Your observations are all most identical to my observations with the golf partners I've played / paired with this year.   There is one exception.   The older couple (75+) that I play golf with on Fridays are very adamant about pulling the flag stick.   I take a Pepsi from them each week (play lowest number of putts).  I've showed them the reports but they won't budge.   We still play in about 3 1/2 hours.   Other people I play with have started to enjoy the faster pace of play from leaving the flagstick in the hole.  

Nobody calls "them" penalty areas.   We still have sand traps, water hazards and anything else but definitely not penalty areas.  

So I've not experienced very many times this year where the flagstick has been an issue.  Most people are leaving it in and that does improve pace of play a little.  Occasionally someone wants it out on shorter putts but at that point no one really cares and everyone goes along.  Today I played in a tournament with threesomes: one person wanted it out all the time, one wanted in sometimes and out sometimes, one (me) wanted it in at all times.  That was a mess.

Is it just me, or has the Etiquette section disappeared?

It used to at the beginning.

57 minutes ago, Cartboy said:

Is it just me, or has the Etiquette section disappeared?

It used to at the beginning.

Rule 1.2 Standards of Player Conduct. 

Where do you play in Missouri?

New Rule 1.2:

1.2 Standards of Player Conduct a. Conduct Expected of All Players All players are expected to play in the spirit of the game by: • Acting with integrity – for example, by following the Rules, applying all penalties, and being honest in all aspects of play. • Showing consideration to others – for example, by playing at a prompt pace, looking out for the safety of others, and not distracting the play of another player. • Taking good care of the course – for example, by replacing divots, smoothing bunkers, repairing ball-marks, and not causing unnecessary damage to the course. There is no penalty under the Rules for failing to act in this way, except that the Committee may disqualify a player for acting contrary to the spirit of the game if it finds that the player has committed serious misconduct. Penalties other than disqualification may be imposed for player misconduct only if those penalties are adopted as part of a Code of Conduct under Rule 1.2b.

b. Code of Conduct The Committee may set its own standards of player conduct in a Code of Conduct adopted as a Local Rule. • The Code may include penalties for breach of its standards, such as a one-stroke penalty or the general penalty. • The Committee may also disqualify a player for serious misconduct in failing to meet the Code’s standards.

It appears that the Etiquette section, which was the preamble before Rule 1, has entirely disappeared from the Internet.  I have not been  successful in finding any of the previous sets of rules.

I found my old rules book . . . Section 1 (as opposed to Rule 1) Etiquette, is lengthy.

Someone was really, really busy re-writing the rules.

Frankly, I had not been paying attention, and did not know that was being done, so, when  I started seeing some unusual things on TV and in person, like leaving the flagstick in, I was shocked.

My book is 2006-2007, and that was for a different game, I think.  😎

Of course, when I first started, and played on the high school team, and actually lettered three years, I had a croquet putter, and it was legal.

20 hours ago, Cartboy said:

Where do you play in Missouri?.

Joplin, at the muni (Schifferdecker).

Ever visit Branson?

15 minutes ago, Cartboy said:

Ever visit Branson?

Other than the flag stick rule change, I have not seen much difference in the rounds I played last year. 

Some folks still like removing the flag stick. Most leave it in. 

I saw no difference in pace of play. 95% of my rounds were played at what I thought was a satifactory pace. The other 5%, I didn't really worry about. 

I read the new rules, and played with in them to the best of my knowlege.  As for the golfers I met up with, I just let them do their own thing. Most were pretty much compliant I thought. 

On 9/4/2019 at 12:58 PM, dennyjones said:

"A couple likely double hits were seen and it was a relief to not have to ask the player whether they thought they made a double hit. I like this change."

All these years I've been practicing my double hit so I could land the ball from a greater height onto the green with a soft rollout.  At least now I can do it with the rest of the foursome watching.