Golf Glossary
Flagstick
In short
The flagstick is the movable pole with a flag that stands in the hole and shows where the hole is. Under Rule 13.2 you may leave it in the hole when putting, remove it or have a playing partner hold it. If the ball hits the flagstick in the hole, there has been no penalty since 2019, and the ball is played as it lies.
What is the flagstick in golf?
The flagstick is a movable pole that stands in the hole. At the top it carries a flag. Together they are also simply called the flag or the pin. The Rules of Golf use flagstick to mean the pole together with everything attached to it.
Its job is simple. It shows from a distance where the hole is. Without it the hole would be hard to see on a large green, especially for an approach from 150 metres or more. The position of the flagstick changes often. Greenkeepers usually move the hole regularly so that the turf around it can recover and the game stays varied.
On some courses the colour of the flag shows whether the hole is at the front, middle or back of the green. Which colour means what is up to the course. If you are playing a course for the first time, it is worth looking at the notices in the clubhouse or on the course guide.
Construction and dimensions: flagstick and hole
The flagstick is usually round and designed to be easy to see. The Rules of Golf define it as a movable pole provided by the Committee that stands in the hole. It is therefore not part of the players' equipment.
The hole itself has a fixed diameter of 108 millimetres and a depth of at least 101.6 millimetres. A ball counts as holed when it lies in the hole completely below the surface of the green.
The pole usually stands in the centre of the hole. When putting there are two ways: it stays in the hole, or it is removed before the stroke. A playing partner may also hold it, see below.
For the care of the green: after taking the pole out, do not throw it onto the green. Lay it gently on the ground, away from putting lines. That way the turf and your playing partners' lines stay unharmed.
Rule 13.2: leave the flagstick in, remove it or attend it
Rule 13.2 governs what you may do with the flagstick. You have three options:
- Leave the flagstick in the hole. You may putt without removing it. If the ball hits the pole, there is no penalty.
- Remove the flagstick. You take it out before the putt and lay it aside. If the ball hits the removed pole, that is also free of penalty.
- Attend the flagstick. A playing partner or your caddie holds it so that you can see the target, and takes it out during or after the stroke.
You must decide before the stroke. That also applies to strokes from off the green, for example a chip. There too you may leave the flagstick in.
It is forbidden to deliberately position the pole off-centre to gain an advantage. Anyone who does so and whose ball hits the pole gets the general penalty of two strokes. Likewise nobody may deliberately move or remove the pole while the ball is moving, in order to influence where it comes to rest.
The ball rests against the flagstick
Sometimes a ball comes to rest right against the flagstick. What matters is whether it is already in the hole.
If even a small part of the ball is below the surface of the green in the hole, the ball counts as holed. It is then at the target, even though it still leans on the pole.
If it lies entirely above the surface, it is not holed. Then you play the ball as it lies. If you remove the flagstick and the ball moves as a result, you place it on the lip of the hole. If it falls in as you do so, it counts as holed. Neither costs a penalty.
This case is rare but important. Many players do not know that a ball against the flagstick lying only partly below the surface already counts as holed. The 2019 rule made that clear.
A practical example: a long putt with the flagstick in
You are playing a par-4 hole. You reach the green in two strokes. The ball lies 12 metres from the hole. The flagstick is in the hole. You decide to leave it there. It helps you judge the distance.
You putt. The ball rolls straight at the hole and hits the pole. It drops into the hole. That is allowed. You have taken three strokes, a birdie. Before 2019 this putt would have cost two penalty strokes in stroke play, because the ball played from the green hit the flagstick in the hole. Since the rule change it is no problem.
If the ball had come to rest against the pole, the lie would have decided: if part of it is below the surface of the green in the hole, it counts as holed. Otherwise you play it as it lies. In every case what matters is that you decided before the stroke.
Common mistakes and tips
The same mistakes come up again and again with the flagstick:
- Applying the old rule: many still think the ball must not hit the flag. That has not been true since 2019.
- Throwing the pole: throwing the flagstick onto the green can damage the turf.
- Laying the pole on a putting line: put it down so that it does not touch anyone's line.
- Deciding after the stroke: whether the flag stays in must be decided beforehand.
- Ignoring the centre: the pole should stand straight and in the middle of the hole.
One tip: many players leave the flag in for long putts because they see the target better. On short putts many take it out. There is no fixed rule, it is a matter of taste.
One more etiquette tip: whoever holds the pole stands still and to the side, without casting a shadow on the line, and takes it out in good time. That saves time and avoids mistakes.
The flagstick compared with the flag and the pin
Around the flagstick there are several terms that overlap.
The flagstick is the pole itself. Flag usually means the cloth at the top, though in everyday speech it often means the whole unit. The pin is another word for it and is also used in German golf talk. When golfers speak of a pin, they usually mean the position of the hole on the green, for example a difficult pin behind a bunker.
The hole is the opening in the green. It has a diameter of 108 millimetres. The flagstick stands in it but is not part of it.
And the green is the area around the hole where putting takes place. You will find more in the entries on the green and the putt.
Try it at Golf Lounge
You experience the flagstick in play best on a real green. The 9-hole Black course at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg has par-3 and par-4 holes as well as protected greens. It can be played with the DGV Platzreife from April to December. You book your tee time online, and one to four players can be booked per tee time. That way you can try Rule 13.2 straight away in practice.
Frequently asked questions
May you putt with the flagstick in the hole?
Yes. Since 2019 you may leave the flagstick in the hole when putting. If the ball hits the pole, there is no penalty. You must decide before the stroke. You must not position the pole deliberately off-centre to gain an advantage.
Is there a penalty if the ball hits the flagstick?
No. If the ball hits the flagstick in the hole or a removed flagstick, there has been no penalty since 2019. The ball is played as it lies. Only if the pole was deliberately placed off-centre and the ball hits it is there the general penalty of two strokes.
Should I leave the flag in or take it out when putting?
Both are allowed. On long putts many players leave the flag in because they see the target better. On short putts many take it out. There is no fixed recommendation. All that matters is that you decide before the stroke.
When does a ball against the flagstick count as holed?
As soon as even part of the ball is below the surface of the green in the hole, it counts as holed, even if it leans on the pole. If it lies entirely above the surface, it is not holed and is played as it lies.
What does pin mean in golf?
Pin is the English word for the flagstick. In everyday talk golfers often also mean the position of the hole on the green, for example a difficult pin behind a bunker. When the hole position changes, the pin changes. The greenkeepers move the hole regularly.
As of: October 2026