Sport: New Rules for Golf

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New Rules for Golf Ever since 1754, when golf's first rules* were laid down at the Royal & Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews, Scotland, golfers have engaged in heated haggling over petty interpretations of the rules. The U.S. Golf Association, a 56-year-old newcomer to the game, clouded matters further in recent years by making up its own set of rules which defied several Royal & Ancient conventions. But last week, after a little give & take by both sides, representatives of the U.S.G.A, and the R. & A. finally got together on some standardization of conflicting regulations. Most important changes and concessions: 1) abolishing the stymie; 2) legalizing the smaller (by .06 in.) British ball (now banned in the U.S.) and the U.S. center-shafted putter (now banned in Britain); 3) penalizing, both by loss of stroke and distance, a ball that is lost, unplayable or out of bounds.