XIV

GOLF (WITH ONE WHIST PACK)

DEAL out five rows of seven cards to the row, face upwards. In practice, to save space, the seven columns overlap, but in the diagram below the cards are placed vertically under each other for convenience in printing. These thirty-five cards form the "links." The seventeen cards which remain undealt are the "stock," and we begin play by turning up the first of these, separately, on the table. On this we can play the lowest, card of any one of the seven columns, provided that it is next in order of denomination, either upward or downward, and we continue so playing until there is no further "exposed" card that is playable. The denominations only of the cards are regarded, suit being ignored. As soon as a stoppage occurs, we must deal another card from stock, and proceed in the same way, and so on till the whole of the stock is exhausted. In no case can any sequence be played further than a king, which always bars further progress.

When all the stock has been played, count the cards which remain, uncleared, on the links, and the number of these is your score for the "hole" or deal. The cards are then gathered up, shuffled, and redealt, the number of deals being nine in all. "Bogey" for the nine "holes" is 40 — that is, an average of from 4 to 5 per "hole," and you will find this score a very difficult one to attain.

If the "links" happen to clear when there are still cards left undealt in the stock, the number of cards so left counts as a minus score in your favour, i.e. you have done the "hole" in that number less than nothing. If the last card dealt just clears the "links," your score is zero.

It is an amusing game to play in competition with others. The following example (p. 55), given exactly as dealt, will make the method clear. Suppose now the first card dealt from "stock" to be the 7 of hearts. On this, in succession, we place 8 of hearts, 9 of spades, 10 of clubs, knave of clubs, queen of hearts, knave of hearts, queen of clubs, king of diamonds. We must now deal another card from "stock," say the 4 of clubs. On this goes the 5 of hearts, and nothing more. Deal again from " stock," say the 10 of diamonds, and on it place 9 of diamonds, 8 of diamonds, 7 of diamonds, 6 of hearts. Deal the 9 of hearts; on this nothing can be played. Deal the king of hearts; another stoppage. Deal the 4 of hearts, and play in succession 3 of hearts, 2 of diamonds, ace of clubs, 2 of spades, 3 of clubs, 2 of hearts, ace of diamonds. Deal the 3 of spades, and play on it the 4 of spades. The remaining cards to be dealt are 6 of diamonds, 5 of spades, 5 of diamonds, 9 of clubs, 6 of spades, 7 of clubs, 7 of spades, 8 of clubs, 5 of clubs, 6 of clubs. On not a single one of these cards can anything be played, and the score for the "hole" is 14, being the number of cards left on the "links."

THE LINKS.