Maliebaan Montpellier, La France. 1687

English

Design for two double Mail Courses by Steven J.H. van Hengel. Undated.

Montpellier 1687, Place du Course

Steven J.H. van Hengel:

'In 1687 a specification for the construction of two parallel Mail-courses was drawn up and discussed in the City Councel of Montepllier on the 2nd April of that year. The document is still in the Record Office of the city of Montpellier. The measures of the specifications are in:

• Tois = 1.949 meters

• Pied (Foot) = 0.304,8 meters

• Pouce (Inch) = 0.0254 meters

For the sake of convenience all the measures have been transposed into metric equivalents.

A width of 25.34 meters (13 Tois) by a length of 584.7 meters (300 Tois) on the Place du Cours entering by the property of Sieur Pinet at the end of the game, which is from one road to another.

On teh width of 25.34 meters a path of 1.949 meters (1 Tois) shall be left at the countryside to be used by the owners of property on that side.

1.949 meters (1 Tois) around a ditch shall be dug, 0.91 meters (3 Pieds) deep, 1.82 meters (6 Pieds) wide at the top and 0.61 meters(2 Pieds) at the bottom to receive the water from the rain. A verge of 0.91 meters (3 Pieds) shall be left clear.

13.64 meters (7 Tois) shall be used to construct the two Mail-courses with three walls. One on the town-side 2.13 meters (7 Pieds) high including the foundation, 0.41 meters (16 Pouces) wide at the base and 0.20 meters (8 Pouces) wide at the top.

The same wall to be continued on the garden side where it will only be 1.22 meters (4 Pieds) high, the foundation to be 0.30 meters (12 Pouces) wide reduced by 0.05 meters at the top.

The turns in the game at each end shall be built of cut rock of the best quality that can be found and of the hardest, well shaped and well laid in such a manner that the joints do hardly show and they will be 0.51 meters (20 Pouces) wide, diminishing to 0.41 meters (16 Pouces) square openings of 0.23 meters (9 Pouces) will be built into the base of the enclosing walls at intervals of 39 meters (20 Tois) commencing at each end.

A wall shall be made which will seperate the two games which will be 1.22 meters high (4 Pieds) including the foundation and 0.30 meters (1 Pied) thick.

All these walls shall be built with good chalk, two thirds sand and one third good cement or of mortar pressed with the hammer.

The ground of the Jeu de Mail must be levelled as well as possible taking care of retaining a invisible incline from 39 meters to 39 meters (20 Tois) for the drainage of the rain water and for this purpose a square hole of 0.254 meters (10 Pouces) shall be left in the enclosing walls at intervals of 39 meters (20 Tois) to serve as drains as said above.

When all the walls have been built and the leveling has been done surface of the two games will be dug up to a depth of 0.10 meters (4 Pouces) and then one must obtain good sand mixed with gravel which one obtains from the cutting of stones and if not enough of that is available in the city one might go to the quarries in order to pick up a large quantity. This then to be mixed with the sand which should be subsequently spread on the course taking care that the whole surface will show 0.10 meters (4 Pouces) which are to be well mixed with the 0.10 meters of belaboured soil. For this mixing and levelling one takes the gardeners with their rakes and to beat it well.

On the vorge outside the courses between the wall and the ditch trees shall be planted spaced at 4.57 meters (15 Pieds).

On the city side a ditch shall be made like on the other side with a verge of 0.91 meters (3 Pieds) between the wall and the ditch, the ditch to be 3.898 meters (2 Tois) at the narrowest and for the passage of the road.

All of which amounts to 25.34 meters (13 Toises).

A small house shall be built for the Master who keeps the game.'

Source: NGA Early Golf

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