Will the New Flagstick Rule Become a Fiasco?

[RemyM]

In stroke play, if everyone who starts to putt keeps putting until their ball is holed it shouldn't be an issue.  Then they can do what they want with the flag without effecting others in the group.  Once the first person holes out then they can handle or not handle the flag for the next person who should also continuously putt.  With the new rules allowing you to fix spike marks and the like no one needs to be concerned about standing on someones line or through line.  That's the way it's going to be in my group.

[iacas]

8 minutes ago, RemyM said:

In stroke play, if everyone who starts to putt keeps putting until their ball is holed it shouldn't be an issue.  Then they can do what they want with the flag without effecting others in the group.

That would slow down play IMO and be a terrible way to play. Plus, the same player could want the flagstick in AND out for subsequent putts.

[Sandy Divot]

I've played with my group several times since the new rule has been implemented. I haven't seen anything negative about leaving it in. We have one guy in our group that is a very poor putter, and it seems his putting has improved. We all feel that the flag gives us something extra to aim at. It seems that the extra aiming point helps with speed control on long putts. I have no idea why. Mabye it has something to do with depth perception. 

[RemyM]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

That would slow down play IMO and be a terrible way to play. Plus, the same player could want the flagstick in AND out for subsequent putts.

Continuous putting speeds up play and the flag is being handled by someone who probably isn't the next person to putt or has already holed out.  In stroke play I always prefer to finish putting once I start as the speed and movement is fresh in my mind if I don't make the first putt.  In the past I wouldn't if I would be standing on someone's line but that isn't a concern anymore.

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, RemyM said:

Continuous putting speeds up play

I disagree.

Let's say it takes someone 20 seconds once they're at their ball to read their putt, and 20 seconds to do their pre-shot routine.

Continuous putting not only puts more people stepping on the lines of those yet to putt from further out for their second or third putts, but it doesn't allow people to read their second or third putts while someone else is putting.

I tap in if I have a tap-in, but if I want to read my putt, a) I'd rather not be stepping in their lines to do so, and b) I'm not going to do it in two seconds. It'll take a little time.

[metbid]

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 9:21 AM, rehmwa said:

The only negative I can think of is I lay my wedges, etc if I have them on the flag to keep my grips dry and to remind me to pick them up and not leave them on the green.  I'll likely have to go back a couple times now to get my clubs until I develop a replacement habit/routine.

LOL....my thoughts exactly, I know someone in my group will pick up my wedge that way.

[saevel25]

16 minutes ago, RemyM said:

Continuous putting speeds up play.

We tried this in our golf league, and it didn't work out well.

I am all for ready golf, but finishing out doesn't speed up play when the guy rushes a 5 FT putt and misses it ;)

[Fourputt]

I just see experienced players using a logical process once they get used to the idea.  I'd go for something like this: Try having one member of the group that hangs near the hole to remove or replace the flagstick as desired for each player, just as someone tending the flagstick has always done but having to step a couple of paces a way when the player wants the stick in the hole so as not to be deemed as "attending".  I'm guessing that most players will want it in the hole for longer putts, but there will be varying opinions on shorter putts.

For me, I'll almost always leave it in for long putts,  and probably for most short ones too, unless it's a situation where the flagstick is leaning toward my line.  If it has already been removed after I'm within about 10 feet, then I may not worry about it either way.  Like so many other shots in golf, a lot will depend on the situation.

Edited January 23, 2019 by Fourputt

[NM Golf]

I played my first round under the 2019 rules this past Sunday. I will say, because I play with a few knuckleheads, it was a bit of a pain in the ass. My buddy is, for the lack of a better word, a bit of a dinosaur. He is about as old fashioned as he can be and to say he is stuck in his ways would be an understatement.

He pulls the pin on every putt, so I was having to put it back in all the time. Finally I gave up and just left it out. It was right after that when I charged a 20 foot putt that hit the back of the hole and lipped out. Now would the pin have helped? I don't know, but it could have. Irritated me a bit, because he is so set in his ways he wouldn't even entertain the fact that it could help. 

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by NM Golf

[colin007]

On 1/18/2019 at 1:02 PM, saevel25 said:

I will be interested to see if having the flagstick in on shorter straight putts will help improve my aim. 

I've already found this to be true.

[Patch]

Because of this thread, and others like it, during the last few rounds I have played, I have paid attention to what folks are doing with this rule. 

Almost everytime, they are pulling the flag. The biggest reason is the possibility of the ball staying above the hole (not falling in) lodged between the lip, and flag pole. They don't want to deal with which, if any, rule that now covers that sjtuation. 

Most of the flags poles I see, when not bent over by the wind, don't stand straight up anyways. Most are crooked in one way, or the other. This I assume is do to normal wear tear. That, and extra "yanking" or "jamming" during that process. 

[iacas]

14 minutes ago, Patch said:

The biggest reason is the possibility of the ball staying above the hole (not falling in) lodged between the lip, and flag pole. They don't want to deal with which, if any, rule that now covers that sjtuation.

Assuming I'm reading that correctly, it's holed.

And that could happen before, and you just had to straighten the stick in the hole, and let the ball fall in. Now you don't even have to do that.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 1/21/2019 at 3:17 PM, saevel25 said:

We tried this in our golf league, and it didn't work out well.

I am all for ready golf, but finishing out doesn't speed up play when the guy rushes a 5 FT putt and misses it 😉

Well, if a guy rushes a 5 footer that's his fault isn't it? Makes it sound like continuous putting was an ironclad rule in your league. If I leave myself a 5 footer, first of all I'm pissed at myself! Second, I will mark, lift, and replace my ball and read the putt. A 5 footer is no tap in! 

And from what I've seen of tourney golf so far, it doesn't seem to be that big a deal. The caddies know what their guys like, and they handle the flag situation on the green quite well. 

[NJpatbee]

I have yet to play with the new rule but I do not anticipate that it will wreak any type of havoc on our golf rounds.  

[saevel25]

On ‎1‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 9:31 PM, Buckeyebowman said:

Well, if a guy rushes a 5 footer that's his fault isn't it? Makes it sound like continuous putting was an ironclad rule in your league.

No, it was tried for about a few weeks then dropped. It was to difficult to realize when the correct time was to continue putting or not. A lot of people felt like that meant they needed to finish out and in most cases rush the 2nd putt.

It caused more of a headache than it helped.

[Buckeyebowman]

5 hours ago, saevel25 said:

No, it was tried for about a few weeks then dropped. It was to difficult to realize when the correct time was to continue putting or not. A lot of people felt like that meant they needed to finish out and in most cases rush the 2nd putt.

It caused more of a headache than it helped.

Ah, that explains it. Plus, continuous putting doesn't address the situation where your second putt might require you to stand in another player's line or through line. If I knock my first putt up within a foot, I'll just step up and tap it in and get out of the way, unless the aforementioned situation presents itself. I'll usually grab the flag to replace when we've finished the hole.

Listen to me! Sounds like I'm playing under the old rules! 

[Herkimer]

I hope it becomes a big fiasco.  Why should it become an aid for a player who putts the ball too hard?  That rule is just stupid.  Almost as stupid as giving Li that penalty.  So wrong!

[RemyM]

19 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Ah, that explains it. Plus, continuous putting doesn't address the situation where your second putt might require you to stand in another player's line or through line. If I knock my first putt up within a foot, I'll just step up and tap it in and get out of the way, unless the aforementioned situation presents itself. I'll usually grab the flag to replace when we've finished the hole.

Listen to me! Sounds like I'm playing under the old rules! 

With the new rule allowing you to fix spike marks continuous putting will be the norm in my group.  I really don't care if someone stands on my line, unless I'm in the first tee time a bunch of people already have stood on it, and if there is shoe damage I can fix it.  The player closest to the flag can remove, tend or leave the flag in for the first player, once they hole out then that player can do the same for the next one.  I've been leaving it in for long putts and removing like previous years for normal putts but in my next round I'm going to leave the flag in all day and see if or how it effects play.

Edited January 29, 2019 by RemyM