Starting to include more OB penalties in course design is similar to when the 3-pt shot was introduced in basketball. Incorporating lots of OB areas changes the game from traditional golf scoring (mostly penalty free at the elite level*) to a new not-yet-labeled golf scoring scheme where some throws cost the player two strokes instead of one. However, unlike 3-pointers which are scored based on skill, there are many OB penalty strokes which are randomly "earned" (fluky) versus earning them strictly from very "unskillful" throws.
Point being that there are two separate games being played on tour depending on the amount of penalty elements - OB, hazard, mandos, 2-meter - actively in play within a course design and their stats should be separated, especially ratings. For those who feel ratings have become inflated, OB penalties padding propagator scores is a key factor.
*People might be surprised to know that the top 200 PGA tour players average just 1 penalty of any kind every 2.5 rounds which is 0.4 per round. The average penalties per player per round ranges from 3 to 6 on our DGPT courses heavy with OB. In a 4-round event, a PGA player might be expected to get 2-3 penalties total. On our DGPT OB courses, our players can get anywhere from 12 to 24 penalties total and that doesn't account for additional hidden strokes from losing distance on some penalties.
If we're going to have courses with OB and other penalties, do them on every hole, like using gutters in bowling, and ideally design their positions well to minimize random penalties. Or use/design traditional courses to expect few or no penalties. Separate each course type's rating stats and tour stats.
I think I understand what you're saying. I agree that there are some similarities to adding the 3pt shot and having a course laden with OB. I understand what you're saying about OB strokes not being as high as we think; I think that number is inflated by the OB-laden courses, and I'd prefer to avoid them. On this course, it makes a lot of sense. Without the OB, everyone would play around the trees instead of through them, and moving it into the woods would reduce spectators, DGN, and post-production crews from seeing as well.
I'm saying I prefer minimal OB courses more due to the smoothness of the penalty curve. For instance,
last year you and I had a discussion about Jonesboro's hole 5 and the penalty stroke McBeth took after his drive hit the basket's advertisement bucket and kicked OB. You suggested a relief area instead of OB, where there's a choice of playing from a designated drop zone or a previous lie. That makes so much more sense to me than the current OB setup. Nonetheless, it still punishes poor shots equally no matter how poor they are. I think this is inherently less desirable (from a player's and viewer's standpoint), and I think that there are better ways of doing it.
To elaborate on your analogy and the differences between OB penalties and a graded penalties (i.e. rough) for bad shots, the 3pt line in basketball has drastically changed the game. However, it has also significantly reduced the value of the mid-range shot. If you look at a heat map (attached, and the second to last pic
here). You can see that shots closest to the basket have the highest expected value (dark green). As you move away, those shots quickly decrease in value (changing to light green and then purple), but on a curve. This incentivizes teams to get as close as they can before shooting. Different than close to the basket, the 3pt line represents a sudden increase to the EPV (expected point value) of a shot. You can see that the long mid-range shots decrease in EPV (dark purple), and then outside the 3pt line increases EPV with no curve. OB is like the 3pt line, and graded penalties such as rough are like the space close to the basket (the "zone").
I prefer courses with rough instead of OB because it encourages players to play the best shot possible, and rewards them for throwing the best shot, doesn't penalize them for some shots, penalizes them a little for slightly bad shots, and penalizes a lot for really bad shots. The thrill of recovery is something that I love when playing and watching. I also think it's fairer. I would like holes better if they had one side with OB and one side with graded rough. We don't see that much as most holes like that have a very thick rough instead of a graded rough.
What I'm really trying to get across is that there are a lot of things we can improve in course design, and I think less OB is one of them. I think that because it appropriately punishes and rewards according to the quality of the shot. I think appropriately rewarding makes for better playing and better viewing.
