Flags when you're on the green - still permanently in or back to how things were?

[Deleted member 16999]

So my next questionable question......let's say England golf send out something tomorrow stating that from now on flags MUST be left in. Would the world end? Would all those people who want the flag out quit and start knitting/wrestling/bike racing? Or......would they adjust and deal with things as they are?

And if tomorrow they said the flag MUST be taken out when putting. Would the world end? Would all those people who want the flag in quit and start knitting/wrestling/bike racing? Or......would they adjust and deal with things as they are?

 

[banjofred]

And if tomorrow they said the flag MUST be taken out when putting. Would the world end? Would all those people who want the flag in quit and start knitting/wrestling/bike racing? Or......would they adjust and deal with things as they are?

Exactly.....I'd deal with it.....likely without complaining too much. It's just not a big deal......

 

[Roctar]

One of the Best sounds in the world.
The ball hitting the bottom of the cup.
Heard it tonight bliss.

God yes. it wasn’t until I got to the 5th that I remembered I can take it out. I had a 7ft for par, walked up, took the pin out, lined my putt up, stroked the ball the hole looked huge, and that sound as it dropped into the bottom and rattled around.

 

[fundy]

When the rule changed originally a few years back, and you could leave the pin in if you wished, a top Pro did a lot of research on what gave the best odds of the putt staying holed with the pin in or out.

Someone called Bryson DeChambeau in fact (quelle surprise), and if I remember correctly, his research found that leaving the pin in produced statistically better results.

https://golf.com/news/bryson-dechambeau-putting-pin-2019-rules/

yet more than 90% of pros are putting with the flag out apart from at distance or from less than a few feet, and that includes Bryson a lot of the time too

 

[JohnnyDee]

Interesting replies that go to show we’re all different on this, as indeed we are on most things.

And of course, there’s no right or no wrong here. Purely a matter of personal preference.

My own preference? Pin out on the shorties all day long.

 

[fundy]

Interesting replies that go to show we’re all different on this, as indeed we are on most things.

And of course, there’s no right or no wrong here. Purely a matter of personal preference.

My own preference? Pin out on the shorties all day long.

definitely a right or wrong and youre right

 

[JohnnyDee]

Well, maybe.

 

[clubchamp98]

And if tomorrow they said the flag MUST be taken out when putting. Would the world end? Would all those people who want the flag in quit and start knitting/wrestling/bike racing? Or......would they adjust and deal with things as they are?

Just like the good old days.
At least we have a choice and that’s better than making someone putt with it in / out.

 

[BiMGuy]

Must say I rather enjoyed putting with the flag out yesterday. It makes a massive difference to me, especially when the flagnis moving due to the wind.

If I played somewhere not as windy, shorter putts with the flag in probably wouldn't be such a problem.

 

[HeftyHacker]

Last night was the first time I'd played since the reinstatement of the flags rule. Found myself leaving it in for long ones and out for short.

Forgotten how satisfying the sound of a ball rattling around the bottom of the hole was.

 

[backwoodsman]

Personal preference was always to have flag out.

Have played 5 times since the 19th July, and it was only today on the 7th that anyone remembered that we could actually take it out if we wanted. Although we didn't bother - either then or for rest of round ...

 

[JonnyGutteridge]

Played a medal yesterday and the flags didn't come out once.

I am happy with them in, i'd probably like to get used to having them out again, but i'm not doing the flat out/flag in/flag out/flag in routine on the greens if my playing partner's don't want it out.

 

[Orikoru]

Played today. I can confirm that all three of completely forgot we were even allowed to take the pins out, until the 18th green when my mate said "Oh! None of us took any pins out today!" So I guess it wasn't a big deal for us after all.

 

[banjofred]

First time playing with people who wanted the flag out. Both of them were VERY intent on taking the flag out. Young guy I played with insisted it was soooooo much better and more accurate. I pointed out that the studies are iffy either way, but that if you are convinced that it is better...then it will be better for you. They let me putt out first since I like the flag in, but at least on the course today I could almost take it out myself....thickest dang flag sticks I've seen....huge. Very much humbled by how far that fellow can hit. He was about 5 feet short of driving the 4th green (we played white tees 358 to the middle....it isn't downhill), and he did drive the green on the 9th (295?).

 

[HampshireHog]

Played yesterday with every intention of taking the flag out for short putts, but we have changed to new thin flags this week and no one bothered.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

We're back to whatever you want, and I'm leaving the pins in on every putt. If someone wants the pin out, that's up to them, they know where it is and they can take it out.

What the pandemic has taught us more than anything is that some folks are clarty bastards, and with that in mind I'll be keeping my hands to myself unless it's necessary to do otherwise.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

I haven't played yet, but I'll probably just leave them in. Got used to it now. The main thing I hated over the pandemic was not the pins but the stupid lift-up devices that some clubs had that caused all manner of bounce-outs. My club didn't have them though, so no problem really. Given that my isolation only ends Sunday and I'm going straight out to play, I'll probably not touch anything at first anyway just to be safe.

I hadn;t played a course anywhere that had them until about 4 weeks ago at kirriemuir. What a pain in the arse, we spent nearly every hole whirling the bloody things around, and they were so temperamental the guys I played with ended up doing it by hand, utterly defeating their purpose.

 

[banjofred]

Played yesterday with every intention of taking the flag out for short putts, but we have changed to new thin flags this week and no one bothered.

I wish we had them.....not sure why clubs didn't just buy these a year+ ago instead of all the silly lift it thingies.

 

[KenL]

I took the pin out once today, a short putt and missed it! So pins in will do from now on.

 

[chico]

For short putts I much prefer the pin out. I feel like I can give it a solid strike which you just can't do with the flag in.