So I worked the PGA tournament this week and phones (especially taking pictures) continue to be a problem on tournament days. Why? (And more importantly, any ideas on how to keep folks from picture taking, keeping their phones on silent and not talking on them around greens?)
Doesnt America grant us the freedom to use our phones when and wherever we want? Gonna be hard to eliminate that... Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2
Don't those people have to go through some sort of check point to get into the tournament to watch? I'm assuming they are briefed on cell phone use and all?
I think it's more addict than anything. They should change it from smart phone to life phone, most people's lives are now lived through social media and networking. Taking pictures when it's clearly prohibited is just an impulse because the opportunity is there. Augusta National bans all cellphones and cameras from the course during the Masters. Always gets me why people don't even silence their phones so the fake shutter sound can't be heard. I'm not sure why all courses don't ban them and remove anyone not abiding. Probably something to do with public vs private course. As far as I know, barring cell phones from being used or brought in to certain places isn't illegal. Privilege vs right argument could be made. Don't think a freedom of speech challenge could be upheld either.
The etiquette surrounding the game as well as the tickets indicate the terms and conditions for use. The tournaments are mostly held on private facilities with the PGA who set the rules for device usage. I agree, and have said, it would be much easier to just ban phones during the tournament (a la the Masters)...though I've noticed an increased sense of privelege, worsening attitude and flaunting of the rules each year...
The masters takes them up at the door...only way I know off, because we are so entitled that if we can just sneak that one pic of tiger mid swing...well you know we will, then cry like a baby when he snaps back.
While I agree that all phones should be on silence, golf is the only sport I know of where complete silence during the action is required. I have always found that to be pretty silly. Golf can go two ways, either they stick with and enforce their stuffy elitist rules and have a small following of affluent fans, or they embrace the American people and what makes us American and lighten up on some of their uppity rules and quite being such a bunch of elitist snobs. Just my opinion.
I think golfers should just learn to deal with a little noise and pictures being taken. Every other sport deals with that so why cant somone swing a club and learn to focus on that versus everything going on around him. Just dont see what the big deal is
I've never played golf, wouldn't have he dexterity to do so if I wanted. But I'd imagine it would be similar to archery. But the concentration that it would take to have all your mechanics in line to achieve that perfect swing/contact combination I could see where the distraction could come into play. I wouldn't want a twig to snap as I was about to release on the buck of a lifetime either. A small flinch or lapse in focus could be the difference between a kill shot, gut shot, shoulder hit or a complete miss altogether. There's a big difference between the other American sports which encourage home field/court advantage via fan participation. You don't have that atmosphere in golf, we'll never see Happy Gilmore style PGA tournaments. Fans can be ruthless after the shot though. I remember when Tiger just came off his divorce/wreck/sex addiction rehab snafu. It was a tournament in NY and he missed a fairly straight forward 10' putt. As he was walking to spot his ball a fan yelled out something like "Nice putt there buddy!", that's the only time I ever remember seeing Tiger get rattled by the gallery after a shot. The commentators even mentioned how NY fans won't hold back for anyone, even Tiger. But during the shot, it should be just as it is and cell phones/cameras should be left off the course. And to be fair, a lot of the camera shutters are actually the news media trying for that "perfectly timed" capture.
There are jammers for cell service. You could prevent calls and ringing, but picture taking would still go on.
And you can still take pictures on practice days, just not tournament days...beyond the distraction point, there is the licensing rights and such... (from a couple of years ago)
Sounds like a dumb rule to me. They paid to be there right? So they should be able to take pictures. If they want it that quite, they shouldnt let people come and watch. Either lose the money and not let people come, or stop being babies and get over it. I dont think something should be called a sport if people cant cheer and make noise and enjoy themselves. Sounds more like a play or opera or something like that, like a show with sissy actors, not a sport. But, Ive never done it so guess my words dont hold as much weight as others.
If a major league pitcher can throw a perfect pitch at 100 mph while 20,000 people watch, cheer, heckle and scream and flashbulbs are bursting everywhere....then golfers can get used to cell phone shutter. Of course, im just a hillbilly who's never golfed....'America! Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2
