GOLF

‘The Royal and Ancient Game’ of golf is generally regarded as originally a Scot. pastime, but there is good reason for believing that it was first played in Holland. When it was introduced into Scotland is not known, but it was certainly largely played there in the 15th cent. Clubs began to be established early in the 18th cent; that at St. Andrews—the ‘Mecca’ of golfers—was founded in 1754. James I... instituted a club at Black heath, 1608; Charles I. was fond of the game, and is known to have played it on the Links of Leith. It is certain that Scotland kept alive the traditions and practice of the game, which did not find favor in England generally until the second half of the 19th cent. During the last thirty years it has come rapidly into favor in all English-speaking countries, and, indeed, in almost all parts of the world, while in America its popularity has increased enormously. Its practice, interrupted during the World War, has been resumed with even greater vigor, Formerly solely a man’s game, it is now equally popular with both sexes, { Golf is played under ideal conditions on ground by the sea, with short, springy turf, diversified with sandy depre ions called ‘bunkers.’ ‘Inland’ greens are hilly ground or flat meadows in which artificial ‘bunkers’ and other ‘hazards’ have to be provided. A full-length course has eighteen ‘holes,’ placed at 150 to about 500 yds, apart. Holes, about 4 in. in diameter, are placed in smooth ‘putting’ greens. The game is usually played by two persons, each provided with a small hard ball (of gutta and rubber), or by four persons, two players on each side, who strike the same ball alternately; the match is then called a ‘foursome’, The object of each player is to get his ball from the ‘teeing ground’ (the starting point for each hole) into the hole with the least number of strokes. The one who plays the holes in the fewest strokes wins the match, For the purpose of driving the ball from ‘good or bad positions a variety of clubs is used. Some of these have wooden _ heads, others iron, the principal clubs being the driver, bra y (wood); the cleek, iron, mashie, niblick (iron); and the putter (iron, aluminum, or wood). Amongst the best-known English and American players are Evans, Ouimet, Travers, Sweetser and Sarazen (champion in 1922), Braid, Vardon, Taylor and Jones,