Taking the ball out of the hole

cookelad

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Is there a ruling on taking the ball out of the hole when you holed from off the green ie pulling the flag out to bring the ball out - the ball is completely below the lip?
 

North Mimms

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You should move the pin to let ball drop below surface to be properly holed. It does not need to touch the bottom of hole.
 

cookelad

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I know that bit, there was a comment made that you had to pick the ball out of the hole with your hand and couldn't just pull the flag to eject the ball.
 

North Mimms

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I would think that how the ball goes into the hole is more important!
surely once a ball is properly holed, the hole is finished? What happens between the ball being holed and being put back into play is not relevant.
(yes, apart from all the rules you can break during that hiatus...)
 

Colin L

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I know that bit, there was a comment made that you had to pick the ball out of the hole with your hand and couldn't just pull the flag to eject the ball.

As said above - all that matters is that the ball is holed in the first place i.e. has come to rest within the circumference of the hole and all of it below the lip. How you take it out after that doesn't matter in terms of the rules but matters a lot in terms of looking after the course. Pulling it out with the flagstick or the toe of your putter are not good practices because of the risk of damaging the hole. Use your hand - with the one exception if, like me, you can't quite reach that far down of using one of those rubber/plastic devices on the end of your putter to pick it out.
 

cookelad

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As said above - all that matters is that the ball is holed in the first place i.e. has come to rest within the circumference of the hole and all of it below the lip. How you take it out after that doesn't matter in terms of the rules but matters a lot in terms of looking after the course. Pulling it out with the flagstick or the toe of your putter are not good practices because of the risk of damaging the hole. Use your hand - with the one exception if, like me, you can't quite reach that far down of using one of those rubber/plastic devices on the end of your putter to pick it out.

That's what I suspected, not against the rules just bad practice, I couldn't find anything that specified either way on the r&a app on my phone so thought I'd put it on here for the more knowledgeable! Thanks once again guys!
 

duncan mackie

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That's what I suspected, not against the rules just bad practice, I couldn't find anything that specified either way on the r&a app on my phone so thought I'd put it on here for the more knowledgeable! Thanks once again guys!

Where the confusion, myths etc happen is based on whether the ball is holed ie when it's resting against the pin, half in half out, and some walks up and pulls the flag out bringing the ball with it.

Its from such simple situations that the rules myths multiply exponentially and confusion reigns for ever!
 

atticusfinch

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That's what I suspected, not against the rules just bad practice, I couldn't find anything that specified either way on the r&a app on my phone so thought I'd put it on here for the more knowledgeable! Thanks once again guys!

Rule of thumb: what the rules do not prohibit is allowed.
 

full_throttle

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i would imagine this there is no rule about taking the ball out of the hole, it is frowned upon if players put their putter in head first to drag the ball out as it tends to damage the hole,
 
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