One of the biggest problems average golfers have with lost-ball or out-of-bounds situations is the thought of having to walk back to the previous location to play another shot. The same holds true for retrieving a forgotten club or walking off the front of a green to go back to a cart. Golf is a keep-moving sport and “moving” backwards goes against the ingrained principle.
This brings us to today’s topic: a flagstick that is not replaced (or replaced poorly) on a putting green. You can bet the group that left it on the ground on the putting green or put it back in a way where it is now listing is not going to return and fix the issue, if they even are aware of it.
RELATED: How to put the flagstick back in the hole properly
Now it’s up to you, in the group behind, to figure out what to do. Here’s a hypothetical you might find interesting: say they left the flag in a spot on the green where it would serve as a “backstop” of sorts should your shot roll past the hole. You might think you have to replace the flag before hitting your chip, pitch, approach, etc.
Truth is, you don’t. Rule 13.2a(1)/1 says you have the right to leave the flagstick in the position the preceding group left it. Now, you might have an issue with playing an approach without the flagstick in the hole because it’s hard to know where to aim, but you are not required to go up and replace a stick on the ground. Also, say the flagstick was leaning in one direction and that lean could help you with your next shot. Again, there is no penalty if you leave the flagstick in that listing state.
If another player in your group went up to the stick and centred it, you can put it back in the leaning position before playing your next shot. Pretty cool, right? One of golf’s principles is to play the course as it’s found. That might mean having to hit a bunker shot out of a footprint or racing a shot by the hole only to have a flagstick stop it.
Keep in mind that you also can have a flagstick removed to play a shot, but you can’t put the stick down in a position where it might help you (Rule 11.2). If the ball hits the stick, you’d get the general penalty (loss of hole in matchplay, two shots in strokeplay).
