GOLF.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLII, Issue 1808, 5 May 1921, Page 8

GOLF.

(By "Niblick.")

Many breaches of etiquette arc oe- j curring on some of our local links, particularly in regard to the bad habit of drjving from the tee before the last players are out of range. I recently observed a bad example of this. Two players had just left the tee, after getting their drives well away, and they had not gone moi'e than 50 yards when the following pair came on to the toe. Without the customary warning of "Fore!" one of them drove, and the ball travelled perilously close to the previous players, before they had reached their balls. This, of course, does not. occur if players are conversant with the rules, and is doubtless the result of carelessness rather than discourtesy. With so many new players on the links it is advisable that they acquaint themselves of the rules before venturing on the course. ' Local players will be interested in Kirkwood's movements in England. Ho appears to have created a favourable impression so far, but it is too soon to prophesy what success he will have. Comments of various kinds have filtered through the cables, and his "trick display" drew a rather sharp comment from an English critic! British traditions are strong on the dignity of golf; but Kirkwood hardly deserved the insinuation that he was a "music hall'" artist rather than a golfer.

The and British conceptions of golf are apparently very different. The fundamental ideas of the game in the two countries are arrived J at from entirely different standpoints. In Britain golf is not played entirely for the score or result. It is regarded as a game of difficulties that requires skill and practice to play it well, and any mechanical methods of obtaining the same results are generally "tabooed." On the other hand, American players are apparently quite prepared to adopt any means of making the game easier, presumably on the principle that "the end justifies tho means." Their latest freak, of this nature is the ribbed iron club. Tho club is ribbed from toe to heel, and tho ribs are deep and sharp, the result being that when a ball is struck it imparts the same spin and stop that is obtained by a skilful shot played with an ordinary iron. Such American innovations are much resented and discussed in Britain, but the British golfing authorities arc loth to impair tho good feeling that exists with their American cousins, and it is not expected that the new club will be barred. They apparently do not wish for a Tecurrence of the indignant protest that resulted when the putter that Travers (who won the British Open Championship) used was, after the event, barred.

. Considerable discussion has • taken place in England over the altering of the rule "Lost ball, lost hole." The new rule, which comes into force on May Ist next, provides the same penalty for lost ball that applies to a ball played out of bounds—the player tees another ball, and loses stroke and distance. English opinion is almost unanimous in abusing the new rule (which, by the way, appears to have been originated by the Americans), and it is pointed out that the congestion arising on crowded links will be chaotic if, for instance, a player drives a ball £OO yards, loses it, and returns"*to the tee to pfciy his third. He would probably be beaten to death with niblicks. Certainly the sensible golfer will swallow his annoyance and surrender the hole; but there is a class of golfer (usually long handicap men) obsessed with the card and pencil mania, who will certainly take advantage of the, new rule: I can well, imagine the indignation on any of our local links on a busy Saturday afternoon, when the "card and pencil fiend" returns to a crowded tea in order to play out the hole. In excuse, the Gold Kules Committee maintains that the rule will be little used, which is really a futile argument, xi that is the case, why the rule? x An excellent story re the "lost ball, lost hole rule" comes from the Highlands. Two keen old golfers were fighting out a match for "five shillings." At tho seventeenth they were all square. At the next hole Sandy drove into the rough, and he and Mac spent a fruitless ten minutes looking for the ball. The idea of losing tho five shillings was too much for Sandy's honesty, and when Mac's back was turned he dropped another ball. '*l'\# found me ba'," he cried. "Ye're a leer," responded Mac." "I've had it in ma pooch the last five meenits." Now that winter is approaching, and casual water is likely to be in evidence, the rules applying to such (and which strangely enough, are not generally known) will be of interest to local golfers. It is a common and expensive error that a ball lying in a hazard or bunker can be lifted out and dropped behind without penalty. A moment's thought ought to convince a player of any common sense that he cannot escape the just penalty for his bad play in getting into a bunker, merely because heavy rain has recently fallen. On the other hand there are many players who regard casual water in "the rough" as casual water in ai hazard, and improperly penalise themselves accordingly. By "rough," of course, is meant the long grass bordering on the fairway. Bushes or any rough not composed of grass are hazards, according to the rules, and cannot be lifted except under penalty of one stroke.

Many people also hold wrong opinions about casual water on the greens. Many players think that in lifting out of such casual water they are compelled by the rules to place the ball behind the pool, that is, on the far side of the hole. This would* be obviously unfair. Tinder such circumstances the player is at liberty to place the ball not nearer the hole on a spot that affords a dry run up to the hole. The same privilege is allowed to the player who is stymied by casual water.