[Golf] — [Robb, George]

Historical Gossip about Golf and Golfers by a Golfer. Edinburgh: Printed by John Hughes, 1863

Sma🌸ll 8vo (162 x 104). Publisher's printed green wrappers, lightly soiled, price effaced from foot of front wrapper, spine restored with some recoloring.

First edition of the first anthology of golfing literature, preserved in the very elusive original green wrappers; even the copy from the library of bibliop🌌hile and golf aficionado Jaime Ortiz-Patiño, whose Real Club Valderrama hosted the 1997 Ryder Cup, was rebound in later half red morocco over marbled boards.

In the preface, Robb explains that "Having frequently, in the course of a miscellaneous class of reading, fallen in with references to our gentle craft, a note was taken of them at the time; and they are now printed in a connected form for the amusement of those who take an interest in our pastime. Beyond what was necessary to connect the several notices, there is little attempt at original writing in the following pages." The text includes a history of the game in Scotland; a description of Edinburgh's Bruntsfield Links; sketches of Dutch "Kolf" and French "Jeu de Mail"; a brief biography of Alexander McKellar, who spent so much time at Bruntsfield that he as known was the "Cock o' the Green"; and "The Golfer's Garland," a poem that first appeared as an appendix to the 1793 third edition of Mathison's The Goff. 

REFERENCE:

Donovan & Jerris G24070; Donovan & Murdoch 1380; ꧋Hopkinson pp. 33–34; Murdoch 293

PROVENANCE:

P𓂃BA Galleries, 8 Feb𓂃ruary 2207 (Fine & Rare Golf Books), lot 359