Bunkermagnet
Journeyman Pro
,,,be the oob markers for the pro's?
Would it not make them think a little more before letting rip with gay abandon?
Would it not make them think a little more before letting rip with gay abandon?
Should the spectator ropes.....
- Thread starter Bunkermagnet
- Start date
Sats
Challenge Tour Pro
Personal opinion- no, OOB are marked on the course anyway, the ropes are where the event organisers put the spectators. If you're standing in range then you're accepting the risk aren't you. I've always kept myself at the tees or by the greens and even by the greens you're not safe.
rob_golf1
Q-School Graduate
I've been to a number of pro event's, mainly Open Championships and I've never seen any bad instances of players not shouting fore or the marshalls not making other marshalls further down the hole aware of an incoming ball.
I've also had the luxury (or privilege) of standing behind at touching distance a few pro's at tournaments when they've hit errant tee shots. One that springs to mind was at an Open Championship when Lee Westwood landed a ball right next to where I was standing. I was able to watch him go through his yardages, have a nose at his clubs, and watch him play a very nice pitch into the green. The noise it made when he made contact with the ball was incredible. You probably wouldn't get to see that if the ropes were OOB!
I've also had the luxury (or privilege) of standing behind at touching distance a few pro's at tournaments when they've hit errant tee shots. One that springs to mind was at an Open Championship when Lee Westwood landed a ball right next to where I was standing. I was able to watch him go through his yardages, have a nose at his clubs, and watch him play a very nice pitch into the green. The noise it made when he made contact with the ball was incredible. You probably wouldn't get to see that if the ropes were OOB!
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guest100718
Guest
no. it would detract massively from going to watch live golf.
fundy
Ryder Cup Winner
no of course not, either leads to overly narrow golf courses or spectators so pushed away from the action that they cant see or no spectators and no atmosphere on most holes
easy enough to introduce a rule about ensuring they shout fore (lets say lose 20% of earnings 1st offense, 50% 2nd offence and 100% for 3rd offense, theyll soon be calling)
also some onus on the spectators, if youre going to a golf tournament, you have to accept theres going to be golf balls flying about and worth trying to pay attention
easy enough to introduce a rule about ensuring they shout fore (lets say lose 20% of earnings 1st offense, 50% 2nd offence and 100% for 3rd offense, theyll soon be calling)
also some onus on the spectators, if youre going to a golf tournament, you have to accept theres going to be golf balls flying about and worth trying to pay attention
larmen
Head Pro
I went to Wentworth last year, and something about that was either standing directly on the ticket, or it was part of the booklet that came with the ticket.
Of course not. Players like Seve were hitting it miles off line decades ago. The joy is watching them create magic from anywhere
Bunkermagnet
Journeyman Pro
I ask the question simply because of 2 things........to make accuracy more of a premium over length, and in response to the neglect of the pros to warn when the let it fly into the crowds.
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guest100718
Guest
And the annswer is a resounding no.
Blue in Munich
Crocked Professional Yeti Impersonator
No for me and unworkable; as someone that stewarded a few times at the Open, the spectator ropes were sometimes moved as necessary during a round, so players would potentially be playing a different course depending on their tee times.
mikejohnchapman
Challenge Tour Pro
I marshal on the European Tour and it's a nightmare when players hit a shot off line and don't shout / point to give a clue where their ball is going. The players and the Tour have a duty of care to their paying customers and whilst there is a disclaimer on the ticket that is actually no defence.
When a ball hits a spectator (or marshal) we have to get full details from the person and file it with the tour. This isn't to ensure the person is taken care of or offered transport - it's to ensure the Tour is not sued for negligence. Sadly it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt by an errant shot because without a warning shout they will be looking up to try to see the ball. To be fair, there are lots of private mobile staff employed at most events who take great care of anyone who gets hit.
Two other thoughts:
The most dangerous events are pro-ams because not many pros shank balls or duck-hook them into crowds.
If the players were not concerned about the compensation issue why is there a trend in the US to hand out signed bank notes to people they hit? A nice keepsake? No they are deemed to have paid compensation when they give them a signed $100 bill.
When a ball hits a spectator (or marshal) we have to get full details from the person and file it with the tour. This isn't to ensure the person is taken care of or offered transport - it's to ensure the Tour is not sued for negligence. Sadly it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt by an errant shot because without a warning shout they will be looking up to try to see the ball. To be fair, there are lots of private mobile staff employed at most events who take great care of anyone who gets hit.
Two other thoughts:
The most dangerous events are pro-ams because not many pros shank balls or duck-hook them into crowds.
If the players were not concerned about the compensation issue why is there a trend in the US to hand out signed bank notes to people they hit? A nice keepsake? No they are deemed to have paid compensation when they give them a signed $100 bill.
GeeJay
Assistant Pro
Be better off standing on the fairway if Phil is on the tee! 😀
Slab
Occasional Tour Caddy
Narrow strips with OOB would just lead to them hitting irons off the tee out of fear of stroke and distance pens
If they did use driver some still wouldn’t shout a warning because they want the spectators to stop the ball heading further in
Although I think that for the volume of times they get into the clag pros don’t seem to suffer anywhere near as much as a club golfer (often just having to settle for par!)
But it’s not really comparable I suppose because they are after all the best in the world so maybe not a surprise, but rather than compare to a club golfers experience from the clag we can compare to the rest of the field
I don’t think there is sufficient ‘penalty’ between pros when one goes FIR - GIR & 2 putts compared to wilderness - greenside bunker - sand save (and the latter happens far too often these days, it’s no longer a default 1-2 shot penalty among their peers to be wild off the tee so they’ll take that risk because the risk itself is minimal)
They don’t fear a lost ball with marshals and spectators, fairway bunkers don’t prevent a GIR (assuming they don’t just fly straight over them anyway) It’s a boom boom paradise off the tee just now
Dunno what the solution is, maybe more areas marked as lateral hazards outside the rope for pro events
If they did use driver some still wouldn’t shout a warning because they want the spectators to stop the ball heading further in
Although I think that for the volume of times they get into the clag pros don’t seem to suffer anywhere near as much as a club golfer (often just having to settle for par!)
But it’s not really comparable I suppose because they are after all the best in the world so maybe not a surprise, but rather than compare to a club golfers experience from the clag we can compare to the rest of the field
I don’t think there is sufficient ‘penalty’ between pros when one goes FIR - GIR & 2 putts compared to wilderness - greenside bunker - sand save (and the latter happens far too often these days, it’s no longer a default 1-2 shot penalty among their peers to be wild off the tee so they’ll take that risk because the risk itself is minimal)
They don’t fear a lost ball with marshals and spectators, fairway bunkers don’t prevent a GIR (assuming they don’t just fly straight over them anyway) It’s a boom boom paradise off the tee just now
Dunno what the solution is, maybe more areas marked as lateral hazards outside the rope for pro events
Capella
Journeyman Pro
No. What could and probably should be done, though, is to mark the ropes in potentially dangerous areas. For a spectator moving over the golf course, it is not always obvious that he is standing in the driver landing zone for a hole. I mean, of course, shots can go way off line anywhere, but I think the risk is greatest from wayward drives. If the ropes were marked red from, let's say 250 to 330 yards in (assuming that wayward drives are normally not the super long ones), people might be more cautious in those areas or avoid standing there altogether.
Plus, to be honest, the view we get form tv coverage might be slightly misleading. Most of the time and for most of the groups of an event, there won't even be that many spectators about. When it is not a major or the Ryder cup, especially during the first two rounds and for the earlier groups on the weekend, nobody is going to bother. The ropes will be up, but they are not lines with people during that time. And as much as I appreciate concerns for the safety of the spectators, and as much as I want everyone to be able to watch the players from as close as possible: the spectators have to move around the game of golf and not the other way round.
Plus, to be honest, the view we get form tv coverage might be slightly misleading. Most of the time and for most of the groups of an event, there won't even be that many spectators about. When it is not a major or the Ryder cup, especially during the first two rounds and for the earlier groups on the weekend, nobody is going to bother. The ropes will be up, but they are not lines with people during that time. And as much as I appreciate concerns for the safety of the spectators, and as much as I want everyone to be able to watch the players from as close as possible: the spectators have to move around the game of golf and not the other way round.
drdel
Tour Rookie
Here, here.
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guest100718
Guest
That last bit about 100$ soubds like BS to me
pogle
Head Pro
And I'd bet my house it wouldn't stand up in court in the UK at least.
