Most observers would feel it's time to close the door on the unsavoury happenings which sullied an otherwise superb triumph by the US in the Ryder Cup last month. But judging from correspondence on the matter, it is clear many remain baffled by the seeming powerlessness of the game's authorities to punish the wrongdoers of Brookline.

These readers would roundly endorse the sentiments of a US Masters winner who, in a letter of appreciation to Augusta National, wrote: "I shall always attempt to carry this victory with the conviction that The Game is the thing, not anything else . . ." The writer was Ben Crenshaw.

So, if the game is the thing, shouldn't there be a way of protecting it from the events of that shameful Sunday? Peter Dawson, secretary of the Royal and Ancient, said last week that "it would be a huge step to extend the rules to incorporate bad behaviour". But why not?

Why should golf not move into line with most other sports by protecting itself against those who would attempt to undermine it from within? In other words, why should it not be possible to punish wrongdoers for bringing the game of golf into disrepute? A catch-all rule might be worded something like this: During the play of a tournament, a competitor shall not take any action which could be deemed to have brought the game into disrepute.

One senses that the R and A believe the game would be diminished by such a rule; that golf's great strength lies in the willingness of its participants to behave honourably, whatever the circumstances. And the vast majority of golfers are entitled to take pride in this wonderful tradition.

But times change and pressures change, and, with so much at stake in the professional game these days, it is undeniable that standards of behaviour have suffered. It is also something of a nonsense for officials to talk sanctimoniously about regulating the behaviour of galleries when they know it is virtually impossible to do so.

Most of the problems at Brookline could be attributed to the behaviour of certain players, both in inciting the crowd and in their crass response to Justin Leonard's putt on the 17th. So, what would be wrong with the tournament referee reporting these people to the organising committee for bringing the game into disrepute? When all the relevant facts had been aired, appropriate punishment could be administered.

Bobby Jones wrote in April 1967: "In golf, customs of etiquette and decorum are just as important as rules governing play. It is appropriate for spectators to applaud successful strokes in proportion to difficulty, but excessive demonstrations by a player, or his partisans, are not proper, because of the possible effect on other competitors."

One can only guess at what Jones would have made of the "excessive demonstrations" by the US players at Brookline. If the game is to be protected, as the R and A and their counterparts in the USGA undoubtedly desire, it may be that such excesses can be stamped out only by rule.

As we have discovered in other, key areas of life, self-restraint is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity.

"Everyone I talked to is convinced that the 1999 Ryder Cup was the finest golf event that they've ever watched." - Tom Lehman.

Those who believe golf in Ireland is becoming overpriced should note that a round on the Old Course at St Andrews next year will be increased from Stg£75 to Stg£80. Given the differential with Sterling, this works out at close on £95, which is quite high by Irish standards.

During preparation for the millennium British Open, however, the Links Management Committee are offering a special deal. Use of protective, fairway mats has been extended until April 30th, with a resultant drop in the green-fee to £54 for the month. But low-season fees on the Old Course will be increased from Stg£53 to Stg£56 from October 31st.

Meanwhile, impressive revetting was in evidence on the bunkers around the Old Course during last week's Alfred Dunhill Cup. And the circumference of the infamous Road Hole Bunker on the 17th had been reduced somewhat by new sodding.

The 122 bunkers on the Old Course are spread through 16 holes, since there are none on the first and 18th, though old maps indicate that these, too, once had traps. In the event, some of remaining bunkers are strategic, others are randomly positioned and all are potentially punishing.

Finally, as part of their preparation for the millennium Open, a member of the greens staff informed me that the first green would shortly be dug up and re-laid, because of compaction. Which goes to prove that even ancient golfing terrain can keep pace with changing times.

"FIFTY years! That's marvellous." At 81, Patty Berg added from her home in Florida: "It just goes to show what happens when you work together and have a vision that this was going to be one of the best organisations - and it is."

Of the 12 founder members of the LPGA Tour in 1950, eight survivors will gather in New York next Tuesday to start a year of celebration for the longest-running women's professional sports organisation. Effectively, the tour belongs to survivors Berg, Alice Bauer, Bettye Danoff, Marlene Hagge, Betty Jameson, Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork and Louise Suggs.

Jameson, 80, and another Florida resident, recalled: "When we showed up, we had to set the pins but someone else marked the course. Otherwise, we did all the running of the tournament." She added proudly: "We've come a long way and I'm glad I could be part of history. I wouldn't exchange that for anything."

They even stayed late on the Sunday night to compile the scores and sent them off to Western Union. And Berg recalled a tournament where one player, who was head of the rules committee, had to stop playing in the middle of her round to make a ruling. Ah for those days of unspoiled professionals.

LAST Tuesday's piece in these pages about the 1960 Canada Cup at Portmarnock brought back happy memories for Woodbrook member Tony Kelly. He attended the tournament in his capacity as a news reporter for the IT and recalled a fascinating element to the course-record 65 from Gary Player on the opening day.

"Player needed a par finish to break the record, but his teeshot at the 18th finished on the grass verge of a fairway bunker on the right," said Kelly. "It being a team game, he then called his South African partner, whom he addressed as Mr Locke (Bobby Locke), and asked permission to go for the green.

"On receiving the nod from Locke, who, hands on hips, had considered the matter for a few moments, Player hit a seven iron over the green and then chipped back to four feet and holed the putt. And he said afterwards: `In all the countries I've played golf in, this is the finest ovation I've ever been given'."

Interestingly, the 24-year-old reigning British Open champion had a severe attack of asthma at the time. In fact before the round, Player had to receive an injection and was ordered to rest. But he insisted on competing, and the upshot was that he and Locke were 50 minutes late starting their round with the Mexican team.

THIS day in golf history . . . On October 16th, 1960, Billy Casper the achievement of Arnold Palmer the previous season by winning his third successive US Tour event. First came the Portland Open, followed by the Hesperia Open and, finally, the Orange County Open.

But Casper had no hope of matching the dominance of Palmer, whose eight tournament victories were the most since Sam Snead recorded 11 wins in 1950. And, not surprisingly, Arnie ended the season as the tour's leading money winner with earnings of $75,262.

TEASER: A and B are playing C and D in a fourball match. At one hole, C and D hole out and their better-ball score is four. A, who had marked the position of his ball and lifted it, has a putt for a four but he mistakenly thinks B has scored a four. Accordingly, A walks off the green, leaving his ball-marker on the green. B immediately advises A that he (B) scored a five. So, A returns to the green, replaces his ball and holes out for a four. C and D claim the hole on the ground that A cannot come back and putt after walking off the green, thinking his partner had halved the hole. Are C and D correct?

ANSWER: No. Since A had not waived his turn to putt and there was no undue delay, A was entitled to proceed as he did. If, however, A had not left his ball-marker on the green, and therefore the position of his ball was no longer marked, he would have incurred a penalty stroke under Rule 20-1 and would no longer have had a putt for a half.