AMATEUR STATUS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 61, 9 September 1937, Page 25

AMATEUR STATUS

After full consideration of the replies to the suggestions submitted to the advisory committee it has been decided by the New Zealand Golf Council to write to the Hoyal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews on the question of amateur status, having particular reference to acts which will make players ineligible to compete in amateur events. The committee of the

Royal and Ancient Club lays it down, besides professional golfers and those who have carried clubs for hire after attaining eighteen years of age, "those who exploit their skill of the game, or allow their skill to be exploited for profit" shall be barred from any amateur competition. Amongst examples under the quoted disqualifications are given the following:—(a) Those who for remuneration allow their names or likenesses to be used for the advertisement or sale of I any goods except in the usual course jof theirbusiness as dealers in or manujfacturers or inventors of such goods; (b) those who for remuneration permit their names to be advertised or published as authors of books or articles on golf of which they are not actually the authors; (c) those who for remuneration and under their own names, or under a description from which they can be recognised, report a golf competition or match in which they are taking part, if Journalism is not their usual and recognised vocation; (d) those who either accept as presents, or are given facilities to buy, at prices below those usually charged, golf balls, golf dubs, or other merchandise, when such presents are made, or facilities granted, for the purpose of advertisement; (c) those who being employed by firms, companies, or individuals interested in the manufacture or sale of golfing goods, play in golf tournaments or competitions with the object of furthering their employers' interest. ■• ■ . The championship committee of the Royal and Ancient Club also reserves the right of declaring- ineligible ,to compete in the open tournaments under its jurisdiction anyone who, in its opinion, has acted in a manner detri. mental to the- best interests or to the spirit of the game. A player can, without giving up his amateur status, have his travelling and living expenses paid when he represents his country, county, club, or an analogous group in a team match, providing they are paid by the group he represents. The same applies to a foreign match in which he represents his country, providing that they are paid through the federation or the equivalent organisation which, rules golf in his country. • ■ .! The above definition of an amateur is accepted by the Ladies' Golf Union of Britain with the following reserva-, lion:—Without forfeiting her amateur status, a school mistress may receive a salary for teaching golf, provided she be a bona fide teacher of educational subjects. Reinstatement of professionals to amateur status, in the Royal and Ancient decision, may not be made more than once, not at all for those who have come within the definition of professional for five years, and the applicant must have come within the amateur definition for three consecutive years immediately" preceding the application. Any club may elect professionals, to its membership, and this does not affect either the status of those professionals or the amateur status of other members.