The New York herald., 1922-12-14
GOLFERS CONFUSED
BY SPECIAL RULES
Having Seen Stars Clean Ball
at Skokic Player Observes
Practice Months After.
ny kERR y. PETRIE.

I NJ kEHN y. FETHtE.
Al the annual meeting of the Metro
pollian Golf Association on Tuesday
night and by way OF drawing attention
10 the dangers OF tamperlng with the
rules. Findlay =. Douglas. the president
related an odd experience which had be-
fallen him while playing with a golfer
from the West.
This particular golfer happened TO be
where this year was played the national
open championship. II Is not related
that the course over which Mr.. Douglas
and the Chicagoan played was more
than ordinarily soft that day. neverthe-
less when the man from the shores Of
Lake Michigan considered that there
was enough OF foreign matter adher-
ing to his rubber core TO affect it's run
on the putting green he very promptly
picked the ball up and cleaned Il.
on being asked by Mr. Douglas how
long he had been exercising this "privf-
lege" the Westerner answered in some
surprise Ever since the national open
at Skokie."
Golfers Will recall that on the oc-
casion of the open tourney a rainstorm
of extraordinary severity put the course
out of commission for time and that
after the resumption of play the putting
greens still were so soft that the rubber
cores generally picked up dirt. To meet
this emergency the L. ). g. a. posted
a local rule allowing contestants to re-
move the mud from the spheres be-
fore putting As Mr.. Douglas pointed
out this rule naturally was very gem
orally exercised. some times by players
who really would have been no worse
off had they putted without cleaning.
Under L.. =. G. A. sanction.
The moral of the tale told by the
NJ. G.. A. executive Is very clear. Inc
Il. $. G. A. had sanctioned the cleaning
of mud from the golf balls on the
nutting green and although this particu-
lar golfer may have been playing the
! game for years 1t had been the I'M
pressions OF that national championship
which had remained with him.
Without stopping TO reason the why
and wherefores Of the matter, or 10
recall the unusual circumstances at
/ tendant upon the drafting of the speclal
rule. he had gone through the season
lifting his ball from the putting sreen'
| forgetting or never knowing that soii >
first and fundamental principle Is the
nlaving of a ball from tee to cup without
to,,chinp II with the hands. unless when
for out Of bounds or the exigencles Oh
| wafer hazard play, or some such unto
ward circumstance sanctioned by the
| rules il has to be dropped or otherWise
brought back into play.
Before coming TO play witih MT
Douglas this Skokie member must nave
met dozens of other players in his own
part of the country. 1t is scarcely con-
ceivable that all Of his opponents OF
partners could have viewed this matter
OF mud on the ball as he himself viewed
IL or have been as badly out Of touch
with the actual code. There may nave
been no more muddy days" in the
middle-west since that glorious SkoKie
adventure engaged in by the bretherh
| of the cleek, and yet there Is q doupt
since Mr.. Douglas seems to have noted
a tendency to take advantage OF this
rule" at the least excuse.
Both at St. Louis and at Skokie the
national association encountered con-
ditions which. in its opinion. Justineu
the prompt adoption OF the rule. when
had remained as part of the playing
code of the man from Skokie Nor u
the East immune from the exceptional
conditions which made the fiat necessary
At Brookline during the playing OF 'hc
last national amateur championship IL
was deemed the part OF wisdom TO 90
a little cleaning on the putting greens
following the downpour OF the second
qualifying day. Some OF the players
went on lifting and cleaning and. un-
knowingly, losing holes after the rule
had been rescinded.
without Special Rules.
However. this is not the point which
Mr. Douglas wishes to bring out. He
is one of those who would have golf
PLAYED without any special rulings, con-
siderations or dispensations. no matter
how great or manifold the difficulties
imposed by nature. AS he demonstrated
very clearly by his story there Is no
telling how much damage may be done
by special rules. privileges and sanctions
which from their very nature are
sharply a. variance with the first prln-
ciples and elementary laws laid down Ior
the playing of the game OF golf.
For the u. S. G.. A. II remains to be
said that the decision to allow lifting
and cleaning on the putting greens was
not taken without grave deliberation.
This at least was the case at st. Louis,
where the precedent was established.
When some of the L. $. G. A. officials
arrived from the East they received
with incredulity the report that on their
tuning up rounds the entrants were
generally observing the practice OF
lifting and cleaning on the greens. In
auiry and study OF the conditions dis
closed that under certain conditions such
a practice was almost a necessity.
I Mr.. Douglas did not compete at ST
\ Louis. Skokic or at Brookline. stu he
probably has played under conditions
that approximated or surpassed in cuss-
edness those experienced in the cham
i pionships mentioned. Having done go
and lived II through he feels that no
matter what happens TO the course or
to the scores golfers should go on as
formerly, hitting the ball from The tee.
driving Il before them. maulng 1t and
coaxing IL as need be until II has dis
| appeared within the place appointed.