New-York tribune., 1911-01-10
MOUNTAIN OR MOLE H|LL?.
Latter Magnified to Former,
Says a Western Golfer.
MORE TALK ON THE RULES
Crafts w. Higgins Tries His Hand
at Strengthening Out the
Putter Tangle.

I
Putter Tangle.
Under a heading. Mountain or Mole
UiU?" Crafts ". Higgins has prepared an
/ article for the next number Of THE Golf
ers Magazine" II treats the controversy
over the rules In an able way and Incl
! dentally the writer takes exception TO the
views Of both leighton Calkins and Charles
p. Macdonald, contendins that both are
partly right and partly wrong.
The Westerner further declares that
neither offers the proper solution for the
difficulty confronting the United States
Golf Association growing out OF the mallet-
headed putter controversy. Mr.. higgins
writes IN part as follows:
7, would he both illogical Ind absurd for
tho United States Golf AssocIa ton 10 act
i'm accordance with Mr.. Macdonald pup
Iished suggestions. For the United states
Golf Association TO do everythlns lhe IN
struction OF the Plainfeld delegate De
cd breach OF courtesy-to slap the hoy d.
and Ancient Golf club IN the face;
individuals may do things ana MAKE
criticisms, particularly editors. that Ui gam III
zations-coyernments- "a not do WIN lnl-
nunitv The United States Golf Assoclauol,
has voluntarily Acknowledged ana loiloNso
the leadership of the Royal ahu NIlOlsuN l
Golf Club in the matter OF maklns IN
r,1Ias and al least until this procedure De
entirely set aside or Officially dlsalloWtu,
the American body should act a. usSOiio s, ~.
il In a dignifed manner and solely 10, r;,ad ,
hest interests OF the game IN the Ohlltu
States-ths purpose Tor "h'c"
formed and supposedly eNlsts ,t..s,,.td
II is nv oninion that both Mr.. Macdohald
and Mr.. Calkins, and their indIvldudi aoi, 'la
lowers, also many other cIl'lCs, l- ,,,sio, ,.s,
i,,r,ned IN a hastv and wrong cnncIuSloH
concerning the whole matter now IN cpn E.
troyersv as I viii endeavor 10 Sh"N
a mole hill has been assumed 10 oe
Tbe nmrnose Of the United States Coli
Association is Ito promote ana CouseI So
throuChout the United states the pes IN ~
,arasts and true spirit OF the game OF Soli;
and i'm the final determination OIL az
questions which may arise relauns 70 , III
game of golf in this country. mSiA ,rbe
the last two words-thls Souilu - lac M
United States Golf Association ma nc
pretence Of having anything 10 W WIN
foreign countries. H.. 81. PovaI
and Ancient Golf club neltIIeIr a. az C,oif
Association any obligation to confer W., Nun
n before taking its recent stahu oH io'i ~
and make OF clubs. ,.. go, of+iciat
If the T. s g. A. is TO register an plliLi99'
criticism of the r. and A. because me 20
vice OF the association was nov dsksq -
forc tho r and A. made a new rLle rLleI5 "a
n =fl
40 so With clean hands. am not mi 0r'htG W.
thai the /. :. q. A. has notified the II d,.a
A that the association proposes 70 no IN. ~,
rules for bogie, a form OF ne gan Crn5
rScornized bv the ST. Andrews @ ,@.Iu...
Would not the r AMI \. in SuCh case ut.E ulE
GOOD grounds to charge the L. 5. G. \. Win
being inconsistent? -.,,o,,,.rv
n NAV also be added. parentheticaIS.
that in the evidence OF its ability as uies
drafters, a. displayed in the draIt ., t.
rules for hogie the I. =, u, ~ - - las nra
Io,,ted eonpe startling and radical changes
from Ali previous IDEAS concerning TO"
bogie should be played ,..o,,r,,,d %
Suppose the r. and \. haG !, ~ r,,,r,
20 40 nov standardZe the implements on
The game. and had decreed tnat gCll 9Up.lI
be PLAYED only with ieatncr HIIeu l %. i,,a ,l
wooden clubs Would the game ever nave
been nopuIar except with limited nulhpcr
OF eo.isjation Of some kind concerning the
r,iIas cannot now be avoided, as delegates
ba,.a heen instructed 10 vote AT the annu1l
meeting against the adoption OF the TecelI
r and A. rule. Had this not oeen done Lns
question could have oeen se'tee See 49, oc-
casioned I think. BY arriving at 2 Hds.,n!
formed and wrong conclusion conesth.i,s ~
the exact operation IN tlls or inferpreta
tion. and the scope and power or the /. :
q 4. I'm relation thereto. -.
The important fact Is whether r e''e t,,,o or
n an
Is. merely an indication Of now the Tu.e VIII
be interpreted by the r: and y. -, ,,,o
The correspondence between Mr. MAJ
Donald and CAPTAIN Burn. chairman OF tuf
tns u ~ golF Committed reveals this fact.
The first paragraph Of Rule mas OeeI
changed TO read: ,, - .,.o
"'rhat tie game Of golf is played oy Two
eides each playing its own ball. Win cluoS
made i'm conformity with the directions ialg
down IN me clause on form and MAKE OF
golf clubs" -,, ,.o,, rota
not a rule. in which the r. and A. conmli-
tee intimates (but does not stare poiiIiIln'rIa
that il will so deCidel tnat the loio"luH
general considerations VIII sude u III VII
ternretino the rule Mark the Vorcs-
guide il in interpreting the RUE ihedn-
ing Rule I. Section J.. .....t.-
I contend that this note, the inumauon
50orn, and make OF golf hallsD and the IN
-ernretation quoted are not a part OF me
rlIIes of golf Does not captain Burn III
his letter to Mr.. Macdonald sustain Iil'S
contention when he states:
.,rbe inrlosad Is a CODY Of the clause on
farm, and make Of golf clubs as added 10 py
tbe rules committee under the mandate OF
the general meeting OF me cIuo III ta,,
The wording "a not what the committee
,youId have selected had II not been for the
y!ews expressed in your letter Or June ~
H. the committee, who have enoeaNoreo oy
,,eertiur the note TO leave 10 the l nlJeb
states Golf Association an opportunity ~
irfern--t the clause on form ana make NJ
,o1f cIi,bs 10 its own satisfaction without
nom iualiv refusing 10 duopl 'US -, 't
golf as passed by the Royal and Ancient
rIc solution OF the problem AZ Issue, he
-,,,. contention right or wrong. is. ! think,
.c' ''aroerd the bylaws BY the Insertion or the
Gata ~ the adoption Of the revised rules.
S.anteu,bCr 1905 and the amendments
t5areto made by tho United states Golf
association February Il, 1909. In other
r-ords. change Section 10 ~ the bylaws by
Inserting in the proper place the following
C,.on, the title page Of the United states
coIf Association book Of the rules "As
oDproyed by the Royal and Ancient Golf
gi,,b of 81 Andrews. Scotland. September,
Io0S and as amended by the United States
Golf Association.
This IN effect would he not IN depart from
tho poval and Ancient IN any respect eN-
or uhatever the thing may be, regarding
ni,,tars Also. II would be living up 70 the
avrrsss purpose Of the United States Golf
Asxocia tion-the final determination ~ all
Questions relating 70 the game Of golf In
tbis country Americans need have no con-
rer-, about the shapes Of clubs prohibited
outside OF this counry-that is not Our
funeral
graster forethought han given credit for.
eersndsd ts bylaws IN 1908 70 so read that
cnm netJtions shall he played In accordance
,rttb the rules az approved by the Roval
and Ancient, September, 1908.
'Tberefore the Western Golf Association IL
,ot sracted bv the present United States
Golf Association enlargement regarding
the form and make OF golf clubs.
Walter J Travis, who returned from
pinehurst Yesterday. gave additional rea-
avrop,gop