How dumb is this proposed new putting rule?

At the USDGC this year the TD wanted to have a rules exception that would create a putting circle around the basket 1.5 meters out. If your disc landed within this radius then you would have to mark it somewhere along the circle creating a 5 foot putt instead of a drop in the reasoning being that a drop in is not a good golf shot and you can merely drop it in even place it in without a throw, that is somehow seen as wrong anyway what an absurd idea, really dumb, anyone care to defend the new proposed rule?

[Jay Dub]

I think baseball should make a new rule similar to this. If a batter bunts, no player can pick up the baseball until it rolls 5 ft. (10 ft would be better) If it never rolls 5 ft then it would be the same as a home run. Spectators would love it.
It would be justified by saying that the people putting the game on have worked so hard at it they have the *ahem* "right"? to make as many foolish rules as they wish...no matter how stupid it makes the sport look.

[mark ellis]

Baseball is an interesting analogy because we think of baseball as having clear rules and long established precedence. But disc golf has been around for about 30 years. If we looked at baseball 30 years from its origin it would look very different than today's game.

Games need to evolve to reach their optimum levels, just like people.

Disc golf started without baskets or beveled edge discs. Probably those changes were decried by some players at the time.

Any proposed modification in rules or courses or equipment or tournament procedures needs to be evaluated on its own merits. Obviously we share many of the concepts of ball golf but there are clear differences between the sports and what is best for golf is not necessarily best for disc golf.

Personally I am open to ideas which make the game of disc golf more challenging and optimize skill while minimizing luck. I agree with ball golf that technical standards need to limit technological advances in equipment because the game should be about the skill of the player. A disc could be no doubt created with remote control ability and a self propelled engine, turning the sport into some sort of computer game.

[Jay Dub]

I doubt any one will disagree the sport should grow and I also believe everyone wants it to.

This rule does nothing to make the sport grow, no matter how many rights anyone has.
My baseball analogy was a joke, btw.

[Sam Smith]

I Think what is not being said here is that we cannot automatically write off every proposed rule change as "stupid" or "lame." In fact most everyone who has responded to this post has failed to recognize that it was in fact a ruling set up for an individual tournament. Kudos to Mark, not only for having an intelligent response, but also for having an open mind to change. With that being said, I would not agree with this being a permanent rule change. However, I would accept the added challenge to any tournament.

[Larry Mann I am]

Personally, the usdgc and the pdga can do whatever they want. I have my own course where we play with no ob, no mando's, no rope, no raised baskets, no holes on the waters edge, and no junky short holes. I really think disc golf is harder to design than most of you realize. I used to disagree with John Houcks design ideas often. I was in the minority but that doesn't mean I was wrong. Look at all the courses in the Austin area and show me the championship courses. How many are there? And don't try to tell me that tree tunnels are so much fun that every hole needs to be that tight. Baseball has evolved itself into a steriod state that is rediculous. I quit watching years ago. As you say, though, its a maxim of law that sports must evolve. Read more of the history of ball golf if you want to learn how to grow a sport.

[Valerie Amanda Bradley]

thats stupid
girls wont want that and that would be more of a reason for chicks not to play- i know for a fact
besides,,,
you guys need MORE chicks to make the sport popular-

[eric beich]

amen!!

[Nathan]

Is there currently a limit on the number of discs you can carry in your bag during a tournament? If not THAT might be a rule that needs looked into rather than this putting rule. I can't imagine new this putting rule being looked at as much more than ridiculous by an observer. People are going to compare ball and disc golf no matter what if for no other reason than name similarity.....Can you imagine the uproar if say Tiger Woods or any other top golfer skillfully hit their approach shot to within inches of the hole and then an official walked out and says......ohhhhhhh....sorry......we can't have that.....and proceeded to move the ball to a spot further AWAY from the hole??? And with comparable distancecwhat they are.....move the ball back to 15-20 feet from the hole? WOW!!! Punish 'em for being good! GREAT IDEA!! That'll even out the field! Count me in! Or maybe....at a top tourney....we can take what might be the top 6-8 "easiest" holes and just make them Par 2's.....or 3's.....or whatever is 1 stroke UNDER their current rating.

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

First of all we should clear up that this isn't an across board rule change....this was an rule exemption requested for a specific tournament.



It's a buncr with casual relief allowing some further latitude...i.e. your relief lie could be anywhere just outside the circle..option of moving to a tail wind putt if you wanted to.

Land in the 3m circle take a stance outside the circle 1.5m or approx 5 feet from the pole...the logic is forcing the player to somewhat propel the disc into the entrapment device....A 5 footer measured from the pole is pretty much still a gimme.




....and proposed for, I believe, only 1 hole...hole 12....as pictured in the OP....correct me if I'm wrong.

[Chuck Kennedy]

Innova wanted the rule variance for all holes. But they had already made the nice circle pictured because hole 12 was on a slope. I suspect the other two elevated pins might already have had bases the proposed diameter.

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

Thanks Chuck....I wasn't sure.

[John Sturtevant]

Why would they want to penalize a good shot? Sure sometimes "lucky" shots get parked right under the basket, but I think that a person depending on luck would find it hard to keep it up for an entire round. I can see this "rule" only possibly for certain holes, to add difficulty, like some holes have mandos or OB, hanging baskets. Across the board, heck no for this rule, certain holes, maybe.

The idea of limiting the number of discs you can carry in a tourney is interesting. Instead of depending on a certain disc for a certain shot, depend on your skill with a disc for a variety of shots.