GOLFERS CLUB RULING EXCLUDING ADOPTEE.Byline: Robert Seely Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. When is a Family Foursome not friendly fun? On the fallow fallow a pale cream, light fawn, or pale yellow coat color in dogs. fields of Burhill Golf Club, when an overly ambitious amateur discovered a rival team was fielding an adopted child - and dropped a discreet letter to the club secretary. The next thing she knew, Audrey Briggs and adopted son Laurie were banned from the competition. The story, which pushed the ruling Conservative Party's annual conference off the front pages last week, enraged en·rage tr.v. en·raged, en·rag·ing, en·rag·es To put into a rage; infuriate. [Middle English *enragen, from Old French enrager : en-, causative pref. even the stuffiest of golfers in a land where the sport is closely identified with the most curmudgeonly cur·mudg·eon n. An ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions. [Origin unknown.] cur·mudg of classes. ``For Burhill Golf Club to have such a ruling is against the whole spirit of family foursomes A Foursomes match is a type of golf match.It takes place between two teams of two golfers. The golfers on the same team take alternate shots throughout the match, with the same ball. Each hole is won by the team that completes the hole in the fewest shots. ,'' said Michael Bonallack Sir Michael Bonallack (born 31 December 1934) is an English amateur golfer who was one of the leading administrators in world golf in the late 20th century. Bonallack was born in Chigwell, Essex, England. He won the British Boys Championship in 1952. , secretary of the redoubtable re·doubt·a·ble adj. 1. Arousing fear or awe; formidable. 2. Worthy of respect or honor. [Middle English redoubtabel, from Old French redoutable, from Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland. ``I've spent 13 years protecting him from cruel discrimination such as this,'' said Briggs, a former international golfer. Briggs and Laurie, 13, who has a golfing handicap of 15, played at the Burhill Golf Club in the wealthy Surrey commuter belt, 20 miles southwest of London. She and her husband, Laurie Sr., adopted Laurie three months after he was born in Brazil. They were in the third round of the club's annual family competition in August when the club secretary wrote to them saying they were no longer welcome. ``I have to inform you,'' wrote Dick Richards, ``that the conditions of entry to this competition demand that it is only open to mothers and fathers with natural sons and daughters and, as I understand it, Laurie is adopted.'' He ``understood'' that from an anonymous letter. The competition was introduced in the 1930s. There were only three rules then: free practice before the competition, a limit on the number of competitors and no stepchildren, an apparent reflection of the opprobrium OPPROBRIUM, civil law. Ignominy; shame; infamy. (q.v.) then heaped upon the divorced. Richards told Briggs he interpreted that rule as meaning adopted children and would update the rule book to clarify that. He regretted any misunderstanding. ``This event has always operated with the qualification that family pairs must be blood relations,'' added golf captain Vince Dean Vince Dean (b. January 7, 1959) is an American politician and a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for the 30th district, which encompasses part of Hamilton County. . Briggs found the letters ``patronizing . . . and defensive of an attitude to adopted children which is discriminatory and wholly outmoded.'' Newspapers and radio talk shows were swamped with anguished cries. The establishment Daily Telegraph - whose readers know their fores from their four-irons - was at a loss to come up with a rationale for the ban. ``The golf club's attitude is so inexplicable, that it must be left on the file,'' wrote columnist Nigel Reynolds. The club backed down Tuesday after Diane Sime, the daughter of the man who founded the competition in the 1930s, criticized the decision. Maj. Frederick Stephens ``would be turning in his grave at what happened to the Briggses,'' she said. Club captain Dean sought a way out of the sand trap. ``Fresh rules and regulations are going to be drawn up, and our priority will be to ask Audrey Briggs and her son to come back and play next year,'' he said. Briggs' reaction: ``The decision is a huge relief and a big thrill.'' |
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