New-York tribune., 1910-12-17
LIGHT ON GOLF PUTIER
C. B. Macdonald Puts the case
in a Plain Way.
ONE LOOPHOLE OFFERED
Ma]let- Headed Club, Barred IN
Great Britain, May Be
Saved Here.

/
through the giving out of a mass OF cor
resSondence which has taken place between
Charles B. Macdonald, one of the 1atheiS
of the game in America ana the rN09 VI
Golf Committee of ST Andrews oco''<''io
Robert C. Watson, secretary OF the ohi'eu
States Golf Association. has made puoiic
letter received from Mr.. Macdonald con-
corning the situation as to the tnshsi
ruling in regard to the form and make ol
Golf clubs. The letter in part is as fol-
lows:
referring to your letter Of December
in which YOU ask me to send you a history
of the facts leading to the recent ruiins
of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club regard
ing form and make of golf club so that
there may be no misconception at the
meeting Of the United States Golf Assocla-
ton to be held in Chicago in January.
where the question will arise of adopting
the clause:
The Rules of Golf Committee lnfimateS
that it will not sanction any substantial
departure from the traditional and ac-
cepted form and make of golf clubs, which.
]
a head which does not contain any nlechan-
ical contrivance such as springs: it also
| regards as illegal the use Of such clubs
| as those OF the nlallet-headed type, or OF
such clubs as have the neck SO bent as TO
produce similar effect
Together with the note:
| The Rules of Golf Committee intimates
| that the following general considerations
will guide it in interpreting this rule;
| ~ The head of a golf club shall be SO
! constructed that the length OF the head
| from the back of the heel to. the toe shall
| be greater than the breadth from the lace
| to the back of the head.
q, The shaft shall be fixed ct the heel,
! to a neck. socket or bore WHICH tefHii
| mates at the heel
1Sl The lower part of the shaft SHALL if
| produced meet the heel of the club, or tas
Fernie clubs point opposite the reel,
| either to the right or left. when the clun
| is soed in the ordinary position of play
This. am now informed. is part of the
rules. beg to state that the history OF the
! facts is as follows:
! Until the adoption OF the last scode of
| the rules Of golf, in September, 1908. in
| which the United States Golf Association
| took an active part. there has never been
| in the rules Of golf any clause referring TO
| the form and make of golf clubs player
| has always been left to play with any KIND
| of club he desired, no matter how great
freak. The first restriction that have any
memory of was back in 1895 when player
| in our national championship attempted TO
put with a billiard cue The matter was re-
| ferred to the United States Golf Associa-
ton, and it ruled against the billiard cue.
The next ruling came in 1898, when the new
| code was adopted and included a clause on
| form, nd make of golf clubs.
| However, trouble did not commence
| brewing until 1909. when the Nga Motu
! Golf Club asked the question:
| With regard to form and make of golf
club, is it permissible TO use croquet NAL
| let TO put with?
sThe reply 10 this question, decision II,
was as follows:
A small croquet mallet is not golf club
and is inadniSSible-
This caused much comment in golfing
circles abroad, especially in England and
! there was considerable pressure brought to
bear on the Rules of Golf Committee to
define more particularly the form and make
of golf club which was permissible. On the
sth of April 1910. the Rules of Golf Com
mittee sent to each member of the commit
tee the following communication:
In reply to the Pickeridge Golf Club, No
IL the committee has undertaken to submit
to the general meeting the question of NAL
let-headed clubs. The following motion has
been drafted by the subcommittee to meet
the case.
That the rules Of golf committee be en-
powered to add to the clause on form and
make of golf clubs words which shall de-
clare all clubs with heads of the mallet
type to be substantial departure from
the traditional and accepted form and make
| OF golf clubs.
Under date of April 49, 1870 the Royal
and Ancient Golf Club notified its mem
bers that at the meeting to be held on
Tuesday. May 3, 1910. they would. under
note of business No. IL. put the motion of
the rules of golf committee as above stated.
The following is an excerpt from the
minute of the general meeting. held May
T. 1910:
Captain Burn submitted the following mo-
ton on behalf of the rules of golf commit
tee. VIZ: THAT the rules of golf committee
be empowered to add to the clause form
and make of golf clubs words which shall
declare that all clubs with heads of the
maIlet type are a substantial departure
from the traditional and accepted form and
| make OF golf clubs, " and this was second
ed by Edward Blackwell.
J. B. Pease moved TO exclude the Schen
ectady putter from the proposed embargo,
and this was seconded by NJ. r. c.
Kavanagh On division Mr.. Pease's
amendment found no support.
You will note by this that the question
of the Schenectady came up particularly
and barred a lawful golf club Per
| sonally, | am sorry to see that II was nee
essary to standardze the golf club but to
| be consistent. If you don't allow man TO
| play with billiard cue or croquet NAL
! let a golf club should be defined Know
| ing how many players in this country were
welded TO the Schenectady, and disliking
| TO see Standardization enter into golf /
correSponded with the rules of golf COM
nittee expressing my objections. stating
! the light III which feared the American
| gofing world would view the situation To
| Burn and the rules of golf committee re-
| plies expressing regret that the Royal and
| Ancient Golf Club did not meet with the
! approval of the American golfers gener-
| ally and the rules OF golf committee state
in their letter:
The committee deeply regrets that Amer
| lean golfers are not in sympathy with the
views Of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club
on this subject.
Captain Burn expressed the same re-
| gret II seerns that in Scotland and in
| England there is strong feeling against
centre shafted clubs. At the autumn meet
ing of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club,
, held on September q. 1916 the following
| motion was adopted:
That the first paragraph of Rule one %