GOLF.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 8, 24 February 1909, Page 13

GOLF.

The Old and the New Roles. The following comparison of the old 1902 rules and the new rules will be interesting to golfers:— HOW TO DROP A BALL. Old Rule. —From the head. New Rule. —Over the shoulder; BALL IN SAND. Old. —Sand covering a bail was not allowed to be touched. New.—Allowed to remove sufficient sand to enable player to see the top of the ball. BALL OUT OF BOUNDS. Old. —Another ball was “dropped” whether played from a teeing-ground or '•through the green.” New. —Another ball may be teed when played from a teeing-ground. BALL IN CASUAL WATER ON PUTTING-GREEN. Old.—Permitted only to lift and place the ball immediately behind the water without penalty. New.—The ball may be lifted without penalty if lying in casual water - or if casual water intervene, and placed either within two club lengths directly behind the spot from which it was lifted, or in the nearest position to that spot which is not nearer to the hole, and which affords a putt to the hole without casual water intervening. REMOVAL OF DUNG, ETC., FROM PUTTING-GREEN. Old.—Earth, sand, wormcasts, snow, etc., removed by brushing lightly with the hand across the line or putt. New. —Dung, wormcasts, snow, and ice only removed by scraping them aside with a club —brushing with the hand is not permitted. OPPONENT’S BALL TO BE AT REST ON PUTTING-GREEN. Old.—Playing before opponent’s ball Was at rest incurred a penalty of one stroke. New. —The penalty is the loss of the hole. ADDITIONS OF SCORES. Old.—The secretary was responsible. New.—Tire committee in charge of the competition is responsible. PLAYING OUTSIDE LIMITS OF TEE-ING-GROUND IN STROKE COMPETITION. Old.—The player was disqualified. New.—The stroke played must be counted, and the second stroke played from within the limits. PLAYING TWO CONSECUTIVE STROKES WITH WRONG .BALL IN STROKE COMPETITION (Hazards excepted). Old.—The player was entitled to return and hole out with his own ball, provided he discovered his mistake before striking off from the next teeing-ground, or, in the case of the last hole, before handing in his card. New.—Disqualification; but if the player plays not more than one stroke with a ball other than his own he shall incur no penalty, provided he then play his own ball. PLAY WITHIN 20 YARDS OF HOLE IN STROKE COMPETITION. Old.—Playing before the flag-stick had been removed incurred penalty of one stroke whether ball hit the flagstick or not. New.—No penalty, unless ball hit the flag-stick or the person standing at the hole. The penalty for doing so, however, is two strokes. DISPUTES—HOW DECIDED. Did.—By the rules of golf committee. New.—By the committee in charge of the competition, but an appeal may be made to the rules of golf committee. IMPORTANT NEW FEATURES. . Committee to Decide Doubtful Penal-ties.-—Under this new rule, if on the completion of the stipulated round, a player

is doubtful whether he has incurred a penalty at any hole, he may enclose his ecoring-card with a written statement of the circumstances to the committee, who shall decide what penalty, if any, has been incurred. Playing Wrong Ball in Hazard.—Under this new rule, if a competitor play more than one stroke with a ball other than his own in a hazard, and the mistake be discovered before he has played a stroke with the wrong ball from outside the limits of the hazard, he shall incur no penalty, provided he then played his own ball. Stroke Competitions Order of Play.—• The old rules did not govern this point, and it was not considered compulsory for competitors to play in couples, a three-ball match being allowed when necessary. The new rule, however, expressly states that competitors must play in couples, but in the event of a single player being left it is the duty of the committee to either provide him with a player or select a marker for him and allow him to compete alone. GOLFING TERMS. Bisques are strokes conceded by one side to another under match play, but they differ from the strokes ordinarily given in that the receiver may use them as he pleases. In other words, he may take the strokes allowed to him singly or together, at any hole or holes. The side receiving bisques does not require to declare that a stroke or strokes is being taken until the hole is played out. Bogey.—The number of strokes that should be taken to each hole by a scratch player after making an allowance for difficulties in the course. Thus a very difficult four-stroke hole under par’play might be a Bogey five. Dormie'.—A side is said to be “dormie” when it is as many holes up as there are holes remaining to be played. Eclectic Competitions.—-A stroke competition in which the competitors each play two rounds of eighteen holes, and count the best score which has. been made at each hole in the two rounds. The total for eighteen holes thus obtained forming the eclectic score. Par Play.—Perfect golf without flukes. Thus, if a green can be reached in two strokes the hole is a par four; tow putts being allowed on each green. Stymie.—A pl aver is laid a stymie if on the putting-green the opponent’s ball lies in the line of his putt to the hole, provided the halls be not within six inches of each other.