taking away the 2 meter rule

[notBOB]

^on the ground, mark the disc directly underneath it. above 2 meters(6ft6in) could possibly cause you a one stroke penalty upon the TD's discretion

 

[frolffaholic]

Stump rule!:thmbup:

 

[New013]

How can you equate a tree to OB? If 10 people throw and hit the same spot OB all 10 will be OB. If 10 people hit the same spot in a tree probably one gets stuck... it's all luck.

If a golfer hits a ball into a tree you get a free drop if you can find the ball. Just makes sense.

 

[Speedly]

How can you equate a tree to OB? If 10 people throw and hit the same spot OB all 10 will be OB. If 10 people hit the same spot in a tree probably one gets stuck... it's all luck.

If a golfer hits a ball into a tree you get a free drop if you can find the ball. Just makes sense.

If you've balls (get it?) big enough, you can actually play it from its lie within the tree.

I say we make this the new PDGA 2 meter rule: if it's more than 2 meters off the ground, you have to play it from in the tree.

 

[JoakimBL]

I agree but I think there is a specific scenario where you are rewarded for taking a dumb shot and that would be a sheltered pin.

If it falls down, you are still rewarded for the same dumb shot.
If the wind blows it down while the other players hole out, the bad shot becomes a great shot?

And why is a disc stuck in a tree 1.99 meters above ground a better shot than one stuck at 2.01, and how do you even make that call accurately.

The rule is just too random.

 

[DavidSauls]

The current rule makes it TD's discretion to use it, not use it, or use it for certain holes or trees. This seems very reasonable to me.

So if there's a place where players can throw into the tops of trees over the basket and get an easy birdie, the TD can declare those trees or that hole to have the 2-meter rule in effect.

I knew a course with a basket under a picnic shelter. Landing on the roof was a penalty. Not nearly as random as trees.

The "just don't throw in the trees" argument strikes me as weak. Where you have fairly open fairways and trees to navigate around, especially disc-catching trees like cedars, that's fine. But tight wooded courses have you throwing in and among trees all the time.

I haven't seen the rule in effect around here (South Carolina and vicinity) for years now. But it's still an option for the TD if he finds it appropriate.

 

[VictorB]

I think it's an archaic rule, and too luck based. Two people could throw the same crappy shot into a tree, and one gets stuck while the other passes through and/or somehow gets kicked out to the fairway or whatever. Why penalize the guy that got stuck even more than what he already is for having to throw out of for underneath the tree (especially low hanging cedars which are prevalent around here)?

 

[Cgkdisc]

When there's a canopy over a basket, removing the 2m rule would allow free drops next to the basket. The way that can be handled is to simply specify that discs suspended over 2m within the 10m circle around the basket get marked 10m from the basket or at a drop zone with no penalty other than a longer putt. We did this on a hole at Pro Worlds in 2007 where a tall hemlock tree was 10 feet from the basket.

 

[bholy08]

^ that's a very interesting solution to this debate.

 

[Disc Golf Live]

I'd support ditching this rule only AFTER Feldberg leads a charge to eliminate the too-close-to-tell-for-sure walking putts used so frequently by him and others. He whines, doesn't mean we should necessarily listen to everything he has to say.

 

[Mulligan McGee]

I think the rule should be changed so that you only get penalized if you are unable to retrieve the disc. If the disc is retrievable than a mini should be placed directly beneath the disc trapped in the tree and then the player may retrieve it. However if the player is unable to retrieve the disc or unable to do so with out delaying game (say 2 minutes) then the person is given a one stroke penalty.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Having any penalty contingent on retrieval in a certain time period is certain to become a safety hazard for players and damaging to foliage.

 

[dashiellx]

Here's a shot of the 2nd Tee at Druid Hill DGC in Baltimore.

Assuming I'm understanding the rule correctly, that tree is made for this rule and makes the hole much more fun to play.

#Edit: Not sure how to make this image bigger for the board. If a Mod could go in and make it useable, that would be awesome.

 

[jimbosprint]

I support the 2-meter rule. No reward for landing in a tree.

It was there when I learned to play, so every event I am in charge of will have the rule.

 

[_MTL_]

The main reason the 2 Meter Rule is terrible is the double penalty nature of it. 9 out of 10 times you get stuck in a tree, your drop is awful. I had a disc stuck about 2 meters in an event a few weeks ago (without penalty) and it basically was a penalty because my drop was so bad, all I could do was pitch back out to the fairway.

Imagine if all I could do was pitch out AND I had to take a stroke penalty.

Double penalty situations suck. And it goes beyond the 2 Meter Rule. When you have drop offs to creeks you run into this problem. If you play just the water line as OB, your meter relief is likely on a hill to where you can't get much power on your shot (double penalty). But then if you put the OB on top of the hill, you can throw a shot and be dry and be out of bounds.

I think the later is the better of the two options but without a doubt the best solution I've seen to this is at Hawk Hollow. I'm not sure of Biscoe came up with this idea or not, but basically, all creeks have a false OB line that looks like it is clearly your standard OB line above a drop off to a creek. If you are wet in the creek, you simply take your meter from the OB line. But if you are between the creek and false OB line, you play it as it lies w/out penalty. It really is genius and really avoids a lot of problems.

 

[jtreadwell]

Personally I think you should have to take a penalty or throw from in the tree. If your disc is stuck in a tree you must throw it from where it lies.

This is how my friends and I play on casual rounds. One of the guys I play with frequently has climbed about 15 ft up a tree to throw from "where it lies". Same guy will wade into waist deep water to throw and avoid a penalty. Since it's very hard to throw in those circumstances, I figure it's about even with taking a penalty.

 

[scarpfish]

Personally I think you should have to take a penalty or throw from in the tree. If your disc is stuck in a tree you must throw it from where it lies.

Could you throw from the tree as it lies w/o penalty, if you could climb to it? Just wondering. Only been throwing bout 9 mo and still play where it lies. Casual player.

I say we make this the new PDGA 2 meter rule: if it's more than 2 meters off the ground, you have to play it from in the tree.

This would not work, because the rules state that you must have a supporting point on the playing surface as the disc is released. There are also safety, and foliage protection issues that would make it a bad idea.

 

[DavidSauls]

The main reason the 2 Meter Rule is terrible is the double penalty nature of it.

Triple. Unless you landed in the tree at the end of your disc's flight, you've also lost distance just by hitting the tree.

 

[DavidSauls]

It was there when I learned to play, so every event I am in charge of will have the rule.

It seems this often determines people's position on this rule---whatever version they're used it is the way it should always be.

 

[Jay Dub]

It seems this often determines people's position on this rule---whatever version they're used it is the way it should always be.

Everyone I played with in the late 80s, early 90s didn't like this rule and we (people I play with locally who have been around that long) like that the rule has changed.