The Purple Flag Pole Golf Puzzle in Big Walk has a nasty trick: the arrow on the map points to a spot where no ball exists. You will not find it by wandering around the flag pole, and you will not solve this by trial and error. The ball you need is still sitting at a previous golf puzzle near the green tower, on the other side of the map. This guide covers the full retrieval route, the exact order of travel, and the two or three moments where a single mistake costs you a 20-minute climb back.
The entire operation took me and a partner close to two hours. Plan for that.
Goal / Problem
The core issue is a mismatch between the puzzle marker and the actual item location. The Purple Flag Pole Golf Puzzle requires a golf ball, but the ball is not present at the pole. The arrow simply indicates where the ball must be placed once you have it.
The ball is located at a previous puzzle near the green tower, which sits on the far side of the map. You need to travel from your current position down the mountain, use the train system, and physically carry the ball back across a rope bridge to the purple flag pole area.
Steps
Follow this route in order. Do not skip ahead, and do not try to shortcut the train segment.
- From the original starting area, travel all the way down the mountain until you reach the train station. The station sits near the red tower/light, which is your main landmark for this leg of the trip.
- Board the train and ride it all the way around the map until you reach the green tower. This is a long ride, so use the time to check your map and confirm your next move.
- Retrieve the ball from the green tower. This is the ball you will be carrying for the rest of the journey.
- Carry the ball over to the rope bridge. The bridge connects the green tower side of the map to the area near the purple flag pole.
- Cross the rope bridge carefully, then come up into the area near the purple flag pole.
- From there, go down and then up again to reach the final puzzle location. This last approach is a bit indirect, but it is the only path that works.
- Place the ball at the purple flag pole to complete the puzzle.
Note: The train ride and the walk down the mountain are the two most time-consuming parts. There is no fast travel option that helps here, so commit to the route.
Tips & Troubleshooting
This journey is tedious, and the ball drop mechanics are unforgiving. Here is what went wrong for us, and how to avoid it.
| Mistake | Consequence | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Dropping the ball on the drawbridge | You must climb all the way back up to get back on the drawbridge | Walk slowly across the drawbridge; do not jump |
| Dropping the ball when coming off the rope bridge | The ball falls all the way down, forcing a full restart from the green tower | Move slowly and deliberately when transitioning off the bridge |
| Jumping off the drawbridge | Same as above, ball is lost and the climb restarts | Never jump while carrying the ball |
Warning: Do not jump off the drawbridge under any circumstances. The drop is long and there is no recovery path.
One additional note: during our run, a player got stuck on the rope bridge and could not get off. They ended up having to go all the way back to the green tower. That is a 30-minute detour we do not recommend.
Tip: Have a second player wait at the drawbridge to grab the ball from the carrier. This prevents the stuck-on-bridge scenario entirely, and it makes the handoff much smoother than trying to carry the ball through the final approach alone.
More Guides:
- Big Walk: How to Start the Train (the Big Ride Achievement Guide)
- Big Walk: the 4166, 1899 Puzzle & Button Location Guide
- Big Walk Map Guide: How to Find the Map & Unlock the Big Views Achievement
- Big Walk: How to Solve the Green Seat Speaker Headphones Sound Button Puzzle
- Big Walk: 10 Pro Tips You Should Know
