Cell phones on the course

[Golfchicago]

Does anybody really have a problem with cell phones on the course? I don't. I have a business to attend to and I understand if someone needs to use their phone in a tournament. I really don't care if they do and I don't bother to talk about a penalty unless the person is abusive, but I haven't run into that type of situation.

[Sam-Tee-Time]

Oh gosh, don't get me started on this. Here's my CONDENSED version:

 

Condensed Rant: I hate 'em. However - you can't stop 'em, apparently.

[Debit]

The only thing more dispicable than cell phones on a golf course are the blithering idiots who insist on using them there. Okay, some folk know to keep their voices down and to move somewhere away from other players. Others seem to think the whole world is interested in their conversation. The only good use for a cell phone on a course is the odd occassion when its necessary to call the clubhouse and ask for a ranger.

[Lord Thomas]

If the use of a cell phone doesn't slow down play, then I don't have a problem with it.....in a casual round. Now, if I'm playing in a tournament, I would expect that you turn your cell phone off for those five hours, and deal with any messages after the round......if you allow cell phones in tournaments, it just opens a pandoras box of issues in my opinion.

 

-Thomas

[Langlands]

Cell phones should be switched off whilst on the golf course. If there's somehting potentially so important that you can't have it switched off, then you shouldn't be out there. Just my opinion.

[asdaly3]

You SHOULD have at least one cell phone per group out on the course in case of an emergency. It is much faster to get Emergency Medical Services if you can call 911 right away, not have to drive back to the clubhouse to make the call.

 

Of course, thats not to say it can't be turned off unless needed!!

[JHR]

I have mixed feelings about this one.

 

I do need to be in contact with my business also, and I would not want to not be reachable if something were to happen with my wife and children.

 

These are the only times I will talk on my phone during play, I never leave the volume up on the ringer, I just simply check my phone every 3-4 holes to see if I have recieved any calls, if so, i retrieve the message, if it is not an emergency, I wait until my round is over to return any calls.

 

I hate having them on the course, but sometimes you need them.

The guys that just gab on them for whatever reason are the ones that should not be allowed.

[Pharminda]

Phones are a definite NO for me.

I carry a phone, but have it on silent, just in case any one has an accident or if there was an emergency on course. I never make or take a call on it. I don't use a phone on course out of respect for my fellow golfers and would hope that others golfers would extend the same respect/courtesy

[Placebo]

I have mixed feelings about this one.

 

I do need to be in contact with my business also, and I would not want to not be reachable if something were to happen with my wife and children.

 

These are the only times I will talk on my phone during play, I never leave the volume up on the ringer, I just simply check my phone every 3-4 holes to see if I have recieved any calls, if so, i retrieve the message, if it is not an emergency, I wait until my round is over to return any calls.

 

I hate having them on the course, but sometimes you need them.

The guys that just gab on them for whatever reason are the ones that should not be allowed.

46958[/snapback]

I am the same way, put it in vibrate mode, toss it in the bag, and check it every 3 to 4 holes because I do have kids that I worry about.

 

I hate the rude bastage that yaps away in the middle of your putt completely oblivious to any shred of etiquette. If I'm that damn busy I have no business being on the golf course. When I'm on the course I want golf to be first and foremost on my mind. Anything else is a distraction and something to blame a bad shot on.

[TheLastDon]

I have mixed feelings about this one.

 

I do need to be in contact with my business also, and I would not want to not be reachable if something were to happen with my wife and children.

 

These are the only times I will talk on my phone during play, I never leave the volume up on the ringer, I just simply check my phone every 3-4 holes to see if I have recieved any calls, if so, i retrieve the message, if it is not an emergency, I wait until my round is over to return any calls.

 

I hate having them on the course, but sometimes you need them.

The guys that just gab on them for whatever reason are the ones that should not be allowed.

46958[/snapback]

 

 

Agree completely JHR. I got paired up with a business owner last week who did just that. He had to return a call while on the course because one of his drivers had been in a car accident. He got the message in the middle of the hole (silent ringer), and returned the call when we got to the next tee. He even explained the situation to the rest of the group, so we knew that it actually was an important call he was making.

 

We waived one group through while he made several quick calls, and then went back to playing. It was one of the more considerate things I've seen on the course in a long time.

[tpariff]

I'm with JHR on this one. I will add that I don't think there is a place for them in tournament golf. Most state golf associations prohibit them in tournament play.

[pitbull808]

I've got two sides to this phone deal. I along with most of my playing partners are all "On Call" so we need to have our phones on. If and when we do receive a call, we all try to take care of business away from anyone hitting and try to keep the calls as short as possible. The worst is the guys who conitinue to yammer on about how they are shooting and what hole they are on and what so and so is shooting. Luckily we get along well enough that we can just tell each other to shut up and hang up the phone.

[Golfchicago]

I've got two sides to this phone deal.  I along with most of my playing partners are all "On Call" so we need to have our phones on. If and when we do receive a call, we all try to take care of business away from anyone hitting and try to keep the calls as short as possible.  The worst is the guys who conitinue to yammer on about how they are shooting and what hole they are on and what so and so is shooting.  Luckily we get along well enough that we can just tell each other to shut up and hang up the phone.

47060[/snapback]

My exact situation.

[ur1down]

Business, wife and kids all got by before cell phones and people still played golf so I think we all can go withou them now for 4 hours.

 

I run a business also but my phone gets turned off while playing. I check it at the turn and that is it. If there is a family emergency, the shop will find me.

 

Like someone else said, if you run a business and can't go a few hours without being reached by phone, then your business is not yet in a position to allow you the luxury of playing during business hours.

[lohrm1]

Business, wife and kids all got by before cell phones and people still played golf so I think we all can go withou them now for 4 hours.

 

I run a business also but my phone gets turned off while playing.  I check it at the turn and that is it. If there is a family emergency, the shop will find me.

 

Like someone else said, if you run a business and can't go a few hours without being reached by phone, then your business is not yet in a position to allow you the luxury of playing during business hours.

47087[/snapback]

 

Amen.

[marltonfjm]

Business, wife and kids all got by before cell phones and people still played golf so I think we all can go withou them now for 4 hours.

 

I run a business also but my phone gets turned off while playing.  I check it at the turn and that is it. If there is a family emergency, the shop will find me.

 

Like someone else said, if you run a business and can't go a few hours without being reached by phone, then your business is not yet in a position to allow you the luxury of playing during business hours.

47087[/snapback]

 

I wish I could live by this philosphy but I can't. I truly cannot be out of pocket, I have a wife, 4 kids, a business with 12 employees and older parents. Trust me, someone is always looking for me. That said, I try my best not to be rude about the usage. No ringer, no buzzer, just a flashing light. Also, everyone who knows me has the drill down - leave a voicemail with a concise message and question(s). This allows me to shoot an email back in most cases.

 

 

Amen.

47133[/snapback]

[Golfdog]

I don't have a problem with them, but I'm not a fussy person. My experience, the "problem" doesn't have anything to do with cell phones, it's about clueless people. The guy who is yapping away on the cell phone while you're trying to putt will still yap away to his buddies even if you ban cell phones.

[cpa49707]

I hate them on the course. My theroy has always been if i have that much business to attend to then i shouldn't be out on t he course. I'm out there to relax and get away from the stresses of business. So please leave them in the car.

[ur1down]

Business, wife and kids all got by before cell phones and people still played golf so I think we all can go withou them now for 4 hours.

 

I run a business also but my phone gets turned off while playing.  I check it at the turn and that is it. If there is a family emergency, the shop will find me.

 

Like someone else said, if you run a business and can't go a few hours without being reached by phone, then your business is not yet in a position to allow you the luxury of playing during business hours.

47087[/snapback]

 

I wish I could live by this philosphy but I can't. I truly cannot be out of pocket, I have a wife, 4 kids, a business with 12 employees and older parents. Trust me, someone is always looking for me. That said, I try my best not to be rude about the usage. No ringer, no buzzer, just a flashing light. Also, everyone who knows me has the drill down - leave a voicemail with a concise message and question(s). This allows me to shoot an email back in most cases.

 

 

Amen.

47133[/snapback]

47356[/snapback]

 

 

I also have a wife a kid and 8 employees and I manage to get by without fielding calls on the course. Many successful people before us got by just fine before cell phones and we can also.

 

There was a time when my business would not allow me to be away from my phone for hours at a time and what I did then was work instead of play.

 

Again, my feeling is that if you cannot be away from your business for a few hours without taking calls, you don't need to be playing golf during business hours.

[CPSOX]

If your business is so important, stay in the office. I too have a clientele that is very important to me, so if I'm on the golf course, I have made the decision (on my own free will) that for 4-5 hours, life can wait. I'll leave my phone on to see if I have missed any calls, my wife knows that if I'm on the golf course and there is an emergency, she will TEXT message me so I can quickly read it....nothing else gets any more than 3 seconds of my attention.

 

Why do I hate phone conversations on the golf course? Because I didn't take the day off to sit in someone elses office while they conduct business. Why should I have to do it on the golf course, paying for it to boot?

[Golfdog]

If your business is so important, stay in the office.  I too have a clientele that is very important to me, so if I'm on the golf course, I have made the decision (on my own free will) that for 4-5 hours, life can wait.  I'll leave my phone on to see if I have missed any calls, my wife knows that if I'm on the golf course and there is an emergency, she will TEXT message me so I can quickly read it....nothing else gets any more than 3 seconds of my attention.   

 

Why do I hate phone conversations on the golf course?  Because I didn't take the day off to sit in someone elses office while they conduct business.  Why should I have to do it on the golf course, paying for it to boot?

47389[/snapback]

 

I don't take the day off to listen to people curse loudly, have tantrums and throw clubs. No one's getting riled up about that.

 

Hey, it's just a phone. If it allows you to play golf when otherwise you would be sitting in the office because the phone might ring, that's great. Golf needs more rounds and more players, not fewer.

[CPSOX]

If your business is so important, stay in the office.  I too have a clientele that is very important to me, so if I'm on the golf course, I have made the decision (on my own free will) that for 4-5 hours, life can wait.  I'll leave my phone on to see if I have missed any calls, my wife knows that if I'm on the golf course and there is an emergency, she will TEXT message me so I can quickly read it....nothing else gets any more than 3 seconds of my attention.   

 

Why do I hate phone conversations on the golf course?  Because I didn't take the day off to sit in someone elses office while they conduct business.  Why should I have to do it on the golf course, paying for it to boot?

47389[/snapback]

 

I don't take the day off to listen to people curse loudly, have tantrums and throw clubs. No one's getting riled up about that.

 

Hey, it's just a phone. If it allows you to play golf when otherwise you would be sitting in the office because the phone might ring, that's great. Golf needs more rounds and more players, not fewer.

47394[/snapback]

 

I'll agree to disagree. If your business is too important that you can't take 2 hours away from a phone (check messages at the turn, that's cool) then you don't have any business on the golf course. All successful people know how to prioritize, so it shouldn't be difficult making the call (pun intended) to stay in the office and take care of things. But don't be so self-important that you'd make 3 other people wait for you to get off the horn before they, or you, can hit.

 

I've never been to a 16 inch softball game where the shortstop is yakkin' on his cell, nor a pickup game of basketball where an exec calls timeout to return a message.

 

Oh, and the people swearing and throwing tantrums on the golf course are likely the same exact people who do it in the office.

 

Respectfully,

CPS

[stage1350]

What did everyone on this thread do 10 years ago when cell phones weren't everywhere?

 

If you carry it in your pocket during the round, put it on vibrate. If you leave it in the cart, switch it to DND/Voicemail. Nothing worse than listening to a phone ring or rattle in the cart while you are on the tee or green. Checking your phone for messages is a heck of a lot different than making a call. Use the same rules that you would in a theater. If you need to make a call then YOU need to walk away and not disturb your foursome. Pick up your ball, and lose the hole and your nassau.

 

If you have some life changing news or major emergencies every time you play golf, you need to be with your wife/small children or in the office rather than playing. You are too stressed out to enjoy the game.

[Golfdog]

I'll agree to disagree.  If your business is too important that you can't take 2 hours away from a phone (check messages at the turn, that's cool) then you don't have any business on the golf course.  All successful people know how to prioritize, so it shouldn't be difficult making the call (pun intended) to stay in the office and take care of things.  But don't be so self-important that you'd make 3 other people wait for you to get off the horn before they, or you, can hit. 

 

I've never been to a 16 inch softball game where the shortstop is yakkin' on his cell, nor a pickup game of basketball where an exec calls timeout to return a message. 

 

Oh, and the people swearing and throwing tantrums on the golf course are likely the same exact people who do it in the office.

 

Respectfully,

CPS

47414[/snapback]

 

Well a basketball game doesn't last 6 hours. And for all the golf I play, I don't recall phones as being a problem. I see people talking on them, but I just don't see play being held up.

 

Cell phones are on the golf course, and the vast majority of people are okay with that.

 

BTW, I don't see people throw things in the office, or get drunk for that matter. Common occurances on the golf course.

[marltonfjm]

If your business is so important, stay in the office.  I too have a clientele that is very important to me, so if I'm on the golf course, I have made the decision (on my own free will) that for 4-5 hours, life can wait.  I'll leave my phone on to see if I have missed any calls, my wife knows that if I'm on the golf course and there is an emergency, she will TEXT message me so I can quickly read it....nothing else gets any more than 3 seconds of my attention.   

 

Why do I hate phone conversations on the golf course?  Because I didn't take the day off to sit in someone elses office while they conduct business.  Why should I have to do it on the golf course, paying for it to boot?

47389[/snapback]

 

I don't take the day off to listen to people curse loudly, have tantrums and throw clubs. No one's getting riled up about that.

 

Hey, it's just a phone. If it allows you to play golf when otherwise you would be sitting in the office because the phone might ring, that's great. Golf needs more rounds and more players, not fewer.

47394[/snapback]

 

I'll agree to disagree. If your business is too important that you can't take 2 hours away from a phone (check messages at the turn, that's cool) then you don't have any business on the golf course. All successful people know how to prioritize, so it shouldn't be difficult making the call (pun intended) to stay in the office and take care of things. But don't be so self-important that you'd make 3 other people wait for you to get off the horn before they, or you, can hit.

 

I've never been to a 16 inch softball game where the shortstop is yakkin' on his cell, nor a pickup game of basketball where an exec calls timeout to return a message.

 

Oh, and the people swearing and throwing tantrums on the golf course are likely the same exact people who do it in the office.

 

Respectfully,

CPS

47414[/snapback]

 

While that's a convenient response I can't agree. Should I give up golf because I can't find a quite 4 hours, you may think so but I'll pass. I'll play when I want and if that means taking a little business to the course then that's my perogrative. My business is quite healthy thanks, I just choose to play alot of golf. If I'm a solo on my course and taking a call from one of my salesman or consultants - whose hurt. Let's face facts, it's not the same world it was 20 years ago. I spent 12 years working a consistent 90-100 hours a week. Now I play 20-30 rounds per month and let others make money for me - the sacrifice is I have to field a few calls. I will say however and should have been clearer, that during the week when this could be an issue, I'm on my home course, where nobody plays Mon-Fri - not literally but damn near. Since I'm solo'ing it the only one being impacted is me.

[bma725]

I go by the rules of my old course, where cell phones are not allowed on the property, they must be in the car and turned off. People who thought they might be needed on the course would have someone call the club, and the people in the shop would contact them. But that only worked for doctors, no other business was allowed to be conducted on the course, so no one else could do it.

 

One of the most interesting things we discovered, was that when cell phones were eliminated, almost accross the board we sped up pace of play by a good 15 minutes. And this is a course where the overwhelming majority of people walk. Other places have started to do it to, for just that reason, it speeds up play.

[lohrm1]

Golf's also supposed to be an opportunity to have some fun and socialize with friends. Chattiing between shots, talking about equipment, etc. is all part of the day. I've had rounds where it would have been more fun playing by myself as the other members of the foursome spent all their time between shots on the phone. I understand the occasional need to handle a quick emergency, etc. That happens to everyone, but most people take the cell phone thing way too far. It you've got so much business to attend to that you spend more time on the phone that chatting with your foursome, stay at the office. It's probably better for everybody.

[Golfdog]

Most people here who are arguing against cell phones cite these "big shot" businessmen who spend the whole day on the phone. I just don't see that on the course. I see guys getting an occasional phone call, but that's about it. It simply isn't a big problem, and IMHO, the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks.

 

And in case anyone is interested, I can't recall the last time I made or got a call on the golf course.

[overdrive99]

Does anybody really have a problem with cell phones on the course? I don't. I have a business to attend to and I understand if someone needs to use their phone in a tournament. I really don't care if they do and I don't bother to talk about a penalty unless the person is abusive, but I haven't run into that type of situation.

46877[/snapback]

 

I don't like them, but it is a modern evil that we put up with. I typically add 2 - 3 strokes after getting annoyed because a playing partner is yacking on the phone.

 

If I have to leave mine on for "emergency watch", I let my partners know about it.

 

BTW, how did the world survive before these Freaking things? I don't ever remember June Clever telling Ward to keep his phone on while playing. Nothing terrible ever happened to the Beave.

[bma725]

And in case anyone is interested, I can't recall the last time I made or got a call on the golf course.

47481[/snapback]

 

Thats the exact opposite of my rounds, in fact I can't recall a round where there hasn't been at least one person talking on a cell phone at some point. In fact its gotten to the point now where I won't even play as a single at courses where I know they pair up groups, because its just non stop chatter. I played with a guy a few months back who literally was on his phone the entire round. He'd put it down to hit, then pick it right back up and continue his conversations. As soon as one conversation ended he'd immediately be on to another on. I don't think he said 1 word to me or the other guy we were playing with.