ROYAL & ANCIENT GOLF CLUBS

Otago Witness, Issue 3003, 4 October 1911, Page 65

ROYAL & ANCIENT GOLF CLUBS

DECISIONS BY THE RULES OF GOLF COMMITTEE, The Club.—A and B play together in a medal" competition. A, short handicap; B» long handicap. - B always takes the honour. Does this disqualify thorn? Also suppose in a similar competition A and - B decide to have a match. _B receives, say, i stroke a hole. A's honour at Ist hdle, 2nd hole both take 5. B's strokes give him the hole, and he takes honour at 3rd hole; does this still disqualify? Answer: (1) The competitors had no right to disregard the instructions laid down in Stroke Rule 1 (3); but as no penalty is mentioned they cannot be disqualified. (2) The honour should be taken according to the actual strokes taken at each hole in the medal competition. The competitors cannot be disqualified for the reason given in the first answer. Yelvertdn Golf Club.—ln the course of a match, A's ball is lying in a hazard consisting of a large clump of furze bushes. He goes into the furze, presses aside certain branches, and thus obtains a free shot at his ball. A contends that he is entitled t«> do this "for the purpose of taking his stance." (1) Is A's contention right? (2) Apart altogether from the intentional (and admitted) pressing aside of the branches, A must necessarily touch parts of the bushes in getting to his ball. Does he thereby incur any penalty? Answer: (1) A furze bush is a hazard, and therefore nothing shall be done which can in any way improve the lie of the ball. The player may, however, place his feet firmly on the ground for the purpose of taking his stance. See Rule 25. If A did more than this be lost the hole. (2) A is entitled to take his stand in the hazard, and to find his ball as provided for in Rule 22 (1). Under certain circumstances, A may be obliged to touch parts of the bushes in order to reach the spot where his ball lies, and incurs no penalty by doing so. Cork Golf Club.—May a player stand outside the limits of the teeing-ground to play a ball which is tend Within limits?

Answer: Yes. Rule 2 refers to the position of the ball. Ravenscliffe Golf Club.—A's ba.ll came to rest through the green at the top of a bare steep slope, where the slightest touch would cause it to roll to tho. bottom. B played, and his ball struck A's ball. A desired to replace it. because if dropped it would roll back down, the bill, and be 30 yards further from'fhc hole, and make the next shot .a blind one (1) Under these circumstances could A replace the ball ? (2) Must A be penalised (as 'he undoubtedly would be) by dropping the ball ? Answer: (1) No. .(2) A must take his chance of what happens to the ball if ho decides to drop it unde- Rule 9 (2). Heaton Moor Golf Club.—(l) A prize is given yearly for the best gross return in any 18 holes competition during the year. A card is returned in a competition which ties with the then existing best gross score, but some hours afterwards the competition is declared off owing to the holes becoming unplayable through rain flooding the greens. WiH such' return count for the prize ? (2) sheet is used, in competi-.

tions, but, owing fco heavy- rain, jery few intending competitors turn ..up. The committee decided to abolish the time-sheet for that day's competition; and allow intending competitors to go out with whom they like and at what time they like. Considering Rule 2 (2) (Stroke Competitions), (a) have the committee power to do this? (b) As partner not turning up or refusing to goout in the rain, is A disqualified for not going out at his time? (c)■, Are D and C, being legitimate partners on the time sheet, disqualified for going cut 10 minutes after their time, no one having gone out before them or waiting to go out after them'? _ (d) Is E disqualified for going out at his right time, but with a different partner from the one on the time sheet? ■ •' Answer: (1) No. (2) (a) Yes. (b) No. The committee had abolished the time sheet, (c) No. Id) No. Dearie Golf Club, Bolton,.—A stroke com. petition was played under the following conditions :—Two rounds of the course to be played—competitors to choose their own fellow-competitors. A and B competed together in their first round. In the second round B marked A's card, but did not play himself. The committee was not consulted regarding this arrangement. Is A disqualified ? Answer: No. The fact that B discontinued play in the middle of the competition did not render A a single competitor. Southdown Golf Club—A and B were playing off a tie in a stroke competition. At several holes A's caddie indicated the line of put with a club and held the club in this position while A putted. The club did not touch the ground. Did A incur any penalty? Answer: It is only allowable to point out a direction for putting "before the-stroke is madia." See Rule 29 (1). The penalty for a breach of this rule is the loss of the hole; in score play the penalty is therefore two strokes. See Stroke Rule 14.