Speech:  David Forgan

In a speech given in 1899 David Forgan had the following to say in relation to the game of golf.

Golf is a science, the study of a lifetime, in which you may exhaust yourself but never your subject.  It is a contest, a duel, a melee calling for skill, courage, strategy, and self-control.  It is a test of temper, a trial of honor, a revealer of character.  It affords a chance to play the man and act the gentleman.  It means going into God’s out-of-doors, getting close to nature, fresh air, exercise, a sweeping away of mental cobwebs, genuine recreation of tired tissues.  It is a cure for care, an antidote to worry.  It includes companionship with friends, social intercourse, opportunities for courtesy, kindliness and generosity to an opponent.  It promotes not only physical health but moral force.