HAPPY New Year to all of you my fellow golfers and I wish you the best for 2015!
As the year begins, I hope to interest you on how the rules of golf were first formulated by the R&A, considered the “Alma Mater of Golf.”
R&A means Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews located in Fife, Scotland, and considered the oldest and most influential golf club in the world.
This bit of information came about as I was rummaging through our small library at home and I found the coffee-table book Golf—A Celebration of 100 years of the Rules of Play. It was written by John Glover and published in cooperation with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews in 1997. I had the rare experience of working with Glover, the rules official from Scotland who served in previous Philippine Opens in Southwoods and John Hay in the late 1990s. At that time, Glover was serving as rules official of the Asian Tour.
This year we are celebrating the 118th year of implementing rules to govern the game of golf.
The book says golf began in 1413 in Saint Andrews and by 1457, it gained popularity among university students. King James II banned it because able-bodied citizens were neglecting archery practice in favor of golf and football. But the ban would soon be lifted and golf got back its popularity in no time.
In 1897 R&A was officially recognized as the sole authority to formulate the rules for golf. A 15-man committee would next come up with a book the Rules of Golf, which is now the basis for the rules we now follow.
Before this, the first 13 rules of golf were written and drawn up by the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith in 1744. The 13 rules were adopted 10 years later by R&A in 1754. Very noticeable among the original 13 rules are: Rule III—“You are not to change the ball which you strike off the tee.” This rule stays today, unless another rule allows us to put another ball in play. Rule X—“If a ball be stop’d by any person, Horse, Dog or anything else, the ball stopped must be played where it lies.” This is the basis for the rule on “outside agency” today. And Rule XII—“He whose ball lyes farthest from the hole is obliged to play first.” This remains true today.
As the game of golf evolved and R&A became the acknowledged authority on the game, R&A framed and adopted on May 1, 1812, the 17 rules and regulations that became the anchor for today’s rules.
The rules today are governed by the R&A for Europe and Asia, and the United States Golf Association (USGA) for the USA and Canada. These bodies supervise both amateur and professional golf, with the International Golf Federation replacing the World Amateur Golf Council.
Presently, R&A and the USGA meet every two years to assess and amend, if necessary, the rules. The Decisions Book, which contains actual cases of rules infraction with corresponding resolutions is published once in two years. The Golf Booklet containing the basic and fundamental rules is printed once in four years.
TEED BITS. As you read this, my fellow rulesman Al S. Mendoza and I, God permitting, are playing at Southwoods upon the invite of Froi Dytianquin of Mitsubihi Phils. Thank you, Froi…. Greetings on the revival of the APT Cup on January 16, and advanced birthday wishes to Atty. Art Tugade. Best regards to his children who regularly organize this unique golfing event!