Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-29
0BSERvANCES OF PLAYING
RULES URGED ON GOLFERS
VI. Lewis Crosby Tells Massachu.
sets Association That Awaken
ing Is Necessary.
PLAY ON HONOR SYSTEM
Umpires and Referees Impracticable,
So Players Should Try to Elevate
Standard-Should' Call the Rules
Even in Friendly Matches.

At n recent meeting of tho clubs in
tho Massachusetts Golf Association.
held in Boston. NJ. Lewis Crosby de-
lvered speech setting forth the great
Importance of knowing the rules of
golf and then of living up to them
every time one played the game.
Tho important thing Is to create
among golfers an interest In tho rules
which govern the game, together with
conviction that tho only way to
play the game Is the right way. and
that there Is much more pleasure in
playing according to rule than In play
ing In the Indifferent. even slipshod.
way now so prevalent. Moreover, this
interest and conviction should be kept
alive. They should constitute Il chronic
condition. and should not DO allowed
10 lapse after a more or less brief
period Of agitation. This should re-
. suit In tho establishment of a high
and lasting regard for the true spirit
Of the game.
In baseball. football, tennis and other
fcld sports contestants are made to
play according 10 rule. Nothing else
is expected. Why should any differ
ent method be permitted In golf? In
the games referred to there are UNI
pires and referees whose duty Il is
TO see 10 II that the laws governing
these games are not broken; whereas
in golf there are no umpires or
referees, except on rare occasions. This
Is all the more reason why golf players
should acquaint themselves SO far rs
possible with the rules, live up to them
and insist upon their enforcement at
all times. 1t is a matter of principle.
Tho game must he played on tho honor
system. II Is, of course. very un-
pleasant to call the rules on ones
opponent. particularly in so-called
friendly match: but II rs the only way
IA o. ats In rd NJ nj IN n
country 10 the point whore It should
be- Almost every golfer knows that
he. must suffer penalty for lost ball,
ball out OF hounds. or for unlawful
play in q hazard: but how often Will
player claim hole when his ad-
versary. even inadvertently. steps on
tho limo OF put? In England when this
ofense is committed, the hole is claimed
imm ediately.
SHOULD FORGET FRIENDSHIP
AND PLAY GAME RIGHT
There is no question OF good fellow
ship or bad fellowship about It. II is
regarded az the proper and natural
thing 10 do. and winning a hole In this
way is considered no more unfair than
winning II with against the other
players B. The same feeling should
prevail here. This sort OF ofTense may
seem. doubtless does seem 10 good
many players. trivial: but II is this
tendency to disregard what are mis-
iakenly looked upon as unimportant
violations OF the rules that has brought
d!scredit upon our method OF playing
golf. Good -natured leniency toward
the faults OF ones fellow competitor
is quite as reprehens!ble as ones own
failure carefully 10 observe the rules;
and In this respect even officials in
charge OF tournaments are sometimes
culpubly negligent. For It In obvious
that failure TO exact tho payment OF a
prescribed penalty. no matter how un-
important the offense may seem. may
place the offender among the prize win
ners or in a match play division when
he IS not entitled 20 be in either place
II IS. therefore manifest that !eniency
contestants.
We need an awakening. To this end,
gentlemen. NC ask YOU TO go among
your club members and urge them to
study the rules. 10 live up TO them,
and at all times TO insist upon the
payment OF deserved penalties. In this
way only can the desired change he
brought about What will at first be
considered disagreeable and unneces-
sary Will soon he recognized as as
sential and proper. The result will be
that the number OF transgressions
against the rules Will gradually diinin-
ish. and in the same way the occasions
on which we have to make ourselves
unpleasant TO our fellow players will
become fewer and fewer