Clueless spotters

[Jon Sweet]

Amazes me to watch the telecast for a huge major and see spotters and marshalls around the greens with zero clue as to where the ball is in the air and where it lands. Amazing.

[Thomas Dai]

Maybe if the ball wasn’t arriving from so far away and from so high they’d have a better chance of seeing it!
Atb

[John Kavanaugh]

Just pay people a living wage instead of relying on the generosity of rubes.

[Jon Sweet]

Just pay people a living wage instead of relying on the generosity of rubes.

Wait. There is no shortage of volunteers. Perhaps just make sure they’re watching the ball or have the physical capability to track it. 

[Jon Sweet]

Maybe if the ball wasn’t arriving from so far away and from so high they’d have a better chance of seeing it!
Atb

Much harder to see from a tee box above your head, I’d agree. Best place to see is 160 to 190 out. You really need to see the ball off the club face. This particular person was at a par 3 staring at the pin. The ball landed about 15 feet from her in the hazard. Had no clue.

[Brad Lawrence]

If they are awake and making any effort at all, they are outpacing their compensation.

[Jon Sweet]

If they are awake and making any effort at all, they are outpacing their compensation.

I find this similar to the teachers complaining about their low wages as if they didn’t know exactly what they signed up for. To quote Bill. Belacheat, do your job.

[SL_Solow]

Another topic directly related to GCA

[Cal Seifert]

I was a marshal on the 4th at Shinnecock a few years ago. It can be difficult to see the ball if the person with the paddles on the tee box is not on their A game.

[Mike Schott]

If they are awake and making any effort at all, they are outpacing their compensation.

I find this similar to the teachers complaining about their low wages as if they didn’t know exactly what they signed up for. To quote Bill. Belacheat, do your job.

Most teachers love what they do. They deserve to be properly compensated for their expertise, education (most have Masters degrees) and commitment. Why are they exempt from complaining about being underpaid?

[Jon Sweet]

If they are awake and making any effort at all, they are outpacing their compensation.

I find this similar to the teachers complaining about their low wages as if they didn’t know exactly what they signed up for. To quote Bill. Belacheat, do your job.

Most teachers love what they do. They deserve to be properly compensated for their expertise, education (most have Masters degrees) and commitment. Why are they exempt from complaining about being underpaid?

Hey, totally agree. Bitch away. Just never understood expecting it to be different. They’re offered a contract generally and accept.

[Will Lozier]

If they are awake and making any effort at all, they are outpacing their compensation.

I find this similar to the teachers complaining about their low wages as if they didn’t know exactly what they signed up for. To quote Bill. Belacheat, do your job.

Most teachers love what they do. They deserve to be properly compensated for their expertise, education (most have Masters degrees) and commitment. Why are they exempt from complaining about being underpaid?

Hey, totally agree. Bitch away. Just never understood expecting it to be different. They’re offered a contract generally and accept.

Great contributions today Jon. 

[Jon Sweet]

I was a marshal on the 4th at Shinnecock a few years ago. It can be difficult to see the ball if the person with the paddles on the tee box is not on their A game.

Cannot recall the hole but if you’re too far out it’s tough and if you can’t see the ball come off the club face even tougher. When the sun is a bit lower on the horizon also makes it tough to pick the ball up.

[Tim Leahy]

If they are awake and making any effort at all, they are outpacing their compensation.

I find this similar to the teachers complaining about their low wages as if they didn’t know exactly what they signed up for. To quote Bill. Belacheat, do your job.

What a surprise, another ignorant comment from you.

[Adrian_Stiff]

There is no formal training or qualifications for being a ball spotter. They are probably club members who volunteer their time to help. It is not an area where there are experts.


These people are just doing their very best and don't deserve the diss on a golf architecture forum.

[Richard Fisher]

Well said Adrian. 100% agreement with both the general and the specific.

[jeffwarne]

It can be very difficult to spot a ball at times, especially if you don't see contact.


If you don't realize that, you've never done it, OR you're a trained, experienced caddie who is really good at picking up flight off a swing and know what window to look in.Even they can struggle from a poor vantage point, or looking into a difficult sky or sun.


Next event, we'll just have the USGA go into the "caddie freezer" and grab a few hundred of the most elite,well trained and perfectly sighted that never miss a ball towering 125 feet above them against a variable sky.
You know, the same elite ones that are expected to be readily available and willing for that 10 am 9 hole single...on a busy weekend


..as volunteers...


I'm guessing most of them have/had far more relevant skills that allow them to be available to volunteer their time.

[Jon Sweet]

Jeff,
Same point I’ve made. If you don’t see it off the face it’s tough. Id imagine some spots are harder to pick the ball up than others. Perhaps have people out during practice rounds and put your more experienced or better spotters in those spots. Have seen it happen numerous times. This particular instance was an older lady staring straight at the pin on a par 3 and the ball lands in the hazard 15 feet from her and she didn’t even look like she knew someone hit. I’d imagine it would be members of the club, not sure what that looks like here. Definitely no shortage of people looking for free entrance inside the ropes.

[Ronald Montesano]

Check DM

[Rob Marshall]

Let’s see, these people pay to volunteer and you’re criticizing them? Really? Mind boggling.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Let’s see, these people pay to volunteer and you’re criticizing them? Really? Mind boggling.

No kidding...I volunteered at three US Opens, and that meant that I bought my uniform (that was low quality stuff that you'd never wear again) and spent several hours at the event, stationed on one hole.  The only "benefit" of volunteering was getting a pass for the event, but after working my shifts, there was no chance I wanted to go back out there on another day to spectate.

[Jon Sweet]

Let’s see, these people pay to volunteer and you’re criticizing them? Really? Mind boggling.

No kidding...I volunteered at three US Opens, and that meant that I bought my uniform (that was low quality stuff that you'd never wear again) and spent several hours at the event, stationed on one hole.  The only "benefit" of volunteering was getting a pass for the event, but after working my shifts, there was no chance I wanted to go back out there on another day to spectate.

Where we agree.
My teacher comparison was a bad analogy and I should have chosen a different one.
The ball is tough to track and with the rough and marine layer it can be difficult.
The USGA making millions and forcing people to pay for a "uniform" is crap.
However,
I would say they can get those with the best eyes and best suited to the role in the areas where they are most likely to miss balls. With shot link they have more than enough data to put the right people in the right spot.
I don't believe the volunteer status prevents them from being criticized.
You volunteer for the role and chose it, I would want to be capable of it as I would feel I let someone down if I lost their ball.
Granted, I didn't hit it there, but it would be my responsibility to cover that area.
Hope this clarifies.

[Tim_Cronin]

I was a marshal on the 4th at Shinnecock a few years ago. It can be difficult to see the ball if the person with the paddles on the tee box is not on their A game.

Cal, were you told to watch the paddler and then find the ball in the air? If so, that's a near-guarantee of lost balls under many sky conditions. It's very difficult to find a golf ball in the air after it's been hit. Thus the need to follow it from the strike itself to get a better track on it. I've stood in enough landing areas to realize that's the way to go.

[Wade Whitehead]

An O/T post in an O/T thread, but teachers, in the form of golf coaches, do more to advance junior golf than just about any other collective group of people...and classroom teachers, themselves, do more than anyone (outside families) to encourage and advance the core values, including integrity, respect, and perseverance, on which the game itself is built.

I am proud to know educators around the world and will always advocate for their work and impact to be as noticed, appreciated, and fairly compensated as it deserves to be.

WW

[Jon Sweet]

I was a marshal on the 4th at Shinnecock a few years ago. It can be difficult to see the ball if the person with the paddles on the tee box is not on their A game.

Cal, were you told to watch the paddler and then find the ball in the air? If so, that's a near-guarantee of lost balls under many sky conditions. It's very difficult to find a golf ball in the air after it's been hit. Thus the need to follow it from the strike itself to get a better track on it. I've stood in enough landing areas to realize that's the way to go.

Extremely difficult to pick the ball up if you don’t see it off the face. If you lose it, I’d imagine the paddles would help to give you a side to start looking. Usually you can look at the guy on the tee, if he’s leaning left he’s missed it right and vice versa.