chrisd
Major Champion
I wonder if there were these discussions when the original provisional ball rules were introduced.
Fundamentally the same issue of known v unknown - could, might etc apply
I fully appreciate that many members of this group don't accept stableford scoring as real golf, so it's hardly surprising that the discussions are as they are.
The reality is that this, and other rule changes, are fundamentally designed to avoid extending the suffering - not only of the player involved, the players in his/her group but everyone playing behind them on the course.
Whether 3 off the tee is really enough is enough territory or not can be debated ad infinitum, but the crux of handicap golf is that handicaps adjust to the players performances under the circumstances played ie ultimately it doesn't even matter if the rule does enable a particular player and his style to gain an edge - it would be very short term.
I just wonder for some though Duncan is whether they can reconcile the point you make which largely revolves around handicaps and the other side of the coin which is the potential to lose a comp to a player who, let's say, has lost 2 balls with wild 260 yard drives on separate holes, and has only lost 2 extra penalty shots than he currently loses but can drop on the fairway 260 yards down the fairway which to many seems a huge advantage?