New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-01
.JOLT FROM ST. ANDREWS
Western Golf Associations BogIe
Code Not Liked Abroad.
MEDAL PLAY RULES BEST
Active and Allied Clubs Join the
Parent Body-Local Cham
pionship Conditions.

| Andrews regarding the set or bogie rulcs
drafted by the Western association anu
submitted for the approval OF tho foreign
/ body last February. IA published some
time ago, the Western Golf Association
worked on the suppostion that boyle rules
should be formulated along match rather
than stroke play lines Incidentally, IL
differed from the United states Golf Asso-
citation, which had been struggling with a
code fashioned on the medal play principle
After calling attention to the fact that
the boyle form OF competition is not played
at ST. Andrews. Captain Burn says, how
ever. that the committee has come to the
| conclusion that bogie competition is
form Of stroke competition in which the
competitors compete against fixed score
at each hole While this must be regarded
as a sort Of knockout blow Crafts W. Hig-
gins. secretary of the rules of golf COM
mittee Of the Western Golf Association, is
still inclined to show fight. as may be
Judged by the following remarks:
I may mention that the attitude OF the
r. and 4. committee has not caused tne
". o. A. rules of golf committee TO
change their views concerning the bogle
rules IL promulgated I'm 1893. al least for TINS
year The delegates at the next annual
meeting may POSSIBLY instruct us 70 pre-
pare a set of boyle rules which will con-
form with those submitted to ST. Andrews
by tho L. S. G. A, and then they may not
You see, the w. G. a. committee is not
composed Of directors. and we take orders
only from clubs at an annual meeting
through their delegates.
Just to show how little the medal scores
indicate what the results are In boyle tour
nanents. | give an illustration which came
under my observation. In boyle competl-
ton at a club where the boyle is 50 two
contestants holed out at each hole and kept
their medal scores under an agreement
with two other contestants playing severa
pairs behind. One of the players had a
total medal score Of II and was 2 up on
was also UP on bogie. While the con-
testants were eleven strokes apart their
boyle results were the same 1t seems
absurd TO call bogie play a stroke compe-
tition when cards that were eleven strokes
apart make the players tie as far as
boyle is concerned II bogie is a stroke
competition then the brilliant Il should
have been better than the rather indiffer-
Another Westerner not quite so conserva-
tive, when shown Captain Burns letter,
remarked
Thanks for the copy Of Captain Burns
letter, which is so bad that 1t is good, and
FUNNY like some actors. Here you have the
famous ''insular stupidty"-no adaptability
and cleaving bullheadedly to an idea they
miss the real point entirely. \ game
against Colonel Bogie is fine match play
for any one except those who have no i'm
aSlnaton whatever. like that hidebound
committee If these men were fit for the
job they would show ability enough to give
us simple code OF rules or at least make
some attempt at II.
Captain Burns letter sent to Mr. Higgins
is as follows
Dear Sir: l beg 70 thank you for your
\ a n = h..
for boyle play. The rules committee de
sires me to express its qualification at be-
ING placed In a position to offer you its
suggestions on this matter. AS you are
aware the bogie form of competition is not
played at 81. Andrews. so the Royal and
Ancient club has no rules on the subject.
The rules committee therefore could not de.
J eide questions arising from boyle play. Al
though this fact has been frequently stated
/ In the press. the number Of cases submitted
10 the committee In past years were SO
numerous that in the spring Of 1909 the con-
lrittee decided 10 go fully into the prin-
/ cipieS governing these competitions. The
committee came to the conclusion that
/ boyle competition is a form of stroke COM
/ petition in which the competitors compete
against fixed score AZ each hole. 4 stroke
/ competition is. IN reality held al each hole
/ or the stipulated round or rounds and the
vii ner Is the competitor who is most sue
cessiu! In the aggregate Of these competi
! ucnS. y bogie competition IL not in any
D pl opcr sense match play. since neither the
] opponent nor ms cdd1N nor MS Ddll Is
/ Present as q factor in the cOntest:-e. g,
/ stymies, Rule 81 %: and ball striking OPP
I ponent. etc. Rule - During the present
year the Midland Golf Association request.
I od the rules committee to assist IL i'm franz
/ Ing a Logic code tor its own use ] inclOss
/ copy Of the code adopted by II and APP
| proved Of by tho rules committee There
arc only two rules, the first of which deals
with the duties of the marker, and Is in
! accordance with the principle stated in
Stroke Rule %. For the additions OF the
/ scores marked the committee shall be re-
Sponsble.' Rule merely emphasizes the
principle governing all competitions where
/ n competitor IS allowed 10 return the scores
of one or more selected rounds, that an act
| disqualification shall only dsquaify him
for the round In which tho breach of rule
! occurred. BoGie has been played for years
I'm Forfarshire under stroke rules without
difficulty. The rules for stroke play are
! exceptions to the rules OF golf, and it ap-
pears 10 the rules committee TO be \ great
advantage not to make any new rules. The
committee thinks that the simplicity OF
| adopting the rules for stroke play far out
| weighs any sentimental ideas regarding the
! use OF Stroke Rule II for Rule and Of
Stroke Rule 70 for Rule 81. II the score for
! hole Is correctly fixed. a competitor is
most unlikely to meet with any success
after adding two strokes TO his score, or in
| curing a penalty stroke and loss OF dis
tance. / am, yours truly,
An executive committee meeting Of the
United States Golf Association was held
! the other day at the office Of Robert &.
! Watson. the secretary. All the committee
men were present except w \. Alexander.
! II. l.. Aver and Milton Dargan. who sent
proxies. The ACCESSIBILITY OF restricting en-
tries I'm tho national amateur championship
tournament was discussed. but nothing
could be given out then. Something more
definite I'm that line may he expected after
the June session Seven clubs were elected
to active membership as follows
Country club Of Detroit Westward Ho
! Club Cincinnati Golf Club. Town and Coun-
! try club OF St. Paul. Colorado Springs Cole
| club. Idlewd Country Club and Milwaukee
| Country Club. These were all raised from
/ tho allied ranks. except Colorado Strings
! ard Idewid New allied members elected
are Uniontown PENN Country Club. Sub
urban club, OF Chicago; Rockland Country
club. Of Palisades. n. Y. and Glen Oak
Country Club, OF Glen Elyn, H.
! Programmes are out for the thirteenth
annual amateur championship tournament
| Of the Metropolitan Golf Association. TO la
/ held over the links OF the Garden CITY
| Golf Club. May o. %. &c and q. The cham
! pionship will consist OF a qualifying round
OF thirtysix holes, and the top slxty-four
| Will continue on at match play The first
| thlrty-two will qualify for the title and
the third and fourth slxteens TO. minor
prizes. There IS also a cup for the defeated
sixteen OF the first thirty-two. All match
rounds VIII consist Of eighteen holes. ex-
| cept the final