A Golfing Idyll or The Skipper’s Round with the Deil On the Links of St Andrews

Scarce illustrated poem about playing golf with the devil – inscribed by the author

Octavo, 9x6¾ inches. x, 35pp.+plates. Full page illustrations by A. Islay Bannerman. Original dark green cloth with gilt title, borders, and vignette. All edges gilt, coated endpapers. Bookplate. Inner front hinge cracked, inner rear hinge starting, corners just showing, minor soiling and slight bend to front cover. Overall, a very good copy.

Third edition. Presentation inscription, signed by the author "To D. Moir with J.E.T's kind regards". Scarce, thus. This long poem in doggerel rhyme, about a game of golf between "The Skipper" and the Devil (Deil), was originally published in 1893. It was privately printed by the author for distribution among his friends, and was under the pseudonym Violet Flint. It was met with such enthusiasm that it was published again the following year and sold publicly. This third edition was printed in 1897, and includes 8 whimsical, full-page illustrations not found in the previous editions. This edition was printed in at least three other bindings, (white cloth, and blue or red printed wrappers); this binding of dark green cloth appears to be less common. [Donovan and Murdoch, The Game of Golf and the Printed Word: 1210].