3. No need to remove the flag for putts on the green
From January 1, 2019, there will no longer be a penalty if a ball played from the putting green hits a flagstick left in the hole. Players will now have a choice over whether or not to have the flagstick removed, which includes having someone attend the flag and remove it after the ball is played. It is reckoned that this change will generally help to speed up play and it is expected that, on balance, there should be no advantage in being able to putt with the unattended flagstick in the hole.
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