WHY 18 HOLES?
Why couldn't golf courses have 10 or
13 or 21 holes?
Answer: Well, it seems that in the
year of 1858, the board of St. An-
drews in Scotland sat all day settling
this very question. There were then
7-hole courses, 13-hole courses, 15
hole courses. At one time St. Andrews
itself was made up of 22 holes and
Montrose had 25.
Finally, after a full day's discus-
sion, it is said that one of the Scottish
members of the board and a member
in good standing spoke as follows:
"Well, you good gentlemen have
been considering this situation for
many hours and I have been hoping
you would decide along lines agree.
able to me without any insistence on
my part. I see, however, that I must
speak for myself.
"As you know, it has long been my
custom to start out for a game of golf
with a full bottle of Martin's Scotch
Whisky in my bag- not, you under
stand, for any reason except that the
inclemency of our local climate
makes it expedient for me to have a
small medicinal nip on each tee.
"Now, gentlemen, I have here a
small glass, which contains about an
ounce and a half when not filled so
full that a drop may escape.
"Naturally I find it pleasant to play
golf so long as there is a drink left
in the bottle. On the other hand it
would be unhealthy for me to con-
tinue the game when the battle is
exhausted.
"I have found that one bottle will
fill this little glass just 18 times, so it
has been my custom to play 18 holes
each afternoon, no more, no less. 1
see no possible way of deviating from
this custom, unless the bottles are
made larger, which I fear would be too
marked a change in our manufactur
ing life."
So that's why golf courses have 18
holes.
if you don't believe it. just take an
ounce and a half jigger, fill it full, but
not too full, and you'll get 18 drinks
out of a "fifth" of Scotch.