2022 Playoff Rules change ...

[araytx]

I had to be in a playoff early in the season (this past weekend). Luckily I was aware of the new rules. It was definitely interesting -- winning the toss deciding whether to go first here or the next hole, playing it out after the other player went first on hole 2, etc....

All I can say is I believe it DOES matter the throwing order on specific holes.

 

[BillFleming]

I think it matters regardless of the hole. If you go second, you can base your play on the first player's throw result. They have a wild shot, you can play it safe. They have a great shot, you know you have to at least match them.

I would choose to have my opponent go first, on the first hole...hopefully, the pressure is on them and they have a poor throw. Then beat them on the first hole.

 

[ray1970]

I haven't really looked at the rules updates. So this is sort of like the NFL? Win the coin toss and decide if you want to kick or receive?

 

[ray1970]

I would choose to have my opponent go first, on the first hole...hopefully, the pressure is on them and they have a poor throw. Then beat them on the first hole.

Or they tee off and are parked under the basket putting the pressure squarely on you to not choke.

 

[BillFleming]

True. But throwing first the pressure is on you to do well. Throwing second, the pressure is only on you if the first player does exceptionally well. Odds are better with the second player.

And if you go first, have a decent throw and player two parks it for what would be a "gimmie drop in", you again have pressure to make your putt from where you landed....even if it is just 10 feet away.

I would prefer to possibly eliminate the pressure from the tee shot if I can. If my second shot is under pressure....well at least it was only one of my throws.

But it is a "to each their own" decision as to what they prefer.

 

[ray1970]

It's irrelevant for me anyways because I'd never win the coin toss. They could go best three out of five and I'd probably still lose the toss.

 

[Cgkdisc]

With this new wrinkle for playoffs, perhaps it will soon be time to update the honors rule to provide a similar choice to those who have earned or retained honors, i.e., the honoree has the choice to go first or last on the next tee.

 

[chevis]

you know what's nice when discussing rules... a link to the rule being discussed: https://www.pdga.com/rules/competition-manual/109

 

[ru4por]

Ready golf.

 

[biscoe]

With this new wrinkle for playoffs, perhaps it will soon be time to update the honors rule to provide a similar choice to those who have earned or retained honors, i.e., the honoree has the choice to go first or last on the next tee.

No, just no.

 

[biscoe]

This thread is the first time i remember hearing of this change. I like to think i am fairly up on such things, guess not.

 

[araytx]

I think it matters regardless of the hole. If you go second, you can base your play on the first player's throw result. They have a wild shot, you can play it safe. They have a great shot, you know you have to at least match them.

I would choose to have my opponent go first, on the first hole...hopefully, the pressure is on them and they have a poor throw. Then beat them on the first hole.

True. But throwing first the pressure is on you to do well. Throwing second, the pressure is only on you if the first player does exceptionally well. Odds are better with the second player.

And if you go first, have a decent throw and player two parks it for what would be a "gimmie drop in", you again have pressure to make your putt from where you landed....even if it is just 10 feet away.

I would prefer to possibly eliminate the pressure from the tee shot if I can. If my second shot is under pressure....well at least it was only one of my throws.

But it is a "to each their own" decision as to what they prefer.

Or they tee off and are parked under the basket putting the pressure squarely on you to not choke.

In a lot of cases, after winning the toss, it may depend upon the holes. In our case -- Hole #1 (first playoff hole) is a longer par 4 (600' crow flies, 680' effective) park golf hole with many mature trees and designed to finish at a wooded cove hard left, but with woods left also that cut off the righty power-hyzer/power-hyzer birdie opportunity. So with us both in our 60's now hitting an exact landing zone with an S-shot at 400' to leave a reasonable 280-300' approach, just doesn't happen as much anymore for me -- and he doesn't throw as far as I do. Hole #2, on the other hand is a super tightly wooded 420' par 4 with punishing woods on both sides. Knowing that I am the better putter thrower and knowing that he'd played hole #2 with a driver earlier in the round, made me think I'd prefer to be second on the hole #2, feeling like hole 1 is a likely push with both of us getting 4s.

Then I would get the "advantage" of seeing where his tee shot landed on on #2, before having to decide how I would play it.

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/media.php?id=1475&mode=media&start=11&page=1&cimg=21784
Note: the red circle is Pin B (380'); we were playing pin C a long way from that one.

 

[Cgkdisc]

No, just no.

Why not? Giving the player the choice of first or last is true honors, not the sometimes penalty under traditional honors.

 

[Steve West]

Why not? Giving the player the choice of first or last is true honors, not the sometimes penalty under traditional honors.

Because not everyone understands options.

Also, for the sake of time, rules should generally shy away from more decisions. Especially not on every hole.

Not to mention the complication of what happens with all the rest of the playing order.

Can the person with honors choose to go second, or just choose to go last? Change their mind after they see one throw? (Never mind, I don't care; already too complicated. No matter what rule you could come up with for all situations, it will not be easily rememberable.)

Now, if you want to talk about reversing the playing order (so I don't always need to rush off the tee to make my second throw in a row), I'm all ears.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Because not everyone understands options.

Also, for the sake of time, rules should generally shy away from more decisions. Especially not on every hole.

Not to mention the complication of what happens with all the rest of the playing order.

Can the person with honors choose to go second, or just choose to go last? Change their mind after they see one throw? (Never mind, I don't care; already too complicated. No matter what rule you could come up with for all situations, it will not be easily rememberable.)

Now, if you want to talk about reversing the playing order (so I don't always need to rush off the tee to make my second throw in a row), I'm all ears.

Since we're only talking about formal competition with live score keeping, the scorekeeping software could easily have a button to flip to the opposite order when honoree requests. No biggee. I see this option mainly being applied with high winds or strategically in match play.

 

[biscoe]

Since we're only talking about formal competition with live score keeping, the scorekeeping software could easily have a button to flip to the opposite order when honoree requests. No biggee. I see this option mainly being applied with high winds or strategically in match play.

Live scorekeeping is not required of players as of yet.

As Steve said, more options are not necessarily better. It's not broke, it doesn't need fixing. Simple rules are the best rules.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Live scorekeeping is not required of players as of yet.

As Steve said, more options are not necessarily better. It's not broke, it doesn't need fixing. Simple rules are the best rules.

Competitively fair rules are the best rules for competition. Simple rules are the best for recreation.

 

[txmxer]

Competitively fair rules are the best rules for competition. Simple rules are the best for recreation.

I'd say address the lowest PDGA number aspect then. That's as rec league as it gets.

 

[seedlings]

I wish they'd abandon the coin toss for a "guess which number I'm holding behind my back" format.

 

[ray1970]

I wish they'd abandon the coin toss for a "guess which number I'm holding behind my back" format.

Or rock, paper, scissors.