were never seen to better advantage than in this match. The course at
Portrush seemed to abound in bunkers at every conceivable and
inconceivable corner. The greens were in excellent condition, and the
whole links sporting as anyone could wish to play over. If anything the
soil was a trifle too sandy, for it was dangerous to take the least
scrap of turf with one's brassey or iron, for fear of a foozle. The end
of the meeting found Lady Margaret for the third time champion, with
Miss Lythgoe, of the St. Anne's Club, as Silver medallist.
The 1896 championship meeting, at Hoylake, was remarkable for the number
of very close matches, many of which were only decided on the
eighteenth, nineteenth, or twentieth greens. Miss Pascoe ultimately
became the winner after many hard tussles, with Miss Lena Thompson, of
Wimbledon, as runner up, Lady Margaret Scott not being among the
eighty-two entrants. It was noticeable what an improvement in all parts
of the game had taken place within the last three years, many of those
who had witnessed the St. Anne's Championship being present, and
stating this as their opinion. In the length of the tee shots and
brassies, in getting out of difficulties, and in putting, the
improvement was everywhere visible. The first visit of the Union to the
home of Golf, viz., Scotland, took place in the middle of May, 1897,
when Gullane, on the East Lothian coast, was the place of Meeting.
Gullane is famed not only for the excellence of its links and the very
superior quality of its turf at the present time, but in early years it
was a great Pictish burial place, and the ruins of an ancient church,
dating from about 1170, still stands in the middle of the village. In
after years it was known as the birthplace of the celebrated racehorse,
_Blair Athol_, as well as of several minor lights of the racing world.
Gullane indeed is a spot of many varied interests.
The links are most sporting, and it is altogether a splendid course for
a big event like the championship. The only regret murmured--and that
but faintly--was that some would have liked more hazards to carry from
the tee, as is the case at North Berwick. However, this want was well
atoned for by the manner in which the greens were guarded, a style of
defence that would do credit to a first-class engineer, and which taxed
the powers of approaching not a little. Especially was this the case at
the twelfth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth holes,
where grief unlimited awaited the topped or foozled ball. Starting with
the record entry of one hundred and two competitors, the whole meeting,
if one excepts the weather, was an unqualified success. For the first
time, the Scotch and English women-players met to do battle for the same
trophy, but it was to be regretted that in so many instances the draw
had coupled two very strong scratch players together, or in the same way
put English players to do battle with each other, when it would have
been both so much more exciting and interesting to have found them
pitted North against South. In the first round two of the best matches
were those between Miss Pascoe--the holder of the cup--and Miss Issette
Pearson, and between Miss N. Graham--the Irish Champion--and Miss
Nevill, the holder of the Midland Counties Championship. Miss Pearson,
who gave one of the finest exhibitions of golf that she has ever shown,
won after a hard fight by four up and three to play. Miss Pascoe too
made some magnificent shots, but she certainly did not display the same
deadly accuracy which characterised her game so much at Hoylake, in the
previous year (1896). However such thorough knowledge of the game was
shown on both sides, that some of the old Scotchmen in the crowd were
heard to exclaim, "Hoot, mon! This is fair golf, and worth coming to
see."
The match between Miss Nevill and Miss N. Graham was even closer, the
latter losing only at the last hole. In the next round the matches of
Miss Maud Aitchison _v._ Miss G. Graham, Miss A. L. Orr _v._ Miss Frith,
and Miss A. Maxwell _v._ Miss M. R. Nimmo, attracted the most attention,
and in each case were won by the first-named player. Round number three
contained many more tight matches, especially those between Miss
Titterton and Miss Maud Aitchison, which was carried to the
twenty-second hole, Miss Titterton winning ultimately. Whilst Mrs.
Edward Smith beat Miss N. Haig, the Yorkshire champion, only at the
twenty-first hole, Miss Bertha Thomson beat Miss Lugton at the
nineteenth green, and Miss Dod only succumbed to Miss Blyth on the last
green. The fourth round was not marked by any special feature, although
all the matches were well contested. But the fifth heat had some grand
fights, notably those of Miss Titterton and Miss Madeline Campbell,
which only finished on the eighteenth green, and Miss Kennedy and Miss
Nevill, which was another display of real golf soundly well played, Miss
Nevill losing by two holes only. The sixth and semi-final round was
indeed exciting, Miss Kennedy playing a magnificent match against Miss
Orr. The play on both sides was bold, free, and accurate, Miss Kennedy's
shots from the tee and through the green were brilliant, especially so
at the sixteenth hole from whence she reached the green in two, a
distance of 314 yards from the tee. It was in putting alone that she
lost to her formidable and well-known North Berwick opponent. Miss E. C.
Orr, who was playing a most beautiful and steady game, downed Miss
Titterton by two up after a fine match. The final between the two Miss
Orr's was a good exhibition of steady golf, but Miss E. C. Orr
out-played her sister somewhat easily, her shots all through being
beautifully judged, especially the full iron shots or half iron
approaches, which never failed to be within a putt of the hole. Indeed
it was in these shots that she obtained such an immense pull over her
opponents throughout the whole of the meeting, and one might with
advantage take a lesson from her in this most useful and necessary
department of the game, for it is undoubtedly in approaching and putting
that so many of us fail. There is nothing very hard in hitting a good
long drive or brassey shot, but when it comes to pitching the ball
_perfectly accurately_ on to the green, so that it may be within a
putt's length of the hole, or at the outside within two such strokes,
then it is that we seem to be "all over the place." Perhaps once or
twice during the round, we may lay an approach or two fairly dead, but
to do this consistently for eighteen holes we cannot, and it was here
that Miss E. C. Orr and several other Scotch ladies, scored heavily.
The competitions that are held at many open meetings for "approach
shots," generally result in anybody but the scratch players being the
winners, and show that this branch of the game is neglected by many good
players. Somehow far less pains are taken about this kind of shot, than
for the drive. Notice before the drive, how the player will fuss about
the height of her tee, the position of her feet, the waggle and swing
of the club, then notice the same player on nearing the hole, when she
takes up her iron or mashie. Just a glance at the hole, then a quick hit
and the ball lights _somewhere_ on the green, perhaps with such a run
that it is nearly as far off on the other side as it was on this side,
before the stroke was played. No pains as to position, stance and angle
of the club-head are taken; an iron shot in the _direction_ of the green
being the stroke played, instead of an approach shot _at the hole_,
which just makes all the difference. Putting, too, is much more natural
to some people than to others, but it is surely within the power of
everyone to improve themselves in this useful science.
It is after closely watching such a display of the game as we saw at the
Championship meeting at Gullane, that one feels how much we might
improve in our game by simply taking a little ordinary and common care.
The lengths of the holes at Gullane were about as follows: 1st, 300
yards; 2nd, 251; 3rd, 211; 4th, 353; 5th, 313; 6th, 252; 7th, 347; 8th,
304; 9th, 249; 10th, 353; 11th, 153; 12th, 355; 13th, 189; 14th, 160;
15th, 244; 16th, 314; 17th, 309; 18th, 306. Lengths that required every
variety of shot, together with uphill and downhill lies innumerable,
but as was mentioned a page or two back, the feature of the course lay
in the grandly-guarded greens, where the consistent approacher had all
the best of the game, and time besides to cogitate on the niblic shots
of her less consistent opponent.
Besides arranging the annual championship, and settling any questions or
difficulties relating to golf, the Ladies' Golf Union undertook to
organize a matter that had for years shown itself in need of revision.
The Union started the "handicapping scheme" among its associated clubs,
in order that in crowded open meetings, the committee chosen to arrange
the handicaps, should have some basis to work upon. It is a delicate
matter to settle the points that one player shall concede to another,
and till then this had been more or less guess-work, excepting for such
little guidance as the local handicaps provided. The scheme is now in
full working order, with a special sub-committee to guard over its
interests, of which Miss Pearson is in command. This committee consists
of four other ladies, to each of whom is portioned out six or eight
clubs, and whose duty it is to work out by averaging the scores
returned, what handicap each member of these several clubs shall
receive, in accordance with the fixed par of the green, also to lower
the various allowances when the players return scores under those from
which they are already handicapped. Once a month the whole of the medal,
or other stroke competition returns are made up, and published in the
golfing papers. To stimulate interest in this scheme the Golf Union
offers a silver medal to every club, to be won by the member returning
the best aggregate of four nett scores under their handicaps during the
year, as well as a gold medal to be competed for annually by the winners
of the silver medals.
The rules for the guidance of those who compete, which will be found on
the notice board in every associated club's golf room, run briefly as
follows:
"1. Any member of a club belonging to the Union, and desirous of having
a handicap for this competition, must have returned two medal scores,
neither of which shall have exceeded the par of the green, as fixed by
the Union by more than twenty-five strokes. A member having a handicap
in one club shall receive the same handicap at all clubs to which she
may belong, when playing for the Union medals, such handicap to be the
lowest she shall receive at any one club.
2. Each Honorary Secretary will receive monthly a form with Members'
Union Handicap, on which she shall enter the medal scores and return the
sheet directly to one of the members of the sub-committee.
3. The par of the green is fixed from details sent by each club to the
Ladies' Golf Union Hon. Secretary, and all competitions for the medals
must be played on the full medal course, but if circumstances such as
ground under repair, etc., prevent this, a note must be made, and the
difference explained when sending in the scores to the sub-committee."
But a most able article on this subject from the pen of Miss Pearson
will be found in volume four of the _Ladies' Golf Union Annual_. A neat
little shilling publication, which not only contains a splendid map of
the Gullane Golf course, but much useful information as to the
associated clubs and their members throughout England.
[Illustration: _Reinhold Thiele and Co._ _Chancery Lane._
_MISS ISSETTE PEARSON._
(_Hon. Secretary Ladies' Golf Union._)]
Golf has done much for many branches of trade, giving them a stimulus in
out of the way corners. The revival of trade, indeed, that marks the
opening of golf links, falls little short of a species of colonizing,
resuscitating as it does decayed towns and villages, in which the game
has fanned the almost extinct embers of industry into a glowing flame.
While the men find work on the course, the boys have employment as
caddies, or the sharper ones get a berth in the club maker's shop,
whilst the players who come and go every day in the year, cause the
hearts of the local butchers, bakers, and grocers to rejoice. In Kent
alone, such old places as Sandwich, Deal, New Romney and Rye, some of
them famous in the by-gone days of the Cinque Ports splendour, owe a
great deal in these bad times to the royal and ancient game. The
membership of their respective golf clubs, number about as follows:
Sandwich, 650; Deal, between 300 and 500; Littlestone, 500; and Rye,
270; and some of these players at least, must visit one or other of the
courses, and spend a certain amount of money in the place. New hotels
and houses become necessities in the neighbourhood, and the old inns,
too, have to look to their laurels that they keep up to date, and are
well stocked with food, for the golfer's appetite is not renowned by
reason of its smallness.
In the "upkeep" of the links there are many and heavy expenses to be
taken into account by the authorities, but clubs can generally amply
recoup not only by subscriptions and entrance fees, but by that certain
source of revenue, the green fees of visitors, provided of course the
links are fairly sporting and well kept. Taken all round, the number of
green keepers and men employed on the various courses throughout the
country, would alone make a respectable-sized army. Then the industries
in club and ball-making should be considered, and the thousands and
thousands of dozens of the latter that are sold annually. In a recent
number of _Golf_ it was stated that some five hundred tons of
gutta-percha are, within twelve months, converted into balls alone! To
quote the paragraph on the subject: "The material is sold at four
shillings and sixpence or five shillings per pound, but adding the cost
entailed in producing good well-seasoned balls from the raw material, we
find that there is an outlay approximately of £500,000 a year with
manufacture and sale of golf balls. A fact like this tells not only a
vivid story of the growth and popularity of the game, but of the
commercial importance of the golf-ball trade."
Of course balls are at their best from six to nine months after being
finished, but for a year or more they do not deteriorate to any great
extent. The weight usually played with, is 27 or 27-1/2 drams. Of
different kinds there are no end, some people pinning their faith to
"Melforts," others to "Woodley Flyers," and so on, but very satisfactory
makes are the "Black A.1.," the "Silvertown," or the "Eureka." Recently
the "Agrippa" balls have been highly spoken of, and it is undeniable
that even a gale of wind does not very perceptibly upset their flight,
it they are struck true.
Having now touched on most of the subjects to do with the technical part
of the game, it may be of interest to add a few more words on links and
players generally, but before doing so, let it be said again, that golf
is not a game that can be grasped or learned in a week, or yet in a
year, but it requires steady perseverance for a very long period. If at
any time you are off the game thoroughly, it is much better to go to a
good professional, who will quickly put you on the right road again. In
so doing you will avoid any chance of picking up bad habits, in your
efforts to make the ball speed on its journey as it should.
[Illustration: _Brown, Barkes, and Bell. Liverpool._
_MISS EMMA KENNEDY._
(_Bronze Medallist, 1897._)]
Of Ladies' courses, that of the West Lancashire will take a great deal
of beating, for reasons that have been already stated. A course of
eighteen holes, heaps of elbow room, and with a large and splendidly
planned club house, in which a daily bill of fare is always to be
found--the last, by the way, not met with every day in a ladies' club
house--there is little left to desire. To Mrs. Alsop and her able
committee the visitors at the last open meeting, which was held just
before the Hoylake ladies' championship in 1896, were greatly indebted.
Not a hitch occurred in the starting of any of the seventy-eight
competitors. It was on this course too that the Southern ladies, when on
their Northern tour, in September of 1895, sustained their first and
only defeat. The West Lancashire Club can boast of one of the strongest
match teams that it is possible to place in the field, seeing that it
contains the names of Miss Kennedy--holder of the record with a score of
77--Mrs. Ryder-Richardson, Miss Young, Miss Carr--a bronze medallist of
the first championship--Miss Welch, Mrs. Fowler, and other scratch
players. The next eighteen hole course is just south of London, at
Mitcham, viz., that of the Princes Ladies', one of the most delightful
spots near London possible to find one's self detrained for a day's
golf. The holes on these links vary in length from a full mashie shot to
a distance that will require two or three strokes to reach the green.
The chief hazards are dykes, gorse bushes, rushes, railways and turf
bunkers, the trenches of which appear to be amply filled with sand. The
putting greens are very good, especially the last seven holes, the other
eleven being still rather in their infancy, as they were only opened in
May, 1897. The eighteen hole record of 83, is held by Miss Phillips. A
very attractive object of competition at this club, is the monthly
medal, a unique little gold charm mounted as a brooch. Twice a year, in
May and November, the club holds most successful open meetings. Indeed
for the last Spring event, that of 1897, the record entry of 106 was
received, and at the forthcoming Spring meeting, a challenge cup is
advertised to be competed for annually by representatives of all
counties in Great Britain and Ireland, one year's residential
qualification being necessary. For this event any number of players are
permitted to enter for each county, and the cup is to be held for a year
by the county returning the four best medal rounds for thirty-six
holes. Miss Langley is the untiring secretary and prime mover in all
matters connected with the welfare of the club. In fact it is mainly due
to her unrelaxed exertions, that the new piece of ground for the eleven
holes was obtained, and worked into the excellent state that it now is.
Still another course of eighteen holes is that of the County Down Club
in Ireland, where play is over part of the famous Newcastle links, some
three miles round. The "Bogey" and scratch score of these links is 100,
and this has only been approached by Miss Maclaine, who has completed
the course in 102. The hazards are principally of the lofty sand hill
order. 465 yards is the length of the longest hole, 448, 367, 325, to 93
yards, being about the lengths of the others. The greens are
magnificent, and the turf is of the proverbial billiard cloth
smoothness. Miss N. Graham, the champion of Ireland, hails from this
club, which may justly be proud of such an able representative. A little
further north, is the course of the Royal Portrush Ladies', another
sporting eighteen holes. This club is presided over by Mrs. J. M.
McCalmont, and contains among its members Miss Cox, the ex-Irish
champion.
[Illustration: _Hembry. Belfast._
_MISS N. GRAHAM._
(_Irish Champion, 1896 and 1897._)]
Crossing over to Scotland, we find only putting courses at St. Andrews
and at Carnoustie. But at Troon, Musselburgh, North Berwick, Edinburgh,
Aberdeen, Machrihanish (eighteen holes), Prestwich, St. Nicholas,
Dumfries, Elie and Earlsferry, Bridge of Weir, and Ranfurly, etc., etc.,
there are some fine links with perfect greens and most trying hazards.
Returning once more to the South country, we have a splendid long
eighteen-hole course at Woking, where one gets every variety of hazard
and lie imaginable. The Wimbledon Ladies' course too is most trying,
thanks (!) to the conservators of the common, who have caused tarred
circles to be daubed outside all the gorse bushes, so that when the
player finds herself within one of these charmed rings, she is bound to
drop and lose a stroke. Flints too are rather prevalent, causing havoc
to one's iron clubs. The eighteen, and nine-hole records of the green
are both held by Miss Pearson, the former with 68, the latter in 31, the
holes varying in length between 100 to 190 yards.
For links that are of a lawn-like smoothness, excepting for the bunkers,
Eltham has no rival, and some pretty iron shots are to be had there. At
Eastbourne the holes differ in length from two hundred and twenty, to
one hundred and fifteen yards, and the hazards consist of turf bunkers
and hurdles. The record, held by Miss M. E. Phillips, is 69. One of the
nicest short inland courses on the South coast is that of the Brighton
and Hove Ladies' at the Dyke, the record for which is 73. Gorse bushes
are the principal hazards, but it is a course where good play is always
soundly rewarded. Being on down turf, the greens are always excellent,
though perhaps a trifle small. Not many miles away from the latter
course is that of Ashdown Forest, a very tricky green abounding in
heather. In fact, when on the long course, what with the fir trees
scattered here and there, the burns and the heather stretching for miles
on every side, you can imagine yourself anywhere but in the heart of
Sussex. Seaford is another very short ladies' course, which is yet
splendid practice for iron and mashie shots. Miss Gilroy holds the
record with 62. The long course there is very taking, especially for
anyone who drives a long raking ball both off the tee and through the
green. A very successful open meeting was by kind permission of the
gentlemen's committee held over the latter course in September, 1897,
there being forty-two entries.
Of all courses though, where accurate iron and mashie shots tell, the
Hoylake Ladies' links at the Dale, take any amount of beating. With
holes varying in length from 60 to 166 yards, it is the most delightful
practice course for short shots that can be well imagined. Mrs. Ryder
Richardson holds the record with 63. The Hastings and the Bexhill ladies
both play over part of the gentlemen's courses, there being plenty of
scope for brassey and cleek shots through the green. Chorley Wood,
Richmond, Barham Downs, Folkestone, Lelant, Cheltenham, Chester,
Malvern, and Rhyl are all courses of some length, and in playing over
which most of one's clubs are called into use.
Of links abroad, there are some eleven clubs in Australia, eleven in New
Zealand, including four ladies' clubs, five in the Straits Settlements,
twenty-four in India, twenty-one in Canada, four in the West Indies, one
hundred and fourteen in the United States, where the game may be fairly
said to have "caught on," and fifteen clubs in South Africa, besides
links at Malta, in Egypt, Cyprus, Algeria, Arabia, Ceylon, China,
Tasmania, Mauritius, Canary Islands, and nearer home in Belgium,
Holland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, and last but not least
France, where we find fourteen clubs, most of them largely patronized by
the leading players from Scotland, England and Ireland during the winter
months. Of all the colonies, New Zealand and Australia are said to be
the keenest over golf, so far as ladies are concerned, and in both these
countries they have even instituted an annual Ladies' Championship, thus
following the lead of the mother country. As to the American ladies,
they are intensely keen over the game and spare no pains to become
proficient in it, their annual woman's championship being a very large
gathering. This tournament is played upon the lines of the men's amateur
championship, but only the eight lowest scores qualify in the medal
round, and the final round, as in this country, is only eighteen holes,
the thirty-six hole test being considered too tedious for a woman.
Between thirty and forty players usually enter; Miss Hayt, Mrs. Turnure,
Mrs. Shippen, Miss F. C. Griscon, and Miss Sands appear to be some who
play from scratch, and before long we shall hope to welcome some of
these cousins from over the "Herring Pond" to one of our annual
championships.