Pga tour to allow fans, cellphones etc at tournaments

[Bacardibatman]

what do you think good idea or bad idea?

http://www.pgatour.com/2011/company/02/15/cellphone-policy/index.html

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The PGA TOUR announced Tuesday a mobile device policy that will allow fans at TOUR events to carry mobile devices and use them in select areas on the golf course.

The Honda Classic, scheduled for Feb. 28-March 6 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., will be the first event for which the mobile device policy will be implemented as an enhancement to the overall fan experience.

Testing was conducted at five TOUR events in late 2010 and early 2011 to gauge the potential impact of mobile devices at PGA TOUR events. The five tests allowed the TOUR to develop and refine a list of best practices.

"We understand that mobile devices are an important part of everyday life." said Andy Pazder, PGA TOUR chief of operations. "We concluded after the five test tournaments that allowing mobile devices on-site at TOUR events was a tremendous fan enhancement, allowing them to stay connected to business and family. We anticipate our fans will be respectful of the policy and as a result the integrity of our competitions will not be compromised."

With the revised policy, spectators are allowed to carry mobile devices on the golf course with the volume setting on silent. Phone calls can be made or received in designated areas throughout the golf course -- for example, at concession stands.

Fans will be allowed to receive and send messages and check data on the golf course away from play.

No video recording is permitted at any time during the week, and no photography will be permitted during official competition rounds.

The mobile device policy will be implemented on a tournament-by-tournament basis, subject to the approval of the TOUR.

The Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship are not PGA TOUR co-sponsored events and have their own respective policies regarding the use of mobile devices on-site





will it lead to the spectators then taking phones/mobile devices on course more while playing and slowing down play?

 

[0]

Cracking idea - until Rhiana's latest tune goes out on max volume right at the top of tigers back swing.

How are the stewards expected to control spectators who will obviously use them for photo's and filming

Can't see this idea lasting more than an few rounds

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Just put the damned thing on silent, it's not that fecking difficult.

 

[0]

These are amercians we are talking about and how many times do you go to a meeting and half way through smack me bitch up starts playing and someone says Oh sorry i thought it was on silent

 

[Owen_Thomas_14]

Never going to work and more than likely slow rounds down even more with the players having to stop all the time with people using their phones to take pictures and putting them off .

 

[SyR]

Agreed, this will be very hard to police.

 

[Golfmmad]

If this can happen:

During a funeral service at the local Church, somebody's phone went off to the tune of, "Staying Alive", by the Bee Gees!!!!

Apparently, the mourners saw the funny side of it.

It's certainly gonna happen on a golf course.

Golfmmad.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It'll last one tournament and the players will complain in droves and the ban will come back in.

 

[Losttheplot]

As much as I think they should be allowed I can see mobile phones going off all the time and the players complaining. It won't work in my opinion.

 

[THJahar]

hmmm....every tournament I've been to I've always kept my phone on me. Set it to silent of course but I always ignored the signs. I assumed that most people did anyway?

 

[Imurg]

You couldn't at the Ryder Cup. Before you got on the buses at the park'n'ride you had to empty your pockets and walk through an Airport style detector. Any phones found had to be left in lockers.

I can't see this working at all. Phones are generally banned over here at events and you still get one going off at the wrong time. Imagine if they were allowed. There would be one going off every minute because although most would turn them silent there will always be some idiot who forgets.

 

[SyR]

It was the same when I went to the Grove in 2006 for the World Golf Championship. All phones had to be left in lockers and we went through airport style arches.

I went to Wentworth a few weeks before that event for the matchplay and they didn't have any checks. The bus from the station dropped us at the clubhouse without even checking if we had tickets.

People will not be able to resist sneaking a photo of a golfer or calling to their mates while by the green.

 

[Region3]

There would be one going off every minute because although most would turn them silent there will always be some idiot who forgets.

Then his mates ring him up to see if he's put it on silent.

Not that I've ever done that to anyone who's gone to watch snooker.

 

[viscount17]

Stewards take little notice of people filming with mobiles now, though they'll jump all over you if you have a camera bigger than matchbox.
The whole issue with photography is not about disturbing the players, it's to do with copywright. Read the T&C's on your ticket sometime.