Golf Forums - Tending the flag

 Last week whilst playing in a four ball friendly game a player was asked to tend the flag.  The ball was putted and as it was travelling towards the hole, the tender was desperately trying to remove the flag, but failed to do so. The ball went in, with the flag in the hole.  As it was a friendly (+ none of us new what the rule was on this), we let it go. 

I have since looked this up & it is a strange one.

If a player deliberately fails to remove the flag, he shall be considered in breach of the fair play rules & be disqualified.  If he makes an attempt to, but fails to remove it.......now wait for it....the putter shall be penalised 2 shots in stroke play & loss of hole in Matchplay!!

Seems a bit harsh, but it could help you to win a match if you pretend to remove flag, but insist it was stuck.

When I tend the flag I remove it from the bottom of the hole and place the bottom of the flag into the cup, tilting the flag back at an angle.

Doing this means there is nothing to stop the flag from coming out of the hole.

I have come across this before and getting two penalty shots does seem harsh, especially as the person tending the flag was trying to get it out!

Russ

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