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A game within another game—Putting is not to be taught—The advantage of experience—Vexation of missing short putts—Some anecdotes—Individuality in putting—The golfer's natural system—How to find it—And when found make a note of it—The quality of instinct—All sorts of putters—How I once putted for a Championship—The part that the right hand plays—The manner of hitting the ball—On always being up and "giving the hole a chance"—Easier to putt back after overrunning than when short—The trouble of Tom Morris.

CHAPTER XIV Complicated Putts 150

Problems on undulating greens—The value of practice—Difficulties of calculation—The cut stroke with the putter—How to make it—When it is useful—Putting against a sideways slope—A straighter line for the hole—Putting down a hill—Applying drag to the ball—The use of the mashie on the putting-green—Stymies—When they are negotiable and when not—The wisdom of playing for a half—Lofting over the stymie—The run-through method—Running through the stymie—How to play the stroke, and its advantages—Fast greens for fancy strokes—On gauging the speed of a green.

CHAPTER XV Some General Hints 160

Too much golf—Analysis of good strokes—One's attitude towards one's opponent—Inaccurate counting of strokes—Tactics in match play—Slow couples on the course—Asking for halves—On not holing out when the half is given—Golfing attire—Braces better than belts—Shoes better than boots—How the soles should be nailed—On counting your strokes—Insisting on the rules—Play in frosty weather—Chalked faces for wet days—Against gloves—Concerning clubs—When confidence in a club is lost—Make up your mind about your shot—The golfer's lunch—Keeping the eye on the ball—The life of a rubber-core—A clean ball—The caddie's advice—Forebodings of failure—Experiments at the wrong time—One kind of golf at a time—Bogey beaten, but how?—Tips for tee shots—As to pressing—The short approach and the wayward eye—Swinging too much—For those with defective sight—Your opponent's caddie—Making holes in the bunkers—The golfer's first duty—Swinging on the putting-greens—Practise difficult shots and not easy ones, etc.

CHAPTER XVI Competition Play 177

Its difficulties—Nerves are fatal—The philosophic spirit—Experience and steadiness—The torn card—Too much hurry to give up—A story and a moral—Indifference to your opponent's brilliance—Never slacken when up—The best test of golf—If golf were always easy—Cautious play in medal rounds—Risks to be taken—The bold game in match play—Studying the course—Risks that are foolishly taken—New clubs in competitions—On giving them a trial—No training necessary—As to the pipe and glass—How to be at one's best and keenest—On playing in the morning—In case of a late draw—Watch your opponents.

CHAPTER XVII On Foursomes 188

The four-ball foursome—Its inferiority to the old-fashioned game—The case of the long-handicap man—Confusion on the greens—The man who drives last—The old-fashioned two-ball foursome—Against too many foursomes—Partners and each other—Fitting in their different games—The man to oblige—The policy of the long-handicap man—How he drove and missed in the good old days—On laying your partner a stymie—A preliminary consideration of the round—Handicapping in foursomes—A too delicate reckoning of strokes given and received—A good foursome and the excitement thereof—A caddie killed and a hole lost—A compliment to a golfer.

CHAPTER XVIII Golf for Ladies 198

As to its being a ladies' game—A sport of freedom—The lady on the links—The American lady golfer—English ladies are improving—Where they fail, and why—Good pupils—The same game as the man's—No short swings for ladies—Clubs of too light weight—Their disadvantages—A common fault with the sex—Bad backward swings—The lady who will find out for herself—Foundations of a bad style—The way to success.

CHAPTER XIX The Construction of Courses 205

Necessity for thought and ingenuity—The long-handicap man's course—The scratch player's—How good courses are made—The necessary land—A long nine-hole course better than a short eighteen—The preliminary survey—A patient study of possibilities—Stakes at the holes—Removal of natural disadvantages—"Penny wise and pound foolish"—The selection of teeing grounds—A few trial drives—The arrangement of long and short holes—The best two-shot and three-shot holes—Bunkers and where to place them—The class of player to cater for—The scratch man's game—The shots to be punished—Bunkers down the sides—The best putting greens—Two tees to each hole—Seaside courses.

CHAPTER XX Links I have Played on 219

Many first-class links—The best of all—Sandwich—Merits of the Royal St. George's course—Punishments for faults and rewards for virtue—Not a short course—The best hole—The Maiden—Other good holes—Prestwick an excellent course—The third and the ninth holes—The finest hole anywhere—Hoylake—Two or three tame holes—A means of improvement—Good hazards and a premium on straight play—St. Andrews—Badly-placed bunkers—A good second hole—The finest one-shot hole to be found anywhere—An unfair hole—The best holes at Muirfield—Troon—North Berwick—Cruden Bay—Dornoch—Machrihanish—A splendid course at Islay—The most difficult hole I know—Gullane—Kilspindie—Luffness—Links in Ireland—Portrush—Portmarnock—Dollymount—Lahinch—Newcastle—Welsh courses—Ashburnham—Harlech—On the south and south-west coasts—The rushes at Westward Ho!—Newquay—Good holes at Deal—Littlestone—Rye—The advantage of Cromer—Brancaster—Hunstanton—Sheringham—Redcar—Seaton Carew—St. Anne's—Formby—Wallasey—Inland courses—Sunningdale—A splendid course—Another at Walton Heath—Huntercombe—London links—Courses in the country—Sheffield—Manchester—Huddersfield—"Inland" courses at the seaside—A warning.

CHAPTER XXI Golf in America 232

Good golf in the United States—My tour through the country—Mr. Travis's victory in our Amateur Championship—Not a surprise—The man who played the best golf—British amateurs must wake up—Other good Americans will come—Our casual methods of learning golf—The American system—My matches in the States—A good average—Driving well—Some substantial victories—Some difficult matches—Course records—Enthusiasm of the American crowds—The golf fever—The king of baseball takes to golf—The American Open Championship—A hard fight with J.H. Taylor—A welcome win—Curious experiences in Florida—Greens without grass—The plague of locusts—Some injury to my game—"Mr. Jones"—Fooling the caddies—Camping out on the links—Golf reporting in America—Ingenious and good—Mistakes made by non-golfing writers—Lipping the hole for a hundred dollars.

CHAPTER XXII Concerning Caddies 245

Varieties of caddies—Advice to a left-handed player—Cock-shots at Ganton—Unearned increments—An offer to carry for the fun of the thing—The caddie who knows too much—My ideal caddie—His points—The girl caddie—A splendid type—Caddies' caustic humour—Some specimens of it—Mr. Balfour's taste in caddies—When the caddie is too anxious—Good human kindness—"Big Crawford"—"Lookin' aifter Maister Balfour"—An ingenious claim—A salute for the Chief Secretary—A story of a distressed clergyman—Sandy Smith—The clothes he wore—An excess of zeal—The caddies' common-sense—When his lot is not a happy one.

CHAPTER XXIII Reflections and Recollections 259

Good golf to come—Giants of the past—The amateurs of to-day—The greatness of "Freddy" Tait—Modern professionals—Good sportsmen and good friends—A misconception—The constant strain—How we always play our best—Difficult tasks—No "close season" in golf—Spectators at big matches—Certain anecdotes—Putting for applause—Shovelling from a bunker—The greatest match I have ever played in—A curious incident—A record in halves—A coincidence—The exasperation of Andrew—The coming of spring—The joyful golfer.

Appendix (Rules of the Game) 267 Index 279 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Portrait   Frontispiece Plate   Page I. My set of clubs 48 II. The grip with the left hand 58 III. The overlapping grip 58 IV. The overlapping grip 58 V. The overlapping grip 58 VI. Driver and brassy. The stance 66 VII. Driver and brassy. Top of the swing 66 VIII. Driver and brassy. Top of the swing from behind 66 IX. Driver and brassy. Finish of the swing 66 X. How not to drive 72 XI. How not to drive 72 XII. How not to drive 72 XIII. How not to drive 72 XIV. Driver and brassy. Stance when playing for a slice 86 XV. Driver and brassy. Top of the swing when playing for a slice 86 XVI. Driver and brassy. Finish when playing for a slice 86 XVII. Driver and brassy. Playing for a pull. Stance 90 XVIII. Driver and brassy. Top of the swing when playing for a pull 90 XIX. Driver and brassy. Finish when playing for a pull 90 XX. Driver and brassy. Stance for a low ball against the wind 96 XXI. Driver and brassy. Stance for a high ball with the wind 96 XXII. Full shot with the cleek. Stance 102 XXIII. Full shot with the cleek. Top of the swing 102 XXIV. Full shot with the cleek. Finish 102 XXV. Full shot with the cleek. Finish 102 XXVI. The push shot with the cleek. Stance 106 XXVII. The push shot with the cleek. Top of the swing 106 XXVIII. The push shot with the cleek. Finish 106 XXIX. A low ball (against wind) with the cleek. Stance 106 XXX. A low ball (against wind) with the cleek. Top of the swing 106 XXXI. A low ball (against wind) with the cleek. Finish 106 XXXII. Faulty play with the cleek 110 XXXIII. Faulty play with the cleek 110 XXXIV. Faulty play with the cleek 110 XXXV. Faulty play with the cleek 110 XXXVI. Faulty play with the cleek 110 XXXVII. Full iron shot. Stance 114 XXXVIII. Full iron shot. Top of the swing 114 XXXIX. Full iron shot. Finish 114 XL. Play with the iron for a low ball (against wind). Stance 114 XLI. Play with the iron for a low ball (against wind). Top of the swing 114 XLII. Play with the iron for a low ball (against wind). Finish 114 XLIII. Mashie approach (pitch and run). Stance 122 XLIV. Mashie approach (pitch and run). Top of the swing 122 XLV. Mashie approach (pitch and run). Finish 122 XLVI. Mistakes with the mashie 122 XLVII. Mistakes with the mashie 122 XLVIII. Mistakes with the mashie 122 XLIX. Running-up approach with mashie or iron. Finish, with stance also indicated 122 L. A cut approach with the mashie. Stance 122 LI. A cut approach with the mashie. Top of the swing 122 LII. A cut approach with the mashie. Finish 122 LIII. The niblick in a bunker. Top of an ordinary stroke when it is intended to take much sand 136 LIV. "Well out!" Finish of an ordinary stroke in a bunker when much sand is taken 136 LV. Another bunker stroke. Top of the swing when intending to take the ball cleanly and with a little cut 136 LVI. Finish, after taking the ball cleanly from a bunker 136 LVII. Putting 146 LVIII. Putting 146
Diagrams. Trajectory of ball when a distant slice is required 89 Trajectory of ball in the case of a quick slice 90 Method and effect of pulling into a cross wind from the right 94 The push shot with the cleek 106 Putting with cut on a sloping green 154 Nails
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