The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-30
Golf Decisions in Ten
Years Make Large Book
ny JOHN q. ANDERSON.

the one who should watch his ste ~
most carefully
Every golfer at some time or an Fl
lifts his ball In the course or the tav
from tee to green, especially, however,
when the bah IL on the putting green.
Oftentimes he lays the putter head neir
the ball to mark the exact spot. II no
LIFTS the putter after replacing the ball
and makes the bali move the slightest
distance lie cannot replace the ball. as
we have seen so many do. without
counting a penalty. The carelessness q
which he was guilty costs stroke af1
IL by any chance the ball was repiaeei
in the original spot, then in match play
the player would lose the hole. we
have seen this rule violated every dav
we have been on the links
There viii be hundreds OF thousands
Of shots from the tee which VIII go out
of bounds. Fifty per cent. % these play
vrs will shift the teeing spot on their
second drive, some 2 foot. others yard.
and still others viii step over to the
other side OF the tee away from the out
OF bounds side These same golfers II
they were in n bunker and sent BAH
whizzing out of the trap and out or
bounds would hardly Dare TO walk To
another part Of the trap and from there
play the next stroke under the usuai
PENALTY Why taen from the tee? The
BAN is in play the moment 1t is hit and
there can be no maneuvers such as we
have named. But, oh my Just see how
this rule IS violated by all manner OF
golfers
Listen to this one and then think OF
few hundred violations which you have
seen the past year. A ball driven 70
some spot where d free lift is permitted
is covered with sand. mud or other sub
stance Before dropping or placing what
does the golfer do? Cleans II. of course.
And vet ne hasn't the right under any
rule in the book. Local rules can De
made. but il they are not the players IN
cur penalties-and don't count them
Extreme care should be taken after
one has lifted ball from grounds under
repair spot Many and many time we
have seen a player drop the ball ana,
finding that 1t rolled near the obstruc-
ton so that his stance vas interfered
with. he has taken advantage of another
rule and dropped the ball again. this
time further off, so that the stance would
be better. We doubt IL unere are many
golfers who have not done this very
thing. Bit under what ruling could a
PLAYER redrop ball unless II had rolled
again into the obstruction where was
the grounds under repairs sign?
Rules don't say that a player may al
WAYS have a stance which will enable
him TO have both feet firmly On the
ground and able 10 play in the direction
OF the hole. Better be careful then in the
one drop allowed If the ball does not
return 10 the original obstruction
There are many many other instances.
but one or two things at time will. IL
corrected, reduce the number of viola
lions by few hundred thousand during
the season Of 1922. And the ones which
we have mentioned here ought TO be
simple In remembering. because they
are common faults happening at points
where thought is needed for rule
knowledge.
Spikes are rapidly going out OF use
on the golf links and strange TO say the
reasons are not those advanced by peo-
PIE interested in the sale OF rubber
soied shoes. Golf committees have at
many clubs decrced that rubber soled
shoes must be worn at all times in the
clubhouse. Golfers in following out
these mandates have discovered that
there Is not the expected slipping when
they have worn the rubber soied shoes
on che links and have discarded their
spiked shoes.
The spikes In shoes are inclined to
wear out sooner than the tough soles
now used for golf shoes. When a rain
comes and soaks the shoes with spikes
there is often a curling UP, which does
not permit the spikes entering tne
ground ais the player has been accus-
toned which affects a play. Ribbed and
crosscut rubber has been constructed
for golf shoes, which oven on wet ground
affords a good grip for the golfer. At
present, however, these golf boots or
shoes with rubber soles are inclined to
DO too heavy, more so than spiked shoes.
and we Sappose that in due season per-
lection will be had along these lines.
There IS little doubt that the greens and
the toes are much benefited by the
golfers who do not wear spiked shoes.