But it should be remembered, that the St. Andrews rules dealing with the uses of caddies, were framed at a time before championships, or competitions with a large field of competitors, were in existence, and were intended for matches, where it might safely be assumed, that the caddies of one side would be in no way inferior to those of the other. These conditions are not present to-day. Caddies on most greens are now divided into first, second, and third classes - a classification which covers all degrees of ability, and all shades of inexperience. It is quite a common practice, moreover, for players to import their own caddies for an important competition, and occasions have been known, even in a championship competition, when competitors who could not afford this luxury, have had to content themselves with the services of boys who had never carried clubs before in their lives.

A player should always play his own game, and most of the best players do. It usually means better play, and certainly shows a more sportsmanlike attitude of mind, but at the same time, all golfers derive the greatest assistance from the services of their regular caddies. A caddie, who knows his master's game and temper, is of invaluable assistance to him in a match. If he knows his business, he will tee his ball exactly in accordance with his liking, be always ready with the right club for each stroke, and have the proper word of encouragement or advice always on the tip of his tongue. In these and in a hundred other ways, in the course of a match, a good caddie relieves his master of a great deal of thought and saves him a large amount of nervous expenditure, to say nothing of the moral support which his presence and sympathy affords.

His opponent, who may only have been able to secure the services of an ignorant and inexperienced novice, is not only deprived of these advantages, but has to submit to the positive annoyance and worry of his caddie's acts of ignorance and stupidity, and how very upsetting these may be, any golfer of experience can well testify.

In private matches, and by mutual consent, there need be no alteration of the existing regulations, but in larger competitions, where the qualities of the caddies must necessarily vary, it seems necessary, in the interests of general fairness to the competitors, that the taking of advice from the caddie should be prohibited.

The difficulty would be largely overcome if it were made the rule, that no caddies were eligible for employment in championship competitions except those of the first class, and if all members of this class had to pass a certain standard of age and knowledge before obtaining their badges. As the rules stand at present, an ignorant caddie may be the means of his mastei losing the hole or match, or of his being disqualified. The penalties attached to the infringement of certain rules, which apply to caddies, were directed against possible dishonesty and not against obvious ignorance. The awful experience, narrated by Lord Wellwood, of the golfer whose ball lay dead at the last hole, and whose caddie, instead of picking the opponent's ball out of the hole, misunderstood his request and picked up his master's ball, to the loss of the hole and the match, is an example of the dangers to which an ignorant caddie may expose his master. A caddie who had passed the proper examination could hardly be guilty of such an error, and it is unfair, in a competition of importance, that one player, through no fault of his own, should have to run the risk of such accidents, which his more fortunate partner or opponent escapes.

The unique facilities for acquiring a knowledge of human nature, before alluded to, which the caddie's profession affords, do not always have the effect of breeding in him an attitude of philosophic calm or cynical indifference, in the presence of a mind unhinged, and beside itself, with the stings and arrows of outrageous golfing fortune. If it be true, that no man is a hero to his valet, much less can the ordinary golfer be a hero to his caddie. The latter, in most cases, sees far too much of the worst side of his master's nature, to have any very exalted idea of his character. All the petulance, impatience, and bad temper of the golfer are displayed, without reserve, before his caddie; and, indeed, he is commonly made the scapegoat on whom the golfer vents all the vials of his wrath. The caddie has thus need of great patience and self-restraint, and often exhibits these qualities in a marked degree. But the bruised worm will sometimes turn. On a very hot day, a North Berwick player, who had lost his temper badly during the outward half, from cursing his luck, took to cursing his caddie, who, by reason of years and stoutness, was somewhat slow and scant of breath. The caddie stood his master's reproaches and language for some time in silence, but at the far hole, at which he arrived, perspiring and out of breath, some yards behind his master, an additional outbreak proved to be the last straw. Throwing his clubs on the ground, he blurted out, "Ye can cairry yer clubs yersel'!" and marched off homewards, leaving his master to chew the cud of bitter reflection.

Another well-known elderly North Berwick caddie, who usually carries for a certain eminent statesman, of whom he takes entire charge on the golf green, was carrying for him in a foursome. At the last hole, the statesman was addressed to his putt, on which hung the fate of the match, when a man in the crowd behind was seized with a violent fit of coughing. The caddie immediately rushed forward with uplifted hand, calling out to his master, "Dinna putt, sir; dinna putt!" and then, with a glance of withering scorn in the direction of the delinquent, he said, "Can ony o' you folks gie that gintleman a jubejube?"

GULLANE. (From a drawing by Garden G. Smith.).