Putting with the flag in....

[patricks148]

well its been a few months now with the new rules of being able to putt with the flag in.

it has been a benifit in speeding uo play, but it has also had an effect on the hole surrounds on the greens.

a lot of the holes are trashed after a couple of days, with people pulling the flag out with the ball in the cup.

i would expect we can't be the only place this is happening???

 

[Slab]

I’ve never liked seeing players attempt to ‘flick’ the ball out when removing the flagstick (even before rule change) Same with those prats that try to extract the ball with a blade/answer style putter. As bad as the shoe scuffers who can’t lift their feet & fail to repair their damage. And these’ll be the same course vandals that don’t repair pitch marks or rake bunkers etc

Stake them out on the range for an hour at 75m and let the junior group lesson have a go at them, then send them out as marker for a Garcia/Holmes match

 

[robinthehood]

well its been a few months now with the new rules of being able to putt with the flag in.

it has been a benifit in speeding uo play, but it has also had an effect on the hole surrounds on the greens.

a lot of the holes are trashed after a couple of days, with people pulling the flag out with the ball in the cup.

i would expect we can't be the only place this is happening???

Doesn't seem to have been an issue where I play. Holes are fine.
Possibly one of the best rule changes ever. Played in medal last week and it was flag in all the way for all of us.

 

[GolfingPastor]

Always seems to be 1 who stills wants it out in every group I play with 🤐

 

[robinthehood]

I've seen so many putts that would have dropped had they left the flag in. I really don't see any reason to have it out , unless it's leaning a bit dodgy.
And there are even some who still want it tended , now that is ridiculous.

 

[GolfingPastor]

Tended- really?

 

[jim8flog]

a lot of the holes are trashed after a couple of days, with people pulling the flag out with the ball in the cup.

WE have been talked to by our course manager to try to disuade players from doing this.

Every time it is done it moves the liner fractionally up the hole until so many players have done it that the liner is too near the top of the hole and balls bounce out after hitting the liner. This also means that the hole no longer conforms to the correct dimensions as the liner must be a certain distance below the top of the hole.

 

[jim8flog]

I have stopped leaving it in on the majority of my putts. Too many bounce outs* and I find it stops me aiming for the back of the hole.

*We have thickish flagsticks.

What we do though is - anybody who wants the flagstick in putts first and once the flagstick is out it stays out until we all finish the hole.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I am enjoying being able to leave the flag in - but though I absolutely don't yank the flag out I suspect that many do. Holes look OK so far...but as such as I become more used to it - and so more players putt with flag in - maybe the issue will arise.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Can't say I've seen a problem with footsteps around the hole even at weekends when they don't tend to get moved. Have seen the odd idiot extract the ball by pulling the flag and using a putter but by and large common sense has prevailed. I have had the odd one hitting the flag and staying out so tend to have it out on 10 feet and in

 

[patricks148]

have had a few rounds of some owanting it in and others out, so a bit of pain but any long range happy to leave it and 10 foot or less have it out.... unless its a really quick downhiller.


but more concerned with the damage to the holes, keep seeing people just yanking the flag out with the ball still in the hole, i always bend down and take it out with my fingers

 

[Orikoru]

Always seems to be 1 who stills wants it out in every group I play with 🤐

I've seen so many putts that would have dropped had they left the flag in. I really don't see any reason to have it out , unless it's leaning a bit dodgy.
And there are even some who still want it tended , now that is ridiculous.

I take it out for 2 to 4 footers say - shortish ones that I think I should have a good chance of holing. Started off leaving them in all the time, but I had one or two left or right breakers that should have dropped in but deflected off the pin and stayed out, which was enough to put doubt in my mind, so I now remove them for ones I feel I should be able to hole. As you say Robin, it may be the course that the flagstick isn't always perfectly vertical. For 5 footers and up I leave it in though as I think from distance I prefer the smaller target of a pin to a hole, and you can hit it a bit firmer if it's relatively straight as well.

For inside a foot I just tap in without removing the flag as well. Then I pick the ball out with my fingers, rather than try and yank the ball out with the flag - I don't understand the point of doing that because it just lands on the floor and you still have to bend down and pick it up anyway.

 

[garyinderry]

Been a brilliant change overall.

Wouldn't say the rounds are any quicker but it does save hassel of having to tend your playing partners 30 footer.

 

[patricks148]

Can't say I've seen a problem with footsteps around the hole even at weekends when they don't tend to get moved. Have seen the odd idiot extract the ball by pulling the flag and using a putter but by and large common sense has prevailed. I have had the odd one hitting the flag and staying out so tend to have it out on 10 feet and in

no one mentioned footsteps around the hole, fuuny how you read a post if you think its negative about you buy don't for most others things...

FYI, i'm not Trolling you

 

[NorwichBanana]

For me, and when playing on a Saturday it has done nothing but slow the round down, to much hokey kokey of the flag in then out and so on. I'm 100% flag out as I can't putt with it in, hole lots alot smaller to me. But I've seen chaps want the flag in for a 3 footer when everyone else has had the flag out.....how exactly does this speed up the game?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

It hasn’t made any change to pace of play that we have seen , at times it’s like the Hokey Cokey around the hole with people wanting it in then out then in etc etc

Have seen putts hit the flag and stay out when I think it would have gone in - I normally have it out now

And yes there is damage being done to the holes when people are pulling the ball out of the hole when the flag is in - it’s not great

 

[Beezerk]

Played in a three ball at the weekend, one guy wanted it out most of the time, I wanted it in all the time, the other guy a bit of both.
We seemed to ask every hole "in or out?" but it didn't really cost us any time as such, maybe a couple of seconds a hole if that.
Cant say I've seen any damage to holes.

 

[Jacko_G]

I have stopped leaving it in on the majority of my putts. Too many bounce outs* and I find it stops me aiming for the back of the hole.

*We have thickish flagsticks.

What we do though is - anybody who wants the flagstick in putts first and once the flagstick is out it stays out until we all finish the hole.

Bounce outs??? I know where the problem is then and it isn't the flag - it's your putting.

Since the rule changed I think I've had one putt that hasn't dropped that I suspect may have dropped if I'd taken the flag out.

On the flip side I've had at least a dozen that have slammed and dropped. I've had a 50 foot putt that was going at least 10 feet past that has dropped.

As for damage, I've seen none at all. It's not even been discussed anywhere other than here. I'm actually even more surprised that it's someone who plays links golf that says it's happened.

 

[Jacko_G]

It hasn’t made any change to pace of play that we have seen , at times it’s like the Hokey Cokey around the hole with people wanting it in then out then in etc etc

Have seen putts hit the flag and stay out when I think it would have gone in - I normally have it out now

And yes there is damage being done to the holes when people are pulling the ball out of the hole when the flag is in - it’s not great

Mikey cokey - lack of education then.

 

[patricks148]

Bounce outs??? I know where the problem is then and it isn't the flag - it's your putting.

Since the rule changed I think I've had one putt that hasn't dropped that I suspect may have dropped if I'd taken the flag out.

On the flip side I've had at least a dozen that have slammed and dropped. I've had a 50 foot putt that was going at least 10 feet past that has dropped.

As for damage, I've seen none at all. It's not even been discussed anywhere other than here. I'm actually even more surprised that it's someone who plays links golf that says it's happened.

some the holes on Monday night during our foursomes tie were destroyed... never seen so much damage to holes on a course like ours, seen it at Torvean a few times and some courses where the holes might only get changed once a week, but ours were all new holes on Sat morning so only 3 days play