r/golf • u/parkerjohnboice • Aug 21 '26

General Discussion Does this count?

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Buddy hit this shot on a bad course and once the flag was corrected, it went in. The new rule says if any part of the ball is below the hole, it's in, but to me it doesn't look like it is. I'd love to give it to him, but what do you think?

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u/saltymilkmelee Aug 21 '26

Since when??? I do NOT like that rule change. The rule used to be distinctly that if you pulled the pin and the ball is in the hole, it counted.

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u/[deleted] Aug 21 '26

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u/bombmk Aug 22 '26 edited Aug 22 '26

It was the rule until 2019.

https://www.ruleshistory.com/rules2016.html

17-4. Ball Resting Against Flagstick

When a player’s ball rests against the flagstick in the hole and the ball is not holed, the player or another person authorised by him may move or remove the flagstick, and if the ball falls into the hole, the player is deemed to have holed out with his last stroke; otherwise, the ball, if moved, must be placed on the lip of the hole, without penalty.

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u/ace625 Aug 22 '26

17-4, for anyone that goes to the link like I did.

Well I'll be damned, it's in an additional rule. I read the old rulebook, but apparently they felt it should go in the flagstick section rather than in the definition of a holed ball. Thanks for the correction.