This month's golf news and features

Annual Charity Competition and Dinner
This will take place on Friday 19th December at Palm Hills Golf Club and the Dusit Resort and Polo Club respectively. Tee off 8 am and the dinner will be 7pm for 7.30. Green fee, caddy and snack after 9 holes will be 1,000 Baht, but Palm Hills members pay only 500 Baht.
Dinner tickets will be on sale at Berny’s from 1st December, at a cost of 1,300 Baht.
MATCHPLAY 2003
A total of 59 entered and at time of goin to press we are down to the semi finals of both the Shield and Plate. Larry English v Per Eriksson and Mick Wittering v Clive Bruce are the pairings in the main competition, while in “The Tossers” division (1st round losers) the line up is John McMorris v Roger Smith and Steve Ross against our own Rupert Murdoch ie Colin Devonshire.
PROFESSIONAL GOLF
We are all keeping our fingers crossed for Greg Hanrahan who after a decent finish in the Volvo China Open jumped to 53rd position in the order of merit. He looks certain to obtain his card for next year, and get into the Volvo Master’s Asia at Bangkok Golf Club from 11-14 December. Simon Yates continues to play well and is currently 7th in the order of merit.
RECENT RESULTS: 21st Oct at Hua Hin, 35 players 1st A grp John Stuart, 37 pts 16 hcp, 2nd Gary (guest) 34 pts 10 hcp, B grp 1st Monta 30 pts 22 hcp, 2nd Steve Ross 27 pts 24 hcp. 24th Oct at Sawang Cancelled due to heavy rain. 28th Oct at Majestic Creek Preliminary Round 2003 Match Play. 31st Oct at Springfield 39 players A group 1st Kevin Carter 72 net 14 hcp, 2nd Mike Anderson 71 net 14 hcp, B grp 1st Walter Sroka 37 pts 22 hcp, 2nd Steve Ross 35 pts 24 hcp. 4th Nov 1st Round Proper and 1st Round of 2003 Matchplay Shield and plate respectively. 7th Nov at Panurangsi (Ratchaburi Military Course), 30 players one group 1st Bill Battell 38 pts 19 hcp, 2nd Peter Harrison 38 pts 25 hcp, 3rd Kevin Rahm, 38 pts 19 hcp. 11th November at Springfield 2nd round both Shield and Plate of 2003 Matchplay, 24 players one group 1st Terry Gallagher 36 pts 14 hcp, 2nd Chris Davidson 34 pts 21 hcp, 3rd Berit Wallengren 33 pts 26 hcp. 14th Nov at Milford 2 ball scramble 13 pairs, 1st Steve Ross / Clive Bruce 58.1 net 14.9 hcp, 2nd Peter Gouldby / Mike Anderson 61.6, 9.6 hcp, 3rd John McMorris / Wij 61.6, 11.4 hcp. 18th Nov at Majestic Creek, 3rd round match play, Shield Larry English beat Robert Laminit 5/4, Per Ericsson over Don Horton 4/2, Clive Bruce won over Mick Evans 4/3 and Mick Wittering beat Bill Battel 4/3. 3rd Round Plate, John McMorris beat Pawn McBurney 2/1, Roger Smith received a walk over from Kevin Rahm, Steve Ross routed Han Hackvoort 7/6 while Colin Devonshire just managed a win over Walter Sroka 2 up. Also a Stableford event was held, 38 players 1st Roy Woodward (guest) 37 pts, 18 hcp, 2nd Mark Finnegan 37 pts, 13 hcp, 3 rd Bjorn (guest) also 37 pts 28 hcp.

FIXTURES FOR
DECEMBER

Tuesday 2nd Lake View
Thurs 4th T.B.N. (in lieu of King’s Birthday)
Tuesday 9th Springfield
Friday 12th Majestic
Tuesday 16th Sawang
Friday 19th Palm Hills
Tuesday 23rd Royal Hua Hin (3 clubs + putter)
Friday 26th Royal Ratchaburi
Tuesday 30th Lake View

For further information call in to Berny’s Inn or ring 032 532 601

VOLVO MASTERS OF ASIA 2003
VOLVO BRINGS THE BEST TO THAILAND

The top 60 professional golfers from the Asian PGA Tour order of merit, plus 12 sponsor's invites, will compete for the Volvo Masters of Asia title at Bangkok Golf Club, from December 11th to 14th 2003. Asia's finest players will also be competing for the Order of Merit crown in this season ending US$500,000 event.
Volvo has been a major sponsor of Asian golf since 1994 when the inaugural Volvo Masters of Malaysia was held. For 3 years this event was part of the Malaysian Tour and proved such a success that it was incorporated into the Asian PGA Tour in 1997. From an initial purse of US$40,000, the event is now the richest of the stand-alone tournaments with a total purse of US$500,000.
Bangkok Golf Club is proud to have been chosen to host this most prestigious event. Course preparations have been underway for 6 months to bring the course to tournament condition. All bunkers on the course have been re-shaped and 15 new fairway bunkers have been strategically placed. Fairways have been narrowed and shaped and will be cut to USPGA heights for the tournament. The rough has been grown out and thickened and will prove a major obstacle for the errant stroke. All of these changes will provide a severe test for the best and will result in a worthy champion.
Entry to the tournament is free and all golf fans are invited to attend and witness what should be a fascinating tournament. Access to Bangkok Golf Club is relatively easy. The club is only 30 minutes from central Bangkok via the Stage 2 Expressway.
Anyone who wishes to get close to the action and act as a volunteer may do so by contacting Mr. Tony Choy at Bangkok Golf Club on 02 501 2828. Please ensure that you are available for 4 days if you wish to be part of the event.
With the outbreak of SARS and various wold events, the first half of the APGA Tour was severely disrupted. Volvo and Bangkok Golf will ensure that the season finale will give the players an opportunity to show that Asia is indeed the breeding ground for the future of world golf.

Tournament: Volvo Masters of Asia 2003
Venue: Bangkok Golf Club
Tel. 02 501 2828 Fax. 02 501 2810
Dates: December 11th - 14th 2003
Sponsors: Volvo
Bangkok Golf Club
Bangkok Golf Spa Resort
Canon (official office equipment)
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Waterford Crystal (official trophy)
Chang International (official water)
Adidas (official apparel)
Bangkok Post (official media partner)
Asian Golf Monthly (official golf magazine)
Carlsberg (official beer)
Omega (official timekeeper)
Maxfli (official golf ball)
TaylorMade (official golf equipment)
Visa (preferred card)
Television: Live broadcasts on CNBC Asia Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th

This is the first of a series of 34 columns written for GOLF Magazine by the Rules officials of the USGA.

Rule 1. The Game

What It's About: Gives a definition of the game and lays down broad, general principles.

How else would the Rules of Golf start except by defining what the game is? The text of Rule 1-1 reads, "The Game of Golf consists in playing a ball from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules." At first glance, this seems to be a very simple concept. However, as we all know, there are a number of varied situations that await the golfer during the journey from the teeing ground to the hole, which is why this Rule is followed by 33 others.

Before 1984, when the Rules book contained 41 Rules, the sentence of text quoted above served as the entirety of Rule 1. But when the Rules were consolidated, it was decided that a few other basic principles should also be placed at the beginning of the book. Rule 1 now has four sub-sections, none of which focus on a particular area of the course nor a particular happening. Rather, they discuss broad issues and concepts inherent in the proper playing of the game.

As previously noted, the game of golf is fundamentally a task of striking a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole. Thus it makes perfect sense that the player charged with this chore must not take any action beyond striking the ball to influence the position or movement of his ball. This is the basis for Rule 1-2. We have all probably seen the unfortunate case when the result of a player's stroke leaves the ball overhanging the lip of the hole and in a half-joking rebuttal to this act of fate, he jumps close to the hole in an attempt to jar the earth and cause his ball to fall into the hole. If the ball was still in motion (see Rule 16-2) when the player jumped, it is considered an action to influence the movement of the ball and thus a violation of Rule 1-2. (If the ball wasn't moving, it's a violation of Rule 18-2a if the jumping causes the ball to move.)

The third sub-section lays down the principle that playing in accordance with The Rules of Golf is an all-or-nothing proposition. Neither players nor committees are free to choose which of the Rules will be in effect for a given round of golf. Committees that choose to modify a Rule -- e.g., they permit players to carry in excess of 14 clubs, contrary to Rule 4-4a -- can't, of course, be penalized. But they do lose the opportunity to have the USGA assist with any Rules situation that arises in that competition. As for players who take such matters into their own hands, for instance by agreeing to repair spike damage on the putting greens, they are subject to golf's death penalty, disqualification.

It's impossible to write a code that would cover every possible incident, so Rule 1-4 states that in cases where the Rules do not cover a particular situation the decision must be made in accordance with equity. We receive thousands of Rules inquiries a year at the USGA, and in a number of cases the individual posing the question will offer what they believe the answer to be, basing their view on equity. Often, however, they misuse equity just because they don't like the result of the Rule that applies. In those cases that really do come down to equity, the goal is to reach a "fair" result. From a Rules perspective, "fair" can be equated to a middle ground. It will be neither the best nor worst possible result. In some cases, the application of equity will result in a penalty; in other cases, it will not.
Perhaps the most famous equity decision, Decision 1-4/10, is featured in the sidebar below. For those who think the Rules makers don't have hearts, this might change their minds!
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
A round of golf isn't supposed to turn into an episode of Animal Planet's "Crocodile Hunter" show. But, since the game is played in a natural setting, close encounters with some of nature's less friendly creatures can't always be avoided. Decision 1-4/10 addresses the case where a player's ball has come to rest in a place that is dangerous to the player, such as near a live rattlesnake, alligator, or a bees' nest. While it might not be unusual to find these elements on the course, it would be unfair to require a player to play his ball from near one. For that matter, the Rules makers wouldn't want it on their consciences if a player were attacked. Except in a few cases, it also would be unfair to require the player to incur a penalty to escape such a dangerous situation, so he or she is generally allowed to drop a ball at the nearest spot not nearer the hole, which is not dangerous. Naturally, the decision permits the player to substitute a ball for the original ball.
For the complete Rules of Golf and Decisions on the Rules, visit the USGA's site.

The Hua Hin Golf Players Club

Here are the latest results from the 5th and 6th tournaments on the new "GPC's Tour". The only way to keep your game sharp is to play competitive golf, and it's also the most fun, rewarding, nervous, exhilarating and frustrating way to play this game. What more can you ask for?!
Springfield: Tuesday the 21 of October.
Place Name Score
1 Thongchai Tima 79
2 Ji Wook Kim 83
Shot of the day: Sorry to say that there wasn't that many good shots this day. How ever Thongchai Tima hit second shot, a 9 iron to 2 feet on Springfield's 11th hole and holed the putt for birdie. Without any doubt the best shot of the day.
Palm Hills: Tuesday the 4 of November.
Place Name Score
1 Shinichi Goma 76
1 Jaruek Tharuaphan 76
3 Ji Wook Kim 78
3 Suwit Pahulo 78
After 6 events we have now attracted 27 different players to join our tournaments. Everyone enjoying to put their game to the test of the back tees in tournament conditions, and see how they measure up to players like Simon Yates, Greg Hanrahan (Top players on the Asian PGA Tour) and our OoM leader Kenny Walker (twice Scottish amateur Champion). Golf is in this respect not different to any other sport. If you want to get better play with better players and try to beat them.
Hope to see you all at our tournaments, and all the best. Jorgen Persson (PGA Sweden), Suwit Pahulo (Thai PGA)

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