Technology On The March

Three golf and technology related stories:

First, the PGA Tour will allow spectators to carry their cell phones during playing rounds at the upcoming Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Patrons will be asked to turn off the alarms, and to make calls only in designated areas. The experiment first was tried at last year’s Wyndham Championship, apparently to good results.

I’m not at all surprised by this development. Its simply a matter of riding the roller coaster in the direction that its going. Cell phones now are appendages, not devices. And its really not new. I have seen cell phones, both on belts, and in use at every professional event I’ve attended: the PGA Championship, the Ford Senior Championship, the Buick Open and the Jamie Farr. Especially the PGA Championship, where I saw them everywhere.

Second, the Golf Channel has received permission from the Tour to mike up players at the Tournament of Champions. The trick will be to find volunteers. Apparently no one has—ahem—stepped up to the mike. I’m sure a few players would be worried about being caught dropping the f-bomb, but mostly I think they’d simply view it as a distraction.

There’s no doubt that both of these will spread.