The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-06
ABOUT GOLF AND THE CUE.
THE QUESTION DISCUSSED FROM
DIFFERENT sTANDPOINTS.


TsnHasEe. Peters. ana Toier Pass
on the Observation-Disclosures OF an Erpert-
ment NJ Kroiiuood-The DtverEenee in ideas
May Necessitnte n Ruling By the =. .. G. A.
There has always been a wide divergence Of
opinion among golfers regarding the use OF q
billiard cue on tho putting green, and since the
editorial in THE SuS of May % on the subject
the discussions have multiplied. Regarding the
legality Of the cue under the golf rules, II SUN
is pronounced to be right in its assertion that 1t
is ! ustifable to use It until some special statute
is 4 framed. No two golfers agree, however. as 70
the utility OF the cue. A. z. Huntington. before
starting in the public tournament at Van Cort-
landt Park last fall, asked the referee II he
might use a putter he had invented. which had
q head like a wedGe-shaped croquet mallet.
Certainly" replied the President of st. An
drew's. You may put with an umbrella handle
II you like"
The remark shows the freedom Of choice the
rules allow to the golfer.
II. o. TallmadRe, who as Secretary of the
United States Golf Association had charge of
the amateur championship at Newport In 1898.
when Richard Peters SGT out prepared to use .
cue in putting, says:
Tho officials In charge Of tho Newport tour
nament did not mako q ruling In tho match be-
tween Mr.. Peters and the Rev. DR.. Rainsford
regarding tho use Of the cue for. after using It
once. Peters, at tho request of his opponent did
not use it again. I do not think that q cue or
anything else could be barred out under tho
present rules. which do not specify what style Of
club shall be used. At the Same time the rules
Of common sense and fairness should govern all
contests, and I am sure the Executive Commit
tee Of the U. 8. @. A. would use its power and
disqualify any competitor who would use q cue
In a match, or the could make a new
rule Immediately covering any point which
might come up.
Personally. I believe a billiard cue would DO
moro Of q handicap than an advantage, as the
crampcd position q player would have to take
while putting would naturally interfere with
his aim. Besides, a golf ball is so small and
light that 1t would DO almost impossible to make
a cue shot without hitting or pushing the ball
twice, which would mean the loss Of a stroke in
medal play or of the hole in match play"
Richard Peters, who was one of the players
who qualified at the Baltusrol tournament. said
that after making one successful put with a cue
at Newport he thereafter omitted using It, both
to please DR.. Rainsford, who is a conservative
golfer, and because the innovation made him 50
nervous that 1t might have spoiled his game.
With some practice. SO as to overcome awk.
players putting" added Peters. The greens
would have to be .~perfcct, like ours at Meadow
i SiTot to try n It on k kne SSe or ee e9ppy sree IN YOU'D ne
The other side OF the case was expressed by H.
p Toler, who is one of the best amateur pool
players in New York and thoroughly familiar
with the uses Of the cue.
II have once or twice experimental with a cue
said Toier. II would not thin think Pe Of U using ner one n a
match. The benefit In putting afforded by a cue
IS; IN to %{ t6 opi tponbl not Of n 1a55s i enough ! Ist te diGi in pse
too. as something utterly foreign to the spirit OF
golf, and l maintain that no player with any
An amateur who tested the cue in putting on
the fne greens at Knollwood last week found
that the ball ran better from the butt OF the cue
ing a bridge" with the left hand and resting
1es 6isf hah hnss on w fR : turf ifrs the ts sae Of 09 'Ss ca be
the ball could be put in with equal facility from
either end of the cue. but on long puts the shots
from the tip were apt to run untrue. The i'm
preston derived from the experiments was that
on long puts the cue is no more reliable than tho
the safer. By practice. however, the cue might
he made a patent Instrument, should Il be held
'n Douglas mi Psonnsqn a iSnio OF 6 pIav Is i at ina s,ate,
Island Cricket Club, had some sport last fall
with q putter on the cue principle, but designed
time he talked Of taking a patent on his idea.
westhrook tournament last fall, an illustration
was printed Of Richard Peters's brass putter,
which Is very effective in short or long puts.
The article showed that the invention Of new
is fssS ;s;! 5ss Esli s ss had df dss1,s al 5h Ell . energies 10 !.
tN~ eAe AeEC' o. Aio
conclusion drawn was that the players had
learned the long game and were next puzzling
over the mastery of the short game. The inter
est now taken in the billiard-cue question sug-
gests that the short game is still the most per
picking part of golf.
Of the cue is ma govt" Sam Tucker once
saw a player use one in a match on Wimbledon
Common, near London. His ball had rolled un.
der a furze bush on the edge OF the green, and,
to avoid lifting. the player sent 10 the club
house for a cue and fused II BY crouching down so
effectively that he sent the ball dead on the rim.
Usually the professionals say they have never
to whether it should be adopted or not. except on
general principles, the position they take when.
ever any club not of their own invention is in.
troduced at a links. To invent a new club that
will aid his game in a decisive way is an idea
that fascinatcs many a new golfer. but the
thorough Scotch player is convinced in his heart
that, after the experience OF a century. the club
ton in club making. This is one reason why
they regard new styles with Indifference.
What would happen should an American
visit Scotland with some new-fangled driver,
say. one with springs inside II. that would enable
him to out-drive everybody =" was the question
once asked a famous Scotch professional.
"Nothing at ALL" was the reply, land he
would have a grand time winning matches until
we learned his secret"
This is not the attitude, however. OF the
amateurs regarding the use OF the billiard cue.
They are divided into two camps. one body
thinking 1t sportsmanlike to use IL. the other
maintaining that while not forbidden by the
tive OF the [. $. G. A. may soon he
called upon TO adjudicate finally on The ques
ton. so that It will be settled before the time OF
the amateur championship.