Flags Out????

[PJ87]

I actually wouldn't mind. Although, from inside 10 feet I kind of like the flag out. Now the question I have asked myself.....because I walk a lot and come up with these stupid questions over the couple hours I'm out there......

Ifffffff, the flag HAD to be left in forever. How much bigger would the hole have to be to allow the same chance of the ball going in the hole? 1/2 inch....1 inch (sorry, not a mm person). Must be some bored math person out there?

https://golf.com/news/tournaments/d...hould-leave-the-flagstick-in-when-you-putt-2/

Science different

 

[Mandofred]

I'm an American....but....resist the Communist golf rules czar? Live free or die? ....all I can think of is extremist. It's golf. Now if they came for my beer and ice cream.....there could be serious repercussions.

 

[Mandofred]

https://golf.com/news/tournaments/d...hould-leave-the-flagstick-in-when-you-putt-2/

Science different

I like the flag in. With my (granted....not quite normal) way of thinking......skinny flag at the bottom and make the hole a half inch wider.....I'm fine with that.

Iffff, for some reason the flag was a lot wider (hole still the same width)......there wouldn't be a lot of room for error on speed. You would have to hit it just the right speed to get the ball to stay in the hole......I can do that......if I hit it too fast it pops out...got it.....why can't people adjust? If it's uphill, I hit it harder.....downhill, I hit it easier. It's not rocket science.

 

[davidy233]

Just a thread to show my frustration that we still cannot lift a flag out whilst playing competitive golf.

Does anyone have any idea when they will be allowed to be removed?

I mean most golfers wear a glove, carry a towel to flags and bunker rakes for that matter could easily be removed 'safely'

Personally, I think it's getting beyond a joke, no different from taking a trolley from the side of Tesco, or filling your car up with fuel.

Being an aggressive putter, I've had several bounce outs - don't mind the flag being in from distance but 10ft and under it has to be out for me!!

Surprised it took so long after England allowed golf again for this to come up

 

[KenL]

We use these thin flags with the small metal insert to ensure the ball doesn’t fall to the bottom of the hole. Seems the best, most ‘normal’ solution I’ve seen so far.

My club has those too, brilliant solution.

 

[Mandofred]

Part of my thinking.....why couldn't England golf come up with the "best" way to have the flag left in? With weird contraption? With something in the hole to stop the ball from dropping in too far? Make one decision....and everybody deals with it.

 

[Orikoru]

I actually wouldn't mind. Although, from inside 10 feet I kind of like the flag out. Now the question I have asked myself.....because I walk a lot and come up with these stupid questions over the couple hours I'm out there......

Ifffffff, the flag HAD to be left in forever. How much bigger would the hole have to be to allow the same chance of the ball going in the hole? 1/2 inch....1 inch (sorry, not a mm person). Must be some bored math person out there?

I think you're barking up the wrong tree, back when the rule change came in some people proved that the flag being in actually makes the ball more likely to drop in some cases. So no future in the idea that the hole would have to be made bigger.

 

[Mandofred]

I think you're barking up the wrong tree, back when the rule change came in some people proved that the flag being in actually makes the ball more likely to drop in some cases. So no future in the idea that the hole would have to be made bigger.

No....my barking is on mark. The people who like the flag out....just like the flag out. As I have stated a number of times....I like the flag in...I'd like the flag in all of the time, at least if it was a skinny flag at the bottom.

I would like the flag out when I'm close.....but I'd rather just have a rule that leaves the flag in all of the time. I will adjust.

 

[Orikoru]

No....my barking is on mark. The people who like the flag out....just like the flag out. As I have stated a number of times....I like the flag in...I'd like the flag in all of the time, at least if it was a skinny flag at the bottom.

None of that has anything to do with what I was talking about? You were going on about how much bigger the hole would have to be. Answer = no bigger.

 

[Mandofred]

None of that has anything to do with what I was talking about? You were going on about how much bigger the hole would have to be. Answer = no bigger.

Are there studies that disagree? Then why do pro's quite often pull the flag out?

 

[Orikoru]

Are there studies that disagree? Then why do pro's quite often pull the flag out?

You were quite right when you stated it is down to the individual and their preference, and there are other factors beyond the mathematical. I only wanted to point out that your apparent assumption that leaving the flag reduces the chance of the ball dropping wasn't completely correct.

My own preference when we had the choice was to leave them in for most putts, but take them out for the three or four footers that you would hope to hole, as I prefer to hit them a bit more firmly to try and take the break out, but with the flag in you can't. But I'm not so mad about it that I want to be able to remove them again, I'll just make do with whatever it is.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

It is a mystery to me why golfers in the UK are doing this. Just tell people "No, it is ridiculous. You have not thought this through and we are not going to be dictated to or have our freedoms limited by people with no evidence to back up their assertion." I live in the third worse hit state in the USA and there was never a golf ban, here. People went through a phase of not touching the flag but people pretty quickly realized there are far more likely ways to catch COVID then touching a metal pole in the middle of the countryside very briefly.

Have you ever wondered why your state is the 3rd worst affected? ?

 

[chrisd]

We've recently changed from the foam in the cup, to the disk you pull up to pop the ball out, it seems to me that the cover that goes over the flag stick is knocking more putts out than the other method of stopping the ball dropping to the bottom of the cup after hitting the actual flagstick

 

[Mandofred]

You were quite right when you stated it is down to the individual and their preference, and there are other factors beyond the mathematical. I only wanted to point out that your apparent assumption that leaving the flag reduces the chance of the ball dropping wasn't completely correct.

My own preference when we had the choice was to leave them in for most putts, but take them out for the three or four footers that you would hope to hole, as I prefer to hit them a bit more firmly to try and take the break out, but with the flag in you can't. But I'm not so mad about it that I want to be able to remove them again, I'll just make do with whatever it is.

Hmmm.....not sure where I stated "I only wanted to point out that your apparent assumption that leaving the flag reduces the chance of the ball dropping wasn't completely correct".......I've always been a leave the flag in supporter. I'm fine with the flag in, always have been. Just deal with it being in....hit the ball a little easier.....

 

[USER1999]

We use these thin flags with the small metal insert to ensure the ball doesn’t fall to the bottom of the hole. Seems the best, most ‘normal’ solution I’ve seen so far.

These are expensive pins. My club cannot afford these. We lose a pin every 10 days according to the green keepers. It soon adds up. The canal must be full of the things.

 

[Mandofred]

These are expensive pins. My club cannot afford these. We lose a pin every 10 days according to the green keepers. It soon adds up. The canal must be full of the things.

Every 10 days!!! I'd put more ! in there but.....that's.......strange.

 

[craigstardis1976]

Have you ever wondered why your state is the 3rd worst affected? ?

Primarily because we are one of the most transient states in the nation. And to shut down the economy of the state would have led to severe economic hardship for many people. What is for certain is there absolutely no evidence COVID-19 was passed to others from briefly touching a golf flag.

 

[craigstardis1976]

Comedy gold. I didn't know you American chaps did sarcasm and satire.

You are in the third worst affected US state. And you didn't have a golf ban, and presumably didn't do a bunch of other stuff. Mmm, could those be connected?

Are you suggesting British people are not well educated enough to decide for themselves but need the Government to do it for them? We were the third worse state primarily because we are a state with a huge transitory population. Not because a very small percentage of the population were briefly touching golf flags.

 

[CliveW]

Are there studies that disagree? Then why do pro's quite often pull the flag out?

Tour pros and their caddies are tested for covid and self isolate before matches. Flagsticks are sanitised daily before games. Unfortunately we don't have that privilege on our courses.

 

[Mandofred]

Primarily because we are one of the most transient states in the nation. And to shut down the economy of the state would have led to severe economic hardship for many people. What is for certain is there absolutely no evidence COVID-19 was passed to others from briefly touching a golf flag.

For certain eh?