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IN May 1894 Tom was in the
Isle of Man, and
laid out a course on Duchess Head, Douglas Hay.
In June he was in Ireland. The members of the
Royal Dublin Golf Club gave him a warm
welcome as he came to Dollymount, brisk and
hale, from Lahinch, in the county of Clare (where
he had just laid out a capital links of 18 holes),
and from Killarncy Lakes. Playing on the
evening of his arrival at Dollymount, with
Brown, the professional, Tom went round in 88 an excellent score, and one
that, with knowledge of the links, might easily have been under So. On Wednesday the veteran golfer and Mr
Kilroy (the captain of the club) played Brown
and Mr Petrie. The match was halved; and on
Thursday a return match was played, which
ended in a win for the captain and the visitor by
i hole. "Is there need to add," says a report,
"that all the members of the Club gave a hearty
welcome to the grand old champion, that we
look forward to another visit from him soon, and
that he departed with good wishes for his success
at Sandwich during the Championship Meeting?"
In Golf, for July 3, 1891, the following letter
from Tom appears on the question ought the
"stymie" to be abolished? "To the Editor of
Golf : In reply to yours of June 15, anent
stymies, I beg to state that I have always been in
favour of stymies being abolished. I think a
modification could easily be made. A motion
was proposed by Captain Burn at a meeting of
the Royal and Ancient Golf Club that a rule as
follows should be made:-' A player may, on the
putting-green, remove his opponent's ball, but
such act of removal should be equivalent to the
opponent having played his stroke and holed.'
This would do for one, but, of course, the Royal
and Ancient would have many suggestions
brought before them if the subject was put to
them by other Clubs."
In August Tom paid a visit to Luffness, and
had a round of the new green at Saltcoats with
the Rev. Mr Proudfoot, one of the ministers at
Haddington. Subsequently, with a large stall of
workmen, he made a considerable number of
improvements on it, especially in the way of
bunkers.
On the 2ist September he was at Port
Errol
on the Great North of Scotland Railway, in
regard to a golf course which the directors wished
to establish. He was met on the ground by the Earl of Errol, Mr Fergusson, the chairman of the
railway, and a number of those interested in the
movement. He had a round with Mr C. E.
Stephens, Uxbridge.
On the 22nd September 1894 Tom went to
the opening of the new course of the Alyth Golf
Club, in which his old friend, Dr Gordon
M'Pherson, had much interested himself. His
duties were light. They consisted of teeing the
ball with which Miss Ross of Balloch played the
first shot on the new links. Thereafter he and
Provost Orchar played the Rev. Dr M'Pherson
and the Rev. J. R. M'Laren, parish minister of
Alyth. They won their match by 2 and 1 to
play.
In "Tee Shots," Golf, December 28, 1894,
there appeared this pleasant and interesting
paragraph:
"An enthusiastic golfer in the Midlands,
whose letters are always interesting (and who
never forgets the old country and its heroes, for
he is a Scotchman, and his wife, as Pat would say,
is 'another', in writing us lately says: 'We
had old Tom Morris staying with us a couple of
nights last week. He is as fresh as a daisy, and had just been laying out a
new course at Northampton. I took Tom to a ladies' school six miles
from here, and in the evening we had some music,
which Tom enjoyed very much so much so that he went to the lady principal, who played, and
said: "Miss B., if I could handle the clubs as you
handle that piano I wouldna be feared for any o'
them, auld as I am. . . ."One of the governesses also sang. She had a sweet voice; but
Tom whispered to me: 'Doctor, her pronunciation is very bad, for I canna mak oot a word she's
sayin'." No wonder. The song was French!
The old man was highly amused when he heard
this, and afterwards had to bear a good deal of chaffing about his French.``
Early in the year 1895 Tom appeared on the
stage! albeit a local one. The occasion was an
entertainment given by Mr and Mrs T. T.
Oliphant, in the Town Hall, St Andrews, on the
23rd and 25th of February. In the tableaux vivants there were two golf scenes. The scenery,
which represented the links, the sea and the city,
was well painted. The first scene was "The
Stymie." "Old Tom" had just played the
''like," leaving his opponent, Mr Everard, in his
scarlet golfing jacket, a dead stymie. Mr
Everard is carefully studying his putt, considering whether it would be better to try and loft
his ball over the other or to screw round it. Old
Tom is looking on with evident satisfaction,
though he does not believe in stymies, and feeling fully confident that his
opponent will be unable to negotiate the difficulty, and that the hole
is as good as his. The second scene is "The Short
Putt." Mr Everard has holed his ball, and it now
remains for Tom to hole his short putt. He is
seen in the act of addressing his ball. In the
third scene it is evident that he has missed!
His attitude is one of characteristic annoyance
and astonishment, and a wild and wicked
triumphant elation is on Mr Everard's features.
In July 1895 a Committee of the members of
the Royal and Ancient Club was appointed to
report as to the best means for carrying out a
proposal to present Tom Morris with a testimonial. Accordingly an Extraordinary General
Meeting was called, at which the following
resolution was unanimously adopted, "That the
sum of £100 be voted from the funds of the Club
towards the Tom Morris Testimonial Fund," and
the Committee were instructed to issue a fresh
appeal for subscriptions and to notify the adoption of the resolution.
In Golf of May 8, 1896, there occurs the
following paragraph: 'The Tom Morris Testimonial is to close on May 15. It now amounts
to £1240, and the committee in charge, having
taken the advice of an eminent accountant,
recommend that £500 of this sum be set apart to
purchase an annuity of £80, and that the balance
be invested in the names of the Trustees of the
Royal and Ancient Club, the interest of which is
to be paid to Tom Morris during his life, thus
giving him an income of over £100 a year, in
addition to that which he receives as green-keeper of St Andrews links and from other
sources, and that thereafter the capital or interest
thereon shall be applied for the benefit of Mrs
Hunter, daughter of Tom Morris, and her
children, in such manner as the said trustees may
decide. The committee further recommend that
the Club at a general meeting have power to
modify the last recommendation if they see fit
and pay the whole or any portion of the sum to
Tom Morris during his life."
In the spring of 1896 Tom superintended the
laying-out of the line course in the island of
Islay. In May he played in a professional
tournament at Aberdeen.
In May 1896 Tom went to Edinburgh to
attend the General Assembly of the Church of
Scotland as one of the representative elders of
the Presbytery of St Andrews. It was a graceful
recognition of his high qualities as a man and a
Churchman, and the golfers among the members
of the General Assembly extended to him a warm
welcome. Tom, in his capacity as elder, would
attend the sittings of the General Assembly day
by day, and at night, on the occasion of the Synod
of Fife dining at the Palace, would dine with his
Grace the Lord High Commissioner, who this
year was the Marquis of Tweeddale. He would
also attend the levee, and the receptions and
"At Homes" of the Marchioness. While dining
at Holyrood he was remonstrated with, by a clerical golfer who sat beside
him, on not partaking more freely and generally of the numerous
dishes. He remarked that he had had "a gude
denner at the recht time o' day, and couldna eat
at this time o' nicht dinner at 7.30 p.m."
In September 1896 Mr A. J. Balfour, M.P.,
was in St Andrews, on his way to Balmoral, and
was the guest of Mr and Mrs Asquith. Mrs
Asquith and Mr Balfour played Old Tom and Mr
Asquith. At the turn the M.P. and Tom were
3 up, and eventually won by 4 and 3 to play.
Mr Asquith was not playing his usual game,
while Old Tom was in capital form. He was
playing a very good game all this season, and
"Tee Shots" of Golf (October 23, 1896) says:
"Old Tom Morris is said to have made a record
in the medal week at the end of last month. He
engaged in 8 matches over the St Andrews course,
and was successful in them all."
In November of this year a number of the
members of the Kettering Golf Club, learning
that Tom Morris was in the neighbourhood,
conceived the happy idea of showing their appreciation of the old veteran by entertaining
him to dinner. Dr Allison took the chair,
with Tom on his right, and his grandson, Mr
Bruce Hunter, on his left. In proposing the
toast of the evening, Dr Allison said they all
knew that they had with them that evening the
Father of the Game the Nestor of golf. It was
almost impossible to believe that Tom Morris
was now in his seventy-sixth year. It was in
the year 1861 that he was champion of Great
Britain, and again in 1862 and 1864; but,
unfortunately, he missed in 1863. However, he
won it again in 1867, and was thus four times
champion. If that was not enough to stamp him
as one of the finest golfers they had, he might
further state that Tom was the parent of one of
the finest golfers that ever breathed, and who
also was champion several times. Although it
was thirty-five years since Tom was champion,
he could still play a wonderfully good game. If
any of them went to the ancient city of St
Andrews they would find that Tom was the
absolute Pope of the place. When the history of
Scotland for the century came to be written he
was convinced that the name of Tom Morris
would take a prominent place. Everyone wished
him long life and happiness. Tom Morris was
loudly cheered on rising to reply. He said he
hoped they would not expect him to reply to all
the grand things which the chairman had said
about him. His best playing days were done,
and he only played now for the good of his health.
Many beginners at the game said to him that they
supposed golf was a good healthy game, and he.
usually pointed to himself as a good example.
In regard to Tom's wonderfully good health,
we may here add what "Rockwood," a well-known sporting writer, says of him in his
``Reminiscences of West Country Golf``: "Old Tom
Morris was green-keeper at Prestwick during the
early 'sixties, and many will recollect his little
shop on the High Road, almost facing the old
Red Lion Inn. Self-preservation and the art
generally of taking care of Number One too
rare among the golfing professionals of these days
had much to do with his best successes, until
the yearly contests resolved themselves literally into matches between Willie Park the elder and
himself. We recollect a gentleman staying in a cottage adjoining that of the
late Bailie Wilson,
the wealthy President of the St Nicholas, shouting
out one cold, frosty morning that there was 'a
man on the beach trying hard to drown himself.'
It was only Tom Morris breaking the ice to enjoy
his usual morning dip in the sea, for he made a
practice of bathing all the year round, notwithstanding the state of the atmosphere. To this
and his practice (still maintained) of sleeping
with his window down a foot at the top, and the
natural exercise of his calling, his wonderful
state of preservation is no doubt attributable."
But Tom's bedroom window, in St Andrews
at least, and in a room facing the north-east, was
open more than a foot when I used to see it. It
was open quite half way down. And I remember
him telling me on one occasion that he awoke to
find himself lying with a coverlet of snow over
his bedspread. It had snowed through the
night, and the nor'-easter had blown the flakes
right in upon his bed, as it well might do, as the
room is a tiny one off his sitting-room. He kept
up his bathing habits at St Andrews, and I was
fortunate enough for a short time each summer
to be one along with him of a happy and healthy
party of before-breakfast bathers.
Golf of March 26, 1897, contained the following: "At St Andrews, in a match among the
members of the St Andrews Golf Club, played in
foursomes, a large crowd followed a match
between Old Tom Morris and Andrew Kirkaldy against Mr James Kirk and Willie Auchterlonie.
Old Tom and Kirkaldy had the worst of the play
during the out-going journey, and turned 4 holes
down. Homeward, they held their own better;
but their opponents got the match by 4 holes.
The veteran is evidently still able to play a good
game, and it is more than likely that he will again
enter for the Championship at Hoylake."
The Amateur Championship Match was held
this year at Muirfield. The final was between
Dr Allan and Mr J. Robb. At the end of the
first round Dr Allan was 1 up. During the
luncheon hour the chances of the finalists were
much discussed. A difference of 1 hole was not
of much account. Old Tom, backed up by
numerous St Andrews representatives, had still
faith in Mr Robb, though he had not played quite
up to expectation in the forenoon. The old
veteran's reply to the question, "Who's going to
be champion? " was the laconic, "Robb, deid
shure." On the other hand, Dr Allan had won
golden opinions by his coolness and precision, and
it was felt that he had the better of Mr Robb in
these respects as well as in play, for the old
enemy "funk" was decidedly affecting the St
Andrews youth and at times winnowing his hand.
As the golfing world knows, Dr Allan became
champion for 1897 4 up and 3 to play. Of the
runner-up, it was said that he only succumbed in the final after playing
brilliantly throughout the tournament. Then a clerk in the Clydesdale Bank at St Andrews, and but nineteen
years of age, he had secured fame as a player
in several tournaments, with a record of 74
at St Andrews. He is a thick-set, sturdy,
healthy-looking fellow, and, though not taking
a full swing, he is a good representative of
the orthodox St Andrews style, and a worthy
pupil of Old Tom, who thinks him able to
hold his own with any amateur or professional going. From his brilliant
appearance at Muirfield it was thought much might yet be expected of him in
important contests. We know how
well the amateur champion of 1906 has fulfilled
the expectations of his friends.
In 1894 the Open Championship was held for
the first time at Sandwich. It was won by J.
H. Taylor with a score of 326. Rolland being
second with 331 and Andrew Kirkaldy third with
333. Tom was present, playing the first day with
Captain Tattersall, but he retired on the second
day after scoring on in his round with J. Ross.
Next year (1895), the same fine English player
won at St Andrews with the excellent score of
322, with Alex. Herd second with 326, and Andrew
Kirkaldy third with 332. Old Tom competed for
the thirty-fifth time and, notwithstanding a very
bad first round 107, persevered and was rewarded
with a 92, 96 and 97, making a total of 392.
He was the first to congratulate the winner, and
in Mr Scott Duncan's Golfing Annual it is said,
"Perhaps the old man's thoughts flew back over
the long years to the invincible 'Tommy who,
like Taylor, could always be trusted to rise to the occasion``.
Tom again played next year (1896), at Muirfield, when the Championship was won by Harry
Vardon, after a tie with J. H Taylor with 316.
Vardon's two rounds in playing for the tie were
157 against Taylor's, 161 Mr F. D. Tait was
third with 310,. Tom retired after playing three
rounds, 101, 103, 105.
In the competition in 1897, at Hoylake, Tom
did not enter. The Championship was won by H. H. Hilton with 314. He was closely followed
by Braid with 315 and by Mr F. G. Tait with 317. Nor was he present in 1898, when it was again
won and at Prestwick, by Harry Vardon in 307,
with W. Park 308 and H H Hilton 309, as
second and third. And he was a "notable
absentee" at Sandwich in 1899, when Vardon
won.
In Golf for July 2, 1897, here is a "Tee
Shot": "Old Tom Morris entered upon his
seventy-sixth year on Wednesday, June 16. For
several years past he has been in the habit of
counting his score on his birthday, but Wednesday being exceptional!y stormy it was impossible
to play. On Thursday, however, he had a round
with Mr Everard, and, despite the heavy wind
which prevailed from the west, achieved the
round in 94. He was out in 52, but came home
with the very creditable score of 42." Later on,
he went North to improve the course at Newtonmore.
In April 1898 we find it chronicled that
"Old Tom Morris, who is seventy-seven next
June, has recently returned scores of 87 and 88 at
St Andrews; so that the veteran has evidently
not lost the power of his elbow."
This year, at Hoylake, St Andrews made a
great show for the Amateur Championship. All
the semi-finalists were St Andrews men, and Old
Tom was heard to mutter: "They'll no' be savin' Puir St Andrews ' the day "; they were Mr F.
G. Tait, Mr John L. Low, Mr Mure Fergusson,
and Mr Robb. A reporter of the scene at the
final says: "It was easy to single out the most
venerable of the professionals. Old Tom, who
keenly followed the fate of his St Andrews men,
and had that happy twinkle in his eye which
makes his face perfect when the semi-finalists
were declared."
Alas, the light of satisfaction in his eye was
soon to give place to sorrow and tears. His only
daughter, Mrs Hunter, who was loved and
respected by all who knew her, died very suddenly early in June, at St Andrews. He had
intended this hero of thirty-live Championships
to be at Prestwick for the sake of auld lang syne
and as an onlooker, but on the morning of the
meeting tidings came of his great bereavement
the worst he could have had. Since the death
of her husband Mrs Hunter had lived with him
as his solace and stay. Needless to say he
received many marks of sympathy from all
quarters, as was also the case when his only
remaining son, J. O. F. Morris, died in 1906.
Mr A. J. Robertson resigned his duties as
Editor of Golf, and said some words of farewell
to his readers and contributors in the issue of
July 1, 1898. Every golfer knows how much the literature of the game is
indebted to Mr.
Robertson, and how much he has done and
still does for its intelligent appreciation, with his
clever and facile pen. The new Editor, Mr
Garden G. Smith, who happily succeeded him,
made his bow in the next number, and in
it (No. 417, Vol. XVI., July 8, 1898), Mr D. D. Whigham, Prestwick, has the following letter:
``In your very kindly notice of my old golfing
friend, Bob Andrews, of Perth, in your last issue,
in the terms of which I most cordially concur,
you say inter alia that at the Prestwick meeting
of 1863 a match was played between Mr D. D. Whigham and Tom Morris (getting a third),
against Bob Andrews and Andrew Strath, and
that the latter two won by 2 holes. May I, as
the only consolation I have in old age, correct
your informant. The match was played at the
odds mentioned, and Tom and I won by 5 or 6
holes. So elated were we by the victory that we
challenged the two to play us level the following
day. The match was played, and we won again,
and to this day 'Old Tom ' has often a pleasant
joke with me as to the days 'when you and I
beat the two professionals.' Charlie Hunter well
remembers the match, and with him and Old Tom
and myself as witnesses I am sure you will give
us credit for facts. That was in 1863, and now,
when muscles and nerves are apt to fail, it is the
only resource we have as old golfers to think
back upon what once could be done."
In June Tom was at Cleveland
superintending the extending of the links and playing over
the course.
In the autumn of 1898 Messrs Dickenson &
Foster published a reproduction of their picture Medal Day at St Andrews. Grouped in front
of the Royal and Ancient Club-House and on the
green, are no fewer than 191 golfers. In the
foreground Old Tom Morris is represented as
stooping down in the attitude of teeing a ball
for W. A. J. Balfour.
Golf Illustrated of June 23, 1899, contained
the following congratulations to Tom on attaining his seventy-eighth birthday: "Our hearty
congratulations to Old Tom Morris on his seventy-eighth birthday. The anniversary occurred on
Thursday last, and all golfers will join in wishing
the grand old golfer many happy returns of the
day. In accordance with his usual custom the
veteran celebrated the event by playing a match
over St Andrews links. This year it took the
form of a three-ball match, in which his opponents
were Mr Everard and Mr Stanhope.``
Mr Andrew Lang, during this summer, had
an article on golf in the North American Review,
and in the course of many learned and leisurely
witty remarks on the game had this on the spread
of golf: "Golf is now established near Rome, and
the learned archaeologist, Signor Lanciani, is a golfer. With the purpose of improving his
style he means to take lessons at St Andrews
from Old Tom or Auchterlonie in winter (I
cannot wish him better or more courteous and
agreeable instructors), and incidentally he will
deliver the St Andrews Gilford lectures on
'Revealed Religion.' If he could introduce a
lecture on the Roman game of 'Cambuca' and
its relations to golf, I daresay Tom Morris would
attend the lectures. As a rule, Tom is content
with revealed religion, and gives the lectures a
wide berth. I do not condemn this conduct in a
man who has played golf for some seventy years,
and whose natural bent (as displayed in his
attitude towards the abolition of the stymie) is
favourable to new or revolutionary ideas."
In a note about the novelist, Mr S. R.
Crockett, Golf says: "He alludes with pride to a strong friendship for
Old Tom Morris, extending over many years, and quotes a remark of the
veteran's relative to his taking up the game late
in life: ' Eh! Mr Crockett, what an awfu' heap
of yer life hae ye no wasted.``
In a most excellent paper, "An Interesting
Picture of Scottish Professional Golfers in the
Open Tournament at Leith, 1867," Mr W.
Dalrymple gives some of the opinions Tom held
in regard to his rival great players and vice
versa. Tom describes Willie Dow as "playing a
great game," and remembers how Major Bethune
spoke to him many a year ago about Willie, and
asked Tom if he thought he could tackle this
formidable Musselburgh man. Tom cautiously
replied that he could try, anyway. He did, and
won. It is a curious fact that Old Tom and Auld
Willie Park never won a match in partnership.
As Park put it to Mr Dalrymple, "I aye likit
best to play against Old Tom." This, of course,
was said from no feeling of unfriendliness, far
less enmity. On the contrary, it was rather
conceived in the light of a compliment. At
Perth, in 1864, they lost to Kirk and Strath by 1, and next year, at St Andrews, Dow and Strath
beat them by 3 up and 1 to play. Tom speaks
of Dunn as a splendid golfer and superb driver
of about the same calibre as Park, and recalls
one foursome with a smile and twinkle in his
eye. Tom was playing with Bob Anderson for
his partner against Dunn and Allan Robertson.
Bob was a mason by trade, but a brilliant driver
and a fine golfer generally. As Dunn was also
a very long driver Tom feared that his partner
might be led to press, and succeeded in persuading him to drive against Allan, whom, of course,
he could easily out-drive; just as, on the other
hand, Dunn could easily out-drive him. The ``little act of generalship," the tactics of which
were worthy of the redoubtable Allan himself,
saved the match. "We came," says Tom, ``to the last hole square and
1 to play. Probably Allan pressed. At any rate, he hooked
his tee-shot. He was even accused of selling
the match, but, of course, that was all nonsense.
Allan was not that sort of chap."
Of a very good partner of his, Bob Kirk, Tom
said, "I remember him very well, he was a
club-maker and a very fine player none better,
and used to keep the Blackheath green."
And this may be a suitable opportunity to
give Tom's ideas on the subject of the laying-out
of links as embodied in a letter to the Editor of
Golf, written at the end of a gelling season some
years ago:
"SIR, I see in your last issue that a gentleman (by
name Mr Stevens) is anxious to get a little information
regarding laying out a golf links. I hope you will allow me
space in your valuable golfing paper to answer his questions
as far as possible.
"1. As to the length and breadth of links. If you have
so many miles of ground, you can put holes down at, say,
from 100 to 550 yards, varying them accordingly. The
breadth may be from 50 to 100 yards.
"2. Regarding the probable cost of preparing it. If
the putting-greens had to be laid out it would require £5
for each green. Then, if the course had to be cleared of
gorse bushes or whins, it would likely cost about £200.
"3. Regarding the third question, the best way to form
a Club would be to get as many of your friends together as
possible and form a Club; then advertise that such a Club
had been instituted. As to subscriptions, the scale of Club
entry money runs from 2s. 6d. to £10.
"4. There is no necessity to have trees on a golf course;
large sand-pits dug in the course, called bunkers, or a whin
or two to serve as a hazard to all players.
"5. With reference to the last inquiry, it would entirely
depend upon what the rental of the ground was and whether
it was depriving the landlord or tenant of any privilege
which he may have let.
I may state in conclusion that if the putting-greens
require to be laid with turf this is the best time of year to
lay them. But you can safely lay turf at any time of the
year, provided the ground is moist to let the turf get a hold.
I am, Yours, etc., TOM MORRIS."
In the end of July this year the famous lady
golfer, Miss Rhona Adair, visited St Andrews
and played a 36-hole match with Tom, who,
evidently determined "no' to be licket by a
lassie," put his best foot foremost. He got the
lead at the first hole, and managed to retain it,
being doriny at "the Dyke`` and winning the first round by 1 hole. In the afternoon he was
1 up at the turn; but the clever young lady
succeeded in reducing him to 2 in the homeward
journey. Eventually he won the match only
by 1 hole.
On another day of this visit Mr Everard
played the best ball of the lady and Old Tom,
and won by 5 and 4 to play. In the afternoon
Tom and his fair partner showed much better
form, and won by 3 and 2.
Towards the end of this year, Mr John L.
Low's Memoir of Freddy Tait was published.
Here is a story told in it in regard to the fine
young player and Old Tom: 'In 1888 Tait
played a lot of golf: more than 120 matches are
recorded in his match-book. On 31st July we find the record of a match with Mr Norman
Playfair, which Tait lost by 7. 'Driving very
poor; put a ball through a man's hat, and had
to pay five shillings.' In the afternoon Tait
seems to have kept the fine better, for he beat
his opponent by 5 holes; and no further casualties
are reported. The moment Freddy made the
almost fatal shot just recorded, Norman Playfair
shouted out, ' You've got him! ' and so he had.
Freddy was somewhat annoyed at having to
part with the five shillings, and took that king of
kindly counsellors, Old Tom, into his confidence,
in the hope that he would gain from his old
friend some consolation. But Tom could not be
persuaded that Freddy was the injured party:
his thought was rather one of gladness that the feat had been accomplished without any real
injury. He saw that ' Freddy's ' driving needed
more 'control,' so he replied: 'Ah, Master
Freddy, ye may be verra thankfu' that it's only
a hat and no' an oak coffin ye hae to pay for.`` |
