[Ads-l] mulligan (golf)--warning: speculative

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Thanks Stephen, Dan, and all.

The 1935 citation below was not mentioned in Peter's or Dave's
articles about "mulligan", but it may be pertinent. This piece
appeared after the initial citations for "mulligan", but before the
national articles in 1936 and 1937. The author mentions "Old Man
Mulligan", perhaps a fictional construct.

Date: July 25, 1935
Newspaper: The Windsor Daily Star
Newspaper Location: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Section: The Star Sports
Article: Sport Gossip
Author: Vern Degeer
Quote Page 26 (1), Column 1
Database: Newspapers.com

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79180474/mulliganstroke/

[Begin excerpt - check for typos]
LATEST AND PROBABLY most welcome of the aids to the hard-working divot
diggers of golf, is the "mulligan stroke." In common with thousands of
the devotees of a high slice and the low hook, this column firmly
believes Old Man Mulligan rates a purple shrine in the House of Par.

The "mulligan stroke," in case you haven't heard of it, is something
that the hundred-shooters have been seeking for many years, but
weren't just sure how to go about producing it. The "mulligan" is the
stroke you wanted to make * * * and tried to make * * * instead of
that fluttering shot that flipped and flopped over the nearest fence
or the tall grass like a bird with a broken wing. So you drop another
ball, toss that bad stroke into the discard and try again.

You are privileged under the rules, as introduced at Lakewood Golf
Club this season, to take one "mulligan" on each hole. That is to say,
once on every hole you can play a poor shot over again, without
penalty. Perhaps the second effort isn't any better. Often it is
worse. Then it's your hard luck and a "mulligan" wasted.

IT IS DOUBTFUL if the "mulligan" rule was ever worked to greater
advantage at any time and on any course, and by any person than
yesterday afternoon at Lakewood by Fred Sebulske, president of the
Cadillac Brewing Company of Detroit.
[End excerpt]

The paths of "No Alibi" and "mulligan" eventually did intersect. But
the two citations below are very late: 1975 and 1988. The cites do
provide evidence that "No Alibi" survived into the 1980s.

Date: January 22, 1975
Newspaper: St. Petersburg Times
Newspaper Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Section: Pasco Times
Article: Steve Hill aces No. 13 at Point Alexis
Quote Page 4, Column 3
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
The Magnolia Valley Couples event was No Alibi-5 Mulligan with full
handicap Jan. 17.
[End excerpt]

Date: August 27, 1988
Newspaper: The Baxter Bulletin
Newspaper Location: Mountain Home, Arkansas
Article: Sports action from around the area
Quote Page 8, Column 4
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
Twin Lakes Ladies Golf
The Twin Lakes Golf Club played NO-ALIBI (two mulligans-low gross) on Aug. 19.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Tue, Jun 8, 2021 at 9:16 AM Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Since you showed a 1936 cute from Brooklyn, I checked the Brooklyn Eagle
> archive. There is a reference to an "Alibi stroke golf tournament" -- every
> player received four alibi strokes -- on August 24, 1930.
>
> In the 20s, there are frequent mentions of alibis as excuses for playing
> badly, including a quote of Walter Hagen calling golf "the greatest of
> alibi games" (December 2, 1927).

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