THE ANCIENT GAME OF GOLF.

Thames Star, Volume LXII, Issue 17386, 11 June 1928, Page 6

THE ANCIENT GAME OF GOLF.

When golf first cante into general use for recreational purposes and before the era of brass-band effects in golf clothing, there was general insistence among those who claimed that their forefathers originated the game

that golf is not golf, but “gof.” Here, again, appears a word which an innocent consuming public needs to use with care (states the Christian Science Monitor). How should “golf” be pronounced—“gawf,” “golluf,” “gowlf.” “golf,” or “gof”? Apparently there are authorities, some of which mav not rank very high, for all of them. Leading dictionaries, both American and English, inform their readers that this is the pronunciation—“golf; sometimes ‘gof.’ ” Incidentally, it is described as “a game which consists of striking a small resilient ball with; clubs.” It is to be hoped that this very meagre description gives no offence to those ardent supporters of the game who certainly would insist that there is something more to it than merely “striking a. small resilient ball with clubs.” It is cruel on the face of it. But, though, the ancient Scottish gentlemen who developed the now international pastime gave it the name of “golf.” and pronounced it in a. variety of ways, the present-day and generally-accepted pronunciation is “golf” and such it undoubtedly will remain. If it were spelled “gof,” all well and good; but when it comes to synchronising the oral and ocular aspects of the word, the tongue simply balks when the eye reachs* the “1”' and refuses to leave it out.