The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-18
LOTS OF GOLFING
Grafton Club Enthusiasts Are
Enjoying the Excellent Wealth
er Conditions
LINKS ARE CON-
STANTLY IN USE
Worcester Players Interested in
the interpretations of the
Sunday Laws

Although there has been no match
play at the links of either the Grafton
or Tatnuck country clubs there has
been a remarkable amount of golfing.
due principally to the excellent weather
conditions. The absence of snow has
enabled the golfers to practice when
ever they chose, and the links have
been in almost constant use.
Worcester golfers, in common with
players from all parts of the country,
have been wondering whether the re-
vised rules of the st. Andrews club, the
standard authority on British links, are
in force here. Section u of the by
laws of the United States Golf associ-
alton contains this provision:
The competition shall be played in
accordance with the rules of golf as
adopted by the Royal and Ancient Golf
club of st. Andrews, with such special
rules as are in force and published on
the green over which the competition
takes place. and with such modifica-
tons as the executive committee may
from time to time adopt.
1t would, therefore, seem as though
the rules governing play should be the
revised rules, though it is possible that
when the executive committee adopted
the ST Andrews code here, it was with
the purpose of having that adaptation
remain in effect until the same commit
tee revises it. At all events, golfers
are exceedingly anxious to have the
matter Strengthened out, and are eager
ly awaiting the action which the asso-
citation will undoubtedly take at its an
nual meeting in February.
Worcester golfers are interested in
interpretations of the Sunday laws as
relates to playing on the Lords day
There has been no interference with
Sunday play in this city. But many
golfers have often paused to speculate
whether a complaint against Sunday
golf would receive attention by the
authorities.
The legality of non-competitive play
on the Sabbath has been settled in
favor of the players in test cases AT
several places in the north, notably in
Connecticut, where, after two members
of the Wee Burn club had been fined
by justice of the peace, the golfers
won a victory in the higher court. The
spirit of the law has since been ex-
pressed by ex-Judge LOOMS of the
Connecticut supreme court as follows:
Recreation or play by one person is
not sport, but play by several persons
in contests is sport and falls under the
old Connecticut laws against Sunday
recreation.
Worcester golfers who contemplate
a trip to Florida during the winter and
have visions of long drives and accu-
rate puts will doubtless be surprised at
the reception which some of the news
papers of that state give the popular
game. Although it is a leading winter
game in Florida, the Tampa Herald
notes with regret that a determined
effort will be made to give the alleged
game of golf steady run in the south
ern states this winter. The alleged
game of golf is barbarism, a fad,
crude phantasm. born of repentance
from Scotch whiskey and the hopeless
barrenness of Scotch moors and shores.
1t is unnatural and forced in countries
where the sun shines and the birds
sing.