My Hot Take on Island Holes Without a Drop Zone - A Bad Idea?

My hot take on island holes that don’t offer a drop zone…

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[MaximDrums]

Tough to watch, but ultimately he had a choice. Go for it again, or lay up and take an easy bogey and still be in it. Part of the game is throwing the shots, but decision making is just as important.

[Babl]

It is hard to watch when somebody repeatably fails to get it into the island but for me that hole is one of the most exciting things to watch in discgolf because the way it is. It measures the skill and mental game in totally different way then those other island holes on tour but this is my opinion just as a fan.

[bobbyshizz]

After the first throw went long, I could see it coming and screamed at my TV, "Paul, tell him to layup and take bogey!" Sure enough, the train wreck happened....
All credit to Corey Ellis. He executed under enormous pressure and deserved every bit of that win.

[bwpSnakeEyes]

I hate it for AB, but at the highest level, you gotta be able to hit that shot at least on the 2nd attempt.

Good hole. I'll take hazard over manufactured OB every day.

[deepsender]

Same thing happened to Corey last year at the MVP Open when he threw a forehand over the green on the last hole. He learned from that, and AB will learn too.

[janiapesonen]

Being calm and making right decisions is also a sign of a champion. There is no need to be a hero in the Beast 16th hole. Without an option I would totally agree.

[thomasmunch]

I love hole 16 the way it is, anyone could play the layup and "play it safe" it can newer be the hole fault that AB did a train wreck - that reason is solely on himself.

[davisbs]

I loved that hole, drop zones take a lot of the pressure off.

[sarge]

Anthony Barela could have easily just layed up.

[ChristopherBoyer]

I enjoy both ways. My only complaint on drop zones is when it allows a player to skip past a course design element. If a drop zone is added on this basket, it should be from the layup spot on fairway, not some C2 putt from the island edge.

[garykennedy]

Hey, it was tuff to watch. However, he could have laid up. He had Paul on the bag. Paul could have said put some air under the disc. My point is as bad as it sucked for AB, he’s one of the best in the game. Sometimes you just don’t make the island..🤘🏻

[ronjones-]

I couldn't disagree with you more, Scott. That hole averaged UNDER PAR for the entire tournament. If you can't make the island from the closest point on the fairway, you should NEVER win that tournament. I enjoy watching people struggle. If it was easy, then why would we even play the game? It's a MAJOR. Majors should be unique, challenging, and different. Otherwise, it's just a major in name only. Hell, it can't be THAT hard. I heard a geezer that didn't make the cut parred that hole 3 times in a row. Love you, my brother!

[chapstickit]

How would a tournament be "ruined" for a fan watching someone experience what you described as a "trainwreck" on a hole with no drop zone? As a competitor in various sports, I LOVE those moments. Sport is mental as much as it is physical, and watching someone have to wrestle with their own trainwreck is what I watch competition for. It heightens tension, it builds drama, and makes for memorable moments.

[joshdowden]

The only point I’d raise to the contrary is the bunker rule (or whatever it’s called) vs a conventional island. On this hole the players are provided somewhat of an advantage that they don’t get an added OB stroke if they miss the hole. The get to throw again.

AB could have created his own de facto drop zone by laying up after the first miss then going across which is a much easier shot. He was the one who decided to empty his bag.

I appreciate your point and obviously you have way more cred than some rando on the internet but I think it’s a good hole and a nice change of pace from what is normal now.

Multiple players throughout the weekend showed better discipline and chose to lay up after missing once and taking their medicine. AB chose to keep throwing and he knew the risk of that.

Honestly idk what the right answer is. I think both ideas are valid but I feel like the players play the holes so they should get the ultimate input. If you all hate these types of holes then get rid of them imo.

[jonatham]

I completely agree with you. Watching someone park it on the island is exciting! Watching someone loose 4 strokes on one hole is not. Love your take.

[Jb-eifp]

As a fan I loved it. It’s heartbreaking to watch but that’s what makes them exciting.

[mfgtor]

It's a great hole. There is a functional drop zone, 100 feet in front of the island. AB was not in a great position and had a one stroke lead. Pitch up, jump putt to island take your par and fight on the next hole. I think I agree with you on something like 17 at USDGC where there is no other option.

[macthemurse]

The "bottom line" seems to be that the players that performed the best in the hardest situations are the players that finished the best! Isn't that what you want as a competitor? I personally like it that way, because it leaves no doubt who performed the best.

[joeblow]

I haven’t given it too much consideration before, but I think yours is a good perspective. My thoughts to this point are that in good weather, I think many, if not most professionals would make the correction on the second try. In bad weather, it might take many more tries. But I hadn’t thought of AB’s predicament. Yes, winning at this level is still new to him. And this was the one situation that overwhelmed him in the tournament that he, up to this point, had great control over. Certainly, people (not just AB) get stubborn and keep trying, especially if they have made it before. But at some point you have to stop the bleeding, and it’s better to do that early. After missing 2, with the tournament on the line, it’s definitely time to lay up and take the likely double bogey. Moreover, the correct play (if you can absorb the extra stroke on that hole) is to lay up after the first missed try to the island. That would be about the same as a stroke penalty and heading to the drop zone.
I tend to think that you are right in that no one should be embarrassed over missing a shot. On the other hand, one might argue that, as a professional, a player needs to be able to make this shot except in heavy weather.
So, should it be a warrior mentality, stand there and make it or your no one type shot? I think the tournament would have been more exciting if AB still had a chance to win after #16. He had earned it up to this point. Even though taking extra shots are under the player’s control, maybe there is something to not letting some one take a bigger penalty than necessary. And taking a stroke penalty and heading to the drop zone certainly speeds up play, especially in foul weather.
If Disc Golf is different than other pro sports through its lifting of each other up, and in its great sense of shared community, then, it is likely Scott, that you are right.

[DondoDiscGolf]

No drop zones makes great TV coverage. Pros should gamble or play safe. Most folks love to watch a train wreck especially when the train goes off the track.