Thomas Kincaid

From January 1687 to December 1688 he kept a detailed diary, recording his studies as well as "today I thought upon" entries giving his thoughts on a wide range of subjects ranging from chemistry and theology to horse breeding, building a meeting house, and making a blacksmith's vice.

[1] He noted discussions on medicine with his father, visits to his married sisters, and correspondence with his brother James who was in Holland.

He described his Golf stroke:[1][2] I found that the only way of playing at the Golve is to stand as you do at fenceing with the small sword bending your legs a little and holding the muscles of your legs and back and armes exceeding bent or fixt or stiffe and not at all slackning them in the time you are bringing down the stroak (which you readily doe) ....[2]He continued on for 13 paragraphs of similar detailed analysis of how to get the best results.

Over the two months he kept returning to the theme, writing down his recommendations on techniques including some advice which still remains relevant to modern golfers.

He also set out his views on the ideal golf ball which "must be of thick and hard leather not with pores or grains or that will let a pin usually pass through it the specially at the soft end",[1] and on an early handicap system.