2 meter rule ... ranting on FB

[araytx]

This hole was designed with a tree above the teebox, that you say has died and opened up a new route. So it has nothing (or very Little) to do with the 2 meter rule, and more to do with a dead tree. Then the 2 meter rule is a lazy alternative to redisgning the hole and move the tee and/or basket.

That said, a tree that catches 90% is an acceptable use of the 2 meter rule, as that percentage is high enough to not make it a random penalty. I still think that a design that doesn't need the 2 meter rule is better. But that is obviously just my opinion.

Fair thoughts. Remember that I am an advocate of only sparse use of 2-meter rule. You also have to note that the thinking of "we need to re-design holes and courses to accommodate new rules" is a bit of a stretch for me. If I am ever TD'ing that course, I wouldn't even use the 2-meter rule on the entire 10m circle; I'd make the 2-meter rule only applicable for that one Cedar tree on that hole, and any others like it. I wouldn't want those who can control the spike hyzer to land short of the tree, and those who throw up the gut only to get a bad catch by a different tree to also be penalized. Of course a new design without the 2-meter rule might be a better deal, but this is a hole in the middle of a heavily wooded, highly-rated course with good flow.

Re-designing is easier said than done. I guess we could put some string up there and make in "mando below"; but I don't even like that, because the players who want to throw up and over should get the choice, but i think it's fair to not make it easy for them by throwing into the tree. After all if it were open those who threw into the cedar on the back side of it would be way long and not have an easy deuce. Finding another tree to replicate that one is not even logisitaclly possible withut a whole lot of money.