Conference 7.286::golf

    EXPLAINED IN THE USGA RULES OF GOLF HANDBOOK....
    

       re .0:
       
       Medal play is also called stroke play.  It is simply the usual
       means of scoring, where your score is the total of all the strokes
       on all of the holes. Or, as the book says, the winner in medal
       (stroke) play is "the competitor who holes the stipulated round or
       rounds in the fewest strokes." 
              
       --Mr Topaz

    Just an explanation of the origin of the term 'Medal Play'. One
    of the books that I had read concerning St. Andrews and the origins
    of golf detailed what it believed to have been the birth of medal
    play.
    
    In the early days when golf was played as a means of getting from
    the port at St. Andrews into the city proper the most important
    thing in Scotland and England was archery and its practice to insure
    the protection of Scotland from the English.
    
    There was an archery 'club' formed and they were allowed under various
    charters to practice archery on the common grounds of linksland
    that was to become the Old Course. This club held an annual competition
    for the Silver Arrow and the winner of the competition was to attach
    a medal (at his own expense) to the shaft of the arrow. 
    
    When archery became less important and the game of 'goff' became
    more of an obsession to the peoples of St. Andrews and Scotland
    this archery 'club' seemed to transition itself into a society
    of golfers.  This society was later to become the Royal and Ancient
    Society by virtue of the English crown and was to rule golf everywhere
    but in the U.S.
    
    Anyway, the society continued the tradition of the archery club
    by holding competitions for The Silver Putter. Again, traditionally,
    the victor in the annual competition was honored to attach a silver
    golf ball (gold in the event of a member of royalty) to the putter.
    
    Later on and throughout more recent times (perhaps 1850 to 1950?)
    the meaning of Medal Play seemed to focus on the prize offered fo
    the victories in championship. Most major championships offered
    medals to the victors that were more prized (if not more valuable)
    than any other prizes to be garnered. The term Medalist arose from
    this practice and is still used in local tournaments and to denote
    the low gross score in a handicap event.
    
    Since the last three decades however the commercial focus of the
    game has forced greater emphasis on the monetary reward and the
    medals awarded seem to have gone the way of the horse and carriage.
    In fact I believe that the USGA has officially changed the wording
    from Medal to Stroke Play. I haven't looked but I do not recall
    seeing Medal Play mentioned at all in the last issue of the rules.
    
    I do believe that medals are still awarded to the low (or victorious)
    amateur in most USGA and R&A events since they are not allowed to
    accept cash prizes that would endanger their amateur status.

    Someone out there, hopefully, can help to fill in some of the blanks
    that I have most certainly left. How about someone from Great Britain?

    
     I played a few times in the Bermuda Amatuer.  Winners there are
    awarded "medals".
    
     Incidently, I have always been eliminated on the first day and
    was never close in the consolation round matches either.  It seems
    one must be careful about the fight they qualify for......

      
    
      OOOPPPPSSS...that should read flight, not fight.  Anybody want
    a VT100 with a finicky "l" key???