Flags Out????

[Orikoru]

It doesn't waste time.

In your two ball scenario, both with long putts, unless they are both terrible putters, they will want to look at the putt from a couple of different angles, and probably from behind the hole as well. In which case, one of them stays there while the other putts, and then while the first one walks up to mark his ball, the other one walks back to his.

Who the hell does that!? Most people I've played with for a long putt just have a look from behind the ball and give it a whack! If I saw someone walking around looking at every angle for a 30 foot putt then I'd be moaning they really are wasting time.

 

[USER1999]

Question, is anyone actually not playing golf cos you have to leave the flag in??

Very strange question, and very hard to answer without playing the poster and not the post.

I derive less enjoyment out of playing, as I am unable to putt in the style that I like, and have used to great effect for 40 years.

Stop playing? No, that would be daft, but they could introduce a raft of rule changes that would be irritating but would not stop most from playing, from limiting handicaps, clubs, lofts, head sizes, shaft flex, trolley bans, time limits on rounds (sub 3 hours would be my preference), etc. Why just pick flag in / out?

 

[USER1999]

Who the hell does that!? Most people I've played with for a long putt just have a look from behind the ball and give it a whack! If I saw someone walking around looking at every angle for a 30 foot putt then I'd be moaning they really are wasting time.

Any one who realistically expects to leave a tap in for their next putt, so in reality, any one who is good at putting.
It takes less time, because you only ever have to line up one putt, and not 4.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Slowing play down is a red herring, you are stood there doing nothing while I putt, make yourself busy and attend the flag if requested.

Absolutely correct, those people that say it slows things down are just looking for excuses to justify their preferences. If a flag needs to be tended/removed/put back in it will add no more than a couple of minutes to a round whereas all the faffing around that people do wastes much more time.
I watched a fourball in front of me yesterday where 3 of them drove into the clag. All 4 went to look for the 1st ball for 3 minutes then they all went to look for the 2nd ball for 3 minutes then the last ball for 3 minutes. If each went to look for their own ball that would have saved 6 minutes alone. They didn't find any of them and they all dropped balls back on the fairway and continued.

 

[Orikoru]

Any one who realistically expects to leave a tap in for their next putt, so in reality, any one who is good at putting.
It takes less time, because you only ever have to line up one putt, and not 4.

I know I should spend more time looking, but I just cannot bring myself to. I don't want others to think I'm one of those unmentionables who thinks he's playing the Masters and needs to get on with it.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

For me, courtesy is offered rather than being expected.
I played recreational golf only with friends for 20 years before quitting for 10 and have only recently restarted and joined a club. I now play handicap rounds and in competitions, where it feels a bit more like it matters. If I'm tending the flag for a playing partner while the following group are in sight behind us, I'm not lining up my own putt and will probably end up rushing. It may well adversely affect my score. Courtesy works both ways and flag tending seems to go against the principles of ready golf, which I thought we were all being encouraged to engage in.

Yes we are being encouraged to play ready golf but that is a direct result of all the other faffing about that has crept into the game over the last few years. Even playing ready golf it still takes longer to get round the course than it did years ago.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I genuinely think that after a year and a half of not touching the flags, and having got used to that, people will largely forget about 'attending' completely and it will become a non-issue for 99% of golfers. An old boy might ask you to attend the flag one day in a comp, and you'll chuckle to yourself about how quirky and old-fashioned he is.

No one has suggested people will want flags attended all the time, but on the odd, rare occassion someone asks for it to be attended then why not, they’ll obviously have a reason and why would you chuckle to yourself or think anything apart from, no problem if that’s what they’d like.

Really don’t understand why people have to cite extremes to prove a point, to me it simply shows some are overthinking the issue and don’t want to compromise.

 

[KenL]

Yes we are being encouraged to play ready golf but that is a direct result of all the other faffing about that has crept into the game over the last few years. Even playing ready golf it still takes longer to get round the course than it did years ago.

Not where I play it doesn't. 3.5 hours for a 4 ball on a 6600 yard challenging course.

Might have been longer when people wanted the flag tended.?
Seriously, since the leaving the pin in has been allowed, I have been asked to tend it a couple of times, pre-covid of course.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I’ve never once in all the literature about ready Golf seen not attending flags as a way to improve speed of play.

Are you people who are advocating not attending the flag also going to be against raking bunkers when that is brought back in? That’s really going to slow the game down isn’t it?

 

[KenL]

I’ve never once in all the literature about ready Golf seen not attending flags as a way to improve speed of play.

Are you people who are advocating not attending the flag also going to be against raking bunkers when that is brought back in? That’s really going to slow the game down isn’t it?

Really?

Being allowed to leave the flag in was one of the measures brought in to SPEED UP PLAY!

 

[Deleted member 16999]

For me, courtesy is offered rather than being expected.
I played recreational golf only with friends for 20 years before quitting for 10 and have only recently restarted and joined a club. I now play handicap rounds and in competitions, where it feels a bit more like it matters. If I'm tending the flag for a playing partner while the following group are in sight behind us, I'm not lining up my own putt and will probably end up rushing. It may well adversely affect my score. Courtesy works both ways and flag tending seems to go against the principles of ready golf, which I thought we were all being encouraged to engage in.

Re the bit in bold:
You play in a Comp/Open/Society day whatever and you are drawn with strangers, introduce yourself on the first tee and off you go, early on in the round a pp asks you to attend the flag and as you don’t know them are you going to refuse?

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Really?

Being allowed to leave the flag in was one of the measures brought in to SPEED UP PLAY!

And they had to change the rules for that to happen, plus did they state flags were not to be attended?

 

[theoneandonly]

It isnt your decision to decide if it's necessary or not.

Of course it is.
Have the flag out or in is great, whatever suits, but expecting someone to stand there holding the flag while your 40 foot putt whizzes by is just ridiculous and a waste of thier time.

 

[IanM]

Very strange question, and very hard to answer without playing the poster and not the post.

I derive less enjoyment out of playing, as I am unable to putt in the style that I like, and have used to great effect for 40 years.

Stop playing? No, that would be daft, but they could introduce a raft of rule changes that would be irritating but would not stop most from playing, from limiting handicaps, clubs, lofts, head sizes, shaft flex, trolley bans, time limits on rounds (sub 3 hours would be my preference), etc. Why just pick flag in / out?

It was a covid special measures related question. Folk have been getting annoyed about the flag needing to stay in (including me) but given all the noises, is it really a show stopper? Not in my view.

 

[sunshine]

It doesn't waste time.

In your two ball scenario, both with long putts, unless they are both terrible putters, they will want to look at the putt from a couple of different angles, and probably from behind the hole as well. In which case, one of them stays there while the other putts, and then while the first one walks up to mark his ball, the other one walks back to his.

I remember playing in a medal with this guy who wanted to look at every putt from behind the ball and behind the hole. He must have been watching the pros do it on tv.

He did it on the first 4 holes. Got to the 5th green, his ball has trickled on to the front left of the green, pin is back right. We're all standing around the green waiting, I'm attending the flag while he crouches behind the ball. He then starts striding up the green to look at the putt from behind the hole. It must have been over 100 feet, that's a 60 yard round trip. So you're saying that doesn't waste time?

My playing partner told him to hurry up. In hindsight it was pretty funny.

 

[Jimaroid]

For me, courtesy is offered rather than being expected.

If courtesy isn't expected, then as an example, you won't mind if I just reply by saying you're an idiot?

Now, I'm obviously joking to make the point but courtesy is a reasonable expectation to have in life.

 

[Orikoru]

No one has suggested people will want flags attended all the time, but on the odd, rare occassion someone asks for it to be attended then why not, they’ll obviously have a reason and why would you chuckle to yourself or think anything apart from, no problem if that’s what they’d like.

Really don’t understand why people have to cite extremes to prove a point, to me it simply shows some are overthinking the issue and don’t want to compromise.

Because it would be an unusual outdated requested by that point. I'd do it for them though, no problem, I'd just be chuckling internally about how silly and unnecessary it is.

I didn't say anything extreme? Unless that point was aimed at others. I just meant to point out that the pages of debate on this are a bit daft when it is my belief that it will hardly ever happen in the future (being asked to attend).

 

[sunshine]

Can’t imagine why any opponent would get wound up

It's clear from the responses on this thread that it would wind some people up!

Personally, I couldn't care less. I can't imagine asking someone to tend the flag again, but I'm happy to do it for others.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Of course it is.
Have the flag out or in is great, whatever suits, but expecting someone to stand there holding the flag while your 40 foot putt whizzes by is just ridiculous and a waste of thier time.

The person hitting the putt decides if it's necessary to have the flag tended not you.

 

[Orikoru]

The person hitting the putt decides if it's necessary to have the flag tended not you.

It can never be necessary since they changed the rule on it - it would just be their own quirky preference.