Do you answer your phone when playing?

[Connor.]

Very rarely. Only if it goes off multiple times so I know it's an emergency

 

[greg19]

I very rarely answer my phone anywhere. Who makes phone calls anymore, anyways...psychos??

 

[GoingLefty]

Hell no. It's in my bag, shut off. I can't stand when people do that during a round.

 

[Gyro25]

Generally no, unless it's wife or family where I know they wouldn't call unless it's important.. and of I do answer I feel rushed to take my shot and messes up my groove definitely

That said I don't like others answering their phones too, especially when I hear just Bs conversations

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[checkered]

generally no. I will step away if left a voicemail to check if it's an emergency, but I try not to use the phone too much on the course.

 

[leftshot]

I have 7x24 responsibilities in my work around safety, security and IT. So sadly, I have to check phone calls...or give up golf. I try to be as sensitive as possible by keeping the phone in my pocket on vibrate. The vibration pattern tells me if it is a phone call or something else. I got called off the course 6 times last year, including having to forfeit a match play.

 

[chpar4]

Do you answer your phone when playing?

I used to be a hard no on this issue. Me personally i do not answer. Have phone with me and will check from time to time. Only family emergencies get returned. If others need to for work etc.. as long as they don’t hold up group and are quiet its OK as soon as we have to wait for that person it’s annoying.
And yes, without a doubt it affects almost everyone. It’s affected me and I’ve seen almost everyone I’ve every seen take a call screw up next shot.

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[Tadashi70]

If my phone rings on the course I’ll take the call on the next tee. I’ll hit my shot, tell the group I need to make a call and start walking toward my ball. This way I don’t disturb the group, I get the time to answer any questions and it’s good exercise.

I never take a call mid hole.

 

[GenErr]

I'll look to see who is calling. Years ago I thought it rude to use a phone on the course, but nowadays using a phone frees up more and more golfers to play golf. I still get annoyed when I play with someone who is constantly on their phone conducting business to the detriment of other golfers in the group.

 

[dhartmann34]

Nope. I'll let them leave a message.

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[teed-off]

Nope, never have.

 

[GoingLefty]

Nope. I'll let them leave a message.

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This is what I would do if I was golfing during a work day. If it's important they'll leave a message. If it's not they won't and you cut down on the talk time. Seems pretty reasonable.

 

[Smiter]

Have only read the OP, and I hope this one remains as civil as I’ve come to expect from this site. It’s been a HOT topic some other places I’ve been, to say the least, lol.

My phone is on silent so I don’t know when it rings. I always inform work that I’m golfing. I do check for missed calls and texts every couple of holes usually. If it’s important I’ll call or text back but literally everyone that would have an important call for me knows I may take an hour to get back to them when golfing. If it’s an emergency their best bet is to keep calling and I’ll eventually see it light up. I leave it in the console if driving a cart and I’ll check it every 4-5 holes if walking.

I have a couple family members that are Realtors so I fully understand how tied to the phone that job is. One missed call can lead to a 5k or more loss. I golf with my BIL that’s a Realtor once in a while. Poor guy never gets a full round in. He usually takes his own cart and when he gets tied up he just doesn’t play but keeps up with the group. My sister was a (very successful) Realtor before she took an economic development job about a year ago. She only golfed to further her professional contacts, and as such I took her out and taught her the basics, including what I felt the polite way to be someone that’s at the beck and call of their phone’s proper etiquette was on a course. Which I think my BIL has nailed, take a separate cart and sit out when it’s going to take you more than an 30 extra seconds to hit your next shot. He does a good job of understanding that and I’ve never even thought about being upset with him over him needing to take care of business. His families livelihood is on the line and that takes precedence over golf in my book. He doesn’t let it interfere with others enjoyment of the round as he’ll hang back when we’re putting, etc.

Both sis and BIL make more money than I do. I don’t think I’d want their job though. If I can’t be semi uninterrupted a time or two a week, I wouldn’t be real happy. But I don’t begrudge them their choices, and since both of them practice what I’d call “proper etiquette for someone tied to their phone while golfing”, they’re more than welcome to golf with me anytime. They’ve both tried to talk me into being a realtor with them “hey you can set your own hours, better (maybe, if spotty pay), etc etc”. No thanks.

I don’t have the temperament for it. I’d be super pissed at anyone that made me spend an hour of my golfing time negotiating a $200.00 repair into a 400k sale. Only to have them walk away from it due to another $100.00 repair that both sides dig a line in the sand on. I respect those that can, and I’m more than happy to golf with anyone, so long as they practice etiquette that is reasonable, which I feel I outlined above.

 

[Smiter]

NOPE! Absolutely not, unless I know it's an emergency. It's always on silent anyway. I will look at it periodically & Mrs Nut knows to text me first.

And incidentally, I can't stand people that are on the phone that are in my group. A few seconds to say I'll call you back ... fine. But a few minutes or even a few holes ... let me play ahead because it's annoying and very distracting. Call me old school, whatever. But we survived doing "business" long before there were cell phones. So for people to say that the "need" to take this call, I myself call BS. You just choose to out of convenience.

Please read my previous post. Realtors are a prime example. They ignore a call for an hour and it may cost them 5k or more.

But there’s a right and wrong way to go about it, which I tried to detail as much as I could. If you’re meeting a random on the course it would probably be wise to tell them upfront about it and explain that if they want to play ahead, no hard feeling, but since this is my livelihood, I may have to take a few holes off. So long as (in my case, my BIL) stays back so we don’t have to hear his conversation and doesn’t expect us to wait up because he’s stuck on the phone (he doesn’t, he’ll rejoin as soon as he can-and count all holes missed as pars, lol-but that’s another conversation), it’s really a non-issue. I wouldn’t even mind being paired up with someone like that randomly as long as they played by what’s today’s proper etiquette (don’t F up someone else’s round because you’re tied to your phone).

What gets frustrating is someone that has to have a conversation every other hole for no apparent real need and they expect you to wait on them. I get paired with a random like that and they’re getting ditched post haste. Or even a relative. I’d probably warn the relative first and then tell them to ditch their phone or I’m ditching them.

To take money out of the equation, and make it even more meaningful... suppose you are randomly paired with a heart surgeon. He’s off that day but he has a 5 year old needing a transplant. If he gets the call that a donor has been found, do you want him ignoring that call? I sure as hell don’t.

Some things are more important than golf. My family members that are slaves to their phone, there’s a reason. Their family relies on them to put a roof over their head and food on their table. They won’t hold you up. They’ll skip holes if they have to. Yeah it’s not life or death but it can mean making their bills on time that month (although I think they’re past that stage in their career, but still). They’re not having meaningless conversations with their friends, they’re negotiating a deal that could be their entire months salary. I’m fine with anyone in that situation taking a call and making themselves disappear until it’s resolved. Even more ok with the heart surgeon analogy.

But Jim-Bob arguing with his “ol lady” about why he’s out on the course drinking beer and expecting me to wait for him, that ain’t ever happening.

 

[golfinnut]

Please read my previous post. Realtors are a prime example. They ignore a call for an hour and it may cost them 5k or more.

But there’s a right and wrong way to go about it, which I tried to detail as much as I could. If you’re meeting a random on the course it would probably be wise to tell them upfront about it and explain that if they want to play ahead, no hard feeling, but since this is my livelihood, I may have to take a few holes off. So long as (in my case, my BIL) stays back so we don’t have to hear his conversation and doesn’t expect us to wait up because he’s stuck on the phone (he doesn’t, he’ll rejoin as soon as he can-and count all holes missed as pars, lol-but that’s another conversation), it’s really a non-issue. I wouldn’t even mind being paired up with someone like that randomly as long as they played by what’s today’s proper etiquette (don’t F up someone else’s round because you’re tied to your phone).

What gets frustrating is someone that has to have a conversation every other hole for no apparent real need and they expect you to wait on them. I get paired with a random like that and they’re getting ditched post haste. Or even a relative. I’d probably warn the relative first and then tell them to ditch their phone or I’m ditching them.

To take money out of the equation, and make it even more meaningful... suppose you are randomly paired with a heart surgeon. He’s off that day but he has a 5 year old needing a transplant. If he gets the call that a donor has been found, do you want him ignoring that call? I sure as hell don’t.

Some things are more important than golf. My family members that are slaves to their phone, there’s a reason. Their family relies on them to put a roof over their head and food on their table. They won’t hold you up. They’ll skip holes if they have to. Yeah it’s not life or death but it can mean making their bills on time that month (although I think they’re past that stage in their career, but still). They’re not having meaningless conversations with their friends, they’re negotiating a deal that could be their entire months salary. I’m fine with anyone in that situation taking a call and making themselves disappear until it’s resolved. Even more ok with the heart surgeon analogy.

But Jim-Bob arguing with his “ol lady” about why he’s out on the course drinking beer and expecting me to wait for him, that ain’t ever happening.

My point is then how did we survive in all of these years before cell phones were invented?? Did we buy houses without realtors? Did Drs never save a life because they were off playing golf? Absolutely not
Cell phones are a convenience plain and simple

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[SquirrelyDave]

My point is then how did we survive in all of these years before cell phones were invented?? Did we buy houses without realtors? Did Drs never save a life because they were off playing golf? Absolutely not
Cell phones are a convenience plain and simple

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I’m certain lives were lost because an important person couldn’t be reached, and lots of sales were lost because someone was out of pocket.

Cell phones are no longer a convenience, they are a necessity in today’s world.

 

[dthogey]

I will leave my phone on vibrate, I will check it every few holes, there have been times I have had to call people back. If I do I make sure it's not an inconvenience to the other players, I will not hold up play, or speak in a way that is loud or distracting to the others.

In the summer I am on call every 7 weeks, for that one week on call I have to be available 24 hours a day. One day last summer I was playing with a group, I was also on call, I told the whole group my situation, so they all knew I could very well get called out and sure enough on about the third hole I got called out and had to head for work.

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[Smiter]

My point is then how did we survive in all of these years before cell phones were invented?? Did we buy houses without realtors? Did Drs never save a life because they were off playing golf? Absolutely not
Cell phones are a convenience plain and simple

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It’s a different world to be a Realtor or Heart Surgeon now. Prior to cell phones the heart surgeon would inform their office where they were golfing and the course would send someone out to get them.

Prior to cell phones people weren’t so demanding of someone being immediately available. Not returning a call for several hours could cost a Realtor a TON of money. In the past people were content to leave a message (not a voicemail) on an answering machine (gasp!) and get a phone call when they got the phone call. In the past if important contract negotiations were possibly imminent, a Realtor couldn’t go golfing. Now they can. But it’s not their fault that societies expectations of immediate availability has changed. So long as they don’t mess up my round, have at it with skipping a few holes to put a roof over their head.

 

[M2Giles]

It’s a different world to be a Realtor or Heart Surgeon now. Prior to cell phones the heart surgeon would inform their office where they were golfing and the course would send someone out to get them.

Prior to cell phones people weren’t so demanding of someone being immediately available. Not returning a call for several hours could cost a Realtor a TON of money. In the past people were content to leave a message (not a voicemail) on an answering machine (gasp!) and get a phone call when they got the phone call. In the past if important contract negotiations were possibly imminent, a Realtor couldn’t go golfing. Now they can. But it’s not their fault that societies expectations of immediate availability has changed. So long as they don’t mess up my round, have at it with skipping a few holes to put a roof over their head.

I grew up on a rather nice golf course in the late 90's early 2000's.

Pagers were a thing back then. A person from the pro shop speeding out was not uncommon until the early 2000's when cellphones were prevalent.

Cell Phones have made it so we can be on the clock from more locations. I know some people that haven't took a vacation day in years because they can take some phone calls and send emails even if they are out of the country. Anything that can be done to keep people golfing I appreciate.

 

[moosejaa]

I let everything go to VM, but will immediately listen to the message to make sure it's nothing urgent.
I don't like carrying on a conversation on the course, it's kinda rude and usually slows down play.

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[Smiter]

I let everything go to VM, but will immediately listen to the message to make sure it's nothing urgent.
I don't like carrying on a conversation on the course, it's kinda rude and usually slows down play.

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Yup. I don’t even have to listen to the msg, my phone transcribes it all, lol. In the very rare event that it’s important enough for me to respond before I’m done, I excuse myself for minute or two and return it. Most of the time anything urgent can be responded to via text in the time it takes someone to hit a tee shot. But I’m not a heart surgeon or a Realtor.

 

[Smiter]

I grew up on a rather nice golf course in the late 90's early 2000's.

Pagers were a thing back then. A person from the pro shop speeding out was not uncommon until the early 2000's when cellphones were prevalent.

Cell Phones have made it so we can be on the clock from more locations. I know some people that haven't took a vacation day in years because they can take some phone calls and send emails even if they are out of the country. Anything that can be done to keep people golfing I appreciate.

Agree, 100%. Most of us have been stuck with someone that abused the cell phone thing, at least for a few holes before we ditched them, lol. But someone that doesn’t detract from my enjoyment out there, I certainly won’t detract from their ability to make a living.

On the other side of it, how would folks here feel if the 2019 Grandaddy Crew were told “no cell phones this year”. You’ll get updates at zero dark thirty CA time only.

No thanks on that one, lol.

 

[aenemated]

Man, I don't even answer my phone when I'm NOT playing considering 99% of the time, it's a robo call.

The one exception is if it's either from my mom or an NC area code that would make me think it might relate to my mom.

 

[donny475]

I turn the ringer off, check it every 9 holes. If the Wife Called she will leave me a message and I will call her back if needed. Anything else can wait. The golf course is my time......

 

[Smiter]

This thread is hitting home today since every 5 minutes all day long someone is calling me collect from the local jail. I don’t know anyone in the local jail and if I did I damn sure wouldn’t take a collect call from them.

I blocked the number but there’s like 8-10 of them. Driving me insane(er).