GOLF.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 191, 12 August 1911, Page 16

GOLF.

J. H. Taylor, four times open golf champion, made his appearance recently as an amateur on the stage in an attempt, on a miniature putting green at St. George's Hall, to try to overcome by his skill the "influence" that Mr David Devant placed on the golf balls. Messrs Maskelyne and Devant's patting green measures about ten feet by four, and is covered by green baize. Taylor found no difficulty in holeing the ball until Mr Devant put what he called the ''foozling touch" on the professional's arm. Then not a ball could he get down. The audience roared with laughter at the champion's amazement, and he enjoyed the fun as much as they did. THE AMATEUR DEFINITION. At the Amateur Championship delegates' meeting at Prestwick, last week, the following definition of an amateur golfer was carried: An amateur is one who after attaining the age of sixteen years has (a) never carried clubs for hire; (b) Never received any consideration directly or indirectly for playing or for teaching the game. (c) Never played for a money prize in any competition. No amateur may, without forfeiting his status, receive directly or indirectly from the promoter of any match or tournament any consideration for playing in such match or tournament. THE AMATEUR INTERNATIONAL. The International Board, meeting at Prestwick, decided that in future the international match shall be played by foursomes—s couples a side. LOST BALL AND TIME LIMIT. Fowey G.C.—Q.: A and B were competitors in a stroke competition (without caddies), and before starting agreed to waive definition 20. They subsequently deliberately searched longer than the customary five minutes and were disqualified. Is this decision correct? A.: Yes. The agreement to waive a definition of the game simply means that A and B were not playing golf. The Liverpool Courier states that Mr Lloyd George was enjoying a quiet round of golf ou some suburban links one day in May at the moment when he was due to appear at a I*rivy Council held by His Majesty the King at Buckingham Palace. Ait apology has been tendered, it is said, and accepted, but one fears that this unfortunate incident may draw yet another diatribe from Mr John Burns, who recently announced that he took no pleasure it "wasting his substance on the desert air of golf." ECLECTIC HANDICAPS.

.T.C.C—Q.: Is there any recognised system of handicapping in Eclectic competitions? I took part in one lately, and players could only deduct half their handicap. How does it work out in the case of a plus man? Does he add or double his handicap?

A.: Half the ordinary handicap is the recognised system for eclectic competitions. The "plus" player adds half instead of pubstracting it. PLAYING OUT OF TURN. Chorley wood. —Q.: A player in a foursome competition just failing to hole his putt, sweeps the hall away without thinking of the rule, his partner being just too late to stop him. The ball is immediately replaced and the offender's partner holes out. Is the offence covered by Rule 8" for play in stroke competitions which prescribes disqualification for a player who fails to hole out with his own ball, or by Rule 14 s. 0, which prescribes a penalty or two strokes in case a player, or bis caddie, picka up a ball from the putting green before it is holed out? A. :!Match play competitions are played under the rules for match play, not those for stroke play. In the case above, the player's side loses the hole (Rule 3).