Elimination of drop

[Dennis Harwood]

Congratulations on your learned efforts.

There is a huge amount of great work in those two Codes. Although I am sure I will have a lot more comments as I dig deeper, I would like to explore one aspect as to which I have given prior thought -- the elimination of the drop.

No question a placing only method of putting a ball back in play is simpler, and would eliminate a huge number of decisions, but will the golfing public accept that change as "fair". ( Although I often quote the iine " Fair is a place they judge pigs and pies, it has nothing to do with the game of Golf.", I believe the public will only play/follow a game whose rules they believe are fair ).

In placing a ball in a relief situation or S&D situations we presume the player will place in the most favorable lie. This is likely to result more than once during a round in a player radically altering a lie to one much more favorable. Will the public support such a principle in the name of simplicity?

Have you considered incorporating the concept of " most similar lie" found in 20-3 (b)(i) where an original lie is known, and the concept of 18-1/5 in determining the nature of the lie at which to place the ball if the original lie not known or established?