Brad Faxon's Comments

[JohnVDB]

The USGA ships new flagsticks and cups to every course hosting a championship.  Partly for consistency and partly for appearance as they didn’t like the way they looked different at every championship.


We used to have to ship them on to other championships during the year, but by the third event, they started to look too dinged up so they decided to ship brand new ones to every event. It is a small cost in the long run. Same with tee markers, which usually get given to the local golf association to use for qualifiers at the end of the championship.


Also, but shipping flagsticks and cups, there was never anny issues with flagsticks sticking in the hole when someone tried to pull them.

[A.G._Crockett]

Ruling bodies should have added an optional model local rule to require the removal of the flagstick.  Also rule should be once flag is removed it is not returned until play of the hole is completed by everyone in the group, you want the flag in play out first.

So you believe the choice regarding the flagstick should overrule the order of play?  No way IMO.

You are, of course, correct; making the flagstick more significant than the order of play would be impossible and crazy.




Fwiw, the only time any of this is an issue is when one guy wants the stick out, and everyone else wants it in.  I had this exact situation in the first round NC Super Senior Championship this past Tuesday.  One guy pretty much always wanted the stock out; the other three of us preferred it in, or didn’t care, depending on the particular putt.  It was a little inconvenient at first until all of us connected with what each other wanted; after that, it was a complete non-issue.




The interesting thing to me about the “new” flagstick rules is that pretty much nobody ever asks for the pin to be tended anymore.  Players want the stick in or out. Don’t know what that means, but it’s interesting.

[Rob Marshall]

I agree it works well for long putts and depth perception. Other than that I don’t care.

[JohnVDB]

The interesting thing to me about the “new” flagstick rules is that pretty much nobody ever asks for the pin to be tended anymore.  Players want the stick in or out. Don’t know what that means, but it’s interesting.

Back in 2019 I officiated the second Korn Ferry tournament under the new rules.  I was speaking with their head official about the experience from the first week.  His comment on this was that leaving the flagstick in on long putts had sped up play.  He said the player and caddie would read the putt and then the player could hit it rather than waiting for the caddie to walk up to the hole to attend the flagstick.

[Craig Sweet]

I don't believe NBC's golf commentating could be anymore insipid and stupid. Even with the sound off it hurts my ears.