It is usual, in the formation of a golf club, to invite the services of some well-known professional to advise as to the laying out of the course. It need scarcely be said that this is always a wise proceeding, but the circumstances may be such that professional counsel can be dispensed with and some experienced amateur or two consulted.

The planning of a links must necessarily be controlled by the amount of space at disposal. It sometimes happens that this is barely sufficient for eighteen holes, but the temptation to possess a full-length course is often a pitfall. While it is true that eighteen holes contribute the recognised number for a match or competition, and that, moreover, the variety of play secured over that of a nine-hole course is of tremendous advantage, the difficulty may be met by arranging for twelve or fifteen holes, the complement being selected from those in the neighbourhood of the club-house. This would be preferable to crowding in eighteen holes, many of which might afford small opportunity for skilful play. The recently-defunct Chiswick course, which could not escape the clutch of the builder, consisted of twelve excellent holes, while Blackheath has developed from five to seven, matches being decided on three rounds. One of the most potent objections to a cramped eighteen-hole is the dangerous crossings which are bound to occur.

Golf courses are roughly divided into seaside and inland links, and the extension of the game to the latter is a remarkable feature of late years. The former possesses many natural advantages over the latter, one of which is the "easier" character of the golf. The turf is always better and gives more favourable "lies"; the hazards are more "natural" and less difficult to play out of, the sand being a home-product and unmixed with the clay of the inland course; while the putting is less liable to uncertainty. But wonders can be done on an inland area by careful attention and the application of expert knowledge, as witness such superb links as those of Sunningdale, Huntercombe and Walton Heath.

In the laying-out of a course, the two main considerations should be variety in the holes, which is of the essence of golf, and regard for the medium player, who generally constitutes the chief factor in the membership of a club. The tendency of recent years, with the almost universal adoption of the rubber-cored ball, is to lengthen the courses in response to the clamour of the "slogging" type of player. The chief attraction of golf is not in inordinate length of driving, but in the demand for skill in approach shots. It is therefore most desirable that, while the "swiper" may have two or three holes on which to display his prowess, the medium driver may find compensation for his steadier play on some less exacting holes. "Variety" finds expression in (1), length of the respective holes; (2) opportunities for testing various clubs in approach shots; (3) the disposition of hazards; and (4) the character of the putting-green.

As to (1) there should be a couple of holes to be reached by the exceptionally long driver, and two or three for the medium player, with distances varying from 90 or 100 yards to 160 or 170 yards. A couple of holes of about 480 to 500 yards furnishes the occasion to reach the green with two driving shots and an iron approach; short-ness in the first (due to wind or other in-fluence) gives the good brassey player his opportunity. Another three holes should be arranged to enable the long, accurate driver to reach the green in two strokes (say about 370 or 380 yards), while the remainder should provide variety of play with the cleek, iron and mashie, after the drive has been taken. These holes would measure from about 250 to 350 yards. As an illustration of a well-planned course, a copy of the scoring card of the Huntercombe Links is appended:

"Par," it may be explained, represents the least possible score (under ordinary conditions and with the allowance of two strokes on each putting-green) at each hole, and necessarily indicates the play of the finest experts com-bining length with accuracy. Reference to holes 5, 14 and 16 (above), will indicate cases where the advantage lies with long drivers; also Nos. 4 and 12. Hazards, on an inland course, are apt to be too much of the Cerberus type, guarding the direct approach to the green, or placed to intercept any but the drive with a long "carry" of 130 yards or so. It should always be borne in mind that a fairly long and accurate drive should not be punished either by an ill-placed bunker, or by a sloping patch of ground with its predisposition to "hanging lies" or discommoding stances. Shorter hazards with plenty of rough ground in front are preferable, and side-hazards, to catch the erring ball, are too often overlooked in the making of a course. Bunkers, guarding the putting-greens, have a distinct advantage in conveying some notion of the distance to be accomplished; it is therefore well in two or three holes to give a clear approach (guarded at the sides) in order to test the judgment of the player; and such holes may well be guarded at the back. Holes, which may be reached by a shot pitched with the iron or mashie, ought usually to be well enclosed with bunkers, especially if the putting-greens are of the "pot" variety. Longer approach shots, such as those requiring a driving mashie or brassey, need to have a fair distance intervening between the bunker and the edge of the putting-green. Bunkers may deservedly be called the salt of a course; they certainly add piquancy (not to say, pique).

Putting - greens should be fairly large and free from the dead level of a billiard-table. A green or two of the "plateau" type (like the 13th at Huntercombe) con-stitute a splendid test of judgment and nerve; the remainder should vary both in shape and in the undulating character which should rarely be absent. On the other hand, it should not be too pronounced, and considerable discretion and care need to be exercised in placing a green on sloping ground. The first hole or two on a course should be both comparatively long and easy; players will thus be enabled to get well away from the first tee and so prevent that congestion which is characteristic of busy days and ill equips the mercurial or irascible temperament for the round. A longish, easy hole at the start, both free from hazards likely to en-tail much tribulation or prolonged sojourns and unproductive of forcing shots, helps the player to get into his stride, so to speak. Conversely, the last two or three holes each need to have some special difficulty to give spice to the end of a well-contested match, and to furnish good tests of skill at an opportune and interesting stage of the match. The proper upkeep of golf links is a matter essentially for one who is thoroughly conversant with the nature of soils and grasses, though many professionals possess a fair practical knowledge of the subject. One of the best experts is against the excessive heavy rolling so prevalent on some courses and favours the bush-harrow, especially on a heavy clay soil suffused with worm casts; certainly, on the putting-greens, the policy of the paste-board and rolling-pin is strongly to be discouraged and some means adopted for dispersing the objectionable deposits. Another expert argues against turfing the putting-greens on the ground of the difficulty of getting turf free from weeds and rough grasses. But, apart from these matters which, on most courses, is in the hands of experienced green-keepers, players will do well to observe the warning given by Mr Fowler, the Hon. Sec. of the Walton Heath Golf Club, with regard to snow-covered ground. He says that one sweeping of snow does more damage to a good putting-green than six months or ordinary play, and strongly advises that, when snow is on the ground, no golf should be played. The course needs its well-deserved rest: but, if there are any members whose enthusiasm exceeds their power of self-restraint or common-sense, they should be rigorously "warned off" the putting-greens until Nature and the Green Committee smile their consent.