Yes, you can leave the flagstick in, and yes, you can repair a ball mark or a spike mark. A ball hanging over the hole gets a reasonable time for you to reach it, plus ten seconds. Two mistakes cost strokes: lifting your ball without marking it first (one penalty stroke), and a ball that drops in after the waiting time is over (it counts as holed, with one penalty stroke added).
The AnswersFive green questions, five answers
| Question | Answer | Rule | Penalty if you get it wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can I leave the flagstick in? | Yes. You decide before the stroke whether it stays in or comes out. If your ball hits it while it is left in, there is no penalty and you play the ball as it lies. | 13.2a | General penalty if you deliberately move it off-centre to gain an advantage and the ball hits it. |
| Can I repair a ball mark or spike mark? | Yes, during your round, by restoring the green as nearly as possible to its original condition without unreasonably delaying play. | 13.1c | General penalty if you go beyond that, for example by creating a pathway to the hole. |
| How long do I wait for a ball on the lip? | A reasonable time to reach the hole, plus ten more seconds. If it falls in during that time, you holed out with your last stroke. | 13.3a | If it falls in after the waiting time, it counts as holed with one penalty stroke added. |
| Do I have to mark my ball before lifting it? | Yes, when it must be replaced on its original spot. Mark with a ball-marker right behind or next to the ball, or hold a club on the ground there. | 14.1a | One penalty stroke. |
| What if I accidentally move my ball or marker? | No penalty. Replace the ball on its original spot, or put a ball-marker there. | 13.1d, 9.4b | None for the accident. Playing from the wrong place in breach of 13.1d costs the general penalty. |
Source: The R&A and USGA, Rules of Golf, Rules 13, 14 and 9.
"General penalty" is two penalty strokes in stroke play. The rest of this page goes through each answer in more detail.
FlagstickIn, out or attended
Under Rule 13.2 you decide before the stroke whether the flagstick is in the hole or out of it. That goes for a putt and for a ball played from anywhere else on the course.
Leave it in (Rule 13.2a). You can leave it where it is, or have it centred and left in place. If the ball hits it, there is no penalty and you play the ball as it lies. After the stroke, you and your caddie must not deliberately move or remove it to affect where the ball comes to rest. Other players must not do that either when you have left it in.
Take it out or have it attended (Rule 13.2b). Someone can hold it in, above or next to the hole, then pull it out during or after the stroke. It counts as attended if your caddie is holding it or standing right next to the hole, if you ask someone to attend it, or if you see someone attending it and do not ask them to move away. If your ball accidentally hits the flagstick or the person holding it, there is no penalty. If the person deliberately deflects or stops your ball, Rule 11.2c applies.
Ball resting against the flagstick (Rule 13.2c). If any part of the ball is below the surface in the hole, it is holed, even if the whole ball is not. If not, it is not holed and you play it as it lies. If the flagstick is removed and the ball moves, there is no penalty, and the ball is replaced on the lip of the hole.
RepairsWhat you can fix on the green
Rule 13.1c lets you do two things during a round that are not allowed elsewhere: remove sand and loose soil without penalty, and repair damage. To repair damage, use your hand, foot or another body part, a normal ball-mark repair tool, a tee, a club, or similar normal equipment. Restore the green as nearly as possible to its original condition, and do not unreasonably delay play. This also applies while play is stopped under Rule 5.7a.
| Damage | Can you repair it? |
|---|---|
| Ball marks | Yes |
| Shoe and spike damage | Yes |
| Scrapes or indentations from equipment or a flagstick | Yes |
| Old hole plugs and turf plugs | Yes |
| Seams of cut turf | Yes |
| Scrapes from maintenance tools or vehicles | Yes |
| Animal tracks | Yes |
| Embedded objects and their indentations | Yes |
| Aeration holes | No, not treated as damage |
| Grooves from vertical mowing | No, not treated as damage |
| Effects of irrigation, rain or natural forces | No, not treated as damage |
| Natural surface imperfections, such as weeds or uneven growth | No, not treated as damage |
| Natural wear of the hole | No, not treated as damage |
Source: The R&A and USGA, Rules of Golf, Rule 13.1c.
The limit is in the same rule. If you do more than is reasonable to restore the green, such as creating a pathway to the hole, or use something that is not a permitted tool, you get the general penalty under Rule 8.1a.
MarkingMark and replace your ball, step by step
- Mark the spot first. Put a ball-marker right behind or next to the ball, or hold a club on the ground right behind or next to it (Rule 14.1a).
- Lift the ball. You can lift it yourself or have someone you authorize each time. Your caddie can lift it on the putting green without asking (Rule 14.1b). You may clean a ball lifted from the putting green (Rule 14.1c).
- Put it back on the same spot. Set it down by hand on its original spot and release it so it stays there. Only you, or the person who lifted it, may replace it (Rule 14.2b). If the spot is not known, you estimate it (Rule 14.2c).
- Take the marker away before you putt. A ball-marker still in place when you play the stroke costs a penalty (Rule 14.1a).
One penalty stroke applies if you lift without marking, mark incorrectly, play with the marker still in place (Rule 14.1a), or replace the ball incorrectly (Rule 14.2b). Playing from the wrong place in breach of Rule 14.2 costs the general penalty.
On the LipThe overhanging ball and the ten-second rule
When any part of your ball overhangs the lip of the hole, Rule 13.3a gives you a reasonable time to reach the hole, plus ten more seconds to see whether it falls.
- It drops during the waiting time: you holed out with your previous stroke.
- It does not drop in that time: the ball is treated as at rest, and you play it as it lies.
- It drops after the waiting time, before you play it: you holed out with your previous stroke, but one penalty stroke is added to your score for the hole.
Rule 13.3b covers someone lifting or moving the ball before the waiting time ends. The ball is replaced on the lip and the waiting time no longer applies. In match play, if your opponent deliberately lifts or moves it, you are treated as having holed out with your previous stroke. In stroke play, another player who deliberately does it gets the general penalty.
AccidentsIf your ball or marker gets moved
Accidentally moving your ball or ball-marker on the green carries no penalty (Rules 13.1d and 9.4b). Put the ball back on its original spot, estimating it if you are not sure, or put a ball-marker there. There is one exception in Rule 13.1d: if the ball starts to move during your backswing or stroke and you make the stroke, you play it as it lies.
If the wind moves a ball you already lifted and replaced, it goes back to where it moved from (Rule 9.3). If you had not lifted it, you play it from its new spot.
Using itHow to use this page
Find your situation in the table at the top, then read the matching section for the detail. Every answer carries its rule number, so you can look up the exact wording in the Rules of Golf if a playing partner disagrees.
If you want to know how fast the greens you are repairing are rolling, see the green speed chart. If your ball is off the green and you need relief, the golf relief cheat sheet covers where to drop. For other golf terms, see the golf glossary.
Your club or committee may have a local rule that changes something on this page. When the course posts one, follow it.
Watch forCommon mistakes
Lifting without marking. The ball goes back on the exact spot, so mark first. Lifting without marking is a one-stroke penalty under Rule 14.1a.
Rolling a ball to test the green. During a round, you must not deliberately rub the surface or roll a ball to test the green (Rule 13.1e). Between holes, you can do it on the green of the hole you just finished and on any practice green. A committee may ban rolling on the green you just finished with a local rule.
Repairing too much. Fixing a ball mark is fine. Building a pathway to the hole is not, and costs the general penalty (Rule 13.1c).
Moving the flagstick off-centre. If you deliberately lean it to gain an advantage and the ball hits it, that is the general penalty (Rule 13.2a).
Treating aeration holes like ball marks. They are listed as not being damage under Rule 13.1c.
Leaving the marker down. Playing a stroke with the ball-marker still in place is a one-stroke penalty (Rule 14.1a).
FAQQuick answers
Can I leave the flagstick in when I putt?
Yes. Rule 13.2a lets you leave it in or have it centred and left in place. If your ball hits it, there is no penalty and you play the ball as it lies. The one catch is deliberately moving it off-centre to gain an advantage.
Can I fix a spike mark on the green?
Yes. Shoe and spike damage is listed in Rule 13.1c as damage you may repair during a round. Restore the green as nearly as possible to its original condition, use your hand, foot, a ball-mark repair tool, a tee or a club, and do not unreasonably delay play.
How long do I wait for a ball on the edge of the hole?
A reasonable time to reach the hole, plus ten seconds (Rule 13.3a). If the ball falls in during that time, you holed out with your previous stroke. If it falls in later, before you play it, it counts as holed with one penalty stroke added.
What if my ball hits the flagstick?
If you left it in, there is no penalty (Rule 13.2a). If it was removed or attended and your ball accidentally hits it or the person holding it, there is no penalty either (Rule 13.2b). You play the ball as it lies.
Is there a penalty if I knock my ball with my putter or foot on the green?
No, if it is an accident. Rule 9.4b says there is no penalty when you accidentally cause your ball to move on the putting green. Replace it on its original spot.
Can I fix aeration holes before I putt?
Not under Rule 13.1c. Aeration holes are listed there as not being damage you can repair. Check with your club or committee for any local rule.