Removing flag sticks

[Charles Charles]

I think the U.S.G.A should examine leaving the flag stick in the hole. It’s debatable weather this speeds up play. What has become an issue is pulling the ball out of the hole with the flag still in. The cups are being pulled up around the edges of the whole. After several hours of play they wind up being pretty bad. I’ve seen many putts missed from the volcano effect. 

[Bossfan]

I played a course last year that had a pretty neat gizmo to get your ball out of the hole. A few inches up on the stick was a a piece of plastic and you used your foot, pulled up with your foot and the ball was lifted up and it rolled off on to the green and you picked it. Worked really well. 

[DiscipleofPenick]

I can't wait for the restrictions to end and we are allowed to touch the stick again.

Take Dead Aim

[CarlH]

56 minutes ago, DiscipleofPenick said:

I can't wait for the restrictions to end and we are allowed to touch the stick again.

Take Dead Aim
 

We recently lifted that restriction.  I still leave the flag in, but if someone else pulls it, I'm okay with that, too.  I don't mind it being in or out.  I can only think of one time that I feel the pin was the reason that I didn't make the putt, but I'm not one to ram it in hard, either.

We also finally got rakes back, which is awesome!!!!

[TBT]

I left the stick in long before COVID when playing solo so it hasn’t been a big transition for me


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[cciciora13]

If we're outside and they now say that the virus does not really persist on surfaces, I really don't know why the flagstick is still off limits. Touch it, do whatever you want with it

[Kenny B]

2 hours ago, CarlH said:

We recently lifted that restriction.  I still leave the flag in, but if someone else pulls it, I'm okay with that, too.  I don't mind it being in or out.  I can only think of one time that I feel the pin was the reason that I didn't make the putt, but I'm not one to ram it in hard, either.

We also finally got rakes back, which is awesome!!!!

The restrictions has been lifted here as well.  I liked the flag in before COVID, so it's been no big deal to me.  

We have rakes back, but people have been using the local rule where you are allowed to move the ball out of footprints for so long that they aren't using the rakes yet.  Easier, takes less time, and they really didn't care much before COVID anyway.  A muni is a muni.

[CarlH]

17 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

 A muni is a muni.

Yes, that, along with other don't give-a-sheet attitudes, does exist at munis.  Sadly, even at private clubs, some people think they don't have to fix ball marks, repair divots, rake traps, etc.  Amazing!

[fixyurdivot]

8 hours ago, Charles Charles said:

I think the U.S.G.A should examine leaving the flag stick in the hole. It’s debatable weather this speeds up play. What has become an issue is pulling the ball out of the hole with the flag still in. The cups are being pulled up around the edges of the whole. After several hours of play they wind up being pretty bad. I’ve seen many putts missed from the volcano effect. 

People yanking the flag out in attempt to pop out their ball, and crowing the cup, was an issue before the leave the pin in and Covid.  Like spitting sunflower seeds on the tee box and greens, or dropping lit cigars on the green while putting leaving burn marks, there are some that just do inconsiderate things .

[higherplane]

On leaving in the Flag stick leads to cup damage worse than normal don't buy it where I play.  Maybe an issue elsewhere, one would think damage when yanking it out, dropping on green would be more of an issue.  However do think and this was pointed out by others that when the rule changed prior to COVID, that leaving in the stick saves like 30-40 seconds of screwing around with the flag per hole. In 18 holes you lose over 10 minutes which is the typical time between tee times.   Given the Covid popularity in golf this can only help to speed up the game.            

[ZenGolfer]

On 4/15/2021 at 2:04 PM, Charles Charles said:

I think the U.S.G.A should examine leaving the flag stick in the hole. It’s debatable weather this speeds up play. What has become an issue is pulling the ball out of the hole with the flag still in. The cups are being pulled up around the edges of the whole. After several hours of play they wind up being pretty bad. I’ve seen many putts missed from the volcano effect. 

Is leaving the flagstick in really a problem or is it people who jam their hand into the hole, with little to no regard for the damage they are doing?  IMO, you have a small percetage of people who dont like change and are taking it out on the golf course.

I was leaving the flag in long before the governing bodies told me to and I will continue to do so.  If others want to remove the flag, thats cool but theres really no reason to do so.  The time it saves should be obvious and numerous studies have shown that youre more likely to make the putt with the flag in anyways.

[CarlH]

Cups are damaged by people using their putters to get the ball out rather than bending over and getting the ball with their fingers/hand.  I can't imagine how anyone reaching into the cup with their fingers to retrieve the ball could damage a cup with or without the flagstick left in.

[RobbyT]

I didn't mind that much about leaving the pins in until I was playing in a tournament recently and had a ball bounce out of the cup on a three foot putt. Now if I'm allowed to take out the pin inside about 15 feet I will.

[Kansas King]

I still think it should be an option. There is nothing more satisfying than holing a putt in into a hole with no stick. Nothing takes away from a made putt like seeing your ball get wedged between the pin and the edge of the hole. I also love the sound of draining a good putt. I don't always take the pin out when I'm playing but I definitely prefer to have the option.

[ballplayer002003]

We have lifted restrictions as well with both, pins and rakes.  When I play alone, I leave the pin in, however if I am playing more competitive I prefer the pin out.  Visually I think that the hole looks better to me.  It's easier for me to aim or to visualize a cup to the left or a cup to the right etc.  

[2puttbogey]

I didn't mind that much about leaving the pins in until I was playing in a tournament recently and had a ball bounce out of the cup on a three foot putt. Now if I'm allowed to take out the pin inside about 15 feet I will.

I have seen more putts hit the stick and bounce out that I have putts get made because it hit the stick.


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[SlowNLow]

I played at (2) courses in E. Lansing in 2019, and they had those solid flagsticks with the thinner diameter posts at the bottom of flagstick which mounts in the hole.  Those things are very heavy and solid, and ball will bounce off of those much more frequently than the more prevalent fiberglass flagsticks, where the stick gives much more. 

My putting has gotten so much better since the rule change allowing the flag to be left in, especially on the 6ft and in putts, so I never take the flagstick out for myself.

Actually, the foam in the hole helped me putt better too, I could see where the ball was going to end up.    

The foam is gone everywhere I have played so far this year but the water jugs and the ball washers are still missing, need those to return.    Not for this though.