Rarely used match play formats to apply at tourney

Somewhere among the coffee or tea plantations of Kiambu, was a golf course that was known as Scotts, where the patrons played “real golf”.

Back in the 1930’s, the owner of the golf course, Maj. Scott, believed that you did not play real golf if you did not putt on grass greens. So, when Royal Nairobi, Railway, Muthaiga and Kiambu golf clubs had browns, Scotts had greens.

An invitation to play at the 9 hole Scotts golf course was much sought after especially due to the exciting contests that took place. In August of 1936, two golfers won a wager after playing 100 holes in one day. A month later, the same two golfers had a wager to play 9 holes by moonlight in 40 strokes or less as 40 other golfers waited for them at a bonfire lit by Maj. Scott.

I had not heard of anyone trying such interesting feats until recently when world renowned Moses Tanui played 135 holes in 12 hours at Eldoret Golf Club. Moses was the first man to ever run a half marathon in less than 1 hour in 1993. He has now generously donated the trophy that he received after he achieved this great feat for the inaugural Victoria Cup, which is taking place at Muthaiga Golf Club from today until Sunday.

The Victoria Cup, which is a competition between Kenya and Uganda, will be played using seldom-used formats on Kenyan golf courses. Today and tomorrow, the teams will play foursome match play in the morning and four-ball match play in the afternoon. On Sunday, which will be the last round, the golfers will take on each other in individual match play.

FOURSOME MATCH PLAY

There are very few tournaments that I know of in Kenya today that employ this format; Nairobi District Foursomes, which has been played at Muthaiga Golf Club since 1931 and Tannahill Shield, which has been played at Royal Nairobi Golf Club since 1924.

I don’t know if Railway Golf Club still hold the Mixed Foursomes Open, or if Karen Country Club still hold the Karen Open Mixed Foursomes or the Karen Open Foursomes.

This is a very interesting match play format in which two players play against two other players, and each side plays one ball. The partners must play alternately from the teeing grounds and alternately during the play of each hole. If a player plays when his partner should have played, his side loses the hole. During this year’s Nairobi District Foursomes and Tannahill Shield competitions, there were two curious Rules incidences…

Player A and B were playing against players C and D. After a bad tee shot on the 17th hole, Player A’s shot ended up in a bush. The four players and their caddies embarked on the search for the ball.

Player C’s caddie found the ball suspended in a bush and decided that it was not practical for Player B to take the next shot from that position. Player C’s caddie picked the ball and handed it to Player B, saying that it was not possible for him to play the shot, therefore, he picked it for him.

Under the Rules of Golf, the player and his caddie are responsible for knowing the Rules. During a round, for any breach of a Rule by his caddie, the player incurs the applicable penalty.

The Rules do not allow a player to move nor touch an opponent’s ball except as provided for in the Rules (e.g. a player can pick an opponents ball when conceding the next shot). For this breach, the player incurs a one-stroke penalty.

For this breach, the pair of C and D incurred a one-stroke penalty and Player B replaced the ball in the bush. Player B went ahead to declare the ball unplayable and if my memory serves me right, the pair of A and B won the match 1 up.

Tannahill Shield – Different players A and B were playing against C and D. Player A had a 10-yard shot to the pin. In playing his chip shot, he struck the ball twice. It was a double hit. Players C and D smiled and picked their ball with glee and walked, nay ran to the next hole after claiming the hole.

Players C and D claimed that by Player A hitting the ball twice, he had played what should have been Player B’s turn. When Player A and B conceded the hole, there was no reversal and the pair (Players A and B) went on to lose the match 1 down.

The Rules of Golf provide for one-stroke penalty for hitting the ball more than once in course of a stroke. In this case, Players A and B should have only incurred a one-stroke penalty for the error in play. The penalty may very well have cost them the hole but in itself, should not have led to an automatic loss. However, when the players conceded, the hole was concluded thus.

I will be joining other referees at the inaugural Victoria Cup. I hope that in years to come, when this tournament is played, Moses Tanui will be remembered and honoured in the same way as other golfing stalwarts such as Maj. Scott and Arthur Tannahill for their contribution to this great game we enjoy.

I also hope to see more match play competitions; especially foursomes and four ball competitions.

[email protected]. The author is a Kenya Golf Union Executive