New-York tribune., 1911-03-14
BOOZE RULES A PUZZLE
R0yaI and Ancient Golf Club Must
UnrayeI TangIc.
VIEWS OF ENGLISH WRITER
Not All Harmony Abroad Oh the
Question Of Code to
Govern Play.

rnIes. slI signs fell. the Royal and An
ciert Golf club of -. Andrews. Scotland
will be sorely tried ere It succeeds II
strengthening out the presen, hogie prop
lon As previously told in The Tribuno
The ROYAL and Ancient Is now burdene'
with two more coies-0ne from the United
States Golf Association and the other iron
III. Western Golf Association--in addition
% the Midland set. 10 which the rules o
rolf committee recently gave its stanI
OF approval Hero is the way the situation
If viewed b. Golf Illustrated" an Englisi
publication
In cur iast article We showed that the
rules of eolf committee, b. mrs. oeIn
ing bogie play as series cf stroke com,
petitions and then counting the results ol
these c0mDeritions as in match play COM
pletely stplties itself. since Il the results
are 10 he counted as IN match play thst
cen be no need tor those stroke play ruies
which ere cniy made necessary by Ine
stroke nlsv method IT counting Boyle pay
r not made stroke play BY the mere a.
Sertion that II is stroke play. one ihieii'
"a seIe. Of stroke competitions. So II
IL. IN - far as a plsyer tries 10 hole OUT III
fewer strokes than his opponent. but -
does the bosie PLAYER He tries 20 ho'e
and so does his fellow competitor. BY
that g. not stroke play. nor does ],
make the plav either IN po2ie oi
match play II series of stroke conpeu,.
tons. The only difference IN this lespec,
letwcen boeic piav and match play iS lIS'
ln bogie play the opponent's figures a. ga |
hole arc known beforehand and in matcn
play thov are not But again that zoe
rot make bcsie play stroke play. II IL
aid 'heu the stroke player should know be
forshaod what the best score mace py any
other competitor was going TO be-;
The writer Of golf notes IN The Pr Pr
mnghsm Daily Mall is of the opinion that
under The existing rules bogie has 81,
WAYS been ploved practically under meda!
conditions rather han rlatch conditions
and he says that our statement lhat tne
rules committees Midland code " lhoe
Cai and against the purity and dignity ~
the game Is merely a statement OF opinion
sans argument To hack it M. " this writer
THINKS there Is no essential difference pc
tween The existing codes. ana that ungeI
both boyle is played practically under
medal conditions. We can only say thab 10
has either Tever compared the CODES g'
tIa' hc IL deficient in understanding. "
any case We feel II would be quite useless
tc ask him to read our recent articles ~
vIicn The distinctions are pointed OUT, ailu
which contain oui Arguments AGAINST ne
stroke play form of boyle play adopted py
tire Midland Association. But until some
attempt L. made to answer these hrgu-
mcntS we shall feel justified IN thinking
thai tie position Of 'opiniOn sans nr2u
Wcrt' is tina, OF our opponents VINO. We
are pie sed to note. constitute an lnfln
itesimal and unauthoritauve minority o.
collins writer's
TIC famous auibble whereby the rules
Of golf committee sought TO retain tlo
LOYALTY Of America in the matter Of the
Schanccuadv putter has been spee9lll
eciirsed by another. We read that when
the bccie code drawn Up by the rules
,f gnl. committee was approved ana
~, At in Association -
ing "a letter MAS read from Captain Burn,
chairman OF the rules committee. STATING
I'm answer 70 a direct question, mat tnelc
could he no doubt that the rules committee
mad absolute authority to make these rules
which indeed had already been made by iis
clUi. ana WCr" merely beng dppicd py
the -'lcs committee u boyle competitions.
In tho same way We might say that We
had "ahcniitte authority" to ISSUE the eN-
listing bocic rules, since they mad already
been made by the ROYAL ana Ancient club
ana were merely applied by MS To bogie
competitions. Tho existing code H. Just dS
much tho rules of golf the rules com
mitiee'- code in 50 far as both are made mp
of the match and stroke play rules; and we
might claim that. as the existing code Is
moro akin 10 match play tnan mo rules
committees code. il l. the more apthorita-
;Ne. fhy point. however; Is VINO ssye
th. rules committee authority 10 apply tho
rules of golf 10 bogie play? The rules or
golf committee - not Il free agent. out
SidnrS who found that the RoNa ana An
pif ~ i'f1f ltfSISfentlA ftlhS't 10 l'-'Nihl''
for hogi" might make 4 code OF their own
II hey chose ana there is no objection 30
the Midland GOlf association 50 doinS "
fheV so please. put see submit that the rules
of golf committee which - only 4 commit
tee OF the Royal and Ancient Club and sub
iert 10 IT, jurisdiction, had no right 70
lcCiSlate in any way FOR form OF tll"
game which the club has always refused 10
recognize. So far as the rules committee
f. concernod. the rules Of golf are the
copyright Of the Royal and Ancient club.
and must not cc used or aiteled bl the
rules committee in any way without the
consent ANA approval Of the club Captain
Burn may ssY that there can he no doubt
that the rules committee mad absolute su-
thorifv to make these rules bur We VENT
tirc To say there j. very considerable DOUBT.
ana that the obvious quibDle with which
ne eudcavors to evadc the question demon
strates lis own sense OF T.. Why does he
not point to the constitution of the rules of
golf committee In answer Ia those who are
asking for its authority Where Is II stat
81 that the rules Of golf committee is 20
be the final authority IN regard Ia any new
form of the game? Even i'm regard ia the
recognized forms tho ROYAL and Ancient
club, and not the rulcs committee. il the
hnsl authority. and it r. the club alone that
can sanction any new forms.
Tho Midland Association, Therefore. has
Saddlc1 itself with z code Obtained from
body which had no right 10 father it. and
" hiCh oven now. although admitting It's
paternity refuses 10 countenance or sun
port -. The wretched bastard IS now
proudly displayed by the Midland Associa-
ton, which takes great credit for tho
4 great feather IN the can of the Mid =
isni Gnlf Association" saws MI Burrov.
TO have induced the rules committee 10
legisistc upon bosie play