Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-05-09
GOLF GOSSIP

(Tbe following article, entitled an
difference to the Rules Of Golf" and
pubIiehed In GoIfing, London, hits so
straight from the shoulder az . grow
ing evil Of the game that few golfers
can read Il without taking some Of
the lessons to heart. On account Of
its length, the article will be repro
duced In three parts.)
BY NJ. LEWIS CROSBY.
Part 2.
On the putting-green loose obsta-
cles may be lifted, while other speci-
fed Instructions may be scraped
aside with club. How often do we
see player sweep aside leaves and
twigs with his putter? What diff
ference does it maker viii be asked
The answer is that, whether it makes
any difference or not, the act is un-
lawful. Moreover, under certain con-
ditions it may make decided differ
ence. For instance, il the grass is
heavily covered with dew, a player
using his putter to brush away leaves
and twigs may make for himself a
we'll defined and partially dry path
along the line of putt. No one can
deny that this would be taking an
unfair advantage; and, If the player
makes his putt and afterwards comes
to realize its unfairness, and il his
opponent good-naturedly refuses to
demand the prescribed penalty, the
feeling between them must inevitably
be tinged with shade Of bitterness;
for one knows that he has won, the
other that he has lost, unfairly.
During q tournament held on the
links OF q large summer hotel,
player in the qualifying round was
seen to putt up to within an inch of
the cup on the eighteenth green. and
then pick up his ball. Sorry" said
friend. Sorry for what?" asked
the player. For your mo card "
was the reply. 1T isn't mo card :"
continued the player, cheerfully. Il
had an So" But" urged the other,
"you didn't hole out on the last
green" Oh, know that" admitted
the player, but of course / should
have made that putt my ball wasn't
an inch from the cup" A formal
protest was made to the committee
in charge, VINO took the matter Under
consideration, and, incredible as 1t
may seem, decided that under the
circumstances the man should ke
allowed to continue in match play.
This, OF course, was a case of indif-
ference to the rules that was equally
discreditable to the player and to the
committee in charge of the tourna-
ment. BY strange chance the man
who witnessed the act, and made the
protest, was drawn to play against
the offender in the first round of
match play, and defeated him on the
eighteenth green. His role as the
avenging Nemesis must have afford
ed him keen satisfaction.
Observation shows that many de-
Ilinquents are found among the older
players, and also among the juven-
lies, especially the schoolboy golfers.
Senior players are careless because
they think that, in the way they play
| it is not worth while to bother them
selves too much about the rules, and
because so many of the rules appear
unimportant, even foolish. What
difference does it make" one asks,
whether step on an anthill or
brush it aside with my putter?" No
difference" replies the man with
whom he is playing, "go ahead. I
won't exact any penalty" This illus
trates another feature of the case
which is open to severe criticism
the leniency which so many players
too good-naturedly display towards
one another in their everyday friend
lily matches. Avoidance Of this, to-
gether with a more complete &C
uuaintance with the rules, would pre-
vent many subsequent unpleasant
ness, and would give to winners and
losers alike that perfect satisfaction
which comes always and only with
the conviction that the game has
been played straight.
With the young players, particu-
/ larly the schoolboy golfers, who form
so large a proportion Of this class,
the hope-practically certainty-is
that, as they increase in skill and
advance to the ranks of the experts,
they will grow more and more into
the spirit of the game, learning to
appreciate its finer qualities, and
priding themselves, not so much on
the number of prizes they have won
as on the hard battles they have
| fought, here winning creditable vic
tory, here suffering no les credit
able defeat. In this way they will
become genuine golfers, and will
form a class from which must be
drawn recruits to elevate the stand
ard of golf at home, and, when the
opportunity comes. to make the right
sort of a showing abroad. But they
know that their school and college
games must be played strictly ac-
cording to rule; they must learn to
realize that golf is no less exacting
! in its requirements, and, to this end,
they should take themselves firmly
| in hand, study the rules thoroughly
and always play according to the
methods which are set before them
as the only correct ones.
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