to what it was even a few years ago. It is never H ALNMOUTH 1.1NICS. Al.NMOUTH GOI.P CLtjB. 52 At.KJIOUTH LINKS. cmwrtcd, exceiil, psrliaps, sometimes in August and September, when every available room in the village is occupied by summer visitors, but at other times there is no danger of overcrowding. Taking it all in all, there is probably IID better nine-hole course in existence, whilst the surrounding scenery adds to the attraction of the green. Mr, J. B. Pease did the record over the present Medal Course oa 27th April, 1895, viz.. 39 and. 38 = 77. The turf being very fine and the soil sandy, some of the putting-greens have in past hot seasons been badly burned, but the Committee have, at considerable expense, sunk artesian wells within easy reach of the putting-greens, so that in summer the greens are now kept well watered by means cif a pump and hose. There is an excellent club-house for day members- only, erected at a cost of nearly ^800. It contains club

caddies' shelter, all under one roof. The club room contains some good specimens of sea birds, presented by Mr, C. Purvis, of Alnwick, and the Hon. Secretary. The Schooner Hotel, close to the club house, has been entirely remodelled, and now affords excellent accommodation for visitors. Though the lodgings are generally of an inferior type, nearly every house in Alnmmrth lias its quota during the summer. Several new and better-class lodging-houses have recently been built. The club-house is a little over a mile from Alnmouth Junction, on the main line of the N.E.TC, Conveyances meet all trains, fare sixpence. Visitors are admitted by introduction of a member on payment of 2s, 6d. per week, to the Club, and have the use of the clubhouse. A license to play golf has been granted by the I.^rd of the Manor, and the stint- holders and visitors in future will have to procure day, week, or monthly tickets, in exchange for a small payment. Captain of the Club, Bail Percy. Committee of six, J. G. Hicks, Treasurer. Resident professional, George Rochester. Election by ballot, Entrance fee, £2 ; annual subscription, £1, ROYAL ISLE OF WIGHT GOLF CLUB.

THE links of the Royal Talc of Wight Chil> sit Tlcmbridge are so charming and afford such excellent golf, that the only criticism to be passed is in the nature of a regret that there is not more of them, The course is of nine holes, and the piece of ground on which it is situated would be quite ideal for golfing; uses if only it were rather larger. Once on a time this stretch of links was continuous with that cm which stand the village of Bembiiilge and the Spitiiead Hotel, which is the head-quarters of the Club, though now divided from the links by the entrance of Brad ing Harbour. It needs, therefore, to cross the sea in a small boat to reach the links, an enterprise that may or may not conduce to good golT Recording to the seaman- ship of the golfer. The transit is something over a hundred yards, and varies with the tide ; it is therefore, in point of fact, of no moment whatsoever. This course of the Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club ofliyde, seven DI Slianklin, and twelve of Newport. The i of the right uality, with genuine bunkers and ind hills •hiding through the length of the fow and again it i: asible to drive into the sea. The if good length, the Lttiug greens excellent; indeed the

fortunately, by reason of tin itricted space, t s of the different holes intersect rath rreqtieiitly, so that ny great cleai green g<>lf is nowhere better or more pleasant. The seascape and [scape are charming. Portsmouth, Souths©a, Hayling, aud a long extent of the Hampshire coast can the links, as well as Bern- bridge aind Ashey Downs, trading-, San down, and the heights abovi the south and south-west, The elirnate is bracing, although mild, and snow scarcely ever lies, stations of Bembridge and St, Helens are both within half a mile of the first tee, and going by v the latter the golfer may avoid the ferry frc LII Bembridge. Then suite of chib-rt i the Spithead Hotel, 2nd a pavilion on the links its. If serves all the golfer's daily a eds. REMBIUDGE LINKS. ROYAL ISLE OF WIGHT GOI.F CLUB.

7TH GREEX—THE SHIP YARD. BEAI BRIDGE LINKS. THE ROYAL ISLE OF WIGHT GOLF CLUB. 59

Any member may admit a friend or friends to play for a period of three days gratis, but the same person cannot be admitted again us a visitor until the expiration of three mouths from the date of such introduction. The period can, if desired, he extended, with the consent of a member of the council, for a period not exceeding- four weeks in any one year, on the payment of ros. per week, green money. Friends of members may also be admitted to the use of the club-rooms only, on the payment of 53. per week. Persons not being introduced by a member may be permitted, with the consent of a member of the council, the hou. treasurer, or lion, secretary, to play over the course for a period not exceeding sis days in ftiry one year on payment of 2s. 6d. per day or part of a day. Temporary members aud visitors are not permitted to play for one week before aud one week after any competition meeting. Members are elected by the council by ballot. Entrance fee, ^5 5s. Annual subscription, ^2 as.; non- playing members, £1 is. The entire management of the Club is vested in the Captain, Hou. Secretary, •"Jon. 1 reasurer, and the Council, which consists of ten members of the Clul), who are elected at the Annual General Meeting, three retiring annually by rotation. The liberal prize list of the Club is made up as follows:—Eaton Challenge Shield, played for at Easter; Leslie Melville Prize and Badge, played

Mr. Davenport Knighl, Iha* .Secrcttin:

or at the Summer Meeting; Tottenham Gold Medal, played for at the Autumn Meeting; fat Andiew s Cross and Moretou Challenge Cup, played for on St. Andrew's Day ; Bembridge Gold Medal and Eaton Memorial Gold Putter (challenge), a silver putter becoming the property of the winner, played for at Christmas The first Inter-Conuty Match was played on these links in 1895 between Yorkshire and Hampshire- six a side—resulting in a win for the home team. From May until October steamers run between Portsmouth, Southsea, Sea View, and Bembridge daily, doing the journey from the first-named place in about one hour. The Professional record of the green is 74 by A. Toogood, and the Amateur record 76 by J. Duncan, Esq. Handicaps are based on a scratch score of 86. The Eaton Challenge Shield and the Eaton Memorial Putter, mentioned in the prize list, commemorate the name of the late Captain J. Eaton, R.N., who did very great service to the Club in its early days. The Club was instituted in 1882, and in 1893 the Isle of Wight Ladies' Golf Club was instituted, with a course of nine good holes, laid out on the Harbour Links, Bembridge. J. Tolmie is the green keeper, Mr. P. Hardcastle was Captain for i8g6-7, with Lieut.-Col. W. L. N. Clayton as Hon. Treasurer, aud Bit-. D. Knight, Hon. Secretary. BIARRITZ (FRANCE) GOLF CLUB.

" Tins course of eighteen holes is in process of some alteration. Hazards are numerous—roads, fences, a nothing uufair to a short driver who can keep the line. The scenery is very fine—to the north-east the hundred-mile forests of the Landes; to the north, the Bay of Biscay; to the south, the Pyrenees and the west coast of Spain. For a new course tlie putting greens are Fair, and are rapidly improving. Golfers who wish to leave Kugland in the "winter can enjoy tlieir game here under excellent conditions. The course is two and a-half miles in extent, The club house, a handsome stone villa, stands in the centre of the links, and is conveniently arranged. There iss a flourishing Toadies' Club with an excellent green, a nine-hole course of three-quarters of a mile, not crossed by gentlemen players; and the ladies have a set of rooms to themselves in the club house.'' The green is barely a mile from the.1 centre of flliarritz. Three fine hotels arc about ten minutes' walk from the club house. The " alterations " mention eel in the above extract from the " Golfing Anuual" include, uii fortunately, the loss of tlie *' chasm," or third tole which is ireallv the principal feature both of the course and- of our illustrations. From a strictly golfing standpoint, it has always been a hazard of no importance, provided a man hit his tee shot even moderately. But this proviso is a large one, especially when the tee is ou the edge of a precipice, with the Atlantic thundering at the base, The present chasm (3rd) green is on the side of the aid tees—a clean straight shot of one hundred yards will land the hall on the green ', but, being guarded both front and rear by chasms, an error in judgment or strength is fatal. To make up for this slice stolen by the builder, the golfer is annexing ground below the cliff which the fourteenth hole of the old coiiTse approaches, as may be remembered by those who have golfed thereon, and found trouble in the " punch-bowl" that guards the fourteenth greeu. Just across the road to Bayonne, the cliff slopes down steeply to tlie sea, but between its foot and the fore-shore is a stretch of golfable land, on which golf will now be played. The Biarritz caddie, with his picturesque berret, his rope-work sandals, and his Basque accent, is an interesting and intelligent little person. With the Hasque aptitude for games, he is picking Up " le golf" very swiftly, and the swing of some of those little urchins is worthy of St. Andrews. The principal event of the Biarritz golfing year is the annual home and home match, against the elder BIARRITZ (FRANCE) OOLP CLUB. BIARRITZ (FRANCE) LINKS. tliirtv six lit Uiarritz "between a representative pair on ei ther s'tic .The prize is a cup given by Lord Kilinaine, on the condition that it sliall become the property of the club whose representative shall gain it thrice in succession. At the moment of writing- the Biarritz representatives have gained it twice successively. It may be tbat by the time of publication they will have annexed it altogether, or, on the other hand, may have lost tlie golden chance and l'tax may have begun a cycle of victories. Biarritz has grown to be-a very favourite resort Tor the Englishman iu spring and wiuter. The winter climate is not to he trusted. Sharp, cold snaps are apt to be enlivened by terrible " temp6tes." But after the first of February the climate is to be relied upon. Brilliant sunshine and an early spring reward the golferwho has dared the comparatively easy ''ourney, whether overland from Paris by the Sud Express,

or by long sea from St. Catherine's Docks to Bordeaux. Some of the steamers by the latter route ar very comfortable and well found, but of course the sea journey occupies much more time than th overland route. The actual course is short, but it has merits. The putting- greens are very fair. In places the "lies through the green leave a good deal to be desired, but there are Few holes that the long driver wil not r h intere the greens iu almost every case are well guarded, requiring accuracy in the long approach. The best testimony to the general excellence of the green is the number of golfers who find themselves able to stay for several months annually at Biarritz, and to golf daily without feeling their interest in the game begin to pall. Instituted March, iSSS ; Entrance Fee, none ; Annual Subscription, £3. Ladies, £1 raw. Lawn-tennis courts have also been added lo the grounds. Postal address • •' Auglet, Baj'onne." THE ROYAL BLACKHEATH GOLF CLUB.

THE history of the Golfing Societies of Macldiealh is th history of Golf in the South iddle of tlie present centxiry, the more is the pi ty that 110 reco ds of the lioyal Black liei\th (r r Club date than 1787 have been preserved. Tradition baa it that King James I. of England and VI. or Scotland, played golf 011 Blackheath, probably on that portion of the heath which formed part of the waste lands of the Royal Manor of East Greenwich, and that a Society of Golfers came into existence there in his reign, and has continued in some form or other to the present day. Kvidence there is, in the shape of minute-books, of two societies of golfers at Blackheath, the Knuckle Club, and the Royal Blackheath Golf Club. The former Club was founded 011 the 17th January, 1789, changed its name in November, 1825, to that of Blackheath Winter Golf Club, and was dissolved on the 10th February, 1844, having decreed, at its final meeting, that its Club Medal should be presented to the Royal Blackheath Golf Clnb. The Royal Blackheath Golf Club, sundry records of which point to the year 1608 as the date of its institution, is without documentary evidence of its existence of earlier date than above stated ; the minute- books prior to 1800 having, with other belongings of the Club, been destroyed by a fire. The oldest possession of the Society is the Silver Clnb, to be hereafter referred to, presented to the members in 1766. The doings of the Society since the year 1800 have been carefully recorded in the minute-books. Before referring to these, it may be remarked that the Knuckle Club, or Blackheath Winter Golf Chifo, almost all the members of which belonged also to the Royal BlackheatU Golf Club, followed, throughout its existence the same customs as the older Club, with the difference that its weekly meetings were held from the first week in November to the first week in April, the Royal Blackheath Golf Club's weekly meetings being rield during the remaining portion of the year. At the end of the last century we find the presiding officers of the Royal Blackheath Golf Club to be the Field-Marshal, the Captain, and the Secretary, who also acted as Treasurer. Unfortunately, there appears to be no means of ascertaining whether the office of Field-Marshal dates from the foundation of the Club. In October, 1802, the Club passed a resolution " That the Gold Medal prepared and designed by Mr. Longlands should be presented to the Field-Marshal, Walker, as a testimony of the Club's approbation of his long and meritorious services. That he be forthwith invested with the same, and requested to wear it at all times in the Club." The members of the Royal Elackheath Golf Club, in the first half of the century, were eminently sociable and convivial; they met for play every Saturday, and afterwards dined together at the Green Man Hotel. 64 BLACKHEATH I.TNKS.

Many a turtle and haunch o n was presented by some member for these din , and the donor's health drank with three timei s duly recorded in the Club books. A member w amed beforehand. as'screw' for each of these and his failure to attend rendered him liable to a of one guinea, or a gallon of claret; a like fine ays paid on the marriage of, or on an addition t family o member. The members wlteu dining together always, in observance of the rules of the Club, appeared in uniform; the Field-Marshal wearing two epaulets, a Captain one, and the former was always expected to wear his medal or badge of office when dining -with the Club. The following old Minute appears in the books in regard to these customs :— "Saturday, 5th April, 1806, "Mr. WAI,ZER, Chair. " Mr. Walker observed that Mr. Christie (a past Captain) was u nepau letted, and Mr. Christie alleged the Field-Marshal (Mr. Walker) was unmedalled. Both pleaded guilty. The usual fine of a gallou was adjudged to ch." othe old Minute r "nth July, 1807. " Mr. CALLENUEIi, Chair. "On tbis day Mr. Walker, assisted by Mr. Lawrie, took the opportunity of expressing the regard and affection of the Club to the Chairman by placing upon bis shoulder ati additional epaulet; and his health, under the appellation of ' Cap- hiiu General,' was drank with great applause." Mr. Henry Calender was Captain of the Club for the years 1790, 1801, and 1807; his full-length portrait in oil, by Lemuel F. Abbott, R.A., adorns the billiard-room in the present Club-house on Blackheath Hill, he being therein depicted in the Club uniform, and wearing two epaulets. The preceding Minute explains the decoration, Mr. Cullender never having filled the office of Field-Marshal. An Anniversary Dinner was held once a year, on a day decided by the club. Guests are recorded as having been present at almost all the dinners, hospitality appearing to be a virtue well cultivated by the Club. Previous to the Anniversary Dinner, held on the 14th August, 1S13, on which occasion the Duke of Brunswick was a guest of the Club, it had been resolved 'aplBHd, to give a Public Breakfast to the ladies and gentlemen of the LVER CMKEt Heath and its neighbourhood. The following is an account y /Ac Ripiil Blackicath GotfClu, of the proceedings, in the words of the worthy Secretary of the day :— "The company assembled at two o'clock, and after walking in front of the tents for some time, the ladies were invited to partake of a cold collation, consisting of fowls, ham, fruits of various kinds, ices, jellies, cakes—Sir John Earner's regimental band playing, and a party of his regiment keeping the ground in front of the tents, where the golf flag was erected. Two stewards attended each tent to wait on the ladies, who, after partaking of the refreshments, retired to accommodate the gentlemen, and walked tlie ground in front of the tents. The gentlemen soon joined the ladies, and the scene then became truly interesting from so large an assemblage of ladies of beauty and fashion. Swift-footed time too soon beckoned it is the hour to part, and after the band played ' God save the King,' the ladies took their leave with regret, but with countenances that bespoke a lively remembrance of the happy hours they had spent." Another entry in the Club books respecting one of its weekly dinners is :— "Saturday, -iSth October, 1834.—The Club having observed that the 93rd Highlanders, on their march from Canterbury to Weedon Barracks, would pass our golfing ground, directed the Secretary to invite Co1. McGregor and tlie officers of this distinguished regiment to dine with the Club, which invitation Col. Mcflrcgor accepted for as many oflicers as accompo-uied the staff of the regiment on this day. The Club had only to regret that so few appeared at the festive board. The Secretary announced that Charles Sutherland, one of our members, had takeii unto himself a wife tliis morning, and that a very abundant supply of chnni- pagiie and claret was presented to the Club by Mrs. and Mr. Sutherland on the occasion. Their health aud every happiness was drauk with an enthusiasm which could only be deafened by the powerful and melodious ON THE 4TH GREEN. 66 BLACKHKATH LINKS. strains of the bag-pipes played liy the pipers of the 93rd Highlatitiers. Mr. Medal-Holder Hastie brought with him to-day Burns1 bowl; there was abundance of whiskey to planish it, and the first fill was dedicated to the health of Col. McGregor and the 93rd Highlanders, and drank with sincere feelings of respect and attachment to this distinguished corps, which was duly acknowledged by the officers present. The thanks oftlie sufferers by flood iu the counties of Banff and Moray to the 93rd for the very handsome and seasonable donation sent by the service companies of the regiment through Captain Spark, were conveyed try Mr. Secretar3r Masson. The immortal memory of the late Col. Cameron was proposed in truly eloquent terms by Col. Leitli Hay, and drank in solemn silence. The vocal strength of the Club was eminently conspicuous this evening, and tlie meeting altogether found so delightful, that it will not easily be surpassed in our golfing annals. The company separated just tn time to say they did not break the Sabbath."

Monthly dinners were subsequently substituted for weekly ones, and in 1844 the monthly ones were abolished, and the dinners of the Club became reduced to their present number, namely the Annual Dinner in April, on the Spring Medal Day, and a 'wee dinner1 on each of the other medal days of the yeaT. So much for the dining proclivities of Blackheath golfers, in connection with which it should be mentioned that the members of the Club were most hospitably entertainer! at a baninit't at the Mansion

House n the 14th October, 1893, by their fellow member, Sir John Stuart Knill, Bart., then I^rnl Mayor of

To come to the play at Blacklieath, and what was, and is, played for. When the weekly dinners above mentioned were in force, the members of the Royal Blackheath Golf Club met for golf every Saturday fore- noon, and innumerable gallons of claret were betted on the results ofthe matches they played, on handicaps, if any, agreed for each match, such a thing as a "Club handicap " being then, perhaps happily, quite unknown. At the beginning of the century the Club held one scoring competition only in the year, and that 'or the silver CIUD, above ai luded to. This club of the form and si^e of an ordinary driver, bears on the head the inscription, " 16H1 August, 1766. The gift of Mr. Henry Foot to the Honorable Company of Golfers at Blacltheath." Whoever proved the winner of the club became Captain for the year. The following extracts from the Minutes, touching on play, may be of interest ;—

11 14th May, 180S. Annual Day.

]oss 01 his ball. Whereupon IVLF. Walkeir wfis introduced to the Chair, nud took the oatn.s and his se^it witli all due formality."

68 BLACK! 1EATH LINKS.

"29U1 June, 1811. "A motion was made by tlie Secretary that the old custom of the Club should be revived of playing for

" 14th October, 1S14. "The heaUli of Professor Wilson was drank with three times three as a memorandum of his extraordinary' powers at the atre of" nearly fourscore and four playm*1" a match tins day, and winning it, confessedly, by tlie skill he exhibited in the game." The silver club bore, and still bears, an important pact in the proceedings of the Royal BUekheath Golf Club. It lay on the table at the dinners, and was put in mourning for three weeks on the death of any member. It is, and always has been, carried before the Captain elect on his installation ; upon it the Captain is solemnly sworn on taking the oath of office, and on retiring- from the captaincy he hung to the shaft a silver golf ball inscribed with his name. The oldest ball attached to the silver club is inscribed "Alexander

Duncan, 1766-C7," other silver balls bear the names of successive Captains of the Club for one hundred yeai'S. A new club ^vas made 111 1000 J to tins are bim^ balls engraved with the names of the Captains for that and subsequent years. In the year 1822, the Royal Blackheath Golf Club resolved that the captaincy should be decided by the election of the members, instead of by play for the Silver Club, and at the same time voted a medal to be competed for once a year.

The entries in the Minutes relative to this medal in the first year of its existence, are as under :— "21st June, 1823. "This being the day appointed for the play for the medal voted by the Club, and scrutineers having examined the cards delivered on the occasion, the numbers were declared as follows . . . . " Signed by three scrutineers. Mr. Black proved the winner of the medal with a score of 105. " 16th August, 1823. " Moved and carried nem. con. that toe Gold Medal be worn 011 the breast of the victor every day of his appearance in the Club—a forfeit for neglect." The winning scores For this medal (known as the " Summer Medal "), from r8jj to 1843, averaged about 106, the medal course at Blackheath then consisting of five holes, played round three times, rn 1844 the course, was extended to seven holes, at which number it has since remained. Scores on the heath have ROYAL BLACK1IEATII GOLF CLUB. latter, however, was an exceptionally fin made by Mr. F. S. Ireland, and stands as tlie ;conl of tin green. Tlio Knuckle Club, presumably because tliey possessed no silver club, provided themselves with a Cold Challenge Medal earlier than the Royal Hlackheath Golf Club, nunicly, in 1792. This medal was played for .annually, and carried with it the honour of chairmanship or captaincy of the Knuckle Club for the year. Mr. Alexander limes won this medal in the year i8c6, and for the Medal Day of 1817, we find in the Minutes of the Knuckle Club :— " The ing a id Mr. limes being in possessioi it was decided by the Club that he do retain the medal for anotiie- Ir. Lonelands having stated a csu in point where the House of Lords (on an equality) would give 110 When, in February, 1844, the Blackheath Winter Golf Club—originally the Knuckle Club—was dissolved, its medal was presented to the Royal Blackheath Golf Club, as before mentioned, and has since been played

bay," the gift of the Bombay Golf Club in 1843; "The Photographic," the gift of the Photographic Society of Blackheath in i860; and "Tlie Gleunie," voted by the Club in memory of the late Mr. George Glenuie, probably the finest amateur golfer of his day, twice Captain, and for many years lion. Secretary of the Royal Blackheath Golf Club. All these medals are played for annually from scratch. Mr, F. S. Ireland made a record in winning every one of them during the Club year ending with tbe 3[»t March, 1896. The cups belonging to the Club, played for annually as challenge cups, under limited handicap, are, " The Calcutta," made in Cashmere, and presented by the Calcutta Golf Club in 1875 ; "The Singapore," presented b3' J. N. Purvis, Esq., also in 1875; "The Perm," presented by John Penn, Esq., M.P., in 1884, and "The Knill," subscribed for by members of the Club to commemorate the banquet given to them at the Mansion House, and above referred to. The present generation of THackheath golfers also compete for a monthly medal, the taste of the day appearing to lean to medal, in preference to match play. We find on record a minute of the 20th June, 1846:- " It was resolved unauimouslv fclisit every member who pluyed for *i medal shou 1(3 £?[i ve 111 his csird or be fined half-a-guinea." •JO BLACKHEATH LINKS.

We cannot find that Lliis Resolution lias been rescinded, but it would appear at present to he entirely honoured in the breach, The Silver Claret-jug of the Club ia a trophy of their match play in the past, it being the prize of the Golf Tournament at St. Andrews in 1857, in which ten Scotch clubs and the Royal Blackheath Club took part, the Southern Club, represented by Mr, George Glennie and Lieut. J. C. Stewart, 72nd Highlanders, proving the victors. After the dissolution of the Blackheath Winter Golf Club, and tlie abolition of the weekly meetings for play, and the subsequent dinners of the Royal Blackheath Golf Club, the latter Club extended its season of play to embrace the whole year, three days in every week being fixed as " Club days," upon which days any member arriving* at the club house by " Club time "—an hour which varied according to the season of the year—was secure of getting a match. This, and the old custom, still well observed, of members challenging one another to "dinner matches" at the Wee Dinners, are distinctly inducements to match play, which, nevertheless, seem to be less appreciated by members than the medal game. Many members of the Club express the opinion that match play is the finest form of golf; notwithstanding this, the fact remains, that of late years there has been a. steady decrease in the number of private matches played on the heath, while tlie number of members taking part in the several scoring- competitions lias continued to increase. Under what rules, it may be asked, did the Blackheath golfers play their game ? No printed or written code of laws of earlier date than 184311ns survived to the present generation. Copies of the code in force at tliat date are still ia existence, It seems worthy of reproduction, and is as follows :—

I,AWS OF COW.

I.—The distance from the hole, in teeing, shall not exceed four dub lengths, nor be nearer in than two, and the tee must be on the ground. 1L—The ball furthest from the hole played for must be first played. III.—Whilst a stroke is playing, none of the party shall walk about, make tiny motion, or attempt to take off the player's attention by speaking or otherwise. IV.—The party gaining a hole shall strike off first. V.—The ball shall not be changed or handled, on any pretence, whilst playing, except when by accident it is driven into water or mud, in which case the player may take it out aud throw

VI.—No stones, bones, or other break-clubs sliall be removed. VII.— If the player, by mistake, strikes his opponent's ball in playing thvougk the green, the stroke shall not be reckoned against either, and the ball must be played as it may chance to lie. VIII.—No person shall be at liberty to better his position in playing by breaking the surface of the green, placing or removing stoues j but should the ball he driven into fnr^e, he shall be at liberty to break down as much of it as will enable him to see the ball before striking. IX.—In playing no means shall be used to beat down or make any mark in the sand or soil, whereby to improve the lie of the ball. X.—If a stroke he made, and the club passes the ball or strikes the ground, it shall be reckoned against the player, although tlie ball be missed or the club be broken. XI.—Tlie party whose ball is amissirig shall be allowed five minutes to search for it, after coming to the spot where the ball appeared to drop. If not then found, the hole is lost. X1L—But should it be evident to both parties that the ball must of necessity have been carried off by some person or animal, the loser shall be entitled to throw down another, as near the spot as the players can guess. XIII.—If the ball be stopped by accident, it must be played as it may chance to lie. XIV.—But if stopped by the opposite party, or their club-bearers, no stroke shall be reckoned against tlie player, aud lie shall be at liberty to lay the ball fair. XV.—At holing, you are not to mark the direction to the hole; the ball must be played honestly for tlie hole, and not on the adversary's ball not lying in the way. ROYAL ET.ACKHEATH GOLF CLUB. 71

XVT.-Nothing whatever shall be removed when pulling at the hole, excepting on the play for the medal, when all loose impediments, within six dub-lengths of the hole, may he removed. XVII.—When the hole is distinctly in view, no person shall stand at it for a direction. XVIII.—When several parties are on the green, the second party shall not strike off before each (if the advanced party has played his second stroke. XIX.—If the player holes the opponent's ball, it shall be reckoned in favour of the opponent, and be the same as if his ball had been previously holed. The Club continued to promulgate its own rules of the game from time U> time up to April, 1R92, when it was carried unanimously that the Rules for the Game of Golf, adopted by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, on the 29th September, tSgi, be adopted as the rules of the game of golf by this Club (Royal Blackheath), subject to certain local rules for the Black heath Ijnks.

In regard to the Thinks themselves, they are inland, and in the metropolitan area, tile soil is too gravelly —flinty it has been called, but this is not correct—and there are too many people about. In the face of these palpable truisms, it will lie seen that they have a good deal to fight against. Fifty years or so ago they must have beeu better for play, as tbe quality of the old wiry heath turf, replaced considerably now by sown grass, is havd to beat for golfing. In the iintniun and spring of the year, very fair golf can still be obtained on the heath The course consists of seven holes, played three times round, the old gravel pits and roads on the heath being utilised to guard the holes with good effect. The first, second, and third holes are good golfing holes. The fourth and fifth do not strike one as being Quite so good. They are long holes, 550 and 520 yards respectively Train tee to hole, in a direct line, and it is not infrequently advisable to deviate a good bit from that line. The sixth is a short hole, 230 yards, but requires a straight drive from the tee ; the green is gem from the tec, a 2 poutl, and, at any rate theoretically, made for the hole, e has the alter- RLACKHEATTT T.1NKS. native of playing round to the north of " Wl field's Mount." The lies, however, on the course to this hole are often indifferent, and a line of posts an ails, some fifteen yards in front of the green, presents a not very fair hazard. The worst hazard ou the rse is the deep old gravel pit called Man's Ravine, after a departed golfer of that name, who was neve nown to carry it; though "bad to be in, nothing but a foozled shot should be caught by it. The ubt, has grown easier as years have gone by. A very large s been destroyed, the pond known as tlie Pool of Silo ich helped to gu d the second hole, has long-since been drained and filled up, and the levelling han of the T.ondojj County C cil

The present fortunes of the Royal Elackhcath Golf Club very ably presided over by Mr. F. S. Ireland, as Captain, while the multifarious duties falling upon the sho ders of the Hon. Secretary are discharged to the general satisfaction by ex-Captain Mr. W. G. Barnes, th of tlie Hon. Treasurer in a like manner by

in 1853, and whose name ia well known throughout the golfing world, particularly in connection with the early days of golf at "Westward Hoi and Hoylake. In conclusion, the Royal Blackheath Golf Club may fairly claim to have preserved the traditions and customs of the game, as handed down to them from the past, whilst accepting some few innovations in com- pManee witJi tlie indefinable entity known a& ti the spirit of the age." Gooti- fellowship remains as it always has been, a characteristic of the Club. The Blackheath golfer of to-day may almost lose his temper with his opponent, or may use ambiguous expressions about hick in his score ; the legacy of a former generation lias given him a panacea, in the shape of a Wee Dinner, which he attends, according to ancient custom, and leaves, after challenging: all the scratch men in the room, fully ready to endorse the sentiment so often penned at the foot of the old Minutes of the Club : " Happy to meet, sorry to part, and happy lo meet MEYRICK GOLF CLUB.';

Tin; Meyrick Golf Club, Bournemouth, wlikli tltirivus its naino from the President, Sir George Meyrick, Hart., was rounded in 1894 by Mr. G. E- Bridge, the Captain, to whom, with Mr. 1'. Weiitworth Jirewster—an ex-Captain—and Mr. Frank Courtenay, the late Hono- rary Secretary, Uie Club owes its being, and whatever measure of success it enjoys. With one object in view, that of making: golf a popular game ill the town of Bournemouth and amongst the townspeople, the promoters set to work to obtain a site upon which to erect a club house. Through the courtesy of the Corporation of Bournemouth, the Club was permitted to place its pavilion on the Meyrick I'avk Links, between the first and eighteenth g men s. "The Meyrick" is not a fashionable club, in the strictest sense of the term, the majority or its members licing composed of professional and business men resident in Bourne- mouth. The present Mayor of Bournemouth, Alderman Newlyn ; the ex-Mayor, Mr. Rnsseli-Merton Russell-Cotes, F.R.G.S., and a former Mayor, Lieut.-Col. Eebbeck, are all playing members, Although mainly composed of local men, the CUib \a ever ready to welcome members of any recognised golf club—coming from a distance beyond the twenty miles radius—as temporary members, at a moderate subscription, according to the duration of such membership. The annual subscription for -playing members is one and a-half guineas, with a guinea entrance fee ; for non~$laying- members, one guinea, with a like entrance fee. For each playing member a sum of fifteen shillings is payable annually :o the Corporation of Bournemouth; this entitles such member to the use of the Corporation Golf Links, vithont further charge of any kind. Spring and autumn meetings are held, also two competitions, monthly—monthly Medal Competition and :he monthly Competition against Bogey. The "Meyrick " possesses several valuable cups and other prizes, HKI a handsome gold medal, presented by Mr. G. K. Bridge, known as the " Founder's Medal." The Club :oat has green collar and cuffs, and the button bears the arms oF the Borough of Bournemouth. BOURNEMOUTH LINKS MEVRICK PARK.

BOURNEMOUTH LINKS—MEYRTCK PARK.

Unit the Meyriek Park c not a. long one, nor one fitted, perhaps, to suit the play of teurs or professionals, Tor e length of eighteen holes Only reaches lo two and a quarter iles. Tint Tom Du very inch of ground at his disposal, and he has placed the hazards with such care and discrimination that while the carries are not long off the tees, they are sufficiently arduous for the moderate driver, the beginner, youths, and ladies, who, in all probability, will often desert their own course for around 011 the long course. It is essentially a green, however, ou which any player is bound to improve his iron play, for the putting-greens are so placed, and the hazard..*) guarding them so arranged, that sure and accurate lofting is the only means whereby a creditable score may be attained. The long course (eighteen holes)

and picturesque borders of heather and furze. The majority of the holes are very sporting in character. The first is a cleek shot from the tee, perched high in front of the pavilion, down to a putting-green lying beyond a ditch in the valley below. The approach to the third is a shot requiring a good deal of skill, as not

send the ball down a steep slope, the green being 011 the very edge, and protected with a rain part-like bank with embrasures. To the sixth, lying in a valley, is a long, steep approach, with disaster on tlie far side in the shape of heather and fir trees. The drives across the valley to the seventh, going out—with a water hazard to avoid —and to the eleventh coining home, necessitate icenrate play, while at the ninth an awkward fir plantation catches a faulty stroke Tram the tee. The fiftee th has a peculiarity of its own, and, like many a sliort hole, is extremely difficult to negotiate with success. The green is on n tableland, the sides of which slope precipitously from the extreme edge of it. At the back it is guarded by the fi rs of Talbot Wood and a low bank. Either a topped or pulled ball lauds among scrubby firs and rough ground in a deep hollow, while a heeled shot comes to grief in tlie woods. It is an easy half- shot across the valley, The holes which tie along-the level ami high ground require straightforward play, but are not of an alarming character. The capital idea of laying on water to each green has been introduced, and both putting and teeing greens are all that golfers could desire. Tom Dunn, who has accomplished with remarkable success the task of converting- this heathery waste land into a first-rate Coif course, wilt remain at the links as guide to the tyro, philosopher to tlie experienced, and friend to all, The ladies' links are situated ou the high ground, at the pavilion end, and are encircled by the men's course. The graeu is a nine-hole one, about 700 yards in length, and covers an area of four acres. Tlie holes are about sixty or seventy yards apart. Here, again, the putting greens are splendid. The bunkers are of the same miniature mountain-range con- one for the other, the whole of the ladies' course has been surrounded with a small row of firs. Of all the many links laici out ny Tom IJunu, none reflect more credit on his knowledge and skill, looking at the difficult [character of the^work which had originally to be undertaken, than the Bournemouth

The Corporation lias just voted a sum of ^300 towards extension of : which will go far to making tlie course suitable for higher-class play. ROYAL WEST NORFOLK GOLF CLUE.

EKA-NCASTiiB, once the Hummer quarters of a troop of Dalmatian hor.se, appears to have ggone to sleep foi many centuries after tlie Roman occupation, until suddenly raised to life again by the discdiscoverc y thath t it possessed undeniable golf Jinks of the first quality. In the year 1892 the Royal West Norfollk GGolf Cltih

started, and, from •ily slender beginning-, it soon hi ut into a large and influential club, The course bears ibie likeness to that of St. Aud may roughly be described as a long1 loop. Its distingi are the absence of all artifi< nd the great variety to be found in the BRANCASTER LINKS. ROYAL WEST NORFOLK GOLF CLUB. RRANCASTER LINKS. holes lit KC- points, ami gives it a distinctive feature. Added to this the course is one of exceptional severity, not HO much to the scratch player as to the classes behind him. In the first place, there are several holes that require play of a high order if the player wishes tg escape condign punishment: and there is scarcely a hole at which a player may not come sadly to grief should lie happen to deviate from correct play. Not that there is the least unfairness in this. The hazards are mostly sand bunkers of the recognised type, but it requires the best kind of play to negotiate them properly, as well as the highest skill to extricate oneself satisfactorily, should one be so unfortunate as to pay them a. visit. The 4th, 5th, 8tli, 9th, izth, 14th, and 15th fire holes of exceptional merit, aticl cannot fail to delight any player who is in the region of first-class. The executive are fortunate in having had at their disposal the turf 011 the adjoining salt marsh wherewith to latural green, yet it had too little bottom to stand the work to which it was subjected in dry seasons. The Commoners, imaMe at first to recognise the extent to which they would be benefited by the establish- ment of the Golf Club, looked somewhat jealously at their " mashes," as they call them, and it was only by the exercise of tact that this great reserve was placed at the Committee's disposal. In addition to a small annual payment for the use of the Common, the Committee have started and fostered the "Workman's Club," which indulges in numerous competitions for prizes presented by members of the R.W.N.G.C., and is a most popular institution. Gradually such friction as there was (ami it was always small) has died out, and mutual goodwill now prevails. Among other drawbacks the Committee have had to contend with four consecutive thy springs, which have done their best to impede the work on hand ; hut in spite of this the course is in a state of continual progression, seventeen spacious greens have been laid, and are now in splendid order, and the turf is everywhere <••"• 1-0I:'luting. Unfortunately this did not origin - , ;!>, |j..::^!is the compactness and firmness of the .•t-h-lii :ILL'<1 "Westward Ho I turf, but it is wonderful u'lisil the incessant tread of the human foot accom- plishes, and the day is not far distant when the last complaint of the friable nature of the Bran- caster turf will have been heard: and even now any grumbles that may find a vent are confined U> those whose digestion is below par, or whose golfing incapacity is abnormal. There need be no : combines all those qualities which are sure to attract ;sitation in predicting a great future for thisgree ' members is at present verging on 500, A spacious ie ever-iuereasing fraternity of golfers. The mil ub house was erected in 1893, with a pair of reenkeeper. But accommodation of the ordinary kind is not too plentiful in Braucaster, and there i lance for some man of enterprise to supplement tills both to his own advantage and that of the Club. It1 1 supply this want that the Dormy House Club was erected in LS92, hut though a most excellent instituti id capable of putting up more than twenty men, Brancaster is outgrowing its capabilities. Tlie record of the tireen is at present held by R. Kelly, the professional at Norwich, with the Rue scor t, made up as follows : Out .| 3 4 5 4 4 4 6 4 = 38 Home .14 5-443355 = 3

74 e the record was held by A. Tingey, the hoi ; professional, with a score of 79. Then Mr. ivns shortly afterwards equalled by Tingey: ROYAL WEST NORFOLK GOLF CLUB. BRANCASTER. LINKS.

Mr. A. M Chnnca putting: A, Tin^sy [Greenktcper) U ROYAL WEST NORFOLK (iOI.F CLUB. 83 and sin e Kelly's gnificent round the ho l ha eeeded in ff round in 75. The lowest the handsome Challenge Cup presented by the Prince of Wales, the President's Clmllenjre Howl, the Club Gold Medal, the Cater Silver and Bronze Medals, the Rolfe Challenge Hronae and the Wilson Foursome Cups. There are four Meetings held annually, viz. : in Hie .spring, at Whitsuntide, and in the months of August and October. In addition to tile above, various other prizes are competed for at these Meetings. The Monthly Medal is played for on the last Saturday in each month. No account of the Braiicaster r,iuks, however short, would Ise complete without some reference to climate and scenery. As regards the former, it has, fc rtiu ately the health of ibi community, hut unfortunately for the Green Committee, the second lowest infaU e United Kingdom. The storms generally break away towards the high ground to tli 1 O the ( iiin Ocean to die north. There is a splendid tonic in the air which, though a little loo br t ti lies fo licate constitutions, is perhaps the grandest to be found in the whole of Kuglaud. Tl in its own way, and the wealth of Lring to be seen on a fine day stands almost u s blue as the of f seaweed, is exhibiting every colour of tlie rainbow. So that, apart from Golf, Braiicaster has a charm i itself, and artists have been known to grow enthusiastic over this and the neighbouring country. A line to the Hon. Secretary of the Club will ensure a courteous reply to any questions of an intendin visitor. There are points of view from which the remote situation of the links-seven miles froi Hnnstanton, on the Great Kastern Line, to which there is a fine communication of trains—is to 1: regretted ; but, on the other hand, this very remoteness is part of its essential charm and contributes t prevent that crowding which is so frequent on greens more easy of access. The Patron of tlie Club is the Prince of Wales, and the President Mr. Simms lleeve, of Braiicaster Hal Mr. H. Hutchinson is Captain, and Mr. W. I-I. Sinuus Reeve find Mr. C. W. Neville Rolfe are joint Hor Secretaries, but it is principally to Mr. Hoi combe lugleby, of Headiam Hall, and his indefatigable labour! that the Club owes its existence and its success. BRIGHTON AND HOVE GOLF CLUB.

liEFOin: 1S26 Golf was played 011 the Brighton Downs. In 1S73-4 a Tew gentlemen planned out a course in the vicinity of the Hrighton race-stand, and in 1875-6 played on the site of the present course, and endeavoured to make a Club; but the game had not "taken on," and it was hardly known to most English- men. I11 1888 a Club was started, beginning in a modest way with nine holes, and a shepherd's hut as a club house. It grew rapidly in prosperity, and in September, 1891, an eighteen - hole course was opened with a professional tournament. The following men competed for a ^10 and other prizes: Douglas Roland, Peter Paxton (winner), Tom Dunn, C. Gibson, T. Pinkei-ton, A. Alexander, R. Hunter, R. Jones, and Charles Kainage (the club's professional at that le). The links (course) on the Hangletou Downs, N.W. three and a- half miles from West Brighton, is reached by branch line from Brighton to the Dyke. A private platform close to the Club is provided, trains stopping by order or signal. The ground is private, and is a beautiful stretch of undulating land, with splendid old turf and hazards of gorse, pond, earth and turf banks, with sand ditches, and capital greens, somewhat difficult to strangers. The vi expansive—from Beachy Head to BRIGHTON AND HOVE GOLF CLUB.

Dr. Bruce Goff driving. BRIGHTON LINKS.

the Isle of Wight—four hundred feet above the sea ; windy at limes or the healthiest plac kingdom. The distance, chained from tee to hole, making a little i o ami Uiree-cinm-ter mil a professional record of seventy-one; amateur, seventy-six. The Cluli House, of iron exterior, is wot ornamental, having by degrees, but

smoking and luncheon rooms, dressing toonis, a drying room, locker room, co nittee room, and good workshop and offices. It has a :ty-foot frontage, with glazed verandah looking c tee and home green being just Capt. H, L'tarncui \uis tlie first li etary, succeeded by Mr. H. E. Ackiom, - srked well for the

Mr. H. J. P

Club for five years, assisted at first by Major C. Marriott, and after by Mr. H. J. P took the hou. secretaryship, and ia now acting in that capacity. The following gentlemen liave acted as under: Baron de Worms, as president presitleiit; D. W. J. Duncan, captain for X889; Capt. W. W. Saudeman, captain 0; Walter Carr, BRIGHTON AND HOVE GOLF CLUB. 87 BRIGHTON" LINKS. captain for rSgi; S. S. Schultz, captain for rSga; H. R. Knipe, captaia for 1893; FT. E. Acklom, captain for 1894; H. F. de Pamviciui, captain for 1895 • P. A. Witlett, captain for 1896; A. C. I,ee, lioti. treasurer; H. J. Percival, lion, secretary. Dr. Bruce Ooff is the captain-elect for 1897. The Club is limited to tliree hundred members. The Entrance Pee is /5 5s.; the Annual Subscription is £2 as. Temporary members, with an introduction, are admitted on payment of ros. per week, or £1 per

•en annually by the Club, in addition to the President's

Captain W. W. Sandeman,

Challenge Cup and other prizes. The first De Woi t Challenge Cup became the property of Mr. ' CaiT, he having won it thrice ; and the present cup is the secon=ond giveg..-.n. b•.,y the President. Th^ e .Ken— . Gold Scratch Medal, with Gold Token Medal; the Berens Monthly Gold Medal, with Silver Token Medal; the Captain's Prize, and several others, tend to make the prize competitions attractive. Nio e ce fees for the prize competitions are made, but a voluntary awe pstake is customary. A " Bogey " (i d) pool for every three -months (two-thirds to winner, one-third to nd) is well patronised. CANNES GOLF CLUB.

A WiW years ago the visitors aL Cannes decided that n golf club was an absolute necessity there. H.I.H. the Grand Duke Michael of Russia had just then returned from England, where he had been initiated into the mysteries of " putting-," "lofting," " driving," &c, Like almost everyone who once plays golf, lie became enthusiastic about it. Naturally, he was the •with i much energy and good-will that he was bound to make it a The Grand Duke kindly and graciously accepted the presidency of the Cannes Golf Club. Colonel Cragg, an old resident of Cannes,

than lucfey in finding an honorary secretary who since its foundation has given his entire time and the benefit of his knowledge in golf matters to the interests of the club. In 1891, after a deal of anxious consideration as to where a fitting piece of laud could he found, the Golf Club of Cannes, then consisting of a hundred members, finally marked out their first links on a low-lying piece of ground to the right of the Napoule road. They had 110 club house in those days. The course was too wet. But worst of all, their landlords numbered no less than thirty-six. ii'/mm of/he club Coiu Mrdah iHgi, '93, '91, '(Jj, These thirty-six owners of the land upon which they played had to be consulted upon every change made. Thirty-six landlords were thirty-five too many. The situation was intolerable and untenable. The club resolved to move. New ground was found a little further away, quite near the small village of Napoule. This ground, although not absolutely ideal golf ground, was capable of being made very " useful." It had the first good quality of being flat. It was expensive enough because of being one of the rare spots in these hilly parts where corn could be grown. But where corn could be grown so could grass, and grass is what golfers need. In the centre of these new grounds was an old farmhouse, picturesque enough, 13'ing under tlie shade of 0. great overhanging pine. Some were for pulling the farmhouse down and erecting a model club house in. its place. But those who held out for the retention of the old building carried the day. That meant a vast deal of internal alterations in the structure, but at the same time it gave a club house which has individuality about it, and seems to be in keeping with its natural surroundings. N CAMNUS LINKS. CANNES GOLF CLUR. CANNES LINKS.

To-day a fine well-made road reaches at right angles from the main road to the club house. Driving up the first impression as you reach the club is of a very neat, well whitewashed house, with red-tiled roof, a wooden balcony at the first story, running all along the front of the house, led tip to by a flight of leu stairs. The same balcony runs pretty nearly all around the house. The big pine tree rears itself vVlien the club first started there was no railroad station at Napoule. Owing to tbe influence of H. the President, a station has been established which nina a double service each way during the day for

,-ers there is a train-" the players' train "—which leaves Cannes in the morning at 9.15 a.m., and the mey is only one of a few minutes, while the station is only about ten minutes from the clubhouse. There second, "the lunchers'train," leaving Cannes at mid-day, landing the members in good time for the 0 luncheon. The return trains are at 3.3° and 5'3° p-ni. The grounds which the club now occupies extend over sixty acres, of which they have a nineteen years' ;e, renewable at will, and with the option of obtaining as much extra ground as they desire on the same us as they now have. There is but one landlord. The course, which is comparatively level, and has gradually been brought into thoroughly playable order means of extensive drainage works and other surface improvements, is of a sporting character. It has a :uit of nearly aj miles, beginning and ending at the club house. It is narrow, and for getting off the : the player is severely punished. Sonie of the holes are on the short side, but require nice judgment h the iron play. The hazards are fairly diversified and are numerous, consisting of water, whin-bushes 1 sand bunkers. The river " Riou " running through part of the land, has to lie crossed twice, and woe ide the unskilful golfer who "foozles his tee shot." The greens are in fine order, but as inland links y vary with the weather. The caddies are French boys, remarkably intelligent and civil, and their inness adds much to the comfort of the player. In addition to the usual links, there is just in front of : chili house a neat little putting ground for the ladies.

Instituted 1891. Number of Members, 400. President—H.I.H. the Grand Duke Michael of Russia. :e-Presidents — H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. I-I.R.H. the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Schwerin, R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, II.S.TI. the Prince of Thurn and Taxis, J. Gordon-Bennett, General ;onite De Bernis, Lord Brougham and Vaux, Monsieur De Falbe, Ogden Goelet, Prince OuroussofF. DALHOUSIE GOLF CLUB.

THB links of Carnoustie, one of the best in Scotland, is within twenty-live minutes by train of the town oi " Bonnie Dundee," famous for its marmalade and its jute. It has been the playground of various clubs for many decades—the Caledonia, the Carnoustie and Tayinouth, tlie Carncmstie Mercantile, and last, but most renowned of all, the Dallionsie, It is rife with the best old Scottish traditions of the game, and has been the scene of countless matches exhibiting golf in its highest perfection. The account of the green which follows is made tip of extracts from the description supplied in "Famous Golf I.inks," supplemented by the story of more recent alterations which is given in the "Golfing Annual" for 1S95-6. The first four holes, says the scribe of the former description, are good golf. A drive and a wrist-shot slioultl suffice for the first hole ; but these shots must he tolerably straight, otherwise we are engulfed in a pretty broad tidal burn, the banks of which are often haunted by boys, who rejoice over a foozle into its depths, for they theu levy backshecsh for retrieving the gutta with monstrous landing nets. Irate golfers have sometimes wished to sacrifice a boy instead of a ball to the local water-kelpie. The second hole can, perhaps, be reached by a colossal driver in one stroke ; but the majority of players are content to make- a four of it, w'lth EL fair chance of a tliree for the gently undulating* pul ting-screen is as true as a billiard-table. The third hole is, perhaps, the best on the green. Down a valley, flanked on the right by rabbit-ho lea, broken ground, and bunkers, on the left by bents and bad ground, the tee-shot requires to be very accurate. A well-struck ball is almost always rewarded by a perfect "lie," and a good second will take the player home, the hole lying at the end of a narrow little valley, "which makes it pretty easy to '' lie'7 neai" the pin if once the entrance to the valley has been gained. The fourth hole is a long drive which must also be straight, and an iron approach over a small runlet, which is pretty sure to catch a bad shot. Prom this point the next four holes are not remarkable for enthralling interest; unless, indeed, we except the seventh, which may claim distinction, partly on account of its length, and partly on account of the uncertain "lies1' with which it is plentifully garnished. Homeward bound, the more noticeable holes are the tenth, a short one, affording scope for a pretty pitch; the eleventh and the fourteenth, the latter, perhaps, the most interesting of the newer holes, requiring accurate driving before a five can be registered. Hummocks and uneven ground generally are the characteristics of the fifteenth, which is ft capital hole CARKOUSTIE LINKS.

I -***••• -JuL,.

AT THE 10TH HOLE—"THE DYKE." CARNOUSTIE LINKS.

H. S, C. liverard putting. THE DAI.HOU.StE GOLF CLUB. ng CAKNOUSTIE i.rNKS.

To supplement tins rallier fragmentary account, the •'Golfing Animal " narrates Hie story of recent changes, virtually as follows :—In the summer of 1S95 tlie course was considerably altered. The first Jour holes remain as formerly, but the firth and sixth are quite new. The fifth is a short hole running parallel to the line to the fourth, the green being Ruarded by a bunker. The sixth hole stretches along the Govern- ment ground. A bunker has been placed 130 yards from the tee, a dry ditch lies in wait to trap tlie second shot, aud the green is guarded on either side by bunkers—a very good Hole in 5. The eighth hole also breaks fresh ground. It requires a drive and an iron to reach it. The ninth green is in the old place, but the hole lias been lengthened to fully 600 yards, and only with si favouring wind can the turf dyke be carried in two sliots as formerly. Coming home 110 radical changes have been made until the sixteenth. This is now direct line to the hole is up the old carrot field. A full iron shot over the burn, a hunker, and broken ground should reaeii the green, which is placed in a hollow at the hack of a little mound. It is indeed a good hole iji 1 Tlie seventeenth has also been flAteved somewhat, the burn, some whins, and a bunker liaving to oe carried from the tee, after which all is plain sailing, The last hole is in the old sweet spot, with the bit rn and

the barelegged urchins paddling in it, putting us o our iron shots. The par of the round may fairly be placed at ;8,40 out and 38 in, hut Archie Simpson, soon fter the opening, in July, 1895, established a record of 75. which will take aa immensity of beating. The par of the old round was 73, and the record 72, by P. G. Tait. The starting point for the nine hole round is clos to that for the eighteen hole one, and although it is commonly called the "duffers'" course, that is inde d a misnomer. It is a thorough test of golf, and the only pity is that mauy bond fide duffers consider it altogether beneath their dignity to try thei p on it. The burn is an inexorable hazard ; there is simply 110 dodging it. Twice has it to be crossed e/i route to the first and third greens, once to the fourth, and the last green of all is in hazardous proximity lo it. There are bunkers and broken ground galore, and every tee shot save that to the second hole must be truly hit, or it will assuredly be punished, which is not the case at several of the holes in a big round. The par of the nine-hole course is 34. The DaUiousie Club are the Curators of the courses appointed by the Police Commissioners of Carnoustie, by whom the links have been acquired for the purposes of golf only. The Caraoustie railway station is about five minutes' walk from the links. In the village there are three or four hotels where visitors cau be accommodated, besides every variety of private lodgings. CHISLEHURST GOLF CLUB.

• spring of 1894. Club is proprietary, the s lia liability bcyi d the subscription. The President is tlie Right Htm. A. J. Halibut1, H.I'., the Vice- President, Sir Pattej on Nickalls, J.P., the Captain, Mr. C. Eric Hambro, and the Ho 1. Secretary, Mr. Ernest S. Allen. The Com- mittec is composed »f the Officers of the Chib and ten ordinary ;inbers. Part i if the old Cauitlen. Estate has been itilised for the historic mansion has been turned

The writer—" the great and learned William Caniden, one of the most learned writers, diligent antiquaries, and impartial historians that his own age or this country has produced." William Cainden, in [609, after recovering from a dangerous illness, retired to Chisle- hurst, where he spent the summer months regularly during the remainder of his life. He died in 1623, in the 73rd year of his age. a thoto by AMWMM, IWw Bmgglreit. It is doubtful if any part of the present house was "built by him. After his death the estate passed through several hands, until it fin/ Captain, 1894-5. came into the possession, by sale, of Charles Pratt, son of Sir John Pratt, of The Wildernease, Seal, Chief Justice of the King's Bench. He became Attorney-General and afterward Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and was knighted, and in July, 1765, was created Baron of In the next year he was made Lord High Chancellor, an office which lie held until 1770, when he O 2 CHTSLEHUKST LINKS.

CHISLEHURST LINKS. CHrSLEHURST GOLF CLUB. 104 LINKS. resigned •' and retired to this scat, to which he made great additions and improvements to the grounds about it and afterwards resided in it." He was made Earl Cauideu, and Viscount Bay ham, in Sussex, in 1786. When he died, in 1794, his son, who succeeded his father in title and estate, resided at Caniden House until he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Since the property passed out of the Caniden family, the most illustrious residents have been the late Emperor and the Empress of the French, who lived ut Camden HOUSE for several years after leaving France. The rooms on the ground floor are large, especially the dining room, and afford ample accommodation for the members of tlie club, One of the chief features of the house is the entrance hall, which is entirely decorated with very effective carving in tlie French style. The ground covered by the course is undulating, and there are several good natural bunkers, more particularly in the last five holes. The chief obstacle occurs at the fifth, where there is a large sand-pit in front of the tee, requiring a carry of about no to 120 yards On to the green, which is immediately above the pit. Although of only nine holes, the course is a fairly long one, the second and fourth holes being over 450 yards, the first nearly 400 yards, and the new seventh (which will be opened probably in the Spring) not far short of 500 yards, For an inland course the turf is for the most part excellent, and the ground keeps dry through the winter, with tlie exception of two or three places where there are small springs, which give some trouble in tlie wet weather. The present bogey score for the nine holes is 40. The best score for the nine is 35, done by the late open champion, J. H. Taylor, and the local professional, Dan [From apJlitobj/ F.£ E. Srjitetium, CA Bryson ; the amateur record stands at 36, done by Mr. Arnold D. Mr. Ernest Satow Allen, Blyth on the day the links were opened. There are just over 150 members. The subscription is £6 6s., and the entrance fee £10 10s., the latter iving been raised after the first 150 members had been elected.

The fill that office was Mr. Martin R. Smith during 1895-6, and he is succeeded by Mr. C. Eric Ilambro, the pre captain. There is also a Ladies' Club, which numbers about 50 members. They have a smaller course, which is laid out on the level near the club house, and are allowed to play round tlie long course, except on Bank Holidays, with the proviso that they must not starts round of nine holes later than one o'clock 011 Saturdays, or three o'clock on other week-days.

CINQUE PORTS GOLF CLUB.

Tim Cinque Ports Golf Club was established in 1892, The course i ver the sand-hills to the north of the Lmvii of Deal, tlie club house being about a mile from the Deau.l i«.»railwna.j station. The links run parallel with the shore. To the east He the famous Downs ; and the white cliffs of the North Foreland and the town of Hnmsgate arc seen to the north, at a distance of a1>o- six miles across Pegwell Bay. An attempt was made ' c before .189 _,2 to fon.. n a go„ l f club, but the ide_.s_ /as abandoned by its promoters, owing to their inability lit that time to obtain sufficient ground to make an eighteen-hole course. Subsequently, it o curred to Mnjor-Cleiieral Graham that, failing an eighteen-hole course, it might be possible to make a good c le of nine lioles, and on the principle that half a loaf is better than no bread, he set to work to carry out his With much trouble, ami aided by the able assistance of some local gentlemen, and the cordial co-operation of the corporation of Deal, from whom rather more than half the grc LS obtained, the able in the spring of 1892 to hold their inaugural meeting:, and Gei eral Graham was elected Captain for the first year. A very fine nine-hole c jut, and it has steadily improved ever since under the care of Henry Hunter, Le greenkeeper and club professional. A commodious club-house was built and occupied in 1893. The soil, like that of most seaside links,. is sandysandy.. Mud is therefore an unknown quantity, a iuiest weathe•" r the course i' s l*i a and" dry" . ~Drough t i" Its greatest enemy, but a tube we flunk near each hole, anuid thus the greeng s have been well preservedprc rved.. Most of the ground is very undulating, and all the holes are interesting. The first hole has a length of 265 yards, and stretches southwardvard.. It is to be regretted that no obstacle confronts the driver from this tee, but the green is protected by a ditch, whicInch is always full of water in winter time. So tbe approach must not be topped, or inevitable disaster follows. This green hhas been described as the best in Ivugland, aud it certainly is hard to beat. At tlie second hole, 355 yards in length, a fail md bunker, ab af the tee, on to a beautiful piece of turf, fn md, you may cany jn to the green; but more often a third stroke, in the natu id, with a light iron or mashie, if

DE-A]. LINKS.

Sic Bevan Edwards, Captain, driving. CINQUE PORTS GOLF CI.UR. I 10 DEAL LINKS,

needed to take yon home. The third liolc is 438 yards 111 length. To play this hole properly requires a ilrivc of about 160 yards over some rough ground, with many traps, on to a fine plateau, from which a good second will take yon over the formidable hill and inuikcT known as Lang's Neck. Once over this, an iron shot should laud you on the green. The fourth hole, of 158 yards, is knownas Sandy l'arlour, and is a reproduction 011 a smaller scale of the celebrated Maiden at Sandwich. It is a very pretty hole, and, except against a strong wind, a cleek shot should land you on the green ; but a provoking pot to the left catches many an apparently well-hit ball, so tlie hole ninst be played -with care and precision if it is to be achieved in three. At the fifth hole, 442 yards in length, a fair drive over a big sand bunker lands you on a rising slope, from which a g-ood second carries you over some steep hills and another bunker on to a nice piece of rising ground. A deck .shot is generally required to take you on the green, which lies in a hollow, with Steep banks all round. The sixtlt, or cross hole, is about the same length as Sandy Parlour—to be exact, it is 168 yards; ten yards longer. The green being protected by a bunker, short though this bole is, it is easy to make a mess of it, as too long a drive takes you into serious difficulty, and an inadequate one lands yon in the bunker. The orthodox three is, therefore, not always so easy as it looks. The seventh hole, of 427 yards, is about the most sporting'hoJe ou the course. The difficulties commence with a cross bunker, at about 140 yards from the tee.

Over this you land'on ajine plateau, whence you have a choice of two lines. That to tlie left, making an elbow, is the safer one to follow; that to the right, although direct, is across a valley, and a long second may take you into a bunker at the bottom of the green, which stands ou a high plateau, and which must not be overrun, or terrible grief is likely to ensue, The eighth hole is 344 yards in length, and this also is a fine hole. Two good shots carry you across two lines of bunkers, over a high plateau, to tlie borders of tlie green. At the ninth hole, 41a yards long, a most uncompromising bunker is facing you from the tee; but with a fairly long drive a good player should easily carry it, and with his second be able to negotiate the ditch, which crosses the course at about 80 yards from the green. This green is a very perfect one, situated on a plateau. The bogey score for the green is 43, made up as follows :-4, 5. 6. 3. 6, 3. 6, 5. 5 - 43- The amateur record for the green is Si, made by Mr. C. E. Hambro ; but Hugh'Kirkaldy, iu a competition held in June, 1894, succeeded iu lioliug the course in two strokes less. Of many greens their uudulatory character is mentioned as a great merit, but this character runs almost to an excess in the case of the Cinque Ports I,inks. Occa- sionally, after a good drive, the player may find himself unfortunately situated in a trough of the billowy surface, with a steep rise in front of him which only a hip-h-tofted ball can carrv. These hillocks in firr

DEAT, L1XKS.

fiving a considerable advantage to a player of the class of "bogey," who always lies well after a fair shot. There is no doubt that the Cinque Ports course would enjoy much wider celebrity if it were not for the lear neighbourhood of tlie almost unrivalled green of Sandwich. Having gone so far for his golf, the player s likely to prefer the latter more famous course ; but if the links of Deal were situated on any other part of lie coast of X>us~laiid thev could not fail to attract larc^e numbers 01 players by their sheer excellence. As he case stands, this green, with all its merits, is rather severely overshadowed by its celebrated neighbour.

The committee have just recently obtaine sufficient ground Tor f eighteen holes, which will probably be ready for play by the time the e lines appear. The principal meetings of the Club ar at Easter, when an annual match t ntested, at Whitsuntide, when the play is for the Club up, scratch, and, under handicap, f n by the Borough of Deal; and in the autumn, when play takes place in foursomes for prizes given by the Club. Lord Salisbury has become President of the Club, in succession to Lord Dufferiu, the late Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The Captains of the Club from its inauguration are as follows:—Major-General

' J. Ilevan Edwards, IC.C.JVI.G., M.I1., 1895-6; ]•;. I*. Barlow, lisq., 1896.7. COVENTRY GOLF CLUB.

IT would be difficult to find away from the sea an expanse of ground more isuitable ami better adapted to playing the game of golf than Wliitby Common. Being not move than a mile and a quarter from the centre of the town, it is easy of access, and Coveittry players may consider nelvcs v/ery fortunate in having one of the beat of inland greens almost at their doors. It was in the spring of 1887 that the Coventry Golf Club was started, and Peter Paxton, who was then green keeper at Malvern, was engaged to come down and lay out a nine-hole course. Three more holes hnve since been added, and by taking the second nine holes in different rotation, a great variety is given, the course is much lengthened, and only two of the same approaches as in the first round are played. The turf is excellent, the subsoil being gravel and sand, and players are never troubled with long grass. The lies through the green are fairly good, have improved latterly, and are likely to be better. The greens themselves will compare in excellence with any in the kingdom, and the golfer has no excuse for his failures when once he has reached them. The hazards are all natural, and well placed to punish bad shots from the tees, or loose approaches to the hole; and to play a good medal round requires all the expedients of the practised golfer. It is a course in which bad golfers will always be finding difficulties, whilst the accurate player, who uses his head as well as his clubs, will think it easy. The total length of the round of eighteen holes is about two and three-quarter miles, the distances between the holes varying from 150 to 450 yards. They are all interesting to play, the seventh, ninth, tenth and twelfth being exceptionally good. The eleventh green is on an elevated plateau, and requires a good stop mashie stroke for the approach. The club numbers about 120 members, and a fairly good match team can be put in he field, i-. G. F. Twist, the present captain, is a strong player. Mr. Edward Petre has been presidet of the clu started, and both his sous play a good game. Mr. Harold Smith is the hon. secretary a' holds the record of the green with 79, which low score was made in a competition. It should not be forgotten that Mr. Hugh Rotherham, a member of this club, first suggested the present method of "bogey" play, and the first competition on these lines was played on the Coventry Links on May 13th, 1891. It was soon found to be a good method, and spread quickly to other golfing places. A commodious club house stands close to the first tee and is well looked after by Mrs. Randall, wwhilst COVENTRY LINKS. COVENTRY GOLF CLUB, COVENTRY LINKS. THE ROYAL DUBLIN GOLF CLUB.

Tnis Club had its origin in the year 1885, an. inaugurated by a few expatriated Scotchmen the name of "The Dublin Golf Club." The PI Park was chosen as the site for the links, and permission having been duly obtained, the Club had its first local habitation there. These links, however, I the usual disadvantages of au inland COUTSS—he* lies, long grass in the spring and summer seasons a numerous trees. Golf was at this time in Irela thought to be some outlandish and barbaric gai peculiarly adapted to the Scotch character, and played by Scotchmen, not so much because there wai thing in the game itself, as on account of a certain conservative pertinacity, which, it was believed, w one of their characteristics. Indeed, it might w be considered to be a game ill-adapted to the fiei imaginative, impulsive, and impatient Irish Celt, a; one which lie could never be expected to regard wi the awful solemnity of a religious function. However, the little handful of a round dozen or so of members increased slowly and steadily, until in the year 1889 the Clnb consisted of about forty or fifty members. Thns encouraged, the Club decided in 1SS9 to seek fresh fields and pastures new, and the North Bull, the present site of the links, was chosen for future operations. Colonel Veruon, of Clontarf Castle, the owner Club to become his tenants at the nominal rent of £1 per about one mile wide and about three miles long, and is 1 certain amount of percolation constantly going on from the ROYAl, DUBLIN GOLF CLUB. Dor.LYMOUNT LINKS.

[from «1'hotQ by Jt. UWcti, lialjitil. COVENTRY GOLF CI.UB.

Randall, who has charge of the greens, always has them in peiTectio . There is a separate nine-hole course for the ladies' club, and a separate club house. The greens are ratlit small, but to do a good round (it needs masterly iron play. Every hole is sporting, and the greens well guarded. A short driver may circumvent l>y roundabout ways some of the many hazards to be met with from the tee; but he would never be on level terms with the player who can carry them with the first shot. It is necessary to be accurate from all the tees, and a single mistake will ofteu lose the competition on a medal day. The holes may be enumerated as follows :— i.—{The Dyke).—For which the teeing ground is opposite the club house, requires a good carry to reach a safe place for an iron stroke on to the greeu, A sliced ball in either case is severely punished.

2._{Railway).—With the help of a little wind a long driver should be on the green, but if not straight he will be in difficulty, as the green is protected on three sides. 3.—(HoUtno).—A sliced ball goes out of bounds ; but after » good drive and an iron the player should be down in four. At -( Vftllcy).~~ Not very interesting, but the approach has to bo played with judgment. S-—(Part).—A short hole; but for erratic driving there are difficulties on all sides.

6.—(Howes Lanc).—K blind hole. The green is well guarded ! •o/Cn/ii. and most interesting to put on. 7.—[Abhcy).—h long carry over a ravine with a good brassey for the second. This is one of the most sporting holes and requires first-class golfto be down in four. 8.—(Far Bridge).—1\ is rather dangerous to use a driver here ; but a long cleek stroke should enable the player with his next to reach the green. 9.—(Telegraph).—A long drive is an advantage, as it gives the player an approach free from all hazard. to.—(Midtt/c). — This green should he reached in three, but the strong bold player might be there in two. A fine golfing hole. n.—(AftwWJ.-The approach to this hole requires a skilful inashie stroke, as the green is elevated and surrounded by hazards. 12.-( Valley).—Two fine strokes should place the player's ball near the green, but any mistake is severely punished.

approach, requires care or trouble is easily found. 14.—(Sathoay).—Same as No. 2. 15.—(,#M?

From the year 1889, when the Club migrated to the North Bull, it has steadily increased in numbers. In ificjo one or two barristers, who were members of the Club, worked so indefatigably in its interests that they impressed their legal brethren with their own enthusiasm, with the result that there are now about seventy members of the Bar ou the roll. The total number of members is two hundred and fifty. The limit, which it is expected will soon be reached, is three hundred members. The entrance fee is eight guineas, and the suljscriptiou £2 per annum. Visitors are more generously treated than in most other clubs. In the year 1892 the Club obtained the right to be called "The Royal Dublin Golf Club." The principal prizes of the Club are :—The T,timsden Medal, presented by Mr. John Lumsdeu ; the Black Watch Gold Medal, presented by the Black Watch; the Scotch Medal and MoncrieiT Cup, which were presented by General Moncrieff, who was the president for the year 1895, and who took the greatest interest in the Club, and gave it his invaluable services; the Dolly moxmt Cup; the Coldstream Guards' Cup, presented by the 1st Battalion of the Coldstreani Guards ; and the Bar Cup, presented by some members of the Bar of Ireland. The office-bearers for the year 1896 are:—President, The Right Hon. Gerald W. Balfour, M.P.; Trustees, His Honour Judge Shaw and John Lumstlen ; Captain, George C. Green ; Hon. Secretary, George C. May, 13, Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin ; Hon. Treasurer, Vemon Kyrke ; and Committee, J. W. Barringtou, C. D. Barry, John Brown, David Christie, J. H. Campbell, O..C, Serjeant Dodd, Q.C., "William Hone, Morgan K. O'Cotmell, His Honour Judge Orr, and John Petrie. DORNOCH GOLF CLUB.

tutor to the house of Sutherland, the following reference to these links occurs :— " About this towu (along the sea coast) are the fairest and largest Linkes (or Green Fields) of any pairt of Scotland, fitt for Archery, Gofiiag, Rydiug, aud all other exercises; they doe surpasse the fields of Montrose or St. Andrews." Tiiere is 110 record, however, of the Royal game ever having been played here till the autumn of 1S76. In the folio-wing spring the present chib was instituted, the two gentlemen responsible for its foundation being wlr. Alexander Me tlardyr ' the Pioneer of Golf ITI the north of Scotland, £vud the late Dr. John Gunn, a native of the town, who was educated at St. Andrews, and had there learnt the game which was destined to bring the sleepy and comparatively unimportant capital of Sutherland so prominently into the world of sport. The links lie close to the town, and along with those of Embo and Loaemore, probably form the most extensive stretch of continuous golfing ground in the British Isles. The turf throughout is of a beautifully smooth and. velvety nature, and the hazards are of the character usually met with on a first-class sea-side links, with the important addition of a burn, 30 feet wide, which has to be crossed twice in the round. Up till 1886 the course was a nine-hole one, but the game was spreading rapidly, and visitors having discovered a golfing paradise in the Doruoch I,uiks, old Tom Morris had to be summoned up to lay oft the full round of eighteen holes. This he did in the year mentioned, 1886. He was charmed with the links, and after going over the ground remarked that better could not be found for " Gowf." lie was particularly pleased with one feature of the links, the numerous small plateaux, or table hillocks, distributed throughout the green, and many of these lie brought into use by placing holes upon. them. Some of these are now among the best putting greens on the course. Financial and other considerations interfered with the course being extended all at once as the veteran wished. But from time to time the line of his suggestions was followed up, and this year will probably see the last of Ms recommendations carried into effect. DORNOCII GOI.F CLUB. 12. DOR-NOCr-I LINKS.

From that time forward the little town has made considerable advancement, due entirely to the spread or golf and its attractive links, fn this collection it may be mentioned that the rateable valuation of the burgh duriii" the present year will not be far short of treble of what it was in 1S88. Writing about the view to be obtained from the links an antipodean golfer says :— "Looking westward, and, indeed, bounding the view from the Old of Caithness, on the north-east, to the far-away hills of J0*-iK. Aberdeenshire, in the south, there is a grand circle of Highlands fig \ before us, embracing all -the Guest 'Bens' in Sutherland, Ross, F jmm Tnverness-shire, &c. On fine summer days the play of cloud- f, * *f •;• shadow and sunlight gleam on these distant mountains is a very \ --<#' remarkable and beautiful feature of the scenery."

Tim HOUND, !._»First Hole."—A drive and iron. Hazards: an irregular range of sand bunkers from about 100 to 150 yards from the tees, and an awkward little knoll right in front of the green. 2.—"The Dyke."—Though only a drive and iron pitch, yet one of the best holes ou the course, and a true test of golf. Teeing close to a stone wall which ruus parallel with the hole, a range of hunkers of" formidable dimensions crossing the course at an average distance of 155 yards from the tee, has to be carried. If pulled, the ball carries over the wall into private property and a stroke is forfeited. The green, a small one, is on the top of a [ivo«1.,)*«,to*J(j.*o.nwta'.BrH.*TO*. table hillock,-with a bunker beyond. A good straight drive and Mr, John Leslie, a ca].ernl manipulation of the iron are both essential. Cnpl'"'"- 3.—"Tarbatness."—A drive of 190 yards. A new putting green has been successfully laid here, and two bunkers have been made close to it, one on the right and one on the left side. 4.—" The Valley."—A perfect hole. Two good drives. The green, oae of the best, is on a large table. Hazards: ridge of bunkers on right, whins on left, and bunker face 50 yards in front of green. 5.—"Earl's Cross."—Two good drives. Bunker in front of tee, and one at each side of the course to punish long wide driving, and trap close up to green ou left. 6.—"I,ong Hole Out."—An ideal hole, and the most difficult five on the green. Two drives along a narrow trappy course bring you within 70 yards of the hole, another table, surrounded by bunkers, As in the case of the "Dyke," the utmost precision with the iron is necessary here. 7.- -"The Bents."—A difficult two-drive hole. Ha/.ards; a wilderness of bent bordering the course ou the left, chuups of bent on the right, and three bunkers at the green. 8.—" Short Hole."—160 yards. A topped or pulled drive punished in sand and bent. 9.—"Foxy."—A table hole. Adrive and iron. Beautiful putting green. 10.—"TheGrampiaus."-Au extremely hazardous hole with bunkers and beets. Everything depends on a straight drive with good carry. Second shot is an easy cleek on to a fine large putting green. 11.—"High Hole."—Along up-hillstretch of ground with a quarry midway. The putting green is splendidly situated ou a promontory some go feet high overlooking the beach. Mr. j. Sutherland, 12.—" Flagstaff."—A drive and a cleek. Excellent large s^rfh.r,. putting green well protected by bunkers. 13.—" Moraugie."—Drive and iron shot hole. Hazards : numerous bunkers and cart-ruts to catch topped drive; a bunker to catch a missed approach, and a quarry beyond the green. DOKNOCH GOLF CLUB.

). J. Ross at " The Wi DOBNOCH LINKS.

1 i4.-" The Hum.' —Tlie teeing ground in the brink or the quarry just mentioned, and you drive on to the " plains " {as they are locally known) s e 50 feet below. A veTy ordinary drive will clear the hazards

ker, and a sandy cart-track. A brassy will send you well up to the

15.—" Stray."—Two drives. The best four-hole on the course. No hazard encountered from the tee, but the whole of tlie remaining ground is a network of hunkers, up to the hole, which is in a snug little hollow, the only hole of this description on the green. 16.—" The Nile."—The longest hole on the green, 500 yards. An excellent 5. Jn this hole the burn has again to be crossed, and recently the hole has been greatly improved by the cutting of bunkers on the left to punish drawn balls corning up to tlie

17.—"The Witch," so named on account of the tee being close to the spot where the burning of the last witch in Scotland took place in 1722. She is duly honoured with a monument of whiustone, which, however, bears no inscription but the date. This liole is an up-hill cleek shot, and in many respects the most difficult one iu the round. The hazards consist of a pond, a quarry, steep broken bunker ground, a roadway, and a fence. The green is large, and one ofthe best. rS.—" Home Hole."—A drive and iron. It also is up-hill. To drive the imposing buuker on the crest of the plateau, a carry o. 45 yaTds is necessary, The ball gets no roll, as it drops on sing ground. The putting green is a very large one, right in ont of the club house, ition is 75, but the remarkably low score of 72 was made on two ROYAL EASTBOURNE GOLF CLUB.

IN Llie spring'of i8H6 the idea occurred to Mr. Arthur Jlayhcwe, a resident of Eastbourne and a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, to establish a Goir Club at that attractive watering-place. Within easy access from every part of the town lay a wide expanse of down turf, extending to upwards of one hundred acres, and used at that time solely for sheep pasturage. Natural hazards encircled the ground upon all sides; delightful views of the sea, the South Downs, and tlie woods of the Duke or Devonshire's estate, added to the charm of the place ; and it was thought that with a comparatively modest outlay a fairly good, and certainly most picturesque, course could be laid out. The first attempt to give effect to the idea was not encouraging. An alluring letter to tlie principal local newspapers discanting upon the merits of the game, aud tlic proposed course, elicited only two enquiries, one from an elderly clergyman and the other from a young lady. Nothing daunted, however, the Duke oT Devonshire—to whom tlie links belonged—was approached, and from him every encouragement was received to proceed with the project. About the same time also, most fortunately, Mr. II. G. Hutehinson came to live in Eastbourne, and iu 1887 he and Mr. J. W. Wright, captain of the Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club, assisted Mr. Mayhewe in successfully launching the Club. The membership was limited to 350. The Marquis of I-Iartington accepted the first captaincy. Since 1SS7 many changes have taken place : Hie original

,oles has been extended to eighteen holes ; the membership to 400. The Club possesses two gold Medal ue given by the Duke of Devonshire, and one by the Chib itself. Meetings are held in and winter. The lowest score in a Club competition is 77, by Mr. Ci. Gardner, in October, 1896. Scratch score 78. Length of course from tees to holes measures 4,681 yards. The entrance fee is ^3 3s. Annual subscription, £1 is. Patron: H.R.H. the Duke of York. President: Duke of Devonshire. Officers For 1897:—Captain: Rt. Hon. A. J. Balfour, M.P. Hon. Sees.: C. H. Evill, Esq., and A. Smith, Esq. Hon. Treasurer: A. Max Wilkinson, Esq. Council: Captain T. F. S win ford, C. H. Evill, Esq., H. A. Curteis, Esq., Major B. G. Harrison, H. F. Matheson, Esq., E.ev. W. F. Eaton, and all ex-Captains. Custodian ; T. Chisholni. EASTBOURNE LINKS.

JTH GKKEN AND TEE FOR MTU ROYAL EASTBOURNE GOLF CLUB. EASTBOURNE LINKS.

EN— CAT It HOLE.

EDINBURGH BURGESS GOLFING SOCIETY.

THIS Society has a st ong claim to be considered the oldest golfing club in Scotlai d, and the second oldest in the world, ily date back to 1773, it is quite certain that the Society was in existence in 1735. The records bear that the original minutes were lost, and there is a resolution on record to the effect that, with the view of the better preserva- tion of the hooks of the Society, they are not in future to be allowed to 1« taken away from the club house. The affairs of the Society are managed by a Captain and Council. This would indicate that the words " Club " and •• Committee " were not known at the date of its formation. The minutes of the Societ5' in its early days are curious reading. It is recorded that the Society had monthly meetings, at which the members played for balls, and thereafter dined in the club house on Ijnintsfield Links; if a member did not turn up and eat the required number of dinners, he was penalised in such a manner as measured the offence. At one meeting, we read, *p the tariff of caddies was fixed at a penny per round." In another, that "the Captain betted the Treasurer a dozen of balls that he would beat him at the next competition/' And again a member who had gone to Jamaica, and remembering the old days, sent home a hogshead of rum, and of the difficulty bad in disposing of it. There is a vast store of interesting items in (K:riona i ny ways) the members srence is ventured upon. A dozen members having turned up at a thiese minutes. but only one inore ref largest that had taken place. This is in strong contrast with the last competition, it was thonght 01leofthc ground at Barnton, when over two hundred players engaged in com- meeting of the: Society on its private petition. EDINBURGH BURGESS GOLFING SOCriCTY. '34 BARNTON LINKS. The membership was composed of Burgesses, and was immediately connected with the city. That being so, tlie Society was under the wing of the T.ord Provost, Magistrates, and Town Council of tlie city of Kdiuburgli. Tlie Society, as time went on, feeling their position on Bnuitsfick] Links becoming somewhat endangered,

ily, 1800. This Seal of ci applied for mid obtained from the city a Seal of Ca: •, bearing date and J istitution, and new mer among other statements, that tlie Society had increasseee l much since its i sty, or body corporate, i daily admitted; its funds were also increasing, but not legal Soc

jers pra3-ed that they might enable it to manage its funds and regulate its affairs with proper effect, t be granted a Seal of Cause ov Deed of Incorporation. The Town Counc nsly granted tlie prayer of the petition. The Seal of Cause is virtually a. Deed of Incorporation. : ; Society is empowered to acquire and hold property, to sue in all or any of tlie Courts of Law, and rules and bye-laws for the EDINBURGH BURGESS GOLFING SOCIETY. 136 BARNTON LINKS. EDINBURGH BURGESS GOLFING SOCIETY. management of the Society and its fnncis- The only restriction is that the rules and b the sanction of the Town Council. The Society, after many nps and downs, continued to hold the club house at Brunts ii Links tilII 1874. By that time the course, which was originally in the open country, had become BO em idled upon by the gradual extension of the city, that golfing- on the links became dangerous to tlie lieges, diugly resolved to remove to Mussel burgh. A few adjoining- the Musselburgh Course was ohtaii club house erected at a cost of ^1,600. A few years ago the Mnsselburgh Green ii crowded, and another change of quarters was found necessary. The Society was fortii new course on the estate of Barn ton in the neighbourhood of Orniond find distant al Edinburgh. Sir James Gibson Maitland, the proprietor, granted a feu of 92 acres for a golf course, and one of the finest inland greens in the country was opened in May, 1.895. The course is an cighteen-hole one, extending to over three and a-half rniles. Barritou House, a fine old baronial mansion, of which a view is given, was kindly granted by Sir James for temporary occupation as a club house. The Society, however, are erecting a handsome new club house, adjoining the railway station, for which a special fen of two acres has been acquired. The house is rapidly approaching completion, and is to he opened in April next. It is a spacious building, having accommodation for 650 members, and will be one of the finest and most commodious golf club houses in the country. The dining-hall is 50 feet long by 30 feet broad. There is a billiard- room for two tables, and smoking, card, committee, and ladies' rooms. The membership of the club at present is 530. Mr. J. ('.. Kuchan holds the record of the green with a score of 78, This is the lowest score recorded in a match, but Mr. Tait, the Ainatem Champion, playing the best of two balls against Mr. Armour and Mr. J. S. Gray last summer, did the round in 76. The present office-bearers are: Captain, John Wilson; Hon. Secretary, Arthurs. Muir, S.S.C.; Hon. Treasurer, James Pnrves. S.S.C.; Chaplain, James McCanl, S.S.C.; and the Society includes many of the crack golfers of Scotland. The prizes are numerous, the principal being a gold medal, which is the blue ribbon, piayc and a gold medal played for in October. In October there is al; 'Inch is retained by i Willie, who was a well-known Bruntsiield character about a century ago. They also possess two silver clubs presented by the Corporation of the City of Edinburgh, on which each retiring captain places a ball. The ancient club which was given to the Society about JSM is full, and another one was gifted about two years ago. ELTHAM GOLF CLUB.

THE inhalnitants of Elthair1 5 le themselves on three things : first, on the antiqi:lity •f their village, with its royal a istorical associatio11S econdly, on the fact that from whatever direction it is approached, the wayfarer must ascend; and thirdly, but not leastly, that BHham is not suburban. The last-named proud but just boast is a somewhat remarkable oue, when it is remembered than this pretty spot is only eight miles from London Bridge, a fact which the town-worn golfer finds it hard to realise as he stands on the steps of the club bouse and surveys a noble expanse of wood and pasture with scarce a house visible in the whole beautiful panorama. The game of golf, without doubt, acquires au added cliarin from beautiful surroundings, and to this, perhaps, the Eltham Golf Club owes to some extent its remarkable success. The CIul> was fortunate in its founders, though somewhat casual, like many other great successes, in its origina- tion. The death of Mrs. Wood, an aunt of the distinguished soldier, Sir Evelyn Wood, V.C., who had occupied the fine old domain fwhich is Crown propertyj for close on half a century, opened the way for a new tenancy. In 1891, the London County Council made great efforts to secure the property fo a public park, hut the as generally "sat upon" by the leading newspapers, and finally " sn Jfed out1 in the House f Com ons as a wasteful expenditure of public money, the district being the r ;verse of a congested on as then that the ubiquitous golfer came upon the scene, for in the an tu mi of tin devotees of the royal and ancient game " (venerable phrase), notably M •. Kvi M. Protheroe and Mr. T. J. Baillie, conceived the idea of a Golf Club, and meeting with ready suppo r. A. B. Hutchings, who had previously secured a lease from the Crown of a portion of the park, th n took a concrete form. A Golfi ig Associ; tion was formed with a Committee whose names alone were a guarantee of success, consisting a i it did of Mr. Win. Chas. Anderson, then Captain of the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club, Sir Guy ELTHAM GOLF CLUB. 139

Me. A.B. Hutchii r4o ELTT1AM LINKS-

Campbell, Bail., Mr. F. W. Fison, M.P., the late Mr. He: Wimbledon, Mr. ft. M. Protheroc, Mr, Walter H. Richards Mr. E. F. S. Tylecote, and Mr. Walter D. Bovill, with Mr, T. J. Baillie as Hon. Sec. lii lSgj, the Goitiug As ed into the Kltham Coif Club, under the management of the same Committee, augnieu iy other leading golfers, including Mr. Arnold D. Blytli, the late Mr. W. R. Anderson, and Mr. Cornelius of the two last-named ex- Captains of the St. George's Club. With such experienced pilots .red, and in tlie autumn of : year, Uie membership, limited to 300, was complete long waiting list established. The Hon.Algei , elected Pre nd Mr, H. M. Prothi Toe, Captain. Early in 1^03, the ele holes with which the course was opened expanded to fifteen, and bel the y t an eighteen-hole course- was an established fact. During Hie first period of the Club's istence, iiderable difficulties in the t^ing been done in the previous Iialf' The work undertaken by the Club ha; ntirely si nl, and tlie splendid results achieved •e than justified the large expenditure. isit to the links would suppose that

placed to reward the good and punish the evil-doer, and there is an entire absence of crossing. The " lies " throughout the course are ^xcdlsnt and the putting greetis large and tirue* Tlie motto of the Committee i^ " 1'rogresiS," and th eCl ub being a wealthy one, expe se is not alk ed to stand in tlie way of improvement, The first tee is witli orty yaixdsoftheclublio use, a.nd the lastg een is the beautiful and undulating lawn before the sc>uth front 0f the siliu .e. The holes a rein I jthas foil

1896-97) liolds the ELTHAM GOLF CLTJB. 142 ELTHAM LINKS.

amateur record with 73. The Club contains many nnc and well~fcnown golfers, find can put a very form id Hole team into tlie fieki, though inter-club matches are not one of its chief features. There is a separate and distinct course of nine holes for the Ladies' Club, who have also rooms set apart for their use., and on the ladies' course team matches are oF more frequent occurrence. The number of members is 350, with a long waiting- list which shows little or 110 sign of diminution. The principal meetings of the Elthaiu Golf Club are held in June and October, on which occasions the Eltham Challenge Cup is played for, and also a scratch gold medal awarded. There are also monthly competitions bogey and score alternately. Tlie Foursome Tourn ament for tuc Captain s Prizes, and the Single Tournament for the President's I'me, which occupy the spring and early summer, are the most popular events, and invariably secure a large entry ; but beyond all competitions, E.ltbam is beloved by the London goirer for its fresh air, its picturescue beauty, and its ease of access ; Eltham Station on the South-Eastern

house is but a few minutes' walk from the station. The club house is worthy of a few words of description, forming, as it does, a more than usually important feature. The park in which it stands, having been Crowu property since the days of the early Plantagenets, was settled upon Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I., and a lease of it was granted by hersoti CliarTes H., with leave to build a mansion, to Sir jolm Shaw, an ristute London banker in return for pecuniary assistance rendered to tlie ' Merry IVfon arch during his exile, the King lending his own architect. Evelyn, in his famous Diary, speaks of a visit paid to the new mansion, known then as the Manor Lodge, shortly after its erection. The original lease, containing the portrait of Henrietta Maria and her autograph, is i the possession of the Club through the generosity of Mr. Teesdale, and it now adonis the walls of the Reading-Room. Its date is 1664. The "show" room of the mansion is the Saloon, now the Billiard-Room, tlie 11 f 1 1 are hung- with magnificent tapestry, representing, according to the Rev. T. N. Rowsell, no jtliority in sucli matters, tlie expulsion of the Moors from Granada and the glorification of Ferdinand and Isabella. The staircase is one of tlie finest examples of the later Renaissance extant and has been frequently sketched and its proportions measured by eminent architects. The rest of the building has been adapted for the usual requirements of asocial and golf club, with dining, luncheon, smoking, reading, card-rooms, et< A sketch of the history of the Eltham Golf Club would be greatly lacking without a reference to the gentlemen who have in turn held the reins of office. The Captains of the Club have invariably been working iptains, and each in his year of office haa added something to the attractions of the Club. The first to hold the captaincy has been already referred to, but it may be added that he has aever ceased to take tlie same active interest in the Club's welfare from its inception to the present day; his most worthy and popular successor was Mr. Walter H.Richardson (1S93.4), who was followed by Mr. Robert Whyte (1894-5}, under whose able control many important improvements were carried out. Mr. Whyte was succeeded by Mr. R. H. I-Iedderwick (1895-6), whom nature would seem to have especially designed for the position, equally great as he is, whether presiding in the couucil~chauiber or m the hanciuetmc' liall In October, 1896, Mr. Hedderwick handed over the reins of office to Mr. A, S. Johnston, a brilliant golfer, Jine cricketer, and a universal favourite. On the same (late, the Hon. Algernon Grosveuor, tlie popular President of the Club, who had at the earnest request of the Club extended his term of office beyond the prescribed limit, gave place to Mr. John Peim, M.P., whose name is sufficient assurance that the Hltham Golf Club will suffer no eclipse while under his auspices. lu 1894, Mr. T. J. Baillie, who had so ably filled the laborious post of Hon. Secretary from the Club's foundation, felt reluctantly compelled to resign his onerous duties as such, the demands upon his time being too great. The members showed their appreciation of Mr. Baillie's services by enthusiastically electing him an Honorary Life Member, the first and up to the present time the only occasion of this compliment being paid to a member, liut while the Club has progressed to its present position under the fostering care of the above-named office-bearers, it owes much of its continued prosperity to its present able Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. R, A. Collingwood, whose services the members fully appreciate. This gentleman gained considerable experience in golfing matters as one of the founders of the Royal Portrusli Golf Club and its Hon. Secretary for the first three years of its existence, and in that capacity seems to have acquired a Celtic enthusiasm which he has brought to bear with marked success on the well-being of the Eltham Club. It may be mentioned that officers of the army and navy on active service are admitted without entrance- fee, a concession greatly appreciated and largely taken advantage of, the close proximity of Woolwich and Greenwich enabling the Club to become a Tavonrite resort of members of both services. The entrance-fee la ten guineas, and the annual subscription five guineas. Country members (the qualification being permanent residence outside a fifty-mile radius measured from Charing Cross) are admitted without entrance-fee and at a reduced subscription of two guineas. The greenkeeper is Mr. W. Reith, GREAT YARMOUTH GOLF CLUB.

itai'teo at Great Yarmouth m rS83. An application was made by Dr. Thomas Browne to the :orporatiou for permission to play the game on the North Denes, a piece of waste laud on the Caister side of mouth, and bounded on the east side by the railway between Yarmouth, North Walsham, and Cromer, on Midland and Great Northern Joint Line, and on the 12th August, 1882, the following letter, signed by the vn Clerk, was received : "Dear Sir,—I am directed by the Mayor to give you the full permission of the il for the playing of golf on the North Denes." On the 15th August, 1882, the first game was played betw 1 Dr. the 1st January, 1883, nineteen gentlemen bad joined the club (and dined together). At the opening of the links, the Mayor and Town Clerk were present officially, and later on engaged in a game, when the chief magistrate of the town had the misfortune to play his ball into a sand bunker, and it is stated on reliable authority that he was unable to extricate his ball before be had played more than 40 strokes. From that period to the present time, and long may it continue, the Corporation have always been the friends of the golfers, and at tile end of 1890, the Corporation granted a site of half an acre, on vei-y easy terms, on the N"orth Denes, for the purpose of erecting a club house. Tlie Committee of Management of the club at once set to work, and thanks principally to the untiring energy of Dr. Browue, who was cordially assisted by the officials of the club under Mr. Robert Whyte (Captain), the present commodious club house, one of the most perfect of its kind, was in due course erected at a cost of rather more than ^2,500. Nearly the entire sum was raised by the issue of debentures* to the

The club house comprises a fine di ing-room, 36 ft. by 18 ft., a committee-roo leading out of it, which is amply large enough for the purpose, and a smoking and reading-room combin d, well adapted for the requirements of the club. There is als a dressing-room and a very good drying-room heated by hot-water pipes. The lavatory arrangements are very good and roomy. Th e hall is fitted up with lockers for clubs, and upstairs there are e locke uple of spare rooms, which some ti r othe will probably be fitted up as bedrooms. BT7XKER GOING TO THE 4-TH HOLE. GREAT YARMOUTH GOLF CLTJR.

THE DlilVE TO THE 2ND HOl.i; (l8(JS). 146 (IHEAT YARMOUTH LCNK.S.

There is also ample accommodation for the staff of the chili, ami on tlie east side a shop for the professional is attached. The present dub-maker is T. Aitken, a member of a well-known family of club- makers at Edinburgh, who has "been at Yarmouth some three years or more, and continues to give satisfaction. A substantial brick wall marks Hie boundary of tlie half acre granted to the club by the Corporation. At the first inception of the club only seven holes were prepared, but as the club increased its numbers, aa additional piece of Innd was rented on lease, and the full course of eighteen holes was played on. About 1890, cricketers and footballers began to encroach on the course, a further piece of land was obtained, and when the new club house was opened in 1893, the then first hole, seventeenth hole, and eighteenth hole were abandoned, and three new holes of a very sporting nature opened on the extension. The course at the present time is a good eighteen-hole natural course, the lies are good for straight drives, and the hazards, which are none of them of an artificial nature, consist of large sand bunkers and whins. In some places these whins, to prevent their being hacked about, are protected by a trench cut round

them, those who unfortunately find their golf ball Wing within the area defined by the trench having to lift and drop their ball behind the hazard with the loss of a stroke. The putting greens are all of large size and give very little trouble to keep in good order. The turf used to be of very poor material, but constant rolling and walking over it, and the frequent application of road scrapings, &c, Iiave consolidated the greens so that they are now excellent. The wind at times rages with tremendous force and sand is driven in volumes out of the large bunkers, making it sometimes necessary to alter the course. The course is not a long one, but on a windy day, and when the tecs are back, the good player has his work ciit out to drive some of the hazards and make a good round. The bogey score is 83, made up as follows :— Holes out, 4 5 6 5 4 4 5 5 -1 = 42 Holes in, ,| 5 4 4 5 4 6 4 5 = 41

This, however, is a liberal allowance, and is not flattering to bogey's powers as a golfer ; 79 or 80 should be nearer his mark on the course as now (1896) played on. The rainfall nt Great Yarmouth is an abnormally small one, and 011 a sandy course this is a matter of concern to the Green Committee, especially in the spring and up to the end of July, but means have now been taken to provide si supply of water, GREAT YARMOUTH GOLF CLUB. 148 CUKAT YARMOUTH LINKS.

The town is some three hours from London by fast trains, and the railway authorities allow the members of the club the advantages of reduced fares throughout the year. The club house is about a mile from the main parade, but there are plenty of vehicles plying for hire, and the roads leading to the club house are level and especially good for bicycling. The principal hotels are the Royal, the headquarters of the members of the golf club, the Victoria, and the Queen's • at each of these three hotels golfers are catered for at the usual rate, IOS. M. per day, mid most probably other hotels will take golfers on the same terms. Besides these, there are plenty of boarding houses and private apartments where the accommodation and the catering is as good as is usually to be found at the sea-side. The rule as to visitors is as follows:—" Each member shall be allowed to introduce visitors to the privileges of the club house and green for one day in the year (exclusive of Sundays) without payment, by inserting the visitors' names in the took and dating and signing the entry, after that the scale of payment

will be as follows: per day, as. Bd.; per week, ios.; per month, £i. Members introducing a visitor to lie responsible for all payments due." Sunday play is allowed, but the club house is open only from 2 to 5 P.M., and only light refreshments can be served, 110 luncheons.

sident abstain the links on that day. There are at the present time (1896) mote than 300 members of the golf club. The course is at its best from the end of August to the end of May, absence of rain i spring i prejudicial to it. Abundance of rain does no harm, the sandy soil quickly absorbs it all. The proximity of the Broads and the many excursions that can be made from the town, by boat, steamer, rail, and wheel, or trap, combine to make the golfer's visit pass pleasantly ami all too rapidly. The caddies are divided in to two classes : badge or first-class boys get gd. per round of eighteen boles ; boys with no badge, or second-class, get 6d. per round of eighteen holes ; fora round of nine holes or less than nine holes, 6d. for first-class and 4d. for second-class caddies. They are under the charge of the professional, •who is authorised to charge id, per day for each caddie supplied to a player. The entrance fee is £5 5s., the annual subscription due each 1st January is £1 10s. Members who do not play 011 the green during the year pay 15s. only. GULLANE GOLF CLUB.

THE Giillane Coif Club had its origin about ten years ago, aud has had a most prosperous career. A few years back a club house was built by the subscriptions of the members of the Clnb, and lnst year an extension was made, and the privilege of the house accorded to all members of the Club. The magnificent Links of Guliane owe very little to the attraction of their approach, Within a few miles of North Berwick, they are the centre of a tittle nest of golf greens • Liiffnesa, Gnllane itself, Jluirfield, Archur- field, and North Berwick—pursuing a practically unbroken continuity along the south shore of the Firth of Forth. But the village or Gnllane is not remarkably noteworthy. L. A'ert* flm-imv*. As one drives into it from North Berwick, and passes off the high road on to the common, the first impression is of a due!; pond and an ssing little chib-hi ; ia quite a revtNation to play out thence over the flat levels of the first few s of the id after the flat country 1: as been left behind, and one has mounted the famous Gullanc Hill, J lies the little town of EHe, equally sacred to the s; t of Golf. n the left hand Arthur's Seat and the gr frame of the Forth Bridge ought to be visible o a clear day, and eastward the view is over the Germ Ocean, with the May Island and all the rocks beft North Berwick in the middle distance. But, after all, this is not golf; and the golf •of Gullane is not of the quality to require any helping out by other attractions. It is of the first quality. 1flie soil is of the finest sandy kind, and the grass, cropped Short by multitudinous rabbits, affords the best olflies" and putting greens. It is a course of five lengths, too, and of magnificent undulations. H< [gain the undulations of the putting greens are so mag;tii- whence one gets the " record " view, is a little summer-house, and a favourite device of the (iullaiie golfer is to have his luncheon carried tip to this little bee-hive-lookiug place, aud to eat it there between the rounds. A certain number of lodgings caa be bad in Gullane itself, anil visitors find it a pleasant summer resort; but the accommodation is limited-, and Gnllane draws most of its golGng population from Edinburgh, I5P GULLANE LCNKS.

GULLANE LINKS.

[IVora a 1.-M0 1>V A. GUI-LANE GOLF CLUB. 15

North Berwick, and Aberlady, Many of the Clubs in Edinburgh decide some of their competitions on tl: Gullane Links, which enjoy a very high reputation in the LotWans, in spite of the rivalry of such net neighbours as Luffness, Muirfieltl, and the rest of them. The Gullaue Linlcs are a remarkable testimony to the usefulness of the much-aliiised ra"fobit as a greei keeper. It is to his agency that the turf owes its extraordinary springiness, enabling a man to play go

from morn till dewy eve of the longest summer's day without more than a pro] • and comfortable sense of fatigue. It is difficult, and perhaps not particularly profitable, to say whic is the better golf, the hilly or the level portion of tlie course; for it is divided after this fashion— til first and last few holes being on the lower level of the village, while those about the middle numbers climlimb up anand down the aforesaid hill. The experience of this Alpine golf is very singular, Driving down it appears, aH yoi strike ofF, as if your hall ought to go indefinitely far, and it is always a disappointment to find that tli'

limits, even of your down-hill drive, are strictly determined. Similarly, as you drive up, towards the summer-house distances are almost invariably underrated by the stranger. Gullane is a worthy green for the ladies' championship; it is a worthy green (if this may be said without lapse of gallantry) for a greater championship. The Club are the lessees of the links. The Captain of the Gnllanc Golf Club, for the present year, is Mr. John Aitkeu, of Gartcows, Falkirk, and of Gullane. The Secretary, Mr. J. S. "Wilson, (Vullaue. The Championship Meeting of the Ladies' Golf Union of Great Britain will be held on Gullane Links in 1897. X

ROYAL ST. DAVID'S GOLF CLUB.

THK little town of Hsu-lech, sometime the capital of Merio etlish IS ])1C tnresqliolj .itilate on f western slope of a range of mountains )vcrlooking Cardigan Cay, an d haLB 1ong been k wn to fa on account of its unique and wel!-prese ved castle, dating fro i the th teenth eentuiry, an a the popiil march associated with the Men of Harle :h. Interesting as it is to the antiquarian and lover of nature, the present popularity of Harlech is asso< iated with the fact of its being the locality of St. David's Links, ^ormerty, tlie base of the precipice upon which the castle stands was washed by the sea, which has now retreated for some three-quarters of a in le, leaving a tract of grass land and sand dunes upon which the links is situate. From a scenic point of ;ie\v the links could hardly be excelled. Snowdonia on the north, the Merionethshire hills on the east and ith, with Cardigan Bay, the Lleyu penin the west, make tip a panorama of the grandest" description, while in the immediate for little town of Harlech perched on the hill-side and guarded by its castle. All this, however, does not appeal to the true golfer so much as what he calls the natural beauties of the course. These consist of vast stretches of sea grass, a variety of sand bunkers, and natural obstacles in the shape of huge sand dunes, gorse, rushes, grassy hanks, sandy roads and dykes, while the first tee is only a few hundred yards from the town and railway station. The green was laid out in the spring of 1S94, under the direction of the lion. Harold Finch Hatton, M.P., now president of the Club, and opportunity has since occurred of acquiring additional land of the right character with the result that some amendments, originally had in view, have been carried out, :onsiderably enhancing the interest of the course by lengthening; holes and including fresh bunkers and izards. The eighteen greens are quite natural and steadily _ both in quality and size. The holes try ia length from 120 to 440 yards, and the third hole will be ;ased to 50a yards, when the Committee •e of opinion that the cleared turf is in such order as will not pi rough the green is good on the whole, mossiness, inimical ean iron play, gradually disappearing under the golfer's heel, while the sandy nature of the subsoil rer it capable of absorbing any quantity of moisture. Sand, in fact, is the one enemy requiring vigilant attention, the "lying" for the nth hole having, on occasions of south-westerly gales, been somewhat invaded by drift sand, but never to an extent causing serious inconvenience, However, tlie Executive of the Club are fully alive to the disadvantages which might X 2 156 I-IARLF.CH LINKS. ROYAL ST. DAVID'S GOLF CLUB. 157

The Hon. Harold Finch-Hatton, M.P, IIARLECII LINKS. arise from the insidnons advances of sand, and have taken steps to strengthen the natural barrier of pro- tective hills and to promote the growth of " bent" grass thereon. Mr. John Ball, Jim., Mr. Mure Pergussou, and Mr. C. Hutehii a tte ded tl e fir t eet' sj of th Cl b ' No ember, 1894, when the green was only six months' old. E e the tl ey c^p es ed the el e fa o able terms of the natural advantages of the course, and the al We anne n 1 cl t 1 d bee 1 d out so as to make the most of them. Cordiality prevails 1 et ee the la d a 1 golfing te e U 1 1 tl e Club has an Executive who one and all ork he sicletit , able expnnentof the ga nd to Mr. Stori nt Finch-Hatton, Harlech is indebted for the ft of golf, and a Captain w 0, as a Scotsman, carries the weight of experience gained north of the Tweed, the Hon. Secretary has t reputation for untiring energy in the performance of his duties. Tt is obvious tliat a Club formed only in 3804. cannot at present have much history attached to it. Records for a young; green in a gradual state of development and extension aTe of no particular intere;it, autl it may be taken for granted that good sound golf is required to accomplish the round in Ho, the bogey of the course. Suffice it to add, that the green lias happily emerged from a period of probation, and it general opinion of golfers upon whose views reliance may be placed, that the Club, started as it has under favourable auspices, will undoubtedly maintain its position, and is assured of a successful future. President: The lion. Harold Finch-Hatton, M.P.; Captain: W. Lowson, Esq., J.P.; Hon. Seen W. II. More, Esq. ; Hon. Treasurer: G. B. Bryan, Esq. HASTINGS AND ST. LEONARDS GOLF CLUB.

IN character of ground and turr the Units of the Hastings and vSt. Leonards Golf Club rank among inland courses only, notwithstanding their seaside position. The Club hns no ancient history to boast uf, :md was born, indeed, only yesterday compared with some of the i'iiinons and national institutions enumerated in these pages. Hut its .1 iort life comprises a record worthy to be preserved because of tlie • iu-(-ess that has deservedly attended hard, unselfish work and enthu- siiisui opposed to natural disadvantages in a neighbourhood where few •j.olfers were to he found. Although some unorganised surveys of ground had been made hufore, the first practical stexis towards a golf club were taken by Mr. Harry Purniss, who, at a public dinner on Pebmary Htb, 1893, alluded to the crying need of a. golf course and of a clnh in a town like Hastings. He had taken the trouble to have Tom Dunn visit the phiee, and suggest how a nine-hole links might best be laid out 011 the •• I-ast Hill," common land, the property of the Corporation, and occupying a commanding position four to live hundred feet above the sea and the town. Mr. Furniss pursued the matter with his well-known energy ; n town's meeting was held, under the presidency of the Mayor, and the scheme explained. At a later meeting, on the tSth March, 1803, the Club was formally constituted, and its first officers appointed. The t/.w™ ««««(, dj, 0. )r.br«,jta,,,,.u: interest was secured of the Rev. W. C. Sayer-Milward, who granted Dr- %^ij"iht the use of one of his fields at a nominal rental, while the Corporation, with honourable public spirit, placed the East Hill at the disposal of the would-be golfers. Mr. Sayer-Mil ward was elected President, Mr. Furniss Captain, and Dr, U. G. Frith and Mr. Cecil Christopherson Honorary Secretaries. A public subscription of £150 was raised to defray the initial cost of preparing the ground, and this work was given to Tom 1-hnin. The year 1893 contained a spring and summer of drought. The laid greens, teeing grounds, and similar work all perished, and the Committee had the mortification of seeing their £150 spent and nothing to show for it. It was not until September, 1893, that play began upon what is now known as the old nine-hole course. At the same time a small house, five minutes' walk from the first tee, was taken as a club house. Nearly all

HASTINGS AND ST. LEONARD'S GOLF CLUE. 161 the Committee and Members were ignorant of golf botli in theory and practice. They had to face drought or stormy weather, and to deal with a most trying and difficult course, covered with coarse grass and thickly minds of a few ; the apathetic

made way for the keen, the right men fell into the Ight places, experience and knowledge soon rewarded, application, and the Club began to grow as tlie cour e improved. In r8o5 a Ladies' Club was formed, and permitted to play, under certain restrictions, upon pt •t of the links suited to their powers. They have their own committee, and manage all their own affairs, In this year, too, Mr. Furaiss resigned his post of captain, and Dr. Frith was elected in his stead. It was soon felt that the club house was inadequate for the needs of tli mbers uid that they should possess a building of their own on the links. A rough sketch by Mr. Davenport, 11 Anglo-Indian member, was taken in hand by another member, Mr. F. H. Humphreys, the well-known rchitect, who generously gave his services, and the present chili house was built at a cost of about ^600, rais;ee d on debentures among the members. It is picturesque, of bungalow pattern, and contains the usual accoommodation for golfers. Special rooms are set apart for ladies, and there M-kfihop for the club-maker and professional. It is just over a mi the eeutre of Hastings and from the railway station, and onu run half-way to itevcry quarter of an hour. Development in one direction suggested another and more important iidvance—the extension 01 the course to eighteen holes. Enlargement on the Corporation property was impossible, because it was all taken up already. At first there seemed to lie no way out of the difficulties that beset the Committee, but a careful survey was made of land, on the other side of the club house, that luckily belonged to the President-. He ed h elected by Douglas Holland as being admirably adapted for golf, "lies-contained plenty of room for nine holes, and possessed the ad- autage of privacy. Work was at once begun at draining and making ieen.s and hunkers. It proceeded with such expedition that after a ouple of months of preparation the course was opened on the ntli )ecember, 1895, when the Captain entertained one hundierl of the lembersat luncheon in the chib house, and exhibition matches were •layed. The Captain and Mr. Allan C. Youug superintended this exten- 1011 throughout, the latter inventing for the occasion a new and cunning :irmof hunker. Mr. Young daily inspected the work, and his thorough uowledge of golf greens was freely devoted to the service of the Chib /iLti the happiest results. Mr. H. S. Colt and Douglas Holland advised s to the disposition and length of the holes. Mr. Colt's settling in

arson, Hastings was a happy event in the history of local golf. His long knowledge of the game and his admirable play have been of the .ulating a cltih of beginners to follow the best golfing traditions. s now been opened twelve mouths. Before it was thought of as golf links it consisted HASTINGS LINKS.

HHJ. GREHN, C, K. Smith putting IIASTINfi! AND ST. LEONARDS GOLF CLUB. 163

cd far hmd cattle pastm A 1 uirlerfiLl ______._ ..sen effected in the time by scientific draining, rolling and cutting. The surface throughout has been dressed with sand and the quniity of Hie ttirf has thereby. improved out of all recognition of its former state. Short, fine grass now abounds, which gives perfect " lies " for either brassie or driver. The course has many excellent natural hazards ; and as sand rack has now been found close to the top in many places there will be 110 difficulty in opening" up sand bunkers where they may lie needed. At tlie Autumn Meeting of 1896 there were present golfers from many clubs. They all agreed that the new nine-hole course provides one of the best inland 11 the country, The features of the urse are the length of the holes, their deft arrangement in order to bring- out the best utmlities of the frame nd the immense putting-greens, several of which are more than half an acre in extent. The length of a ledai round on the whole course is 4,670 yards, exclusive of the distances between holes and tees. The •ngest hole is 500 yards from the tee, and the shortest 120, while eight are over 300 yards in length. All are v ell diversified in character, and have been specially arranged to avoid uniformity and dullness. The course affords a thorough test of sound golf, and calls for every sort o stroke known in the game. The situation is very beautiful, for the links lie on that part of the cliffs known as the East Hill, and extend towards the head of Fairlight Glen, commanding superb views over a wide expanse of sea. The local rules affecting play have been rigorously restricted. n match play St. Andrews Rules are followed without alteration or addition ; in medal play there ar ly two, the aim of the Committee being to make the path of the visitor from other clubs as plain possible in this particular. The chief officer.1* are ;--]'resident, the Rev, W. C, Sayer-Milward ; Honorary Secretaries, Dr. Ti. G. Frith and Mr. Cecil Christopherson ; Cnptain, Hr. II, G. Frith. The professional and club-maker is C. R. Smith. He has now been engaged for nearly a year, and gives every satisfaction to the Committee and Members. An Elie man, and endowed with the astonishing: length of drive that distinguishes professional golfers from that neighbourhood, Smith has never clone himself justice at the Championship, but in private matches against the finest gol fers he holds lu's own on level terms, and has the making in him of a player second to r of st g and beautiful clubs he ha few, if any, equals. He appre Forrester's shops, and p thorough mastery over detail of his trade. The subscription for full members is £2 as. per with an entrance fee of £1 is. Toadies pay £1 is. a fear without entrance fee. Visitors from any recognised golf club ment of a small green fee. Two meeting i, in the spring and autumn,'arc held each year, when various challenge cups and other prizes are competed for, the finest being a magnificently chased silver cup, standing two feet high, presented by the inhabitants of Hastings, and called the Town Cup. It is played for at the Spring Meeting in an open competition. A monthly medal for members, to be won once yearly only by the same player, was instituted in March, i8p.|., and was first won—appropriately enough —by Mr. Colt. For the future the Committee look forward in no long time to an extension of the present new course that will give eighteen holes on private ground. The fields farther towards Fairlight are well adapted for goir, and have the advantage of almost unlimited space. They have been favourably reported 011 by Douglas Rolland and C. R. Smith, the dub professional. When this embryo scheme takes effect (and that will he as soon as the money is forthcoming to carry it out) the old nine-hole course will probably be reserved for ladies, and so give them entirely separate links. Douglas Rotliiml. Among the many members who have given willing help in one way or another to the good work that has been done in so short a time no one would challenge Dr. Fritit's right to the first place in the affeeti d gratitude of the Club, It is 110 exaggeration to say that the Club owes its existence at the present time to this gentle: o has devoted to it his time, his purse, and his rare business aptitude with an activity that never tires, a that never diminishes, and a practical far-sightedness that suggests and carries out snccesslully th ments and developments that have brought the Club to its excellent position. ROYAL LIVERPOOL ROYAL LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUB.

HOYr.AKE, and its Tine links, of eighteen holes, are within a half hour's contimious railway journey from Liverpool and Birkeuhead, and may be reached cither by the Mersey Tunnel and Wirral Companies* lints, or by the latter line alone vid Seacombe. West Kirby, a station on the London and North. We stem Railway and Great Western llatlway (joint line), is within one mile oF the new club house. The Club moved into the new club house on October ist, 1895. This building is one of the very finest, if it be not the finest, golf club houses in the kingdom, and is under the management of a House Committee, who see to the comfort of members and visitors alike. The club house is a two-storied building in red brick and Iiuncorn stone. It is a most picturesque building, viewed cither from the front drive or from the links. There are two entrances, one from the Meols Drive, and the other on to the green. The ground floor consists of a spacious hall, porter's and secretary's office, with committee room, and two very good dressing rooms, to each of which is attached a capital lavatory fitted with shower and plunge baths. The kitchens and servants' hall arc also on this floor. On the first floor is the club room, a splendid room, from the windows of which arid the balcony—running the full length of the room—a capital bird's eye view of the links can be obtained, and in the distance can be seen the Welsh hills across the Dee, and on fine days a perfect picture is presenter! to the eye, including Hilbre Island, the Onues, and Penmaenmawr. The same view can be obtained from the windows of the dining- room, which, with spacious billiard room (two tables), writing room, and stewards' department, make up the total on this floor. Any member may admit a friend or friends to the use of the club house and the green, for a period not exceeding two days, on inserting his or their names in a book to be kept for that purpose (called the visitors' book). The same person or persons cannot be again admitted during the current year except on the terms undermentioned. If it is desired that the person or persons should be admitted for a longer period, a payment must be made for each person of 2s. 6d. for every day, or JOS. for every week, during which the 166 HOYLA.KE LINKS.

privilege is enjoyed, the admitting member tn be answerable for the above charges. The name of the person or persons so admitted is subject to approval by the Council, and must be attested in the visitors' book by the signature of the introducing: member and a member of the Council or the Secretary. A ticket must be applied for by anyone introduced as above, and must be produced at any time on the demand of a member of the club, or of the custodian of the green, or his representative ;• such ticket to be signed by an officer of the club, and to bear the date of issue and the period for which it is in force. On competition days, holidays, and Saturdays, no -visitor will be permitted to play unless he is introduced for not less than one week, except * in the case of a non-resident visitor, i.e. whose residence is distant not less than fifty miles from the Town Hall of Liverpool, Ladies desirous of playing over the links must be introduced by a member of the club, and obtain a ticket for the day from the Secretary, No lady will be allowed to play on competition days,

So far, by kind permission from the Golfing; Annual; for the rest, the editor is indebted to the kindness of the Secretary of the Royal Liverpool Club ; but, by the way, it may be observed that golf, and especially Eug1ish*g-olf, owes a peculiar debt to this chtb. When golf did not flourish as it now~does all over the^land,

:. H. 5pringma.ii the Royal Liverpool Chili was an invaluable agency in keeping alive some sort of interest in the game south of the Tweed. It was, next to the club at Westward Ho I, tlie earliest club in England to possess a sea-side course on which the game could be played in its perfection, and later, by its efforts and its generosity, it was directly responsible for the institution of the amateur championship. The Englishman who golfs to-day may do well to think that, had it not been for the zeal of the early members of the Royal Liverpool Club, it is quite possible that we, in the South, might never have come into our golfing heritage. Mr. W. Ryder Richardson, the Secretary to the Royal Liverpool Chtb, has kindly added the following supplementary notes. It is to be seen that some of his remarks apply to changes in contemplation on the course at the moment of writing; so that one or other, but not all suggestions, will probably have been realised by the date of publication. Owing to various causes there have been many radical changes iu the course of this well-known club. The chief causes are the erection of a new club house, and the entry on to the links of that enemy of golfers, the builder. The new club house has been built on the opposite side of the course from the old Royal Hotel, which was the headquarters of the club since its foundation in 1869. This has caused the re-arrange- meiit of the holes, The Course or old second hole now being- the first, and the old first or Stand hole becoming the last. Great as this change is to the old Hoylake golfer, still one greater is in store for him when playing to the present second hole, for those two splendid holes The Stanley and The Road

HOYLAKE LTNKH.

muiid Spencer driving, and Mr. Othi ROYAL LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUB.

Mr. H. H. Hillon driving. 170 HOYI.AKE LINKS. have been lost, as a house now stands on the old third green, and building operations have so shortened the Road Hole that instead of being a fine test of golf, as it used to be, it has become a hole of very bad length, and therefore it has been decided to give up playing it in the direction so well known by the players at Hoylake, for it waa at this hole that a pulled ball was out of bounds, the penalty being loss of distance, which is course for the Open Championship of 1897—fixed to be played at Hoylake—now that the old course has been so cut up, the green committee decided to obtain the very best opinion they could on the subject, and for tliis work they elected a special committee, which, including as it did such well-known players as Messrs. John Ball, junr., H, H. Hilton, Charles Hutchings, T. W. Crowther, and G. R. Cox, was fully qualified to decide the course. This committee has planned out two courses, either of which will tax to the fullest extent the golfing powers of any player, be lie amateur or professional, before he can lay claim to that proud title of " Open Champion of 1897." The special committee are still considering the best 18-hole course that can be laid out on the laud which will still be leased to the club by Lord Stanley of Alderley, when the builders have taken all they can. Whatever the future course be, as advised by the special committee, golfers may rest assured they will have a good and fail 18 holes which will be a test of true golf. The course as advised for the championship is :— 1st.—The Course Hole; length about 370 yards. This hole requires a player to be well ou the line, as trouble awaits him to Hit: right and left. and.—The Road ; length 290 yards. The tee to this hole will

good 4 par play. 3rd.—The Long; length 490 yards. It is hoped that this hole will he kept as of old. 4th.—The Cop, length 160 yards, will not be altered. 5th.-The Football Field ; 360 yards. This is a new hole, but when in order will make a good sporting one. 6th.—The Briars; 330 yards. Here again an old name appears, but the hole is a new one, and a real fine one it will be when in unler, requiring two line shots to reach a splendid green. 7th.—The Dowie; 195 yards. So well known for its simple appearance and the frequency with which strokes are lost here, a.u the green, which is slightly raised, is surrounded by various grassy grips. 8th.—The Far; length 430 yards. This is a hole that requires playing, as troubles await any but the straight ball, and a big bunker will stop a topped second shot, 1 [r«iu«M«/«j.**-.j.<. »»j»[r.yiw™*fl,,i. 9th.—The Punchbowl; length 330 yards. One of the very MI-.J. Bail.jiiiir. prettiest holes on the links, with a splendidly large green well protected by sand hills and bunkers. 10th.—The New Alps; the length of this hole may be either 350 or 500 yards, according as to which green it is played to. nth.—The Old Alps; 180 yards. This hole used to be one of over 500 yards, but owing to the had "lies" often obtained from a perfect second shot, it was decided to split the hole into two, and in future the Alps will require a drive, and a good drive too, to reach the green. :ath.—The Hilhre, 320 yards, will remain as it has been for years. J3H1. — The Rushes, no yards, is an ideal iron shot hole, well protected by a large but fair hunker. 14II1. — The Field Hole, length 420 yards, requires straight driving and an accurate approach, as the green is well protected by rushes. 15th.—The Lake Hole; length 400 yards. Another capital hole. i6th.-The Dun Hole; length 410 yards. Here again long and straight driving is required, before a playerwill be required to use his iron with great nicety in order to reach the green, which is well guarded by a long bunker. 17th.—The Royal Hole, length 340 yards, will be remembered as the old Home Hole in the days when the club was located at the Royal Hotel. 18th.—The Staud Hole, length 380 yards, is a beautiful hole and requires most accurate play. This course will give a length of between 5,700 and 6,000 yards, according to the position of certain ROYAL LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUB.

Miss 1'ascoc :irul Miss Moelltsr on Ihc Alps Green.

Driving off to The Long Hole. Field Hole in foreground. HOYLAKE LINKS.

HAMPIONSHIP, lS<]6. Miss PEGCDB and Miss Moeller al The Con Hole. ROYAL LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUB. 173 greens; but, as stated before, the course will require .1 great deal of doing, and will hr >nt the true Rolling powers of all wlio liaml in good returns. The green lias, in the lost Few years, owing to the great droughts, the amount of play, and the number of drains laid In the district and other causes, lost something of that velvety texture for-which the grass was so celebrated, but the open winter and wet summer and autumn of 1896 have greatly improved the course; and, given plenty of wet weather, the Hoy lake links will attain once again that delightful turf for which they were so far famed. Entrance Pee, ^10 10s.; gentlemen under si years of age, £5 5s. Annual Subscription, Members elected before January 1st, 1891, £2 as.; after January 1st, 1891, ^3 3s. Members residing over 25 miles from tlie Town Hall of Liverpool shall only be required to pay an animal subscription of 10s., unless they play on the ground or use the club, when they will be required to pay £1 izs., or £z 13s. as the case may he, to make the full subscription £2 as. or ^3 3s. Members out of England pay no subscription. Number of Members. 700 limit (long waiting list). President: H.R.H. the Duke of Connanght and tftrathearn, K.G., K.T., K.P., G.C.M.G. Vice-President: I.ord Stanley of Aldcrley. Captain : G. C. H. Dunlop. Trustees: John Dun, J. Graham, H. W. Hind, A. Sinclair. Hon. Treasurer: H. Jsmioii. Committee : T. I,. Verguson, G. R. Cox, J. 13. Hin Secretary : W. Ryder Richardson, Hoylake, Cheshire. Record of the Green.—The medal play record of the present course is 76, by Mr, J, Hall, junr., in October, 1896; but in 1890, in a private match, the same gentleman recorded 74, this being- the par of the round. HUDDERSFIELD GOLF CLUB.

Tm; Huddersfield Golf Club was formed in the autumn of 1S91. A suitable links was readily found at Fixby Park, and a course of eighteen holes was laid out under the supervision of Tom Dunn, the first nine holes being over fields, in which the hazards consisted of woods, ditches, stone walls, and a quarry, while the second nine lioles were in the Park, where the- natural dilu- culties had to be supplemented by artificial hazards. The Photograph of Fixby Hall, an old family mansion, •which, had been untenanted for some time, sufficiently indicates the extent of the good fortune of the Club in finding such head-quarters waiting for them. Prominent amongst the founders of the Club were Dr. Mackenzie, an old St. Andrews player, Mr. I-I. Huth, the first captain of the Club; Messrs. F. H. Shaw and J. H. Dranslieid, the first secretaries; Mr. J. C. Broadhent, the first treasurer; Messrs. F. E. Woodhead, A. E. Learoyd, A. F. Firth, N. Nugent, W. A. Hutchmsou. and Rev. T. T. Taylor who formed the first committee Tlie 3^arl of Dartmouth was elected president of the Club, and has continued to occupy this position ever siuce. The Club was successful from the start, and soon took a leading place iu the county, and now numbers : Playing members, 233 gentlemen, 98 ladies ; Non-playing members, 38 gentlemen, 66 ladies, 44 junior ; 479 in all. J.ne brst meeting 01 the YorKShire Union of Golf Clubs, an Association which owed its origin largely to the efforts of Dr. Mackenzie, the second captain of the Club, was held over the Fixby links in October, 1894, when tlie Huddersfield Club carried off both tlie Team and Amateur County Championships, a performance they repeated at Scarborough iu the following year. A few words of description of the links will supplement the efforts of the photographers. The hall is surrounded by a sunk fence, which encloses the gardens, stables, and "policies." Outside this sunk fence, on the east of the hall, are the first tee, the caddy shelter, the home green of the ladies' course, and the tenth and eighteenth greens of the gentlemen's course. , The first hole is guarded on the right by a sunk fence, protecting the gardens, •which are "out of bounds," thus penalising a " sliced " drive ; a branch of the sunk fence faces the player, but can be carried

i7f. HUDDERSFIELB LINKS. oy a good drive leaving -I. quarter shot vip-hill, for the green, which lies under the shelter of a plantation, by which a too strongly played shot is punished. The play now skirts round the plantation for the next three holes, the second hole being a good cleek or moderate brassie shot, guarded on the left hand by the plantation, and on the right hand by a sunk fence and woods, which trap a pulled or sliced drive. The third hole is the longest on the course, at present, but can be reached by a good drive and brassie shot, though rising ground catches a. " topped " shot, aiid long grass a drive which is not straight. The fourth hole is played from a hollow, with a roadway at a distance of aoo yards ; a good cleek shot with a following wind after a good drive will reach the green, but, as the hole is blind, just beyond a slight ridge or shoulder and protected on the left hand by the plantation, the hole is a brilliant one in four, and hi actual play is the hardest 011 the course. The fifth tempts the long driver, the tee being on the top of a hill, and the play being over a field, beyond the second wall of which the green lies visible ; with the assistance of a wind long drivers occasionally carry the second wall, which is about 200 yards from the tee. The sixth is a short hole, frequently clone in three, but, as it is blind and guarded by walls, it often requires more. The seventli

is a moderate four, the main hazards being a ditch which punishes a topped drive and quarries for pulled

being guarded on two sides by ditches and on one side by a roadway. The ninth hole is all up-hill, a ditch and farm buildings having to be cleared by the drive, aud a ditch lying in wait for a sliced ball. A wrist shot only is then required to reach the green, which, can be easily overrun, as it is on the highest part of the ridge upon which the fourth green is placed. This hole is called the " Panorama," since the lulls and dales of Yorkshire can thence be seen extending in all directions. From the tenth tee, which is at the summit Oi the same hill as Ihe iiilb tee, but facing north instead of south, the drive is back into the park, which was left behind after the first drive. Here tlie ground does not afTord such variety as the fields through which the first half of the course lies, and the play is somewhat monotonous by reason of the fact that the artificial obstacles are chieny stone walls faced with a layer of turf. These bunkers are, however, placed with sound judgment, so that great variety is given to the park holes, and many players nnd them more difficult to negotiate than the Erst half, the difficulties being greatly increased by the long grass which catches topped, sliced, and pulled balls. The tenth hole is a good drive and an iron shot, a sunk fence at the foot of the hill catching a topped drive; if this is carried, however, the hole is an easy four. The eleventh is somewhat taine, the only hazards being an artificial bunker aud loug grass on both sides of the course. The twelfth, a hole of .350 yards, is a very pretty one, a small stream and. long grass on the right punishing a sliced shot, and the green beiug protected by a wall to catch a poor second, also by a wood on trie rigiit hand which traps A sheets approach. ^ he thirteenth and fourteenth, up the nark, have been some- HUDDERSFrELD GOLF CLUB. 177 "78 HUDDERSF1EI.D LINKS. what simple holes, but a change is being made which will give a tricky short hole for the thirteenth and a long fourteenth of 500 yards, with three obstacles at very awkward distances, for which the " bogey " will probably be six. The fifteenth green is seldom reached in two; it is somewhat up-hill, with long grass punishing any but a good straight drive, and a palisade bunker which catches many second shots. A ditch and wood on the right have great attractions for many players, and are the causes of numerous lost balls. The green is protected on two sides by a ditch, and, with woods and the " Shepherd's Cot" behind, forms one of the prettiest views on the links. The sixteenth can be reached by a long, straight drive over a bunker • ijrtli tee is the "Oratory," LC old chapel attached to the Hall is called. The hazards of the seventeenth hole of 70 yards from the tee, and a wide footpath 120 yards nearer the green. The • eighteenth hole, requires a good drive to clear a wooden [jiili'sade, 130 yards from the tee, after which ; or full iron shot will reach the green. The round is one of about two and three-quarter miles, to he sed slightly when the new 13th mid 14th holes are finished and in play. le record for the eighteen holes is held by Alexander Herd, the well-known and popular professional

of the HuddersBeld Golf Club, with of 66 that contained two, all the holes being tl: excepting the seventh, which was a A large number of ladies having members, a ladies' c upper portion of the Park, with hole aryini 11 70 to 2 yards in length id offering iy diffici All things considered, the Huddersfield Golf Club is entitled ngst the most ii •portar the most fortunate of those clubs which are condemned to inland g The following arc the names and lengths of the holes :— No. Y'ls. Dartroouth 2. Ice House 3. Warren 4- PlnnlaLion 13. Dyke 5- One Tree T4. Hawthorne Farm .. 15. Shepherd's Cot Cowcliffe e, Redan 9- Panorama

Two miles, sis furlongs, 11111I INNERLEVEN GOLF CLUB.

THE Innerleven Golfing Society was founded in T8SO, and in tluis twelfth in date of coiiBtitntion among the world's golf clubs. But it seems probable that this date represents a mere resuscitation, as an item of a club as one shilling and threepence. It may be added that there is a belief existent among some of the older members that such a resuscitation was a fact. If 1761 be admissible, the Innerleven would come in sixth, immediately after the IJmntsfield in 1760. The Club has been long associated with the district, and until a year or two ago undertook the up-keep of the links, but these are now under the joint management of the three local clubs who use the green, and a moderate charge is imposed on all players, other than members of these clubs. The Society still retains the name of Inuerl even from its fa mo us old green on t-he farther side 01 the Leveu Water of which Dr. Graham so often sung. In fact, it was not till so lately as 1867 that they Qnally abandoned the old Thinks to Puffing Billy and his irreverent satellites. The names of most of the leading families in the district appear upon the roll at one time or another—the Wemysses, of Wemyss Castle, who were the lairds of the old Links ; Anstmthers, of Balcaskie ; Oswalds, of Dutmikier; Balfours, of Balbirnie; Bethuues, of Blebo; Bethuues, of Balfour; Riutouls, of kahili; Christies, of Durie; Gilniour, of Moutrave (the last two own between them the present links); and so on. The story of the Society is an interesting one, and shows intervals of depression, storms in a tea-cup, fights in I^aw Courts with tbrawn officials, and rows about dinner bills, harmonious meetings rich in song and sentiment —all as elsewhere 111 those good old days, (Such as it is, it may be mentioned for the benefit of those interested in the district that a pretty full note from the old records for the first half-century of its career appeared in the pages of Golf lor 30th June and 23rd July, 1893.) Old Innerleven or Dubbieside (from dub, a pool) appears very often in golfing literature. The laureate of its own love, Dr. Graham, sang of it well and oflen ; and many of his verses are too familiar to warrant quotation. His famous verse upon the old feather-ball—

" And though OUT best wi' them we tried, And nicely every dub applied. They whirred, andfuffid, and gaated, a.nf sfiM, A/r/t s&hntil into bunbm's "-—

is probably the best verse in the golfing language; but a stanza from another of bis club songs, under A A 2 LEVEN LINKS.

well knlowii, ina-y be quoted becan LosU:ep, viz., Duubarnie. '• So here's a liciJtlk LO our win club, fit. Andrews next—our mitlier, A bumper to DimbnrnieiusM, Our neibor ami our britlier. AuliI Dubbiosidc (Innerlcven) salutes An1 if ye wish lo rneetlier, Ye'll find her ready at aca', WV her gallant Captain, Peter,"

led of Storied Dubbieside :— '< These velvet links of golfers rifc, Are they in Paradise or Fife ? Am I alive or am I doatl, Or sun I not nt Dubhieside ?"

ery best of nine-hole ot be generally know

meeting of the Innerleveu on 13th April, 1855, by Mr. Jolm Dun, subsequently of Warriugton, and well known to Southern golfers. The then Captain—Wemyss, of Weinyss Castle-undertook to lay it before the St. Andrews Club, but with what result is not known. The minute books are silent on the subject till 15th April, 1857, when a General Meeting- is held to consider a proposal by the Preslmwk Club, which, for some unknown reason, seeui to have taken the matter up instead of the Royal and Ancient. Tbe first proposal was " to institute a watch between the following clubs, to come off ou St. Audrews Links, viz., St. Andrews, Perth, Ulackheath, Mussel burgh, Prestwick, North Berwick, and Innerleven, the game to be in foursomes." This, as we have all read, waa subsequently merged in a larger scheme ; but it shows that, even at that time, the fnnerleven was of some weight in the golfing world. In the tournament itself, Innerleven, represented by Wallace and Marshall, knocked out Mnsselburgh, represented by Chambers andMarjoribanks, in the first round, but were in the next beaten by Blackheatli, represented by Glennie and Stewart; and the last, it may be remembered, captured the final. Again, in the 185S tournament, it was aii Iiinerleveu man "Wallace ^vho tuade such a gallant struggle and was only knocked out m t2ie Eitial

The last few years have brought increased prosperity and more vigorous and enterprising life. The membership has increased by leaps and bounds, and the enterprise which prompted the erection of their

182 LKVEN LINKS. • new and beautiful club house aeeuis to have met with cordial recognition ou the part of brother golfers all round. The entrance fees and rates of annual subscription at present stand at ^3 3s. and £1 tos- respectively. The building itselr is one of Mr. Gillespie's (of St. Andrews) many unqualified successes. The

[Pnm avbolo Its It Mr. HughV.Haig Citp/ain, 1893 and i& accommodation leaves little to be desired, and the billiard-room is probably as good as anything of the kind in Scotland. The view from it is superb. The popular Fife Links occupy a charming site along the shore of the famous I,argo Bay of Scottish

song and story. For the Scottish golfer, any descriptiot of this famous green would be wholly unnecess for the English, it might assist us to quote Mr. Colt's )pinion—that it much resembles Rye. If we

184 LEVEN Ll.VKS. accept the phrasing of that accomplished American sportsman, Mr. Whitney, when writing of Sandwich— " The surface of the ground looks like one vast, irregular succession of congealed saudwaves "—Leven is an ideal course. It is singularly rich in the variety of its hazards, and several of them are familiar names

r miles—eighteen holes, of varying- iuterest. Few are without difficulty of me kind, and judiciously igned hazards are year by year added here and there. "Water, too, has been n pipes from the town r the entire course, with gratifying- results; and it is pleasing to add that tin ven Ladies' Club have owed this inspiriting lead on their own course north of the railway. ailway communication with Udinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, and otli more important Scotch tow ery year being improved, to the 1 advantage of Railway G .party and long-suffering golfer. Of course, this brings with it the concomitant dis specially on the none too frequent public holidays in the large towns; but with a toleration Uitlander and native get along smoothly enough. One difficulty with which X-ev* to contend is that it is auiphisbaenic—has a starting ground at both ends; but any frictioi leviated by an ingenious system of sandwiching the players from either end. i.—{Tahk Hole,)—Starting from the west, as nine-tenths of the local players do, we find a fateful ami distracting hazard under our very nose, in the shape of famous Scoonie burn itself, which has been the

s Kett. Mr, Smith. subject of much morally elevating poetry. Though not so deep as a well, Scoonie burn is wider than (an known, at all events, to us Scots) a church door, and has served—no doubt to its own satisfaction and that of the caddie, who has an officially recognized monopoly in recovering lost balls from its pellucid waves. Thereafter, the course runs over ridges aud billowy ground to a very fine putting-green—an elevated plateau, with sloping and dangerous ground on every side—fronted by a satanic bunker that has been m its time as rich in curses as the ill-omened hark of T^ycidas itself. 2.—{Howe Hole.) -You drive over a circus-like valley—where the village games were, until recently, held —hacked by a couple of grim bunkers, that wink, at you with goggle-eyed effrontery. Thereafter, over a smooth upland stretch, and, keeping clear of a hidden bunker, you land on a first-rate green, surrounded by upland, but backed by a huge bunker of concentrated malignity. l.~[Sonth SegHole.')--Over this bunker of dread, and a level tract that was once marshy, but has now been drained, and you reach a pretty little green, defended by a concealed bunker in front, and the venomous " Tar-pat" to the south-east. 4.—(£>yfo Sole.)—This is a long hole, and ends in one of the largest and finest putting-greens on the links. TheTe are several good hazards on the way, but they may be easily avoided. There used to be a very dangerous bunker on the heavy knoll in front of the green, but with the fleeting years it has decreased in size, like whiskey, say, in bond. 5.— {Sigwal Hole.)— If you come to grief here over your drive, recovery is difficult. The dyke itself must, INNERLEVEN GOLF CLUB. 185 LEVKN LINKS. ikNERLEVEN GOLF CLUB. 1S7 of" course, be negotiated, and there is no dodging the valley beyond, with its swiftly flowing burn. The upland has some awkward lies, but with decent luck yon ought to reach the green with your iron. This is a prepared green of some size, and with generous use of water is daily improving. 6.—(K?wx's Hole.)—Vie. skirt the railway, and must avoid the heavy rabbit-tunnel led ground abutting on it. Over a knoll, with a bunker-trap concealed at its foot, and we reach a capital green. 7.—-{North Sunnybraes Hole.)—Rouud or over a knoll of some size, and across a wee water-course knowii poetically aa "The Trows," after the mischaucy Norland fairy folk, no doubt. The green is an excellent smooth one, and not too level. 8.—{Station ffo/a.)—Another excellent sporting hole, rich in hazards—" Piggy's Burn," a baldly brutal cart road of quite unnecessary malignity, bunkers, and so on. " The Major," so called after Major Boothby, once well known on these links, has recently been improved. {Rather oddly, it seems that he preferred to enter this bunker from the east, which, of course, testified to pleasing ingenuity.)

ALTHOUGH it cannot boast of beiug a mgst the oldest of the English goll clubs, the milestone Golf Club lias Iready attained a respectable age, having now reached its tenth year. It 3 founded in January, 1S8S, and that well-known golfer, Mr. W. Laidlaw : •ves, who was one of the original members, was chiefly responsible for laying out or the course as it was originally planned, it Captai .ted upon the edge of Romiiey Marsh, rather over a mile from New Roniney, one of the Cinque Ports ; and upon a fine day there is a clear view of Folkestone and the Dover Cliffs. In the opposite direction the long, low Hue of beach known as Dungeness is seen jutting far out into the sea, and when the wind blows strongly up channel numbers of craft of all kinds may be seen lying to for protection close under the lee of the Ness. The course lies along the sea-shore, and the turf and soil, except perhaps at the first two and last two holes, which in wet weather are apt to get somewhat heavy, are of true golfing quality. As originally planned by Mr. Turves it extended farther towards Dynichurcb, the outermost hole being not far from tlie St. Mary's Coast-Guard Station. Some of the land, however, upon which the far holes were situated was given up not long after the formation of the Cluo, and in 1802 a still further alteration was mace, the course being then arranged as it is now played. The links comprise pleaty of fine hazards, and as most of the holes are well guarded, accurate approach play is necessary to ensure anything like a good score. It is hardly going too far to say that there are few links in Engla id which equal a \ fewer which si^ip-iss them. The bracing nature of the air adds considerably to the r attraction. LITTLESXONE GOLF CLUB. 189

The length of the course as at present is about 3j miles, and the following is a short description of the holes with their approximate lengths. No. 1.—This presents no great difficulties. Either & sliced or a pulled drive, however, will probably find its way into a sunk blinker. The distance is 263 yards ; and 4, the bogey score, should be done without difficulty. No. 2.—Nashe's Run, a ditch about g or 10 feet broad, requires a drive of ratlier over 100 3'ards carry, a carried the hole should be done in 5. Distance 427 yards. No. 3.—Is a very sporting hole. Driving1 off from a raised tee near the 2nd green, a straight drive with, a carry of, say 120 yards or more, will laud tlie ball upon a delta 011 "which, the green is situated tit aboirt 220 yards from the tee. Should, however, the ball be driven ever so slightly too much to the right it finds a watery grave in the canal, and if slightly pulled it Laads either in a bunker or amongst bent grass and rabbit-holes, whilst if topped, the aforesaid canal awaits it. This hole was once done in one by the late Mr. Frank Jefferson. During a competition, there was somewhat of a block at the 3rd tee, and at the time he drove, some five or six couples were waiting their turns to drive oR", so that Mr. Jefferson's ball was seen disappearing into the hole by at least ten spectators. Its then distance was just under 200 yards.

No. 4.—From the tee a fine bunker rather over 100 yards distant has to be carried, and supposing there be no opposing wiud, a good second should carry some sunk bunkers guarding the green which is immediately beyond them. Distance 333 yards. ^Jo ^ —^Vith a followintr ^viud a pulled or sliced biill may get into difficulties by reaching eituei a bunker or rough ground, and a bunker guarding the green requires a properly played iron shot to negotiate, this being accomplished there should be no difficulty in holing out in 4. Distance 257 yards, No. 6.—From a suuk tee some rough ground immediately in front has to be carried, and a straight drive will land the ball into a position for a run up to the hole, which is not guarded in front. The beauty of this hole consists in the fact that if either the drive or the approach is pulled the ball will find its way into the canal whilst 011 the other hand if it is sliced it will land in verv rouj?h ground irom whicn. tins note xi&s to be approached over a high bank with the certainty of the ball reaching the canal if too strongly played. Its distance is 247 yards. No. 7.—The canal will catch a topped drive, but given a fair shot from the tee, the high bunker guarding the green can be carried with an iron or niashie shot. Distance 233 yards. No 8 —In its ^00 yards has two bunkers very similar in aspect the first at a distance of about 100 yards from the tee, and the second lying immediately before a very pretty undulating putting-green which TJTTLF-STONE LINKS. LTTTLESTONE GOLF CLUR. 1Q2 I.TTTT.ESTONE LINKS,

certainly rim. No Q JV fair drive mid second along a level stretch of good tint leave the player au iron shot over some rough ground and a sunk bunker on to another undulating green. There is a shorter way to this hole for a long driver, who, with a fine second shot over rough ground interspersed with rabbit-holes, and ending with the aforesaid sunk bunker, can reach the green in 2. Distance 393 yards. No. ro.—A carry of some 120 yards from the tee will Land your ball over a low bunker (which affords fine niblick practice to the bad driver), and if your drive is a good one it will lie clear of some rough ground lying immediately beyond and within a half or three-quarter iron shot of the green, which is guarded by a grip. Distance 290 yards. No. 11.—Is a long hole of about 490 yards. A bunker about 90 yards distant has to be carried with the drive and tjiven a irood drive the second shot should carry an unpleasant grip lying rather over 300 yards from the tee, and a third full shot over some rough ground shotiki reach the green, which is a most

No. 12.—Is rather over 400 yards. It is a sporting hole, and were the " lies" through the green better, it would be one of the best on the course. A rising brnker faces the tee at a distance of from 100 to no yards, and beyond this on the right lies a long sunk bunker to catch a poor or a sliced drive. These bunkets being successfully negotiated, a full second, if not sliced into another bunker, lying farther on upon

the right, will be within an easy iron shot of the green, which is guarded on its left by a high hill with beut, and ending in a sunk bunker, whilst more bent lies immediately bej'oud. No. 13.—From the tee to this hole one gets a fine view of the sea with the Folkestone and Di Clifl the 1 po . stretch of beautiful level turf from whence a fair second will reach the green lying picturesquely in a hollow inmte- ciLately beyond sonic rising ground covered with bent, dstauce 327 yards. No- 14 (333 yards).—Requires two good shots to carry the bunker guarding the green. A pulled drive will be caught by a sunk hunker on the left, whilst a poor drive may be caught by a grip which -will almost certainly cost the player a stroke. The second shot, ho , is the most ticklish; in additioi n to the bunke facing you and over which lies the green, there lies to the left some rising ground so thickly covered with bent as to be almost unplayable, and on the right are two sunk bunkers ready to catch a ball trying to steal past the centre bunker on that side. No, 15.—Is considered by many the best on the course. Its distance is not far short of 500 yards, and the turf through the whole length is very good. The only thing to be feared from the tee is a pulled ball, which will find its way either into a small bunker or else into some very rough and unpleasant country lying all along the left of the course. Two full shots should bring the ball within negotiating distance of a flue high bunker which guards the green, and this having been successfully accomplished, the player will find his ball upon a beautiful large and level putting-green always in excellent condition. No. to.—Has a most formidable bunker to be carried with the drive, at a distance from the medal tee of I.TTTt.KSTONK liOU-' ("U'B. 193

quite 140 yards, and if this in accomplished and the ball gets over some sloping rough ground beyond, it will reach tile green, the hole being only 211 yards long. Should the player, however, find his b?U in \\\t

siderably more than one shot to extricate it. No. 17.—Has as its hazard, from tlie tee, the caual over which the player now returns. Between this and the hole, which is a distance of 433 yards, lie scattered iu places likely to catch inaccurate shuts no less tliau

No. iS.—Is, as now played, quite a short liole, probably not mure than 140 yards, and given a straight ckek or brassie shot shoulc! be done in 3. The Club is in negotiation for the purchase not only of most of the land now played over but also of the

altered to something like its original plan, as the land which was giveu up as before mentioned, and which the Club hopes to again acquire, undoubtedly contains Borne very fine hazards, and is altogether of real golfing quality. The Grand Hotel, Little stone, and several comfortable lodging-houses are almost within a stone's throw of the first tee. The railway station is only about three-quarters of a mile from LHtlestone, and the railway journey to London is only slightly over two hours. The Club has made arrangements with the Railway Company by which the latter issues to the Club tickets at a reduced price. At the Annual Oeneral Meeting in 1&94 its members were limited to 45(1i this limit being reached very shortly afterwards. At the General Meeting in i«0 the numbers were raised to 500 and the entrance fee increased from £$ 5s. to ^10 ros. At the end of 1S96 there was a waiting list of over 100, In spite of the subscription being only £\ is. tbe finances of the Club are in a most flouriKliing condition, the revenue account for 1896 showing a surplus of ^,'122 iS^. id. mid the capital account a balance of

In 1889 the Right Hun. A. J.Halfour, M.P., was elected President of the Club, which position lie.still fills. The following is a list of the Captains of the Club since its funnatiun :—

188.I . . . \V. LidJliiw Viu'vcs. ' ifiyj . . . K, Fiiillil'ull JiefiR. iSMrj ... ,, ' 1894 . . . K. H. Ile.ldmviclt. 1E90 . - . "W. U. Tjnckrell. \ 1895 W. E. MnchRiln. tSqi . - . I.Uiinnon. I iSrjb . . . Kl.H.ra. Herbert /, Gladstone, M.I*. iSgs . , . 1.. R. Kislihip. I

[£88 :iiiJ 1889. Hon. Secretary, E. B. Wood ford. Jlun. Trciismcr, R. S. Chailcs. 1800. ., ,) .. JJ'-. 1*. Ii. Dntjliaii.

i8gjnml iSy.|. ,. C. While. \$

In 1B1J4 the Chil> lunL its links foe the Ladies1 Championship Meeting, the holes being specially shortened for the occasion. It will no doubt be remembered that Lady Margaret Scott then won the Champion- ship fur the second year in succession. A photographic group of the competitors taken in front of the Ladies' Club-liouse is reproduced.

Tar short of iou, have a course of nine holes immediately adjoining tlie men's links, which in its sporting character compares favourably with any other ladies' links. Its only drawbacks are that it is somewhat too sandy in dry weather, and that the turf is not quite all that could be desired. But lime and play will no doubt go fiir to cure- these defects. LYTHAM AND ST. ANNE'S GOLF CLUB.

Tin-; f.ytliit iid HI. An S ClLlI tilislicti in iNHG, miLy be termed the , as it supplies tlie haven of enjoyment to the men ny inland greeny which are incessantly making • cc all over the County I'alatinc. Chiefly through the iustrmuentulily of Mr. J. Talbot Fair, the present hou. secretary of the Club, assisted by Messrs. J, A. S. Fair, A. A. Dolemwi, S. A. Hermou, J. Mugliston, Tlios. l'.iir. the Rev. W- 0. Terry, and Dr. Kasuti, golf was duly inaugurated in 1S8G at St. Anne's. During the first year of the Club's existence the membership only reached forty-five, whilst even in the second year the increase was exceedingly small, the full complement being sixty. But from this time the membership may be said to have increased by leaps and bounds, as, from tvvu hundred in 1888, it has new reached the limit of four hundred and fifty, and there lira still many waiting to cuter the portals; and this with an entrance fee of /ifl 15s. and subscription £2 2s., whereas in the initiatory stage of this Club's existence, in fact, until March, 1K89, no entrance fee whatever was charged. Although the links at present in use may be said to meet all

Mi'. Uobuit s. Itoddingicn, desires, the lease under which the ground was held was some- '"*'•""• what transient and insecure. In consequence it was deemed advisable to sack fields and pastures new, and, great as has been the reputation of Lin; old links in the yiist, the new ground opens out possibilities of ail even greater future, mid IIIIH IKCH taken on a lease for ninety-nine years. The first hole does not severely tax the player. It is 175 yards in length, and the chief hazards are a pond and the railway, either of which is apt to catch a ball at all sliced. The second hole is 380yards in length, and, util the ground becoi moi ;onsolidated, it will trouble the very longest of drivers to reach the green in two. The railway again skirts the hole to the right, whilst any ball at all off the lini is sure to be ]»u nished. The third hole is tniiar in character, only considerably shorter, being 330 yards in lengtli The fourth hole is, i-ell guarded on both sides, 320 yards in length, and the green should 1 ie<1 in tw 1 short one. 115 yards in length, the green being guarded by mge of s hills. The jst sporting on the course. The longest of dri will hardly reach tlie green in two, as it is 405 yards, and all carry, the hole being beautifully guarded. The seventh hole is 4

Mr, I!. S. llwlrtiiiRton, Mr.

Ca,W«fH. T.YTIIAM AND ST. ANNE's fiOLF CUIR. JQJ

L'F w~ *.->• • —-• -..~ ..-••», .*. ,,-. ,L^r4i.> ovewmr verII;IyJ sportinhjiii] iingg ground-remindinground—remindingg onone nnff ththee SandwicSandwichh links -390 yards in length. Only the very best of players car, hope to ,lo it in four. The tenth hole Ims'ay excellent *md kmnl some 120 to 130 yards from the tec; once clear of this, however, the hole shoul. bo done in rr>ur. 1 be eleventh hole is the longest on the course, vi/., *,n yantu- it is however some what Unt mid mi interesting. The twelfth hole can be reached from the tee, and should he done in three. The thirteenth hole ,_- — _____ is over rather lint ground, and, ns it has no distinctive features one until the ground becomes in better order. The fourteenth,

The (frccii is well gimrdcd on all sides, and the second' stroke will always have to be played with care and precision. The fifteenth hole, allluniRb short, ifio yards in all, is not easy, as a ran^e of sand hills and bunkers has to be crossed from the tee. The tee shot is a line uiio, over innumerable haxards. The seventeenth hole, ,i3,s yards, is chiefly noticeable for tlie range of hills which has to be carried in the second stroke. Whilst the home hole, although snuicwhat plain as yet, is of an excellent length. 170 ynrils. The majority of the holes are over good sporting ground, whilst the tuiT, although being of a fine texture, has a wonderfully good bottom, and looks as if it would stand the wear and tear of the hardest season's play. One of tlie great features about the course is the excellent length of the holes; and in only twn instances may it be said that a hole deserves the appellation of •'leveller," and in these eases—the tenth and sixteenth, which are respectively 290 and 2H0 yards in length—the lack of distance is amply compensated for by the difficulty of the tee shot. The All! length of the course at present is 5,3110 yards, made up as follows: Out, 2,720 yards; In, 2,640 yards. Although, perhaps, at present somewhat on the short side, it must he remembered that through the green it is all carry, and at least for some time there will ho none of that enormous run on the ball which one is so accustomed to on St. Andrews and other

mure difficult than the actual length would lead one to believe.

which now boasts a membership of 250 (the limit). The L3-tham and St. Anne's Ladies' Golf Club may. in a way, be said to be [he pioneer of ladies' golf in the north of England. The first ladies' championship was played on their links in [893; and the ladies' championship is, probably, chiefly due to the inde-

this direction. In past championships the St. Anne's ladies have taken no mean part. In 189.5 Miss Kffie Terry reached the penultimate round. In 1S94, at Littlestone, Miss May Mugliston claimed a similar distinction. Whilst in 1895, at Portrusli. Miss K. Lyth^oe only succumbed to the invincible Lady Margaret .Scott in the final round, Amongst the many open competitions which have taken place may be mentioned the professional competition in 1890, in which eight of the best professionals were invited to compete, the successful competitor being Willie Fernie. with Archie Simpson close behind. In 1S92 the experiment was repeated, the f H ptolll l-l result being a tie between Douglas Rolland and Archie Simpson. Hw«S'J?.lr' Whilst amongst the amateurs, who also competed at the same time, Mr. V. A. Fairlie took first place.

A very fine club bouse is in course of erection, which will cost between £7.<™ and ^H.ooo. St. Anne's-on-the-Sea is sixteen miles from Preston, which is midway between London ami Wmlnirgl.. ray ji. i ho APPROACHING .MACHRIIIANISH HOLE. MACHRIHANISH GOLF CLUB, CAMPBELTOWN.

Hit Argyll and White Mart hotels in Cani|>bellowu r icltes to iiixl from the links tw ek in intei for the moderate charge of 1H. 6d. encii. Visitors can have rooms within ti hundred yards of the liume hole at I'iins Hotel, to which considerable additions Imve recently been made, the hotel having now over eighty rooms, and being provided with nil modern improvements. inHnii ing billiard roinn, tennis courts. &c. The in .-in it-l.it- of this hotel has conveyances attending the «r s , for of slnmj^rs visiting the links. Private Lodging-houses also iibound in llie neighbourhood, si ml ground for Ceiling can be h:u\ on very moderate terms. There are the further conveniences of jiosl and tclegrauh offices. In Muchrilmnlsh stream, and in several Im.-hs in the vicinity, good trout fishing may be luui freu. "The links, which are universally admitted by those who have played over them Ui be • tile finest of all links,' were laid out in the year 1H70 entirely to the north side of Maclirihanish stream; hut three years later llie j*ruund on the smith side of the burn began to lie utilised, allhougli it was not till 1BS5 Unit tlie lie uliitenu from which the first tee shots are driven, the routid, which i.s now considerably longer and more Sev< il futeriati hav< nee been imade dimcnlt." vSo far, the ' •Olfil ig Amnial. The folio'wing pie uit account of these picturesque links Is taken, by liennission froiu ' 'Fai 1110 '.ulf Li u ks." AlACHRIHANISlf LTNK.S.

" Situated at the west side, and nearly at the south end of Kintyre, the usual ' approac ' is by boat from Greeuuck to Campbeltown, though perhaps the best way of all is to embark at Fairlie Pie From liere we are taken past Bute, round the north end of the Isle of Arrmi, through Kilbrannan Sou ; coasting along past Loch Ranv.ii, we catch a momentary glimpse of Goat Fell, recently the scene of errible tragedy, Crossing and recrossing between Kintyre d Arr , the primitiv thods of landing: and embarking goods and passengers will prove a source of amu ment, nd especially is thi live-stock

o lie landed arrive alongside the steamer; a rope with several yards of slack is put round each horse's nuzzle, the attendant ghillie gets into bis bout's stern, rope in hand, and the boat sheers off; when clear, lie unfortunate and terror-stricken horse is hustled over the steamer's side, disappears from view in the .eplhs of the sea, rises anon to the .surface, when the ghillie begins to haul his end of the rope, and in the ml the horse, after a swim of several hundred yards astern of the small boat, gets to shore apparently mharmert ; though if a splint happens to appear a few days subsequently, probably no one would have the sast idea how it could have got there. At last, after some five hours or so, Campbeltown is reached, the isxt point being to get to Machrihanish, five-and-a-half miles distant. For this purpose a "machine" will ic requisitioned: pending its arrival the pilgrim may probably have his expectations raised by being told that 'it is a lovely road,1 and will accordingly prepare to feast his eyes upon the beauties of nature thus prospectively displayed. A Barmecide's feast indeed, for from his subsequent experience he will deduce the fact that this was merely • Hnglish as she is spoke' in Kin- tyre ; 'hyperbolical e.

me remarkably fine opK of ragweed, none e discernible ; and the oveliness1 of the road found to consist merely the adaptability of its Tface to speedy and imfortable transit. "Passing the little ing village of Dnunletiihlc (the ich Machrihanish;

far in touch with civilisation as to boawt si telegraph--* ml a daily post.

isula, some thirty-live miles iul tliis tin. said, without fear of being misunderstood by English readers, tliat the driv* •ally insive and beautiful view awaits vis at our jot :nd. " In a north to north-westerly direction lie the island of Oigha, and the island of Jura, with its four dome- shaped hills at equal distances. ' Now as touching these monticleB,' as Sir Dugald Dalgetty has it, they are known to the churtographer as the Paps of Jura, and, being a leading feature in the landscape, at once attract attention. Southward of these appears Islay, where excellent whisky is produced. The two islands ore separated by the Sound of Islay; but they overlap, as it were, aucl it is difficult to see where the one Stops and the other begins. Then, rather to the south of west, Rathlin Island and the coast of Ireland, about B r be * under the fascinating conditio of most glorious sunsets, rich in sry imaginable tint of vesper beauty. "To visit the links will be o with that cud in view. Nor shall we have roamed over them -very lon ithout endorsing to Hie full U\u r ark of Tom Morris when laying them

2O2 MACHRIHANISI-I LINKS. out, to the- effect that Providence assuredly designed that part of the country as si special earthly Paradise for golfers. The turf in its nature is an improvement on that of Westward Ho I which it somewhat resembles ; wild thyme and similar herbs luxuriate. Its elasticity is surprising, as may be seen by holding a club and letting the liead fall and rebound ; consequently, walking is a pleasure—this, too, though, the course is exceedingly undulating, and at first sight seemingly ill adapted to the requirements of the weight-carrying and plethoric pedestrian. "The recuperative powei- of the turf, also, is wonderful; an ' iron-skelp' heals almost of itself, without doctor's aid, in a very short time. No need, either, for artificial tee ing-grounds; natural ones are all there ready, and in abundance; for every ball is teed, wherever it is. And, as for putting-greens, one might put a hole down almost anywhere at haphazard, and little else would be necessary. Hunkers abound, and are of the most orthodox description. The sand in them is light, though some there are wherein stones in plenty lie; needless to s y, these must be avoided like the plague. Owing to the general configuration of the ground the ball ill not roll much, in driving, therefore, a fairly good carry is necessary: aud, once the putting-greens ar reached, on all and singular of them, the ball holds its line with undeviating truth, there being no humps rregularities to l)egiule"it from the path o sctitude. Rabbits there are, but they appeal- to be tolerably in- nocuous, so far as the golfing course is concerned; whilst of the horses and live-stock generally the same remark may be made. " On leaving the Club to tee for the first hole we cross the Campbeltown road up on to a table-laud, hounded by rocks aud the beach a few yards to the left, on the right by the road aforesaid, and in front by a fence, into which the hair-topped ball is sometimes driven, and rebounds to a considerable distance behind the striker. An angle of the beach projecting inland has to be iSo/in * Co.. Otimtfitt carried obliquely, as well Miss Brown, MrMr. DD. MM. MaxtoneMaxtCme,, MraMrs. W.. McKersieMcKersie, as a slimy and offensive If Cfab. CafiMa. Ceplaiu, Ladles' Golf Club. ditch. "These difficulties surmounted, a brassie shot, which must be steered clear of ragweed 011 the left, puts 11s in position for a isitch to the hole, which is well guarded by bunkers. The proper number is live, and it is a good hole ; but the second is even better, A tee-shot straight down the course, if a long one, will enable the hole to be reached in two; but here the second shot is the thing. First of all, a broad burn, Machrihanish Water, has to be crossed. Secondly, a precipitous bluff, with a bunker in it and a sandy road ; some thirty yards over this lies the hole, on an undulating and beautiful putting-green. Thus, if the second is not well lofted, it is apt to get jammed up against the steep foot of the bluff, leaving a difficult third, Pour is good here. The third hole is tame, a drive and a short pitch; whilst the fourth is a drive and a cleek, aud is a goodish four, considering the country to be crossed. I-Ieuce we drive our tee-shot on to some beautiful billowy slopes, reminding one of Atlantic rollers arrested in mid-career by some Michael Scott, when 'him listed his magic wand to wave,' transformed thereby into yielding aud elastic sward. " The hole is in a sort of punch-bowl, the hither side of which is an abrupt and almost perpendicular descent; a four is Urns easy," (It should perhaps be said at once that there has been some considerable alteration in the course since these observations were written. Three holes at the end have been added to complete the outward half; but since Machrihanish, with its unlimited extent, is a course that never seems to arrive at any finality in the manner of its arrangement, it has been thought scarcely worth while to alter the details of their general description, merely observing that the phrase " dull and foggy " has long ceased to be applicable to any of its putting-greens.) " The next hole is good and sporting; a bunker of terrible mien confronts us when we have walked fifty or sixty yards to the tec ; its slopes are garnished with bents of forbidding aspect, and twenty yards farther MACHRIHANTSH GOLF CLUB.

Ifrem u phetn IIJI (JlliMii .t MACHRIHANISH LINKS.

ivINO TO 8TII AKU pTJI ll MACIIRINANrsn GOLF CLUIi. 205 mi is another hunker which the striker does not see. To the highest peak of the one he does we is about a hundred yards; so a carry of a hundred and forty will land him clear of everything, and a blind shot to the hole with cleek or iron will have to avoid furtlicr difficulties. The tec-shot to the seventh must cany a face in which a bunker lies concealed ready to trap a hadly-liit one; an exceptionally good drive would reach a deep and stony bunker; but this would be rather unlucky. A good, firm iron shot over uneven ground will enable a four to be recorded, The two last holes are two drives, and one and a long put or short approach respectively, and are negotiable in eight or nine. We are now half-way round ; and if the sum-total is forty or under—though this figure is not difficult of. attainment by a good player—he will iu all probability be quite satisfied with it. Homeward bound, the first hole is long, flat, and uninteresting, its chief difficulty lying in the fact that the monotonous level of the approach deceives the eye in its judgment of distance i three fair shots will be on the green, and in five or MIX we shall hole out. nd prepare us for another pretty long hole, represented by two drives and an iron. The first of the; ist clear a precipitous btiukery face about forty yards from the tee, whilst the last of the series, over a table, is very apt to be short, as the distance here again is very deceptive The tlu'rtci advantage be better arranged, for a bunker which it is in whole line of fire, at s distance as will catch e shot; it is therefore adv ort club at the leniently a short •on pitch i 1 get us on the

"The fourteenth hole is a somewhat common place four, its chief difficulty, as usual, lying in the blindness of the approach ; but its successor, known as Rorke's Drift, is as good a hole as can be found the r thn quarters of its length the direct line is over a succession of deep trench-like bunkers; on the left of the line, await- ing a drawn ball, is country compared to which Shefil i the right; hut a For those M are thus satisfied, whilst the good player < bluff already mentioned a arding the second hole ; a foi sily obtained. The renteeuth rejoi

" The last hole, with an adverse wind, is a spoiling one ; on a calm day it is but an iron shot from below up on to the table whereon the tee to the first hole is situated ; the road on the left, the high face surmounted by a fence, and the sea-beach on the right constitute the hazards ;. a three is the proper number. "Thus, 37 to 38 may be considered first-class for the return, whilst for the whole journey anything under 8o may be fairly regarded as a performance of exceptional merit; the record at present stands at 74." Entrance Fee, £s as.; Annual Subscription, IDS. Number of Members, 350. Captain, D. M. Maxtone ; Committee, D. Mactaggart, D. C. Greenlees, 5. Greeulees, A. H. Gardiner, E. G. Symes, J. B. Dickson; Hon. Secretary, D. Colville, Dalintober Distillery, Cainpbeltowu ; Treasurer and Assistant Secretary, T. Mackelvie, Solicitor, Campbeltown ; Greenkeeper, J. Munro. Club Prices.—Gold Medal (scratch), in spring; Silver Medal (scratch), in autumn; Carskey Cross and Trophies (handicap), on first Saturday of each month. Lowest Scratch Score in a Club Competition, 81, by W. Welsh, in September, 1892. Record/or Green, 74, by W. Welsh, in September, 1892. MINCHINHAMPTON GOLF CLUB.

THIS Club was established in tlie year 1889 by a Few local gentlemen, amongst them the present treasurer Mr. Clement Ritchie, an old Blackheath resident, who appreciated the capabilities of Minchiiihampton Common for making good inland golf links. With the assistance of Mr. A. T. Playne, as secretary (an old resident on the borders of the Common), the present successful Club was inaugurated, and has gradually increased in si»e and importance until it now ranks as the most important in the county, with a membership of between three and four hundred. It is situated four miles from the town of Stroud, in Gloucestershire, and one mile from the old posting town of Miiichinhainpton, after which town the Common was named, and is accessible from Tvondon by a two-and-a-half hours' run on tlie Great Western Railway. There are two distinct links, one of eighteen holes for the men, and a nine-hole course for the ladies. Knowing the importance of having tlie links and greens well selected and laid out, the committee at once engaged the services of E. B. Wilson, of St. Andrews, as professional, who practically laid out the present links, which has since only had some slight alterations. There was at first some slight opposition, from the Commoners, who have right of pasturage on the Common, but they soon found out that the introduction of tlie game was a great advantage to the neighbourhood 1 and many of those Commoners who had first opposed the introduction of the game are now keen golfers themselves. The advantage of having a good professional at the starting of a new Club has been evidenced by the •act that many members who joined the Club without any knowledge of the game, and who were coached by Wilson, may now be reckoned a s fair average scratch players, id can hold their own with playei been all theit lives at the game. The links are situated on a t •pur of the Cotswolds, about s /en hundred feet above the level of the sea, commanding views of tlie main range of the Cotswolds in on direction, and on the other side looking over the beautiful vale of Berkeley, <.ml the Welsh hills in the extT< ne distance. The turf is always fine, short, and springy, affording good "li< ind the main "hazards 1 consisting of deep and wide quarries, are decidedly formidable. Since the first spring and autumn meetings, whicli took place in the year 1890, meetings have been held twice annually without interruption, when the Club's Challenge Bowls and other prizes are competed for by a very large entry of members and golfers from other Clubs. At present the Club consists of about two hundred gentlemen and one hundred and forty ladies, The present professional, A. Toogood, has been at the Club for about two years, and lias successfully played Herd and Tom Vardon and Hugh Kirkaldy over MINCHINHAMFTON GOLF CLUB. MINCIIINHAMPTON LINKS.

A. Toogocd putting. MTNCHINTJAMPTON GOLF CLUB. 20g

these links, aud i.s well known in the golfing world for the strong game he 1ms played iu the animal professional championship competitions. The present officers of the Club are :—Mr. J. T. Wooli right, Hon. Secretary; Mr. Clement Ritchie, Hon. Treasurer; Major Ricardo, who is Lord of the Manor of Minehiiihainpton, is the President of the Club ; and the Rev. K. I-I. Hawkins and Mrs. W. Davies have both held the post of Captains of the gentlemen's and ladies' Clubs respectively for several years past. There is also a strong tradesmen's Club, from the neigh- uouriug town of Nailsworth, wlio play over the links £ and every encouragement i-s given to working men to play, many of whom have learnt to play an exceedingly strong game. The length of the green is such that a round of 80 is good work for a scratch man; and for the ladies' links, 40 is an excellent score for the nine holes. Toogood has recently made a record of 70 aud 72, both on the same day; and Mr. IT. S. Everard, who visited the links a year or two ago, made two consecutive rounds of 79 and 80. To describe it lirielly :— The urst hole is reached with a drive and an iron. pJasty ruts catch a. pulled drive and the garden n. sliced one. The green is guarded by a trench, which is however not a formidable hazard. The only difficulty experienced iu playing the second hole is the steep bank bej>oiul the green ; the approach shot if played the least bit too strong takes one down this, aud the ball lying against the churchyard wall defies the niblick and mashie. A long carry is necessary for the third hole, to clear the quarry aud entrenchment from the tee j once over these the bole is easy. The fourth is perhaps the least interesting hole ou the course. Being 438 yards long it takes three good shots to reach it. The grass is much cut up by cart ruts, so that a stroke is often lost through no fault on the part of the player. The fifth hole is a grand one, aud must be played with great accuracy and judgment. The tee shot is over a broad, deep quarry with another on the left to catch a pulled ball. The green is guarded by another quarry and a road, aud can only be reached with a very well-played cleek or iron, which if too strong may lie awkwardly either against a wall or m the quarry beyond It is a good hole in five which is the number allowed to bogey. The sixth hole should also be played very carefully ; a full drive to the right of the toad opens the green, which lies in a sporting position among broken ground. To reach the seventh hole in two one must be very straight; pulling takes one to whins, slicing to roads ; the green is a beauty. The only difficulty for the eighth is tlie whins in front of the tee ; a long straight ball will clear these aud make the hole an easy four. The ninth hole is a Rue one, and lies at the end of an aveutie of whins which trap the erratic player who either pulls or slices his drive or approach. The tenth hole is only 124 yards, and is, on paper, very simple ; but is the terror of all beginners and of many experienced players who constantly come to grief at it. To reach the green, which is a beautiful piece of turf between two roads and two quarries, it is necessary to play an iron or cleek shot very correctly. This hole has been done iu oue, and it is also related that one patient player actually holed out in sixty-one. It is worth mentioning that every professional who has visited the links has in one of his rounds broken down at this hole. The eleventh green lies in a bowl, two long shots from the tee. If the drive be either topped or sliced the ball will He unplayable in a quarry; a pulled ball will run a long way off the line down the hill. The twelfth is easy j a fairly good drive and an iron ; there is no hazard except a small quarry aud road in front of the tee. The thirteenth is a long hole ; the bold driver goes for the Danish entrenchment which crosses obliquely about 160 yards from the tee, over this the lies are good, and a good brassie lands one within an iron shot of the green ; the more careful player takes a line to the right, crosses tlie entrenchment with his second, and can reach the green with his third. The fourteenth should be an easy four, as a good tee shot will carry the quarry and entrenchment, and be somewhere near the green. The fifteenth is a "flukey" hole, a good drive being often caught in the road or ruts, while a bad one finds a good "lie." It is proposed to bring the tee forward to enable the long driver to reach the green, which is an excellent one, while the shorter driver will find safety by playing to the right. The sixteenth is a fine green which it takes two good shots to reach; the hazards are roads and ruts for 140 yards from the tee and some broken ground just before the green. The seventeenth is the longest hole. It is generally played from the tee to the right, then a good second in the same line gives a view of the green lying at the foot of the hill guarded by a sunk road ; the green is too close to this road for a genuine approach skot, and it is often a topped ball which runs through the hazard on to the green, while the well-played shot runs over it and lies awkwardly down the bank. The committee intend to alter this at the earliest opportunity, and take the green twenty yards farther ou. The eighteenth hole is straight for the club house; it is a veiy simple four and with a following wind is often done in three. Amongst the best players may be mentioned tlie Captain (the Rev. E. H. Hawkins), Messrs. Lawrence Grist, R. Lewis Grist, C. A. Gillanders, Arthur Hoare, C. !•. Chamberlain, &c, who all play a strong and Steady game. In the Ladies' Club, Mrs. Leslie, Mrs. Davies, Mrs. Stony, and Miss Lilian Smith are in the front rank, and many young players are showing great promise. 3RD OR WINDMILL HOLE. PRINCE'S GOLF CLUB, MITCHAM COMMON.

Ti IB course of eighteei1 holes 011 Mitcham Com 1110! ;rs a distance of 6,3 25 yards. The club house is close to Mite•hai u junction Station (I^.B, an d S.C.R.), a«A overlooks th e course. Frequent tl•ains run to Mitcham Jivnotion from Victoria and London Bridge, tlte time occupied being n-c•in eighteen to twenty,• miniite.s. Visitors are 11ot allow;d on Saturdays airrl Bank Holidays. For the following ace onnt we are indebted to the (:ourtesy of the pr

eated in places as substitutes for the whit 3; and the course is no farth froi id th t was wb it looked most hopeless. Therefore, it HCH rcely needs to say, it is popula Ith atitheinerit of light, gr elly soil, so that the rain soaks quickly th- nigh, and it is the driest cour k il and. It is a course, too, of fine distancesi.. At very many of the hole the first-class golfer will find himself striving with niig lin to be on1 ththee gregreen in two. On the other hand, there are several holes that can be reached id the course has been holed in 76, a record held by Mr. Emley Blackwood, the bogey being 84, This accouunt, however, is not a eulogy, but a criticism ; and it is fair to say that all is not beauty and perfection. There are snch things as worm-casts, and, if luck be going against the player, a succession of bad li es may tempt him to swear at large, and remove his name from the club. These things have been done, but it is generally found that the renegades return again. The common is flat; it is not beautiful; it dot lot furnish ideal golf; but it has merits : it 1ms good length, and it is wonderfully handy. "When the tee is back, and the day is calm, it needs two excellent shots to carry the bunker that guards the first green; and, at once, let it be said, these measurements are given on the presumption of a moderate moisture in the soil. In dry weather, when the ground is caked, the ball will run, after pitching, indefinitely. The second hole, guarded by the road on the left and a gravel pit on the right, maybe reached in one. The next is a good hole,

another stroke will be needed before reaching the green. A one-armed windmill looks dejectedly down upon this green and the pond that guards it. Two dvive-and-ivon-shot holes follow; then a hole that may he reached easily from the tee ; and the seventh presents fine features. The tee-shot has to be long and straight, and, again with a long and straight one, you may be on the green ill two, but ponds on the right and laft guard the approach. Two good shots may take you home at the eighth, and two extra good ones will put you virtually on the green of the ninth. At the tenth you ouglii to be on the green in two, but both this and the previous green are guarded \$y dangerous cross-buukers. The eleventh is a silly little noic — a cirive and iron shot. To form a hazard lor the twelfth it pleased providence to inspire a man to invent a material called 'Woodite,' and to build a castellated manu- factory in which nothing appears to be manufactured. It is possible that the gutta-percha deposits might be worked with ur tee-shot into the woodite precincts, you are forbidden to retrieve profit, for if, as often happens, you slice yi stuck on the wall's top. Hut, escaping this peril, a second good it, both by law and by broken bottle-glas: n, the second just carrying a ditch, will put you on the thirteenth shot will take you home. Two shots agai the second shot, and again at the seventeenth and eighteenth you will be working hard to get your second home ; but two should suffice to take you hole high at the sixteenth ; and therewith we have completed the full round of eighteen. " The trouble about most of these long seconds is that you have to carry a bunker at the end of them. This makes the course a dangerous one, one on which your score may mount up in spite of fairly good play. But these efforts at heroic achievement are always interesting. It is better to fail at them than to accomplish the clrive-and-iron-shot hole in the blameless four. With all its faults we have much to be grateful for on Mitcham Common. A man may he able to play fair golf on many other places and yet fail dismally at Mitcham ; but if he can succeed at Mitcham the place where he will fail has yet to be conceived. " Prince's Golf Club keeps the Sabbath. There is no Sunday play, and the club house is not open." Entrance Fee, £6 6s.; Annual Sttbseription, £4 4s. Number of Members, 600. President, Rt. Hon. A. J. Balfour; Captain, Major D. Kinloch; Hon. Secretary, R. Hippisley Cox. Greeiikeeper, H. Philpot; Professional,;. White. Scratch and Handicap Prizes are competed for annually in June. Prince's Ladies' Golf Club was opened on June 16th, JR94. The existing nine holes arc shortly to be increased to eighteen, and promise to make the best of all inland courses for ladies. President, Hon. Mrs, Rowley ; Secretary, Miss Langley. Subscription, £3 3s, ROYAL ALBERT GOLF CLUB, MONTROSE.

(Tl-IIJ liditor oT the it^his boundeti duty to apologise, in Hpite i i given, to tlie Editor of "Famous Golf JJi ,ks," for the almost wholesale robbery which he has perpetrated the following account of the Moiitrose kinks, That lie hiiK Ml self wholly unable to add anything of real .•st U, tin :ther excellent a int thei-ein giveu must be h ami ina. was asked at St. Andrews : " How do they misunderstanding the question to refer to e methods rather than the calibre of the players, replied : " Oh, ey just hit at the ball aiid then swear." Ho doubt it was an at curate description, but not distinctive, for e method is not peculiar to one golf links. Golf, which seems to .ve been cradled on OK east coast of Scotland, had a home in Moiitrose from the most remote period of its recorded existence. There is evidence that the famous Marquis of Moutrose played here on many occasions, and that takes its back nearly 350 years. In 1785 a number of goIFers (there was apparently no organised club at that time) presented a petition to tlie sheriffs for interdict against the magistrates and council who allowed some of the grazing tenants to plough up and enclose part of the links. In the petition tlie golfers were successful, for the town council, in their answer, 11 ten turn to interfere with the links. Thus the Moutrose golfer was a the first. two distinct courses, but about two years ago these were giveu up in i-as made at great expense, parts of both old courses being utilised, and 2l6 MONTROSE LINICS. the town council (humanised probably by the influence of golf) giving up one of their farms to allow the good work to be completed. Montrose suffers under the double blessing of being approachable both by the Caledonian and North British lines of railway. The station of the former is about five minutes, and the latter about twelve minutes from the starting tee, which is close to the handsome new club liouse of the Royal Albert—a comparatively new club as Scottish golf clubs go. It was instituted, or rather revived, as the Montrose Club, in ISIO, the name being changed to the present designation in 1845, when T-I.R.H. the late Prince Consort became patron of the Club. The drive to the first hole (260 yards) needs to be a good one, for there are some eighty yards of bunker immediately in front of the tee, while beyond are two smaller hazards which will trap any drr is thai 140 y avoid all but the front bunker by playing to the left, To these leftwaid shirkers the approach is a full iron shot, whereas the bohlei and successful negotiators of the " direct route " get within 1 wrist shot. The green is surrounded 011 three sides by bent giiss whn.li is a source of much discomfiture, and often adds 1 stioke 01 two to the score, which should be four to this

ThL diiect road to the second hole (190 yards) is over bent and •, md which must be carried, or grief is certain. A. good drive will 1eat.l1 the hole. The green is beautifully situated in a hollow, with sandy bents on two sides, so that, howsoever the hole be approached, it must needs be done with caution. The third hole (135 yards) is an exact counterpart of the second in its intricate sn iron 11 clings, but it is very short, and a good iron shot will reach it. Before playing off to the fourth hole (250 yards) you should run tip to the top of the benty hillocks between the links and the sea, whence the view to seaward is fully as attractive as that of the line of the RO"VAL ALTSETC.T GOLF CLUB. 218 MONTROSE LINKS. course. A full drive and an iron will take you home, but a " top " will land yo- wtty i .ad, which always costs a shot, and a heeled ball will find a resting-place in thick bent, which ve still, The sixth (255 yards) and seventh (260 yards) holes present no special feature of interest provided you keep the proper course. But the course here is rather narrow, and flanked with occasions of interest or a painful nature. Going to the eighth hole {360 yards), we have immediately in front the "Big Gully," which may he compared, without libel, to the " Hell Bunker " of St. Andrews. This is a very fearful hazard, two or three acres in extent, and in it are many " lies " of unredeemed malignity. A decent drive will clear it, but it must be decent in line as well as length, for on the left are two ditches, whereof one is wet and the other dry. A ball can be lifted out of the wet ditch with the penalty of a stroke ; but if these things be doi ditch what shall be done in the dry ? In places the " In •r badly ball may " lie " in the gully, it is never picked up until tin ipponent is across the dry ditch. As long as thei is the dry ditch there is hope. Beyond the gully there iis a ffunereai l small bunker named the "Coffin, which sometimes catches an extravagant drive. Going to the ninth, or " Girdle " hole (215 yards), the course ti at right angles to the left, and the dri is, or should be, over the wet ditch already mentioned. A fair si ill laud at the foot of the girdle-one the best putting-greens on the links—but it is surrounded on e sides by a kind of fosse with rushes

the bottom, ana on the fourth by whins. As bad " lies " abound here, and the balls must be pitched to cany pretty dead, the Montrose golfer early adapted himself to the use of the mashie. The line of the tenth hole (430 yards) is at right angles again, and turns us homewards. Two drives and an iron will take us up, but the approach is very ticklish, and it is a good hole in five. The next, or •• Powder-ho use " hole, is a cleek or iron shot, but it must be straight and well-judged, for to the right are whins which jut out into the line between the tee and the hole. Everyone tries for glory to pitch on the green and hole in two, but the paths of glory are not easy, and lead often to the grave. The twelfth, or •' Gates " hole (235 yards), is an easy four if the drive be straight, but the course is narrow, with whins ou the left, and on the right a field, a cottage, and a garden. The garden has been considerably enlarged lately. The cost of a visit to it is the loss of the hole. The thirteenth (about 500 yards) is considered the most expensive hole in the course, as there is a good chance of getting an indifferent " lie," and tliere are several formidable bunkers in which an erratic driver is almost sure to get into trouble. The green, a new but large and perfect one, can only be reached by clearing a very admirably placed bunker about thirty yards short. This is the beginning of the new part of the course, and was at oue time a cultivated Geld, but the grass has reverted to the natural fine short kind which covers all good natural seaside links in Scotland. The fourteenth (416 yards) is a good sporting hole, for tliere is a first liue of bunkers which will catch an indifferent tee-shot—a second line about 50 yards .short of the hole—and behind, and to the right of the ROYAL ALBERT GOLF CLUB. HO MONTROSE LTNkS. green, an enclosurt: with trees and a curbing pond. With ft clock ov brassy for the second, and an approach over tlie second line of bunkers with an iron or inashie, it is a good fail* hole in five. The fifteenth green (25+ yards) is defended by a bunker about fifty yards short of the Iiole, and round and about the bunker are shaggy " lies " in rough grass, The iron approach is a pretty one. The sixteenth (255 yards) is tlie old last hole, and close to the old clnh-house. It has a double line of bunkers; the first catches topped or skimming- drives, the second sometimes catches very long ones, but is more frequently the bourne of bad iron shots. Tlie seventeenth (380 yards) and eighteenth (560 yards) are the joy of long drivers, for the first takes two and the second three good full shots, and in each case with an approach shot at the end of them. The approach to tlie seventeenth, though pretty plain sailing, is very uncertain, for tlie hole is on a level terrace in the side of an irregular slope. The approach to the last i.s tlie best, and the occasion for the worst language on the green, for the *' Uig Oully," winch gives vanety to the first iiole, again lias to be succcssiiillv negotiated, or utter grief follows. The bunker is paved with stones of all sizes and shapes, and once in, no one, humanly speaking, can say whether you will get out or not. Three first-rate drives, if the wind is not Yinra.vouva.ble, will ctirrj' up, but of any shortcomings, tlie bunker is the penalty. The common practice is to play short with tlie third, and approach witli an iron, and six is a more usual score than five. If a match nms out to all square and one to play, this last hole, with its many chances of disaster, is a more than usually exciting one—not without hope even for the down side in the parlous case of " dormy one." In following the above description of the holes it must be noted by old frequenters of the green that the club house and starting tee have been moved " two doors " farther down ; the present fourth hole was the old start, and so on. Though the Montrose course is admitted by all but the most devoted patriots to be behind St. Andrews in excellence, it is undoubtedly one of the three best in Scotland. Jt has a great advantage—that you can get a free green without waiting, except on Saturday afternoons 1>etweeu two and three, when the working men are starting. First-class drivers make moan against tlie course that the advantage their "screamers" ought to give them is minimised oy the fact that an inferior driver can get tip to many of tlie holes with two moderate drives as against their drive and approach. As there are more middling drivers in the world than first-class ones, the advantage (if there is an advantage) of the many may fairly be said in these days of triumphant democracy to counterbalance the disadvantages of the few. Your middling driver who occasionally manages to get " a regular raker " is, of course, the loudest complainer. With its facilities of access, beautiful turf, and comparatively clear green, it is a matter of surprise, perhaps not, to its habitues, of regret, that Montrose is not more frequented than it is, if only by the overflow from fit. Andrews and other close-packed links. The Town Couucil of Moutrose has lately displayed a much more liberal spirit towards golf than was the case in former years; for in addition to paying half the expense of maintaining and keeping the green in good order, it has lately sauctioned a. considerable expenditure for the laying out of fcntr new greens in Situations where the ground is of a much more sporting character than the corresponding present holes. There are several good hotels aud comfortable lodgings, besides houses to let for July and August, and the club accommodation is excellent. Visitors (introduced by a member) are admitted to all the privileges of the club for three months for tlie very modest sum of ten shillings, giving access to many blessings, including that " Big gully " in which the Great Marquis, doubtless, in his noble wrath used many words winch he would rather have left unsaid. HONOURABLE COMPANY OF EDINBURGH GOLFERS, MUIRFIELD.

" THE date of tlie i stttution of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfe , (incorporated by a Chatter from the Magistrates of Kdir urgh in 1S00) is lost in antiquity, but the first of a regnlai series of minutes, signed by President Forbes, of Culloden bears date 1744, The Miiirfiekl Green is situated about foil miles from Drem Railway Station, aud less than one mile from Gullane village. It is an excellent course of eighteen holes, and in view of the Open Champion- ship held at Muirfield in June, 1896, was considerably lengthened, and tlie round is now several strokes more difficult than when it was first opened. The circuit is 3 miles 6to yards, and tlie par is 76. "Conveyances meet the principal trains from Edinburgh at Drem; but a railway is in course of construction on which there is to be a station within n quarter of a mile of the club house. There is sleeping accommodation for members in the handsome club house 011 the green." The above details are, by kind permission, almost literally extracted from the " Golfing Animal " of 1895-6. Therefrom it will be seen that there is a remarkable contradiction between tiie antiquity of the golfing association that bears this honourable name aud tlie youth of tlie links over which it now plays its golf. The truth is that until a very few years ago golf was unknown i iluirfield, though both on Areherfieltl and Gullaiie—the stretches of links on either side of it—there wi noted courses. But in the previous years of its long life the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Oolfc played over the Musselburgh course. Its fortunes were much bound up with the fortunes of that green, which has been fully dej ibed elsewhere in a review of a Club that still nourable Company began to find themselves disagreeably crowded at Mm mrgh, they migrated Lo Muirileld, and to Muirfield they transferred much of 222 MUIRFTELD LINKS. tlie glory that their traditions had nourished for them on the older green. For the Honourable Company was one of the three Clubs (the Prestwick Chib ami the Royal and Ancient of St. Andrews being the other two) tliat subscribed to buy the belt for the Open Championship, which young Tom Morris annexed for hia own property by three victories in succession ; and subsequently subscribed again to the cup, under purely

]. II, Taylor id J.Kay.—Kay studyii challenge conditions, that now stands in that belt's place. Therefore, in old days, the Open Championship competition used to be held successively on Prestwick, St. Andrews, and Musselburgh; and when the Honourable Company deserted Musselburgh for Muirfield they made the latter one of the arenas for the open championship. Once Mr. Hilton lias won there, and once Vardon; and Muirfield is now the chosen arena for the amateur championship of 1897. The minutes of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers are quite a rich mine of golfing lore and tradition, taking us back to the days when a severe legislature interfered with the practice of the harmless —necessary—golf on the ground that it distracted the King's lieges from the more important matter of archery. Football was under a similar.ban, as appears from Section 64 of an Act of the fourteenth Parliament

]. II. Ta; Vardon.—Taylor holin

Lines II. (of Scotland), March 4th, 1457. The Section, which perhaps worth quoting agai more than once been brought to the notice of modern golfers, uns as follows r— " 64. Weapon-Schawinges, Fute-ball, Golfe, and Archery. " Item.—It is decreeted and ordained that the Weapon-schawiuges be halden be the I,ordes and •ones, spiritual and temporal, foure times in the yeir. And that the Fnte-ball and Golfe be utterly cryed ne, and not to be used. And that tlie bow-markes be maid at ilk Parish Kirk, a pair of butts and

MUIRFIELD LINKS.

Mr. D. M. Jackson mill D. M'Ewan.

Herd driving off. . COMPANY OF EtHNBURfill GOLFKRS.

Alex. I-Iatd and Mr. J. ti. Laidlny.

J. H. Taylor holing.ont a

G G MUTRFIELD LINKS.

J. U. Taylor and Harry Vardon at Plant HONOURABLE COMPANY OF EDINBURGH GOLFERS. sclmtling be used. And that ilk man sclmlte sex schottes at the least, v them, that cummis not at the least, twa pennies to be given to them th. ! to the Iion :es to drinke. And this to be iised fra Pashe till Alhallow-mea after. And be Midsomn ler to bei reddy with all their graith without failzie. And that there he a bower and : in ilk head town of the Schire. And that the town furnish him of stuffe and graith, after as needs Ao, that they •may serve the countrie with. And as tuiching the Fute-ball and the Golfe, to he punished by the Barronui's un-law, and gif he takis not the 1111- law that it be taken to the Kingis Officiares. And gif the Parochiu be meikle, that there be three or foure or five bow-nmrkes in sik places, as gainis therefore. And that all men that is within Jiftie, and past twelve yeirs, sail use schutting." Nowadays, when bows and arrows are less indispensable to Scot- land's safety, the Honourable Companion may enjoy Ms golf at Mnirfield or elsewhere without interference of the law, ami the practice of his favourite game may be deemed to fit him the better, by virtue of a trained correspondence of hand and eye, for the defence of his country. Last year Major David Kinlocli was remarkably successful on the Mini-field links, winning both spring and autumn medals of the Honourable Company, the latter with the fine score, for the extended course, of 80. Most of the chronicles of the Honourable Company arc written on the course which is now chiefly in the golfing possession of the Royal Musselburgh Club. ENTRANCE FEE, £12 izs.; Annual Subscription, ^3 3s.' Number of Members, 440. Captain, W. Hope; Committee, A. Stuart, J. W. Tod, T. Rutherfurd-Clark, P. I-I. Don Wauchope, A. R. Pater- son ; Hon. Secretary, A. G. G. Asher, W.S., 15, Lennox Street, 1 Win burgh ; Greenkeeper, F. D. Hamilton. Club Prises.—Oold Medal (scratch) iind Silver Medal (scratch), at Hr. (scratch), at Winter Meeting in November. Lowest Score in ir Cluli Competition, 7.S, on April 6LI1, ltys, by J. 1\. l,u

ROYAL MUSSELBURGH GOLF CLUB.

IF age combined with honourable traditions entitles a links to a place of high regard among golfers, Mussel- burgh can claim to be excelled by none, ami equalled by only one other links 111 the kingdom. The Burgh of Mnsselburgh is believed to date back as far as the time of the Roman occupation of Scotland, and the present golf links are a part, all that now remains, of a common destined for the recreation of the inhabitants of the Burgh. The ancient Burgh records were destroyed by fire very many years ago, and it is only from the intermittent gleams of side lights that we are able to discover golf in full swing over the links centuries ago. Such for instance is the entry in the account boob or Sir John Ponies, of Havelstoue, where we find the following:- 1672 March 2.—Los—Lost at golfg e at Musslebiirgh, wt. Gosford, Lyoti, etc. For a horse hyre thither We know that the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club was instituted in the y ;ar 1774, and ten yearn later the minute books of that Club begin, and sliow an almost continuous record dou 11 to the present day. About the year 1836 the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfer selburgli their home green, and following in their footsteps came the RcHnburgh Burgess Golfing- Society and the Brnntslield Links Golf Club. It is questionable if any other green can boast of being at any period of its career the headquarters of four important clubs, and it is quite certain that none can claim to have been the home green of four such historic clubs as those named. In the year 1891 the Honourable Company moved off to a private green of their own, and four years later the Burgess Golfing Society followed suit. The place of the former has been filled by another chib, appropriately named the New Club. One canuot point to any other green, with the exception of St. Andrews, which lias so many famous players, both amateur and professional, associated with it. The former class are more cosmopolitan than the latter, but among the Musselburgh representatives may be numbered Mr. J. E. Laidlay, Mr. A. M. Ross, Mr. A. Stuart, Mr. Leslie M. Balfour-Melville, Mr. Gilbert Mitchell limes, Mr. W. J. Mure, Dr. Argyle, Robertson, Mr. R. Clark, Mr. C. E- S, Chambers, Mi-. Gregor MacGregor, Mr. M. J. Brown, Mr. J. M. 2 3o MUSSELBURtiH LINKS.

Williamson, and Mr. T. T. dray. Among tlie profes onais the chief a 5 son, young Willie, Bob Ferguson, Ben Sayers, and Tlavie Brown. From the institution of the Clisu mship Cup in 1872 dowu to the removal of the Honourable Company to Minefield in iSgr, Musselburgh i one of the three championship greens, but in the latter year the Honourable Company, having the co ilofthe championship in the district, carried the fixture with them to Muidield, not without a vigorous I spirited resistance on the part of the Musselburgh golfers, Apart from the championship competitions mierous and important matches have from time to time taken place over the green. The history ofthest he history of golf for the period. Up till the year 1S33 there were seven holes on isselburgh links, at which time another hole was added. So matters continued until between the yeat 158 and 1869, when the present nine-hole course was svolved. The Editor of this Volume has stated it to be his opinion that "there is no green in the world which is better adapted for a critical test of all-round merit, no green where power and accuracy are more fairly handicapped , - . . and no green which, while it presents a goodly number of legitimate and excellent ' hazards,' is more free from those annoying little trap bunkers, which may or may not catcli a misdirected shot, just as Luck serves." What higher praise than this ? The first hole (length about 350 yards) is known as " The Graves " (so termed from a number of small

:iving;oir. mounds near the putting-green), and should be done in four -strokes, but five are more frequently taken. The second hole, " T,inkfield " (length about 450 yards), is the most difficult on the links, and indeed as difficult as is to be found anywhere. Two bunkers traverse the line of play, the one about 180 yards from the tee, and the other about 150 yards farther on. These negotiated, an iron shot will laud the ball on the green, so that a five is fair play. The third hole, " Forman's " (length about 420 yards), is a good five. A good Mid be topped, several strokes, to nay nothing of energy and tempe lay be lost before the ball is extricated, but a good second brings one within a wrist shot of the green. The approach, however, is rather a difficult one, owing to a ridgy piece of ground lying in front of the putting-green. These are the three holes out. The next hole turus seaward. It is called the "Sea Hole," From tee to flag is just about the length of a really long swipe (about 210 yards), but immediately in front of the putting-green is a small bunker, making it rather risky to play straight on the hole. Next hole, the " Table " {length about 400 yards), takes the player on his journey homeward. Tandy, that well-known bunker, is the hazard for the tee-shot; that carried, a good second will laud the ball most probably at the foot of the prominence on which the hole is placed. Woe waits upon the player who is too strong- in his approach, for immediately behind the green lies a bunker with a sheer down edge of three or four feet, the grave of many a good score ; but the danger, known, is easily avoided, and with ordinary play more than five strokes should not be taken. The "Bathing Coach " (length about 380 yards) is also a good five. Two straight shots—they must be straight, for on the •ROYAL MUSSELCURGH GOLF CLUB. £3 2 MUSSELBURGH LINKS. oii3 side is Llie sea hsach, and on the other rough, coarss grass, abominable slulFto get into—and the player is within a short approach. There is a natural hollow in the ground running up to the hole, and this is one of the places where Old Willie Park, Bob Ferguson, and others used HO effectively to run the ball up with their wooden putters. The green is well guarded by the beach on one side and a hunker on the other, and a pulled or heeled approach meets with deserved punishment. The next hole, called indifferently the " Hole Across " and the " High Hole " (length about 220 yards) is for some reason or another considered a short hole, but it requires a good skelp to reach the green. There are bunkers right across the line of play, but no one, not even a moderate driver, requires to yisit them. A strong driver should here have a good look into the hole in three, but four is just about its price. The next is " The Gas " hole (length about 270 yards). A good carry from the tee over 11 bunker is required, then an iron shot home, and two putts should see the ball down. The last or - Home " hole (length about 150 yards) should be done in three with a cleek shot across towards the (ii-st starting place. The green is well guarded, however, and a wild shot can hardly fail to be trapped. The figures show that par play over the single round, is 4, 5, 5, 4, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3=40, "Bogie" being about five strokes wor.se. The professional record—menu ing thereby a score done in a competition—is held by Jack Kirkaldy with 71 for the double round on i+th September, 1892, and the amateur record is held by Mr. Andrew Lawsou, of Musselburgh, with 75, on 20th July, f8g3- Douglas McEwan did two consecutive rounds with a short interval between, in March, 1892, in the still lower score of 70,' and young Willie Park has twice done a single round in the remarkable score of 33. The previous best performances were scores of 33 by Bob Ferguson and young Willie himself. A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ROYAL MUSSELBURGH GOLF CLUB. The Royal Musselburgh Golf Club was instituted, in 1774, and it is the sixth oldest JIT Britain and the fifth oldest in Scotland. The Minutes for the first ten years of its existence are lost, the records beginning on 10th December, 1784. Originally, it was called "The Company of Golfers"; in 1788, the members are reported as having elected themselves into a "Golfing Society"; in 1791, they called themselves "The Golfing Society of Mnsselbnrgh," thereafter mention is invariably made of the Golf Club until the year 1876, when the club became as it now is, " The Royal Musselburgh Golf Club." Meetings appear during the first year to have been held in different taverns in the town, Messrs. Sherriff's, Ward's, Thorn's, McKendrick's, and Moir's Inns, still in existence under other names, being successively mentioned. A meeting was held during each of nine months in the year, the exeepted months being July, August, and September, this going to prove that in earlier days golf was not regarded as a summer game. The members dined together and made matches for next meeting; stringent rules were enacted to compel all members who appeared on the links to be present at the dinner, and almost every one of the earlier Minutes contains the names of delin- quents who were fined for not conforming to this social custom. It may be interesting to note that the matches, with few exceptions, were " foursomes." For a very long time the Club annually gave balls to the "Scholars" attending the school of the Burgh ; the price in these days, it may be noted, was 5s. per dozen. In 1776, the entry money to the Club was 5s., and the annual subscription 4s. j two years later the subscription was raised to 5s., and again ir, 1791, it was made 10s. 6d., exclusive of dinners and fines. For many years after the Club ceased to meet and dine in the local inns, it held its meetings in the race stand which is built upon the links, but in 1871, a club house vc&s erected, the immediate result of which was an increase in the membership and prosperity of the Club. Many eminent men whose names are distinguished in the annals of golf and in the history of their country, were members of the Royal Musselburgh Club, the army contributing a goodly number. At the present day the Club lias not forgotten its past, and acts worthily up to its traditions, as witness the interest shown iu the improvement of Mnsselburgh links, its encouragement of the game by holding tournaments on its links, and sending its representatives to various competitions throughout the kingdom. Four Meetings in each year are now held ; at the October Meeting, the Silver Cup—the ancient trophy of the Club—and the Colonial Medal are competed for, and the members thereafter dine together and entertain the winner of the cup. In January the Gray Medal is the chief award. In April, the Mackinlay Cup and the Handicap Gold Medal; and iu June, the Bowlers' Bowl and the Silver Putter—which latter is a handicap prize-are the attractions for competitors. An Annual Tournament among the members is held, the winner obtaining possession of the Menzies Cup for the year, or the entire possession if hftvwins it three times successively. The Patron of the club is His Royal Highness the Duke of Coiinaught, who has (1897) intimated his intention of presenting a prize for annual competition. Entrance Tee, £4. 4s. Annual subscription, £1 10s. Number of members, 12*. Members of-Council: W. S. Smart, Captain; A. P. Meldrum, Hon. Treasurer, National Bank, Musselburgh; W. D. Husband, Hon.

W. Tait, and J. Young. ROYAL MUSSELBURGH GOLF CLUB.

[Front tt 7>hi>to by J. l'uMck it ROJIJ, IStlitlmryh, XAIRN- LINKS. Finlay, Q.C., M.P. sha.Il. Mr. W. Finlsy. NAIRN GOLF CLUB.

THIS fine eighteen-hole course, of over three miles in length, deservedly ranks as one of the best ill Scotland. Tt lias the advantage over many golf courses in being in proximity to a pleasant seaside resort, possessing an exceptionally good climate, dry and bracing, -with a remarkable lightness of air. The geo- logical formation on which the town of Nairn rests is the Old Red Sandstone, and the superincumbent mass

of pure white sand forming the subsoil ab rbs the rain alm t as soon as it falls. The neighbourhood i interesting historically, such places as Ca dor Castle, Kilra ck, Culloden, and Brodie being within eas reach ; while the upper reaches of the riv scenery of great beauty and picluresque The Moray narrows to about eight or ten JI II 2 NAIRN LINKS.

miles across, and opposite coast is for by a portion of Ross Cromarty known aa " Black Isle." From fertility and matchles: colouring, it might happily have been desig- nated the "Golden Isle." The Eistlin sheer precipice from the water's edge, and from the top of this great sea wall the la rich, well- cultivated fields, stretches back to the foot of the mountain range which culminate Ben Wyvis. Right in front is the opening of the Cromarty Firth—a huge chasm in the sea wall, with a towering cliff on each side, called " The Sutors lh like gigantic portals, guarding the entrance to one of the finest natural havens on the British coast. Sucli is the view the golfer at Nairn has before him when he glances across the heaving waters of tlie Firth. The attractive surroundings enhance the enjoyment and charm of golSng. Mr. Horace I-Intdiinson, writing in Golf, says:—" If a man conies to golf at Nairn, after golfing- at Pan, he may be struck by a likeness in the planning of the courses. Each has a main course of fourteen holes, and a complementary loop of four. Hut whereas at Pan the fourteen come first and the loop last, at Nairn the order is reversed—the loop comes first, the fourteen last. At Pau certain golfers habitually 'find it too late1 to play the last four holes of the course, for in these holes all the incidents and hazards of the eighteen are massed together, and there are golfers who do not love incident and hazard. The loop at Nairn is not beset with sudi dire danger, and the hazards are fairly distributed over the course. ." The first hole is a drive, with a bunker to catcli a topped shot, and a pitch over some whins on to the green. There is a steep bank beyond, so you can afford to be well up. Next is a drive over three artfully placed pitfalls of bunkers, with another similar pitfall just before the hole, which may be reached off a good drive with a half-iron shot. On either side of the course is rough tussocky grass, and in the neighbourhood of the hole a sliced approach may take you into the road to Nairn. Here you find yourself . the uiity of the ladies' links, which is i easy short course of nine holes. "The third hole on the long- links is within an easy drive. Rough ground lies on the left, and there is a steep Mr. T, Mackay. downward sloping bank beyond, so that NAIRN GOLF CLUE. 237

! .,,'#>" NAIRN LINKS. it is well not to go too f; lerwise the hole is without hazard. For the fourth you drive off from the top of this bank to the plain and avoiding some whins to the right and left, and a further complication of hazard in the latter ion, of the nature of the mils which sun-mind the Club premises, you are within a strong half-iron of tli : hole. There- are whins to the right and a road, and the shore of the Moray Firth beyond, but these should uble you. "No\ e back close to the last hole and first tee again, and an average is good .scratch play for the loop. For the fifth hole you tee a little inland, and have to t void whi he right and a wire fence which runs obliquely from left to right at the end of your drive. . d drive should take you over the fence, and well down the course between rough tussocky and whinn d, and a pitch shot up should put you on the green. Again yon are by the shores of the Firth, and a i er a burn with whins fencing

u the open. Then cter mtl length. There is rough, indefin

mble for the sliced o pulled ball, ai a patch c r rushes to loft over bcfe the hole. The e li needs i cross bunker ad whins are to the left, and broke lathery ground t s right: but if yon nre straight a a difficult iron approach very keen greet ong the heather, and a catclw bui

the hole, in which case you ! mst further cany a ditch with a v 11 margin by which to avoid whins on the left; or you may keep a vay to the right towards the shoi o lie short of the ditch. In the latter case you have a long brass; shot to the green, with whins m on the left. If you have dared the ditch from the tee, your seec id shot in this case will be similar, nly shorter. " The tenth hole is just beyond the powers of the ordinary player with his cleek (in all these measurement the weather is supposed to be calm, and the player of normal " scratch " calibre), but a bunker lies befort the hole, whins are on its left, and rough ground, below a steep bank, on the right. The eleventh hole ii the farthest westward of all, for since leaving the loop one plays, roughly speaking, westward until one turni

240 NAIRN LINKS. for the twelfth hole. T li— for it has but lately been take play—that to reacli it in on the left, but no defini " The twelfth needs good tee shot to c s bunker, and the approach, which a cleek shot may rery long hole, which is rarely reached in three, and this hole requires straight ll as strong driving, for on either side throughout its length, the whin beds lie ready to punish tlie e Across the course mas a ditch, and occasional bunkers on the left form casual hazards. Again it is usual hole in five. The next tee .shot, again, must be straight f nd its difficulty is complicated by two cross ditches. One may get into one or th the tee is back or forward. Escaping these, it ie yet a stout cleek shot to the green, which is guarded by whins on the left, and by a bunker in front. Nest is a tee shot between the whin beds, with a loft over a sandy road to the bole. Then comes a short hole guarded by whins and rushes, which a strong iron shot may reach. With a very long- drive it is possible to reach the

Mr. J. I'inlayson.

jjre.cn of the seventeenth hole from the tee. There is rough round on either side, and beyond ar whins. Finally, for the last hole, one drives to the right of the tru line by preference, for so one is short o the obliquely runuing wire fence. Along second over the fence nd some bunkers beyond, takes one u between wbin beds, within a pitch of the last green, and we are at homome again,. "The quality of the golf is, in the main, good throughout The putting greens are very good, but they vary much in strength. Some are as glassy as Hoylake greens at their keenest. As a whole it is a course which requires very straight driving, ami at the same time, length of driving is very useful. The approach strokes are the trouble of the course, for the greens are often small, and when this is the case, and oue needs to loft on to them from the rough, one knows only too well how hard it is to slay there. The club house is within half a mile of the dwelling houses of Nairn, and is comfortable, and fulfils its purposes. "Snow is said never to lie in Nairn, because the end of the Gulf Stream curls round the north-east corner of Scotland, and comes into the Moray Firth. Nevertheless, Dalgleish, the resident professional, keeps a good supply of red balls. Someone thought he was putting a pertinent question when he asked how this accorded with the statement that Nairn knew no snow; he was promptly answered, ' Oh, the reason he has DRIVING FROM THE TEE, 14TH HOLE. tFrom ajiofc tg W. C. NAIRN LINKS. NAIRM COI-F CI-U11, 243

HO many red balls is, that there haw never been occasion to use them.' A good reply. Certainly the climate is more mild in its bracing qualities than that of the unrelieved Hast Coast; and the views which surround tlie golfer, as he faces out beside the lapping; -waters of the Firth, go far to reconcile him to much that is disappointing' in his approach shots."

Founded in 1887, the lints owes its existence to the generosity of Sir Robert B. Finlay, the present Solicitor-General, Colonel Clarke, of Achareidh, ami Earl Cawdor, in granting their lands for the purpose. Laid out by Tom Morris, and lying along the shore of the Moray Firth, the hazards consist of sand bunkers and whins, varied by the natural undulations of the ground, and presenting, in spite of its apparent simplicity, some capital sporting features. During the last three years, large sums have been spent by the Committee in the further development and extension of the course, and the perfecting of its already fine greens, which are not excelled anywhere. Its picturesque surroundings, the fine sweep of the bay, backed by the Ross-shire hills and Ben Wyvis, are greatly admired. pisc n tlie

iiipeted for, the able cup presented by the tow going to Mr. Lawr ice Auehterlonie, of St. Andrews. There is also 1 Toadies' Coiirse—much patronised stood at 433 in 1895, Subscription Entrance Ve Subscription

MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB. PKKSIDENT.—The Right Hon. Earl Cawdor. r Robert D. Q.C.. M.P., of Newton; A. T. Lawrenci ; J. F. Pullar, Esq., srth; Gener. dounell; Hugh Mackintosh, Esq., Braeval CAPTAIN.—Walter C. Newbigging. SECRETARY.—John Finlayson. HON. TREASURER.—H. T. Donaldson. COUNCILLORS.—George Bain, J. D. I iinb. John Leslie, A. F. Steele, Sir A. Duabar, Bail., Rev. G. S. Mackay, A. M. Simpson. COUNTY DOWN GOLF CLUB (NEWCASTLE).

Tim County Down Golf Club was instituted in 1889, chiefly through the exertions of Mr. G. I,. Baillie, assisted by some of the prominent members of the Royal Belfast Golf Club, amongst whom might be mentioned Messrs. H. Herd man, II. Gregg, and I-I. Johnston. At tlic time the Club was formed the ground was of a most unpromising nature ; but time and money have worked wonders, and the links are now second to none in the Kingdom. The chief feature of the course

The formation of the course is such that straight driving is most essential, as a hall off the line is always badly punished. The first ln.le, "Corner," is 222 yards in length, and here Care sits behind the horseman at the very outset I A topped or badly driven ball will be oni.iy"3it in either of two bunkers, one So and the other 115 yards fi'om the tee. The green is guarded in front by a natural bank, and a ball over-running the green, where there are sand and stones, is in a " parlous state." Four for this hole is "par" play. The second hole, the "Alps," is 175 yards. The ground in front of the tee is very rough and stoney, and at a distance of one hundred yards a bunker (sand) rises to a height of forty feet. Any failure to carry this formidable hazard is absolutely fatal. The green, which is on the edge of the sea, is elevated, and, being small, is seldom reached from the tee. This is also a four hole. The third hole, "MacCormac's," so rector of the green, is 400 yards. There are no formidable hazards on called hi compliment t it is essential that the drive be straight. A good second may reach the the line itself to catch a dri with reaching it in three, as the green, a laid one, is surrounded by green, but it is safer to "be c par" play. The fourth hole, "South Down," is 329 yards. For this very punishing- hazards. Five have to be negotiated at a distance of 150 yards from the tee, and a ball hole a formidable series of bunt m either side, whilst a topped ball is irretrievably punished. The green the least off the line will be caug out by a high sand bunker, about forty yards from the centre of the is an undulating: one, guarded i hole, "St. John's," is 283 yards. For a distance of 140 yards from the tee green. This is a five hole. The I le green, one of the best 011 the course, is situated on the edge of the sea, the ground is rough and broken, ides by bunkers, a very accurate second is required to reach it. Four is high tip, and, being guarded on j : sixth hole is 400 yards. This is one of the holes where a good second a very good figure for the hole. COUNTY DOWN GOLF CLUB (NEWCASTLE). 543 24-6 NEWCASTLE (COUNTY DOWN) LINKS.

Alex. Herd v, Ben Sayera—Alex. Herd pulling on gLh Gi

6TH CJHKRNJ r^ooKipfo NORTH. COUNTV DOWN GOLF CLUR (NKWCASTLE). 247 shot with the brassey will tell well, The hole is called " Don.-ird." Tlie green, a large ami natural one, is guarded in front by a hill and on the right by a sunk bunker, the ground beyond being covered with bent. It is a five hole. The seventh hole, the "Pitch," is 100 y aids. It is a very sporting hole. The green is small and surrounded by very rough ground. A sand bunker at a distance of sixty yards from the tee rises to a height of twenty feet, and if this is not earned the hole is as good as lost. The green being tricky a three is accounted good. The eighth hole, "Magffi's," called after the Honorary Secretary, Dr. Magill, who discovered tlie hole, and laid it out, withstanding courageously sundry grumblings, is 313 yards. A good drive is well rewarded, but a ball sliced is punished. The green is a natural one and well situated. It is well guarded, and it needs an accurate second to get this hole in four. The ninth hole, "Deception," is 276 yards, requires a long and straight drive, which should give an easy four. If the drive is missed dire disaster follows. The green is perfect, being level and true, and well guarded on all sides. The tenth hole, the " Chasm," 245 yards. A good drive is required to carry a sunk bunker, which extends to a distance of 131 yards from the tee. Afterthisall is plain sailing, and it should be a four hole. The eleventh hole, " Sheepfold," 300 yards. Immediately in front of the tee is a terrible chasm, which requires a drive of 160 yards to carry with success. The green is well protected on the approaching side by natural hanks, and on the hack by the t-iiilway fence. Four is good for this hole. The twelfth hole, "Old Dnndmin," 460 yards, A good straight drive :it this hole will have a good "lie" tor tlie brassie, and the second shot should put the player near the green— a natural one in a hollow, guarded by banks 011 the approach side, rt is a good hole in five. The thirteenth hole, " Railway," 255 yards. A good straight drive should leave the ball near the green, guarded by banks on tlie approach side and backed by the railway. This is a four hole, but maybe got in three. The fourteenth hole, "Long Hole,1' 507 yards. In this hole, until near the green, nothing is required but long driving and good brassie shots. The green, a natural one, is defended by a hill on the approach side, and, being a difficult green to putt on, six is good for this hole. Tlie fifteenth hole, the " Field," is 340 yards. This is a good hole, as after a good drive the green may be reached in the second shot, The green is a large and natural one and favours straight putting. A good four hole. The sixteenth hole, the " Saucer,'' 465 yards. A topped ball will be caught by a bunker seventy yards from the tee, bnt a good drive is certain to ensure a good brassie "lie." This hole may be easily taken in five, and is a possible four. Theseventeeuthhole, "Matterhom," 170 yards. Rising to a height of tliirty feet, ninety yards from the tee, is a sand bunker which must be carried. If carried the hole should be got in three. Tlie green, a laid and undulating one, is very tme and of a fair si«£e. It is protected on the far sicie by sand bunkers and rough ground. The eighteenth hole, "Home," 250 yards. A sliced or pulled Dr it Mngiii 1ml1 is li(ll)le to ^c caught in the bent which grows freely on either

//OH. Sreiriaty'. side, A fair drive ensures a good "lie," from which the green is easily reached. The green is a natural one and slightly undulating, situated 20 yards from the club enclosure. This is a four hole. The record of the new course above described is held by Alex. Herd and Oeo. Piilford at 74. The " par " of the green is 80. At the Professional Championship Tournament held in September last twenty-eight of the leading professional players competed. The competition extended over three days, and the following were the six best scores returned during that time:—Alex. Herd, 74; G. Pulford, 74; B. Sayers, 75; H. Vardon, 77 ; Andrew Kirkaldy, 78; and Archie Simpson, 80. The best score returned by any of the amateurs (the prize therefore being won by Mr. A. J. Robertson) was 87. The course is an extremely difficult one, and Golf, writing of it in issue of September 18th, aptly described it as follows :—" AH players agreed that it was a difficult one, especially in windy weather, and that only the player who was playing tlie soundest game from start to finish could hope to achieve anything like a satisfactory score." The Club has recently built a fine club house at a cost of over £3,000, which is conveniently situated between the last green and the first tee. Tlie County Down Railway Company have in course of erection 11 mammoth hotel, at a cost of probably £75,000, so that it will be seen that there is no lack of first-class accommodation, and the train journey from Belfast only occupies one hour. Earl Annesley is the President of the Club, and Lord A. Hill, M.l\, and Major R. I-I. Wallace arc Vice-presidents. NORTH BERWICK LIXKS—" THE ALPS "—DRIVING TO PERFECT] NORTH BERWICK LINKS.

NORTH BERWICK as far bock as i; of tin

not much evidence, however, showing when the game was first played, bnI it is certain that it lias made rapid strides in recent years. l,ii.st century the game appears to have been played on the links to the east of the town, on the sea side of which a row of villas now

played. Early in the present century the game was given up on the Hast l.inks, and play was commenced on that part of the present links belonging to the North Berwick Estate. Tlie course was one of six or seven' holes, and remained so until what is termed the first park, belonging to the Dirlcton Estate, was added to the links in TK69. The course was then laid out to the length of nine holes, and so continued for some years. In 1877 the green was further enlarged by adding a piece of unenclosed ground and a second park lying to the west of the park already mentioned ; and the course was extended to eighteen holes. This extended course remained practically unaltered for eighteen years, and it was duriug tlie latter part of this time that North Berwick became the popular place we now Mr'iohn'wharioD Vod " «ee **• The £reei! Ilac1 a cuaraeter peculiarly its own. The holes CntMnofihtNwcinb. were, as a rule, short, as many as eight or them Treing within reach from the tees. Some of them were, however, extremely difficult, being placed on plateaus surrounded by bunkers, hanks, and walls. The course was, consequently, somewhat flukey. Inaccuracy got more than its due meed of punishment, while, on the other hand, phenomenal scoring was not uncommon. Holes were frequently Toeing clone in two strokes, and even occasionally in one. The scores at which medals were won varied as much as from 72 to 85 or 86, according to the weather. short holes was that progress was much more retarded ou crowded days than a a links of long holes, and another that the green got much cut up, and good " lies " became the exception. Some years ago it was felt K K —! I i

NORTH HKRW1CK LINKS. NORTH BERWICK LINKS.

TJieKt, JIQII. A. j, Uiilfoiir, M,l'..and Mr. J. !•:. l.akllay v. Mr, W. M. do ZosLamn] Mr. Jolm Penu, M.P.

The Rt. Hon. H. H. Asqui Asijiiilh, Mr. l-'.J.'

K K 2 NORTH BERWICK LINKS. that the course should be again enlarged, and after considerable negotiations the New Club, North Berwick, trix of pirleton Estate for twenty-one years or Unit part of llic links formerly vented, of a large piece of ground at the narrow part, ami if additional ground to the west of the old links. The course was then practically laid out anew, and was opened for play in June, 1S95. As at present arranged, the course lies along the coast for a I stance of about of a small hill which juts out towards the sea. It is guarded by sandy roads on two sides, one of which, lying directly between the tee and the hole, widens out into a largo and rocky bunker, with an old quarry to the right. Beyond the hole is the sea-shore, tlie bants being very steep. The approach is very difficult, the penalty of a t pped approach very severe, and the slightest inaccuracy in diree- t on will probably cost the player at least a stroke, as the putting „ ecu lies 011 a steep slope. Good players arc usually not discon- tented with a live, although four is par play. The second, or Sea Hole, ia longer, and usually requires two drives and an approach to reach it, although with a following wind it can be reached in two. A sandy road catches a topped drive, a [from K Moil ijy TT. Ormhv, Br Mr. Charles L. BUIfcie, bunker and a grown over'quarry a short one, the sea-shore a sliced Seerclaw «f Ike New £7*4. garde pulled one. A straight and long drivt essential. There arc through the course a-number of plateaus and small hills — notably one termed "the horse11—which often spoil the second shot if the player is unfortunate enough to lie behind one. The putting green is a large and excellent one. A ditch guards the drive to the third, or Trap Hole, but this will not trouble a good driver ; and tlie second drive should carry a stonewall into the first park. The approach is then a difficult OTIC, as the putting green is just beyond a bunker, and is very keen, and there is a wall running diagonally beyond the hole against which the ball may run if struck too far. A very long driver, with a following wind, may reach far enough in two, playing to the left of the hole, to approach round the left of the bunker with a putter, which makes tlie hole very much easier. The fourth hole, termed " Carlkemp," is a drive and an approach. The hole is guarded by a high bank with rocks, but if this is successfully carried by the niashie, the hole is easy, as there are hanks on three sides of the hole, and an approach falling on one of them will probably roll towards the hole. The putting green, although new, is an excellent one. To tlie fifth, or " Hole Across," one plays along the side of a plantation which will catch a hooked drive. The drive should carry the player over a high bank with a yawning bunker, and beyond it the ground is more level. An iron shot should then take the TIIBKI. won. A. j. wiwnr.M.r. player over two small bunkers on to the green- The sixth hole is termed the " Quarry Hole Out." A field is to the left and long grass to tlie right. A large old quarry guards the hole. It is much overgrown with grass, but remains a formidable hazard. There NORTH BERWICK 1.INKLS.

Hon. A. J. Balfour, M.P., Sir H. M. Thompson, Alec Herd, D. Saycis. 254 NOK- JiJiKWIDK L1NKK. is a narrow neck lo the left of the quarry, betw it and the field, but it is usually found best to approach, the hole with « innshic over the quarry. Th is no ha/.ard beyond the hole, and the approach may be played boklly. Two strokes are required to reach the seventh. A bunker on the right must be avoided, but otherwise there is not much difficulty for the teed shot. The second—brassy—stroke must carry a bunt, which has a high bank on the far side. The putting green is a new one, but the turf is uncommonly well laid, and the green beautifully undulating. This hole is called the " Kel Burn Out." The eighth hole is the longest of the course. There is a plantation on the left, and one or two bunkers on the direct course, but iT the first shot is well struck no further difficulty should be experienced, the course being at this part of the links Fairly level, and free from natural obstacles. Three full strokes are usually •wanted to reach the green. The hole is surroandsd by made bunkers, which are rather deep for the tine tempering of justice with mercy. It may happen that a good third is caught in one of these bunkers, but, as a general rule, they should be carried in three. The putting green, although good, is very flat. The ninth hole is at right angles to the general " lie " of the course. A drive and an iron stroke are required to reach, the green. The hole is probably the least interesting on the whole links. After the ninth the course turns, and the remaining holes ntn in an easterly direction. The tenth hole, still on the level ground, is a drive aud an iron approach, the hole being guarded on all sides by bunkers partly cut and partly natural. The eleventh, or "Shelter Hole," although not much longer, is more difficult. As the ground on the Tight is covered with bents, and to the left is hilly, a straight dri is essential. The putting green lies in a hollo , with a run in from every side. The twelfth hole is called the " Quarry In Hole." It can be reached with a drive and a brassie shot, but more commonly will require a short pitch as well. The tee is close to the sea, and the drive is over the mouth of the "Kel Burn," some very rough benty ground and a wall. A topped ball is a serious calamity. There are two bunkers farther on cutting off the in-coming course from the out-going. Just beyond the putting green is the quarry, which seriously punishes an approach which overruns the

The thirteenth hole, termed " The Pit," is a drive and an approach. The hole is just over a diagonally tunning wall. The putting green is somewhat shut in by banks stuping down to the gri that badly-played approaches often get well treated in striking a bank and rolling towards the hole. The foin-Lecutli hole is called " Perfection," the name of orter hole on the old c e. The bole can be reached with ;i drive and an iron shot, but a brassie for tin ond stroke is more c only required by medium drivers. A. larg a topped second stroke. Beyond the bunker is a gentle slope down to the putting green. LO tne I]Lteeutli Jiole, called lJie R.edan, the cours— turns to the south-east, and crosses the out-going course. Tlie putting green is one of the finest on the links. It lies on a plateau, guarded by a hollow on the right front, a bunker with a built-up face on the left front, and a bunker to the right beyond the green. The hole can be easily reached in one stroke from the tee, yet, on account of the difficulty in getting at it, it is not

The sixteenth hole is on a lesser plateau, with banks on every aide, and a dry ditch not far from the hole, Two drives aud probably a short approach are required to reaclt the green. The course is level, but a wall crosses near the tee, and, farther on, a burn which often punishes a good drive. NORTH BERWICK LINKS. 255 256 NORTH BERWICK LTNKS.

The seventeenth hole i.s a long- one, of considerable difficulty. The drive must be stiaiglit to avoid hillocks on eitherside of the course, and far in order tliat tlie second stroke may cany over an old grass-grown quarry with a uasty 1 mnkcr on the left, The hole is on the north-east slope of Point Garry Hill. The approach stroke should cross a sandy road, and pitch near the top of the hill, so its to run gently over the top down to the hole on the other side. An old quarry lies on the right of the green, and the shore is beyond, so care must be taken not to be too strong-. The " Home " hole is a drive and a short approach. The tee is on the top of Point Garry Hill. A topped ball will be badly punished in a sandy road which runs at the foot of the hill. 'Die putting ^recii is a plateau, and consequently the hole is somewhat difficult to approach, as both drive and approach arc often spoilt by striking the banks of a plateau, In distance the course is little short of St. Andrews. It is laid out to the best advantage, and i.s kept in excellent order. Kscept at one place it is a broad course, and players do not interfere with one another. The golf throughout is of great interest and variety. The putting greens are of velvety turf, and beautifully undulating, A special feature of the course, though one that perhaps does not enter into the golfer's consideration, arc the views of the estuary of the Forth, the Coast of Fife, and of the Islands of Craigleith, Fidra, and the Bass. North Berwick Links are the playground for many dubs, from the New Club, which leases and manages the links, to the North Berwick Club, instituted as far hack as 18.12. Besides these the Tan tall on Golf Club, instituted 1853, which has a club house adjoining the New Club and the Bass Rock Club, play over, and contribute to the upkeep of, the links. NOTTINGHAMSHIRE GOLF CLUB.

player and student, then vicar of St. James's Church, Nottingham, and now Bishop of Natal, where let us piously trust the episcopal hand still at times grasps the cleek in place o( the crosier) and Mr. John Harris (who also learned his game beneath the shadow of St. Kcgnlus) met together to devise means for rescuing the home of their adoption from the heathen darkness in which it lay. Ere long, there was joined to them a son of " the honest toun " in the person of Mr. Joint Doleman (an old Mussel- burgh player, himself a well-known golfer, and come of a golfing race), and to this triumvirate the birth of Nottingham golf is due. In November, 1887, the first meeting of the infant Club took place, and shortly afterwards the earliest competition was held on a course laid ont on a tract of open, but somewhat unsuitable ground, close to the Trent, called "the Meadows," on which the members played for a few months. In the spring of 1888 a move was made to Bulwell Forest, a piece of Mr.]. Hoi1, co land at the northern extremity of Nottingham, some three miles C^l«,«, .&>

The links are 011 public -ground, but pei 1 to play is given to the Notts Clnb by the Corporation the Boirough, and through the f(inner 1 itts Clui3 itself (w:nich n

an October 17th, :lie same year Mr. J. Hall, the captain, most lately mad lateur record of eighty-two. The course itself deserves more than a passing mention ; for not only it the best links in the district, but probably one of the best inland in the country. Formed on a sandy subsoil, it abounds in good assaixls, and the turf is of true golfing quality. The ground is ululating, and the holes have infinite variety. At one the line is ill d< n hill and across what was once a sea of whins. For the next 3-011 i'eto drive uphill and loft over a sand-pit to the green on a plateau. r hole is as level as the Elysian Fields themselves, while in the nest

ravine, Starting from Bui well Forest station the Hue of play towarda Hiicknall (Byron's burial-place) for some thr :-quartet of a nile and after a certain amount 01 Kifrzat-rEniiif over the I ii cross in it, the player comes home in a line nearly parallel with the outward course, and ends on the home green, which lies close to the starting-point. The distance, measured a the crow flieM, from tee to hole is nearly three miles, and the holes vary i i length from 90 to 4S0 yards. Apart from the game, however, the o Right local golfers may not unfairly claim to be benefactors of the community in g up and rendering1 known the forest as they have. It is surprising w Nottingham people seem to be acquainted with that stretch of breezy c with its patches of yellow gorse, and purple heather, and wealth of upland flowers, its bird life, and its bracing air. Who l>nt the golfers and some old Bulwell residents, perhaps, know the Bull Well, or the Hammer-Dyke, Salter's Hill, or Nic's Dale (was not Saint Nicholas the patron saint of robbers, and can this be a reminiscence of the day Sherwood Forest sheltered so in;ny outla r the Buck Jump, a ravine is called that separates the from the domain of JUestwood, where, perhaps, in old days the id of the Forest T.aws stopped the Bulwell villager from further chasse of the plundering deer ? It would he a pity for such a spot to be euclo,sed' , and it is to be hoped that the powers that be will spare it for the reelreation of Nottingham folk while living, rather than convert any part of it into a cemetery for their ashes, as, by some prosaic and non-golfing souls, has """"' '„ ilVen Smith been more than once suggested. 'CVI/IWM, 1889. With how much interesting history, too, is the forest connected! If the Notts golfers should ever give a thought to anything but their game (and perhaps they will not improve it if they do), their minds might travel back to the days, hundreds of year* ago, when their beloved Bulwell Forest formed Imt n- bit of the great Forest of Sherwood itself. It was within tlie " Keeping " (Sherwood Forest was divided into three " Keepings ") which lay between tlie Leen (a stream that still runs near the course, into which the ovcrEowings of tlie " Bull Well " rind their \vny), and Lhe Dovurbcck. They would picture tlie Chief Keeper of the Forest himself, who in this Keeping (for in each he had a different number of attendants) ought to have •• a forester riding with a page and two foresters on foot; and there be two verderers" (green- keepers?—it was their duty to look after the "vert" and see that it was : bears i green leaf in a forest—but having speciiciaal refer alas! 1 thos golfing days, to that which was capable of covering a deer) md two agisters," "who looked after the cattle feeding in the King's forest, and took money for their pasturage. The Chief Keeper, too, was to have a je bearing his bow thr ugh all the Forest to gather " chiminage," or tolls from those who passed through Substitute clubs foi bow, and we have the caddie in very truth—who kuows how to exact his toll, L L 2 j

NOTTINGHAM LINKS. NOTTINGHAMSHIRE GOLF CLUB. too, as well as any forester among them! See how history repeats itself—ins ead of the forester, his verderers, his agisters, and his page, we have the captain with his lordly stride, acc mpanied by his retinue of green committee, his secretary and treasurer to collect the club dues, and his addie—as cheeky as the page of ancient days, and not much more reliable. It may be that even in those far-off days Bnlwell Forest was, as it is to this day, free from trees—or at all events from any quantity; for it was a part of the Wood of Bnlwell Ryse, an ancient demesne wood and •waste of Henry III. and Kdward I., and the wood was subsequently enclosed, as hereafter appears. Special mention, too, is made of three " bayes," or fenced woods, in this Keeping, including Beskwood (now Best- wood, the Duke of St. Albans' seat), which borders on Bulwell Forest, as has been mentioned. And that Bidwell Forest was then practically treeless is all the more likely, as in the " Liber Forestae de Shire wood " the refer telof Bulwell" beini of Bulwell" claimed some "easai " there, and, if they had tliem, would be sure to put them in force to clear as much ground as possible f their "cattel." An " essarl," as many readers doubtless know, was the right to grub up and clear the gi mil from bushes and shrubs which formed thickets or coverts in the forest. What a ruthless right of sart do we golfers exercise now upon the poor whins—whether through some new-fangled green-committee, by the tremendous niblick of the athletic duffer! reign of lidward I. (26), eighty acres of the wood of Bulwell Ryse demised by tlte King' i- to Philip dc Willoughby (then Forester of Beskwood) and forty a move went to Th de

Rydewalle. The rest of it " in herbage only " was granted to the town of Bulwell at a rent to the exchequer 0F58. ayear. In all probability this was practically the Bulwell Forest of to-day ; and, from the position of the Leen and Bestwood, it cannot have suffered very serious encroachments. Later, these eighty acres came into the possession of the Monks of Newstede (Newslead), and they laid their hands on the forty acres also, till a suit was brought against them by John de Ridewale (" the son of John, the son of Thomas ") in 27 Edward III., when the Prior of Newstede disclaimed them all, and the town of Bulwell was " found to have pastured in them." However, the church was not going to give up the land, aud, in 29 tjdward III., the lieutenant of Ralph de Nevill (then keeper or warden of the forest) and the two "verderers, and all the regarders of the forest and the whole town of Bulwell and many strangers on either part, came to Bulwell Ryse and measured out the eighty acres," and on a later day the forty acres—laying out a new course can be nothing to it 1^^-and handed them over to the Prior of Newstede and T olm de Ridewale. Nor were they content with our present regulation quantities, for the perch they used was twenty-one feet long, while the forest foot itself was eighteen inches loug. A useful foot for stymies I The rest of the land would appear to have been left for the Bulwell people in accordance with the grant, to become five centuries later the happy hunting ground of Nottingham golfers. We are indebted for much of the foregoing (which, if it be not all strictly golf, is, if possible, of equal interest) to a paper contributed by Mr. J. C. Warren, late captain of the Notts Golf Club, to the ('Golfer's Guide." PAU GOLF CLUB.

THE Pali Golf Cltib was rounded in 1S56 by a Tew enthusiastic golfers, amongst whom may be mentioned The Duke of Hamilton, Colonel Hutch insou, Major Pontifex, Colonel Austrather, and Archdeacon Sapte. It is thus, with the exception of Blackheath, the oldest golf elnb out of Scotland. At first it was merely a

side inn, By tlie energy and liberality of the Captains, Sir Victor Brooke, Mr. Lawrence, and Mr. McNab, seconded by an alile Secretary in the person of Mr. Foster Barham, Her Britannic Majesty's Vice-Consul in Pan, this small beginning gradually expanded, until a full eighteen-hole course was formed, and a regular club house established. Since then much money lias been spent 011, and a great deal of trouble taken with, the course, which has been enlarged and improved in every possible way. The small club house has grown into a large and commodious building, replete with every comfort. The gentlemen's course is about three miles and a-half round; the " lies'' are good, and the putting greens perfect. There are natural hazards in the shape of quarries, streams, hedges, itiid roads 1 these have been tuiguientecl by artificial bunkers and clumps of bushes. The record of the green is 75, made by the Pan professional, Lloyd ; but 80 is a good score for a first-class player. Bogey's score is fixed at 83, Many well-known players come to Pan in the winter; amongst a host of others may be mentioned the Eight Hon. A. Balfour, Horace Mutchiiisou, J. R. Hutchison, C. Hutchiugs, Cox, Leliman, and Duudas; they one and all are highly pleased with the ground. In February, 1896, there was a professional tournament, at which Taylor, Herd, Vardou, Auchterloiiie, and Simpson played, and all agreed that the course was a very fine one, and was as good an inland course as existed. The ground is situated in the valley of the Gave, about three- quarters of a mile from the town of Pan, and is surrounded by lovely scenery. To the north there are well- wooded tablelands, the slopes covered with vineyards, and chateaux on the tops here and there. To the south there is a graud view over the river (.lave on to low-lyinjr hills covered with orchards and vineyards- TAU GOLF CLUH. 263

IP/tun « piota ty F, Su 264 PAU LINKS.

chftten.iix and fa mill 011 ae s dotted aboutp beyond them the pine-clad mountains vise, tier upon tier, until the glorious snow-clad peaks of the Pyrenees rear their heads over all. Towards the east, the town of Pan comes in sight, the park and chateau of Henri IV. in the foreground, the spires of St. Martin and St. Jacques in the distance. To the west the fertile valley of the Gave stretches as far as the eye can reach, the river fringed with poplar trees; orchards, groves of chestnut trees and oak elsewhere. The club house has separate accommodation for ladies and gentlemen, for each are provided dining and reading rooms, ample dressing rooms, and large locker rooms; there is a good plain cook, and an excellent cellar of

The Indies' links, nine holes only, is quite distinct fro the gentlemen's, and is a really go requiring long driving and straight play to avoid the hazar s ; the putting greens are first The best way to give our readers aa idea or the gentle en's course is to ask them to A., a scratch player, and B., who has a handicap of 12 :— 1st Hole (4^0 yards).—'"^Ve start 111 front of the club house the first drive being out 01 a quarry, "with bushes on left. A. commences with a good drive, his second is a little to the right, and not down the straight, open ground, but, being a long ball, he carries the bunker, has an easy approach on to the green, and holes out in 5. B. only just gets out of the quarry with his first, pulls his second behind bushes, takes a more to get on to the green, and holes out in 6. and Hole (425 yards).—There is perfectly clear ground in front for straight driving. A. starts with a gm«!

drive, clears the bushes with his second, on the green in 3, he holes out in 5. D. pulls his drive badly, gets into the river, stroke and distance, he does the hole in 7. 3rd Hole (400 yards).—A. makes a long drive over a bunker, a good second over a hazard lodges him close to the green, he holes out in 5. B. is short of the bunker with his first, makes a good second, goes well over the hazard with his third, and holes out in 5. 4th Hole (iao yards).—This is a pretty little hole, on high ground; the slope in front oi the hole is covered with bushes ; to the left is a road, and beyond the green, which is a beauty, there is bad ground. It requires skilful and accurate play. A., with his masliie, drops his ball nicely on the green, aud holes out in 3. B., using his driver, goes past the hole into bad ground, and takes 4 for the hole, 5th Hole (zao yards).—A. starts with a good drive over a quarry, makes a nice iron approach over a road, and holes out in 4. B. again pulls, and goes into a garden, stroke and distance ; he fails t rry the quarry with his third, makes a bad fourth, landing in a road, and takes 7 to the hole. 6th Hole (270 yards).—This is commonly called " Bobby's Hole, in years gone by, Mr. Robert Boreel, now, but still it was a grand performance, and was never repeated by anyone. A. starts with a fine drive over a hedge aud trees, a good second lands him on the high land, 011 which the green is, but witli too much run on it, bad ground is reached; and the hole done in 5. B. luckily does not pull his ball, or he would have been into another garden. His drive is short, but clear of difficulties; his second is very short of the hill on which the hole is placed ; he foozles his third, hits the bank, and rolls into a second bunker at the bottom ; he fails to get up with his fourth, but manages it with his fifth, and holes out in 7, 7U1 Hole (235 yards).—The tee is on the same level as the sixth hole. A. makes a good and straight drive PA1I GOLF CLUB. 266 PAU LTNKS. over tlie low-lying ground, and lands his ball on beautiful turf, with a pood approach over an old wall ; lie holes out in 4. B. does not carry the low land, is short of the old wall with his -second, and takes 5 to hole out. 8th Hole (240 yards).—A. takes a straight line for the hole, which is risky, and not much gained by it. He slices his ball; would have gone into a burn, but hits a branch of a tree, and drops amongst stones; he manages to get out, but into a bad "lie," takes 2 to get on green, and holes out in 6—very bad. B. makes a fair drive on to safe ground, a good second on to the green, and holes out in 4. 9th Hole (300 yards).—For ordinary decent straight play there are no real dangers in this hole. A. makes n good first and second, and holes out in 4. B. makes a good drive, slices his second, gets into stones, and takes 6 to hole out. 10th Hole (170 yards).—There are gardens to light, bad ground to left, but ample room for any ordinary straight shot. A. makes a nice drive with his eleek on to the greeti; but it is hard, and his ball runs a long1 way over; still, he manages to liole out in 3. B. pulls his first into bad ground, and takes 5 for the hole. nth Hole (350 yards).—A. makes a grand drive over gardens, hedges, and road, a good second carrying a bunker well; hut lie takes 5 to the hole. B. is afraid to go the straight course; makes a good drive to the left of it; he plays a good second and third, and holes out in 5. lath Hole (565 yards).-A. makes a fine drive, but as there is a slice on it.'tiearly gets into the rivery lie makes a good second and third, keeping well clear of hazards, and holes out in 6. B. half tops his first, HO

fails to carry sonic ringed bushes ; lias to lift with loss of a stroke ; gets into a hazard further on. and takes 8 to the hole. 13th Hole (366 yards).—A. makes a good first and second, and does the hole in 4. B. makes the best drive lie has as yet, a decent second, just short of a clump of bushes, on to the green with his third ; he holes out in S. 14th Hole (355 yards).—A. makes a good drive, but too much to the right, and gets into a btmker; he is well out with his second, on the green iti 3, and holes out in 5. B. makes a good drive, but pulls iuto bushes his second, and takes 6 to the hole. 15th Hole (435 yards).—The first drive is over a fair-sized stream, really quite an easy carry; but it is wonderful the number of halls that are driven Into it. A. makes a fine drive, and a good second up the straight; holes out in 5. B. drives into the stream "Jordan " his first, gets well over his second, slices into bushes his third, and takes 7 to the hole. 16th Hole (217 yards).—A. makes a nice straight drive, clear of all hazards, a good approach, and holes out in 4. B. makes a good drive, but gets into a road, his second takes 2 to get out of it, and does the hole iji 6. 17th Hole (250 yards),—A. makes a good drive over everything, mid does the hole in 4. B. pulls his first into water, then gets into bushes; takes 7 to the hole. iSth Hole (140 yards).—A., with his cleek, drops nicely on the green, and holes out in 3. B. makes a fair first, but too much to the left, gets amongst bushes, and takes 4 to the hole. PORTHCAWL GOLF CLUB.

THU royal and ancient game cannot lay claim to either of these titles in South Wales at present, as no club has at the time of writing received the distinction of Royal recognition, ami the oldest club is yet only an infant of six years. The Glamorganshire Club takes seniority over Porthcawl by about three months. In 1S91 the first step towards founding the Porthcawl Club was Laken by Mr. I-I. J. Simpson, who subsequently became its first Captain, and has always been one of its most ardent supporters. The progress has been gradual and satisfactory, the present membership being over 300. The Links, originally laid out by Gibson, of Westward Ho ! was 011 common land along the sea-shore,

and consisted of nine holes only. Owing to the increased mbership, the difficulty of keeping the greens free from the ravages of cattle, tlie^ruts'of carriage -wheels, a d the occasional incursion of Volunteer Camps, it was decided to extend the course to eighteen holes, nine b ng on private ground rented by the Club. This eighteen-hole course, the first in South Wales, was opened in he spring of 1896 ; but between the two courses e the grounds of a convalescent home, necessitating a 0 yards going out and returning. To bviate this, and the n nd being so much better, a full eighteen-hole co se is being laid out fro R y Hunter's plans n private ground leased to the Club, while the original n e holes will be given ov M M 2 PORTHCAWJ. LINKS. to the Indies' Club. A new chili lioust is to be erected between t' ie two courses, 30 yards from high wiitcr, with a Hue sandy 1>:ij' in front and the 1 evorishire coast on the othe i- side of the channel, The new course will be splendid golf, within view of tlie s :.i the whole way round, a id abounding in natural sand hazards—a thorough sporting; course, with plenty

natural undulations of the surface, so that the e only three really flat c The photographs show only temporary greens, as, at tlie time they T* n, the proper greens vei idev seed and a sprinkling of fine soil.

The following short description of tlie course will give an id a of its character :— iHt Hole (300 yards).—Drive to clear loose, sandy road, secon 5 shot over undulating ground to big cup green on top of elevated ground, and Hole (320 yards).—Fine 1 ndulating ground, crossing sandy road in approach shot to sloping green. 3rd. Hole [290 yards).—Drive to clear a hazard, approach over liillocky ground- 4th Hole (220 yards).—Drive over one end of Sahara [a sandy ravine 90 yards^wfde, which has FORTHCAWI. GOI.F C1.UH, 269 PORTHCAWL LFNKS. PORTI-ICAWL GOLF CI-TJB. 271 been sea-bed at one time), with sand cliff fiLcing-. Thence the green can be approached with running- shot Green large and wavy. 5th Hole (250 yards).—Drive over sand hazard, blind approach over hill. Large slightly cupped green. 6th Hole (320 yards).—No hazard for drive, good turf "lies," Approach over a dip (water in winter) to green on opposite side. 7th Hole.—Can be readied with good drive, Init a bad one is well punished. 8th Hole (450 yards).—Hazard 60 yards from tee. Second hazard, with pond to left of line, can be carried with a good second. Third shot to top of hill, from which the ball runs down to green on the other side. The approach is guarded on each side by big sand bunkers, gth Hole (290 yards).—Good going all the way, no hazard, except crater For sliced ball; fine large green. lotli Hole (300 yards).—Drive to clear Devil's Dyke, a sand burrow, nth Hole (450 yards),—No hazard first two shots. Approach over sand hollow. lath Hole.—Drive over narrow end of Sahara, and approach cuppy green on top of small hill. 14th Hole.—Ire

shot go yards over Hades (sand). 15th Hole.—Drive to clear Sahara in middle, then clcek shot to plateau green, 16th Hole.—Drive andiron down hill. Two sunk hazards, not seen from the tee, catch a short drive. 17th Hole.—Drive slightly uphill, second shot brassie or drive to clear hazard. 18th Hole—Full drive and good iron over sand hollow to green on edge of shore. This new course will be ready for playing over about June, after which plenty of walking over will sooii bring the ground into good condition. The rainfall at Porthcawl is exceptionally low, the air delightful and bracing, and being practically on the main line, only four hours from London and the Midlands, the course is certain to become a popular one. The hotel accommodation is very good ; speciid terms are given to golfers. The officers of the Club are-President: E. H. Rbs worth. Vice-Presidents: The Eight Hon. Lord Tredegar, The Right H011, Lord Wiiuborne, The Right Hon. Lord Liangattoek, The Right Hon. Lord Aberdare, W. Xiley, J. Brogden, D. Dniican, fi. C. P. Hull, A. J. Williams, Major Wyndhaui-Quin, M.P., H.J.Simpson, Rev. D. Davies, Colonel Glancy, R.E., H. "W. Vivian, Rev. R. Gordon, MA., O. H. Jones, and Horace Hutchin- son. Mr. H. Chester Vivian 'is the Captain, and the Hon. Secretaries are Dr. Tenison Collins (Hon. Sec. Welsh Golfing Union) and Dr. Tat ham Thompson, all of Cardiff. PRESTWICK GOLF CLUB.

Tim following account, is tak Golfing Annual:— ;Lue beautifully situfitfid on the Ayrshire const, some thirty-seven south of Glasgow and three m iks •tli of Ayr, and are the property of the Prestwick Golf Club, than • no Club has done more for the iue of golf. Its members cannot boast, like those of several other Club history dating far back into last century, but they can point proudly to the fact that it was they who originated the Open Golfing Championsliip in i860, when they presented for competition the Challenge Belt, won outright by young Tom Morris ten years later ; that this great player learned to play on their links ; and that their eighteen-hole course, after many years of careful attention and judicious alteration, is admittedly one of the shrewdest tests of golf to be found anywhere, and one of the few over which Doth the Open and Amateur Chainpionships are played. In fact, Prestwick and its leading Club are to the West of Scotland what St. Andrews and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club are to the East. The round originally consisted of only a dozen holes, but as the game increased in popularity and members were enrolled in large numbers, an extension was imperative. A large tract of land was acquired to the north of the then boundary dyke, and on it were laid out eight holes, which, although at first decried as "not golf," are now recognised to he every whit as sporting as the old ones. Prior to the acquiring of the new ground, much ingenious dodging about was necessary to squeeze the dozen holes out of the old ground, and blind holes were then the rule, not the exception. Recently a large addition was made to the club house, which is situated within a few yards of Prestwick Station (Glasgow and South-Western Railway), and it is now one of the most commodious in the kingdom. If we add to this that the links are private, that the air is of the purest, that the view of the Firth of Clyde, embracing Anan and its peaks and Ailsa Craig-, is on a fine day of the most charming description, one will readily see what a golfing paradise Prestwick ia. The Club was instituted in 1851, but prior to this the game was indulged in at Prestwick by several of the County magnates ; and who does not know the legend as to the match which took place 011 " ye links atte Air " several hundred years ago, " for his nose, between u monk of Crossraguel and a Lord of Cnlzean" ? hence probably the nomen- clature of the huge bunker " The Cardinal's Nob." Mr. Harry Hart has for long been at the Club's helm, and he must look back with pride upon the result of his labours. Captains come and go, but Mr. Hart c ; clui and handicapper s the genial Charlie Hunter, whose pr mtiguous to the Club-ho t description of the round and itsterro ids." On the majority ol PUESTWICK GOIJ-- CUIR. 273 hole nierch' gives a foretnsle of the " hazards " and difficulties llin.1 avc Ui come : hut I'rcstivick is a very not- able exception, for the first hole is one of the most ticklish. Tf our tec shoL he heeled the chances are Uiat the ball will go over the wall bounding the course from the railway, and we are mulcted in a stroke. 1 f it he pulled a perfect drive, our hfili should " he *' well hetwee 11 the railway w^ill and tlio whins, and si little sliort of the

sand, through the " narrows" between which and the wall we play our iron shot. The putting green is on a little table with a dip beyond, into which an' over-strong; approach i.i sure to find its way. The hole is a perfect four. In the 1893 Championship, Mr. Hilton, had it in three in his second round, and Anchterlonic in eight. An iron shot over a dip, at the far side of which is u hunker, should place us on the second green, with every prospect of a three. We now face the aforesaid " Cardinal's Nob," with its huge expanse of sand, and great shored-up face. Unless there he a following wind, there is no chance of reaching the bunker off the tee. For a heeled tee shot broken ground and the Pow Hum lie in waiting;. Now comes the test of nerve, for " The Cardinal " has a

asoned to such ordeals, and ourb shot s s high r the ob," les tip with lli

8lH, MOKKTON .MILN, HOLE. to the green. We arc not yet out of danger, however, for the hole is placed jiarlonsly close to the dyke divid- ing the old portion of the course from the new, and a too-merry approach may place our ball hard tip rgainst

a good, honest fiv< The dyke is the rried from the tee driving to the fourth hole, the safe line to which is N N 274 PRESTWrCK UNKS,

>•!' (I. Ouiililmti, Km. 1'RKSTWICK GOLF CLUB. 276 PRKSTW1HK I.TNKS. well to the leftleft,, so as to avoivoid the •' row." RolRniiandl and oonce essayed the Herculean task of attempting Lo cam the hum straight on the hole, but his sliot, after flattering, deceived, and the burn had it. An iron shot between the burn and an artificial bunker should easily reach the green, and a four appear on our card. From the next tee we look down on to the " I'ow," and on the other side of it rises the sandy, bent} ridge aptly called the " Himalayas." A well-lofted ball straight on the guiding-post should land on or nea: the green, and make a three quite possible. We now tack abruptly to the right, and drive along the " Elysian Fields," at the base of the " Himalayas.1 The hole is only a drive and an iron, but the approach is one of the most awkward to negotiate we ever saw If we elect to pitch over the beuty ground guarding the green we may stick there, or, if too Strong, overrni the plateau, in the centre of which the hole is placed, so that the safer alternative is to ran our second up wit! the clcek, and hope to see it make the left side of the green. Four is, of course, par play, but five 19 quit satisfactory. The seventh, or " Railway Hole," lies directly at right angles to the line to the sixth, and as there is 1 considerable drop in the ground, a straight drive should carry the green. To the right are broken ground aw a boundary fence ; to the left the grass is rather rank. The green is a capital one, and long putts have 1 happy knack of going in. Again, we turn at right angles and drive up hill parallel to the railway, carrying a made bunker, and lyinj midway between it and another of the same kidney extending the full length of the green. A cleek sho should see us hole high, hut a heeled hall may make the railway, ami cost a stroke. Mr. John Ball sulTerer

good golf. The '• End " hole is one or the longest, the " hazards " being a little circus-like bunker, into which a long slightly pulled ball may irritatingly pop, a benty ridge, short of which our drive should "He," and a couple of made bunkers which a long second may reach. It i.s better, for once in a way, to be a little short with our approach, as the ground at the far side of the hole is rather rough. Five is the regulation figure, and thus with perfect golf we turn in 35, but, needless to say, anything under 40 is quite satisfactory. On March 27th, 1889. Willie (^amphell, then of Prestwick, now 111 America, negotiated these ume holes in the phenomenally low figure of 32, aided by a lucky three at " The Cardinal," a record which is likely to stand for many years. To the first hole hi we drive a little to the left, so as to keep the benty base of the " Himalayas " at a res- pectful distance. With onr second we easily clear the benty ridge we crossed coming to the ninth hole, agaiu keeping to the left, and find our ball within a wrist shot of the green, with every chance of a five. For the third time we strike off at right angles, a long carry being necessary to clear the " Himalayas" and the " Pow " rushing at the far side. This done, an accurate iron shot and two putts see us down in four. Skirting some benty ground we next swipe straight for the " Dyke," exchanging words perhaps, en route, with the play i h h b hich we pitch neatly and hole comfortably in five. But woe betide if we fall foul of the dyke. It put Mr. Hilton pletely out of court in the 1S93 Champ ion ship. Ten w Two drives over rather " switch-backy " ground, a d a short run up with the iron make the next hole a five ; but accuracy is essential, as there is a troubleso little mound in rear of the green. To the left front we now descry the dull house, and drive straight for it. A full iron shut over an artificial bunker will UIL>M

At this juncture we could be pardoned for fancying that Prestwick only boasts of fourteen Iiolcs were it not that to the left we see the home green. But where arc the other three holes ? Sandwiched between the first hole out and the last hole we have played, we are told. We drive oIT almost parallel to the way we have come, and find ourselves tackling the only unfair hole in the round. To get a good " lie" i.s a matter of luck, If we do, our clcek or brassie second has bunkers galore to escape as well, as broken ground, and we may thank our stars if we '' lie '' on the green m twor witii a four for the taking- In Auditerlomc's year lie liacL a tlixcc here, I.uck and good play invariably go hand in hand. Next teeing on the height to the left, we carry some bunkers just in front, rind get sufficiently far up the hollow to which we clamber down to make the hole within ensy reach of our iron; but we must not slice here, or we mav visit OUT old friend " The C-ardm&i, ' who once again crops up m near fjroxiimtv. However, wo heed liim not, and score another four. A raking drive over "The Cardinal's " right arm should travel well up the hollow on the far .title, and bring; us within sight of the grassy mound called the "Alps," surmomiLotl by a wire fence, beyond which is a yawning bunker. If our "He" be favourable, we are tempted to scale the "Alps" with our second, and so secure a four ; but if the wind be unfavourable, re in em be ring the fate that befell Mr. Laidlay. in the Amateur Championship of i^93< who essaying to carry the green in two, failed, a.ud lost the hole and the Championship, we, like Mr. Anderson on that occasion, play short of the mound with our cleek, loft comfortably over it ami the bunker, and get a five. For the home hole a drive, a pitch, and two putts are the requisites. We have them ready, down goes a four on our card, and we tot up 39 for the inward half, and 74 for the round, which 'is par play. Ordinary mortals are, however, well pleased with anything under H4, which is the Club's scratch figure. We have already referred to Willie Campbell's outward record of 32. On the same day he came home in ,Vj. ai!(l his full record of 71 lias never been equalled. Here are hiK figures: 2 OHI-,1, 3, 3, 4, 3, .(, 2, 4, 5=3 > ?r J In -5. 4, 4, 5, A, 5, 3. 5. 4=.W Instituted [851. Tin trance fee. £1$. Annual subscription. £2. Number of Members. .140, including Non-Playing Members, l.ife Members, and Members abroad. Captain: J. G. A. Baird, M.P. Hon. Secretary and Treasurer: II. Hart, 5, l-'ort Street, Ayr. Green- keeper: J. Milne. Handicapper ami Club-maker: C, Hunter. Club Prizes: Club Gold Medal (scratch), in spring; Kglinton Cold Medal (seraieh), in autumn ; Ht Andrew's Cross (handicap), in spring and autumn ; Monthly Sweepstakes (handicap). 280 SUDBROOK I'AKK LINKS. voluntary services were acknowledged liy a testimonial), Mr. ?. R. Don undertook that office. But the Club had to deeply lament the death of tliia gentleman at an early age, and in honour of his memory instituted the "Don Memorial Challenge Vase," which is open to competition by members of all golf clubs in the United Kingdom to which he belonged. The Captain for the present year, 1S97, is Mr. Thompson Glover, with the same aeal that he disp\ays in everything, Mr. Higgins kindly continues to act as Hon. Treasurer. The subscription to the Club is now five guineas, with ten guineas entrance Tec, and candidates have to wait about two years for election. But those who have been duly proposed and seconded may become, pending election, five-day members, not playing Saturdays or Sundays, at four guineas a year. The special features of Sudbrook l'ark as an inland golf course are, good length holes with well-placed bunkers, a soil consisting very largely of real sand which produces a fine close turf, and consequently the putting-greens, being fairly undulating, arc unrivalled near the metropolis. Straight driving is absolutely necessary if a good score is to be returned, and although the carries from the tees are generally negotiable by the average driver, many of the second shots are such as to tempt the big-hitter to save a stroke by reaching the green, at the risk of pretty certain expanse should he fail. The out-going nine holes work round Ll-.e Park and describe a home-shoe, the ninth green being close to the first tee, and the incoming half-

round returns very much in the same way 011 the inner curve of tlie shot, uiUi uutusiunal diversions into the centre. From a scratch player's point of view, we give a short account of the various holes:— 1st.—A good shot from the tee carries ft carriage road and path, to an undulation which stretches across

bunkers and grief to left and right. The green is very large with tricky little undulations, and to hole out in 5 is steady play. 2110.—A drive ant' an iron shot 5 stra^ghtness being the chief requirement, but the approach wants

pull or slice; a brassie or cleek shot is now the thing, just slopping short of the burn if a good oue, thence iron or mashie-pitch lands on the well-protected green, which also is practically perfect as regards turf and undulation. 5 is good enough. 4th.—A difficult full-drive hole, parallel with the burn and between occasional trees both to left and right. A long carry is required over bunkers in face of a gentle rise in order to lie well on the green, which slopes sharply towards the water. 3 or 4 strokes. 5th.-Has less feature. Agood drive over "made" bunkers with aspecial eye to straightness, and a three- quarter iron shot lands on the green —a fiat plateau protected with sunk bunkers in face of rise. 4 is steady work. 6th.—A short hole. Varying" between cleek and driver according to the state of wind and turf. The ground is Mat but the bunkers and other hazards are many. The green also is rougher than others so that to hole in 3 is jcood play.

SUDHUOOK. I'ARK LINKS. RICHMOND GOT.F CUiH. 283

7th.—A long flat hole which nii.yht be monotonous were iL not that the excellent plnciHi;- of the bunkers gives interest to each stroke. A -straight first and well hit is called for, and if the player is 011 his game he can " fly " the blinkers short of the green with chance of holing in 4, but 5 is good enough. 80i.—A veritable " doffer's terror." Cleek or driving niashie straight and well lofted, finds the green, having escaped the intervening perils of a big- pond rather closely bordered by trees itncl bushes. In sniumer-tinie a beautiful green, but heavy rains in winter sometimes make the going heavy and cause "occasional water." 3 is right 9th.—The player now has in view the grand frontage of "Sudhrook House," mid the ninth green lies between its lawn and the railings of Richmond Park. A drive over " made " bunker, keeping clear of trees to left, and a clump of bushes round a well on the right, then a linn three-quarter iron up a bank reaches the sloping green, on which the best of putting is necessary if a 4 is to be registered. joth.—Turning back from Sudbrook HDII.SC, this hole stretches parallel with the fence of Richmond l'ark on the left, and a pulled ball goes out of bounds. A good carry is necessary to clear the sunk bunker, and a long and accurate second with brassie or cleek carries