The Proposed New "Penalty Area" and Its Effect on GCA

[Ian_L]

Why are all the people who hate water lined fairways suddenly lining up in support of this new rule? It doesn't pass the smell test.

Under current rules, Gorse lined fairways are worse than water lined fairways, are they not? I mean the really tee to greeen 60 feet deep gorse.

Bingo. We seem to generally dislike water hazards as a group due to the severity of the penalty and lack of a recovery shot, but we tend to give gorse and long grass a pass on many classic courses where the penalty is far worse. Not only is the lost ball penalty effectively two strokes, it also puts you back in the same dangerous situation where you could lose two more strokes. I doubt many people would like #7 at Dornoch if it were lined with OB on both sides, which it effectively is from a rules standpoint due to the gorse (the playing corridor is quite wide, but I still managed to nearly lose mine when I played the hole).


I do understand that gorse is accepted more than water by some simply because it was part of the landscape in the early courses.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

It could affect the strategy/play on the Old Course for example where you might be more willing to take on the right side of the course because the penalty of hitting into the gorse is not as severe.

They don't have to add penalty areas if they don't want to. The Old Course could be penalty area free (except where it has water hazards now).

I like the new rule as I've never really understood the difference in penalty between a lost ball and a ball in a hazzard... if I hit it in a lake it's lost, is it not?

But when it's in the water hazard, you must know or be virtually certain WHERE it is in the hazard. A lost ball, on the other hand, could be anywhere.