Golf

Wallis Mackay (1852-1907)

His horn book.... (1898)

"Golf is a very manly sport," writes Mackay in the text facing this sketch, "and is therefore much pursued by Lovely Woman." He then explains: "It is played with Sticks, Balls, and Technical Terms," which "must be used under the direction of Professors who are known as 'Caddies.'" Notice the woman's golf ball is heart-shaped (the outsized one to its right, below, is "bawling"), and her caddy is a cupid in tartan. Caddies are mocked as caddis-worms which evolve into flies, but an "Allround" male player is mocked, too. He has missed his ball entirely. Looking on at all this in the right-hand corner, hands in pockets and smoking nonchalantly, is a tall golf club in plus-fours.

Image download and text by Jacqueline Banerjee

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