Gutty golf ball press 65 A flag from the 2006 Open


that the number on it does not refer to the course played day in day out by members and visitors. The green being watered during the 06 heatwave may be the 5th to the greatest players in the world, but it’s the 3rd to the rest of us. When Hoylake returned to the Open rota in 2006 a decision had been made to renumber


63 Out of Bounds 64


Speaking of which, that OB, more correctly


known as an internal out of bounds, is a Hoylake trademark but not to everyone’s taste. Once the perimeter of the race course that occupied the land in the mid-19th century, its everyday use now as the Club’s practice ground gives way during championships to the bulk of the tented village, and the OB makes its presence felt on the 3rd and 18th holes. To some this quirky local rule is a defect because hitting out of bounds


Nothing too remarkable about a flag - but a reminder


the course, making the par 5 16th the championship 18th, the 17th the 1st, and the 1st the 3rd. This gives The Open a finishing hole capable of supporting an amphitheatre gallery in front of the clubhouse, though the configuration also means players have two holes to steady their nerves before tackling what was once, according to Peter Alliss, “the most intimidating first hole in championship golf”, due to its seductive out of bounds forever on your right.


normally means your ball has left the course and is not likely to have landed on smooth, playable turf - which is perfectly possible during an Open even when hospitality tents occupy the majority of the area. The objection seems odd to me - it’s all part of the Hoylake test. On our 1st, do you always favour hitting your first two shots left whether consciously or unconsciously? On our 16th do you hit your second gently over a small stretch of OB, or attempt some death or glory strike over what can feel like an abyss with gravity of black hole proportions?


ROYAL LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUB 2018–2019 MAGAZINE 39


‘Gutta percha’ describes both a genus of trees in


south east Asia and the resinous sap they produce. When the Reverend Adam Patterson discovered in the mid-19th century that by heating gutta-percha he could mould it into a small sphere able to function as a golf ball he revolutionised the game. ‘Gutty balls’ were easier to produce than the ‘featheries’ they replaced and were therefore more affordable. The inevitable consequence of Patterson’s breakthrough was presses like this one which dates from c.1890, well after the time it became clear that balls with smooth surfaces flew less far than those with uneven ones: balls were ‘nicked’ at first, a process that evolved into the dimpling of golf balls.


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