The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-06-25
Vardon Discusses All
Phases of Golf Rules
Noted Britisher Sees Features and Faults of Code
Governing Game at Present and Points Out Oh.
jections In Matter of Stymie, Out-of- Bounds
and Casual Water.
, BY HARRY vARDON.
The Worlds Most Famous Golfer.

Is executed. II Il could. lost ball
would not be such common occur
renee. II. At least, has the merit OF be-
penalty is The most DR. drastic that soItins
law can impose short OF actiAi disquali-
ncation. Inc punishment for getting
out Of bounds ought to be at least as
c cfys ar. nxsn the 81 r. MAKE ssd
% BY local rule. but very few avail
themselves OF the opportunity for the
reason that the minor penalty 10 the
prescribed regulation on the subject.
Punishment Optional.
/ do not know half dozen clubs in
Britain that have enforced the full pun
ishment. That the matter Ia optional 10
the outcome a q good deal Of confu-
sion which existed at the time OF the
passing OF the last set of revised rules.
when some people wanted one thing
and others another. and both parties
were placated In the manner described.
that the penalty for hitting a ball out
OF bounds Is loss OF stroke and dis
lance.
America is not troubled a great deaf
by casual water, but II presents itself
sometimes. and have q recollection OF
about As much rain as anybody could
expect In q few days In connection with
the United States open championship
At Brookline three years ago. Under the
heading Of casual water, surely the
4 . ball lie in such water in q 'hasard.
the player may drop q ball under PEN
atty OF one stroke either in the hazard
or behind IT,. Who on earth Is going
to drop a ball In a bunker when he can
would be more rsasonabie y to give him
permission to drop. without penalty. IN
the hazard at the ne,rest place that is
clear Of casual water but not nearer to
the hole. or. II he cannot do that. to
penelize him a stroke for dropping be-
II must be confessed that some Of
the rules take q lot OF understanding.
! once had a long argument in the mid
die OF close match as to the meaning
on kss sa Ssn the sy hs'r rem sss !;
when approaching the hole" As my OPP
ponent was walking toward his ball to
play a short approach. shot, I asked for
the tin to be removed in case he should
twice in the round. He was up IN arms arms
Immediately. He declared that the
term Either side" was intended to con-
vey tho idea that the player who was
about to approach. and nobody else.
taken out Of the sf hole. He said that e f he
had always understood the rule that
way. so had his friends. ccntended
that part OF the object Of the rule was
to enable one side to guard against the
the pin and so being saved from csreen-
ing across the green, and that II the
concession had teen open only to the
player who was about to approach. the
rule would have said So. But he would
sure that many golfers hold his opin-
lon. We have never yet agreed uoon
the point. we were arguing abou, II
only the other day. Unfortunately. at
the time. gave way to him for the
that as a tacit admission by me OF
mistake to which will not confess in
words.
Doubt Exists on Point.
The rule that II ball, at rest be dis
placed by an agency outside the match
-such as a pilfering spectator or a mis-
chievous animal-another ball shall be
dropped as near as possible to where
the first ball lay, is not satisfactory
when any doubt exists on the latter
point. In such circumstances. It would
be easier and better to 60 back and
play another shot. have had a good
many experiences In this connection.
Once. at Abbeydaie. in Yorkshire. when
was meeting Braid. my opponent
drove into the rough. He played a ball
which he thought was his own, but on
coming up TO It for his second shot,
found that It did not belong to him.
Back went the crowd to search for the
proper article.
Braid discovered another ball. but
this, too, proved to be the property Of
somebody else. Inc hunt continued
unit a spectator remarked-his con-
sc .ence unable. perhaps, to stand the
strain any longer-that he had picked
up ball. He produced II. and Braid
he had driven. "Where did you find
it," asked the referee. "opposite that
tree" replied the onlooker, pointing to
the nearest landmark. Inc tree in
question was about the length of a
drive and iron shot from the tee. but
as there was no other evidence, Braid
was told to drop near the t~e. and so
he was almost as far In one shot as /
was In two shots. or course. he won
the hole.
The spectator who pockets the ball is
a great nuisance. I remember an incl
dent In an open championship at sand
witch, when. having finished my round,
was watching the play. Another on
locker was standing near me when q
ball rolled up close to our feet. ''Is
that yours?" he inquired with cheerful
innocence. 1T can't be mine re-
piled. Don't you see I'm not playing
oh. WELL. he said gayly. II might as
well have It.. On that occasion / was
just In time to prevent him from seiz-
Ing II.
Copyright. 1916 by the Wheeler Syndicate.
Incorporated).