[Padraig Dooley]

Read this New York Times article yesterday after a tweet from Brad Klein.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-conversation.html?_r=1

The article finishes up with this passage

'I spend the summers at a cottage on Cape Cod, and for decades I walked the same dunes that Thoreau once walked. Not too long ago, people walked with their heads up, looking at the water, the sky, the sand and at one another, talking. Now they often walk with their heads down, typing. Even when they are with friends, partners, children, everyone is on their own devices.

So I say, look up, look at one another, and let’s start the conversation.'


Are there signs of golfers connecting less with the golf course than before? How much do golfers walk with their heads down and not take in the subtleties of the course? What kind of affect could this trend have on golf course design?

Maybe the era of 'smelling the roses' is gone. Despite the 'minimalist movement' is this why the big brash hazards and waterfalls are popular?

There's great irony in the fact I found the link to the article while looking at Twitter on my phone, am starting a conversation about it on an internet discussion board and have met less then 10 members of the board in person. 

[Carl Johnson]

Briefly.  Padraig, I'm not sure what you mean by "heads down."  Maybe that's intentional on your part . . . to see what different responses you'll get.  In my own golf play personal experience, I see no change.  With the guys I've played with over the years, from very skillful to not so skillful players, very few have ever been focused on the intricacies of the architecture ["subtleties of the course"]. . . or if so, they don't express it.  Their oral conversations with others have to do with just about "everything under the sun" (mostly baseball, in my group, or maybe exchanging info about what their kids are up to) but they're still playing golf . . . not on their Blackberrys or cells, if that's what you mean.

[Michael Blake]

Are there signs of golfers connecting less with the golf course than before? How much do golfers walk with their heads down and not take in the subtleties of the course?
 

Most golfers in the U.S. don't even walk. The 'average' US golfer rides in a cart as he checks his texts from work, trying not to spill his beer.
They're not consciously aware of a course's subtelties.  

It has already had an effect on design with your 'big brash hazards and waterfalls.'  These types of 'features' are the only ones that seem to pique the interest of the 'modern US golf cart player.' Throw in huge fake mounding and other tricked-up features and there you have it--courses built for the player who has no desire to understand and enjoy a course's subtleties.  But all those feature are ok if there was no dirt moved and/or it all looks natural

[Jim_Kennedy]

I don't know how the important folks ever got a round in before the advent of hand held devices.

[Tom_Doak]

Are there signs of golfers connecting less with the golf course than before? How much do golfers walk with their heads down and not take in the subtleties of the course? What kind of affect could this trend have on golf course design?

Maybe the era of 'smelling the roses' is gone. Despite the 'minimalist movement' is this why the big brash hazards and waterfalls are popular?

Padraig:

I don't doubt for a moment that technology is making us less connected with the people closest to us.

However, I don't think it's had the same effect on golf course design that you posit.  The 'minimalist movement' was founded on the idea that we should build golf courses on attractive pieces of land, and that's the part that people have responded to most.  I don't think they are walking with their heads down at Bandon Dunes Resort -- in fact, I can honestly say that I've never run into a bozo trying to use his Blackberry by playing golf there.

[JR Potts]

Tom: the only reason you haven't seen a "bozo" with their heads in a blackberry is that not enough young people have visited Bandon.  I'm a self admitted phone junkie.  My friends and clients are as well.

If I'm going to take several work days away from the office to play golf, you can bet my phone will be implanted in my back pocket.  Clients expect responses and there's too much competition out there not to meet their needs.

It's my sacrifice for my family and my business.  Yep, that probably makes me a bozo....but I haven't solved life's balance yet.  I probably won't until I win the lottery.

[Ben Sims]

With 137 young officers that all have my cell number and specific orders to contact me should they have an emergency, travel issues, etc.; I am a slave to my mobile device.  It has revolutionized the way we keep track of our people when they are traveling to different training courses, recall them during exercises, etc.

That said, nothing annoys me more than seeing a table of 20-somethings at dinner and all six of them are buried in their iPhones.  Being at DR last Sept. for a week and then ANGC for a week this spring--all without cell use--was about as close to perfect as it gets.

[jeffwarne]

That said, nothing annoys me more than seeing a table of 20-somethings at dinner and all six of them are buried in their iPhones.  Being at DR last Sept. for a week and then ANGC for a week this spring--all without cell use--was about as close to perfect as it gets.

Ben,
Anybody get fired, or miss anything during those periods?
Great that they have
"off" buttons

[JR Potts]

It's dependence...probably foolish dependence....but dependence nonetheless.

Last year, when I was at Augusta, while walking back to the car, all I could think about was firing up my phone.  The phone in the back pocket takes care of that stress....and there is plenty of downtime when walking off tees, etc. to placate ones addiction without impacting anyone's enjoyment.

It's the crosses we bear to achieve our goals.

[Tom_Doak]

Tom: the only reason you haven't seen a "bozo" with their heads in a blackberry is that not enough young people have visited Bandon.  I'm a self admitted phone junkie.  My friends and clients are as well.

If I'm going to take several work days away from the office to play golf, you can bet my phone will be implanted in my back pocket.  Clients expect responses and there's too much competition out there not to meet their needs.

It's my sacrifice for my family and my business.  Yep, that probably makes me a bozo....but I haven't solved life's balance yet.  I probably won't until I win the lottery.

Ryan:

I understand.  I travel a lot, and my wife really hates it that sometimes I am out of communication range, even with a good cell phone.  Luckily, I've got enough trust in my employees that I don't need the damned thing for business.

However, it was not lost on me that the one thing Mike Keiser, Jack Nicklaus, and Julian Robertson had in common was that none of them carried a cell phone at all.  They have people who will tap them on the shoulder if there is something that required their urgent attention ... and the guy doing the tapping had better be pretty sure it's important!

[JR Potts]

Ahhh, employees...I should try that.   

[Mac Plumart]

However, it was not lost on me that the one thing Mike Keiser, Jack Nicklaus, and Julian Robertson had in common was that none of them carried a cell phone at all.  They have people who will tap them on the shoulder if there is something that required their urgent attention ... and the guy doing the tapping had better be pretty sure it's important!

Yeah Tom, but those guys are old.  They probably don't know how to use a cell phone.   

[Rich Goodale]

Except for true emergencies, conversing on one's mobile device during a round of golf is no better or worse than dropping your trousers and taking a crap in the middle of the fairway.  In both cases, if you must, please find yourself a gorse bush some other secluded place and do whatever it is that needs to be done in private.

Thanks in advance

Rich

[BCrosby]

What Rich said.

Bob

[Niall C]

I recall playing with a pal at Prestwick St Nich's a number of years ago where he was a member. We were at the furthest part of the course where its quite flat and open with no cover and a number of houses overlooking the course. I ask my pal where to go to have a piss, and he says just do it in the fairway, thats what all the locals do. I guess it must be an Ayrshire thing.

Anyway, re mobiles on the course. I've always thought that one of the beauties of golf is that no matter how wound up you are at work or home or life in general, as soon as you get half way down the first fairway you've forgotten all your troubles. Hard for that to happen when you're still connected to all those worries by phone.

Niall

[JR Potts]

Anyway, re mobiles on the course. I've always thought that one of the beauties of golf is that no matter how wound up you are at work or home or life in general, as soon as you get half way down the first fairway you've forgotten all your troubles. Hard for that to happen when you're still connected to all those worries by phone.

Niall

For many that means that they would never play.

[Terry Lavin]

Cell phones and blackberrys on the golf course are a tolerable nuisance, but they are a nuisance.  My favorite pet peeve with the heads-down generation is what you see at sporting events.  One out of every ten people seem to be texting during games.  I was watching a hockey playoff game on television the other day and there was a great check against the boards.  A cute young woman was tapping out some nonsense on her smart phone which was promptly launched into the air when the players hit the glass.  Rough justice.

[Derek_Duncan]

If it's important for golf that young people, specifically young professionals, take up and play golf then golf is going to have to accept handheld PDA's on the course.

I know of one fairly prominent club in my area that has changed its policy on this and now allows phones and BB's everywhere except in the dining rooms.

[JR Potts]

Cell phones and blackberrys on the golf course are a tolerable nuisance, but they are a nuisance.  My favorite pet peeve with the heads-down generation is what you see at sporting events.  One out of every ten people seem to be texting during games.  I was watching a hockey playoff game on television the other day and there was a great check against the boards.  A cute young woman was tapping out some nonsense on her smart phone which was promptly launched into the air when the players hit the glass.  Rough justice.

I look forward to our round next week.

"Clack, Clack, Moo"

[SL_Solow]

Nobody likes them but they are a fact of life, particularly in service businesses where clients now demand instant feedback and near 24/7 availability.  So clubs have to adapt in order to recruit and accomodate members who need to be gainfully employed.  Our club's solution;  no cell phones in the clubhouse.  No use on the course during club competitions.  Discrete use on the course if other members of the group do not object.  Phones on "silent".  Seems to be a fair compromise for our club.  there are others that ban them altogether.  I can remember when clients allowed me to call them back when I was out of the office.

[Tim Martin]

If it's important for golf that young people, specifically young professionals, take up and play golf then golf is going to have to accept handheld PDA's on the course.

I know of one fairly prominent club in my area that has changed its policy on this and now allows phones and BB's everywhere except in the dining rooms.

Young professionals will hold out on the greatest game if not allowed to device everywhere? I want you negotiating for me Derek.

[Jim_Kennedy]

If it's important for golf that young people, specifically young professionals, take up and play golf then golf is going to have to accept handheld PDA's on the course.

Hopefully they'll play with themselves. 

[Padraig Dooley]

Are there signs of golfers connecting less with the golf course than before? How much do golfers walk with their heads down and not take in the subtleties of the course? What kind of affect could this trend have on golf course design?

Maybe the era of 'smelling the roses' is gone. Despite the 'minimalist movement' is this why the big brash hazards and waterfalls are popular?

Padraig:

I don't doubt for a moment that technology is making us less connected with the people closest to us.

However, I don't think it's had the same effect on golf course design that you posit.  The 'minimalist movement' was founded on the idea that we should build golf courses on attractive pieces of land, and that's the part that people have responded to most.  I don't think they are walking with their heads down at Bandon Dunes Resort -- in fact, I can honestly say that I've never run into a bozo trying to use his Blackberry by playing golf there.

Tom

I wonder is anyone looking to cater for the blackberry and iphone generation with regards to golf? Maybe having tags on tees to be scanned giving advice on how to play the hole. In today's world it's far too time consuming to figure out what strategy to use.

Derek seems to suggest that it's essential but it really is one of the most annoying things to be playing with cell phone guy or girl. Just because golf is a pedestrian sport it's interesting that people seem to think it's ok to use a phone. Imagine trying to use one while playing hockey, soccer or even lawn bowls!!

 

[Matt_Cohn]

I think carts are the much bigger impediment to conversation. A 3-minute walk with four people turns into a 1 minute ride with 1 person. And, it's more conducive to sitting and checking out a phone.

[Mike Hamilton]

I think carts are the much bigger impediment to conversation. A 3-minute walk with four people turns into a 1 minute ride with 1 person. And, it's more conducive to sitting and checking out a phone.

+1

I am not sure I have ever seen a walking golfer checking the cell phone during the round.  But in a cart its just second nature...if you are the passenger what else do you have to do?

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