[JimSomebody]

Interesting that the strong consensus among this thread's posters (so far) is to leave the stick in. I play with a lot of guys, including single-digit handicaps, who ask that the flagstick be taken out as they're preparing to chip. It makes for a brief mini-drama ("he's goin' for it!"), and I've even heard them say that the stick will keep the ball out. Or if they neglected to remove the stick and their chip hits the stick and bounces away, they remark, "That would have gone in if the stick hadn't been there." I've never quite bought that.

If I'm lining up a make-able chip, carefully reading the green, a playing partner will correctly assume I'm trying to make it and to be helpful will ask, "Shall I take out the stick?" I say no. I sometimes refer to Pelz's study, but it sounds pedantic, plus which a guy who's in the process of shooting 90 doesn't always have a lot of credibility. So I usually make a little joke about needing it as a backstop.