Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-13

AAAehS oCNAl 1AA1llEts bAl II IL
nevertheless true, that very few
players of any athletic game
know the rules of the game which
they are trying to play
I do not mean by this statement
that the players of athletic games
know nothing at all about the rules,
for such a statement would be an er-
ror. But the idea l desire 10 convey
is that few of them have ever given
any special study to the rules.
In baseball it is a notorious fact
that few players, except professionals,
and even many of them, know moth
ing of the rules except those which
4 govern the plays which are happen
ing day after day.
In football it is only in the raTest
Instance that you find a player who is
thoroughly familiar with the rules
Ask any coach and he will tell you
that it is one of his hardest jobs to
! get his men to study the rules. He
may give each man a rule book and
diFect that he study It carefully, only
TO find that the main use most OF
the players have made of them was to
look at the pictures.
IN golf the ignorance Of the rules
by the greatest number Of players
is amazing I do not doubt that there
are hundreds of men who have learn
ed to play a very fair game who have
never read the rules. This may be
accounted for from the fact that when
the average man decides to take up
golf he goes to the professional at
ne club and buys himself bag, a
few clubs and some balls, and either
takes a lesson from the professional
or attempts to play around with some
Of his friends.
His first efforts at the game are us
ually so crude that no one thinks TO
say anything to him about the rules
Gradually. by continuing playing, he
picks up a hazy IDEA of the rules, but
never takes the time TO get a book
and put in a few evenings study on
them
The failure to know the rules has
caused many a man to lose a match.
j recall an instance which happened
few days ago. In a round the same
player on two different occasions
played his ball into hazard which
was partially filled with water from q
recent rain In both instances he
lif,led his BAH and dropped it behind
the hazard without penalty and both
times halved at the hole, at least,
both players thought the hole was
halved, but as a matter of fact the
player who lifted his ball from the
casual water in the hazard lost the
hole Both players in this case failed
10 know the difference in the rules be-
ktween ball lying in casual water on
Il he fair green or putting green and i'm
hazard.
I If a ball lies in casual water, either
I Through the green or on the putting
treen, ii may be lifted without penalty
4 md dropped not nearer the hole. IT,
however, il lies in casual water in "a
!, hazard it may be lifted under penalty
n 4 one stroke and dropped, no nearer
Al he hole, either in the hazard or be-
ind 1t.
The reason for this rule is perfectly
Jain. A hazard is placed upon "a
curse for the purpose of catching
ad shot and penalizing the player
roke for his bad play. If he We're al
owed to drop out Of the hazard with
ut penalty because his bail happened
be in casual water, the purpose of
4 the hazard would be done away with.
THERE is another rule about which
players are constantly confused,
and that Is in case Of a ball hit
ting the flagstaff. In medal play-that
is where the total number of strokes
for the is holes determines the re-
sult-if n ball is played from within a
radius of so feet of the cup and strikes
the flagstaff, penalty is incurred.
In match play no penalty is incurred
for hitting the Flagstaff, unless the
opponent has made the request for
the flag to be removed, IN which event
the penalty is the loss Of the hole.