In Scotland we often talk of the number of golfers who rise with the sun and make for the links so as to get their game in before breakfast. But the public courses in America are more crowded than ever such famous Scottish municipal courses as the Edinburgh—Braids, where probably 500 players pay toll daily during the summer months. This is the considered opinion of the well-known Scottish golfer and Amateur Champion, Willie Hunter, expressed in an article in the "Evening Standard." At 5 a.m. at Cortland Park, New York, he says, as Many as 70 bags are frequently lined up by their owners, this being the only chance of getting a round in owing to the crowds that turn up. To arrive at, say, 9 am. means getting a start at 2 p.m. He tells us, too, that all the private courses at the week-end are tremend ously overcrowded, much more so than any clubs he knows of in Britain.
Naturally, among all these enthusiasts, good golfers are continually being discovered, so that, as he explains, it is no longer a select few who have a ready passage to the higher circles, but quite a large number' who are capable of meeting the best golfers in the world. "I have been asked several times (writes Hunter), what I thought of the chances of our Amateurs against the Americans. In view of last year's heavy international defeat at Hoylake it would be idle fof me to say that I consider our side likely to beat the American team at Brookline, U.S.A. but at the same time I think that even the poor side selected last year did not do themselves justice, and should - undoubtedly have made a better showing. I think that with our strongest available team we should go very close in this year's game."
This year the American side to confront the British, Hunter thinks, will be stronger in talent than any amateur side that ever took the field in international golf, and there will be no tail. He chooses a side in the following order,—Guilford, Evans, Ouimet, Jones, Paul Hunter, Gardner, Johnson, and Knepper, with Sweetser, Marston, and Van Elm as reserves.
New Crups ror Exp.
An ent rprising insurance © comnpany is trying its best to lure me on to take up golf seriously. For an annual premium of ten shillings it offers to insure me against personal accidents, third party risks (which are not inconsiderable when I play), burglary, theft, and breakage of clubs. This last item intrigues me—'"The value or cost of repairing clubs broken in play." It sounds too good to be true, but I have it in print on the company's circular. "Oh, wha will brok a club wi' me"
Asour Scots from New Books.
An account of his recent visit to this country is given by Charlie Chaplin in a little volume just published. In it occurs this "impression" of Sir J. M. Barrie of "Thrums." Barrie is a small man," says Charlie, "with a dark moustache and a deeply marked, sad face, and heavily shaded eyes; but I detect lines of humour running around his mouth."' Again, at a dinner at the Garrick everyone seems jovial except Barrie. His eyes look sad and tired. But he brightens as though all along there had been that hidden smile behind the mask."
A new medley of "Memories" by Sir David Hunter Blair, the former Scottish Abbot of Fort Augustus, contains a good story about an unlucky member of the Oxford Union Committee who got into his head somehow that Lord Rosebery, who was guest of honour, could only speak after champagne. There are tea and coffee here," he whispered in his Lordship's ear, '"'but I have got your pint of champagne behind that screen will you come and have it now?" "Well, do you know," said the great man, with his usual tact, "I think for once in a way I will have a cup of coffee."
Another story concerns a young man and a maiden who were playing golf at Naim, the lady being quite a novice, and had reached a hole which was on the top of a little hill. The youth ran up first, to see the lie of the "Walls. "A stymie he shouted back; "a dead stymie!" The young lady came up with a sniff. "Well, do you know," she said, "I thought I smelled something as I was walking up the hill!"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.