, 1923-10-02

provide the golfer a dependable i'm
PIGMENT to use continually IL he
wishes. irrespective OF weather con-
| ditions. With regard to the punch
ed clubs this same British golfer
says.
Followed American.
"The recent introduction of the
punched iron marks the present day
tendency. Tho Americans were re.
sponsible for II. In America they
have heavy dews and as a result
the ball is liable to skid off the face
OF the club. So when the ribbed or
grooved club was barred players be-
gan TO put a few punch marks in
the face. At ono II was found that
these marks with the edges left
Jagged stopped the ball even more
effectively than the ribs. The re-
suit was that they went to the fun
limit and punched the ACE of the
| club all over.
1t is not for me to say whether
the Americans were right or wrong
in bringing these clubs to this coun-
try and using them in the tourna-
ments at Leeds and st. Annes, but
the fact that they did SO explains
why some Of us followed that ex-
ample. We recognized the Amer.-
cans to be fine golfers against whom
1t would be difficult to hold our own
and we felt we could not afford to
give them the advantage which the
punched irons conferred. So we
also punched u irons.
We professionals feel that the
form Of the club must be strictly
laid down. There must be no loop
hole to allow n player to win an a
vantage over an opponent. When
the grooved club was banished
Hagen amused himself by filing up
the with solder, and he
found that he could stop the ball
even better with 1t in this shape
than when the ribs were left open.
The soft metal between the ribs
took the life out of the ball,
All Smooth Faces.
But all these artificial aids can
not be permitted IL our golf is to be
saved from vandalism. Most pro-
~fessionals think there is only one
solution OF the difficulty, and that is
to make the faces OF all irons
smooth and plain. This would. I
am afraid, mean the scrapping OF
most of the clubs In use at the pres
ent time. but the position might be
used II 1t were decided that this new
rule should not come into operation
until. say 1925.
IF this were done there would be
a gradual rather thar an Immediate
discarding of irons with patterns on
the face. These patterns are of
course innocent Of purpose. but the
trouble Is to prevent their exagger-
alton as has been done in the case
of the punched club. An alternative
proposed is that only the smooth
face should be sanctioned in the
championships. This would be
equally effective IN course of time.
On the other hand, the business of
st. Andrews is TO legislate for the
game as a whole and not for any
section of II. The interest of the
Is handicap mar are Just as worthy
of consideration as those of the
scratch players or others who take
part in championships.
I'm these circumstances II is
whispered that tho authorities do
not intend TO change the rule which
has been in force since Jock
Hutchinson won the championship at
st. Andrews two years ago. I be-
iieve. however. they admit its mean.
ing can be made palmer and they
probably will remodel it. But the
principle which It sets up will not
be changed. and so long as this can
be done and It is made clear that
the punched iron, as we know II.
and every other club which strikes
at the basic principles OF the game.
Is illegal It should be satisfactory