Barb Hanson
The flagstick seems like such a little thing in the greater picture of golf. However, “The Flagstick” is one whole rule in “The Rules of Golf” – one out of 28!
Here are a few things you may not have realized about the flagstick and its “do’s” and “don’ts.”
17-1: “Before making a stroke from anywhere on the course, the player may have the flagstick attended, removed or held up to indicate the position of the hole.” Remember when Phil Mickelson had his caddy attend the flag for a shot from over 100 yards?
“If the flagstick is not attended, removed or held up before the player makes a stroke, it must not be attended, removed or held up during the stroke or while the player’s ball is in motion if doing so might influence the movement of the ball.” So when you see someone’s putt headed for an unattended flagstick, don’t run over and pull it out if the player has not authorized you to do so. However, (and this is a fairly recent change) if the flagstick has been removed and placed on the ground, and someone’s ball is headed toward it, you may pick up the flagstick and move it. (Rule 24-1)
17-4: “When a player’s ball rests against the flagstick in the hole and the ball is not holed, the player or another person authorized by him may move or remove the flagstick, and if the ball falls into the hole, the player is deemed to have holed out with his last stroke; otherwise, the ball, if moved, must be placed on the lip of the hole, without penalty.” Note: “A ball is ‘holed’ when it is at rest within the circumference of the hole and all of it is below the level of the lip of the hole.”
