Dear Linda,
I have noticed that when the pros get a hole-in-one or
hole out from off the green they always take their ball out of the hole without
removing the flagstick. Is there a reason for this, as they are far more likely
to damage the hole this way. When I have done it by taking the flag first and
then the ball, I have been threatened with penalties by those who watch golf on
TV.
With thanks for your continued help.
Lou from the South of France
Dear Lou,
There is no Rule that governs how to remove the ball from
the hole. The Rules assume the golfer has enough sense to figure out how to do
that without instructions. There is no reason why a careful golfer can’t remove
a ball without damaging the hole, regardless of the presence of the flagstick.
The next time you are threatened with a penalty, hand your
rulebook to the misinformed golfer and tell him you will gladly accept a
penalty if he can show you what Rule you violated.
I am inclined to recommend that when you hole a ball from
off the green you remove the ball before
you take out the flagstick, just as you see the pros do on television. If you
pull out the flagstick and the ball at the same time, the pressure of the stick
against the ball may damage the hole. You are much less likely to cause any
damage if you reach in and carefully pull out the ball first.
Linda
Copyright © 2017 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
