How many times is too many for a partners' cell phone(s) to ring and them carry on a convo?

If it's actually ringing and they aren't walking with you down a fairway between shots or something, then once is too often. That's just not right if it's during actual play during the round.

Constant...times two.

once is too much. however, we live in mobile fone world and it seems ieach week golfers are using their mobiles more on the golf course. I wish we could ban them altogether but as my recent partner reminded me, if he could not conduct his business on the course then we would not be playing on Tuesday. I am adjusting. (but I still don't like em)

1

I've never understood why people care so much about mobile phones on golf courses.

The only time I have a problem is when people hold up the group for an extended period, or don't move away to talk while people are hitting.

Otherwise who cares really? You are out in the fresh air. Just take a breath, enjoy the walk and stop taking life so seriously.

I only keep it on for emergencies at home and for me. Being a diabetic I always tell my partners where my food stash and cell phone are just in case...

Other than that, I have no use for them. I'm golfing. Leave me alone. I even told my wife as much. Unless you or the boy are in an emergency don't call to ask me to pick up anything at the store during a round.

I'm with you. As long it doesn't interfere with the game, who cares?

I couldn't agree more. Just have a good time playing the game. If the phone is that much of an issue, then I think one should work on letting things go.

You need to get one of THESE. Works great around teeboxes and greens.

Generally I find people are pretty good about their cell phone usage.

I am in a job where I always have to have it. I keep my conversations short, and away from others on the course and other places.

The key is the ringtone! National Geographic has a variety of bird song ringtones - that's what I use on the course. Most of the time it goes completely un-noticed by my playing partners, and I can look to see whether it is a call I need to take or return when the opportunity presents itself. Of course, its sort of funny when I forget to change it and it goes off at a meeting at work....

Want to clear off a backed up tee? Have some REAL fun, download the "pissed off hornets nest" ring tone, and turn the volume up....

Bob

Not authorized for use in the US. However, if you're willing to do the time, get the higher power version out of Israel that will basically block a city block.

ONE.

That's the point, I've never seen one that doesn't interfere with the game. Either the guy is talking when others are hitting, or he's lagging 60 yards behind talking, holding up the group.

I can't imagine that many--if any--mobile phones in use today don't have a "Silent Mode."

In other words, I don't understand why a mobile phone would ever ring on a golf course . . . or a restaurant . . . or a grocery store . . . or just about any public place.

AGREED!

I do carry mine when I play, but always put it on silent mode, not vibrate. If you're in a cart, it shakes the entire cart and creates a large sound.

Unfortunatly, it will get worse. Now it is the text messages that annoys me more with guys I play with.

As they say. " It is what it is. " I just deal with it and move on, but like I said, I put mine on silence and check it periodically in case of emergencies.

What did we do before cell phones? They could be the death of society. LOL.

My daughter, a senior in high school, was all upset this year when the school banned cell phone use during school hours. She asked "what if there's an emergency and you need to get in touch with me"?. I reminded her that "back in the day", a parent would call the school who would get a message to the kids. I told her that method would probably still work since it had 99% never fail track record!

(except for the day I cut school and my Mother called and was told I was absent.... : )

I go to a golf course to escape a life of people screaming into their cell phones around me. Put a mild mannered person on a cell phone and they start screaming like Billy Mays.

If you can't learn how to put your phone on silent or vibrate, you are simply inconsiderate and rude. For those that are so tethered to your phone that you can't shut it down for four hours while you play, at least have the courtesy to silence it for those of us that do want to enjoy some peace and quiet on the golf course.

I'd love to see them banned on the course.

Golfpro, I'm with you on the texting issue. One of my regular playing partners, is starting to get really bad about this. He is out of the office, but they still need to get in touch with him, so he gets and sends a lot of texts. It takes away from the playing partner aspect of it. I've mentioned it to him, but it's a case it's the only way he can get out and play and still respond to his office.

I get away from the office to play as well, but there isn't usually anything they need to bother me for that I have to respond right away, it can usually wait until I check messages at the turn or knowing I'll return after the round.

As others have said, it's only going to increase with the advances of all the wireless technolgoy now. Friends that have the Iphone bascially can read work documents while playing

Or worse, the phone rings in your backswing. Luckily for the guy whose phone rang in my swing I was hitting a 7 iron, and I like my 7 iron, so it didn't get wrapped around his neck. His phone was off and he stayed away from me the rest of the round though, lest he get another earful.

Hate them on the course. Only legit use, imho, is for either emergencies, or to briefly call family or friends at some point on the back nine to let them know when you will join them for dinner, etc. My observation is that most of the calls are relatively meaningless and trivial - so why can't this wait till the round is over?

Even worse are the people who spend 30 minutes in the hitting station next to you on the range, or on the practice green, with a club in one hand and the cell phone in the other. Do they think that having a club in one hand is somehow making them a better golfer?

Hey, I've got a blackberry, plus a cell phone with internet, email, and navigation. I love these devices. But there is a time and place for them.

Please allow me to explain. Some people don't like to hear you talking on the phone on the golf course for the same reason they wouldn't want to hear you talking while sitting next to them in the movie theater. Because it's distracting them from their purpose. And because hearing half of your conversation is unpleasant, mindless chatter.

Some people go to a golf course to emerse themselves in a sport, and get free of all the frenzied crazyness of daily life. They want to hear the birds, to enjoy the scenery. They want to concentrate on the game. When you make or receive a call, it brings all that crazyness back and it interferes with the sanctity of the surroundings.

It's getting harder and harder for me to get away from people who insist on staying in touch with everyone they know at every possible minute. I like the peace that listening to my own thoughts provides. I like what I am thinking better than I like what you are saying to someone else. Please leave me out of your world.

Have you considered that it might be you who are taking life too seriously? That maybe you should let your compulsion to be in contact go every now and then?

I suppose this sounds cranky. But you said that you never understood people like me, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

This explains it all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp6H9hR4nIM

Yep.

I understand that everyone doesn't want to be bothered with one part conversations (though I wonder, why listen anyway?) but what I keep in mind is this:

I can golf only because I have a job. No job, no golf. If my boss wants me available for short calls, that's good by me. I'll be good about it and not bother you, just as I don't smoke cigars upwind from you if you don't smoke and then I baggie up the remains, but... Don't presume to interfere with my ability to make a living.

Personally, I think its sometimes just another way for people with control issues to try to impose their will on others based upon what their personal preferences. Unless you can specify the issue relative to the game or rules -- such as "Dude, pick up the pace", or "Tone it down a bit, we're on the tee!", or "Can you put the ringer on vibrate, please?" (and these requests should be willingly accepted without backlash) I don't think its anyone's business how I conduct mine.

I keep mine on silent... Yesterday when I played I actually answered the phone (the boss...errr I mean wife). That was a RARE occasion. However, having an almost 6 month old son, I need to have my phone on me at all times. BUUUUUT, I hate when I hear the ringer from other golfers.... Now THAT pisses me off!!!

Does your boss call you on Saturday or Sunday when you're out with your friends? I don't think anyone is saying it's improper to conduct business on the golf course during normal business hours. Most people do it. If you're out with a client, or playing hooky, and you need to conduct business, then go right ahead and make that call.

But IMO there's no good reason, outside of a family emergency, to be on the phone during a casual round of golf with your friends during non-business hours.

Kevin

Yup... All the time, and not just on the weekends. I dream of the day I might have actual business hours. I'm the guy who gets the call when things go wrong, and they almost always do at the most inconvenient time. The joke about me is that I work hardest when everyone else is sleeping or having fun.

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But IMO there's no good reason, outside of a family emergency, to be on the phone during a casual round of golf with your friends during non-business hours.

Kevin
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Do you answer your boss' call in a movie theater? How about during church? And do you keep your ringer on or do you have the common sense to silent your phone when in areas that should be quiet?

Guess what, I can golf because I have a job. The difference between you and me is that I golf to have a few hours away from my job. I play with a guy quite regularly that is on call 24/7 as well. He is polite enough to silence his phone and walk away from the group when he has to take a call. (90%+ of the time, he lets it go to voicemail because it really isn't THAT important)

But if you're "that guy" that can't figure out how to turn off your ringer, you're an idiot. If you have an especially loud or obnoxious ringtone, you're a douchebag too.

EDIT: Just read your post above. I hope you get paid well. Otherwise, look for a new job. It's not worth having your balls in their pocket 24/7

i'm with deemo and stage. if you have to take a call fine... but set your phone to vibrate. i don't want to hear any ringtones going off on the course.

I suppose you'd be just fine if I had a boom box blasting my favorite tunes from my golf cart. You should be, because it wouldn't be right for you to "try to impose your will on me based upon your personal preferences."

"Don't presume to interfere with my ability to make a living?" Please. It's not like golfers are in your office bothering you. Please consider making a living somewhere else where it doesn't intefere with other people's ability to enjoy a quiet game of golf.

I have to say that quite frankly, you're treading the ground here that if your job is so important that you need to be able to do your job from the golf course, then shouldn't you be at your job instead? I know that sounds harsh, but at some point people have to make choices. If a person chose a job that takes up a lot of time and leaves little for golf, well, that is their choice. You say people shouldn't interfere with your ability to make a living, but why is it ok for you to impose on their leisure time by bringing your job to them? They don't start playing beach volleyball in your office while you are trying to work.

I appreciate that *you* take steps to keep it from interfering with people's game. But just like you shouldn't even have to deal with me sitting down in the middle of your family picnic in the park yakking away on my cell phone, much less explain why you got very belligerent about me doing so, it shouldn't even come to using the cell phone on the course being justified, it shouldn't be used there.

I don't think it's a control thing at all. There is a time and a place for everything. If a person wants to work, they can work. If they want to talk on the phone, they can do so. If they want to play golf, then play golf. But don't be surprised if combining those things leads to problems with people who do make those choices. It is other people's business.

That sound sharsh, and it's meant only as a counterpoint, not as an attack.

I've never really understood the righteous indignation over cell phones on the golf course. For better or worse, cell phones are part of our everyday lives. I bring mine for every round, but it is always on silent. I always let it go to voicemail and then check it when convenient.

I don't think the idea of banning them on the course is needed or practical. But, I would be all for some specific and pretty strict rules for having one on the course. Although it's hard for me to even remember the last time I was in really affected by one of these egregious breaches of cell phone etiquette.

You guys need to leave BostonBob alone. He's THAT important where people need to reach him 24/7/365. He probably sleeps with one eye open and a blue tooth device in his ear....just in case the boss calls and needs his help. We can only hope one day to be half as important as BostonBob. While we are focusing on our golf games, he's busy multi tasking - golf, work, influencing world politics, etc.

Quit hating!!!!

Kevin

Farting is part of our every day lives as well. You still don't need to do it on the golf course.

Anyone remember self restraint? Just because you can answer your cell phone doesn't mean that you need to. Someone posted above, most calls on the course are not life and death. They can wait until the turn or a more appropriate place.

Hey, to lighten this up a bit, this April I was down playing golf at the new Heron Point course on Hilton Head Island. My friend was sitting in our cart at a par 3 tee waiting for the group in front to clear. He was holding his sky caddie and looking down at it to figure out the hole. An indignant ranger aggressively drove up to him and said, "Put that away, we don't allow cell phones on the course, didn't you see the sign?" My friend said nothing, but very, very slowly turned the GPS towards the ranger until he could see it. The ranger realized what was up, and drove off without a word.

This is starting to be a flame fest.......

I personally don't care what you do with you cell phones on the course. I can't say it's really bothered me too much anyway. I think banning them is going a little far though.

I keep mine in my bag (in the valuables pouch). I leave my ringer on normal. The end result is I hear a very muted ring and know that someone called, but it isn't loud enough to startle someone or be a bother. I am like the guys above where I do need to have a phone with me 24/7. I am respectful with it though. And yes, church is the only time during the week that I turn it off.

Some of you guys are taking this way to far for no real reason. There's not going to be an outcome here. Just relax.............

While we're at it, maybe we should just ban people from the golf course. Problem solved.

I believe that you should turn your phone OFF during a round. Medical or personal situations ( I'm diabetic) for example, are obvious exceptions. In those cases, set it to vibrate.

I generally shut my phone off during the round. I too prefer to use the course as an escape from the world at large. If I am expecting an important call I'll set it to silent and check for messages every few holes. If I need to return a call I'll do it at the turn or at the end of the round. I sometimes wonder how some people (the ones constantly on their cell) survived before cell phones.

I turn my phone to silent and place it in my bag and and will check to see if I missed an important call every now and then. However, it just doesn't bother me when a cell phone goes off on the course or someone is talking on their phone as long as they are not slowing up play. It just simply doesn't matter to me, but apparently it really drives some of you guys nuts.

Hey, it's not easy to maintain this level of "nuts." I need constant input.

I'm concerned about the comment a few posts above about farting. I always considered this ok to do as long as I was outside....

In fact, there are a few people I know, mostly family members, who almost consider this a requirement!

You and your family members are, of course, right. This is why the windy conditions provided by links golf have become so popular.

If there were more sensitive and concerned people like you around, the world would be a better place.

If they can't figure out a simple task like silencing a cell phone, I agree with you 100%.

I generally turn my phone to silent on the golf course. If I'm playing hooky, I'll leave my blackberry on, and make calls when I need to.

BostonBob is on call 24/7 apparently. There are jobs like that. I think it's a bit inconsiderate to argue that BostonBob should never be able to play golf.

Let me expound on my thread opening post.....my partner(s) phones rang at least 8 times on the front 9, sometimes one inquiring about the other's call DURING the call...to the point that I got backswing yips contemplating another incoming!! (with terrible ringtone)

Oh yes I do!

I was playing with a friend and we were paired up with another guy who would constantly talk on his phone and answer calls. We waited until he actually found time to play a shot and sneaked a look at his cell #. My friend and I just took turns spam calling him on our phones until he finally turned it off. He never figured out it was us! Damn, he was pissed.

I have been a Type I diabetic for more than 30 years and I cannot see how a cell phone would help me manage my condition on the golf course...

Many clubs prohibit cell phone usage anywhere on the grounds, which is a marvelous policy.