766 Gr O threw this burgh that, seeing the Sabboth day being the Lordis day, it becuinis every Christiane to delieat hinisellf to the service of God, tliairfore commanding in our soveraiic lord's name, and in name of the provost and baillies, that na inhabitants of the saiiiyii be seen at ony pastyines within or without the toun, iipoun the ' Sabbath day, sic as golfc, it-c." ‘ The following year the edict was rcannouiiced, but with the modification that the prohibition was “' in tyiiie of sermons." Golf has from old times been known in Scotland as “ The Rnyal and Anci'cnt Game of Goff." Though no doubt Scottish monarchs handled the club before him, James IV. is the first who figures formally in the golfing record. James V. was also very partial to the game distinctively known as “royal”; and there is some scrap of evidence to show that his daughter, the unhappy Mary Stuart, was, in some sort of feminine way, a golfer. It was alleged by her enemies that, as showing her shameless indifl'erence to the fate of her husband, a very few days after his murder, she “was seen playing go!/' and palliiiall in the fields beside Scton."9 That her son, James VI. (afterwards James I. of England), was a golfer tradition confidently asserts, though the evidence which connects him with the personal practice of the game is slight. Of the interest he took in it we have evidence in his Act—already alluded to——“anent golfe ballis,” prohibiting their importation, except under certain restrictions. Charles I. (as his brother Prince Henry had becni’) was dcvotedly attached to the game. Whilst engaged in it on the links of Leitli, in 1642, the news reached him of the Irish rebellion of that year. He had not the equaniiiiity to finish his match, but returned preeipitately and in much agitation to Holyrood.‘ Long afterwards, while prisoner to the Scots army at Newcastle, before being given up to the tender mercies of the English Parliament, he found his favourite diversion in “ the royal game." “ The King was nowhere treated with more honour than at New- castle, as he himself confessed, both he and his train having liberty to go abroad and play at goffi ii the Shield Field, without the walls. " 5 Of his son, Charles II., as a golfer, nothing whatever is ascertained, but his brother, James II. , was a known devotee.“ After the Restora- tion, J amcs, then duke of York, was sent to Edinburgh in 1681-2 as commissioner of the king to parliament, and an historical monument of his prowess as a golfer remains there to this day in the " Golfer’s Land,” as it is still ealled, 77 Canongate. The duke having been challenged by two English noblemen of his suite, or entourage, to play a match against them, for a very large stake, along with any Scotch ally he niiglit select, judiciously chose as his partner one “Johne Patersone," a sliocinaker—a local crack of the day, it is to be presumed. The duke and the said J ohne won easily, and half of the large stake the duke made over to his humble coadjutor, who therewith built himself the house mentioned above. With the Revolution royal patronage entirely ceased, to be renewed only in comparatively recent times. In 183-I William IV. became patron of e St Andrews Golf Club (St Andrews, the ancient ecclesiastical me opolis of Scotland, being now, as of old, the most famous seat of the game), and to approve of its being styled in time coming " The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.” In 1837, as further proof of royal favour, he presented to it a magnificent gold medal, which “should be challenged and played for annually;" and in 1838 the queen dowager, duehess of St Andrews, becauie patroness of the elub, and presented to it a handsome gold niedal—— “The Royal Adelaide,"—as a mark of her approbation, with a request that it should be worn by the captain, as president, on all public occasions. In June 1863 the prince of Wales signified his desire to become patron of the club, and in the following September was elected captain by aeelamation. The engagements of the prince did not admit of his coming in person to undertake the duties of the office, but his brother Prince Leopold, having in 1876 (lone the club the honour to become its captain, twice visited the ancient city in that capacity. Prince Leopold is himself a keen player, and under his supcrintendenceagreen has been laid out in Vindsor-park. The ancient game of golf has thus fairly now again become as “royal" as ever it was in its old hist0i'ie periods. The later fortunes of the game have been uneventful. While always keeping its hold on the affections of the people, it might readily be shown,_that over Scotland generally its tide, till nearly withm_our own time, was rather an ebbing than a flowing one. While it remained a favourite pastime with some of the aristocracy and gentry who always had a sufficient following where—as instance, in Edinburgh—t_he d_ue facilities admitted, the general enthusiasm for the sport which lives for us in the old records had certainly dis- appeared, and over various isolated greens, where playing was at one time constant, it had virtually and sometimes absolutely died out. Its increased popularity within recent years has no doubt been largely due to those general causes which have led to a kecncr l Records of the Pity of Edinburgh. '-’ lnrento;-in of Mary Qurm of Srols. preface. p. lxx., 186-'5, 3 Anonymous author of MS. in the lliirlciun Library. ‘ See llistory of Lrilh. by A. Campbell. 1921. 5 Local Ilecords of 1Vartliuniber!an(I, by John Sykes, New-castle, 18.33_ ‘’ Robertson's Ilistorical Nolicm of I.ei"h. LF interest in almost every form of out-door amusement, but it is also i in some measure to be attributed to greatly extended railway | facilities, and to the introduction somc thirt.y years ago of the cheap ainl durable gutta percha ball to rcpliu-c the old missile.’ It remains to give some little account of the more noted golf ‘ clubs and golfing grounds. The most famous of golf clubs, to which primacy is by common consent accorded, is’ that of the city of St Andrews, instituted in 1754. For various reasons this club has always been of much more than merely local celebrity. lts inember- ship is far more iiinneroiis than that of an_v other ; nearly all golfers of note belong to it ; and to its spring and autumn meetings they flock fi'oiii every part of the kingdom. To be winner of a medal at St Andrews is thus the highest honour to which the auibition of the golfer can aspire. A “round,” as it is terined, of the links is very nearly four miles; and, extent and quality considered, the green is on the whole unrivalled by any other in Si-otlaiul. Of greens in Fife of minor importance, those of Elie ainl Levon may be noted. Next in importance to “ The l-loyal and .- t-ient Golf Club of St Andrews" ranks “ The llonourablc the Edinburgh Company of Golfers,” who play over Musselburgh green, one of fair but $i’{l1't‘Ol_' siiprcuie quality. The first of its regular series of iniiintcs bears date 1744, and is signed by Lord President Duncan 1-‘orbcs of Culloden, but the club itself is beyond question very much older. Of other Ediiiburgh golf clubs may be noted “The l3i'untslit-Id,” founded in the year 1760,.a.iid the “ Edinbiirgli Biii-ge.<s," the minute books of which are preserved since the year 1773, though it claims to have date of origin 1735. In East Lothian, besides the good old green of North Bcrwick, there are of late years two othei-s,—Giillane and Lufl'ness,—and on all three excellent golfing sport is to be had. At the ancient city of Perth, though the gi'oiind is but indifl‘ei'ciitly adapted for it, the old Scottish game has continuously bccn main- taincd, and still floiirishes. So also in l"orf'ai'sliire, at the liistorie green of ill0lltl'0Sc, to which in our own time have been added those of Moiiifcitli and Carnoustie, which, from their proxiinity to Dundee, natiiially attract many players; and all three may be ranked as greens of fair quality. At Aberdeen, till very latcly, the game had quite died out, but it has now been with more or less of vigour resumed. At Stirling likewise it was extinct, but is new again fairly alive. though under conditions of ground, as at l’t-i-th, not quite satisfactory. At Glasgow also, where on the old “Glasgow Green” the game was lial)itiially played, it had lapsed into disuse and evcn oblivion ; but within the last ten years the general resuscitation has reached it, and a spirited club now exists tlicre. If the ground is by no means what might be wished, the Glasgow golfer, by a very easy railway run, can reach the green of Prest- wiek, near Ayr. The “ Prestwick Club" is, by comparison, of recent origin, having been organized mainly by the last earl of Egliiitoiiii, and one or two gentlcnicn in the IlL‘lglll)0L1l'l100(l, interested like himself in the game. Except for limitation in extent, making it impossible that a large “ field" should be a(-commo- dated withoiit confusion and even danger, such is the excellence of the ground that, as a “sporting” green, to test play, that of Prestwiek is held by competent judges perhaps to surpass all others. A second links has recently been opened at l’i'cstwicl<, and another at Troon, on the same coast. The oldest golf club in the kingdom is not iinprobably that of Blaeklieatli, near London. The old records of the club were unfor- tunately destroyed by fire at Greenwich, where they were kept, and 1766 is thus the earliest date for which there is docuineiitary evidence. Tradition places the origin of this club so far back as 1608, when King James, with his Scotch following, brought the game south into England. Recently another London club has been started, whose ground of play is at Wiinbledoii. i'eitlu-r green is of great merit, but both are much prized and frcqiit-iittd by golfers in and near London. In 1864, at Bideford, in l)evonsliire, a golfing green was laid out by the well-kiiown 'l‘oiii Morris of St Andrews, and a club was duly instituted, which has since continued to flourish. This links is one of the finest and most extensive any- where to be found, and despite the disadvantage of remoteness and difficulty of access, the meetings of the club attract players from all quarters, and are commonly most snccessfiil. More lately an excel- lent green was opened at Hoylake, near Liverpool, and the club here has also prospered greatly. At Crookliaiii in Bcrksliire, and Alnwick in I’orthunibcrland, the game is regularly played ; and at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge rival golf clubs have within the last few years been formed. In brief, the ganie has now thoroughly taken root in England; from year to year it is rapidly s »reading, and many fine English players have already passed into the front rank. In nearly all the British colonies the game has naturalized itself. Golf clubs of old standing exist at Calcutta and Boinbay, and more casually over India a good deal of play is to be met with. 'hercver Scots congregate in any numbers a golf club _is pretty sure to spring up. In Canada and the United States, as in 7 The old ball was. roughly. ii circlct of leather, stitched together in _sectioi_is. and stuffed as hard as a stone with feathers. It was about twice the price of me
present ball. and almost incompariihly less durable.