Notice a significant difference of pace of play with flags left in the hole?

[duffer_mcmulligan]

I've actually noticed that its slower. I play as a single most of the time getting paired with strangers. Always have to ask on the first green what people do. I personally still take it out for everything within 30 feet or so. I had one gentlemen go on a Bryson still scientific rant about leaving it in. He was the only one in the group who wanted it in.

I think it was in the May issue of golf digest that the science says take it out still.

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/take-the-flagstick-out

Just because the rule changed people take it out? It seems strange to me. Given the option, you would think most people who have been playing for years who still take it out.

All the studies I have seen support leaving the stick in the hole. The pin does not cause many if any misses and those shots that are hit hard and would run over the hole, when they hit the pin, the miss is much less than if there was no pin.

Just one example of several:

https://www.golf.com/Instruction/2019/01/02/dave-plez-putt-with-the-flagstick-in-rule-change-2018

[rpangman]

We spent the winter in Arizona and started leaving the pin in on Jan.1st when the rule changed. Absolutely love it. Speeds up play and we feel that we actually make more putts with it in.

[Benz]

In our round on Thursday, one of my playing partners had two 'encounters' with the flagstick. The first was when his putt from 15 feet hit the flagstick, then rebounded off the near rim of the cup, ultimately stopping 4 inches away from the hole directly opposite from where the putt started. The second was when he had a reasonably steep downhill putt that struck the flagstick and dropped into the hole. So, sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't.

My observation has been that people are more aggressive with their mid-length and short putts in their attempts to hit the flagstick. When they miss, the ball travels past the hole a little further than it probably would have prior to the rule change.

[bogey5]

All the studies I have seen support leaving the stick in the hole. The pin does not cause many if any misses and those shots that are hit hard and would run over the hole, when they hit the pin, the miss is much less than if there was no pin.

Just one example of several:

https://www.golf.com/Instruction/201...le-change-2018

Studies suggest that if a ball hits the pin and does not go in the golfer will blame the pin. And if a ball hits the pin and goes in his/her playing partners will blame the pin.

I no longer like the look of a hole with the pin in when putting. It just looks weird.

[Benz]

So far this season, among my playing partners, I've experienced a mix of preferences regarding whether to leave the flagstick in while putting. I have found that of those who want the flagstick taken out, it is predominantly for putts less than 15 feet in length. Further, what usually happens is that one of the group will remove the flagstick and hold it (as opposed to laying it down on the putting surface). Given this, once all putts have been holed, there is no walking around to pick up the flagstick before replacing it. This alone helps to keep things moving. So, I've got that going for me. Which, is nice.