4th Hole 3rd Round Jun 1997

.'
.-,. .- . .....
•••• 1·
'----...
..
· .. is the ]ournaJ of the British Golf Collectors' Society and is pubJished quarterly in March, June,
September and December. The views and opinions printed within are essentially those of the
Contributors or Editor and are not intended to represent an official Society viewpoint
unJess specifically stated. The magazine is available only to members of The
Society and to selected overseas subscribers. No part of this publication,
with the exception of book reviews, may be reproduced without
written consent of the Editor. The aims of The Society are
to encourage and promote an interest in the history of
~Ax~
golf and the colJecting of items connected with
4th Hole
that history. We welcome new members
but extend Httle sympathy with any
3rd Round
applicant who seeks membership for commercial gain.
Jun 1997
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BRITISH GOLF COLLECTORS' SOCIETY
"CRAMOND'" 8 JULIAN CLOSE' BARNWOOD • GLOUCESTER GL4 3AF
THE BRITISH GOLF COLLECTORS SOCIETY
1997 COMMITIEE MEMBERS
Captain
Tim Smartt
01273814814
Vice Captain
Bob Grant
0199851680
Hon SecfTreasurer
Christopher Ibbetson
10620 895561
(Tel and Fax)
Brian Bowness
0163548929
David Easby
0181 9970039
Peter Heath
0121 472 2740
Alan Jackson
01452612849
(Tel and Fax)
John Pearson
01904 628711
Graham Walters
01942874059
John Wilson
01424843636
Editor
Hono rary Secretary and Treasurer
PO Box 13704, North Berwick, East Lothian
EH39 4ZB
formed BGCS. The response brought us 90
members by the time of the 21 st May
meeting, and the 1988 Directory lists 122.
By then we had invited David Easby to become
our first Secretary (now back on the
Committee following a long stint abroad),
David White to be our first Editor of the
proposed newsletter, and Joe Murdoch to be
our first Honorary Life Member.
The BGCS is 10
years aid!
It is particularly
pleasurable for me to
proclaim our tenth
birthday
and
to
congratulate all of
you, our members, on
the achievement of
th is first milestone in what hopefully will
prove to be a very long history. As a Society
focused on the history of the game of golf,
which is itself already some six hundred
years old, I can easily envisage our members
(or perhaps the Alistair Johnston) of 300
years hence looking back and noting the
accomplishments of the Society af ter its
very first decade.
And so we launched the BGCS and
embarked on the journey that has taken us to
where we are today. From those modest
beg innings in the early months of 1987, I am
happy to say that we now have a thriving,
growing, sound and successful Society.
Congratulations are due to all those who
we re involved at the start, and especially to
those members who have put in countless
hours over the years since:- many
successive Committee members, our
previous and current Secretary, past and
present Editors and of course all members,
new and old, without whose support we could
not have reached this stage.
The month of May marks the 10th
anniversary of the first Committee meeting
held following the formal establishment of the
Society - 21st May 1987. There had in fa ct
been two previous meetings earlier in 1987,
namelyon 19th February and 18th March
when the five "Founders" of the Society met.
These five we re to become our first five
Captains: the late Ray Gossage, Tony
Hawkins, Philip Truett, Peter Crabtree and
the current incumbent. We held these first
meetings in the backgammon room (but I don't
think any gambling took pi ace) of the Naval &
Military Club, otherwise known as the "In and
Out" owing to its imposing entrance and exit
gates, thus inscribed, on Piccadilly. From
this rat her auspicious venue for our birth, we
moved our subsequent meetings th at autumn
to my office in Godstone, Surrey, a former
18th century hostelry, perhaps more in
keeping with inaugural meetings of the very
early golf Societies.
We have grown from a couple of meetings
in our first year to five regional sections and
some 18 events th is year. Through The
Green has flourished since its first issue of
8 pages - th is one has 40 - and has become
for many the eagerly awaited linch-pin of the
Society.
Dur membership, now around 450,
continu es to attract new and diverse
members from the entire spectrum of golf
and indeed from all over the globe. This I
think is one of the Society's special
characteristics and indeed one of the things
th at distinguishes it from many other golf
Societies and clubs. We have a membership
drawn from all walks of life and all sectors of
the golf world, from the humblest collector to
some eminent figures in golf. Each has a part
to play, a sharing of a specialist interest or
knowiedge. The common bond is the respect
and pass ion for the history and traditions of
the game, and early artefacts connected with
it, and a collective will to further explore and
preserve these.
At those first two meetings it was decided
to form "The British Golf Collectors Society"
- there had been some uncertainty as to the
future of the GCS in America at that time and
it seemed an appropriate moment to form the
BGCS as there we re many GCS members in
Britain. Consequently a letter was sent out
(after several drafts) on 27th March to these
GCS members inviting them to join the newly
Indeed as time goes by, it will become
1
ever more important for us as a Society to
offer our support to the world of golf in general
as a custodian of these values.
,.
,.
.
,.
new event will give many of our members
who cannot make the annual pilgrimage to
Gullane, the chance to enjoy a similar meeting
in England.
At the same time we would
certainly hope to tempt both our Scottish (and
Welsh, Irish and European) members and our
Overseas Associates to participate, just as
so many of our English members travel to
Scotland to support that marvellous event.
,.
To mark our tenth birthday, the survlvmg
four "Founders" wish to present the Society
with a trophy, the Founders' SII/ver, to be
played for annually in a new event, the Eng/ish
Hickory Chllmplonship. It may be possible
to hold the first one this autumn, otherwise it
will be in 1998.
The venue will probably
change each year, but we hope that the
inaugural one will be played over the links of
Rye on the Sussex co ast, where three of our
Founders are members.
Wh o knows, our 25th birthday may be
marked by a Grand Slam of Hickory
Championships!
With th at thought, I look forward to seeing
as many of you as possible in July at the Open
meeting at Western Gailes near Troon - a
wonderful venue, please make every effort to
come. What better way to start the BGCS's
next decade?
The Scottish Hickory Championship will
always continue as our oldest fixture and one of
the best in our calendar (witness the splendid
occasion earlier th is May), but we hope that the
Can any one identify the people in this card or say where and when the picture might have been
taken? The gentleman on the right is wearing a sweater with a diced neckband of dark and light
colours; perhaps the Oxford-Cambridge Society? Any thoughts to the Editor, please.
The details of the special commemorative cover(opposite) have been sent in by Stuart
Mackenzie. However since sending it, Stuart has phoned to say thay there wjll not be a Mobile
Post Office at the Open. Apparently the PO thought th at the proposed rent for the facility was too
much. Either the PO is getting mean or the Open organisers are getling too greedy. Something
wrong somewhere. However it is believed the covers will be on sale at the Information Desk.
2
The 126th Open Golf Championship
[T
eH
-
--~~
---
-
ROYAL TROON GOLF CLUB
The Open Champ1onsh1p returns tO ,Royal Troon tor the seventh time
Stuart R. MacKenzie
Once again a special commemorative cover and handcancel have been
comm1ss1oned for the 126th Open. It depicts a panoramie scene of
the Eighth Hole, known as the postage Stamp. This is the shortest
hole of ' all' the Open Championship courses, and ' the most infamous.
It has ruined many a good score, one competitor taking 13 strokes
to complete the hole, while in·the 1973 Open Gene Sarazen aged 71
holed in 1 (he won the 1932 Open Championship).
Covers will be available on course during Championship Week. The
Mobile Post Office will again be in attendance for selling stamps
(Golf stamps unavailable) and posting of the special cover.
The 126th Open Golf
Champion5hi~
THEI0PENj'
CHAMPIONSHIP
ROYAL TROON GOLF CLUB
1997
The Open Championship -
1997
Commcmor<llivc Cover
TROON
AYRSHIRE
TROON, on(!'of the premier holiday resorts
on the ho'est coast and 0 mccca for golfus
wirh ilSljive J8-hole golf courses situared in
the lown, including three Municipol and Iwo
Priva/e, One being the POr/land and 'Irot
olher the Open Championship Course,
RoyaJ Troon,
TH! OPl.N CIfAMrIO!'iSIIII" HISTORV. In.chuttd by ProlwKk Golf Club In 1160 ,,:"11 pl&yW over
PrcSlwkk Illuil 1110. In II7Z I ntW tropl'ly In Il\c lhlpc of thc prcWIL cup wu lubKnlKd fOf,bY the
Pratwkk Oub thc Rora! IIId Ancienl GoIr Club and the- Honour.blc Com\HIny,lIId lhc ChlmpKlnll'lIp
wu pl.red In .;";CU$lvl rUil over Lhe lintl or IhCK cluN \Intil 11'). In L19~ Lhe links or Rora! Livcrpool
Md Ro)'a! St . ütor.c·J. WCIC added 10 the r04l. In 1909 Oeal WIU Lh~ wcnuc; 1/1 192.) TI~ ; In 1926 Roy~
L)1ham and SI. Anna; In 1931 CanlO,ut;': In 19S1 Portll,uh. and 11'1 19H Il'Ie a.amp.on~lp wou held I1
~O)'al8Ltlldalt, neh rOt Ihe i'inllLmt, Tht Aib. Cou,w ar. Tutnbcrry wu hOK orlhe a.~PlOn~lr In 1971
rot lbc fint limc. Sinu 19191he ClIampion~lp hu \Men Of.anl~ br the Royal and Anetent Col Qub of
St.4Mr~.
3
As a holiday resorl, Troon hps (WO mi/es of
sands and is on idea/ touring cenlre for {he
Burns country and the many Qllractiolls of
the surrounding dis/rier.
f
Th e SE gather at
Woking, one of Bernard
Darwen's
'best',
on
Friday 10th act Allcorners are welcome
50 contact John Wilson or Tom Heduan.
Following the Winter
hibernation, the season has
sprung to life with a series
of meetings in quick succession. The SE
started us off on 4 April at Copthorne with a
round of golf and a J H Taylor evening to
follow. President's Day was next in grand
style, followed closely by the SW day at
Newbury and Crookham. A quick dash up the
M6 for a' go at the guttie' on Musselburgh
and the Scottish Hickory Championship at
Gullane and the then a more leisurely drive
back down for the Droitwich Centenary match
on the 16 May. Contrary to the old adage,
you cannot get too much of a good thing. Full
reports follow.
A reminder that there will be a Society
Hickory match against Aberdovey on
Saturday
lSth November.
More
details will be in the next Issue.
SCOTIISH MATCHPLAY
CHAMPIONSHIP
The first round of the Scottish
Matchplay Championship has been
completed successfully. The results are:
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Hamish Ewan lost to Tom Tew
1 up
Graeme Lennie beat John Kiernan 3 & 2
Edward Sherry beat Barry Kerr 2 up
Chris Ibbetson beat John Still
3& 1
1 up
Erick Davidson beat John Rigg
Jake Davidson beat Robert Thompson
Jim Colville beat Tom Gowans
5&4
Bill Tanner lost to Archie Baird
WO
A NEW FIXTURE is another Centenary
Match, this time against Sandwell Park on
Friday 4 July. Such was the success of
the match with Droitwich th at getting a place
in the team will be a cut-throat affair. The
Moral? The Deil taks the hindmost! The
indefatigable John Moreton is our team
manager and his number is shown above 50
don't say you have not been told.
Weil do ne the Scots, always in the lead
when it comes to enterprise and originality.
Maybe, just maybe, the sleeping giant in
the South will awaken next season!
You are now much too late for The Dpen
Meeting since your entry should have been
with Robert Thompson before the end of May.
However, if you suddenly have an
overwhelming desire to attend, his number is
0141 889 1860 although I have no idea what
the position will beo I would try, mind you.
COMMrITEE NEWS
Graham Walters
has been co-opted on to the
Committee to fill the vacancy
created by the appointment of Bob
We have a rest until 28 Aug when the
MlD LANDS hold their Autumn meeting at
Sandwell Park, this time with steel shafts.
The meeting is, of course, open to all and you
will be most welcomel. Who is in charge?
Would you believe John Moreton?
Grant as Vice Captain.
STOPPRESS
A video containing all the footage
taken by BBC Scotland of the
Foursomes at Musselburgh will be
available in the near future. It will
be professionally edited, will run
for about 40 mins and cost around
[12.50. If you want to reserve a
copy, please call John Rigg on 0131
440 1385 as soon as possible 50
~
experience of the season is on 12 Sep
when the SW are organising their Autumn
meeting at St Enedoe in Cornwall. We know
it is a long way and that it will probably mean
an overnight stay, but this course really is a
gem and it should be on your battle honours ..
The Welsh Wizard, Eiron Morgan is the
contact on 01639 896773.
4
.GET WELL SOON
Tbree of our members bave not
beeo enjoyiog 'be best of bealtb
receotly. Ilodoey Hawkins,
Edwin Walker aod Stoart
MacKenzie. We seod tbem our
very best wisbes aod bopes for
'beir speedy improvemeo'.
Uaste ye back.
to
Alan Walker on being appointed this
year's Captain of the Professional
Golfers Association.
Weil Done, Alan .
Fran the Editor
Havin;J had to postpone a long-planned family holiday to Canada in the past
t= years, we are at last really goin;:!. Regrettably, the arrangenents have
to be such that I will be away fran mid-August until 12 Septerrber and 50
will be unable to complete work on the next issue of TTG until I return,
which will make it s omewhat late in reaching you.
I can hear the
rrutterings already rut you c ould help keep the delay to a minimum by
sending in your articles as early as possible 50 that I can begin work on
thern before I go or im:nediately I return. By my last reckoning, I am
awaitin;:! copy fran the other 437 rrarbers who have !lOt yet contriWted!
LATE DATES
ENGLAND v SCOTLAND 1997
HICKORY MATCH
The annual England v Scotland hickories match
returns to Gullane on Friday 12 September,
when Scotland will be keen to avenge their
unexpectedly heavy deleat at Silloth last
year ( it pains me each time I write this).
Dinner will be in the clubhouse afterwards.
The respective team organisers are lor
England, John Pearson on 01904 626711 and
Archie Baird lor Scotland on 01875 870277.
If you enjoy keenly lought match-play, don't
delay - th is is the one lor you .
V
EAGLESCLIFFE
Society member Alan Sowerby is Captain ol
Eaglescliffe this year and has invited the
Society to a return Hickories match on Friday
26 September. The match will be lollowed by
a talk on 'The Golden Years ol British Golf'
and a 'show and teil' by Society members.
Team members will recall a tight match over
this Braid-designed course on a beautilul
October day in 1995, lollowed by a hospitabie
evening in the clubhouse. Ring John Paarson
on 01904 626711 il you wish to play or
attend
MEMBERSHIP
We welcome the lollowing new members and associates:
477
476
479
460
461
462
463
464
EM295
Tim Morrison
lan Connon
Mark Fairhurst
John Spink
John Hawkins
Richard Bayliss
Donaid Goodman
Michael Neary
Michael Weyermann
Maybole
Falkirk
Wigan
Hassocks
S Nutfield
Wrexham
Stourbridge
Blackrock, Ireland
Kreuzau, Garmany
5
Balls, Scorecards, Yardage Charts
Art, Open Memorabilia
Books
Books, Clubs anything related to Dorking GC
Books
Art, Clubs, Photographs
Books, Autographs
Clubs, Books
·<<::~:r*-~·"'·YJt?
"<<- ·.....x·mw.-
PRESIDENT'S 4lDAY
players (twenty Foursomes). including
guests. Whilst the 'Draw' was technically a
random one , some sensible adjustments had
to be made to match Members with Members,
Guests with Guests, to qualify lor the
respective prizes . This resulted in th ere
being twelve pairings in each ol the
President's and Captain's teams.
With a total ol 438 (Stablelord) points
John Behrend's team beat Tim Smartt's with
408 points, the losing pair in each Match
buying the winners Port (the practicalities of
this apparently simple scheme were not as
easy either to administer or explain I).
The winners of the Society's First Prize engraved Silver Medallions once aga in kindly
donated by David Kirkwood - were Michael
Harris (8) and Archie Baird (1 5) with 44
points. A most commendable score . Second
Prize - engraved Bronze Medallions , again
given by David- was won by Charles Wade (9)
and Alan Jackson (16) with 40 points. Third
prize (golf baiis) went to John Sherwood (2)
and Manlred Schotton (18) who had 39 points.
In his Winners 'speech' Michael Harris
recalled how his lawn started lile as Sandy
lyle's Augusta Masters-winning divot,
which also explains how he became a
Collector.
In the 'Guests' Section David Myles (22)
and David Pealing (19) took the First Prize
(Books) with 41 points whilst S. Barton (10)
and H. Seymour(18) were second with 39
points which earned them golf balls.
There was an excellent turnout and,
following Morning Coffee, then an excellent
lunch, everyone enjoyed a most convivial
round of golf on one ol the world's most
prestigious courses lor an extremely
lavourable fee - thanks to the cons ideration
and support ol Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
PRESIDENT'S DAY GOES WITH A SWING
- ANOTHER LUCKY 18TH AT HOYLAKE
'Wow!! (to borrow Tom Lehman's 'Open'
euphemism) ... what a day'. Or should I say
'few days' for some, like Toni Kammerer and
his guest Bernhard Schmidt who made a
golfing week-end ol it by coming over Irom
Garmisch in Southern Germany . So too did
Jurgen and Hannelore Kienie, from Bad
Wildungen . Even further alield, Walter and
Gloria Bielstein came with the ir guests , the
Patillo's, from San Antonio; Norman Burnett
Irom Colorado; Joseph Tiscornia Jnr and
Jenn ifer Perry Irom New Jersey; Brian
Siplo , another 'reg ui ar ' allender, I rom
Massachusells and Kurt Fredrixon Irom
Renton WA. This was a truly international
lield, as the variety of colourlul Ilags on the
'Top Tabie' rellected.
But, to go back to the beg inning, Members
will recall that Friday, the 18th April 1997,
should have lollowed the normal 'Chester
Meeting' format ol morning Foursomes at
Hoylake lollowed by Auction Viewing p.m. and
rounded 011 with the A.G.M. and Annual Dinner
in the evening at The Queen Hotel. It is
history
now ,
and
well-documented
elsewhere, but suffice it to say that, when
(lor a second time, at even shorter notice)
Phillips decided to move both the date and the
venue ol their Spring primary Auction , the
Society was, to put it mildly, left with a
dilemma. For a few days, the telephone and
postal system we re under pressure as the
Committee tossed around the possibilities. In
the end it was ag reed that we would 'soldier
on regardless' and so I approached our
President , John Behrend to discuss the
ramilications of a possible change in schedule
at Royal Liverpool. 'leave it with me and 1'11
come back to you' said John. When he did
(having in the meantime had discussions at
the Club), what he suggested was almost
unbelievably good news . So that's how
President's Day came about : like a Phoenix
rising Irom the ashes ! Here's wh at actually
took pi ace.
Goil at Royal Llverpool
First ol all, those who wished to play in the
morning - and thirteen did - could do so (at
the extremely concessionary lee ol EI5), and
this lacility was also extended to the
previous dav. Starting at 2 p.m. the Match
proper, President's versus Captain's Team,
took pi ace. All told, there were almost eighty
The Dinner
Then followed the main item on the dav,
Ihe Presidenfs Dinner, which was held in the
Club-room . In all, eighty-eight lad ies and
Gentlemen were present, including Andrew
Renison , Captain ol Royal Liverpool, and his
wile Susan; Mrs Wendy Robinson, lady
Captain of Royal livarpool and her husband
(and B.G.C.S. Membar) Roger. Jos Armitage,
'Ionicus' to usa his nom-de-plume, and a
Membar ol Royal Liverpool was a guest also.
Mrs Robinson kindly presented the prizes.
Intentionally, because ol the Auction which
6
followed, there were no official speeches.
However, the occasion would have been
lacking something without just a few words
from our President, and John Behrend did not
let us down. His brief address, delivered with
unique oratorical expertise, concluded with
another verse (or two) from his everincreasing repertoire of self-composed
golfing poems. The Dinner concluded with our
Captain, Tim, expressing the Society's
gratitude both to John, particularly for his
extreme generosity in buying the Wine, and to
The Captain and Members of Royal Liverpool
for the wonderful hospitality afforded to us.
The Membars Auction
And there's more! One would think that
there had been enough excitement for one day
but no, the Auction which followed was an
added delight. David Kirkwood, ably assisted
by Archie Baird conducted the Auctioneering
having earl ier in the day , Irantically
appraised and recorded over fifty lots. In
humorous vein they coaxed, urged, cajoled
the 'audience' (a full Dining-room) into
parting with sums which, to the vendors at
least, must have seemed like manna from
heaven. From gross sales of E3,088 a surplus
of over E350 was made, including donations,
from the very modest commissions of 5% on
vendors and buyers, and will go to the 1997
Whee l-chair Fund.
This was a most
worthwhile
effort,
despite
the
not
inconsiderable amount of work involved, both
during and after the auction wh en Bob and
Shirley Grant cheerfully coped with
accounting for all the business.
The obvious success of the who Ie day was
borne out by the fact that few left the Club
before the Auction ended, which was after
Midnight. Financially, the Society WIII come
out with a modest surplus (excluding the
Auction), and th is is very definitely due to
the wonderful support from Members - wh om
I thank wholeheartedly - and to Royal
Liverpool, and their Secretary Group Captain
Chris Moore, whose generosity enabled us to
keep within prices which had been set prior to
the changed circumstances. But, thanks in
partlcular must be accorded to our President,
both for providing the wine and for so
helpfully coordinating the whole event. Also,
lor another of his splendidly illuminating
'Cook's Tou rs' of the Club's Heritage
Collection . Bravo, John!
In 1996 the Meeting was held on January
18th, wh en it also was highly successlul but
lor different reasons. Eighteen seems to be
quite,a popular number in golf; maybe I should
change my Loltery numbers!
Norman Fox
WItUe Norman rlgbtly mentIons
varloU8 people lor tbelr contrIbutIons
to the day, he completely uoderplays
the great amount ol time aod ellort be
hlmself expended In maklng tbe flrst
Presldent's Day su eb a success, as
Indeed he bas done in our prevloU8
meetings at Cbester.
Tbank you very much, Norman..
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The 9th AGM ol the BGCS was held at the
Royal Liverpool Golf Club on Friday 18th
April 1997. 45 members were in altendance
and apologies we re received from a lurther
23. The main items were:
The Hon Treasurer's report and the
Accounts for the year ended 31 December
1996 were approved.
The Captain gave a detailed explanation for
the rationale behind the increase in the annual
subscriptions.
This was endorsed by the
meeting.
The meeting approved the following
appointments relating to the Commiltee:
H R J Grant to be appointed Vice
Captain
B J Bowness and P Heath to be
appointed as members of the
Commiltee.
A F Jackson and J L Wilson to be reappointed as members ol the
Commiltee.
D C Moffalt was appointed Honorary
Auditor.
The Pleasures of Golf are many. Charles
Lamb said that he lelt disposed to say Grace
on twenty occasions in the day beyond that of
his dinner.....
So it is with golf. We want to return
thanks lor much more than the playing of it;
for the Iriendliness of club house and
conviviality, lor golfing dinners , for the
traditions of old courses, for the exploration
of fresh ones.
Bernard Darwin, 1956
7
... ·
l~;:lIoRNÊ ~~!~;;I:;!
~:$~x:~;:i~Wb.:~:t . . _ .w.
The South East opened the 1997
season in grand style. Friday 4 April
was a glorious day, sunny and warm
as 25 members and their guests,
accompanied by the Copthorne Captain
and Secretary, thoroughly enjoyed a
round on a very interesting course, in
excellent condition lor the time of
year. The quality ol the golf matched
the conditions and some good scores
we re posted.
Mind you, having to
negotiate the A 264 after the first
two, and belore the last, holes
certainly focussed one's attention on
'J.
the matters in hand.
The theme of the evening was J H
Taylor and after dinner we were had two
rare treats, both tapes of 'JH' himself
talking about golf. The first, an extract from
a larger production, was his tribule to Harry
H,'
Vardon following the latter's death.
JH
thought Vardon the greatest golfer he
had ever seen. The second, lasting
about 15 minutes, was of Henry
Cotton interviewing the great man on
his eightieth birthday. Even at that
age, his commenls we re lucid and
discerning and reflected his stalure in
the game.
John Wilson and Tom
Heduan had assem bied a fine display of
memorabilia which members could
enjoy at their leisure.
The results were:
Members
Tim Smartt
39 pts
1st
2nd
John Wilson
36 pts
3rd
tan Wood
35 pts
Guests
1 st
Bob Walker
37 pts
2nd
Richard Hewitt 37 pts
SW MEETING - NEWBURY AND CROOKHAM
producing The Courses of Newbury and
Crookham. To support his talk, Brian had a
superb display of club trophies and
photographs, silver spoons, clubs, books and
pictures. It was a splendid presentation. The
icing on the cake was Brian's special guest
Jack Hughes who had been the club' s
prolessional from 1931 to 1977. There were
three of his own clubs on display and he was
able to give us a detailed account of how they
we re made Many thanks, Brian
The prizes went to:
The date was May 2nd and Newbury &
Crookham was the venue for the South West
Region's Spring Meeting. The weather was
gloriously warm and sunny and there was a
profusion of cotour in the trees and witd
flowers which bordered the fairways and
hotes on this very undulating and challenging
course. What more could a golfer ask for?
Good company and there was plenty of that
too.
Our Captain, Peter Gompertz could only
make the dinner as he dashed South after his
unsuccessful attempt to be elected as an MP
the day before. We wo nt mention the colour
of his rosette but had he stood for the "Free
Golf For All" party (and we don't mean the
Green party!), he might have been more
successful! Better luck next time, Peter.
Our speaker was Brian Bowness who spoke
on the researches he had undertaken in
1 st
2nd
3rd
Members
David Easby
Bob Grant
37 pts
33 pts
arian Bowness 31 pts
Guests
Cyril Arnold
41 pts
ClEANING ANO REPAIR OF alO CLUBS
Philip Bowden will clean and repair your old clubs at a very moderate charge, Irom 1:2.50 per
club.
Irons Clean head
Woods Feed and clean shaft
Re-Iay loose grips
Replace loose whipping
Contact Philip at 36 Lower Queens Road, Buckhurst Hili, Essex IG9 6DN or on 0161 505 1974
6
DROITWICH HICKORY MATCH
ww JarvlS
Lady Captain Mrs S.Gr4y
ColptaJn Mr
Frillay May 16th lQQ7
DROITWICH GOLF CLUB WELCOME
THE BRITISH GOLF COLLECTORS SOCIETY
'l bc c;:ovcr of tbc men us. dcsigned and made by tbe Droilwich l.adies Section
13 loyal men and true. and 3 lovely la dies, Rosemary Barnie-Adshead, Jenny Heath and Ros
Weston, assembied at Oroitwich to defend the honour of the Society in a match against Ihe home
club, the opening event of il's Centenary year. Appropriately accoutred, Jenny and Ros bath
bearing a creditable resemblance to Lady Margarel Scolt - the illiterati should refer to the first
th ree years of the Ladies Amateur Championship - and the team certainly looked the part.
Unfortunately, they we re not quite sa good at playing the part. Part of the problem lay in our
leniency during the handicap negotiations which, for future attention, must be rigorously
contested to ga in the maximum benefit for the wood-wielders; there must be less of the
gentlemanly conduct and more hard bargaining. The rest of the problem lay in our own hands'
Nonetheless, It was a grand day with the threalened thunderstorms holding off until we had
finrshed. After a very tasty dinner. we we re able to repay our hosts by holding an "Antiques
Raad Show", to which club members were invlted to bring along their golling artifacts, and which
was weil received by the audlence.
On such occasions the score is quite Irrelevant and certainly same of our team are glad it is
sa. However, for the record, the 'Moderns' beat the 'Ancients' by t7 holes up.
Oroitwich did us proud, their hospitality being most generous. There is na doubt that these
fixtures do credit to ths Society and sa deserve to be well-supported . With a minimum of effort
you can look the part and with a little patience you will find you can wield the hickories with same
satisfaction.
Sa, if you have not beon to one, why not have a go; you will certainly enjoy the
day out.
Playing at Mosely with John Moreton and Walter Mechil i in preparation for the malch, Terry
Stace (t 0) holed in one Ihe 295 yds 17th with his hickory driver
He used a Ladies 80
compression bali and had a light following breeze. The club, with a steel insert in the face bul the
maker's name na langer visible, does not have a bubble shaft. radio active components nor does it
bear the name of a generously proportioned lady. Sa Much for technology . Weil done, Terry
9
;
HICKORY CHAMPIONSHIPS
REFLECTIONS OF A NEWCOMER
Although a member ol the Society lor
some nine years, it has been a source ol much
regret that I have, hitherto, not taken part in
this the longest established ol BGCS
Championships. I realise now wh at I (and
many others) have been missing!
Alter the reports (principally Irom my old
pal, David Gower who stayed in England with
some la me excuse) ol last year's modest
breezes and the occasional shower which
drove certain renowned participants Irom the
delightful Gullane No 3 course, I approached
the occasion with some trepidation because,
as lor everyone else, the 'pencil' bag
provides very limited storage space lor
carrying protection against the elements .
John Rigg's reassuring words were ,
however, sullicient to ensure that all but one
ol the lorty eight entrants appeared, possibly
enticed by the prospect ol a predominantly
liquid lunch in the Old Clubhouse Pub. Such a
good time was had at th is hostelry that some
ol us would have been quite happy to linger
longer. This and the strange disappearance ol
all but one ol the draw sheets resulted in the
lirst teeing 011 time passing without too many
realising. However, the redoubtable Archie
Baird (did I hear relerence to a Regimental
Sergeant Major in hushed tones?) was soon to
the lore, cracking the proverbial whip ,
particularly with an unnamed Captain, and
some semblance ol order was restored.
What a grand sight it was to see everyone
resplendent in period golling gear, none more
so than the quintessential (Mr) Philip Truett
in truly splendid blazer ( and other
accoutrements!) If there had been a prize lor
sartorial elegance, Philip would have been
most people's nomination at the start il not
the end ol the round wh en the rain had done
its damnedest and the adjective bedraggled
readily sprang to mind
For those ol us taking part lor the lirst
time, there was a certain nervousness on
being reminded that the Championship was
Medal and not Stablelord lorrnat but Gullane
No 3, subtIe certa inly but not too long, is an
ideal choice ol course on which to test one's
skilIs, actual and imagined. The scores
detailed elsewhere suggest that certain ol us
play just as weil , il not better, with ol der
and lewer clubs.
Sadly, despite the initial euohoria with the
MUSSELBURGH FOURSOMES
At 8.30am on a beautilully sunny May
morning, 36 intrepid souls assembied lor a
Iriendly set ol Foursomes over the Old Links
at Musselburgh. More people than usual but
otherwise the lamiliar start to the Scottish
Hickory Championships - or was it? Wh at
was the big green BBC Television van doing
outside the Old Links clubhouse? Ol course!
They we re th ere to witness probably the
lirst lormal competition played with wooden
shafted clubs and guttie balls lor at least 90
years and on a lamous old course to boot.
The balls were manulactured by David
Hamilton in the traditional manner and right
weil they looked in their pristine condition
although that was not to last lor long! Most
ol us lind it dillicult enough playing a modern
bali with hickories but the guttie was a
dillerent proposition altogether.
Because
David had been unable to allow the balls to
season, usually lor about six months, they
did not !ly as lar, perhaps around 60-70% ol
the normal and very lew discovered the
technique lor getting them up in the air.
There were a lair number ol casualties, with
balls splitting, usually the result ol an air
pocket, and a number showed their scars at
the end . All in all, it was an experience not
to be missed and it certainly makes one
appreciate just how good players we re a
century and more ago.
Playing 011 hall the combined handicap, the
winners ol the George Colville Memorial
Trophy were the Anglo-Scottish partnership
ol John Mullock and John Still with ten and a
hall points which equated to slightly better
than net bogey.
The meeting certainly got good media
coverage. BBC Scotland had a live minute
slot during the 'Reporting Scotland '
programme in the evening on BBC1 , the
commentary being
both
inlormative,
complimentary and amusing . The Glasgow
Heraid had a substantial article on the
lollowing Wednesday replete with a good
picture
01 Graeme lennie look i ng
appropriately quizzical as he lollows the
!light ol his balI. I have not seen the article
vet which (I think) should have appeared in
the local Musselburgh paper. Such publicity
is a good thing lor the Society although I am
not sure that it ever actually brings in any
new members.
10
•
benign conditions, the heavens eventually
opened with only the first few out escaping a
drenching , but it could have been worse as it
seemed, from the Hili, that Edinburgh suffered
an even wetter afternoon.
It was , therefore, a re lief to be able to
repair to the Club house - one of the most
inviting and comfortabie retreats one can think
of - where the organisers had arranged the
customary and delicious carvery buffet , the
popularity of which created a line-up most of
the way down the venerabie staircase although ,
on a no names basis, one has to report some not
so crafty queue jumping . The dining room was
eventually full to capacity and , alter vet
another marvellous grace by Archie Baird from
his seemingly inexhaustible repertoire,
everyone settled down to exchange the
inevitable hard luck stories of their round with
the consoling thought that there is always next
year to look forward to.
Two professionals, entrants from the US.
(although Brian Siplo is reputed to be thinking of
British citizenship), Finland and mainland
Europe, quite apart from a goodly number of
infiltrators from south of the Border, all made
for a marvellous cross section of the Society
and, once John Rigg had completed the not
inconsiderable task of establishing the gross
and net winners, Captain Smartt regaled us
with a very amusing account of some
educational howlers he had seen in his
publishing business before the patient Alison ,
his wife, who had travelled all the way from
Sussex to present the pr izes , charmingly
discharged her responsibilities which included
receiving the net runner up who was none other
than Tim!
The fact th at I was fortunate enough to play
with the most congenial Wayne Aaron and our
esteemed Editor is not the reason for this
sudden and, some may say, uncharacteristic,
burst into print but, without wishing to make
the event next year a logistical nightmare, the
Scottish Hickories is, without exaggeration, the
epitome of all that is best in the Society.
Peter Heath
• • •
As Peter suggests, Gullane No 3 is a good
course for hickories. It is not too long or too
difficult.
Nor should it be .
A long and
difficult course would exaggerate the
different skilIs whereas No 3 encourages
closer competition and th at makes it better
for all. But it is no push over since you have
to think if you stray and there is always a
breeze to contend with once you get 'up the
hili'; and wind and hickories can be a great
levelIer.
The results reflect a good day's
battle.
Scottish Hickory Champion
and holder of the Royat Troon Club
2nd
3rd
4th
Brian Siplo (12)
67
Tim Smartt(10)
John Rigg(16)
Peter Heath( 11)
68
69
70
Scratch Champion
and holder of the Sam Sharp Swinger
Chris Homer
78
2nd
Scratch
H'cap
Graeme lennie
79
Lady Guests
Jenny Heath( 19)
85
Gentleman Guests
AIIan Dawson
72
lan Mackay( 13)
Dave Balchin( 12)
68
70
As always our sineere thanks to John Rigg
and Archie Baird who, year in year out, lay
on such a good dav for us , and, on th is
occasion, to David Hamilton in particular for
making this good dav into a unique dav
Alan Jackson
A FtNAL THOUGHT
Atolerable dav, a toierabie green, a toierabie opponent, supply, or ought to supply , all that any
reasonably constituted human being should require in the way of entertainment. With a fine sea
view, and a clear course in front ol him, the golfer should lind no difficulty in dismissing all
worries Irom his mind, and regarding golf, even it may be indifferent golf, as the true and adequate
end ol man's existence. No inconvenient reminiscences ol the ordinary workaday world, no
intervals of weariness or monotony interrupt the pleasures ol the game.
EARL BALFOUR
11
David Hamilton - Guttie moulder extraordinaire - gave those of us at Musselburgb a most interesting moming's golf
playing witb gutties. By way of a follow-up, be bas penned tbe following comments on the bali and its manufactUTe.
:.:
~
..
Gulla percha is obtained Irom Malaysia,
still lormed as crude bricks in the manner ol
the nineteenth century. The gulla is weighed
to approximately the amounts required, and
is then softened in hot water and lormed
roughly to shape trying to avoid any internal
air bubbles. This sphere is then moulded in an
antique, original gutta press used to make The
Chaf/enger bali, on loan to me Irom Archie
Baird. Considerable pressure is required to
lorm the bali, extruding a 'Iin' ol th in gutta,
which is cut ofl, though the base can still be
seen. It has three layers ol modern paint.
The Bali
This makes not so much a replica but a
rea I gutta bali, made out ol real gutta percha
and lormed in a rea I press Irom the gutta era.
Guttie balls deteriorated due to oxidation
alter about one year and they we re no longer
usabie because ol this chemical change. Even
il the risk was taken to play with a precious
bali Irom the guttie era, it would probably
split, and would certainly not perlorm as ol
old. This new bali is the only way ol
recreating the traditional game ol golf ol the
late 1800s.
Historical
The gulla or guttie (gutta with additions)
bali was the standard bali in golf Irom about
1850, when it replaced the leathery, to
1904, wh en the Haskell rubber core bali
lound lavour. The change-over was less
sudden at these times than is sometimes
suggested, and lor many years thereafter
there were trials ol one bali against the
other. Traditionalists prelerred the older
bali, which had to be hit with an athle tic
swing, but the Haskell bali lIew lurther and
the game was more easily learnt by the new
wave ol golfers. Though obtained Irom
natural sou rees, gutta percha is a single
chemical substance, which becomes malleable
with modest heat. The balls were rolled by
hand and hand-hammered at lirst, then a
rolling machine was introduced to mechanise
the notching. Later, the balls were produced
in one stage by compression in clam-shell
moulds. Thereafter other compound balls
we re experimented with, and cork or metal
or other materials added. Literary sou rees
suggest that most players preferred the
simple gutta balI.
Even so, the balls we re variabie. Both
Willie Park's book The Game ol Golf of 1896
and Everard's Golf in Theory and Practice of
the same year ag ree that in selecting a bali it
should bounce weil on testing and that it
should float in water. The floater therefore
seems the natural bali, rather than one with
less dense additions.
Seasoning
Freshly made balls we re put aside for six
months before painting (th ree layers of
enamel paint) and only then used on the links.
Both Park and Everard describe that the
mature gulla bali then starts to lose
performance after a few months. Though the
bali could be remoulded to resto re its
markings, the gutta was slowly changing
chemically to a less useful form; one
remoulding alone was desirabie. This change
in the bali was oxidation rather than only
drying out process, and seasoning ol the gutta
bali gives slight loss in weight.
The deterioration after one year should
discourage any use at present of original
gutta balls surviving Irom the 1800s. Apart
Irom the expense ol playing with an antique
bali, the bali wil I not perlorm weil, and would
have been discarded by the owner one year or
so alter manulacture. Gutta balls have to be
used when young.
The lavoured weight of bali was about 27
and a half pennyweight in Troy weight which
is about 42 grams, and this was probably the
weight belore seasoning and painting. These
modern guttie balls weigh about 40.5 gms
belore painting, rising to about 41 gms after
painting .
TheGum
Gulla percha was, and is, collected in
Malaysia by locals from trees ol the
Palaquium genus (Iormerly ca lied Dichopsis).
Gulla does not run Irom incisions in the trees
like the lamiliar spirals used on rubber trees.
For gutta collection, it required that the tree
be lelled and circular cuts made through the
bark, into which the gum and resin slowly
accumulated. This was then heated by the
gatherers, removing much ot the resin and
the tairly pure gulla allowed to set in little
blocks tor sale to local Malaysian merchants.
These bricks were exported and further
treated by the British bali makers, mainly to
12
bali is topped . It can split, particularly il an
air bubble persists inside. Even one round
makes the bali rather scruffy and literary
sources suggest that keen players would
change the ir bali during a round and
presumably remoulded or traded in the tired
balls regularly. These gutties lIy about 6070% ol the modern bali distance and are
difficult to get into the air lrom a close lie.
Nearer the green the bali has more attractive
leatures, since approach shots will seltle on
the green and it tends to hug the surlace when
putting .
Play with them can be an exhausting
experience and the reasons lor the lull ,
older, athletic swing with a lIying bent right
elbow can be appreciated. Our BGCS outing at
Musselburgh with hickories and guttie balls
was historically correct but most ol the
players returned afterwards in reliel to the
modern balI. Haskell had something.
remove stones and vegetable contaminants,
but there may have been chemical treatment
to reduce resins present, since many ol the
late nineteenth century advertisements make
a point ol emphasising the purity of their
gutta. Thus it seems that the gutta balls were
very variabie and hence the individual testing
mentioned by Park and Everard. This
variation arose Irom the complexity ol the
gutta wh en passed to the merchants in
Malaysia, the surlace oxidation on the blocks
during transit, the secondary purilication
process by the manulacturers and the
seasoning
period.
Moreover,
some
manulacturers bought back old gutties, and
may have added some ol this oxidised
material to the Iresh gutta percha lor their
next batch ol balls. Making the gutta bali was
not an exact science.
In Play
The dark unpainted bali is difficult to lind. The
painted bali loses Iragments ol paint quite
quickly and the surlace can be marked il the
BOOK CORNER
David Hamilton
Kilmacolm t 997
I lound the book most enjoyable and weil
presented . Copies can be obtained Irom the
President ,Baltusrol Golf Club, P 0 Box 9,
Springfield NJ 07081, USA. A limited edition
leather bound version is available lor $75.00
or a lirst edition cloth bound for $50.00. The
prices include shipping and handling and sales
tax if applicable.
It is also available Irom
Grant Books.
continued Irom Page 32
Christopher Ibbetson writes
Although the centenary ol the Club
occurred in 1995, I have only recently
100
received my copy ol BALTUSROL
YEARS. THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
BAL TUSROL GOLF CL UB. It is a lovely
production with some 450 photographs many
ol which are in colour. The book contains a
number ol very inlormative sections not only
on the personalities involved over the years
but also the architecture ol the two courses
and includes accounts ol the triumphs ol Jack
Nicklaus in the US Open in 1967 and 1980.
However perhaps more importantly there
is detail ol how the club was created in the
late 1880s by Louis Keiler, lounder ol the
Social Register in the USA, and apparently
therelore the sole arbiter ol social
acceptance in that country. Keiler owned land
which had previously been larmed by Baltus
Roll and because ol his apparent wish to
become part ol the golf playing trend in the
USA decided to create a golf club ol which a
number ol his Iriends were invited to become
members . The club quickly became identilied
with the United States Golf Association and in
1901 held its lirst national championship. the
US Womens Amateur . Thereafter Baltusrol
very soon became a venue lor the other
major competitions held in the United States.
The following clubs have released
information
concerning
histories
in
association with their Centenaries:
Brodick will be producing a soft-backed book
of approx 80 pages which will be available in
October/November at ~6 plus p&p Irom the
Secretary, Brodick GC, Brodick, Isle ol
Arran KA27 8DL.
Theydon Bois . A soft-cover 68 page A4
format with colour and b&w photographs.
Available now Irom the Secretary at ~1 0
plus ~1 p&p.
Con 9 leto n
com mented "U nfortunately
certain golfing publications and magazines
have got their information wrong regarding
the club's Centenary and, in lact, the club
will be celebrating its Centenary in 1998.
13
~
~:x:
··.
"""
·tHR.
,:::::~::::::::!:: ::::::,
"'" o%.~» ,.,.,,;.:::;:;:,m;~~~:;:;}i<»<"X'
by Tom Heduan
.{~
;y;.
,,*...,..:Û;:~;';:;;;'::::'.• ,>::;:;::=-~';:;:':;;:;:::::=i ::.;.~:(;.
LONDON AND lTS PART IN THE DEVELOPMENT
AND GAOWTH IN THE GAME OF GOLF
1800-1930
empire.
The courses themselves varied in many
ways . Some had established country style
mansions as club houses with 36 holes of golf
laid out, in many cases, by the prolific Tom
Dunn . Others were smaller, more compact 9
hole courses with pavilion style club houses.
Mostly, the courses were built on clay
based ground, certainly not the best for golf
as often many courses we re closed for the
winter months and suffe red very dry
exposure in the summer period.
Some
courses we re more fortunate, with the
ground being gravel or loam based, and play
was available all year round - Mid Surrey and
Walton Heath being two such courses. Many
courses attracted members of the same
profession, for example, Northwood (9 holes
at the time) attracted the medical profession,
whereas Woking had many lawyers and
barristers as members.
London also
attracted
the
leading players
of
the
dav.
Braid ,
Taylor
and Vardon all
had well-known
assoei at i ons
with clubs and
the development
of the game in
the London area.
Taylor,
in
particular, with
the opening of
the courses at
Richmond Park
a nd Ihe slarl of
Ihe public golf
It cannot be claimed that London's part in
the growth in the game of golf can be ranked
alongside the development of the golf bali, the
expanding railway system or the mass
manufacturer of golf equipment but it did play
a very important role nonetheless. London
had the country's largest population
concentrated in one area and, in the late
18005 to the 1930s, this population grew at
an alarming rate. It was a population that had
increasing spending power and more free time
available to it and golf was certainly high on
its priority of spending, both time and money.
This population helped fuel the golf explosion,
both at home and abroad, with astrong desire
to play golf and to enjoy its social side.
The number of courses grew from just
half a dozen
in 1888 to
over 50 by
the turn of
the century,
to 155 by
1913.
All
we re
weil
within a 25
mile radius
of the centre
of London
and this was
at a time
w hen
courses
were being
laid out with
only
the
THE ~qoF OF A GARAGE FOR GOLF . PRAtTICE: A GENERAL
bas i c
course as we
VIEW OF THE PICCADJLLY .. COURSE. ·'
know it loday.
mechani cal Th.ls novel open.alr golf practice co urse was opened last week. and wlll be
aids being of interest to all London (olfers. It hu been erected on the Joof of a garage
It
was
the
In St. ldarnn', Lane, and has an arel. of 7tiOO ft.- {P.ol ...... S/l(WI 4114 WPlNaJ, J
var i ance
of
available .
London was
courses in Ihe
also a base for the manufacturer of golf clubs
London area Ihal made il so different. From
ils beginnings at Royal Blackhealh (1768) 10
and balls, with over 20 different factories
established by the 1920s and numerous wellmembers' clubs such as Aclon(which 'feil' 10
known retail establishments were not only
developers in 119, less Ihan 4 miles from
Hyde Park Comer, 10 Ihe grandeur and
selling all the requirements to pay the game
but were installing practice facilities in the
opulence of Ihe Ranelagh Club al Barnes, again
centre of the city.
The gutty bali was
less Ihan 4 miles from Hyde Park.
manufactured in London and when it arrived
The Ranelagh Club was cerlainly different
early in the 1900s the Haskell was imported
and distributed via London all over the
14
Irom other clubs. It boasted 18 holes ol golf
with 5 pract ice holes , polo playing
l ields,cricke t pitches and croquet lawns. lts
up to 1936, prior to the club's closure.
The 18 holes with their lengths and Bogey
ligures are as lollows:
D1RD'S-EYE, VlEW Oi" RANELAGH SHOWlNG THE I.AKf.S. POLO GROUND5. CLUCHOUsa. Al'JD GARDfNS
~ cl,,~l
•
,...I.. ,..,..,,01
Ît
ti..
~
.... rktd ".,Jol ,r-'.··
O' ... ...t.;.!he ....",I.m' ","vII;. I.eed 10)' u.., "'7.1 I'-',,;Ii ...
club house was a 17th century country
man sion. In 1912 it had ove r 2,300
members, some 800 ol whom were goll
playing members. The entrance lee was 30
guineas lor gentlemen (10 guineas lor
officers ol the Army or Navy on active list)
with an annual subscription ol 10 guineas.
These costs were certainly the most
expensive in the London area, attracting
affluent City bankers as weil as astrong
membership Irom the officer classes ol the
Army and Navy. Quite often Maharajas on
state visits Irom India would be seen
attending the club lor prestigious polo
matches.
The club opened in 1890 and, although the
course was only 4,152 yards long, it had a
difficult layout with water, ditches, roads
and pits as natural hazard s and,
interestingly, it had wicker baskets instead
ol Ilags. The lowest score achieved over the
course was by Mr C C Aylmer, the
international player, and was 56 lor 18
holes. The club also held an international
ladies competition, which lasted Irom 1901
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
tr.~
!...nc!.l•.....!
D........ 0, 'I
u ....
T\e Me.. Ut '1."1 pi..:"". .....
Re serv oi r
238 yds
4
Pavi lion
295 yd s
4
Towing Pa th
187 yds
4
Lodge
240 yds
4
Racecourse
440 yds
5
The Chutes
100 yds
3
Punch Bowl
290 yds
4
Beverley
102 yds
3
Crescent
300 yds
4
(OUT 2,192 yds, 34)
10.Cedar Tree
316 yds
4
11.Long Water
230 yds
4
12.Gate
266 yds
4
13.Plane Tree
310 yds
4
14. Gravel Pit
140 yds
4
15.New
120 yds
3
16.Pond
105 yds
3
17.Avenue
240 yds
4
18. Kit Cat
233 yds
4
(IN 1,960 yds, 33)
Tota l 4,152 yds, 63
The course gave way to development in
the late 1930s and, despite polo being played
for a lew years alter its closu re in 1937, the
coming ol the Second World War put an end to
15
its lavish style.
The
land
was
eventually taken over by
the local council for
playing fields and for
many years in the t 960s I
used to tramp these fjelds
in cross country events
for my school, oblivious to
the area's previous usa.
There is na evidence of
golf visible on the playing
f:-========:::==---l
fields today and, in fact ,
na real feel at all to wh at
taak part over the land in
previous days . Ranelagh
was just one of the scores
of courses that have
passed in time to a
forgotten era but in their
day, along with London,
played its part in the
growth and development of
the game of golf.
GOLFJNG JN ST. MARTIN 'S LANE: HARRY
VARDON ORIVINC AT THE TARGETS OF THE NEW
PICCADILLY OPEN-AIR G0l;F PRACTICE COURSE.
by Alan Jaekllon
By way of a follow up to Tom's artiele on London, here is a list of th ase London clubs which na
langer exist. The first date is that of formation, the second the first mention I have come across,
and the third the final mention I have found. I do not claim the list is exhaustive because I have not
completed in-depth research, but it does add strength to Tom's argument.
ACTON
BALHAM
BELLINGHAM
BEULAH HILL
CHISWICK
CLAPHAM COMMON
COLINDALE
CRAVENPARK
EALiNG CASTLEBAR
EASTSHEEN
ELMSTEAD
ENFIELD MUNICIPAL
FIRS
FOOTSCRAY
R)XGIUJE
1896
1894
G!HNRJRl
1912
1922
1900
1920
1896
MITCHAM VILLAGE
MORDEN PARK
NEASDEN
N8NELTHAM
r-.oR8URY
NORTH SURREY
NORTHWICK PARK
1912
1917
1907
1938
1913
1892
1873
1928
i'CRMXX)
1895
1898
1891
1907
PARK ROYAL
POLLARDS HILL
PRINCE'S
RANELAGH
RAYNESPARK
SELSDON PARK
SOUTHALLPARK
ST OUINTON'S
STREATHAM
SUTTON
TOOTINGBEC
WAFFRJN
WALTHAMSTOW
WEMBLEY
WEMBLEY PARK
WEST fI.CJR'MXX)
WHITIONPARK
WILLESDEN
1897
1930
1938
1947
1924
1933
GREYSTOKE
HANGERHILL
HANGER HILL N8N
1895
HERMITAGE
HILL
1924
HONOR OAK & FOREST HILL
HURLINGHAM
LONDON aJUNTRY
LONDON FLYlNG
MERTONPARK
1915
1930
1912
1938
1895
1938
1947
1920
1919
1933
16
1938
1893
1893
1894
1933
1947
1934
1930
1933
1938
1914
1917
1938
1930
1947
1924
1913
1913
1911
1892
1890
1893
1933
1920
1894
1892
1947
1896
1888
1938
1903
1896
1912
1927
1947
1925
1927
1922
1923
1897
1891
1897
I
~
S U E N U M B E RON E
JUN E
1 98 7
l' 11 ROU G 11
th~
l' HEG R EE N ••••••• is Lhe official Jourllal oC
Briti8h Golf Collectors Society &nd 101111 be published quo rterly in
June . SilpteOlber , Ueceaber Bnd Knch. Il will ~ r ovlde B forua for [he
e.thanie of
ld~bs
Bnd information ai.ed at indlvidual collectors Bnd
hi.. türians.ln partlcular ...,e hop!.: [hat through these paSes yO\l will
1ncresse your knowl~d8e Bnd wnderstunding of the rieh history of golf,
make nBW (r1end5 end cement oid fr1endshlps.We hop~ you anjoy [his
first ever issue Bnd warmly welcome Bny conLributiona,comment e
or sug&eBl~Ons you ~ay havè.
T 11 ROU G H T HEG
REE N
EDITOR
Da vid Whiee
SECRI:.'TAtlY
& ... 1d EI:i!>by
I
Tt::i.ASLJRI::R
1'ony Hawk1nri
C\PT/.IN
CC::XJ I"n'.E
i'eLer CratJllee
Kdymon d G"SB8gi!
Tony IIBwkln ~
'fj:a S!lla rtr
l-hllip Tluetl
();;~Îll W:lltc
HHTI)H lAL hOPl(f.~S: \3 CkEAT COLLIc:GE ST1<1:.ET. KEMP'I'O'wN , tUOCUTON I'IN2 lIlJ EAST SUSSEX ,
Ten years ago this month the first issue of Through The Green appeared, 8 single-sided sheets of
A4 paper, side stapled logether. There were notices for the Open meeting at Gullane and for the
1988 Open meeting at St Annes aid links on one page logether with a \wo-verse poem . A full page
Letter From America by 'Martini' who turned out to be 'The Grand aid Man' himself, Joe Murdoch.
Another full page reported on the 3rd Annual Scottish Hickory Championship run by the "Scottish
section of the GCS (now fully integrated into the British Golf Collectors Society)" and won by a
much younger member sitti ng. not far from this keyboard. There we re two pages of 'The
Bookshelf' , a one-page 'Portrait of a Collector' - (the late) Sam Sharp, and a page containing
seven miscellaneous small items. Page 1 was a very large cartoon and a small editorial, both by
David While. The theme was that seventeen years previously the GCS had been formed and now the
BGCS was laking wing on its own beha I!. David heralded the first issue of TTG with ils modest size
and hoped that, with a steady input from the members, so necessary if a journal is 10 be a vibrant
and interesting, th at in seventeen years time a future scribe would turn to the first issue and
observe thaI the Society began on the right course. Weil , ten years, not seventeen, later il seems
10 me th at our founders did indeed pave Ihe way for a flourishing and and very friendly society.
Extra 1
AN EDITOR'S REFLECTIONS or
RALLY ROUND THE FLAG, CHAPS
Scouting through past issues, it is interesting to see how TTG has evolved, increasing in size and
in breadth ol contents. As with the lirst issue, book reviews now get substantial coverage but th at
is not surprising since weil over hall ol us claim to be book collectors. As the Editor loretold, the
scope has broadened and the contents have become more interesting as you, the members, have
become less reticent in putting pen to paper and have kept up a steady input. It is not su eh a
daunting task as some imagine. Most ol us write passable enough English and anyway it is the
content which is important. Ol course you do not have to write yourself. Many ol the most
interesting artieles are those which someone has spotted and sent in to be reproduced as is. This
supports one ol my l irm beliels: If you I;nd jt ;nterest;ng the chances are that others will. So,
please keep the artieles, snippets, space-lillers coming . Size is not important. Some ol the most
difficult space to lill are the small ones. In this way we can look lorward to still more expansion.
And now a lew ol
mv. selections Irom
the early days which you may not have seen,
or have lorgotten.
September 1987
IOth Tee
AT THE BEMCH
***********************:4.******'**************_*************** ••• *****************************
We ackno\o.'ledge end thank Patriek Kennedy of Burlington I Vermant U. S . A.
for tne opport unity to reissue his sp!endid illustration which demonstrates
the skill of applying whipping on a golf club. It first arpeared in 1973.
TO START, PLACE eND ALON6 SHAFT
(START AND FINISH ON UNDERSICE OF
SHAFT) ANC WIND ON WHIPPIN(, IN A
CLOCKWISE DIIl.ECTION A5 you LOOK.
DOWN '!HE SHAFT - AFTEIl. At30lIT:3/ö" T.lh"
CUT OFF EXceSS MlD CON"CINUe; WINDING-
Pt.ACE LOOP Al.ON6 SHAFt:- CON"tINUE
WINDlNb TO ~TOPPIt"b PoIIJt. - PUICE LOOSE
END lHI\OV(,H lOOP - PULL LOOP DIJT-
ISH: AB OUT 3/8 TO 1/2INCH FROM TIiE
Go POINT FeR.M A loOoP- MAKINe:, IT LARGE
/ F·",r,ur" ... 1"0 GO oVE~ CLUB HEAD PLUS 1\-iE AMoul,rC
FINISf-I· PULL 1..00SE" END THR,OU6 H-
Extra 2
September 1988
SeooodTee
THE DEVIL OF GOLF
by HENRY LEACH
There is an aid saying which you hear
sometimes up in the north to the effect that
driving is an art, iron play a science, and
putting is the devi!. Just that - the devi!. I
agree entirely, and I have ascertained that
such worthy exponents of the game as Harry
Vardon , James Braid ,
J H Taylor, and others
of that kind are in
sympathy with the
suggestion. Weil may
the
writers of text
-baaks of the game
Ttu::> IS 0ne \-~ riel \"
deciare, when they
of lhe C'enHt'-sh:;.fted
pUll~r.
come to the chapter on
putting, that th ere is
really nothing to say,
and that they must
leave the reader to
find out the whole
business by instinct
and
practice ,
as
there are na rules to
be laid down for his
guidance . What would
;\ 1'(1 lh l~ is a ~ \\ :HI'
be
the use of their
n ('Ckl:d c'l lllph'-.lln'IJ,
l1gIH l!II{.:d .ll 11H: lUI.:
pretending
th at they
;md lied.
can
really
teach
_ _ _ _ __ putting when, they had
to hole a six-leet putt
lor a championship,
the odds would be
slightly against them?
In June , 1905, while I
was smoking my pipe
on the top of the bank
The 1Jther of th is
pUllU was lhe s lem
on the lar side of the
of a ShlP , and the
home
green at St.
mother a s 1 e ct g eh:iUltner.
Andrews, I was being
provided at interva' o
of na great length wi h
much
jood
for
reflection
and
philosophy,
better
than which na man who
ever talks or writes
- ______ _ _ _ _ .J golf could wish for.
"j'Li~ i ~ the !:!;npl~, t
The Open Championship
!"ltll 'j!
l il:: ,,>W.llLwas being played for,
u,·,t, ;1:,,1 1.:1':>
and there duly came
111\ f' I .
1
I
C~(~
along Vardon, Braid, Taylor, and Herd, all
more or less favourites for the event in progress, and it is a solemn fact that of these
four men th ree of them missed pulls at
this home hole of Ie ss than a yard. I think
the average length was about eighteen inches;
one of them was not more than a foot, and the
way the bali was worked round to the far side
of the hole without going in was wonderful just wonderfu!. It will be noticed th at I give
four names and mention only three misses.
This is because even the greatest players are
sometimes very tender on th is subject of
missing short putts, and to spare them any
annoyance I do not name the particular
individuals who failed . It is enough that one
of them, and one only, did not.
The history of every man's golf is covered
with metaphorical gravestones as the result
of all the short putts he has missed. Every
season the whole course, and the result of
almast every event of importance, would be
changed if one or other of the parties did not
miss same of these apparently un-missable
putts. One need go na farther back than the
last Amateur Championship meeting. I saw
Mr. John Graham miss a two-feet putt in his
match with Mr. Robb, on the fourteenth
green. This was the all-important match of
the whole tau rna ment, and in the light of what
happened afterwards it was made to appear
that the missing of this putt cast Mr. Graham
the best chance he ever had in his hard and
deserving gol1ing lifetime of winning the blue
ribbon of the game. Mr. Robb himself fancied
that Mr Robert Andrew would be the ultimate
winner of the championship that time at
Hoylake, but on the eighteenth green in one of
his rounds Mr Andrew missed a putt of less
go
than a foot for the match, and then had
on to the . 'eteenlh hole where he \ dS a
well-beaten man. And in the final tie ot all if
Mr Lingen had never missed a short putt who
knows but what he would have been the
champion of the year after all ?
Therefore, we may take it as established
that the very greatest players cannot do the
very
shortest
pulls
with
anything
approaching to certainty, when it is of the
very greatest importance th at they should do
Extra 3
They are na better al Ihis game Ihan quile
moderale players, and Ihe chances ollheir
holing such pulls decrease according la Ihe
imporlance ol Ihe occasion - Ihal is la say,
Ihe more necessary il is la hole Ihe putt in
order la
pramale one's success in Ihe
encounler in progress, Ihe less likely is one
la do 50. This is one ol Ihe lundamenlal
principles ol Ihe Ihing. Any body can hole a
putt ol lour or live leel when il doesn'l
matter, and when Ihere is na parlicular
credil in doing it. II is when il does matter
Ih al you cannol do it. The hole is lour and a
quarler ins wide, and Ihe bali is aboul one and
a hall ins in diarneler. You may use anything
Irom an umbrella la a lawn roller in order la
putt Ihal little bali inlo Ihal huge pil, and yel
al Ih al dislance of Ihree or lour feel you
cannot do it - Ihal is as aften as you oughl la
do. Training and praclice are na use. Do nol
beginners always do Ihese putts weil? ThaI
is because Ihey do nol know how difficult
Ihey are. They will by and bye, and Ihen Ihey
will begin la miss Ihem.
AI home I have a
lillIe baby girl, and somelimes she gels one
of my puIters oul of Ihe corner, and begs for
a laan ol Ihe magic bali on Ihe manlelpiece,
one wilh which Vardon and Taylor worried
Braid and Herd in Ihe second slage of Ihe big
1:400 loursome al Troon. Make a sarI ol hole
on Ihe carpel, or even go oul on la the lawn
and play al a real hole in Ihe real way, and
Ihat little thing will hole Ihe pulls of a yard
She never
and Iwo yards every lime!
bolhers aboul any parlicular slance or
anything of Ihal kind, and takes na counl of
Ihe blades of grass or wh ere she oughl la be
looking al Ihe much-Ialked-of ·momenl ol
impact.·
She jusl putts, and down goes Ihe
bali every lime!
II is wonderfui, one of Ihe
mosl wonderlul Ihings in sporIlhal I have
ever seen . Here she does Ihal, and I who
know 50 much aboul Ihese Ihings, la say
nolhing ol Vardon, Braid, and all Ihe olhers,
cannol do Ihem - al leasl, nol wilh Ihe same
cerlainly.
Here is anolher point. II may need only an
exceedingly delicale slroke la putt a bali
properly , yel if you lake Ihe clumsiesl,
horniesl-handed labouring man - say a roadmender or a railway navvy, who had never
eilher seen or heard ol goll belare - he would
never miss Ihose three la five-Ieel putts.
Again il is because he does nol know really
difficull Ihey are . II is said Ihal a mighly
hunIer of greal renown, a man who had
bagged all Ihe big game of India in great
variety, once declared in agony ·1 have meI
50.
all manifold peri Is ol
Ihe jungle, I have
Iracked
Ihe huge
elephanl
la
his
relreal, and I have
slood eye to eye wilh
Ihe man-ealing lig er"
All of which was quile
Irue - he had. Then
he added : •And never
once have I Irembled
until I came la a
shorl putt"
I have Ihoughl Ihe
whole Ihing out, and I
know Ihe reason. It is
one ol Ihe prettiesl
poinls in Psychology
thaI one will encounler
in Ihe whole ol a long
lilelime ol Ihe mosl
carelul Ihoughl and
sludy. You don'l really
wanl any brains, or
any mind al all for
putting purposes.
The whole Ihing is
100 simpie, and inslead
of a mind and brains
being any use lor Ihe
purpose in hand, Ihey
are
a
posilive
disadvantage, and are
conlinually getting in
Ihe
way.
Consciousness when
putting is absolulely
lala I, and il is Ihe
conscience making a
coward of Ihe man
Ihal makes him miss
Ta hole a
his puIt.
Ihree feel putt over a
Ilal piece ol green is
really one ol Ihe
easiesl Ihings in Ihe
world; Ihere can be na
doubl aboul it.
But
while Ihere is ene
ridiculously easy way
of doing Ihe putt,
Ihere are about a
dozen, more or less,
ways ol missing il,
and Ihese dozen are
uppermosl in Ihe mind
of Ihe golfer when he
Extra 4
.-\n cst.llJlishcd favonrilc - the Or.:uo~tlll s ,lluminiLlIll. WI th
\\ hlCh c h.lm pioll~hips
h.lVC been WOII.
A
combinalloll
of
the l'ow:tn-neck ..IIU.1
thc .lluminhllll.
Th~
IIk.I hCH~
h
10
help ,'uu tIJ Llr,' the
cluh prnperl)" In the
linc of the pUIt.
.-\noth\!r ch allf.::c nlfL~
011
lhe pnnclple of
thc centre-;;h;Jft.
Thh putler madt' :w
1t 1:> tI,C
LUl\IHL::' S,'hell('( l.HI y
cpt\lh.
1I~1
.h
hy
fr.\Vb.
~Ir.
Hel c thc idc.l is th.lt
til"
", .. ~ I'lItt{,f I th:rc
I~
Ihl:
t,t'u,-r'
Tin'
q''' I'HI
11.
dl,
L
I"H I' I
., ~
11-"'.\
[,\
~ lt.
~ L d"h.ll
IL ilt,
h: .C. ,
.ï
,
I
...IlId
\'IIJll~.
OIJes! of a ll, "t hc
gr . md old wouden
p u tte r stl\l
lx'lon·tI
by t he oltl ::.chool.
111\: wr\'-n er\>cd PUl.tIl .g ckek - { l lll IC ;j
f.l \'uufLlc.
SorncthinJ; IJkt ,he
f1ht o f .tI!, l.ll:t ;1 bq!
bloei-: of a l Ulnll\ltll1l
~nd
~hahèd
:,c ... r .... r
the hed_
•
\
T his is a cross between the ScheDect ;;.tl\' <tod the celltrc .
~hJ.ft,
lI
Here we have a
COn -
f ;lee - a \" Cl \.
dari,n.l; c xpt:ri nH.'1l 1.'
::.J Vt
comes to his eftort.
Thus missing the short
putt represents the
greatest triumph of
matter over mind that
is to be found in the
whole range of sport,
or, sa far as I know,
in any other pursuit in
life. But why should a
man be given to these
morbid thoughts of the
ways of missing, and
why should he not be
of hopeful, courageous
disposition. and attack
the hole boldly and
confidently, instead of
remembering these
dozen
ways
of
missing? That is wh at
non-golfers ask.
It is an easy question
to set; but th ere is
another factor that
has to be mentioned .
here is the sen se of
responsibil ity,
and
th is
sense
of
responsibility
is
probab ly greater in a
man when he is making
a putt of from three to
five feet than it is in
the case of any other
man at any time in any
other sport, because
he will never, never
have the chance again
that he has gat this
time. If he putts and
misses, the deed is
i rrev o cable ,
the
stroke and the hole or
the half have been
lost, and noth ing that
can happen afterwards
can rem ave the loss.
If a man makes a bad
drive
or
if
his
approach play is weak,
he can atone for these
faults
by
being
unu sually clever with
the subsequent stroke
in the play to the hole,
and he thinks he wijl.
But the shorl putt is
Ihe very last stroke in
Ih at play, and if it is missed there is na
possible atonement to be made. Thus Ihere is
somelhing of the awfui, of the elernal, of the
infinite about the putt; the man is awe
slricken; he knows il is easy, bul he is
conscious of Ih ase dozen ways of missing. Sa
he misses . I have put Ihe queslion to a
number of the best-known players of Ihe day
as la whal we re Iheir precise Ihoughls -if
any - when Ihey came la making the final putt
of a great match, which in many cases gave
them a championship. Their answer almosl
universally was Ihat Iheir thoughl was, '
Whal a faal I shall look if I miss Ihis puit!'
Thus Ihey knew Ih al Ihey ought nol la miss
il, bul they we re burning with consciousness
of the fa ct Ihal they we re lerribly liable la
do sa. Sa matter Iriumphs over mind.
Can anything in a mechanical sart of way
be done to overcome th is awful difticulty? I
fear not, though one or two new putters are
invenled every week, and same of Ihem are
acclaimed as being Ihe philosopher's slone for
which we have been looking . The golf world
has begun la buzz as if ils mainspring had gal
loose wh en Mr Travis won the Championship
at Sandwich wilh Ih at Scheneclady putter the most epoch-making putte r of all.
Bul
where is it now? Very few people use it.
Putters have been made of every conceivable
shape, and of every possible material. Same
of Ihe shapes are shown alongside. They have
been made wilh the heads bent forwards,
backwards and sideways. Same of Ihem have
very thin blad es, and others have had thick
slabs instead of blad es. They have been
fashioned like knives, hammers , spades,
croquet mallets, spoons and riddles, and same
even like putters; Ihey have been made of
iron , gun-metal, steel, aluminium , nickel,
silver, brass, wood, bone, and glass . I have
here beside me a putter made in nickel, and
consisting of a large roller, running on bali
bearings! It is na good. The simplest are Ihe
besl .
We cannot obtain wil I-power by
machinery or mechanical appliances.
Mr
James Robb tells me Ihal Ihe putter he
always uses is an ordinary cleek which he gal
when a boy. His sister won it in " penny
raffle and, having na use for il herself, gave
il la him , and he has putted with it ever
since. Three times has he putted his way to
the final of the championship, and once he has
won it. Again, Mr John Laidlay conveys the
informalion la me that when he was a boy al
Loretto School he came by the firsl golf clubs
he ever had 'in his life in his second or third
lerm, Ihese being a cleek and a brassie . Thai
cleek-head has been his putter ever since,
Extra 5
the very lirst time in
his
lile
the
Schenectady , which ,
after one successlul
trial , was lorthwith
commissioned
tor
Sandwich .
Wh at a
Th i s is a r n 11 t' r
subject lor a great
flutter.
I h,I\'C ""C
tof lhc VNV few th.tt
historical painting to
wcrc 1II .1t1f' .
11 h d
be hung in the Temple
mcre CU II O~ I t y.
ol Golf th at we shall
have same day
'Emmett introducing
the Schenectady to
Travis, 1924.' I think
it was Emmett; il it
wasn't, it was Byers.
Anyhow, goll history
was
changed
in
This is indecd .1
highly comr.li ca teu
consequence ol that
thmg :
introduction, lor I am
su re that Mr Travis
would not have won at
Sandwich with his
North Berwick putting
cleek.
It wasn't the
Schenectady that did
it, but it was the
And this is the
plainest of all, and,
player's
then
JS mO")1 people thlnk,
conlidence i n the
the lJeSt - the Rood
·,Id fJ-hiQncl.l
put:Schenectady. He had,
ir;.t; r!t-d:.
lor the time being, gat
th at little devil ol goll in chains, and putting
had become a great joy.
Henry Leach
and it is getting sa
light with wear th at
his
Iriends
are
beg inning to teil him
that it will soon do lor
him to shave with .
Harry Vardon won his
lirst
championship
Two dl!'CS with thc
~h, l h 111 lid W\' ~'II­
with a putter which
r.llher el.lho r,ltc .
was not a putter at
all, but a little cl eek
that he had picked up
only the day belare in
Ben Sayers shop in
North Berwick.
He
lancied it as a putter,
TI1I5 puttHlg cleek
and he has never
ha~ .l false bcc .uul
putted better than on
J hlJllow lmedor.
that day at Muirlield.
He has never used it
since, and now he has
taken to the aluminium
putter.
And do you
know th at just belare
the
lamous
championship
at
Sandwich , Mr Travis
was using a putting
:'\ very small and
cleek that he, toa, had
... ~rv squa re hitJe
gat at North Berwick,
pUller.
It came in
on thc Schl!ncct;l(.1 y
and
it
was
his
ro)m.
intention to putt with
it in the tournament? But he was not putting
very weil in practice at St Andrews and one
ol his compatriots then introduced to him lor
'~
\
lt3f1
~
GOLF
Golf, or Bandy Ball, is much played in ScoUand and tbe Northern partS of England. lt is a very excellent game,
baving been probably inb'oduced by tbe Romans. As at present played, any number of persons may engage in
tbe game. Each player has a sb'aight-handled asb bat, tbe lower part of which is slighUy curved; tbc object of tbe
game is to drive a small hand ball into certain holes in tbe ground, and he who SO(lOest accomplishes tbis, wins
tbe game. I am not aware of any set of rules baving been fixed for tbe government of Golf, but according to
wbat is generally understood, tbe following is tbe metbod: Two, four, or any Ilumber of players from
tbemselves into sides, and tben fIX golf-Iengtbs, wbich often extend over three or four miles, especially in tbe
winter time, wben tbe game is played on tbe iee. At various intervals golf holes are hrmed, ioto which !he ball
mJst be struck; eacb party, as in foolball, endeavouring lO drive tbe ball in an OppoSilC direction. One l r more
balls may be used bUl eacb player bas bis own bandy. You may sec Golf played on Blackheatb occasionally by
young SCOlS wbo form an association known as tbe London Golf Club. Some years sillce I was present al a
Golf matcb on tbe beatb, and a very exciting sigbl il was, lassure you.
Reprinted from
THE BaaK OF MANLY GAMES FOR BOYS by CapLaiIl Crawley,
publisbed by WiUiam Tegg 1869, printed by WalSon & Hazell, London & Aylesbury
Sa much lor the learned Captain! Laurence Viney sent in th is wondrous extract in December 1989 ..
Extra 6
Ninth Tee
October '89
SOME THOUGHTS ON MUSSELBURGH SCENE OF THE 1989 HICKORY CHAMPIONSHIP
by DAVID HAMILTON
In Ihe greal days ol Musselburgh in Ihe
1860s, Ihe Edinburgh gollers look Ihe Irain 10
Ihe lown and Ihe cabbies raced each olher 10
gellheir players 10 Ihe lirsl lee lirst. There
a sociable queue developed as Ihe members ol
Ihese Edinburgh-based clubs wailed lor Iheir
lurn 10 play. Musselburgh was al Ihe peak ol
ils lame and was Ihe cradle ol Ihe modern
prol es sion al game and Ihe early modern
developmenls in Ihe business ol goll.
On June 2nd 1989 Ihe members ol Ihe
BGCS galhered sociably al Ihe lirsl lee al Ihe
old Musselburgh links wilh hickories in hand
dressed in Iradilional garmenls, jusl as Ihe
go liers did 150 years ago . II was as il
Musselburgh is in a lime warp. Behind us slill
could be seen Ihe neglecled and decaying
clubhouses ol Ihe Burgess and Ihe Brunlslield
goll clubs ol a lormer day. In Ihe dislance
beyond Ihe 3rd hole is Ihe ancienl pub, Mrs
Forman's, where Ihe gollers could purchase a
relreshmenl al a halch in Ihe wall, wilhoul
leaving Ihe course .
In lor mer limes Ihe
go liers had 10 lind space lor Ihemselves
among Ihe olher users ol Ihe links, nolably
Ihe racegoers and local youlhlul players. On
2nd June we were doing jusl Ihal, wilh Ihe
race course around us and a big meeling
coming olf Ihe lollowing day . There was nol
a holel room 10 be had in Ihe honesl lown .
There were plenly young gollers also 10 be
seen, playing lor nolhing, a policy which has
raised many a good player.
Musselburgh links are surviving, bul only
just. The owners are Ihe Dislricl Council and
little money is given lor upkeep .
The
inleresls ol Ihe race meelings come lirsl,
and major earlhworks are now disrupling Ihe
course even lurlher. The Musselburgh Old
Course Club is doing ils besilo prolecl whal
remains ol Ihe original course, putting in
Iheir own money, and Ihe -greens are
increasingly good and some ol Ihe old bunkers
are being lound and revived . Musselburgh
wilhoul bunkers would be as similar 10 SI
Andrews wilhoul sand and Ihe similarilies ol
Ihe !wo courses are considerable.
Cerlainly il all very pleasanl 10 be able 10
lurn up and play al Ihe home ol Ihe modern
game wilhoul lee or lormalily. Cerlainly il
is noslalgic 10 lighl your way Ihrough Ihe
lences ol a race course and play among local
youlhs pressing Irom all sides. Bullhere
co me a poinl wh en we musl ask whelher Ihis
is genuine benign neglecl, nol anolher
example ol Scottish inerlia in Ihe la ce ol
obvious need - snalching deleallrom Ihe
jaws ol success.
II cannol be said Ihal
Musselburgh must decay because Ihere are
100 many goll courses in Scolland. Inslead Ihe
wailing lisls are lull and lenglhy. II cannol be
said Ihal Ihere are no golling visilors, since
Ihe Scottish easl coasl clubs 10 norlh and
soulh ol Musselburgh are inundaled wilh
busloads ol golling visilors and Ihe Scottish
Tourisl Board and olhers are blealing Ihal
Ihere
is
increasingly
difficully
in
accommodaling Ihe slream ol visilors. Nor
can il be said Ihal Scotland has done so much
lor Ihe hislory ol goll already Ihal nolhing
else need be done: almosl nolhing has been
done.
Any nalion wilh Ilair and pride would
many years ago have made Musselburgh a
place ol homage. Nol necessarily covered Ihe
hallowed nine holes wilh a dome , nol
necessarily provided a museum and ren lal ol
hickories and remade gutties lor play. Nol
necessarily
relurbished
Ihe ancienl
clubhouses. The minimum Ih al could have
been done would have been 10 reslore Ihe
ancienl layoul, lound Ihe old bunkers and
provided a Ihoughtful score card and map ol
Ihe lown, marking Ihe siles ol hislorical
golling inlerest. And could we nol lel Mrs
Forman's serve relreshmenls again Ihrough
Ihe halch? The answer is Ihe Licensing Acl
(Scolland) prohibils serving ol drink in pubs
lor consumplion in in Ihe open air. II Mrs
Forman's was allowed 10 serve in Ihis way
who knows, say Ihe purilans , wh al mighl
lollow, even Ihe disruplion ol society.
Does Scolland deserve Ihe old links al
Musselburgh?
Mercifully, matters have improved. The Old
Musselburgh Club is now ensconced in one of
Ihe 'old clubhouses' and money has been made
available for improvemenl of Ihe course. Bul
!here is still the feeling thai il is toa little toa late.
Extra 7
Fiftb Tee
March 1990
A VANISHED PLEASURE
by John Moreton
A whole generation has established itself on
the golfing scene without experiencing one of
golf's smaller but very real pleasures, a trivial
act in itself but psychologically either a
powerful weapon or a heraid of disaster. For
the seasoned match player, having observed his
opponent re move abattered, much used bali
Irom his bag, it could be the means of being one
up on the lirst tee, uniess, of course, the wily
enemy thought 'he's only got one good bali
left.'
For the anxious medaIIer it was an act
of defiance in the face of The Gods ol Golf.
I refer of course to the ceremonious
unwrapping ol a brand new, pristine white goll
balI.
When many readers first played the game,
the golf bali came wrapped in a cover ol either
loil and paper or a type of plasticised cover.
These we re of different colours, depending on
the make and quality ol the balI. They were
sealed with a gummed sticker and if the
wrapper itsell did not quite meet at the crucial
point, a small dob of stickiness would
invariably adhere to the bali, collecting dirt
along the way until the bali bore a distinctive
and unpleasant black dot, the very devil to
remove.
A
tremor
of
anticipation
always
accompanied the unwrapping ol the new bali on
the first tee, together with the careful aim of
wrapper into tee box.
Some characters - known in every club carefully saved the wrapper in order to rewrap
a disgustingly batte red old bali in case they
we re challenged to play lor a bali in a bounce
game.
The unwrapping ritual became more
Iraught on our lake hole tee, when one member
used to unwrap a new bali and throw it into the
lake as a libation to The Gods ol Golf, th is
belore teeing an aged pill lor his drive.
On another celebrated occasion, a member
noted for NEVER using a new bali on the lirst
tee, ostentatiously unpeeled one and proceeded
to use it happily until, on the third, he failed to
carry the severe upslope on the far side of the
valley. At that moment a fox sauntered across
Irom the woods, snilled the bali , nibbled at it,
chewed on it like a Murraymint and spat it out,
fortunately still on the fairway. When our hero
surveyed the tattered remnant he reverted to
his old habits and was never seen to unwrap a
new bali - ever againl
Presumably modern technology, which has
produced the new tough covers ol surlyn &
balata, is responsible, as one imagines that the
protection allorded by wrapping is both an
unnecessary & costly exercise. However, it is
just not the same experience to just slide one
bali out of a sleeve ol th ree.
This same technology accounts also for
another lost though unmourned golfing
experience, that of finding your bali, in the
rough and uncomfortably near to the point of
departure, with that evil grin induced by a
topped shot! Sometimes it is relerred to as a
smile , but there always seemed to me an
element ol malevolent glee in the cut - as if to
say • that's the last time you'lI mistreat me,' which was probably true until the next practice
session, when the smilers, grinners and
smirkers we re tipped out again , to produce all
manner ol slices, hooks and eccentric flights of
unloveliness.
One manufacturer did present it's new bali in
a smart blue individual box, wrapped in tissue,
but it is long gone. Gone too, it seems, is the
wager ol playing for a balI. Imagine the
pressures on former golfers playing for a new
feathery or a slightly used guttie, ( a new,
smooth one being Ie ss desirabie until the nicks
and chips necessary for aerodynamic llight had
been applied ) and the reluctance of the 'rabbit'
to part with the last of his Christmas issue
Irom his loving offspring. The ballsweep for
'twos' no longer has the same thrill either, with
unwrapped balls doled out like milk chocolate
Smarties .
The inner game - the psychology ol golf demands that we approach the first tee
'thinking positively.' To start a match or medal
round equipped with a shining white spheroid,
which we are determined to hit all the way
round to the final eighteenth cup, is to start
positively.
Yet we read th at in the recent
Ryder Cup Sandy Lyle triumphed using Bernhard
Langer's cast-olls! We also learn th at Ben
Hogan rejected new balls FROM HlS PRACTICE
BAG because they had too much paint in the
dimples. Try that on your Sunday morning
fourball partner as you miss the crucial putt on
the eighteenth ... .' Sorry,old man , too much
paint in the dimples - took it past the
borrow.' .... Drinks all round for th at one! ' The
hole was a bit crowned' is marginally saler,
especially if the opposition still have to putt!
And vet, despite the new high-tech covers,
we still seem to buy - and lose - as many balls
as ever.
Extra 8
Japanese
gentl eman
who
purchased
$30,000
worth of sportswear and souvenirs last year.
That, like Tiger's winning margin, is a record
which may stand for a while.
On the other hand, when Fuzzy Zoelier
withdrew from the Greater Greensboro
Chrysler Classic in late April it was a sad
day for golf. Some mildly off-color remarks
spoken in jest after Tiger's Masters win
made Fuzzy a casualty at the hands of the
press (excluding me of course) and special
interest groups who know little about golf and
less about a man who has always been
everyone's friend and no one's detractor. It is
difficult for me to remain apolitical but,
ability notwithstanding, I'd take one Fuzzy
over a hundred Tigers any day of the week.
High tech apparatus can be found
everywhere in golf these days. Players'
caddies are now regularly seen with
Rangefinder laser distance measuring devices
during practice rounds . Personally, I don't
consider their use in keeping with the spirit
of true golf but then my game is so bad no
device, laser or otherwise, would be
advantageous for me. The latest in PGA
Tournament gallery gizmos made its debut in
our town during the GGCC this year. Classic
Cash Cards are now required to purchase
concessions (lood, drink and cigars). At the
cash card booth, spectators purchase the
card charged with any amount of cash
desired. Then, at concession stands the card
acts as a bank debit card as purchases are
made. The net result is th at service is faster.
The long range implication is we have a new
collectible on our hands. Better get some now
in order to cash in around the year 2050.
Perhaps the cash cards will be
represented at Kevin McGrath's Sporting
Antiquities Auctions in the next century . I
doubt if you'lI see any at this year's which is
scheduled for June 19-20. If Bob Gowland can
move his January affair to May, Kevin says
he can move his toD, and it occurs a month
later than in years past. Chuck Furjanic held a
successful auction sa Ie in March and says
he'lI have another in October in the Dallas
area.
Having just returned from yet another
pilgrimage to a weil known golf club in
Augusta, Georgia I ask myself, "am I the only
golf writer in America not writing about
Tiger Woods?" Somehow I managed to avoid
the human wake following the boy wonder and
just as weil since I am not tall enough to see
anyone on the green when standing in the
sixth row behind the ropes. For all the drama
the Masters Tournament has provided over
the last ten years perhaps the most
reassuring sight was the dream pairing in
Wednesday's practice session: Jack, Arnie
and Fuzzy playing the congenial hosts to John
"Spider" Milier. the USGA Mid-Am Champion.
Nicklaus strode the fairways smiling and
frequently wa ving to the crowd, it was
pleasant to see him so relaxed. Though Arnie
would never be a contender these days the
Masters galleries thrive on seeing such past
golfing greats year in and year out.
The hottest ticket in Augusta is still the
Golf Writers' Association of America dinner.
The GCS was weil represented again by the
presence of such luminaries as the noble Russ
Palmer. elegant Dan Bagdade (with son Mike),
philosophical John Fischer 111. stately Ross
Goodner, smiling Jim Knerr and the erudite
Sid Matthew. They we re joined by the usual
cads and bounders Dick Donovan and Bud
Thompson . I got a glimpse of Alastair
Johnston's vapor trail as he offered
salutations while zooming by at Mach 2. When
the great English writer was posthumously
presented with the Richardson Award for
service to golf, son Bryan and I waxed
nostalgie with memories of dining at last
year's dinner with Peter Dobereiner. The big
room seemed a terribly empty without him.
I know there are many Brits for whom a
trip to Augusta is tantamount to arriving at
heaven's pearly gates. Yes, you'lI be
impressed with the course, you'lI love seeing
many of the world's best putters and bali
strikers and there might even be a potted
azalea trucked in for your photographic use.
But the real entertainment is in the apparel
and souvenir store. An unusually long queue
awaits patrons wis hing to enter and once
inside, narrow aisles clogged with aggressive
shoppers make for a harrowing way to spend
hard earned lolly. Just as legendary as Greg
Norman's fourth round collapse IS the
17
There is liltle 10 reporl which could be
considered big news. January: drove 900
miles 10 Daylon and back lor sub-zero
wealher and Ihe highly successlul Daylon
Trade Fair. February: drove 700 miles 10
Hillon Head Island and back lor GCS Carolinas
meeling . Goil rained oul bul plenty ol Irading.
Mareh: drove 1250 miles 10 Far Hills, New
Jersey and back 10 altend Ihe lirsl lour hours
ol Ihe GCS Region 1 meeling. You sunbirds
mighl wanIlo make amenlal nole as you plan
your warm wealher vacalions lor nexl
winIer. Jack Rulherlord and Ken SIoIer
hosled a highly successlul GCS meeling in Ft.
Myers, Florida lasl February. Reporls we re
il was weil exlremely weil altended and
organized 10 a lee. Ft. Myers is one ol Ihe
warmesl pi aces anyone could wish 10 visil in
February and is only a Iwo hour drive Irom
Orlando Inlernalional Airport. For warm
wealher on Ihe olher coasl, Ihere is a GCS
Irade meeling scheduled lor Bakerslield,
Calilornia Oelober 31-November 3.
Wilh any luck, Ihe buIIer will presenl you
TTG and Ihe Salurday morning Times on a
silver salver one Salurday morning in midJune. Hopelully you'lI re ad my column belore
perusing Ihe scores Irom Ihe US Open being
played al Congressional Counlry Club in Ihe
environs ol our nalion's capilol. I said
hopelully .
There are olhers who knowand undersland
books, goll books in parlicular, lar belter
Ihan land il is nol appropriale lor me 10
Iread Ihe walers palrolled by your adepl
reviewer. Jusl Ihis once I will venlure lorlh
10 make a recommendalion. Tom Taylor, a
mosl erudile bibliophile living in Ihe Delroil
area, after counlless years ol research has
published his illuslraled guide 10 goll myslery
liclion. Anyone who seeks oul good 'whodunnils' will lind Ihis as invaluable a sou ree
as will Ihe serious goll book colleclor. I
reg rel I can'l say more wilhoul slepping on
Ihe loes ol Ihe Masked Marvel Irom Matlock
who will pay Ih is lasly lome Ihe lull altenlion
il deserves in his book review column.
Over Ihe pasl several years, our Sociely
has seen respeclable growth resulling in ever
increasing altendance al Ihe 'Nalional'
meeling. This year promises more ol Ihe
same. Nashville, Tennessee is a cily weil
silualed geographically lor collectors Irom
all parls ol Ihe counlry. American Airlines
runs a regular non-slop service Irom Galwick
solhere is liltle excuse lor our Brilish
cousins nol 10 make an efforl 10 cross Ihe
pond. 'Music City' is an apl nickname and as
Ihe home ol Ihe Grand Ole Opry, il is Ihe high
lemple ol counlry and weslern music. Visil
Opryland amusemenl park, buy a vinlage 12slring al Gruen Guilar, eal a lew Goo-Goo
peanul cl usIers and lor one Irenelic weekend
in Seplember (17-20), lalk old golf wilh 300
10 400 crazy Americans and Canadians . We
hope 10 see you Ihere. No excuses. you'lI
nolice Ih al our meeling is a lull week belore
Ihe Ryder Cup giving you plenly ol time 10
cal eh Ihe plane 10 Spain.
Never on es 10 lel Ihe absurd go unnoliced,
Fiona and Nigel we re norlh ol Ihe border
recenlly in Onlario, Canada and send Ihis
inleresling anecdole lor your consideralion.
A public access goll club in a small lown is
offering a new service 10 select palrons,
lIama caddies. The Soulh American
quadrupeds are apparently very hard
workers, lireless and enjoy being oul in Ihe
nalural elemenls. The lee is prelty sliff,
aboul $30, since Ihere is probably no beer
can holder available.
Fiona wriles 10 say Ihey will be departing
shortly 10 visil Ihe Ihree American golf
courses Ih al have won spols on Ihe lislol Ihe
world's 10 mosl dangerous places 10 play
goll. Nexl lime you are dissalislied wilh your
home course Ihink about Ihese altraclive
lacililies.
•
•
•
Pelham Bay and Splil Rock goll courses,
Bronx, New Vork: Pelham's remole
location makes it ideal lor dumping
unlorlunale sou Is. In a recent lD-year
period, 13 bodies were said 10 have been
lound Ihere.
Scholl Canyon Goil Course, Glendale,
Calilornia: BuiiIon a landfill, il ran inlo
difficullies when golfers snagged clubs on
buried lires and melhane gas rose up Irom
Ihe divols. They now pump Ihe gas 10 Ihe
local power company.
Complon Par-3 Goil Course, Complon,
Calilornia: Il you like high calibre
excilemenl, Ihis is your place. Home 10
(slreel gangs) Crips versus Bloods, Ryder
Cup-style compelilion .
II mighl be a long drive bul Nigel has a yen 10
visil jusl one more ol Ihe lop 10.
•
Losl City Golf Course, Sun City, Soulh
Alrica: The 131h green is Iron led by a
slone pil lilled wilh crocodiles, some
sIreIching up 10 15 leel long.
Who says goll is 100 lame a sporl?
18
Pack last accomplished the championship feat.
That was 1968; please forget the math , 1'11
forego the vanity act and admit I'm 49. My
fixture book shows that my other team of
choice will unquestionably be receiving the
Premiership trophy .. AGAIN ... May I I at aid
Trafford. I'm highly optimistic this will be my
transatlantic double, if you will . It would
appear ungentlemanly too for me to publicly
gloat. 1'11 just say good-bye and offer all of
you my best wis hes for successful campaigns
of your own on the links this fine summer.
Fore!
Brown Ale
Nigel and Fiona are planning to visit
Valderrama this autumn. Please keep an eye
put for them. You can't miss them since
Fiona's wardrobe is built around lime green .
They promise a full report on the Dobereiner
room at the Valderrama clubhouse.
As you all have learned by now, I save my
personal sporting biases for the last
paragraph.
Since January, t have been
basking in the glow of the magnificent Super
Bowl victory of the Green Bay Packers. I may
not own a 'cheese-head' hat but I've been a
Packer fan since my dav of birth in Northern
Wisconsin . I was a mere lad of 20 wh en the
Ken Shepherd writes:
May I send my special salaams to Philip T, Manfred S, Archie B, Dick D, Christopher I, and Bob
G who have been good enough to communicate with me in the past. I hope to get to the UK at the end
of June and do hope to perhaps meet some of the members. Perhaps you can suggest who I might
contact to have a chin wag with about our obsession.
The Golf Society of Australia th at I started in 1982 is progressing with great gusto with
dinners, golf days, hickory events plus a new group of Australian golf collectors which is gathering
strength. We had our first golf auction last December in the dining room of the Melbourne Cricket
Club, held by Philips. It developed into a general sports sale but the few 'sticks' and books were
worthwhile, although we already have a group of moneyed bods who do not play golf but collect
ephemera!
My best wishes to everyone in the Society.
Ken Shepherd
This Summer the Ryder Cup returns to enthral
us during it's brief visitation. The old rivalry is
renewed but this time with one momentous
difference - the venue. The choice of Valderrama
recognises the outstanding part played in recent
years by those sons of Spa in, Garrido, Canizares,
Pinero, Rivero, Ballesteros and Olazabal. But
Spanish golf is not just of recent years.
The first club was founded in 1891 at
Campamento, 3 miles from Gibralter. Las Palmas
in the Canary Islands followed in and then La Toja
at Arosa, Madrid and San Sebastian .
The picture is a mystery. The caption says
"Val derrama the Champion of Spa in, who is to
compete in the 1920 Championship. " and vet
there is no record of is having won either the
Spanish Amateur or Open Championships. So who
is the gentleman. Can it really be th at the modern
course is named after th is early (unsung, or at
least unrecorded) hero?
\ \1 IW\{I{ \\1·\
19
Th Swe ish Society ol Goil Historians has
completed its lirst year and published its
lirst yearbook locused on early goll in
Gothenburg, which is the cradie ol golf in
Sweden.
The lirst goll course in this country was
built in 1BBS by the brothers Edvard and
Robert Sager who had started playing in
England . They
built
their
course on the
lamily estate
Rylors in the
central part ol
southern
Sweden . But it
was
the coast south ol the city, where they s ill
play on an 1B-hole course.
Goil then spread to Stockholm and several
other places including Falsterbo in the south
wh ere a course was laid out over a stretch of
wonderful links land. But Gothenburg remained
the centre of golf in Sweden.
The point is proven by a picture in the
Society's
yearbook. This
picture shows
a group ol
boys and girls
playing in a
children's
competition at
Hov à s
in
1925 .
The
players in this
group
later
collected eight
Swed ish and
several Oanish
championships.
One of the
boys in the
picture is Finn
Sörvik
wh o
dom inated golf
in Sweden in
the
late
fort ies
and
now describes
himself
as
" the
oldest
member of the
oldest club ".
Inthe
Society's
yearbook Mr
Sörvik
is
j nt e r v i ew e d
and tells us
about
early
golf at Hovàs.
Nothing really
happened to the quality of the game until the
Englishman Frank Over ca me over to take the
job as professional in 1934. He used to say
th at good junior players in the club was his
best reference for a future job and he showed
Finn and the other boys how goll is played at
a high level.
Ouring the war and immediately afterwards it
five
years later in
Gothenburg on
the west coast
that the game
caught on.
T
h
e
Reverend A V
Oespard lrom
England
lormed
Gothenburg
Golf Club and
laid out a lour
hole course .
The bulk ol the
members ware
Britons
and
when
they
went home in
1B94 the club
lolded.
But
golf survived.
The Reverend
had
made
Viktor
Setterberg, a
loc a I
businessman,
see the light
and it is thanks to him that golf started to
grow in Sweden around the turn ol the
century .
Setterberg was the driving lorce behind
several courses th at we re laid out around
Gothenburg in the lollowing years but had to
be abandoned. It was not until 1904 that the
golfers lound a permanent home in Hovàs, on
20
is the yearbook Golfens Arsbok 1996. This is
a massive and comprehensive account of the
year that passed and it will make life easier
and work more interesting for future golf
historians in Sweden. Back in 1979 Anders
also edited the book published to celebrate the
75th anniversary of the Golf Federation . This
book, Golf - den gröna sporten , is the best
source for historical facts and statistics on
Swedish golf.
In another major commitment members of
the Society have started a forma I education
on university level in the History of Golf for
members of the Swedish PGA.
And last _. but certainly not least - the
members ol the Society are firmly
determined to enjoy themselves during spring
and autumn meetings with pleasant golf and
interesting speakers. The autumn meeting is
set for September 19 at Kevinge which is the
oldest existing golf course in Stockholm .
If any BGCS members happen to find
themselves in Sweden at that time - or any
other time - do not hesitate to get in touch
with the Society's secretary Anders Janson
(who is a BGCS member) or with me.
was difficult to get clubs and balls. It is said
th at a special ru Ie had to be added, stating
that "a bali cannot be considered to have been
found before it has stopped". Mr Sörvik also
tell s about how fast they played . The rule
was to hit your drive while your opponent's
bali was still in the air.
In his peak years Finn Sörvik won four
Swedish championships, beat Cyril Tolley in
an international match and reached the third
round in the British Amateur. Then he gave up
golf for fifteen years but came back to win
the Gothenburg district championship in
1971 , a title he won for the first time in
1939. Now, at 80 he is still a good golfer and
has the rare distinction of having scored his
age - playing mixed greensome with his wife.
The Society's president Ake Skeppare writes
that up until now Swedish golfers have not
been careful to preserve their history. The
Society of Golf Historians sets out to change
this and its first major comm itment is to
open a Golf Museum in the year 2000.
Collecting material has already started.
The Society's Secretary Anders Janson
has put together a Swedish golf bibliography,
wh ich appears in the yearbook. It contains
120 titles. The first golf book in Swedish was
a translation of Abe Mitchell's Essentials of
Golf, published in 1928. Anders, who is a
former editor of the Swedish Golf
Federation's magazine Svensk Golf, is himself
the editor of the latest book on the list, which
The yearbook Arsskrift 1997 (to be honest,
it is a 32 page booklet, but with plenty 10
read - in Swedish) is published by the
Swedish Society of Golf Historians , c/o
Swedish Golf Federation, PO Box 84, SE-182
11 Danderyd, Sweden .
IN MEMORIAM
Jethro Ar_U dled 00 J .. ou .. ry 14th followlog ..0 1110_ boroe wUh
eournge und de terminatloo. lIe was a respeeted Su_x solicltor who found
time lor m .. o y local lote rests: he was Braoch Presldeot ol the Iloyal Brltlsh
Legloo aod Preslde ot of the Lengue ol Frleods ol Dexhlll Hospitai. J e thro
speot most of hls 70 years in Dexhlll und at dlffereot times was a member of
.. 11 tbree of tbe towo's golf c lubs - ooe of wblch, the old Dexhlll Golf Club,
c losed af te r Dunklr k . At Coodeo B e ach Golf Cluh he served 00 all tbe
OO'UlUlttees. most reeently lK-1ng mBde I"resldeot aod lIooorary Ufe Member.
He w rote the bIstory of bis beloved c lub "'Coodeo Deach Golf Club - Tbe "'Irst
7 5 yenrs" whlC'h was publlsbed in 1987.
J etb ro w a s a loyal suppo rtt'r a od be oefactor of tbe Old l.eys lao's
Golflng Soelet)', represeotlog tht'm in the Halfom lIewltt in tbe 50s aod 60s
Bo d c b _ r lng the m 0 0 lor 4 5 yenrs!. 10 all bis golf be was ao eotbuslastlc
mate b-pIByer, lovlog loursomes best ol all. Jet ...... WHS. as he liked to sny of
blmsell, a big flsb in a Iittle pool aod ODe ol lile's great cbaracters.
21
~,._,.,'"W"'K'llMli1:
C\r' WAR RULES;;OmrOOIF
by Bob Cra~psey
»»
&.
Like many anolher who has lived Ihrough
great evenis, I did not at the time appreciate
their significance. The great evenl I allude to
was World War Two, in the course of which I
learned to play golf, if that is not 10 beg Ihe
question. Only many years afterwards did I
realise the appalling hardsh ips that a Kent or
Sussex boy of the same vintage would have
under go ne in his altempt to maste r Ihe
grealest of games.
The
present
generat ion
of golfers ,
reeling under fast-increasing subscriptions
and beset by committees that spring gigantic
levies on Ihem wilh ledious frequency, might
be pardoned for thinking Ih al they are Ihe
most put upon generation thai ever set foot
on course. It is with a view to putting the ir
tribulations in perspective th at I recommend
them to scan the War Aules of Golf, slill
extant in 'Ihe Golfers Handbook as formulaled
by Major G.L. Edsell, secrelary of SI. Mellons
Golf and Country Club, which we re generally
adopled.
The rules are prefaced by Ihe disapproving
remark Ihal during Ihe Battle of Brilain,
players were altacked on golf courses by
German bombers and fighlers. No doubl Ihey
were, I suspecl inadverlently, bul Ihe casual
reader of Major Edsell mig hl weil gain the
impression Ihal, for Ihe Luftwaffe, nolh ing
held grealer priority Ihan Ihe driving of Ihe
enemy from Ihe links. One can visualise Ihe
scene in Ihe briefing room of a Swabian
airfield -'What is our largel today, Herr
Aeichsmarchal?'
"A big job, lads, Ihree scralch golfers and a
Iwo handicap al SI George's, Sandwich. You
may weil not co me back.'
Beyond queslion, Major Edsell was
Ihorough in his efforls 10 Ihwarl such
appalling infringemenls of Ihe Geneva
Convenlion .
Aule I decreed Ihal, 10 Ihe cuslomary
replacemenl of divols should be added Ihe
colleclion of bomb and shell splinlers from
Ihe fa irways, 10 save damaging Ihe mowers.
It was recommended thai Ihese splinlers
should be allowed 10 cool before being
garnered. They were Ihen 10 be given 10 the
Minislry of Aircraft Produclion 10 be made
into Spitfire fighters 10 slop German bombers
attacking golfers.
Aule 2 slaled Ihal, in compelilions, bul
nol, apparenlly, in bounce games, players
mighl lake cover during gunfire or while
1\
::$.:~:=::
':.:
.~::.« . %. >:.~,
bombs were falling, wilhoul pena lty. II was
essenlial 10 play 10 the correcl flag al th is
period in his lory, because wh al the golfer
look 10 be Ihe red flag waving above Ihe ninth
could very easily lurn out 10 be, as Law 3
ind icaled , a red flag which marked Ihe
location of an unexploded or delayed-action
bomb.
Such flags were to be placed al reasonably
safe dislances from such bombs , bul nol,
conlinued Rule 3 cauliously, guaranleed safe
dislances . Incidenlally, those bomb and shell
fragmenls which were galhered for Ihe
Minislry of Aircraft Produclion could be
moved wilhout penally, a very fil reward for
patriolism .
The nexl rule allowed bomb or shell
splinlers on Ihe green 10 be likewise moved
wilhoul penalty. even if, in a bunker, Ihey
caused Ihe bali to be moved accidenlally. AI
Ihis sla ge, Edsell clearly feit Ih al he was
being altogelher 100 indulgent 10 his golfers,
and il began 10 gel savage oul Ihere, boyo !
Take Aule 5 which enacled Ihal a bali
moved by enemy aclion - it's fronl-line sluff
now - could be replaced wilhoul penally as
near as possible 10 where il lay. If a bali was
DESTROYED by enemy action -which brings 10
my mind, al leasl, the graphic image of a
Heinkei pilol culling a Silver Ki ng in Ihirtytwo wilh superlatively accurale I raeer fire Ihen anolher bali could be dropped wilhout
penalty, nol of course nearer Ihe hole. I find
il difficull to imagine circumstances in which
a golf bali could be deslroyed wilhoul Ihe
golfer being likewise bul Major Edsell had
clearly forese en su eh a possibilily.
He was nol tolally flinl, Ih is major. The
sixlh rule enjoined Ihal a golfer could re move
his bali from a bomb craler, presumably
having salisfied himself Ih al il was not the
claw-mark of a passing bronlosaurus. In this
singular inslanee , one could drop wilhoul
penally provided Ihat care was taken 10
observe Ihe line to Ihe hole. Some of Ihe
1940-41 craters wou ld have needed a fu ll
wooden shol wilh Hurricane David whistling
behind 10 allow any chance of Iheir be ing
carried .
II was in Ihe lasl ru Ie, Aule 7, Ihal the
gallanl major showed himself mosl
delermined thai Iradilional slandards of
behaviour should be observed.
Nol all of our war-lime golfers displayed
the manly forlilude we would have liked 10
22
,
see. Rule 7, properly tender towards human
Irailty, compassionately
showed some
leniency towards the go lier whose stroke
was affected by the simultaneous explosion ol
a shell, bomb or machine-gun lire.
I mysell would be prepared to concede that
it might weil have been difficult to pronate
Ihe wrisls as Vardon, I Ihink, suggesled while
Irying at the same lime to side-step tracer
The golfer Ihus allected was
bullets.
Iherelore allowed 10 play anolher bali Irom
Ihe same place, bul under penalty ol one
slroke, and very apt 100, Ihe craven swine.
Like many anolher code, Major Edsell's
Rules lolally omitted Ihe mosl importani
consideration ol war-lime goll which was
quile simply, lind a bali wilh which 10 play.
The German Air Force left Cowal Goll Club in
Argyll
severely
alone
during
my
apprenliceship 10 the game, bul whal Ihey
lailed to do. rubber quotas almost achieved.
Paul Gallico wrote a marvellous short
story. 'Goil is a Nice Friendly Game,' in
which two American tycoons, manulacturers
ol golling equipment, play a grudge match lor
the last rubber allotment ol the war, the
loser to go out ol business. Things never got
quite to th at stage in the West ol Scotland bul
we waded the reservoir assiduously and
haunted Ihe prolessional's hut againsl the
magic day each monlh when he would get
some lour dozen or so remoulds.
For my generalion, the name Spitfire
meant nol so much an air craft as simply Ihe
brand name ol Ihese remoulds. Spitfire was a
wild exaggeration ol their powers ol !light.
They we re great days. Ihose war time
summers, and, ol course. largely missed by
Ihe men who were out in '39. and back in '45,
a lairly creditable round, il you think ol it.
The goller - wise men are alike! Loves all good things to pree,
Bul most particular he is
In choosing a line tee.
Far worse Ihan Ihis Ihere is 10 teil;
He somelimes takes his heel.
'No wonder,' do I hear you say?
'For oft he's known 10 steal.'
The tee his caddie often makes,
11 bad - Oh! help the caddie!
For through his tee being in a box,
He'lI likely box Ihe caddie.
Whalever his delects may be,
In language he beals all;
For, be he dumb as any slone,
He can address the balI.
When learning oft he gets a coach
From some old valiant slriver;
Yel whether a coach he has, or none,
he always needs a driver.
The earth must be benealh his leet,
Clad in her greenest robe;
Bul should he miss Ihe little bali ,
He'lI say 'I've missed the globe.'
Good Ladies, he should suil you weil.
Ac/eek he'lI give you soon;
But il you sentimenlal are ,
Jusl ask him lor a spoon.
He does not die when he is dead,
This evil he can Ihole;
Indeed, he is not near the grave,
But only near the hole.
Pray do not count too much on him,
Or you may get a whipping
Here is some counling done by him
Tho slrange there is no slip in
When some men die, alas! alas'
We stretch Ihem on a shutter;
Our go lier dead, no help he asks,
He only asks his putter.
When one is odd, in Highland phrase,
Anolher is two more
No matter whether one or Iwo,
He always shouls out, 'Fore.'
When others die, we're apt to say
They're nolhing but a name;
How strange it is that being dead
Keeps up Ihe goller's game.
He mostly is a man ol trulhCome, do nol now be shyYel true it is and ol verity,
He loves a lirst-rate lie.
Composed by
Mr John Thomson
Glas~ow Golf Club
1890
23
The oldest club on the Continent was founded at Pau, in southern France, in 1856, far ahead of
the majority of English clubs. Two Scoltish army officers who had been stationed Ihere during the
Peninsular War, and had played golf of a kind with the clubs and balls they always carried with
them, loved it 50 much that they returned some years later to play around again and this led to the
formation of the club. It was another thirty years before the game became more widespread .
Development of golf in Europe tended to follow the resorts favoured by British holidaymakers and
50, generally, spread from the Channel into the hinterland of France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.
In Italy, after the centres of Rome and Florence, whose clubs were formed in 1898 and 1899
respectively, it was at "The lakes", 50 weil patronised by the British , where the next surge came
with lake Como, Menaggio, Varese and Villa D'Este between 1905 and 1909, the odd one being San
Remo in 1905. One of the later arrivals, and a most pleasant course to play, is Rapallo.
RXPALLO GOLF · CLUB
by Sergio D"UonÎ
Fascist heirarchs and in one of his speeches
proceeded to be ra te the Golf Club claiming that
it's existence was anti-Italian and led to soft
livingl To put his rantings into perspective, he
also said the club had 22 holes when, of course,
it had only 9. There cannot be many clubs
which have been singled out for such
nonsensical
comment.
Many
famous
Rapallo Golf Club was founded in 1931 and,
with 9 holes and 4 Tennis Courts, was an
immediate success. In 1934 and 1935, while
still young , the club won the Italian
Championships beating Villa D'Este in the
latter year. In it's early days, the Duke of
Windsor played a number of times as did
Benelli, the famous comedy writer.
view f ram tbc 6tb tee
There was liltle golf during the war years
of 1940
to 1945 and certainly no
competitions.
Many of the courses we re
taken over by the military.
A number of important peace and alliance
treaties had been signed in Rapallo between
1917 and 1922 none of which Benito
Mussolini approved of, and he seemed to bear
the city a grudge as aresuit, 50 much 50 that
during the war he called a meeting of his
personalities have been regulars in later
years, King Hussein, King Juan Carlos, Queen
Soraya, Rex Harrison, Rita Hayworth and
many footballers such as liam Brady, Roy
Jepson, Eddie Firmani and others.
In 1970 the course was extended to 18
holes and is a challenging test. The weather
is mild in winter and warm and sunny in
summer. Situated on the coast, the delicate
sea breezes make the climate ideal.
24
•
72164-73397
1912
74769-77819
1913
78650-79648
1914
80292-81043
1915
(stopped for duration of Great War)
81618-87578
1919
88425-89786
1923
93056-93179
1924
94544-97384
1925
98811 -200704
1926
201455-203201
1927
204248-205518
1928
206449-207413
1929
208948-209070
1930
213623-213720
1931
216051-217651
1932
223213
1933
We have not yet been able to fully unravel
the logic of the alpha-numeric reference
numbers so the followlng are examples only:
A series
1934-46
B series
1949
G series
1934
H series
1938
K series
1952
L series
1958
R series
1952
There is a fairly common series on the
aspects of playing golf which do not have
reference numbers. Each shows golfers in a
different situation: "Golfing - The Swing",
"Golfing - in a bunker", "Golfing - Putting",
"Golfing - This for a half" etc. These we re
photographed on the Old Course at St
Andrews and registered in 1892.
The
descriptive wording can be in black or red
The Valentine archives present a wide
ranging pictorial record of social history and
the Library intends to record them entirely
on a computerised database. It would then be
possible to compile a comprehensive list of all
postcards produced covering a particular
subject, eg Golf. However, on their own
admission, this will take a good number of
years to achieve.
Most of the other major manufacturers
have disappeared long since, Photochrom,
Raphael Tuck, Frith etc, but one, J Salmon of
Sevenoaks, is still in business although it no
long er produces postcards. Although it does
not have archives which are accessible, a
company representative kindly offered to to
research the records if I sent in a list of the
Salmon postcards in my collection. A very
generous offer which I have taken up.
One of the uncertainties in collecting
postcards is dating them accurately.
A
postmark only gives a clue to the date the
picture was taken since some cards were
tucked away in a drawer and only used many
years af ter purchase, in which case the date
stamp can be positively misleading. Many
have never been used postally and so offer no
indication of age.
Among the most prolific of the early
makers was Valentine of Oundee, and latterly
also of London and Montreal. Virtually all
Valentine postcards bear a reference number
and so each can be unambiguously identified.
The firm stopped making postcards some
thirty years ago but at the time, fortunately,
its archives were presented to the Library of
the University of St Andrews. With the very
kind assistance of the Library staff, I have
produced a guide to the dates of Valentine's
postcards. The dates shown are the dates the
photographs were registered, which can be a
some time after they were actually taken.
For example, I have a card showing the
exhibition match on the opening of the
Kingussle course in 1891, but the picture was
not registered until 1892. To compound the
situation, it was not postally used until 15
Dec 1910.
The Librarians have not yet
plotted exactly the yearly bands of reference
numbers ( there is also a problem with the
years 1908- 191 2) and those shown are made
up from a selection of cards. However, they
give areasonabie enough span from which to
work or make a deduction.
15647
16540
18121-18966
20367-21941
22347-23747
25107
25881-27359
28165-29083
31 140-32040
33361-34715
38846-41623
42407-46063
47491-51749
52537-56212
57463-57916
60516-63061
65462
66653-68415
69295-71451
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
25
lairly correct and that Ihe callers could
remember a machine being in a specilic
clubhouse. Graham Lennie can remember one
in the clubhouse ol the East Course at North
Berwick in the 50s/60s. I can remember one
in the bar at Ratho in the same period and
someone ( I lost the note wilh his name yuk!) is certain Ihal Ihere was one in Dunbar.
David Baxter adds a liltIe 10 the tale in
that he remembers the plastic "tube" being
in the shape ol a bollie. The Sixpence was
inserted, the bottIe lurned upside down and
the ba lis appeared in the neck. David thinks
thaI il Ihe three balls we re white then the
prize was three Warwicks. He remembers it
in Broomieknowe, in the 60s. Surely there
must have been some in England?!
II has been lully reporled elsewhere bul
lor my money Ihe Presidenl's Day al Hoylake
was aboul as good as one could wish lor. The
wealher was jusl righl, line bul wilh enough
ol a breeze 10 require Ih al little exlra
Ihoughl in playing Ihe course.
Royal
Liverpool's hospilality was mosl generous
and Ihe grandeur ol Ihe dining room made
dinner all Ihe more pleasurable. All ol Ihis
was rounded off by a couple ol hours ol Ihe
besl possible cabarel, in Ihe guise ol Ihe
auclion. The MC's wil was super and Ihe
banIer Irom Ihe Iloor malched il all Ihe way.
A Iruly memorabie ouling and 10 my mind Ihis
musl become one ol ~ DAYS NOT TO BE
MISSED.
The use ol basket hole markers has also
prompted a good response. Mike Wiggs said
thaI Sandy Lodge used them Irom ils openingon an early PC ol the Moor Park clubhouse
which is now In my album - thank you Mike.
Then Philip Truell sent me a blow-up ol a PC
ol Sheringham showing the caddie holding a
wicker Ilagslick. This picture was regislered
in 1696/99 so this is a very early usa ge.
Finally. Tom Heduan in his article slates that
Ranelagh also used similar Ilagslicks. So we
have taken Ihe story a little lurther in Ih al
clearly such markers we re in lairly common
use and Irom an early date. Bullhere is still
some work to be done. Please keep Ihe
commenls coming.
The "The Hickories" al Gullane we re as
enjoyable as ever. Yel again, Ihe day is weil
reporled elsewhere, bul Ihe morning
loursomes al Musselburgh were somelhing
else.
Playing wilh gutties was quile an
experience even il I would nol necessarily
wanIlo repeal it. In our lour, Ihe impression
was Ihal we could give il areasonabie 'bash'
wilh a wood or a lull iron bul Ihe 'louch'
shols were much more difficul', and Ihe
slandard ol putting had nolhing whalsoever 10
do wilh Ihe bali! David Hamilton musl have
pul many, many hours inlo making all the
balls which were ol a very high slandard.
Thank you very much indeed, David.
•
While on the Iheme ol 'I know it has been
said belore', olease supporl Ihe regional
meetings. There are a dedicated lew who pul
a lot ol their time and effort into organising
meetings lor lllilIL benelit and presumably
because you, Ihe members, want such days
on Ihe calendar. I have been to every reg ion
In Ihe country and every meeling has been
notabie lor good companionship and Iively
'collecling challer', and usually have been
played on some very good goll courses. You
don'l have 10 drive hundreds ol miles - just
support Ihose in your reg ion or a neighbouring
reg ion il within easy slriking dislance.
•
It is interesting to see wh al stirs a
response Irom readers. By and large, you
are lairly slow to respond, wilh just the odd
commenl here and Ihere. And yet I have now
had lour rep lies - a Ilood by normal standards
- on Ihe "Bar Goil Bali Machine". Three
were to the effecl Ihat the description was
Ir you want lO discuss your proposed
article, phone 01452 612849 - NOWI
26
Cathedral Village g-307
600 E Cathedral Road
Philadelphia, PA 19128-1929
(215)984-8897
4th April, 1997
Dear Alan:
He claimed, it is said, that he
distances.
couldn't use one because one day the shot would
"feei" like a six iron; the next day it might
lIfeel ll like a4-iron.
Again, congratulations on a superb issue.
Every page a delight; the whole to be re ad - and
re-read - daily for a solid week in order to
fully enjoy the entire content.
Through the Green is a delight and I
consider myself fortunate in being a
subscriber.
I especially appreciate the artieles you
publish on small bits of history which, in my
prejudice, I think are important (Donaid
Macarthur, Maponite) and the articles of pure
enjoyment (Crabtree and "Buried Treasures".
On a more personal reflection, the smal I
"bit" on Molesey Hurst took me back some
years to an extraordinary visit with the late
Ray Gossage and his guiding me to the home of
Garrick and showing me how one COULD hit a
bali through the over-riding bridge and
perhaps reach the Thames.
With no intention of being "picky", a unique
characteristic of a Colonist, I would suggest
to Rodney Hawkins that while lagree
generally with his opinion of Jack Nicklaus, I
think it was Deane Beamon, the former PGA
With very best wishes,
Joe Murdoch
* * *
1 211 Emerald Bay
Laguna Beach
California 92651
6 April 1997
Dear Editor:
Commissioner and, in his amateur days, a
top-rank golfer, who introduced him to
course measuring. Casting upon a rapidly
fading memory, I believe it was at an
Amateur Championshlp held at Pebble
Beach(1961) when Jack and Deane, playing a
practice round together, Jack was first
exposed to Deane's meticulous measuring out
of the course. I would go further and suggest
that it may have been an amateur, Gene
Andrews who first began th is practice.
Andrews was good enough to be a member of
a Walker Cup team and won a Publinx (public
course) championship even if he never won a
national title. He was a creative type of
golfer and is popularly credited with
Inventing - if that is the word - the "plumb
bob" method of putting.
Because I cannot
authenticate any of this fading memory, you
may not chose to quote me but however shaky
my memory, I would offer substantlal odds
that I am right on Beamon.
I would suspect that Rodney Hawkins
shares a common interest in this subject. I
always remember the story about Ben Hogan
being asked about consuiting a book on
In reading your "Letters" section, I noticed
the comments by Rodney Hawkins, speculating
that Jack Nicklaus was the originator of
yardage charts.
You may be interested to learn that in the
early 1950's, a very fine amateur, Gene
Andrews, winner of the USGA public links
championship, not only used yardage charts for
his own convenience, but also spent hundreds of
hours, making up yardage charts of a large
number of the best known courses, including
among others St. Andrews, Troon, Muirfield
and other British golf courses. He loaned these
out to friends who were In competition.
I know that a number of courses got the idea
from Gene and had yardage figures printed,
many from
Gene's records.
It is my
recollection that Gene competed against
Nicklaus in the U.S. Amateur and it is quite
possible that Jack noticed the advantages this
gave to Gene and thus started using the system
himself.
Frank Hardison
27
Sandhills,
Lingdale Road,
West Kirby,
Wirral, L48 500.
LA MOYE
The La Moye club in Jersey is embarking
on the club history to be ready for the
centenary. Unfortunately, during the island's
occupation during WW2 the clubhouse was
razed to the ground and many of the records
destroyed. So, if you have any references to
La Moye - however brief or obscure - please
communicate with Peter Firth at Peter Firth
& Co., Communications House, 63 Woodfield
Lane, Ashtead , Surrey KT21 2BT.
15th May, 1997.
Dear Editor,
Your March edition asked for information
on the Liverpool Banking and Insurance Golf
Club. An informative book was published last
autumn - 'Links Along The Line' by Harry
Foster - which tells the story of the
development of golf between Liverpool and
Southport; One of the courses referred to
was established by the Liverpool Banking and
Insurance Golf Club in 1908. In the 1930's it
was feit that the name of the Club was
somewhat restrictive and it became the
Freshfield Golf Club.
The course was sited on the inland side of
the railway alongside Formby Golf Club and
was requisitioned in 1941 and became
Woodvale Aerodrome which it remains to this
dav·
On being requisitioned, it seems that the
members who hadn't gone away to the war
were absorbed by local Clubs. The Club house,
however, continued to operate for a few
more years and Formby members remember
it as an imposing building on the other side of
the railway, about level with their 2nd green.
SCORECARDS
Phil ip Howlett is working on a story on
golf scorecards but is having difficully in
obtaining information on how scorecards
originated; the British Golf Museum referred
him to the BGCS. The Editor has advised him
to write to Prestwick where there are copies
of the first Open scorecards. However, this
is not much. Anyone who has any information
is asked to contact Philip at 21 Flagler Drive,
Greenwich, Connecticut 06830-3419, USA.
18 Jinjelia Road
Highton 3216
Victoria
Australia
Yours Truly
Dear Sir,
Anthony W. Shone
I am an avid collector of particularly of
golf ba lis but also equipment and memorabilia.
I was wondering if any of your members
would be interested in exchanging or selling
locally made bal Is. I do not have a list but
there have been many brand ba lis made in
Australia that may be difticult to obtain in
UK. I know there are many from UK which we
cannot locate here.
Thanking you in anticipation
Geoft R Wallace
ROYAL DORNOCH
The Royal Dornoch club is, for the tirst time,
taking inventory of its memorabilia and books
with a view to displaying them in a more
controlled manner. The club has a run of
bound volumes of Golf Illustrated magazines
with the exception on one - Vol XV-XVI. The
volumes are bound in green cloth an measure
10"xI3".
If anyone has th is particular
volume which they would be prepared to make
available to the club, please contact Tom Tew
on 01862 811310.
CIlANGE Ot' ADDIIESS
Sergio F, Balloni
MEMORRBILIR snc
Uia T Saluini, 2
211122 Milano
I taly
28
"It has been inevitabie, of course, that a game such as this should develop a
considerable literature. History, humour, curiosities, stories of charnpionships, essays
on method - literally by the hundred - are available. And every golfer, I think, owes it
10 hirnself 10 have some acquaintancc with this literature."
Bobby Jones
In a previous edition of our dlustrious
magazine now lost in the aeons of time, I was
soundly berated by Herb McNally, a Canadian
barrister, nay Q.C., who is a long serving
member of our Society. I had been foolish
enough to express the opinion that most Club
histories we re not only dull and boring but
were of interest solely to that particular
Having taken my
Club's membership.
punishment without flinching, I immedlately
apologised as I feit it wiser not take Issue any
further with "my learned friend". Deep down
I still considered that I had right on my side,
until recently, when two new Club Histories
were published.
at the USGA Far Hills Museurm. Another club
making family, the Grieves, five in all, were
Club members and clubs made by them can
still be found. These are not considered to be
of any great distinction perhaps because the
Grieves were probably part-time makers.
Ronaid Ross, Alexander Greig, John MeLeod,
Thomas Hogg, William Nlven, Charles Brown,
John Park (younger brother of Willie Park
Snr), John & Frank Dole man, Robert
Anderson and Thomas Carruthers were all at
onetime associated with the Club and were in
some instances bali makers. William Gibson,
the well-known cleek maker joined
Bruntsfield Allied in 1896 as did James
Clark. James and his brother David owned J
& 0 Clark the Musselburgh firm of bali and
clubmakers ..
Another notabie Member of Bruntsfield
Allied was George Robb author of Historical
Gossip about Golf and Golfers and Manual of
the 8runtsfield Links AI/ied Golfing Club
published in 1867 and which subsequently
became the earliest golfing year book.
Bruntsfield Allied has nearly gone out of
existence on three occasions but is now
happily thriving. Philip Knowies has not only
made a valuable contribution the Club In
writing its history but also has added to the
history of golf generally. Very much
recommended.
The first of these was A History of the
Bruntsfield Allied Golf Club 18561996 written by Philip Knowies, a BGCS
member, and published by the Club at i 15-00
in a limited edition of 600. lts sub-title "The
Clubmakers' Golf Club" goes someway to
explaining my change of opinion. Philip tra ces
the Club from its early beg innings in 1856,
playing over Bruntsfield Links, which were
shared with the Burgess Golfing Society and
other Bruntsfield Societies, to its move to
Braid Hills and to the present day when Philip
believes that it is the oldest Club In existence
without a course of its own. This latter pOint
might be argued by Old Manchester Golf Club
which was founded in 1818.
What cannot be disputed IS that the Club
must have had the greatest single proportion
of clubmakers of any Club and, in Chapter 5,
the author Includes many of these. Peter
McEwan, the fourth generation clubmaker of
this famous family was a founder member as
was James Hutchison Snr. and James
Hutchison Jnr. who joined the Club in 1870.
Francis Bell and his brothers Thomas and
Walter were Members, all of whom had been
McEwan apprentices and produced fine clubs,
one of which by Francis (Frank) is on display
The second Club Hlstory IS A History of
Golf in Bray by Cyril Dunne and published
by the Club. This can be obtained from
Michael Neary, a new member of the Society,
at Golfing Memories, Par 4 Dublin Road,
Bray, Co. Wicklow Tel No 003531 282 7297.
Michael will accept most credit cards. As I
explained in the last Issue of TTG, Bray has
many happy memOries for me as a child but I
never have played over their charming nine
hole course. The book not only covers the
development of the Club over the last one
29
..
pnces ol Ell00, and a t5 page pamphlet
Golfiana or a Day at Gul/ane published in 1869
reached its low estimate ol E8000 .
Surprisingly, a large paper edition of The Golf
Baak of East Lothian made only E550 and
another copy lailed to reach its reserve.
Another that lailed to sell was Reminiscences
ol Golf and Golfers by H.T. Peters published
in 1898, which reached E3200, E300 below
I wonder whether the
its low estimate.
various facsimile productions have impacted
on the sale of some of these rarities? T h e
Chronic/es ol the Blackhea th Golfers made
E1150, and that magnilicent book by Garden
Smith and Harold Hilton The Roya/ & Ancient
Game of Golf, which was tipped a long time
ago to be one ol the EI 000 books, finally
made it, selling for El050. At the middle
level of goll book collecting there we re some
bargains. I got a copy ol Golf at G/eneag/es
for E260 around E150 below wh at it has gone
lor previously. Certainly some of the sparkie
lor golf books has faded and lor those who
may have considered these in the past to be a
reasonabie investment may now leel a little
dellated.
hundred years but is a social history of this
popular seaside resort.
There are same
lovely reproductions of paintings of the town
by various artists th at have found inspiration
th ere, but more importantly from a golf
historian's viewpoint it proves to me,
without doubt, that Bray was the birthplace
ol goll in Ireland.
A delightful baak and one
which I heartily commend to you .
An unusual review copy ol a baak came my
way via my aid pardner Pete Georgiady Irom
North Carolina. His good friend, Tom Taylor,
has published Th.. Golf Murd .. rs which
contains a synopsis of nearly 200 golf
mystery titles and short stories.
Tom's
enthusiasm lor this genre comes across loud
and clear and from a golf book collector's
viewpoint it is not only a good read but also a
reference book with many rare dust jackets
illustrated. Whilst I was aware that many
well-known authors have included relerences
to goll I certainly did not know that these
included live by Agatha Christie in addition to
Murder on the Links and The Limbo Line by
Victor Canning . Perhaps the most collectabie
author is Herbert Adams, who wrote eight
golf mysteries and whose books are seldom
found with their dust jackets. The synopsis
of Ted Dexter and Clifford Makins Deadly
Putter, which is set in the context of the
annual President's Putter held at Rye in
January each year is perhaps the most
unlikely scenario.
Our President, John
Behrend, is weil acquainted with th is
particular tournament and might consider it
murderous enough at that time of the year
without the complication of several lictional
murders. Now for the bad news! The book at
$150 dollars is rather pricey but it is
published in a limited edition ol 400 in elegant
imperial bonded leather and signed by the
author. It can be obtained Irom Bob Grant at
E90 plus postage and packing or direct Irom
Tom Taylor at Golf Mystery Press, PO Box
8539& 0396 Westland , MI 48185, USA for
$150 plus $3 dollars postage and packing.
Rather than linish this on a downbeat note
the good news is that David Hamilton, I am
told Irom the horse's mouth, is due to burst
into print in time for the Open with a book
entitled Golf Scotland's Game with end papers
manufactured from grasses from Leith Links,
and that, il past experience is anything to go
by, will be weil worth waiting lor!
John Moreton writes
Links of Hes ven by Richard Phinney &
Scott Whitley; Baltray Books, at E12, from
Grant Books.
Described as 'a complete guide to golf
journeys in Ireland', 'Links ol Heaven'
concentrates on the great links courses which
encircle one ol goll's most perfect holiday
venues. The authors write with authority and
Ilair on both well-known and hitherto unsung
links, drawing on localoral history. Thus,
John Moriarty describes the development ol
Ballybunion course, which has become the
destination lor many a goller's pilgrimage.
Pat Ruddy and the late Eddie Hackett are
given appropriate recognition, men who have
built links courses within the last decade,
Hackett's course at Belmullet, known as
Came, being one ol his last and best. Nowhere
else in the world are 'authentic' links
courses being constructed and this is why the
authors take so much delight in both old and
Changing the subject rather abruptly, as is
my wont, the lirst auction of the year took
place at Phillips Sale Rooms in Edinburgh on
Saturday 10th May 1997.
Generally the
estimates given in the catalogue were found
to be reasonably accurate. The scarce titles,
as always, sold and these included Cundell's
Ru/es of The Thist/e Club which went for
E4800, two copies ol R Clark's Poems on Golf
published in 1867, which reached identical
30
ambience ol the various accommodations in
which he stays, although some ol the detail is
slightly gratuitous.
Finegan covers very similar ground
including the almost obligatory obeisance to
Ruddy, Hackelt and Mulcahy, but as he has
been a more Irequent visitor than the other
two his experiences go back quite a long way.
Take his advice and you will not play on a bad
new creations.
There are detours to Killarney and Mount
Juliet but the authors dis miss some ol the
newer inland courses as 'golfing theme
parks', not without justi/ication, lor one
feels they could be anywhere, lacking the
essential 'Irishness' which the travelling
gol/er appreciates so much at places like
Enniscrone, Narin and Portnoo and Dooks.
The book was originally aimed at golfers
lrom the American Continent, so some ol the
suggested itineraries will not be too relevant
lor Brits but nevertheless offer use/ul
guidelines. One ol Ihe joys ol peripatetic goll
in Ireland is stopping at promising looking
venues lor a game and completing a round
euphoric at the 'discovery'.
Phinney and
Whitley lelt th at way about Portsalon, lor
example.
One serious criticism, however, must be
made. The writers comments on Irish lood
are patronising, ill-in/ormed and, in lact,
downright rude.
Modern Ireland boasts
scores ol excellent eating places and precious
lew MacDonalds.
Readers are advised to
ignore the chapter on lood and equip
themselves instead with John and Sally
McKenna's 'Bridgestone Irish Food Guide'.
As weil as listing restaurants it includes
larms, markets and the best lood shops, so
those on a self-catering jaunt will lind it
indispensable. The authors do rather belter
on drink but then, one would expect that in
th e home ol Guinness, Jamesons and
Bushmills' Other aspects ol Irish culture are
discussed and a bit ol history thrown In to
proteet the reader Irom too many gaffes.
All in all, a satis/ying read and Invaluable
guide but do make your own discovenes about
the loodl
course across the water.
In Blasted Heaths end Blessed
Greens Finegan does the same lor Scotland.
He started the round trip ol I reland at
Shannon; in Scotland the pilgrim sets out
Irom Edinburgh and travels clockwise Irom
the capital eastward, then across to
Southerness, up the Tumberry and Troon and
visits all the expected destinations until he
linishes in St. Andrews. As in the Irish
volume other cultural leatures are not
neglected, lor Mr. Finegan, though no mean
golfer, is interested in more than golf and
lood. Twenty-/ive years ol experience are
distilled within these volumes, which are both
thoroughly recommended, not only to those
planning trips but to those nostalgically
reliving holidays past.
Both books are available Irom Grant Books
at E16 each.
(John Moreton is a regular contributor to
'Golf Club Management')
CLUB HISTORIES
wlth the Editor and fT/ends
A couple ol surprises to lead olf this time,
both ol which came out ol the blue. The lirst
is The History of Hedley Wood and has
been produced to mark the club's 75th
Anniverary. As is the case with so many
clubs, the minutes and records up to 1967
are missing and lor th is reason the manager
decided th at a history should be produced as
soon as possible. The author has thus done
weil in the circumstances. The club hit the
headlines in 1939 as the "Goil Club that gives
away tee pegs" when it did so as being more
economical than providing sand in sand boxes!
The book is available Irom the Pro/essional's
shop at Hadley Wood Goil Club, Beech Hili,
Barnet, Herts EN4 OJJ at E17.50 inc pap.
Another which you may have missed last
year because, again, it was produced lor the
75th Anniversary is Sudbury Golf Club The First 75 Yeers. Sudbury was lormed
directly out ol the old Acton GC in West
London. Available lrom the Secretary, ' J A
Gol/ers planning their Irish goll
pilgnmage, as James W Finegan describes it,
should pack Emerald Fairways and
Foamimg Sus in their bag gage. Like
Phlnney and Whitley, Finegan's chiel delight in
Ireland is the links courses, though he does
occasionally stray inland to sample such
courses as Mullingar and Killarney. He writes
weil, but at one sitting, hole by hole
descriptions ol each course can become a
tri/le wearing. His big advantage over the
"rival authors' is th at he likes his lood and
course by course descriplions are sometimes
quite mouth-watering Nowhere is he as rude
and patronising as Phinney and Whitley and so
his recommendations can be regarded as
sound judgments He also delights in the
31
same land lord .
John Hawkins, a recent
recruit to the Society, has produced a very
readable account. All the hard backs have
been sold and only soft backed copies are left.
It has 128 pages, with 81 photographs, and is
available at E7.60 Irom John Hawkins,
Honorary Secretary, Dorking Ge, Chart Park,
Deepdene Avenue, Dorking RH5 4BX.
Smith, 67 Princes Gardens, London W3 OLR
for E7 inc p&p. When writing, do ask for the
potted history of the Acton Club.
Dick has already reviewed A History of
the
Bruntsfi"ld Alli"d Golf Club
1856-1996 but as a historian rather than a
book collector my perspective may be
somewhat different. Although not a large
book, 116 pages, it is virtually all very
informative history concerning not just the
Allied Club but of golf itself in one of the
cradles of the game, the Bruntslield Links in
Edinburgh . The (golfing) poli tics of the times
on the Links, the problems of trying to
establish equitable handicaps long befare they
became structured , and life in general are
included and all are most relevant to any
study of the development of the game. Then,
if you are a 'club' man, there are the 20 or
so original members already mentioned. I
could go on but far better that you read the
book yourself.
Produced in hard back with a colourful
dustjacket showing Ewebank's "View of
Bruntsfiled Links", with the castIe in the
background, th is is a'must'
John Pearson writes
Shiskine Golf and Tennis Club Centenary History
Visitors to the village of Blackwaterfoot,
on the South West comer of the Isle of Arran,
will be familiar with the short stretch of
linksland along the share on which is situated
the unique and picturesque twelve holes of the
Shiskine Golf and Tennis Club . Founded in
1896 by summer visitors from Glasgow, it
still has astrong holiday membership from
the mainland . The relationship between the
locals and vi sitors is one of the recurring
themes ol the centenary history of the Club,
written by Colin Bannatyne .
No great champions have learnt their goll
in this club; no major tournaments have been
But the
held over the 2990-yard course.
Club and course have a very special place in
the hearts of anyone lucky enough to have
played there.
The course has had a lot to do with i1. Laid
out originally by Willie Fernie, and extended
and improved a lew years later by Young
Willie Park, (whose letter of account is
preserved in the bar), the holes are short and
tricky, with nine of the twelve needing blind
approaches. There are glorious views over
the Firth of Clyde and it would be just the
place lor a hickories match. This litlle gem
was recognised by its inclusion in Golf
World's top 100 UK courses in 1994, and by
the thousands of visitors who find their way
there every summerthe Firth of Clyde and it
would be just the place for a hickaries match .
This little gem was recognised by its
inclusion in Goil World's top 100 UK courses
in 1994, and by the thousands ol visitors who
lind their way there every summer.
Colin Bannatyne's history consists of 62
pages, wire stitched with card covers and is
available Irom the Hon Sec., Mrs F Crawford,
Braeriach, Blackwaterfoot, Arran , KA27 8EX
Also still
for a modest E5.50, inc p&p.
available is the exquisitely-produced calendar
for the centenary year, each month with a
picture of one of the holes. Priced at E4 inc
p&p .
continued on Page 13
On" Hundrt.d Y"ars of Golf marks the
centenary of the FiI"y GC. As with Hadley
Wood, the early minute books and records ol
the club are no long er in existence, the first
continuo us minutes dating from 1947. The
Ladies, on the other hand, have managed to
preserve their records from 1903. Despite
this total absence of in-house information the
author has made a creditable effort to
chronicle the club's early days.
One
interesting fact is the all the club's
professionals until 1952 were Channel
Islanders and representatives of the Islands'
famous golfing families, Vardon, Gaudin and
I n soft back, with 100 pages, it is
Beck.
available from the Club Secretary.
Chart Park 1897 to 1997 is the
history of Dorking GC, a rarity in it's part
of the country in that it is a 9 hole course,
though none the worse for that. James Braid
was responsible for the major changes and
his courses are always good golfing tests. It
had close associations with Guildlord and
Reigate Heath in its formative years, in
respect of course layout and adoption of
rules. It also had a close association with the
old Clapham Common club, and still plays
annually or the Clapham Cup, and Betchworth
Park with whom it has always shared the
32
Fnmk Owel! Salisbury. ([ 87 ~ - [962). Sallluel Ryder. 1859- 19 36.
circa [927. Oi[ on canva~
TRADITIONAL SPORTS, GOLF ,
CRICKET & FOOTBALL AUCTION
LONDON, 1l JULY 1997
HI STO RI C GOLF CLUBS. BALLS. PAINTINGS. BOOKS
& RELATED WORKS OF ART. 10 AM
SOTHEBY'S
Enquiri es: Jon Baddcley or David Neec h in London on (0 17 1) 408 5202.
Ta orde r catalogues please ca ll (0 17 1) 3 144444 or fax (0 171) 408 5909.
34-35 Ncw Bond Streel. London W I A 2AA
}',
/\ Mahogany kneehnlL: dc,k :md annl'hair. owneJ hy J H laylor anu presL'JlIL'U 10 IIim
by tbc Artisan (;olkrs of(in:alilritain in Ikcembcr 1025 hl nl~~) ['I~K)
EARLY GOLFING EQUIPMENT AND
MEMORABILIA
AUCTION : GLASGOW, Monday 14 July 1997 at 11.00 am
VIEWING
Friday 11 July -lO.OOam - 4.00pm
Saturday 12 July -10.00 am - 4.00 pm
Sunday 13 ]uly -1.00pm - 4.00 pm
ENQUIRIES: Edward Monagle (0141 332 8134)
CATALOGUES (7.00 or (8.50 (Post Paid)
CHRISTIE'S
164/166 Bath Streel, Glasgow G3 4TG Tel: 0141 332 8134 Fax: 0141 332 5759