Putting with the FlagStick In – A Reminder

Putting with the Flagstick In (stroke made from the Putting Green)

• Be very clear about your decision to keep the flagstick in – someone standing next to the hole is treated as attending the flag unless the player asks them to move away
• No penalty if your ball hits the flagstick if it is not attended
• You may leave the flagstick as it is, or centre it in the hole, but you may not move it to a position other than centred in the hole (General Penalty if you do)
• If you have chosen to leave the flagstick in the hole you can’t then have it removed when the ball is in motion and might still hit the flagstick (General Penalty if you do)
• If another player removes the flagstick without your authorisation when your ball is in motion and might still hit the flagstick they get the General Penalty – not you
• If you have decided to have the flagstick removed or attended and your ball accidentally hits the flagstick or its attendant then there is no penalty and the ball is played as it lies
• If your ball is deliberately deflected (or it hits a removed flagstick that was deliberately positioned so that it might deflect or stop a ball) the stroke does not count and must be replayed with the ball replaced on the original spot. If the deliberate deflection was by you or your partner you get the General Penalty, otherwise the person who did the deflection gets the penalty.