Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-31
CHAT On TIE GOLF RULES
Some of the Revisions Have Not I'm,
proved Code.
SOME LIKE THE NEW RULES
Changes that Open the Door TO Cheat
inE by UnscrupuIous Mag Hunt
ers-New PuttinG Precept
May Cause Argument.


About once in seven years the rules COM
mittee Of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club
OF st. Andrews makes a new deal and re-
shuffles the playing code that governs the
golfers OF the world. There has just hap
pened such a redistribution OF cards. and
the revision was adopted verbatim b. the
United States Golf association at its recent
annual meeting. All American players
since then have been coming the revised
rules as carefully as a sailor studies the
compass. At a downtown club the rules
were well picked to pieces by q group that
included members Of all the Omaha out
door clubs.
"Rules on all games begin with descrip-
lions OF the layout and mode of play. Golf
cannot escape the inevitable procedure and
definitions from the preface to the CODE
said the Happy Hollow golfer. There are
twenty-one OF them. and the arrangement
with subheads is an improvement over the
old book
"Quite so,' assented the Field club anna
teur, but to turn the grindstone l find ~
keen edge in but few instances. The blade
is surely dulled when railway and fence
are not mentioned as hazards. l would as
sert that being a road or path would COM
pei the playing of a railway as a hazard
were IL not that the new code recommends
a local rule where the rails cross the fair
way. Also permanent grass in hazard Is
now part Of the hazard, as It is not ex-
cepted, which I deem a mistake
"Wormcasts are specified as loose inn
pediments' and as such may be removed
when within a club length OF the ball on
ef,. xsw--A. - -.t1 A.. r1.a-N-. -T.a. ~
Yet out our way a wormcast i'm dry
weather is as hard as a brick and a fixed
impeachment"
That's only a bubble, the Happy Hol-
low golfer retorted. Now let me read you
a comparison of the new and old rules in
general. II may be an aid to your greens
committees"
During the reading the smoking room
group paid close attention. some taking
notes to aid in any after discussion. I
Through the ~Green-Priority on the
course Is now a rule; in the old rules 1t
was included in etiquette.
It is new to have the line of play indl-
Gated.
Bail when dropped to be dropped over
shoulder; old requirement was to drop from
behind head while facing the hole,
former penalty loss OF the hole.
Ball in hazard moved by opponents ball
may be dropped; nothing about this pos
Except at tee no preliminary swing is
allowed, as nothing can be moved. bent or
broken before striking at the ball. Old
rule nothing near BALI moved. bent or
broken.
Playing opponents ball through wrong
Information drop a ball. Old style rectified
by placing a ball.
Sand may be removed TO see top OF ball,
and II ball is touched in so doing there is
no penalty. Old code ball in sand, the
sc N ND gInI wAt h. 49, lF. -
strokes or loss OF hole.
No penalty for touching or moving op-
ponent's ball II looking for it in grass. etc.
Backward view, rule %, penalty, loss Of
hole.
Tee a ball when a ball is played out Of
bounds from tee. Ancient custom drop a
ball on tee or elsewhere
An enforced five minutes before deciding
a ball Is out OF bounds Ga subrule) and be-
fore playing a player has the right to
ascertain II his opponents ball is out of
When a ball is Unfit for play drop a
bali where any piece lies. Old. drop a
ball where largest portion lies"
IL in a running stream or pond player
must not wait until current of wind bet
ter petition of the ball" Utterly new rul-
ing.
About ~Putting-Ball on putting green in
or behind casual water may be placed two
club lengths behind or to one side OF the
water. Old maxim may be placed behind
Line Of put to be "scrsped aside with
club only" This stops brushing lightly
with the hand across the put"
Drastic and original are these new ones:
"A player may have his own caddie stand
at the hole" and also either player may
refuse to allow a person who is not en-
gagged in the match TO stand at the hole"
To play on the putting green before OPP
ponents ball is at rest incurs the loss OF
he hole. The penalty formerly was one
stroke.
Ball on lip OF ~cup-after opponent has
holed out-must be played in ordinary time
necessary to make the stroke. New.
Claim on any point must be made be-
fore striking off from next tee or leaving
last green.
Some OF the changes are very good,
but / object to several for the reason
they open the door to improving the
lie OF the ball, consciously OF un-
consciously" criticised the Happy Hollow
player. ITO drop the ball over IRE shoulder
will bring gymnastics into the game so as
TO drop in the best place. Two more of
the same kind are those to remove sand
to see the top OF the ball and the right to
lift for Identification Who. no matter how
carefully he replaces a ball. will give HIM
self a bad lie? That this lifting may be
only with the opponents consent does not
change matters, for such permlssions are
always granted. 1t is possible under this
Identification clause that two INSCRIPTIONS
players-snch combinations ave been
heard of at tournaments-might lift a ball
whenever 1t is profitable to do So"
IAN your points are well taken" the
Country club champ. added, 'for anything
that gives an opportunity to those foes of
honest golfers, the eonniving mug hunt
ers, is bad law"
ION the other hand, 1t is a wise rule not
to p~enalize a player who moves or touches
an opponents ball when looking for II in
long grass" the Happy Hollow player con-
tinued. "A ball in long grass is usually
found by stepping on 1t. to the dlScomfit-
ure of the player until the framing Of this
new rule. Also very wise is the permits
sion to place aside from casual water on
the putting green
THE last seems good" was the retort.
yet. as in lifting for Identification. there
Is always danger in permitting the moving
Of a ball in play. 1t is sometimes hard to
define what is casual water. Often there
may be only a cupful, yet in the line OF the
putt, and therefore to be condemned even
though the opponent protests. A player
who has a difficult nownhill putt 20 nego-
tiste may almost b. excused il he magni-
files dewdrops into a pool, so that by NOV.
ing " club lengths he may gain a nice