Rummaging through a second-hand book shop in Oxford Street one day, I
came upon an old volume of sporting anecdotes published far back in
1867, and long since out of print and forgotten. Turning over the pages
in the evening, and encountering therein many stories of doughty deeds
by river and on field and moor, I came at last upon what must evidently
be the original version of the story which has been more briefly told by
others of the golf match at night for £500 a hole, and I cannot do
better than quote it direct from the book. One of the contributors was
quoting from a letter he had received from a well-known sporting friend
of his, in which this gentleman gave him a short description of golf,
about which nobody else belonging to the book appeared to know anything.
In his prefatory remarks concerning the game the correspondent said:
“The game of golf is quite a Scotch game; it is played at Blackheath,
Wimbledon Common, and a few other places in England; but the players are
always Scotchmen. It is a game requiring a good eye and great skill;
and people who get over the first difficulties of the game are generally
quite as fond of it as the English are of cricket.” With no
disparagement of the attractions of cricket, one would be inclined to
say that in these days the English who get over the first difficulties
of the game of golf, and even those unfortunates who do not get over
those difficulties, are much fonder of it than the said English are of
cricket.
Then, concerning that great match, the correspondent writes: “Lord
Kennedy and the late Mr. Cruickshank, of Langley Park, were good
players, and had frequent matches for large sums of money; but the most
remarkable match ever played by them came off during the Montrose race
week many years since. At the race ordinary they got up a match of three
holes, for £500 each hole, and agreed to play it then and there. It was
about ten or half-past ten p.m. and quite dark. No light was allowed
except one lantern placed on the hole, and another carried by the
attendant of the player, in order that they might ascertain to whom the
ball struck belonged. We all moved down to the golf course to see this
curious match. Boys were placed along the course, who were accustomed to
the game, to listen to the flight of the balls, and to run to the spot
where a ball struck and rested on the ground. I do not remember which of
the players won the odd hole; it was won, I know, by only one hole. But
the most remarkable part of the match was, that they made out their
holes with much about the same number of strokes that they usually did
when playing in daylight. I think, on an average, that they took about
five or six strokes in daylight, and in the dark six or seven. They
were, however, in the constant habit of playing over the Montrose
course.” Surely this must be accounted one of the most extraordinary
games of golf we have heard of.