Golf Glossary
Flagstick (Pin)
In short
The flagstick, also called the pin or flag, is a pole with a flag that stands in the hole on the green. It shows from far away where the hole is. You may choose whether it stays in the hole or is removed when you putt.
Flagstick and pin: what is it?
On every green a thin pole stands in the hole, carrying a small flag at the top. That is the flagstick. Because it can be seen from far away, it serves as the target for the shot onto the green. In everyday talk golfers say flag, pin or flagstick. All three words mean the same thing.
The official Rules of Golf use the term flagstick. They describe it as a movable pole provided by the Committee and placed in the hole to show players where the hole is. The flag and anything attached to the pole are part of it.
Many phrases come from the word pin. Pin high means the ball is level with the flag but off to the side. The pin is back means the hole is in the rear part of the green. When golfers speak of the pin position, they simply mean the spot on the green where the hole is cut today.
Rules: leave the flagstick in or take it out
Since the 2019 rules reform the choice is simple. You may leave the flagstick in the hole or remove it. If your ball hits the flagstick in the hole when you putt, there is no penalty any more. In stroke play it used to cost two penalty strokes. The reform was meant, among other things, to speed up play, because nobody has to hold or pull out the flagstick.
The choice applies to every stroke, not only on the green. Even for a chip from the fringe you decide yourself. If you want the flagstick removed or held, say so before the stroke. The person holding it takes it out in good time and lays it down.
If the ball rests against the flagstick in the hole, this applies: if part of the ball is in the hole below the surface of the green, the ball is holed, even if it still leans against the flagstick. If it merely touches the flagstick with no part below the surface, it is not holed and is played as it lies. If the flagstick is removed and the ball moves, there is no penalty and the ball is placed back on the lip of the hole.
Pin position: why the hole moves
The hole is not always in the same place on the green. Greenkeepers cut the hole in a new spot regularly so that the turf wears evenly. If all players always stepped on the same area, footprints and bare patches would appear. For this reason the flagstick moves around the green regularly. Each course decides how often. On many courses it happens several times a week.
Course staff usually place the hole several paces from the edge of the green and, where possible, not on very steep slopes, so that a putt stays fair. This creates positions at the front, middle, back, left or right. In competitions the pin position is often set in advance and published on a pin sheet.
On many courses the colour of the flag shows roughly where the hole is, for example front, middle or back. Each course decides for itself what the colours mean. Ask before the round what applies, or look it up on the scorecard or the course map.
Example from practice: pin at the back, bunker in front
Imagine a par 3 that is 150 metres to the flagstick. The pin stands in the back part of the green and a bunker lies in front. The green is 25 metres deep, so the middle is at about 140 metres and the front edge at about 130.
If you aim straight at the pin, you need 150 metres of carry. The pin is only a few metres from the back edge. If the ball flies a little too far, it lands behind the green. If it comes up well short, the bunker is waiting. It is better to aim at the middle of the green, at about 140 metres. That gives you a good ten metres of room both short and long. The putt is a little longer, but the bunker and the back of the green are avoided.
Golfers call this target selection. The pin is not always the right target. The middle of the green is safer for many players, especially when the pin is close to bunkers or the edge. The numbers are a worked example. The depth of greens and your own distances differ.
Etiquette around the flagstick
If you remove the flagstick, lay it down gently on the ground outside the putting lines of the other players. Do not throw it, because that can damage the green. Whoever holds it stands so that the shadow does not fall on the putting line and takes it out in good time. After holing out, someone puts the flagstick back in the hole before the group leaves the green.
Do not lean on the flagstick and do not press it against the edge of the hole. The edge of the hole breaks easily otherwise. Under the rules you may repair damage caused, for example, by the flagstick or by equipment. Natural wear of the hole is not included.
If several players are at the green at once, the player closest to the hole or whose ball is already holed usually holds the flagstick. The player whose ball is furthest from the hole plays first. Whoever holds the flagstick watches the ball and avoids steps behind the player.
Typical mistakes and misunderstandings
Some misunderstandings surround the flagstick.
- The flagstick must be out: that has been wrong since 2019. You decide whether it stays in.
- Hitting the flagstick costs penalty strokes: not any more when putting from the green. The flagstick in the hole can even help if it slows down a putt that is too fast. Whether this brings an advantage in a given case is judged differently.
- Always aim at the pin: especially when the pin is near the edge you should aim at the middle of the green.
- Playing short: many recreational golfers hit approaches too short because they underestimate the distance to the pin. Allow for the pin position when you work out the distance.
- Misreading the flag colour: the meaning of colours is not the same everywhere. Ask.
A rangefinder shows the distance to the pin precisely. In competitions the use of such devices may be restricted by a local rule. Check the notice of competition.
Comparison: flagstick, hole and flag pole
The flagstick and the hole are two different things. The hole is the opening in the green into which the ball should drop. It has a diameter of 108 millimetres. The flagstick stands in it and marks it. The ball is only holed when it is in the hole.
In casual talk some speak of the pole when they mean the stick itself and of the flag when they mean the cloth. For the rules both are part of the flagstick.
The flagstick should also be told apart from the ball marker. That is a small coin or marker with which you mark the position of your ball on the green before lifting it. It has nothing to do with the flagstick. The pitch mark has a different purpose as well: it is the small dent a ball leaves when it lands on the green and is repaired with a pitch repairer.
Try it at Golf Lounge
You learn approach shots best where they actually occur: on the 9-hole Black course at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg. The course is a par 33 with par 3 and par 4 holes, plus water hazards, bunkers and protected greens. It can be played with the Platzreife (DGV) and is open from April to December. Up to four players can book per tee time.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pin in golf?
Pin is the English word for the flagstick that stands in the hole on the green. Golfers say pin, flagstick or flag and mean the same thing. The Rules of Golf call it the flagstick. It shows the position of the hole from afar and serves as the target for the shot to the green.
Does the flagstick have to come out when putting?
No. Since 2019 you may leave the flagstick in the hole or remove it. If your ball hits the flagstick in the hole when you putt from the green, there is no penalty. If you want it removed or held, say so before the stroke.
What happens if the ball rests against the flagstick in the hole?
If part of the ball is in the hole below the surface of the green, it counts as holed, even if it still leans on the flagstick. If it only rests against the flagstick with no part below the surface in the hole, it is not holed. Then you play it as it lies.
What do the flag colours mean?
On many courses the colour shows roughly where the hole is, for example front, middle or back of the green. Which colour stands for what is decided by each course. Ask before the round or check the course map and the scorecard.
Why is the flagstick not always in the same place?
Greenkeepers cut the hole in a new spot regularly so that the turf wears evenly and no footprints appear. This keeps the green healthy and gives the hole new putts and target positions. In competitions the position is often set in advance.
As of: October 2026