David Stamm
I checked my copies of Golf Architecture (the Australian annual magazine that Neil Crafter and his fellow association have put out) and volume 3 talks about these very cards (see page 27).
'It was not until 1924 that Wills did justice to British golf courses with their magnificent 1924 issue of "Golfing" which comprised 25 cards bearing most attractive paintings depicting views on well known courses, including Burnham & Berrow, Deal, Ganton, Hoylake, Troon, Westward Ho! and Sandwich.'
Neil illustrates his article with the 5th green at Cruden Bay whereas the ebay sale is for the Wills card for Muirfield (also 1924). Neil also refers to two other series of cards in the article (the latest was the John Player and Sons 1936 series of 25 Championship Golf Courses.
Neil's book reference was 'A Century of Golf Cards - A Pictorial History of the Game' by B Bendock and M Baier, Canada, 1993.
One series that Neil referenced are similar in style to the recent extracts by Joe Bausch from his Philadelphia research, with the articles by Joe Dey (IIRC) featuring the play of the star and the dub on various famous holes (I am keenly awaiting to see what happens at Merion East #11). Perhaps these cards would promote a better attitude to golf for the card and pencil, fairness and presentation set of golfers. I quote one of the 'How to beat bogey at St Andrews' cards from 1934.
' "Like that beastly Principal's Nose at St Andrews" grumbled Mr Everyman, "where I hit a perfect shot and was caught. Better off aiming at the ridiculous thing." So he did, and went straight in.
"It doesn't bother me." chirped Mr Rabbit. "I can't reach it." He was right, because he topped into heather and he reached it in two. He tried to get out and covered Mr Everyman's ball with a shower of sand. So Mr Everyman got cross and shanked into the railway.
Only Mr Tiger holed out: he got a four. '
Yes Tony Muldoon (and others), that is the writing of Bernard Darwin on these cards. And, how prophetic for Bernard to have known of young Tiger Woods and his ability to miss the Principal's Nose bunker (and all others at TOC for that matter) nearly 70 years before Tiger's Open victory!
James B