2005 IOS Series 2-meter poll

[damonshort]

I think treating it as a per se unplayable lie would work better than treating it as o.b.  Currently for an unplayable lie you get five meters lateral relief and that gets you out of the pine tree.  

If you play over 2 meters is o.b., you would mark where ever you were last under two meters which, if you think about how three different throws landing in the same bush might have gotten there, could be weird.  One might be o.b. two feet off the tee and the other is o.b. two feet in front of the bush.  Of course, the same could happen with the pond or the o.b. road where the lefty has to go o.b. off the tee and hyzer back but the righty is going to hyzer or skip o.b. at the end of his flight.  

I see your point about OB. And isn't it true, although I've never seen it done, that you can declare anything an 'unsafe lie' and take a stroke and relief? There's nothing that says 'unsafe' has to be justified.

[Bruce Brakel]

Currently, that is the rule.  Up to five meters laterally, no closer, one stroke; as far as you want, no closer, two strokes.  

[Jon Brakel]

...And isn't it true, although I've never seen it done, that you can declare anything an 'unsafe lie' and take a stroke and relief? There's nothing that says 'unsafe' has to be justified.

I've done it twice. Once was at the TDs suggestion rather than have players try to play off a very high cliff he suggested that we take unsafe lie penalties and play it well away from the cliff.

I don't remember the other situation very well...I think I was on a steep slope that I couldn't keep my footing on. I took my 5 meters to the path, the one stroke penalty and parked my upshot. Everyone in the group looked at me like I was cheating so I looked up the rule and read it aloud. Then they looked at me like I was some kind of geek...looking up the rules while playing and all that.    

[Bruce Brakel]

I taught my junior girls this rule when they were little and they used it a lot.  When you are in 6 foot high schule and you're four foot tippy toes, you might as well walk it out.

I used it in Peoria last summer.  I was trapped in one of those schule islands at McNaughton.  I explained to the spotter what I was doing because none of my foursome was anywhere to be seen.  He said, "Really?!  I've only been playing for a couple of months."  

[damonshort]

I taught my junior girls this rule when they were little and they used it a lot.  When you are in 6 foot high schule and you're four foot tippy toes, you might as well walk it out.

I used it in Peoria last summer.  I was trapped in one of those schule islands at McNaughton.  I explained to the spotter what I was doing because none of my foursome was anywhere to be seen.  He said, "Really?!  I've only been playing for a couple of months."

Where I get confused with this, though, is that the 2-meter rule seems to specify that you have to play from 'below the disc'. It'd be better if something were added to point out the option of an 'unsafe lie', if it's actually allowed in this situation.

[Jon Brakel]

I taught my junior girls this rule when they were little and they used it a lot.  When you are in 6 foot high schule and you're four foot tippy toes, you might as well walk it out.

I used it in Peoria last summer.  I was trapped in one of those schule islands at McNaughton.  I explained to the spotter what I was doing because none of my foursome was anywhere to be seen.  He said, "Really?!  I've only been playing for a couple of months."

Where I get confused with this, though, is that the 2-meter rule seems to specify that you have to play from 'below the disc'. It'd be better if something were added to point out the option of an 'unsafe lie', if it's actually allowed in this situation.

Before you can take an unsafe lie you have to mark you lie--either physically or at least mentally, so that you know how far you can go. When you mark your lie from above 2 meters is when you would incur the penalty. Then if you wanted to take an unsafe lie from there it would be another penalty. The 2 meter rule should be changed to an unsafe lie from where you would mark the disc...but the PDGA BOD seems intent on that not happening and instead ditching the rule altogether, which I think is dumb.

[Bruce Brakel]

I think this is the best argument for the 2-meter rule.  One player takes the thumber route and finishes 40 feet up in a tree but when he marks it on the ground he is 20 feet away.  Another guy plays the fairway and finishes 20 feet from the basket.  If you don't penalize the tree shot you've just let that player who landed 44 feet 8 inches from the basket advance his disc 25 feet closer to the basket without a penalty.