A greenkeeper always has troubles with which to contend.
Early in my career on coming from dinner one day, a woman and girl, evidently her daughter, with knives were busy on the low lying 18th green rooting out the sea daisies and filling two baskets.
They had made fair progress as there were lots of them about.
I ran across to Mr. Bell, he was busy but told me to make them put them back, so I tackled the girl first telling her to stop as they were spoiling the putting green.
This she refused to do and kept rooting up the daisies, so getting at her basket I upset its contents.
The woman then came at me and having a big gish knife in her hand things were not too good, as she had left her basket at the far side to where the girl was.
I waited until she was close up, and then made a dash for her basket upsetting the daisy haul. She was a poor runner (the girl did not count).
I kept backing away retaining the basket, which was a rather nice one and threatening to knock its ribs in unless they gave up damaging the green, and that they must leave me the daisies to be replaced.
Mr. Bell coming up then, she deemed "discretion the better part of valour".
This was the worst daisy raid we had to deal with, I suppose they are still there. They made a nice pink border.
Another enemy was a young horse trainer for Mr. Joseph Smart.
He would take the higher green for the round and round about go.
I asked him to move a little nearer the sea, only to be told he would move me with his boot as he wore at least number nines I had no wish to interview them.
However I had a practice with my trusty little cleek from besides the fluke hole, the bank making good cover if anything happened.
So while he was hard at work with a fine spiritrd young horse, I watching my chance when his back was turned, I let out a drive.
The result was a great success, that old gutta got the horse full in the side and the tale is he never stopped until winded at the Sand Hills.
I don't think the man had any idea what caused the bolt.
Curious enough as a coincidence Geodie Morris and I when having a crack about our Carnoustie golf at Hoylake 50 years ago.
He had a similar experience only he hit Joe in the back, he said he shot at the horse.
He went well off in the opposite direction as those who remember Mr. Joe Smart know he was not likely to be too pleased over this simple Accident.
Joseph was both a man of words and deeds.
I have mentioned the old 10 holes, the 18 were played by leaving out the two factory holes.
The eight were all good holes...real golf, four of them extra, the 1st the 4th, the 5th and the 6th.
Shortly after starting the Dalhousie gave prizes ova this course.
The 1st prize was won by young Tom Morris who was then I think about 19 years old.
Davie Strath was 2nd, Bob Andrews of Perth 3rd (he was a very pretty style of player but like others of the present day couldn't hit hard enough).
Others competing were Old Tom Morris, Bob Dun of Montrose, and Jamie Anderson.
Jamie was another skilled golfer short of the hands and wrists to put in the hitting power.
I will have something to say about him when he won his Prestwick Championship as I played with him and to describe his last 4 holes sensational finish in 1878.
I have read quite a number of accounts, none of them strictly correct.
Jamie was also a fine club maker, he shaped me a model head I was very proud of until someone altered it.
The Amateur event at the same time was won by Mr. James Kerr a Carnoustie resident a member of the Dalhousie after a tie with a Mr. Smith of St. Andrews.
As Mr. Kerr was a constant visitor with me in the workshop I was very proud of the win as we had fixed up his clubs.
In fact, he used to try his hand when having something new made.
I believe he later left for business in India, he was a real plucky player.
His three younger brothers Charlie, Willie and Tommy I also used to know as golfers.
The medals were usually won by Mr. W. C. Thompson, Mr. J. J. Dalyell, Mr. George Gilroy.
Mr. James and Mr. George Cox were both great drivers, they wanted the straight left wrist approach to win medals also practice.
The players then were business gentlemen who played their rounds of golf but never practiced seriously or took lessons, for the chief reason there was no good teacher.
Messrs. A C. Johnson, W. C. Rennie and James Cunningham were leading players.
The latter gentleman the caddies called "the professional" from the neat businesslike style of addressing the ball, he also had a perfect style of swing.
He several times won the scratch medals.
Along with Mr. Robert Gilroy I always had some hard games on my visits to Carnoustie.
Mr. D. C. Laing was a great hitter with his cleek, he always had Bob Scott as his caddie while I carried for his brother Mr. William Laing, this latter gentleman was a better player than his own modest manner gave him credit for.
Mr. Dick, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Mathewson and Mr. William Moir were some of the elder players and the business heads of the club.
Mr. J. J. Dalyell in his time was the most consistently low scorer, a fine cricketer, he held his right hand grip batsman style, the same as Mr. John Ball, both very straight hitters with their cleeks.
Mr. Dalyell had a mid spoon he called the bodyjack, he was as confident with as his cleek.
He captained teams in the big cricket matches, an all round sport.
His Dalhousie teams played The Royal Perth Club matches.
Sir Robert Moncrief at the time was a remarkably long driver...one drive to The Grog was the longest I ever saw or heard of to this hole.
In finishing this article may I tell you a lady golfer was then unknown.
The first lady pupils I had were at Hoylake about 1886.
At St. Annes-on-the-Sea Lancashire in 1988 they fairly got on with our game.
The club there (St. Annes) started with 25 members.
In 1890 The Lady Margaret Scott won her first championship at St. Annes-on-the-Sea, Miss I. Pearson was the other finalist.
Miss Pearson was their honorary secretary for very many years.
Miss E. Terry, the Vicar of St. Annes daughter, one of my pupils, was a bronze medalist while Miss Carr a Formby near Liverpool player, carried off the other prize.
I think this time showed the greater club at Hoylake which had a tremendous increase of players.
* * * * *
I again met Mr. Dun of the Montrose Club at Hoylake.
On meeting him there he asked me did I ever see him at Carnoustie.
He was quite interested to hear I had carried his clubs against Mr. Brand of Milnfield.
Curious enough, in 1888 just before I left Hoylake he won a fine prize he said by my altering his approach. (as this is a lesson point I will give it a good run).
Mr. Dun had me out, after two shots he was about 60 yards short of the bunker at the first hole.
Taking his usual long swing with his mashie he hit a little down and flopped it into the bunker.
This caused him to say "he never could play that distance, he wished he could," to which I said he wanted "a shorter swing and more left hand and wrist into it".
To this he promptly replied "you show me right now".
Here is his lesson:
"Now Mr. Dun you watch me first, steady position, keep the right elbow easy to the side, now start your club with the wrist and shaft of the left hand straight hardly half a swing for 100 yards, then hit back from the time you turn with the left as quick as you can, finishing with the club head still on the flight of the ball, so, example I gave.
With the remark he "did not think he would get my distance that way" he got going.
He was a stone mason and considered one of the best artisan players.
I shall mention him in a match between us 2 years later shortly before I left Carnoustie to work for Alex Patrick of Leven.
Could you, Mr. Editor, reprint the living players on the memorable day who are still alive.
May I give you Mr. Alexander Hogg, Mr. John McAndrew and myself.
In concluding this article as the first Professional Golf Club Maker from Carnoustie, of the many who have followed.
May I advise any who have ideas of following to see they have these points to assist them:-
* Strong hands and wrists (I was never strong enough in my wrists).
* Good eye to judge distances and an equitable temprement.
* Time to practice, all day, every day.
These are the points required now as typified by Hagen (Walter) and Kirkwood (Joe) and company.
To keep a steady position and to make the club head keep on the flight of the ball the full length of the left arm.
Also never to take drink until they are 21 and only then if a medical man advises that a little would be a benefit.
If you are to treat your eyes kindly don't smoke or very little, at 74.
* * * * *
There is a page missing, but the article continues...
Mr. Robert Chambers was the head of the publishing firm of Chambers Journal of Edinburgh, this speaks for his ability in business, as a golfer he won the Amateur Golfing Championship played about 1864, I think.
He also was the principal in bringing Geordie Morris as professional to the Golf Inn.
Curious enough on a visit to Liverpool, he was taken to Hoylake and planned the course for the Royal Liverpool in 1869 along with Geordie Morris who was engaged by him in Edinburgh.
His son John became professional and was still professional when he died this year aged 83 after over 60 years at Hoylake.
I was his club maker from 1876 to 1888 and a good business time we had to gether.
Its my idea of a course now, no short hole, by short hole I mean 125 to 150 yards.
Mr. Robert Millar, who used to talk to me was then in 1871 nearer 80 than 70, gave me some accounts of the earliest Golfers, Mr. Brand of Milnfield, Mr. Hunter of Blackness, they were all I expect, members of the original Panmure Club which had its meeting place in the small Inn near Winters Boot Factory, I knew both, Mr. Milne of Woodhill, Mr. Brand and others
(George Morris had a big say in laying out Hoylake for the Royal Liverpool Club. His layout was real good, until the builder took part which caused alterations).
There were no flags or boxes then. We fitted up flags from broken shafts, the next were round iron discs made by the blacksmith.
To mark the tees before them I used to put a spadeful of sand at each side.
A brush and spade were my greenkeeping tools, and also a pocket knife.
The rabbits did the mowing remarkably well.
The first club carrying bag I believe on Carnoustie course was introduced by me when on holidays. I had my first made in Hoylake from a sail makers shop of sail material..
I started practising golf on my way to meals and I used to play the first 3 holes then to the last after dinner in wintertime.
On one occasion playing to the 1st I saw a well-known old man named John Lindsay nearly up to Jockeys Burn, having driven towards the Valley.
I was puzzled as to where John had vanished.
On getting to the Burn, there was poor old John sitting in the Burn almost done.
As I approached him I heard him say "I'll be drooneed".
I had to get into the water to get him on the bank, he was pretty heavy.
On recovering sufficiently to speak he said "Eh, laddie, I'll be owing ye a glass O' whuskey for this"!
I took him home and he gave me a little to keep the cold out--unfortunately it didn't.
The first competition in which I played was the formal opening of the 18 holes when the Dalhousie Club provided some prize money for the artisans.
Tom Japp I think was first, John McAndrew second.
I got my first prize of 15/- with a score of 83.
Soon after I began golf there was an amateur working men's competition.
This was taken by Frank Doleman a golf club maker from Musselburgh, a quite unfair win he being a professional.
Let me here give what I consider the definition of a professional as any person earning money directly or indirectly from the Game of Golf.
Indirectly, includes paid secretary of clubs, writers of golf articles for money, also wireless instruction if paid.
I was surprised a few years ago at an Australian Greenkeeper being allowed to compete in the British Amateur Championship, in fact I lost a small bet on my opinion.
The same is now one of the leading professionals here.
The Billiards Council defines an hotel owner charging a fee for the use of a table as a professional at Billiards, and quite rightly so.
I hadn't been very long at golf before a new club was formed named the Artisan of which I became a member.
There seemed to be in Dundee or Carnoustie district quite a number of tradesmen who had done a bit of caddying at St. Andrews including such as Wattie Gourlay, John Gourlay, Harry Kirk, a strong man a long hitter, John Grieve, Alec Mason, Bob Anderson and others along with locals John McAndrew, the brothers Tom, Willie and John Japp, George Bonella, David Ramsay, David Hogg, James Smith, Bobbie Doig and Tom Ferrier who had Ferriers Hotel.
He had a short swing but a "Kirkwood" in picking a ball out of a cupped lie.
I always think of genial Tom as one of the best tempered men I ever knew.
I missed a crack with Tom on my annual holiday trips.
* * * * *
*The article has been reproduced as written, complete with misspelling of a couple of words, and at times commas were added or even left out so as not to twist the meaning of the sentences, while several paragraphs have been broken into shorter sentences.
Unfortunately the reminiscences peter out at that point. It must be remembered that the copy for these articles was saved from a trip to the tip a couple of years ago, and we are indeed fortunate for having the late Peter Andrew of Ocean Grove, the historian for delving into this historical insight of golf through the eyes of an early greenkeeper and professional. I am grateful to Mr. Wally Higgins of Ocean Grove, a close friend of Peter Andrew, for passing the copy on to me--Ken Sizer

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