Spirit of the links

12
THE SPIRIT OF THE LINKS
pleasure to go into their kitchens and stables; they
were made so long ago and they are so green and
nice. There is golf at Old Calabar on the West
Coast of Africa, and there the putting "greens" are
made of fine coal dust. So they are "blacks." At
Mexico and many other places they are merely
" browns." In Egypt, where there is much golf,
they are often made of rolled and baked Nile
mud.
It is not necessary to say that there is nearly as
much golf played in America as there is in Britain,
and that the time may possibly come when there
will be more. But it is not generally appreciated on
what old-established foundations American golf is
played. The game has traditions in America now,
even as in Britain. In the archives of American
golf there is still preserved a document which shows
how little of a new thing is the game in the United
States. It is an invitation, reading as follows: " Golf
Club Ball.—The honour of Miss Eliza Johnston's
company is requested to a ball, to be given by the
members of the golf club of this city, at the
Exchange, on Tuesday evening, the 31st inst., at
seven o'clock. (Signed) Geo. Woodruff, Robert
Mackay, Jno. Caig, Jas. Dickson, Managers; Geo.
Hogarth, Treasurer. Savannah, twentieth December
1811."
The original is in the possession of the
granddaughter of the recipient. There seems to
be some suggestion that these pioneers of American
golf were of Scottish origin, as pioneers of the game
until lately mostly were, and it might be appropriate
to mention that Savannah, whose people are said to
be celebrated for their love of pleasure, piety, and
sport, has in it the oldest theatre in the United