USGA to allow cellphones at U.S. Open for first time

[Spitfisher]

Some of us are reading badly into this new ruling as cell phone usage, me I commend them on allowing for smartphones in certain areas, with plenty of signage or even real human help at the gate to silence the phone for them when entering. For people too numb to know how to do so. More signage will also be needed. One sign I would like " is you will be excused from the property immediatcy if you are found in violation of the phone silencing policy - zero tolerance...no excuses"

[Lefty-Golfer]

A golf course is no place for cell phones. USGA is making the wrong call. (pun intended) People are perfectly capable of going a few hours without one despite what they might believe

sure, why would the USGA want people who actually buy a ticket to like follow the web site, see links to other great shots that have happened that day, live scoring, know when or where a group they want to see is at on the course...nope that is out line cause there is "no place" for a cell phone on the golf course!! LOL do you realize how out of touch you are? do you realize more data is transmitted via cell phone then actual voicetime? do you realize people use a cell phone to create a life and opportunies that without it they couldn't...people are perfectly capable of walking and taking the bus for transport but they don't - it is not 1970 anymore sir if any product wants to remain relevent they will have to adjust. LOL what is really funny is the USGA is more modern then you...wow enough said.

[ScouseJohnny]

sure, why would the USGA want people who actually buy a ticket to like follow the web site, see links to other great shots that have happened that day, live scoring, know when or where a group they want to see is at on the course...

So stay at home and watch it on your flatscreen TV, with your laptop on your knee with x number of tabs open, and your smartphone at hand with whatever app that works best for the most up-to-date changes on the leaderboard...

Once upon a time going to a sporting event in person was excitement enough.

[Lefty-Golfer]

So stay at home and watch it on your flatscreen TV, with your laptop on your knee with x number of tabs open, and your smartphone at hand with whatever app that works best for the most up-to-date changes on the leaderboard...

Once upon a time going to a sporting event in person was excitement enough.

of course since you bought a ticket you should only be able to see one or two holes or maybe if you get lucky pick up a seat where you can see 3 or 4 holes...keep the options limited and make sure you don't allow anybody to see a better product that will be a huge support to the organization and the game itself!! maybe we could get a rule mandating hickory shafts that would be awesome!! i hate when the pesky pros can spin the ball to much!

[krupa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScouseJohnny

So stay at home and watch it on your flatscreen TV, with your laptop on your knee with x number of tabs open, and your smartphone at hand with whatever app that works best for the most up-to-date changes on the leaderboard...

Once upon a time going to a sporting event in person was excitement enough.

of course since you bought a ticket you should only be able to see one or two holes or maybe if you get lucky pick up a seat where you can see 3 or 4 holes...keep the options limited and make sure you don't allow anybody to see a better product that will be a huge support to the organization and the game itself!! maybe we could get a rule mandating hickory shafts that would be awesome!! i hate when the pesky pros can spin the ball to much!

I don't see why you're so snarky.  You don't go to a golf tournament to watch every player at every hole.  If that's what you want, you're much better off staying at home and watching on TV and the Internet.   Going to a live event and trying to keep track of it on a phone sounds like a poor compromise.

[dkolo]

I don't see why you're so snarky.  You don't go to a golf tournament to watch every player at every hole.  If that's what you want, you're much better off staying at home and watching on TV and the Internet.   Going to a live event and trying to keep track of it on a phone sounds like a poor compromise.

Why? That sounds actually like the perfect compromise.

[krupa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krupa

I don't see why you're so snarky.  You don't go to a golf tournament to watch every player at every hole.  If that's what you want, you're much better off staying at home and watching on TV and the Internet.   Going to a live event and trying to keep track of it on a phone sounds like a poor compromise.

Why? That sounds actually like the perfect compromise.

Because watching anything on my phone is worse than watching it on TV or my computer.  It's a smaller screen, I can't see it very well in the sunlight, and video eats up my data plan.  Also, when I go out to do something, like watch a live sporting event, I'm there to do the thing not look at my phone.  If I'm looking at my phone (again, small screen, barely visible in the sun, data plan hog) I'm not looking at what I spent money and hassle (traffic, parking, crowds) to watch.   Maybe it's about expectation.  I know that I can't observe the entire course, so my expectations of what I'm doing at (and what I'm getting out of attending) a PGA event is different from what I get from following it on TV.  Which again, goes back to "it's a different experience."

Disclaimer:  I have never gotten to a PGA event.  If I did, I think I'd follow one group (that had a player I liked) around the course instead of camping out at one location.  However, I go to plenty of baseball games (minor and major league) and I don't use the MLB apps to track other games while I'm sitting in the stands.  Again, I spent money, time, hassle to get to this game, why spend that time to watch a different game.

[isukgolf]

If I mapped my usage on my "phone" ... an actual conversation is about -2% ... it is a resource hub with tons of stats and info readable available. I have no need for the "phone" at the event ... but I do like my camera and access to other electronic media ... hello PGA welcome to 2015 ...

[dkolo]

Because watching anything on my phone is worse than watching it on TV or my computer.  It's a smaller screen, I can't see it very well in the sunlight, and video eats up my data plan.  Also, when I go out to do something, like watch a live sporting event, I'm there to do the thing not look at my phone.  If I'm looking at my phone (again, small screen, barely visible in the sun, data plan hog) I'm not looking at what I spent money and hassle (traffic, parking, crowds) to watch.   Maybe it's about expectation.  I know that I can't observe the entire course, so my expectations of what I'm doing at (and what I'm getting out of attending) a PGA event is different from what I get from following it on TV.  Which again, goes back to "it's a different experience."

Disclaimer:  I have never gotten to a PGA event.  If I did, I think I'd follow one group (that had a player I liked) around the course instead of camping out at one location.  However, I go to plenty of baseball games (minor and major league) and I don't use the MLB apps to track other games while I'm sitting in the stands.  Again, I spent money, time, hassle to get to this game, why spend that time to watch a different game.

Cool. Sounds like you don't want to use your phone at a golf event. Sounds like most other people do, though, and they can certainly do it without bothering anyone else. So what's the problem?

I stopped going to Fenway because cell reception there was terrible for AT&T.; I wanted to do crazy things like check the box score, see how my fantasy team is doing, post pictures to facebook, and check my email. Crazy, I know, but it's why I have a phone.

[krupa]

Cool. Sounds like you don't want to use your phone at a golf event. Sounds like most other people do, though, and they can certainly do it without bothering anyone else. So what's the problem?

I stopped going to Fenway because cell reception there was terrible for AT&T.; I wanted to do crazy things like check the box score, see how my fantasy team is doing, post pictures to facebook, and check my email. Crazy, I know, but it's why I have a phone.

There is no problem. I think it is a poor compromise and voiced the opinion.  I don't expect many (or any) people to agree with me on that.  I don't think you're crazy for using your phone the way you do.  You sound pretty typical.  I admit that my phone usage is pretty atypical and primarily utilitarian.   But to refer to something Lefty-Golfer said, not using my phone for all the extra gewgaws doesn't mean I want to abolish technology or progress, I just have a different perspective of it.

[dkolo]

There is no problem.  I think it is a poor compromise and voiced the opinion.  I don't expect many (or any) people to agree with me on that.  I don't think you're crazy for using your phone the way you do.  You sound pretty typical.  I admit that my phone usage is pretty atypical and primarily utilitarian.   But to refer to something Lefty-Golfer said, not using my phone for all the extra gewgaws doesn't mean I want to abolish technology or progress, I just have a different perspective of it.

You can obviously do what you want, but I still don't see why you consider it a poor compromise. It's just providing an option to the spectators: if they want to have the devices, awesome. If not, also awesome. It'll make the experience richer for many and, I suspect, for almost all people better by virtue of not having to deal with the annoyance of leaving the phone in the car or at home. Even if I couldn't use a phone, it'd be a hassle figuring out what to do with it and not having it with me once I left the event. This seems like a totally reasonable and hands-off policy and no one's worse off for it.

[krupa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krupa

There is no problem.  I think it is a poor compromise and voiced the opinion.  I don't expect many (or any) people to agree with me on that.  I don't think you're crazy for using your phone the way you do.  You sound pretty typical.  I admit that my phone usage is pretty atypical and primarily utilitarian.   But to refer to something Lefty-Golfer said, not using my phone for all the extra gewgaws doesn't mean I want to abolish technology or progress, I just have a different perspective of it.

You can obviously do what you want, but I still don't see why you consider it a poor compromise. It's just providing an option to the spectators: if they want to have the devices, awesome. If not, also awesome. It'll make the experience richer for many and, I suspect, for almost all people better by virtue of not having to deal with the annoyance of leaving the phone in the car or at home. Even if I couldn't use a phone, it'd be a hassle figuring out what to do with it and not having it with me once I left the event. This seems like a totally reasonable and hands-off policy and no one's worse off for it.

Are we talking about the same thing now?   The "it" that is a poor compromise in my opinion is trying to keep track of the entire event while also attending it (compared to watching it at home)  and I already explained why I think that way.

I am not trying to imply that I think phones should be banned because I don't think they should be.  If/when I get to a tournament, I won't be using my phone but that doesn't mean I have any opinion about what everyone else is doing with theirs.

[dkolo]

Are we talking about the same thing now?   The "it" that is a poor compromise in my opinion is trying to keep track of the entire event while also attending it (compared to watching it at home)  and I already explained why I think that way.

I am not trying to imply that I think phones should be banned because I don't think they should be.  If/when I get to a tournament, I won't be using my phone but that doesn't mean I have any opinion about what everyone else is doing with theirs.

That's on me, I got twisted jumping between threads.

Anyway, I'm of the mindset that I'd be frustrated if I couldn't do things like check out full leaderboards, catch videos of shots elsewhere, and read up on news (Hey, where'd that penalty come from? Why'd X withdraw? etc), knowing it's available but banned. Maybe it was different in the past when people had to be satisfied because these capabilities didn't exist, but they do now and I think they enhance rather than detract from the live event. I applaud the USGA on this change.

[iacas]

During the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont (http://thesandtrap.com/b/pga/us_open_at_oakmont_journal_sunday) I was given a little thing called the myLeaderboard, which was basically a single-use PDA type thing that gave me nearly instant updates on scoring, etc.

I used it to let people know what other golfers were doing on the twelve or thirteen holes we couldn't see at all.

I think having a cell phone at a PGA Tour event is a no-brainer. The PGA Tour events I've attended as a media member, I've greatly appreciated being able to have my cell phone out there.

Always on silent.