The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-06
GOLF NEWS AND OPINIONS.
THE MYSTERY OF n "BULLET"
Ball 4 PUZZLE TO PLArERS.

NAM n FCIIIF ~ FLAlBHS.
A Suit to Test the Rights of snapshot Pho
toErnpherS on the Links-Arrow Against
Club Matches Old In Scotland-St. An
drew's to Reduce Its Membership.
On Saturday n metropolitan amateur re-
ceived specimens of the Bullet" golf ball that
is exciting considerable attention among the
players in Great Britain. 1t is about the size
OF a 2G ball. measuring 5lS inches in circumfer-
ence. but weighs ~ pennyweights. Tho or
binary 21h ball. the standard for important
matches, IL 81 inches in circumference. and 1t
is evident that IL made OF the same compost
tion as the Bullet" ball It would be too heavy
to play with TO advantage. The inference
is that the small size OF the Bullet"
ball is due to the desire to utilize
the new composition as q substitute
for pure gutta percha. but whatever the first
reason may have been the new ball Is said TO
find favor abroad on its own merits. particu-
larry among the players about Edinburgh. In
general appearance the Bullet resembles the
smallest size OF remade Silvertown-markel
balls, and it holds the paint well. But for the
heavy weight in proportion TO its sizo. 1t would
appear to he Of the usual trade grade OF gutta
percha. Split In two and tested. the material
has every appearance. too, OF pure gutta, for,
as Willie Norton. the Lakewood professional.
Eii'A 'gN' VIZ . hANV 'VNONlh WIN AiNliV w lf
the compound burns. cuts. tastes and smells
like the pure gum" II the gum is weighted
tho indications are not visible. nor IL
tho presence OF an adulterant appar-
ent under the usual tests applied by
professional golfers to the Rutta percha
they use in ball making. One theory is that
heavier weight is caused by COMPRISING the
ture Of fine steel filings. The general opinion.
however, is that the ball is made heavier by
some cheaper rubber compound mixed with
the pure rum. On account OF the wet greens
try a round with the bullet ball. but Norton
putting. Clean hit the bail carried well, but 1t
seemed lacking In resiliency and II did not roll
the wind was not noticed at ali. The lack OF
roll was also noticeable when pitched from the
Wsrs trie dn on a al strsIsh 81 thf harp S9pT Sry rro sh0tT
from where it struck, each time. This trait
Nariably n deadly approach, for 1t equals a
perfect cut on an ordinary ball, 1t ran true in
to Norton the Bullet does not possess any
manifest advantages over any well seasoned pr
or ~ Is remode PAIL the sort many n amateurs
for golfthe Bullet" may show more impressive
merits. "A fairly good ball for its size was
the consensus OF opinion about it at Lakewood.
the opinions on, the bail by ii. j. hutchinson.
following verdict of A. J. Robertson, condensed
from London GoJ OF Jan. 20:
l saw the ball for the first time last September
Ross, at Lufness. Gullane. Muirdeid and North Der.
E greer IN NTH Z fSri' Ro %. Hfr Ea si't am ma,'e oppo orsr tne sS
watch the flight and general behavior Of the ball.
the bali from the tee is somewhat lower than the or.
binary gutta. but its most remarkable feature is the
as PsSHisssS'sHna'eTrSS liy felt OF the top Of Gnliane hill or GO,
ing to the tenth hole on old Lunness. In such a
in some way to bore its way through the wind. and is
rarely detected when properly struck from the true
tempt a. a long carry rarely meets with fall al
the ordinary entta:. found aso maj in pIj.yips the
on a hard green; It's behavior was less animated and
ective in being pitched with the iron. On the put
eqnailties of the ground better than the ordinary
ball, and TS StIs IN GO Gon'Ss s1w S.. oT = sn.n! true tpa int 1t
with gratifying persistence to the player.
American golfers and their pursuers on the
links. the amateur and professional pho
tographers. will await with interest the out
come of an action soon to be tried In Glasgow.
The defendants are the Shettleston Camera
Club and the plaintiff puts in a claim
W While s'' follo SsinsSes his Oh usual ia1 Calling sfHnsa three iMet;
snapshot, photographs of him were taken
msm Ser Of hi the k Gs%esa 6lu Or an sGn s g a lantern S ! a
audience, The action, is to be defended by the
Camera Club aud the legal opinion will be OF
value. In this country the amateur photographer
is a person to whom much is conceded. On
ling of their cameras and careful not to disturb
the rIaEcrs at a critical moment by n sudden
however. they sometimes show an excess OF
zeal. but at such contests the professional
photographers, who seldom have a respect for
Rule l in the Etiquette of Golf. are usually n
mora pronounced cause of foozled drives or
missed puts at a critical moment in u match;
professional camera knights here was at the
widely discussed match between Winthrop
b b11aE, IN the a iaYl Of Gn issS. w sReas on az the ae er69Td
the late Theodore A.. Hayemeyer ordered the
photographers to remove their machines. Atthe
amateur and women's championships last year
no restraint was placed on them. providing
players. The right Of a photographer to dis
play an unauthorized snapshot on a screen at
nthS@tr so Sr S4f as yef ba Is to e i matter but fh # Is Our 19
he presumed that the act would be as vigorous
ly opposed here as in Glasgow.
In commenting on the match between the
Rev. c. r. Bedford, with bow and arrow.
against A. T.. Wilson Browne, with golf club
and hail. reported In THE SYN on last Wednes-
day. the Scotsman OF Jan. "a notes that this is
quite an old form OF competition in Scotland
and states:
The celebrated golfer. Mr.. David Wallace Of Bal
hers. Jr.. won the Scottish championship. once
played against a Mr.. Greenhil with bow and arrow
I'M 'Ahhf hHA $3.50 ~ vi
a mattel! Of tho kind, ana probably it s the only case
in which the golfer won. The venerable Tom Norris
once played against the Rev. J. II. TAFT. chap .aint %
ister OF Aberlady.u, and. though, the bet:
ting was all in Toms favor, he suffered
defeat. About four years ago the match took
tho form Of a toursome over Muirhcld. in which
two members OF the Royal CAmpany of Archers-
Mcssrs. Campbell Gibson and Thomas Hu.chison-
PLAYED two good golfers-Messrs. W. T. Armour and
iicrion tobertson-the former winning by sly holes,
the scores being II and 80 respectively. Indeed,
Mr.. Bedford, whose recent match, has been described
as something new, il no novice In the business. for
in 1898, over Sutton Coldheld course, he with bow
and arrow heat the professional. G l.. Ross. with
club and ball, the scores for eighteen holes being ~
and 80.
This is the only country in which golf has
met with ready acceptance as a game for
schools. and during the coming season the
schoolboy team championship will probably
attract nearly as much attention AS the inter
collegiate meeting. which this year will be an
autumn event. In England a short time ago
Canon Lyttleton. addressing an audience Of
teachers. strongly advised them not to eneour-
age golf as a school sport, Oh the ground that
ii did not encourage combination. The obJrc-
ton would hardly be "A forcible one in regard to
team matches. in which the unity OF interest IL
90 Lao, ln,,la nr ri.Isn .l.n,. Il