Let me start by describing the hole.

It is 600 feet long. The ideal way to play the hole is to lay-up 250-300, throw over a small cove of a pond 125-150, then throw and upshot and make a putt.

As you cross the pond, there are some trees that make you hit a low gap. If you hit them, you are going to be wet.

Here is my idea. I want to make a drop zone on the short side of the pond, so if people throw in from the pad they play from there. I also would like to put a drop zone on the opp. side, so if you are throwing over the pond, you get the drop from there.

How do I designate which drop to play from?

Do I put a line out on the fairway that if you cross, you can play from the farthest drop? Do I say if you are throwing 2 or 3, you can play from the farthest drop?

I don't want people to toss all their plastic trying to cross.

I would say that the first drop zone is for tee shots only. And the second shot is for anything other than tee shots. It would be easy to describe in a players meeting aided my a short explanation on the tee sign.

Let me start by describing the hole.

It is 600 feet long. The ideal way to play the hole is to lay-up 250-300, throw over a small cove of a pond 125-150, then throw and upshot and make a putt.

As you cross the pond, there are some trees that make you hit a low gap. If you hit them, you are going to be wet.

Here is my idea. I want to make a drop zone on the short side of the pond, so if people throw in from the pad they play from there. I also would like to put a drop zone on the opp. side, so if you are throwing over the pond, you get the drop from there.

How do I designate which drop to play from?

Do I put a line out on the fairway that if you cross, you can play from the farthest drop? Do I say if you are throwing 2 or 3, you can play from the farthest drop?

I don't want people to toss all their plastic trying to cross.



Each tournament is set up differently. Check with the TD to make sure there is specific drop zones per hole. I just played a tournament , where water did come into play on a few holes.

Sometimes , you may have to re-tee , other times , you'll play from the designated drop zone (s). In our tournament , if you had thrown across the lake and it some how rolled back in , there was a drop zone on the other side of the lake as well as the drop zone for not making it across originally. Hope that answers those questions.

Yes , there was two drop zones. Again , always attend the players meeting and the TD should have each hazzard hole designated with specific drop zones. :D

Except if you make a 2nd drop on the PIN side, for anything but tee shots, you're likely to give a 130' advantage to the person who lays up on the drive, then hits those trees on the 2nd . Ordinarily, that would be OB, play from last IB location, likely on the TEE side of the water. Do you want to give that kind of advantage, such as it is? If that 2nd DZ was for shots that did cross and go back OB, either from a tree or a turn or whatever, that would work. just MO.

One recommendation, just to make the option legal.

Mark a small area beside the tee box as OB so that players that do not wish to risk the water can throw OB and go to the drop zone with a penalty. Do the same at the first drop box for holes with multiple water hazards. This way players that do not want to risk the water can proceed to the second drop zone shooting 5. There is no provision in the rules currently to allow a player to elect to take a two stroke penalty and move to the drop zone.

This may not be feasible or even desirable on all holes, but where is makes sense for the lower divisions, it should be considered.

There is no provision in the rules currently to allow a player to elect to take a two stroke penalty and move to the drop zone.




But you can get permission from the Competition Dirctor to do it.

Wouldn't small areas of dry OB near the tee be easier ?

Wouldn't small areas of dry OB near the tee be easier ?




That's the Brakel workaround for something that should be a rule option for course design where it makes sense. I just went thru this with the RC and they agree that "take two and go to drop zone" can make sense. They were averse to making it a default rule and would rather people apply on a case by case basis. We're planning on using the "take two" rule on a few holes at the NDGC as the standard practice but will apparently need to get permission. It will look pretty lame if we have to build an OB sandbox by the tees where we want to do it if we can't get permission.

It will look pretty lame if we have to build an OB sandbox by the tees where we want to do it if we can't get permission.



I don't know, dress 'em up, give 'em a catchy name, and they might become standard features.

It will look pretty lame if we have to build an OB sandbox by the tees where we want to do it if we can't get permission.



I don't know, dress 'em up, give 'em a catchy name, and they might become standard features.



Put some nice flowers in them, maybe a beach umbrella....

They could be shallow, soapy water troughs for cleaning discs, so they act like a mini version of the hazards you want to avoid.

I guess we need to call the discovery channel and get some designers involved in this.

Yeah, the DISCovery Channel :D