The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-20
rHE uLE OF COLE.
A Card rrom Srr. Macdonald or the Interpreta-
tion Committee-Other Remnrlts.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir. with
reference to tho editorial in THE Sun Of June
80, headed New Trouble in Golf" I beg to say
o few explanatory words toward Calculating
the mystery OF the Interpretation Of rules IA
and ID by the United States Golf Associations
committee. To do 80 clearly and intelligently
to a community which has no golfng traditions
one must do 30 In the light which animated the
carly trainers of golf codes.
Coli was originally played only on the links
proper; viz. low lying ground contiguous with
the sea, usually at the mouth of n river. (Jamci.
pon.) The soil was sand, I'd tho grass very flno
and short, kept 30 by nocks Of grazing sheep.
On these links golf courses were laid out. and
tho only hazards to DO dealt with were sandy
hollows called bunkers, paths. roads, water.
whins, and bent. When In such hazards all tho
early codes agree that the lie Of the ball shall in
no manner be improved. To enfor rec this dictum
the code Of tho Honorable Company Of Edinboro'
Golfers Of 1889 read as follows:
Rule Won the fair green, grass, or driving course,
Y the bail, may be removed. Nothing that is nXedf or
growing can be removed at any time. either on the
cam BE- removal when The ball lie. in sand, on the
road: or IL 2 bunker; . o. in r Th,n'' ,, Nc - loose 10, ! i%Pp.di.
club can Be removed on the driving oonrse, nor Is any
When The bali al e : IN sand. or il . ) hazard. the piayes
Alter q Improve i' position. II he does so he loses
The code adopted BY the Royal and Ancient
Golf Club Of st. Andrews In 1912 reads
when q ball iios in abunter. or sand. there shall be
fore or in playing.
Those rules were admirably adapted to golf as
played on llnks., Naturally the committee
custom sSa | m ' %SieRs Sadf b see asi traS SRf pf shere TO
snl turf fH or sod. 1 IN a bunker y 1cT road .a 'or pathway Sai is1D e
always treated as II it were lying on the fair
Tho grass being long or short 10 immaterial;
the club may in any event be soled.
Since tho invasion OF golf into England tho
Yet The traditional custom still prevails on the
links which n%urtured the game.
ro ! E1 RatS Seat TO s shS fSesy ys1sst " Ra1sor of aslf Gn
page "a. and Willie Park. Jr.'s Book on Golf"
page 22l. In. both instances II is stated that
part Of Tie hazard.
The st. Andrews rules Of golf as revised in
But bStt the Sss wid Il s%p Growth Of golf SI has seiteSred
mates any ground the game Of golf y played
OF hazards never before dreamed OF.
Golf courses to-day are laid ont over clay,
sstwocn mountains and through forests.
Throughout these courses are rivers, ponds.
sRdfaSsIilk sF0I papsm Sna toS eonssry ssaSFs, 't stonc
The question 10 asked to-day. why should a
trspi, He cannot, improve the lie Of bis
ball. In doing 90 he does not transgress the
reply to these queries appealed SO strongly to
the committee that we seriously considered in
terpretinG the rule permitting the soling, OF the
sand or loose earth. Some leading authorities
we consulted abroad approved Of such an inter.
mined to abandon that Interpretation as this
might be deemed what you call "monkeyinE
sired to avoid. We endeaVored to alter none Of
and, as Mr.. Curtis has said. ION the authority
Of qualified experts or of customs which have
land"
In the preface, we advise the framing of local
rules by golf clubs strictly defining hazards and
covering all features peculiar to the nature of
1t is an easy matter to have these local rules
harmonic with the spirit Of the game. Lacking
harmony with the existing code and its tradi:
emancipate itself out Of the realm Of golf;
CHICAGO, July 10.
Mr.. Macdonaid's letter wa shown to Mr.. Findlay
Douglas. q fresh graduate from the links as well as
from the Univeruity Of st. Andrew's. and these were
his comments:
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: So far
as I am aware. thore is no rule at st. Andrews
and I have played golf there for the last seven.
tSo.a chA bi'h ~ " ~ soNl
club on the road running parallel to the u
pole. There Is certainly grass on this road, and ]
have never seen or hoard of any one grounding
FISpLAY DOUGLAS.
To THE EDITOR OF THE sUN-Sf-: MI. Mac
donald says golf originally was only played or
tho links proper. Without going into the ques
ton as to whether the word links is only appli
cable to the peculiar soil common to the sea
board OF Scotland, 1t can be said that the inland
course known as the Royal Blackheath Clut
antedates the existence OF even that time
honored institution known as the Royal Ancient
Mr.. Findlay Douglas. who. ono might naturally
suppose from his golhing abilities, was born In
q bunker and reared on q long spoon. in his let
ter in answer to THE Suns query seems rather
to shed a new light on Mr.. Macdonald's state
ment that q ball found on turf in a road is always
treated as on the fair green. In conversation
with him he also informs me that pavements, pri
vate gardens. and even Tom Morris's work
shop, on the st. Andrews course, all of which
he net has "a; personally per On trs.t hsd s ,se hp plssssSr ovs OF pIoyint
the rules Of which in Scotland take precedenc,
Of the Ten Commandments
leading authorities abroad they had almost
determined TO permit the soleing Of the ,clul
snEtTSA0'Tfh This Eh to a mot ma lyipi Tx. on ms ssnf G %ho 10G rs
plays over with q diligence worthy OF
TO the expert golfer 1t might create n feel
ing that the hazards. which are prosumabl,
placed at certain distances to punish poor play
Ing, might better be called assists" lnasmucl
as they would assist tho poor player at the OK
pense. OF the good. However. al, Mr.. Macdonald
gets his inspiration from authorities abroad
who probably never saw an American Rol
course In their lives. why. he will, of course
bow down to thoir superior practical knowledg,
OF what they have never seen.
Mr.. Macdonald says that the code adopted b,
the Royal and Ancient reads MS follows" Whei
| n hall lies in n bunker or sand, &c"
II that Is a correct quotation Of the rule wha
did tho Royal and Ancient mean by, a bunker o
sand To me II looks as u they thought tina
possibly grass. How about It. Mr.. Macdonald
FAIRFIELD.
Potoe stop the ROtchrord- murphy Fight n
Albany.