Our quarterly Anthology leads you through golf of the past with an anthology of articles, comments, patents, from around the world that encouraged, outraged, amused and hoped to improve the quality of the golfing experience. Each issue focuses on a single year.
We begin with 1895:
-Rudyard Kipling was laying out a golf course on his estate at Burlington, Vermont USA
A cabbage garden in Bombay was converted into a golf course
The” unbreakable neck” for golf clubs devised by Mr A H Scott, Earlsferry Scotland became a revolutionary hit
A judge in the Court of Appeal in Canada declared that golf was not a noisy sport and could be played on Sunday
A young Red Indian caddied for Willie Park at Shinniecocks Hills USA and had “such a proficiency at the game that Willie judged he ought hav a chance in the British Open Championship”
The “golf robe” was designed by Mr George Hunt of Edinburgh for lady golfers with “due regard paid to the position of armpits and chest, with perforations introduced at such points as sends a thrill of health giving glow over the system while in the act of playing”
Why did parker appear on the golf links with his coachman this morning? Want him for a caddie?
-No: someone told him the rules required him to start off with a driver!
The first golf championship was held in the Argentine Republic at Buenos Airies Club
Ben Sayers developed the leather grip
Golf club professionals in USA were able to make a good living even if they did not enter or win tournaments. Typically, “William Campbell professional at the County Club Brooklin has $150, earning one dollar an hour for lessons, and extra money for repairs besides his trade in clubs”
Berlin Golf Club was built on land provided by Count Eulenberg and held its first competition. “ The field was select with handicaps ranging from 24 to 86. Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holsten (HC 30), Earl Granville, (HC36) competed with the British and American Ambassadors who are joint Hon Presidents.”
The Arab caddies at Cairo golf course are “as a rule willing and good-tempered fellows, but are not good at marking a ball down”
Just a few snippets: Enjoy these extracts:
