GOLF, is an ingenious field game, played with bats or dubs, and balls, and a favourite amusement in Scotland. When or by whom it was first introduced, is not ascer tained; but we find that as early as the fifteenth century, it was so much in vogue as to be an object of attention to the legislature. The parliament of Scotland, assembled under James II. in 1457, passed an act prohibiting golf and foot-ball, as being found to interfere too much with the acquisition of dexterity in archery, an accomplishment in those days of such consequence to the safety of the state. " It is decreed and ordained," says the act, " that the foot ball and golf be utterly cried down, and not to be used, and that the bow-marks be made at ilk (each) parish kirk a pair of butts, and shooting be used. And that ilk man shoot six shots at the least, under the pain of being raised upon them that comes not, at the least two pennies, to be given to them that comes to the bow-marks to drink." This shows that golf in at that period known and much prac tised. And as n the former reign, viz. of James I. anno 1424, we have a similar act of parliament, prohibiting foot ball, without any mention being made of golf, we think the probability is, that golf was not then known :—certainly it was not much practised.
In both the subsequent reigns of James III. and James IV. we have similar acts of parliament against foot-ball and golf. Under the first of these monarchs, in 1471, it is enacted, " that foot-ball and golf be abused, (that is dis used) in time coming; and that the butts be made up, and shooting used, after the tenor of the act of parliament made thereupon." In the reign of James IV. 1491, it is statute and ordained, " that in no place of the realm there be used foot-ball, golf, or other such unprofitable sports," under the penalty of forty shillings. All these statutes were evidently framed, not from a conviction that there was, in the manly and athletic exercises of foot-ball and golf, any thing injurious either to the health, the morals, or the loyalty of the subject ; but because they drew the atten tion too much from the attainment of skill in martial ex ercises, at a time when the situation of the country so eminently required it.
The ground over which golf is played, is in Scotland called links, and is usually a particular sort of sandy soil in the neighbourhood of the sea-shore, its surface mostly covered with short close grass, here and there in ter by breaks, pits, and inequalities. These inter ruptions are necessary to impart interest to the game.
The track along which the players proceed, is denomi nated the course, and may be either rectilinear, or a figure of any number of sides. Holes are made in the ground of about four inches diameter, and at the distance of four hundred yards, or a quarter of a mile from each other; and the object of the game is to strike a ball from one of these holes into the next with as few strokes as possible. A game may be said to terminate at each of these holes, and their number is not limited, but depends on the nature of the ground.
Balls are used of about 14-th of an inch in diameter, and weighing from 26 to 30 drachms avoirdupois. They ate made of strong alumed leather, and stuffed with feathers. The feathers are forced in at a small holeleft in the cover ing, by a blunt pointed iron instrument, which the maker applies to his shoulder, and the operation is continued till the ball acquires a surprising degree of hardness and elas ticity. A good workman makes about nine balls in a day. When dry, they are painted with white oil-paint, to ex clude the water, and render them easily seen. In playing, they are struck with a bat or club, four feet in length, hav ing a small tapering elastic shaft, with a crooked head, into which is run a quantity of lead to render it heavy, and it is fortified by a piece of horn before. A good player, with one of these clubs, will strike a ball to the distance of 180 or 200 yards. Every golfer has a variety of clubs, differ ently formed, and adapted for playing in different situa tions of the ball, and in different stages of the game. A set consists of four at least, viz. the common or play club, the spoon, the putter, and the iron; but most gol fers have ten or a dozen different sorts. The common club is used when the ball lies Ur on the ground; the spoon, when in a hollow ; the iron, when among sand, gravel, or stones ; and the putter, when near the hole.