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Kay's Originals Vol. 2

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210 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. The author then goes on in a lively strain to describe some of the “chiefs” -the “ cocks 0’ the green ” at that period :- “ Macdonald and unmatched Dalrymple ply Their ponderous weapons, and the green defy ; Rattray for skill, and Corse for strength renowned, Stewart and Lesly beat the sandy ground ; And Brown and Alxton, chiefs well known in fame, And numbers more the muse forbears to name. Gigantic Biggar here full oft is seen, Like huge Behemoth on an Indian green ; His bulk enormous scarce can ’scape the eyes ; Amazed spectators wonder how he plies. Yea, here great Forbes,’ patron of the just- The dread of villains, and the good man’s trust ; When spent with toils in serving human kind, His body recreates and unbends his mind.” The oldest golfing associations, or clubs, are the ‘‘ Edinburgh Burgess ” and ‘ I Bruntsfield Links ” Golfing Societies, instituted in 1735. The “ Edinburgh Company of Golfers,” under the patronage of the city, originated in 1’144. An act was passed by the Town Council on the 7th of March, “appointing their treasurer to cause make a silver club, of 215 value, to be played for on the Links of Leith the first Monday of April annually. The act appoints that the candidates’ names be booked some day of the week preceding the match, paying 5s. each at booking : that they be matched into parties of two’s, or of three’s, if their number be great, by lot : that the player who shall have the greatest number of holes be victor ; and if two or more shall have won an equal number, that they play a round by themselves, in order to determine the match: that the victor be styled Captnin of the Go$: that he append a piece of gold or silver to the club: that he have the sole disposal of the booking money-the determination of disputes among goffers, with the assistance of two or three of the players-and the superintendency of the Links. Accordingly, the first match was played on 2d April, by ten gentlemen, and won by Mr. John Rattray, surgeon in Edinburgh.” Except in the years 1746 and 1747, the club was regularly played for; and as a farther encouragement, the Society themselves gave two annual prizesthe one, a silver cup, value ten guineas, on which was engraved the winner’s name and coat-of-arms, with a suitable inscription. The other prize was a gold medal, given to the best player at golf, and worn on the breast of the conqueror for a year, and as mbny years after as he might be able to maintain his superiority. In 1765 about twenty-two members of the Society having subscribed &30 each, they built what is called the ‘‘ Goff-House,” at the south-west corner of Leith Links, wherein the Company might hold their meetings, social as well as connected with business. The Company not being a corporate body, this pro- Duncan Forbes, Esq., Lord President of the Court of Session. It is reported of this great man, that he was 80 fond of golf as to play on the sands of Leith when the Links were covered with snow.
Volume 9 Page 281
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