rsvman
I agree. My home course like many Florida courses has a lot of out of bounds because of homes on the golf course. The 2 stroke penalty isn't the issue as much with me. The option to take a drop 2 club lengths once you reach the fairway no closer to the hole is a nice option that saves time. IMO.
It saves time because you don't need to hit a provisional and are guaranteed to be lying 3 in the fairway. It's still a stroke and distance penalty, but takes away the possibility of hitting another bad tee shot and getting a huge number.
We play a Quota game and pick up after a double anyway, but this new rule is a good option. Again, without looking it up there were 3 options. This was the best option IMO.
Also, this rule change is not a blanket new USGA rule. It's an option that your course can adopt as a local rule. I think any course with a lot of out of bounds it's worth considering.