The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-19
ROYAL AND ANCIENT
MAY LOSE PRESTIGE.
Break Imminent Between Auto
cratic Body and American
Golfers Will Spread.
BY JAMES DAHLGREN,
,ecial Gable to The 1-r;,,ure

| o1 JAMES DAHLGREN.
Special Cable to The Tribune.
LONDON, Feb. 1S.-A notable Eng
lish golf player, discussing the subject
of golf rules as applied to the United
States, says:
Broadly, the question is whether
this powerful association, governing
| golf throughout the United States, in
the matter of the rules of the game
shall continue to take its time from
St. Andrews in Scotland, and observe
complete allegiance to the royal and
ancient club there, or shall intimate it's
mandate. If it takes the latter
course-as 1t is feared 1T will-then for
the first time there will be an impor.
tant difference between the game and
the principles upon which it is con-
Quoted here and in other parts of the
world. and 1T is morally certain that
the division thus created will rapidly
become wider, that the golfers of other
countries Will take sides and that the
complete unity of the game all over
the world, ruled from st. Andrews, will
be thing of the past
''Golf as we have it undoubtedly
belongs to Britain. The rules under
which it is played, are made by the
royal and ancient club, and whenever
changes are considered TO be neces-
sary or desirable they are made by a
committee of that club, which also
gives official decisions upon all mat
ters of dispute concerning those rules
These are everywhere accepted as final,
and IN this way the premier club for
long past has been regarded as the
governing authority Of the game all
over the world. But in different coun-
tries there are associations or unions
for the management of their internal
affairs, while at the same time accept
ing the government of the game, so
far as the rules are concerned. by St.
Andrews. BY far the most powerful
of these associations is that of the
United States, where it was recently
estimated by an American authority
that there are half million golfers
and about $l5.000,000 has been invest
cd by the golf clubs in land, improve
ments. etc, for the purpose of play
ing the game.
years have often found ii difficult TO
appreciate the ST. Andrews view of
things. They may he good sportsmen,
good golfers, and have a deep regard
for the traditions of the game, but they
are not imbucd with the sense of tra-
dition in the way that the British
golfers are. In the nature of things
they could not be- Then while the
golfers in the eastern states, with New
whole hearted in their desire TO con-
tinue loyal to st. Andrews. those in
the west yearn for a secession.
Split Over Club Definition.
cat the spring meeting of the royal
and ancient the plunge was taken. \
definition of golf clubs was made and
passed into law by which all with cen
ter shafts were barred The Schencc-
tady was not mentioned; but 1T clear
ly, came within the new law of eXcom-
munication. as well as the mallets. I'm
mediatclv the United States association
cabled so ST. Andrews asking if the
Schenectady were included, and the
plain answer was cabled back yes
''This decision naturally created
great CONSERVATION in the United
States, and even here at home il caused
surprise. 1t was urged that it was
unwise aud certain TO cause serious
trouble The Americans flatly refused
to accept il, and in a rcbellious mood
continued TO play with their Scheneeta-
dies In the heat OF their anger they
passed rule of their own legalizlng
them.
But Scotch Are Stubborn.
HDurng last summer protests were
fired At St Andrews from every quar-
Ter. aud it was considered possible that
at the utumn meeting something might
be done ia the way of permitting the
Schenectady to live. In the meantime
the American golfers, having deter,
mined TO wait events in the hope that
peace might be maintained. But at
the autumn meeting ST. Andrews adj
hered to its first decision. aud since
then a great campaign has been going
ON in America against it. Meetings have
been held, great speeches have been
made, long articles have been written
all burning with deep resentment