Knowing exactly when you can pull the flag in golf feels like something that should be simple, but thanks to a major rule change a few years back, it's a point of confusion for many golfers. Getting it wrong used to mean a penalty, and getting conflicting advice on the course can leave you second-guessing an already tricky putt. This guide will walk you through the modern rules for the flagstick, the strategy behind leaving it in or taking it out, and the proper etiquette for helping your playing partners, so you can step onto any green with complete confidence.
For decades, the answer was straightforward: if you were putting from the green, the flagstick had to be out of the hole when your ball arrived. If it wasn't, you faced a two-stroke penalty (in stroke play) or loss of hole (in match play). That all changed in 2019.
The USGA and R&A implemented a major modernization of the Rules of Golf, and one of the most impactful changes was Rule 13.2a(2). Here's the bottom line:
You are now allowed to make a stroke from anywhere on the putting green with the flagstick left in the hole. If your ball hits the unattended flagstick in the hole, there is no penalty.
That's it. It’s that simple. You have the choice to putt with the flagstick in or out, and you won’t be penalized for your decision. The goal was to simplify the rules and, most notably, to speed up play. No longer does a group have to wait for someone to walk up and tend the flag on every long putt. You can just step up and putt, saving time and mental energy on the green.
This is now the default rule, but old habits die hard. You will still play with golfers who insist on pulling the flag, either by tending it for you or pulling it before you putt. While often well-intentioned, it's worth knowing that the choice is now entirely yours.
Just because you can leave the flagstick in doesn’t mean you always should. The decision to pull the flag or leave it in has become a strategic one, based on the situation, the flagstick itself, and your personal preference.
Ultimately, the decision is a "you do you" scenario. Experiment with both a little and see what gives you the most confidence.
While the rules have become more lenient, timeless golf etiquette has not. Knowing how and when to handle the flagstick for your playing partners is the mark of a considerate golfer.
"Attending" or "tending" the flag is the act of holding the flagstick and removing it from the hole as another player's putt approaches. Since the 2019 rule change, a player specifically has to authorize you to attend the flagstick for them.
The process is as follows:
There's a right way and a wrong way to do this. Following these simple steps will ensure you’re helping, not hurting:
Even with the rules laid out, a few tricky situations always seem to pop up on the course. Here’s how to handle them.
This is covered by Rule 13.2c. If any part of your ball is in the hole below the surface of the putting green, your ball is considered holed - even if the rest of it is leaning against the flagstick and isn't entirely in the cup. You are allowed to gently move or remove the flagstick, and if the ball drops into the hole, you've holed out on your previous stroke. No penalty!
The old penalty only ever applied to strokes made from the putting green. It has always been permissible to leave the flagstick in when chipping, pitching, or playing a bunker shot from off the green. In fact, for many golfers, leaving the pin in on a tough chip is a great strategy to help stop the ball near the hole. The 2019 rule change didn’t affect this, it simply extended the same logic to putts on the green.
There's no penalty. If your opponent in match play or another player in stroke play deliberately removes the flagstick to affect your ball in motion, that’s another story (and a penalty on them). But if a playing partner simply pulls the flag out of habit before you putt, there is no penalty for you. You can either putt at the empty hole or ask them to put it back in if you prefer it.
In short, the choice to pull the flag is now yours on every putt. You can leverage the flagstick as a backstop for aggressive putts or remove it for a clean-looking, traditional target. There's no right or wrong answer - only the one that fills you with the most confidence when you’re standing over the ball.
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