The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-01
AMERICAS POSITION
IN GOLF AT ISSUE
Needs Of Representatives in
Final Deciding Body Are
Put Forth.
RULES BODY ANALYZED
Question Of Stymie Rule One
Tangle That Offers Chance
for Cooperation.
RULES BODY ANALYZED
ny JOHN C. ANDERSON.


question which never has been a mat
ter OF great moment until the present.
when II does appear that the golf boom
has swept to the fore a sufficient number
OF golfers, new courses and clubs to RI
val numerically, and we believe in play
ing strength also the golfers and courses
Of the tidy little isle.
We note in very recent despatch
that two well known players have been
recommended for places on the rules of
golf committee TO take the place of Capt.
Jack Graham and Norman Hunter, both
of whom were killed in France. The
men chosen arc the famed Johnny Ball.
eight time amateur champion of Great
Britain, and r. II. Montmorency, a well
known golfer and sportsman. No better
choices could be made, but we feel that
out of a membership of sixteen mora
than one should come from the United
States
Charles r. Macdonald OF the national
links has been member of this commit
tee for years, but so far as we know
little OF important legislation has come
up for decision. Now. however, when
ono half Of this contry Is divided with
different playing rules for sectional
championships. it is essential that dis
tinct efforts oe made to straighten out
the tangle.
We very much doubt whether tho
Western Golf Association would change
the styme rule in the least even IL the
rules of golf committee at st. Andrews
adhere to this form of play unless they
were represented before that august
body and given an opportunity not only
20 give their reasons for breaking away
from time honored custom but also OF
hearing the arguments in favor OF this
and other slight changes
Moreover the great body of American
golfers would hardly caro- to follow
blindly In the face Of any rejected re-
forms pleasing to our golfers when there
is only one representative in sixteen.
We have sounded out a score OF golfers
In this respect picking out men care
fully with n view to a broad vision. and
we have yet to discover one In five who
does not feel that the interests OF golf
would be better served with a broader
range of advice and counsel.
United States should He There.
The arguments that distance makes
outside selections unadvisable Is not
held OF sufficient value for there are
many worthy golf enthusiasts and keen
thinkers who would welcome such an
honor and devote all the time that Is
necessary to be a worthy representative
of golfing body polite so strong as is
Americas
The minor details such as deciding
golf disputes and so on could well be
left TO local bodies. but the great ques-
tons would not find the American dele
gates far distant from st. Andrews.
Perhaps 1t might be well to refresh
the memories concerning the manner In
which the government Of the British
championships and the game are car
ried out, since these are details little
understood by many golfers. The Rules
of Golf Committee, which answers all
questions arising about the game, is
made up of sixteen members. all of
whom are members OF the Royal and
Ancient Club at st. Andrews But In
this connection 1t should be noted as
well that very few are members exclu-
slvely OF st. Andrews, that John Bull
Just nominated always represents Hoy
lake, and 1t is the same with most OF
the others, the membership being a mat
Ter of double membership as much as
anything else.
Tho names OF the committee indicate
the caro- that Is taken to get the best
known and most widely experienced
golfers with such headliners as John l.
Low, chairman; Leslie n. Balfour. e
Blackwell, II. 8. Colt, tho architect (who
would not be eligible under our amateur
eligibility rules): c. X Hutchinson
Horace q. Hutchinson. w. z. Fairlie
G. B. Macdonald and others.
Britain's Part Small.
For the regulation Of the amateur
championship there are only twenty.
four clubs in all Great Britain which are
entitled to send delegates to the annual
meeting, which is held at a very oppor.
tune time. namely the holding OF the
amateur championship. It Is made GER
tain that any large question to be pre-
scented before the body of delegates will
be given full publicity because a copy
Of the resolutions must be in the handi
OF the secretary three months before tn,
date OF the annual iMeeting and a copy
Is sent to the secretaries OF each clut
at once.
Arrangements for the holding of tn,
open championships are left to the dele
gates OF the clubs over which the cham
pionship Is decided in turn. namely. st
Andrews, Prestwick, Muirfield, Hoylake
Sandwich and Deal, Thus II win b.
seen that representation Is confined Il
q few whose MANAGEMENT has seldom
II ever. been subjected TO serious criti
cism. Small bodies with great powers
wisely welded more often than not for
bid the trying Of fads and experiments
and personally we can see where a grea
benefit has accrued to the game through
these arrangements. The past two
months, however. has produced In Grea
Britain not little Sapatience with the
mana cement x golfing affairs becaus,
OF the -alling OF OF the title play.
some Practical Quotations.
In this connection let me quote a sec
ton Of a letter addressed to Harold H
Hilton. editor OF Golf Illustrated:
IT write because I believe I am ex
pressing the views of most of the golfer,
in this country. Could not the powers
that be be approached with a view L
finding out II the difficulties In the way
of holding championships are insur
mountable7 America and Ireland, witt
somewhat more modern, and. / Nigh
say. superior org aniEations. have had NJ
difficulty in arranging their champion
ship programmes. As far as the pros ar,
concerned all want It to q man. Ant
this In the year OF peacei Ye gods !"
In the same strain, Mr.. Hilton writer
editorialiy:
zone does not know how to define tn,
authorities who have the MANAGEMENT
OF the major goinng events. The oper
championship Is decided by one bod,
committee the amateur by another. IN,
rules OF golf by a special committee O
an allied club, and internal professions
anairs by the professionals own asso
citation. Il Is q mixup OF interests AL
are working to one end. the benefit o
the game, but they have such etranuei,
conservative and obsolete methods n
carrying out their beliefs Tha nove
OF a private individual to bring pressur
10 bear on the championship COMMITTEE
H. we rear non-existsnG Ia ArRu