How Flag Markers are used in Golf
How do find a hole with a diameter of 4.5 inches on hundreds of acres of land? Already a long game, golf would be interminable if courses didn't have flags to mark where each hole is located on a green. Flown on slender sticks several feet above the ground, they can be spotted from hundreds of yards away. Also known as pins, golf flags can tell an experienced player far more than the location of the hole. Like what?
Flag color
Some courses use color coding to indicate the position of the hole on the green, be it front, middle, or back. But because there is no standard color coding system, players should check their scorecards if they suspect a course's flags are color coded.
Marker height
When color coding is not used, the height of the marker flags may denote the position of the hole on the green. As a general rule, a tall marker indicates a hole that is closer to the back of the green, while a short one lets players know that it is closer to the front.
Hole number
As large as they are, its relatively easy for players to get lost on courses they are unfamiliar with. But when they do, they need only look for the closet numbered flag to figure out which hole they're on.