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50THEROYALBURGESSGOLFINGSOCIETYOFEDINBURGH
GolfClubTournament"tobeheldatSt.Andrewson
2-9th,3oth,and31stJuly1857,"beingthefirstin
whichtheGolfingSocietiesoftheKingdomwerepitted
againstoneanother."Theeightclubsoriginallyinvited
tocompetewereSt.Andrews,Perth,Musselburgh,
Blackheath,Prestwick,Carnoustie,NorthBerwick,and
Leven,eachclubtosendfourmemberstocontend,but
theactualcontestantclubswereRoyalBlackheath,
RoyalPerth,EdinburghBurgess,MontroseRoyal
Albert,EdinburghBruntsfield,Prestwick,Royaland
AncientSt.Andrews,DirletonCastle,Innerleven,
Musselburgh,andNorthBerwick,withtworepresenta-
tiveplayersinsteadoffour.Thevenuewaseitherto
bePrestwickorSt.Andrews,andthelattergreenwas
ultimatelychosen.Thistournamentwassuggestedby
thePrestwickGolfClub,anditmaybenotedthatthe
sameclubinitiatedthefirstOpenChampionshipin
i86o.TheBurgessnaturallyrespondedtothisappeal,
andJohnMartinandJamesWilliamson,whoseprowess
onBruntsfieldmarkedthemoutasthebestofthe
Burgessplayersoftheperiod,werechosentorepresent
theSociety,theirexpensesbeingpaidbysubscription
amongstthemembers.Althoughdefeatedinthesemi-
finalbytheSt.AndrewsClub(wholatersuccumbedto
Blackheath—theultimatewinners),theplayofthe
Burgessrepresentatives"wassuchastocommand
thegeneraladmirationofthespectatorsandtoreflect
thehighestcreditontheSocietytheyrepresented."
TheballsusedbytheBurgessplayersonthatoccasion
wereobtainedfrom"DunnofLondon"—Blackheath
(theDunnswerelocatedthereasearlyas1851).
Followinguponthisinitialeventasecondtourna-
mentwasheldatSt.AndrewsinJuly1858andwon
byRobertChambers,secundus,whomaybetermedthe
firstAmateurChampion.Thiscompetitionwasfor
singleplay,andJohnWilliamson,anotherbrilliant
BurgessplayerandGoldMedalwinner,wastheClub's
representative.AthirdtournamenttookplaceatSt.

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