GOLF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 83, 16 July 1910, Page 3

GOLF.

(By "Oleek"). The editor of the "Irish Golfers' Guhle" has included in his is~ue this year the opinions of representative golfers in Ireland on the subject of freak club-. si< ie than !)5 per cent, of them are in entire agreement with the decision of the Royal and Ancient. The spirit of Irish amateurs is expressed by the Rev. J. L. Morrow, captain of the' Royal Dublin Club: "In regard to freak clubs, I would burn them. The real game of golf is between the players, not their implements, which should be identical." The opinion, too, is expressive of the sentiments of the large majority of English players, and one believes it was the same spsjjin? spirit which influenced the golfers at St. Andrews to proscribe mallet - headed clubs. But whilv wie feels that it is rather a splendid thing for the game, it is rather difficult to justify the decision by solid arguments. The rules state that a ball must be "fairly struck at with the head of the club, not pushed, scraped, 6r spooned," It is, difficult to demolish the argument tlmt as long as the stroke is fairly Made it doe 3 not matter whether it* is accomplished with a malletheaded putter or a putting cleek. Some years ago the Rules Committee were asked if a billiard stroke on the putting green were legitimate, and they replied that it was not permissible. As it is quite possible to strike the ball fairly with a club shaped like a billiardcue, it is clear that the ruling was based on the ground that the stroke was a departure from the custom of the game. To those who argue that it is wicked to stop the working of the law of evolution in golf one must reply that golfers have consented to be ruled, in the past by fairly elastic customs sanctioned by centuries of tradition. But into the game have come hundreds of men to whom neither historical tradition nor immemorial custom is anything compared to a short cut to perfection of play attained by using implements that had never been associated with the game. They will argue that this ban is a sterilising policy, and if they could, rule they would object to the stereotyping of any form of club whatsover.

Whither is invention going to lead us? Already some of the existing types of freak clubs lend themselves to strokes which may be played otherwise than sideways, and this is not golf. A few years ago a Manchester golfer invented a putter very similar in shape to a billiard table iron. There is another Manchester player who puts with a club one end of which is like a collier's pick and the other end like a rivetter's hammer. It is difficult to say why this gentleman should not use his hammer, though many of his friends think he would put better if he ■pitched it into the coal cellar. There is no doubt the mallet-headed putter tends to at least encourage the playing of a kind of stroke which many good jiulses are convinced is dangerously near being illegitimate. The !>..->t argument in favor of prohibition is that these clubs are uireetly opposed to the sp.rit of the game; but', as 1 stated pri'V.vusly, while most of the players will acclaim the ban, it is very difficult to prove that it is not a tyrannies: -.diet.

The members ot the Ngamotu Olub are reminded that entries for the ehaiupionship and junior scratch competitions close this afternoon with any'member of the Match Committee.

Mr. McCormick, the Auckland professional, will be at the Ngamotu links oa August 8. Arrangements are being made for his services on the Vogeltown links also.

The Ngamotu Club has extended invitations to the following clubs to send teams of ladies and men for matches on the home links: Vogeltown, July 21; Waitara, July 28; Inglewood, August 4. In reference to the Ngamotu Club's ladder competition, rule A has been altered so that players above the red bar may now challenge only the players immediately above them. Previously this has applied only to the first four.