Bearing an 1894 British patent number, this is one of the earliest “golf accessories” ever devised.  A golfer would strike a ball attached to the end of the cord.  Because the ball was attached to a cord, it would not travel far.  The needle on the face of the Linka, however, would register the approximate distance the shot would have traveled if no cord was attached.   The golfer would then reel the cord back in, reset the needle, and go again if desired.

The ball originally attached to the cord is no longer.  It would have been made from solid gutta percha, as wound balls were still a few years away.  Gutta percha balls were susceptible to cracking and breaking apart, and even more so if drilled out or molded around the remaining end on this cord.

This item, which measures 9 inches wide and 3 ½ inches high, was not actually patented.  British patent No. 8,833 was assigned to cover the Linka on a May 19, 1894, patent application issued to R.G. Graham.  Graham, however, never completed the process.  The Linka’s initial sales probably indicated that it was not worth the additional money required to complete the patent process.