Flag (Pin)
The flag marks the position of the hole on the green.
The flag, pin or flagstick in English, stands in the hole and shows you from far away where the target lies. The flag colours reveal on many courses the position of the hole: front, middle or back on the green. That way you choose your shot better before you see the green up close. The position changes regularly so that wear is distributed and the hole stays varied. At tournaments there are official hole positions, often in difficult variants.
Since the rule change of 2019, with the flag left in you may putt. Earlier there were penalty strokes for that. Today it is your choice: a flag left in can cushion balls, a removed flag gives a free view. Example: your ball lies twelve metres from the hole, you putt downhill. Many leave the flag in then, so that a ball that is too fast does not run far past. Whoever pulls or lifts the flag must lay it down so that nobody steps on it.
One misunderstanding is the meaning of the flag height. Some courses additionally mark via the position of the flag on the stick whether the hole lies front or back. That is course convention, not a rule. Ask at the club office if you play a facility for the first time. The current hole positions are often posted there.
FAQ
Does the flag have to come out when putting if my ball lies on the green?
No, since 2019 you may putt with the flag left in, whether your ball lies on the green or not. The decision is a matter of taste: removed it gives a free view, left in it can slow a ball that is too fast. If your ball misses the hole only because of the flag left in, there is no penalty.
Why does the hole position on the green change constantly?
So that wear on the putting surface is distributed and the hole stays varied. If every group treads the same spot for days, dents and bare patches form. At tournaments the management sets the positions, on the final day often in particularly difficult variants.
Does the flag height tell me where the hole lies?
On some courses yes: the position of the flag on the stick additionally marks whether the hole lies front or back on the green. But that is course convention, not a rule — there is no uniform meaning. If you are playing a facility for the first time, ask at the club office; the current hole positions are often posted there.