St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1907-05-10
FREAKS OF GOLF BALLS.
Have Killed Birds on the Wing and
Caused n Sheen to Drop Dead.

Caused . Sheep to Drop Dead.
1t does not often happen that a
bird falls victim to a golf ball in
its fight, although such a mishap
has occurred in two or three in
stances, says London Tit-Bits.
Not long ago an incident Of this
kind was reported from Raynes
Park Golf club. It took place in
the course of bogie competition.
One of the players, a Mr.. Crocker,
having driven off at the eleventh
tee, his ball created some astonish-
ment by coming in contact with a
lark in midair and literally knocking
off its head.
A similar incident happened last
season but one on the ground of the
Birkdale club. Two members were
playing a round when one of them
made a brassie shot. The ball was
in full fight when a bird of the
wagtail species was seen crossing the
line Of fight, and the next moment
both objects came into collision at
a distance Of about forty PAGES from
the striker.
The consequences we're fatal to
the unfortunate bird, which was not
only killed, but decapitated. As for
the golf ball, It's flight was stopped
by the impact, the ball falling to
the ground within a few yards Of
its slaughtered victim. The incident
had the further object Of losing the
player the match, he having to make
an extra stroke or two to cover the
distance short covered, thus costing
him the game.
A still more extraordinary freak
of golf ball resulted in O tragedy
on the Balcomie links in Scotland.
In the course of match one Of the
players, in his drive from the sixth
tee, put so much vigor into IL that
the ball struck a sheep on the head
with such force as to cause it to
fall dead on the spot.
A very different, but no less in
teresting, story was reported from
another links In Scotland about the
same time. In foursome match,
played ut North Berwick, one Of the
golfers drove his ball against a wall.
IL reboundcd into some rough grass
and for a few minutes could not
be traced, but ultimately the caddic
found the ball lying in lark's nest,
in which were four eggs all un-
broken. For ball TO drop into a
nest Of eggs without breaking any
was surely an extraordinary occur
renee.
IL is not long since a player at
Woking in approaching the hole
landed a ball on the top Of the
clubhouse. This little incident did
not, however, upset his equilibrium
very much. As nimbly as he could
he followed the ball to the roof and
from that coign Of disadvantage
played IL so well that he was sue
cessful in securing half OF hole
which everybody considered ire
trieyably lost.
A similar scene was once wit
messed on tho st. Andrews links in
the course OF three ball match.
One Of the players happened TO drive
his ball on TO tho corrugated iron
roof Of a shed and, in the belief
that he had consequently given up
the hole, the other two calmly pro-
ceeded with the match. But they
had reckoncd without their host,
for the next moment there was a
great clatter Of feet on the iron
roof, Barely had the warning cry
of 'fore" reached the players ears
when a ball whizzed on to the course
close by. IL was that OF the other
player, who had mounted TO the
roof and played it from that unex-
pected corner.