Evening star., 1901-12-07
Curious Incidents Connected With
the Popular Game.
MEMORABLE FEAfS OF SKILL
Some Remarkable Drives by
World-Famous Players.
ODD BETS WON AND LOST

Written for The Evening Star by DR.. J. @. Nc
PhersoD
AS golf spreads over the world, the
chances are increasing for curious incidents
connected with the game TO happen. We
hear of one golfer killing swallow with a
tremendous drive, and getting the bird
stuffed and seated on the deadly missile
We hear of another telling a sheep on the
course and disputing the value of the car
cass: and we hear of a third driving ball
into a gentleman's pocket and being unable
to play it as 1t lay. Yet marvelously few
accidents occur. wide awake are al.
when the game is being played.
The days were when astounding feats
were regularly chronicled, real tours de
force; but these did not necessarily estab-
lish the players position as first class. A
century ago, for instance, Mr.. Brown of
Edinburgh won a bet of gallon of whisky
by successfully meeting a historical chal
lenge. Hugo Arnot, in a critical note on
the letters of Topham, about 1715, remarked
that the author has been pleased to make
the summit of Arthurs Seat. and of the
other hills in the neighborhood of Edin-
bugh, fields for the game of golf. Were a
person to play a ball from the top of Ar
thurs Seat he would probably have to
walk half a mile before he could touch 1t
again. And we will venture to say that the
whole art Of man could not play the ball
back again" Little did the writer count on
a golfers prowess and perseverance,! For
Mr.. Brown succeeded in driving a ball from
the golf house, Bruntsfield links, over Ar
thurs Seat, in one less than the challenge
number of forty-five strokes.
In 179S bets were taken in the Burgess
Golfing Society that no two members could
be found capable Of driving ball over the
spire of st. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.
Messrs. Scales and Smallie were selected to
perform this formidable feat They were
allowed to six balls each. The balls
passed considerably higher than the wealth
er-cock, and were found nearly opposite the
Advocates Close. The bet was decided ear
ly in the morning, for fear of accident. The
required elevation was obtained by bar
rel stave, suitably fixed, and the height of
the steeple was 161 feet. Shortly afterward,
for bet, a ball was driven by Mr.. MacLean
over Melvilles monument in the New Town
of Edinburgh.
1t is recorded of a dextrous player that,
being accustomed to play much alone, he
would strike off three balls from one hole
to another Ohe distance between them be-
ing about 500 yards) with certain number
of strokes so precisely that on the putting
green of the second hole the balls would be
lying within reach of his club from each
other.
1t is also recorded of that mighty swip
err the Rev. DR.. Carlyle of Inveresk, near
Edinburgh Jupiter Carlyle), that he sur
prised Garrick, the famous actor, when his
guest at Hampton, by driving ball
through the archway of the garden into
the Thames once out Of three strokes.
When Lord Justice Clerk Moncrien was
playing foursome with Lord Rutherford
Clark, Mr.. Crawford, NJ P, and Mr.. Blair,
VS.. Mr.. Crawford's ball lay about eighty
yards from the hole; the stick with the flag
happened not to be quite in the hole, as 1t
ought to have been, but about foot away.
Mr.. Crawford played with his cleek, struck
the stick and holed the ball Lord Mon
crieff played next; he was yard or two
h.a hpl TIa al pla ed with h;S
cleek, struck the stick and went in, thus
| halving the hole. According to the doctrine
of chances, how unlikely that this should
happen!
Memorable Stroke.
One day, when Mr.. James Balfour, father
of the ex-ama teur champion, Mr.. Leslie
Balfour Melville, was playing against Sir
Hope Grant, a curious incident occurred.
They were going to the high hole coming
home, on st. Andrews links Allan Robert
son, the worlds champion, happened to be
at the hole, and held up the flag Sir Hope
struck off first, and went into the hole in
one, on which Allan flung the flag into the
air. Mr.. Balfour cried: Come, l have this
for the half" and played. He went about
a foot from the hole, and easily holed in
two. Never was that hole lost in two be-
fore or SINCE.
We have a similar case at Musselburgh IN
a big match, not much remembered now
but quite authentic. The match was be-
tween Willie Park, ST., and Bob Dow for a
good sum of money over thirty-six holes. In
the whole match Dow (who was playing an
exceptionally brilliant game against the
four times holder of the champion belt) was
one up and one to play. This last is a COM
paratively short hole. The putting green
is on a tableland beyond a nasty bunker
Dow. confident in being dormy, played a
magnificent shot with his cleek-140 yards
to the home hole, and lay a foot and a half
from the hole. A thousand to one was then
given on the match in favor of Dow The
immense crowd was so certain of Dow's
success that not even the most enthusiast