The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
MEDAL DAYS AT sT. ANDREWS.
Observed With Time Honored Ceremonies
at the Famous Links.

Medal days at the Royal and Ancient
Golf Club Of st. Andrews in Scotland are
venerable and red letter days in the annals
OF the game. The prizes at the spring
meeting are the silver cross. presented
by Col. j. Murray Belshes Of Buttergask.
that has been in play since 1896: the silver
medal, presented by the Golfng Society
of Bombay, first competed for in ls46, and
at the autumn meeting the great trophy
is the gold medal, presented by King Will
liam w.. first played for in 1887, and the
oldest, the clubs gold medal. Play for
this trophy began in 1890 and continued
until 1895, in which period 1t was the only
medal competed for and since 1887 it has
been the second prize at the autumn meet
ing. There also is the George Glennie
medal, presented by the Royal Blackheath
Club for the lowest aggregate score at
the spring and autumn meetings, which
dates to 1882, and is the infant of the prizes.
As the Oldest golf club in the world, the
Royal Blackheath, organized in 1908, has
done we'll to extend the medal Of fellowship
to its sprightly brother beyond the Tweed,
for the Royal and Ancient halls only from
1854. The senior club is in the London
group. near Greenwich, which will be news
W Ildlly hlutTlCttllS, dllel ~ Has Dut bCNSh
holes three rounds being made in compe-
titions. 1t is the only club where fore
c&ddie is compulsory. and he has to carry
red flag.
The CO npetl.ions are limited TO members
Of the Royal and Ancient, but as the famous
club is the mecca Of all devotees Of the
game, the lists include nearly every amateur
who has attained fame on the links. In
VI J-l i. -
att ain fame that the holder might not bar
ter for a championship, although the pos
session has often been a stepping stone TO
the amateur title. Many have tried for
the King William medal and failed, for the
field will number from sixty to eighty at
the aut umn meeting; yet in thirty-one years.
from 1873 to 1904, only thirteen names have
been inscribed on the roll. Leslie Balfour-
Melville has won no less than seven times;
3. Mure Ferguson. six; John Z. LAidley,
THRICE; and double Victories appear opposite
thenames OF Henry Lamb, Alexander Stuart,
Horace Hutchinson, F. G. TAFT and Robert
Maxwell. The single victors have been
Charles Anderson, E. B. H. Blackwell,
runner up to Travis at Sandwich; H. w.
de Zoe,e, H. c. Ellis and Norman Hunter,
winner this fall who visited our links last
year with the team Of the Oxford and Cam
bridge Golfing Society.
Many graphic pictures OF an autumn
illustrated, Of Oct. is, as the closing con-
tribution to that periodical of his much
talked SLICED Shots at st. Andrews"
After all" he observes. "one medal day
is very like another; the hustle and excite
ment begins with the hurrying over break
fast to get down to the tee in time to see the
captain drive the first ball, and thus win
medal for which he has no competitor.
1t is an amusing sight The captain, who
Is not not wsys ysT 5v good s gSr s %b
crowd of sightseers on either side and
troop OF caddies swarming on the course
in front of him. Nine o'clock strikes, and
he nervously raises his club and makes
half shot In among the boys, who rush
at the ball from all quarters and scramble
for its possession In tangled heap OF strug-
Cling humanity.
The captain, by time honored custom.
has abandoned his ownership with the
drive, and the ball becomes the property
Of the caddie who can secure 1t. Then,
at the choky bang of little brass cannon,
the competition begins, and when the last
cards are In the cannon Is fired once more.
Meantime -the secretary has little tent
and as the players come In they hand their
scores to him, and he notes down their
scores The toll Of the. day Is over, and
every one settles down to rest and enjoy
ment
In the evening the club dinner takes
place. usually in the clubs big smoking
room. As preliminary, the diners shake
hands with the new captain, who, as well
as the retiring captain and all past captains
wears a scarlet coat, while the ordinary
members are in black. 1t is very jolly
gathering, with toasts, speeches, the pres
entation Of the prizes and much cheering
and hilarity.
tain sits in the chair, with the two silver
golf clubs and the silver golf balls In front
of him. At the last he rises, and, taking
off the ribbons and medals he has worn on
his neck, ne turns to the new captain and
presents to him the insignia OF the office.
After taking the chair, the new captain
presently announces that there remains
kissing the golf balls-the retiring captains
present to the club silver golf ball (which
are clustered around the silver clubs until
each has become the tendril to a monster
bunch of the glistening grapes; All the
new members then stand up to quote
III. g." "and giggling. like schoolgirls,
make their way round the room and rev.
erently kiss the balls which the captain
HOLDS out to them ..r