"I'm confident we'll be fine with this."

Ron Green Jr. doesn't sound too wild about the decision to make next month's Wyndham Championship the guinea pig for possibly allowing fans to bring cell phones to all tour events, but as horrible as the attendance has been I don't see how the tour can afford not to try it.

The best golf tournament/cell phone policy has been something close to what they have at the Masters: Don't even think about it.

But officials at the Wyndham Championship, with the blessing of the tour, are going to see if they can play a tournament with any number of smart phones vibrating in the pockets of the spectators. Good luck.

In theory, it should work.

"People are going to sneak them in anyway," defending Wyndham champion Ryan Moore said Tuesday. "It's adults. If you let people bring them out there, they'll probably respect the fact you did and they'll probably use those (designated) areas."

Comments

[Brad Ford]

I think it is a great idea. Many of us use our phones 10% of the time for calls. For those of us with smart phones, we could get updates from around the course, view video clips, etc.

It is worth trying.

[Al]

agree -- they should do
can't expect people to go on thurs and fridays if can't check work stuff
sure they are more lenient in hospitality areas
should give people that same message they get in the movies!!

[sg]

Is allowing cell phones really going to increase attendance?

[Average Golfer]

It'll increase attendance of people with visible cell phones.

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

Or just make it possible for all the people already going to take their phones out of their pockets.

[cardinal]

Based on my personal experience, I think allowing cell phones will increase attendance. Even though we had tickets for all days of the Presidents' Cup, my husband did not attend most days because he could not be cut off from access to email and texting for work. I chose not to get a four-day set of tickets for the US Open fthis year or that reason: I cannot justify being that cut off from work, unless I am truly on vacation (and even then, I am generally checking my email regularly). And having experienced that debacle with the shuttles on Thursday's round at the US Open this year (I got into my car two hours and fifty minutes after getting into line for the shuttle), I can tell you that not being able to contact others about delays or to make alternate arrangements for meeting is ludicrous. Spectators have no flexibility: either stay with your group the entire time, or don't be late getting to a meeting spot. But we're adults: we can use our smart phones without ringers and without talking. Just enforce a zero-tolerance policy if the ringer goes off or someone starts chatting outside designated areas. Easy -- and much more enticing for most working fans.

[OWGR Fan]

Wonder how the volunteer marshals working this event will handle the inevitable phone ringing?

[Del the Funk]

At the Quail Hollow event in Charlotte I was searched top to bottom, full wand treatment, etc... I didn't have anything (no phone) except a small pocket knife which us southerner's are prone to carrying, they made me leave it at the front (never even occured to me this would be a problem). Security at Tour events is excessive...I mean seriously, who/what are they trying to protect? And even with all that LOTS of people had cell phones in the event so not only is security excessive, but it's also ineffective. Then you see the lanyarded up Tour wives with multiple devices just yakking away, priceless!!

[Billy]

Wonderful idea.
Can they bring vuvuzelas too?????

[Garland]

Last time I went to a PGATour event, I was carrying a water bottle. They would not allow me to enter with my water bottle. Unfortunately, I had already bought a ticket. That will be the last time I attend a PGATour event. Forget the cell phones. Let people at least carry water.

[rt626]

At the US Open at Pebble, they had an Iraq-type military SWAT vehicle on site for security complete with 50 cal machine gun. Don't try to get in with a water bottle or cell phone.

Good bye and good night USGA.

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

Del, I want my country back. You know, the one in which you didn't have to get essentially strip-searched to attend a golf tournament. Think you can do anything? Eric Arthur Blair was indeed a prophet. Alas.

[Del the Funk]

Garland, hear ya. Ky, hear ya. Funny thing is by the time oranizations like the Tour figure out there's a problem, and that the fans are unhappy, it's too late. NBA is a perfect example. NBA lost hundreds of millions of dollars last year, like 50% of the teams lost money, and the league (parent company) has in excess of a billiion dollars in debt...individual team debt loads add up to a multiple of that. I believe the Tour is at an crucial crossroads and they better get it right...