The Silver Club regulations: transcription

These regulations were drawn up in 1744 for a new annual competition organised by the world's first golf club.

'Act of Council and Regulations, to be observed by those, who play Yearly for, The City of Edinburgh's Silver Club

'7th March 1744

'It being Represented in Council, That Se[ver]all Gentlemen of Honour, Skillfull in the ancientt and healthfull Exercise of the Golf, Had from time to time applied to seaverall of the members of the Council for a silver Club to be annually playd for on the Links of Leith, at such Time, and upon such Conditions, as the Magistratts and Council Should think proper: And it being Reported, That the Gentlemen Golfers had drawn up a Scroll, at the Desire of the Magistratts, of Such Articles and Conditions, as to them Seemd most Expedient, as proper Regulations to be observed by the Gentlemen who Should yearly offer to play for the said Silver Club which were produced and read in Councill the Tenor whereof Follows.

  1. "As many Noblemen or Gentlemen or other Golfers, from any part of Great Brittain or Ireland as shall Book themselves Eight Days before, or upon any of the lawful Days of the Week Immediatly preceeding The Day appointed by the Magistrates and Council for the Annual Match, Shall have the Priviledge of playing for the said Club, Each Signer paying Five Shilling Sterling at Signing, in a Book to be provided for that purpose, which is to ly in Mrs Clephen's House in Leith , or Such other House as afterwards the Subscribers shall appoint from year to year; and the Regulations approved of by The Magistrates and Council shall be recorded at the beginning of said Book.
  2. "On the Morning before playing small Bits of paper marked with the Figures 1,2, 3, etc., According to the number of Players shall be put into a Bonnet, and drawn by the Signers, and every Couple shall be matched according to the Figures By them drawn, Beginning with Number 1, 2, and so on; but if there shall be a great Number of Subscribers they shall be matchd in Threes; And after the Parties are thus Matched, in case there be an odd Number, the Gentleman who draws it shall play along with the last Set.
  3. "After the Figures are drawn, the Set or Match beginning with No.1, etc., shall go out first, with a Clerk to mark down every Stroke each of them shall
    Shall take to Every Hole; then, by the Time They are at the Sawmill Hole, the Second Set, beginning with No. 3, or 4 According as the Match shall be made, shall strike off; and so all the rest in the same order, Each set haveing a Clerk: And when the Match is Ended, a scrutiny of the whole Clerks Books or Jotings is to be made, And the Player who shall appear to have won the greatest Number of Holes shall be Declared to be the Winner of the Match; And if there shall be Two, Three, or more, that are Equal, then these Two or Three, etc. must play a Round themselves, in the Order of their Figures, before they Go off the Ground, to Determine the Match.
  4. "The Crowns Given in are solely to be at the Disposal of the Victor.
  5. "Every Victor is to append a Gold or Silver peice, as he pleases, to the Club, for the Year he Wins.
  6. "That Every Victor shall, at the receiving the Club, give sufficient Caution to the Magistrates and Council of Edinburgh for Fifty pounds Sterl[ing], for delivering back the Club to their Hands One Month before it is to be playd for again.
  7. "That the Club is declared to be allways the Property of the Good Town.
  8. That if any Dispute shall happen betwixt any of the parties, the same shall be determined by the other Subscribers not Concern'd in the Debate.
  9. That the Victor shall be called Captain of The Golf, and all Disputes touching the Golf amongst Golfers shall be Determined by the Captain, and any Two or Three of the Subscribers he shall call to his assistance And that The Captain shall be intituled next year to the first ticket without drawing.
  10. That no Coaches Chaises or other wheel machins, or people on horseback, are to be allowed to goe through the Links, but by the high Roads, when the Match for the Silver Club is a playing, or at any other time, And that the said Captain shall from year to year, have the Care and Inspection of the Links, and shall be at Liberty to Complain To the Lord Provost and Magistrates of any Encroachments made upon them by Highroads or otherwise.
  11. The Subscribers shall have power, if the Day appointed for the Match shall be improper for playing it, to adjourn to another Day, Upon Which, if it is fit for playing, the Match shall proceed.

'Lastly, It is Declared, That, Upon no pretence whatsoever, The City of Edinburgh shall be put to any Sort of Expense upon account of playing for the said Club annually, except to Intimate by Tuck of Drum, through the City the day upon which It shall be Annually playd for, such Time before the Match as the Magistrates and Council shall think proper, And to send the Silver Club to Leith upon the morning appointed for the Match.

'Which Regulations having been Considered By the Magistrates & Council, They with the Extraordinary Deacons approved thereof with & under this express Condition, that nothing Containd in the above Regulations Shall in any Sort Prejudge the Magistracy & Council to Dispose in feu or otherwise of all or any part of the Links of Leith as they shall think proper. And they hereby Authorize The Treasurer to Cause make a Silver Club not Exceeding the value of fifteen pounds Sterling, to be playd for annually upon the above Conditions With Power to the Captain of the Golf, and any two of the subscribers to make such orders of the Regulating and manner of playing from time to time, as they shall think proper. And Do hereby appoint the first Monday of Aprile yearly as the Day for playing the Annual Match for the Silver Club.'

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