Abstract: A housing containing a spring loaded retractable spool of line with a hooking member for attaching either the end of the line or the housing to a golf hole flag pole in order to play out the string from the spool to measure the distance between the flag stick and a golf ball on a putting green. In the embodiment where the housing is attached to the flag stick, the hooking member is formed from two pivotally connected clip members having arcuate first ends and pointed second ends. The arcuate first ends cooperate with each other to encircle the flag stick, for attaching the housing thereto, and the pointed second ends function as a tool for repairing ball marks in the turf. The line may have a marker slidably attached to the line for use when measuring the distance of a plurality of different golf balls from the flag stick.