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Spectators on course not moving?

Ndfan301

Ndfan301

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We all know that attending a tournament means there is always a possibility of a wayward shot going near/into the gallery. We also know that the tour pro's normally/occasionally hand out a signed piece of equipment.

Now watching the Cadillac at Doral, I've seen multiple shots head towards and into the gallery and people don't seem to be moving AT ALL. Is this because they think if they get hit that they will get a signed glove or ball?

(Apologies if this has been discussed in another thread. A quick search didn't reveal this same question.)
 
I think that would be a small percentage of fans. I think that they either don't see the ball or the crowds so tight that they can't really move out of the way, especially the ones sitting.
 
Apparently most pros are too cool to yell fore. Honestly they don't want them ducking and dodging as they're likely better off hitting someone. I think it was Phil that actually did it on purpose once.
 
Canadan said:
As is the case with most sporting events, I think a decent percentage of people simply aren't paying attention..
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was going to say that a lot of people are oblivious to what's going on around them.
 
I think there's a lot not paying attention as well as people not wanting to lose their spot along the course.
 
I don't think this is anything new. Back in the day, Arnie regularly got favorable bounces off of the gallery. In the case of this tournament, it seems like a lot of people are just not paying attention.
 
Think it is more of the simple fact that galleries downwind don't see the shots coming. For those around the green there just isn't the room. I might try that and paint a bullseye on my ball head next time.
 
Paying attention or not, I just don't think it's all that easy to see a golf ball hit your way from 250 yards away.
 
i think Tiger has used it to his advantage wild drive can be less wild if spectators stop the ball
 
I understand if that part of the gallery is rather large (following Tiger for example) and not physically being able to move, or in the grandstands (obviously) or some just plain not paying attention (unsure why, but ok).

What I'm asking about is (and I forget whose shot it was, but early in the broadcast) I believe was hole #3 on an approach shot that went over. Now the gallery only looked to be 2 or 3 people deep, so not very big, but yet nobody seemed to move until the ball was already too close to get out of the way. Now, was this just people not paying attention, not seeing the ball, or maybe somebody trying to score a free autograph? Because I don't understand why you stand around the green and not at least pay some what attention.
 
My wife and I attended the WGC bridgestone invitational last fall. I tried to watch drives fall out of the sky but found it very difficult to track. I understand why it appears people aren't watching but the pros hit the ball so far it can be hard to judge.

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I think sometimes its hard to track the ball off the tee, so some just stand where they are and hope it doesnt hit them. I think its the smart thing to do. You can make things a lot worse by trying to run away and getting pelted when you could have stayed put and not got hit.
 
The ball is tiny, unless you see it off the tee the whole way, there is no way to find it on yell in the general direction.
 
Even from a relatively short distance, say, 100 yards or so, it's pretty hard to see a ball in the air, let alone where a ball will land. I watched Rickie lay up on a par 5 and hit his from 80 yards away, and even seeing a pitch pretty easily in the air, I had no idea where it was going to land until it was about 10 yards from impact. I can't imagine, even if I could pick out a golf ball moving 150+ mph through the sky, looking at where it's going and discerning where it'll come down.
 
In the air, would have to say most don't see it. I've been to my share of events and it is just plain hard to see a ball coming at you. Much easier to see it from behind the player looking down range. Now, balls that are rolling out and such, I think a lot of people think if they stay still and the ball comes to rest close to them then they will have a ringside seat to see the tour pro hit the next shot, or have their 15 seconds of fame making it onto the broadcast.

JM
 
Spectators on course not moving?

I was a volunteer at TPC Boston one year and got to watch from inside the ropes, 325 yards out on a par 5, with my little flags to mark the balls in the rough. Very tough to learn to see the flight of the ball, as once you hear the sound, the ball is already well on its way.

You learn to watch the player as closely as possible, then watch the volunteer signaling right or left.

I was nearly struck more than once...
 
I was at the Honda & I found it was easiest to follow the ball was when we stood behind the tee box and watched them tee off, standing along the fairway it was extremely difficult to see the ball(until it landed.)

I think they just don't see it coming.
 
As most stated, it is hard to see a golf ball coming at you especially if you are not paying attention. I don't think I will trade getting hit for an autograph from any pro on anything.
 
From attending a few PGA events you don't pick the ball up til it hits the turf in most cases.
 
I was at the Barclays last year with a stiff breeze blowing tee shots in our direction on the left side of the 18th fairway. 1 in 3 of the pros were hitting balls into our area. You just can't see the ball coming in. Fortunately the spotters are good at yelling for everyone to watch out, so we just covered our heads and hoped for the best. The cool part was seeing : 1. which players were polite, apologetic, and generous to the spectators they'd hit (Streelman) and which weren't. 2: being really close to the players hitting their approach shots from bad lies or having the ball well below their feet.
 
I've been close to being tagged a few times both as a spectator and volunteer. It's tricky always picking up the ball sometimes but the more you do it, the easier it gets. Easiest way to not get hit is to not turn your back to the player hitting, which seems to be an issue for a lot of people at tournaments. You're standing or walking in their range of distance. Why would you turn your back on someone doing that? COME ON MAN.
 
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