Spirit of the links

6
j.
134
THE SPIRIT OF THE LINKS
hardly display any open resentment at your attitude,
but you cannot help this walking moodily and list-
lessly to the tee, as if not caring anything for the
game that is in progress. There is no familiar talk
on the old familiar topics. It is a relief when the
match is ended, and you feel less pain at being beaten
at the thirteenth hole than you have done for a long
time.
"I can get a good match for you this afternoon,
sir," says that excellent steward when you go back
into the clubhouse. " Oh, thanks very much, Brown,"
you say, "but it doesn't matter. I think I shall go
back this afternoon." And by the afternoon train
you go, and as you are whirled along the seashore and
through the open country and the tunnels, a first
thought is that yesterday at the same time those three
merry fellows were running along the same course,
and were perhaps seated in that very carriage. They
have gained a day on you in everything. Next time,
my friends, we will all go back together.
VI
The customary classification of our golf courses
into the inland and seaside groups is crude and
inadequate. Apart from that there are many inland
courses, and still more seaside courses, that differ from
each other more than some in the one class differ
from the others in the second one. The golfer of
experience comes subconsciously to put all the
courses that he knows well into different groups,
those in each group having some distinguishing
characteristic that specially appeals to his fancy or