Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-05
ST. ANDREWS CLUB DISGGREES
Scotch Golf Association Believes Amer.
lean Rules Are All Wrong.
BOGEY PLAY IS NOT MEDAL PLAY
American Association shows DISPOSE
ton 60 Overlook All Ideas OF the
Royal and Ancient Club ana
Make Its own,

NEW YORK. Dec 1.-The recent action
of the United states Golf association IN
drawing up a code Of rules for DOGGY play
has occasioned lively discussion on the
other side Of the Atlantic Now we are
told that the rules of the golf committee,
without the sanction and authority of the
Royal and Ancient club has followed the
American lead and also Jared a set Of
DOGGY rules on the special rules FOR strike
play. The argument is that DOGGY play
is match play and as such should be gov
erned by the rules for match play 4 golf
authority who has been watching the
progress OF the matter as an advocate OF
the match play idea now comes out with
the following:
THAT the United States Golf association
has decided that DOGGY play should be gov
erned by the stroke-play rules is not sur
prising. because the American genius for
sport Is different from our own. with
the exception Of a few players who have
imbibed the true golfng spirit and tradi-
tons, the American golfer prefers the
scoring game and finds the completest
qualification Of his golfing instincts in
trying TO get a record" He prefers
stroke play to match play. and even in a
match is more interested in keeping the
tally of his strokes than i'm beating his
opponent. 1t is only natural therefore,
that In any variation OF the game he
should incline to a view Of It which is in
accordance with his own pred Hcti1ns and,
whatever new features 1t presents, that
he should endeavor to eliminate those ele-
ments which prevent him from following
his natural proclivites.
while we are far from being in sympa-
thy with American views OF golf we do
are many golfers in this country espe-
cially In England, who share the American
preference for stroke play. But it is not
a little surprising to find the rules of
golf committee following the American
lead and drawing up code OF rules for
DOGGY play based on the special rules for
stroke play. We say It is surprising, be-
cause If stroke play had not been invented
II would never have occurred to anyone
who wished to preserve the integrity Of
the game to make a code of rules Tor
DOGGY play on any other basis than that
Of match play, and, as no one will accuse
the rules of golf committee Of any view
Of golf, we are driven to see II there are
any other considerations which could have
influenced their action
Not only does the United States Golf
association show a disposition to ignore
the new st. Andrews rule about the form
of clubs because IL debars the Schenectady
putter, but II is going to depart from the
procedure adopted here Of playing DOGGY
under match play rules. In America
DOGGY is to be played under the special
rules for medal play on the ground that
there are no stymies in a DOGGY match
that DOGGY cannes lose his ball or suffer
from an unplayable ball. Liberty is to be
given TO a player, therefore, to lift his
ball and tee 1t under penalty Of two
strokes, with the right to play a second
ball when the first is lost with the loss
OF a stroke. This is not only complete
reversal Of our system, but a radical mis-
conception OF the object Of DOGGY play"