A lot of people have watched golf on TV and might have noticed a
few things about the game, particularly the golf flag stick.
You may have
wondered if players are also thinking of either keeping the stick in the hole
or pulling it out before they putt.
The bottom line is, players can choose to remove or leave the
golf flag stick in the hole.
The rules of the game allow players to make this
decision for themselves as they see fit for their style of play.
The golfer can
ask his caddy to observe the ball as it approaches the hole and then take out
the flag at the last minute.
This is not as simple a decision as you believe.
You may be wondering about the pros and cons of taking out the
flag stick.
Taking out the flag stick will provide the ball a more
accessible point in the hole.
The stick can actually prevent the ball from
falling into the cup. Players don’t have to think about the possibility of the
golf
ball hitting the stick and then missing the hole.
This can be a very
disappointing moment for the golfer. In other cases, leaving the golf flag in the hole can stop a ball that was hit a bit
too hard from moving too far away from the hole.
Keeping the flag stick standing in the hole also provides added
visibility to the player.
The stick can direct the ball very close to the hole.
In other cases, it acts as a bouncing point wherein the ball hits the stick
first before falling into the cup.
by:
The Flagman