Columnist Peter Benton: Pagers, cell phones nuisance on course

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

Golf has been described by both players and commentators in many different ways. Those having difficulty mastering the game sometimes echo the immortal words of Mark Twain: "A good walk spoiled."

Alas, rounds can be ruined for a variety of reasons, with bad-tempered and ignorant players being the cause for many unnecessary upsets on the course.

Recently, however, another annoyance has been raising its ugly head on the fairways and greens of almost all our area layouts. More and more golfers are bringing their personal and/or office problems to the course via their pagers and cell phones.

Surely, if golfers are so "busy" with home or work-related duties, they should not be out playing golf.

Recently while playing a round we were continually held up by the foursome ahead of us. A couple in the group were either making or receiving calls on their cell phones at regular intervals.

There was never any suggestion of an apology or an offer to play through by these "busy" people who were possibly answering a question from the poor worker back in the office, doing the work that the golfers probably should have been doing.

I am beginning the think that there should be a universal rule, with an exception, of course, for medical or emergency service personnel, that bans cell phones from all courses.

Who wants to be facing a pressure-packed 6-footer to win all the marbles in your weekly outing, only to hear one of those dreaded phones start beeping -- or how about at the top of your backswing?

You do not see professionals pulling out cell phones between shots or while waiting to tee off. Perhaps it is a macho thing? You know, I have a cell phone so I must be important, making and receiving all these calls.

It is not at all unusual to see golfers who have been called to the first tee immediately take out their phone and start nattering away, completely oblivious to the fact that they are not just holding up their playing companions, but all following players as well.

Unless these actions are not curbed, the slow play we are experiencing now could become catastrophic.

We have been playing this wonderful game for a very long time without such technology intruding on our game. Let's stop it now.

I am all for moving forward with course design, maintenance, equipment, management and professional teaching skills. But for goodness sake, let's keep the environment of the open spaces that golf offers free from cell phones.

archive