LPGA Encourages Players to Twitter...In Round

by Bill Jempty on May 28, 2009 2:11 PM EDT Comment 31 comments

So the universe can learn that Christina Kim's last shot, that went in the water, sucks? From the Associated Press:

LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens says she wouldn't mind players using social media Web sites during a competitive round.

"I'd love it if players Twittered during the middle of a round," Bivens said in an interview, according to Bloomberg News. "The new media is very important to the growth of golf and we view it as a positive, and a tool to be used."

Bivens said she "encourages" players to update their Twitter or Facebook pages in the middle of a tournament.

There is a question, however, of whether using a handheld phone or mobile device is allowed under USGA rules. The LPGA is awaiting a ruling from the USGA. Its 2008 Rules of Golf do not mention using handheld devices, though Rule 14-3 says that players cannot use equipment "that might assist him in making a stroke or in his play; or for the purpose of gauging or measuring distance or conditions that might affect his play."

The PGA Tour bans the use of mobile phones or handheld communication devices during competitive play.

According to Bloomberg, approximately 30 LPGA players have Twitter pages, including Morgan Pressel, Christina Kim and Natalie Gulbis.

I don't Twitter and don't pay attention to anyone who does. [Editor's note: Clearly, I Twitter :) ] My concern about this is pretty straight forward- Won't this cause play to be slower. Do players who twitter put themselves at risk for a slow play penalty? The LPGA unlike the PGA penalizes players for taking too long.

FanPosts are written by Waggle Room members. Viewpoints expressed do not necessarily reflect those of WaggleRoom.com and its editor, Ryan Ballengee. The Waggle Room member whose byline appears with the FanPost is solely responsible for its content.

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Comments

Snore

Swung club. Looks good.

9:31 AM May 29nd from txt

Why would this be compelling?

by Cairo on May 28, 2009 2:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

say it ain't so, Biv !!!

I have tried to be supportive of The Biv as often as possible – but sometimes she really makes it difficult.

THIS one is flat out idiotic. I guess she doesn’t know that tournament golf usually requires that phones and other electronic devices be turned off during play.

Perhaps she missed all the signs around the tournaments asking people to turn their phones and PDA’s OFF. Now she’ll be encouraging the gallery to leave their phones on so they can Tweet with the pros.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 28, 2009 2:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

wrong rule

The story mentions rule 14-3, but skips over rule 6-7 concerning slow play:

6-7. Undue Delay; Slow PlayThe player must play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play guidelines that the Committee may establish. Between completion of a hole and playing from the next teeing ground, the player must not unduly delay play.

Penalty for Breach of Rule 6-7:
Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.
Bogey and par competitions – See Note 2 to Rule 32-1a.
Stableford competitions – See Note 2 to Rule 32-1b.
For subsequent offense – Disqualification.

Note 1: If the player unduly delays play between holes, he is delaying the play of the next hole and, except for bogey, par and Stableford competitions (see Rule 32), the penalty applies to that hole.

Note 2: For the purpose of preventing slow play, the Committee may, in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1), establish pace of play guidelines including maximum periods of time allowed to complete a stipulated round, a hole or a stroke.

In stroke play only, the Committee may, in such a condition, modify the penalty for a breach of this Rule as follows:
First offense – One stroke; Second offense – Two strokes.
For subsequent offense – Disqualification.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 28, 2009 2:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Haha, it should be the slow play rule that is the concern. Holy mackerel.

Ok, I’m going to do it. I’m going to Twitter a round of golf and see what happens.

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on May 28, 2009 2:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh settle down

You could make it just so players are exempt from using phones during tournament play. Simple solutions.

Secondly…how often do you see LPGA and PGA players standing on the tee waiting….waiting? Sometimes for as much as 4-5 minutes? I would imagine this would be when they would tweet. If they’re trying to jam it in somewhere else and holding up play, obviously that would be a problem. But seems like if they used a minimum of common sense that wouldn’t occur.

Lastly…oh gosh noooo don’t try anything new!! Stay w/the tried and true cuz gee that’s uber successful…erm or not.

Gimme a break. Every sport short of the NFL needs to attract a broader audience. If tweeting during events helps pull in younger women (which btw are into social media big time) then why not try it?

I have tried tweeting during a round. It’s far from impossible if done like I mentioned above…but I didn’t like it…too distracting personally from the task at hand and would guess many players may feel this way about it too…many, not all.

Innovate or die.

by NiceBallz on May 28, 2009 3:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

innovate or die…but you admit that it’s distracting from the round ? And you’re not a professional golfer trying to shoot your best rounds to make money.

granted – we are talking about women – so there is a lot more talking and socializing going on during the round, so IF there is a long delay, maybe a station on the tee box they can use that doesn’t cause a delay. (officials can turn it off if it slows play) Now you’re talking about 18-54 PDA’s.

It’s just inviting trouble – and sooner or later – someone is going to be accused of cheating. You’re not allowed to receive outside information. One nit giving hole information to one player’s page and you have a scandal.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 28, 2009 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, should never try anything new. you’re right.

I mean…who came up w/the idea of doing interviews with baseball managers DURING a game? Crazy.

Or having on course commentators…surely that will be too distracting to the game and cause delays.

Crazy ideas…all of ’em.

by NiceBallz on May 28, 2009 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

hmm – you could be on to something…oh wait…the managers aren’t playing the game…neither are the commetators

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 28, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well at least you stick w/your opinion never to be swayed ;).

Yeah, ‘cheating’ via twitter there’s a scandal…I mean when you have steroid use as a plague in the NFL and Baseball…a big ole twitter scandal is what the LPGA should worry about.

And how would someone tweeting during time between shots, beTHAT different from an NBA /NFL player giving an interview during a break in the action like between quarters/halves?

It’s not. It’s just not what people are used to and so the tendency is to overreact and resist.

by NiceBallz on May 28, 2009 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

never say never…I did toss out the idea of a PDA or something on a tee box that is backed up.

We already have to deal with 50 handicappers who line up 2’ putts like they are Tiger Woods…or worse, Jim Furyk. How many more examples of bad etiquette and slow play do you want to see on your local course when you play ?

Why are you trying to connect this with the NFL/NBA ? I’ve never seen a QB pull out a needle to stick in a tired lineman’s butt late in the game when he needed an extra push. You don’t see reporters running onto the field to ask the wide receiver a question while the game is going. What does steroid use in other sports have to do with slow play in golf ? Do you need more ? NFL and NBA both have clocks. When the time runs out – the period or the game is over. Golf doesn’t have a clock, but slow play is frowned on.

You’re trying to make this seem like having additional distractions that slow play even more are a good thing.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 28, 2009 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually if you go back I said clearly that if it causes slow play then it IS a problem.

But the idea it would automatically cause big issues is a simple response w/out any true thought given to the possible merit and benefits of the idea.

by NiceBallz on May 28, 2009 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it’s worth giving it a shot so long as there are clear parameters. Maybe even have the caddies do it instead of the actual player. Make em a kind of ~~secretary~~ on-course administrative assistant.

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on May 28, 2009 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yes you did – in the middle of an around the world tour of unrelated professional sports non-sequitors (lol)

hey – give it a try – my prediction is that the players will find out very quickly that it’s more work than they expected – but they won’t be able to stop it because the Twitter fans will start complaining and they’ll be stuck with a massive headache and another publicity problem.

call it being negative if you want – and you can say that I’m not thinking it through very much, which would be incorrect, I’m just not jumping on every cute bandwagon that happens by. The players need their mental focus and this is a bad idea.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 28, 2009 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I guess I see a fairly obvious set of parallels between Golf (a sport) and how other sports like nba/nfl/mlb…oh and wait, yeah golf…have integrated media (which is what twitter is…social media and connection and information sharing) into and around their sports w/out it having a negative impact over the years.

And that’s all I was really saying is that it’s worth a try. Could totally flame out…but when sports/businesses/individuals become unwilling to try new things (and even possibly gasp fail once in a while) then they’re effed. Pretty sure this is beat to death…

And you’re right, you weren’t underthinking it, you were overthinking it ;) and finding all the reasons why it couldn’t possibly ever work. This “cute bandwagon” whether it be in the form of twitter or another social media platform that hasn’t even been invented yet is here to stay.

by NiceBallz on May 28, 2009 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wasn’t there a big flap recently with an NBA player typing on Twitter during a game ? Hmmm. He wasn’t concentrating on the game.

Both sides of the argument need to be brought to the table…even though I’m right. (lol) A test run of one tournament wouldn’t be enough. Players wouldn’t get a feel of the grind it would cause, and if you ran it for 5 or 6 tournaments in a row, the Tweeters at home would get hooked and the players would get tired of it – but the players would be stuck because of the public opinion. That’s what I see coming.

Maybe do it a few times scattered over the year – definitely not at majors. Make it a special event.

I’m still wondering how you please hundreds or even thousands of fans over the internet during a tournament round.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 28, 2009 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I mean, so long as there’s no slow play element and they couldn’t see @replies – which could have advice – then I think it would fit fine.

Like I said on Twitter, it would cut out the middle man of inane questions to players after the round.

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on May 28, 2009 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

isn’t the whole point of Twitter to have interaction ? if they can’t see the replies or questions, they would be saying things like “wow – really butchered THAT hole” or “damn I’m good – great birdie”

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 28, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sometimes I Twitter..

…on the golf course. Never tried it during a competitive round, but when I’m by myself, it gives me something to do while walking from one shot to the next. It keeps me from dwelling on whatever just happened. I would do it during a competitive round so long as I felt it didn’t affect my concentration during shots, which I don’t believe it would based on trying it during rounds by myself.

The point is, either people will follow and care, or they won’t. It doesn’t matter if the tweets are inane drivel. If that interests people, then there’s nothing lost, so long as it doesn’t interfere with play. And walking from shot to shot is the perfect time to do it. Everyone wins, and the people who think it’s stupid don’t have to tweet (players) or follow (fans), so it’s not like anyone is subjected to something they don’t like.

As far as @replies containing advice, I don’t see that any different from someone in the gallery shouting out “hit the driver!” or whatever. So long as the player isn’t soliciting advice.

by Double Eagle on May 28, 2009 6:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

couple of differences in getting a message by Twitter and some drunk yelling “hit the driver”…

The loudmouth doesn’t know what’s going on ahead, doesn’t know green conditions, can’t tell what kind of situation the players ahead or behind are in. Someone online can be watching TV with that information and send exact information by Twitter. Huge advantage.

The idiot yelling “hit the driver” doesn’t know if that’s the right club to hit or not…or on a par 3, what clubs other players have been hitting. The person at home does and can pass that along. Definitely against the rules.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 28, 2009 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wait a sec...

You mean to tell me, someone that’s standing there with the players doesn’t have the same vantage point? I’ve stood close enough to see the club a player has pulled from his bag. If I stand on a tee for an hour or two and watch group after group, I’m going to have way more information than I will have gotten from television. I’ll know the wind, how the green is reacting, and the club selections of dozens of players.

Second, Rule 8-1 says:

During a stipulated round, a player must not:

(a) give advice to anyone in the competition playing on the course other than his partner, or
(b) ask for advice from anyone other than his partner or either of their caddies.

There is absolutely no penalty for a fan giving unwanted advice. Regardless of how much more information a spectator has versus a TV watcher or vice versa, there’s no stipulation on whether the advice is good or is just drunken babble. If I load up twitter and someone says, “It’s a two club wind” there is no difference between that and the same words coming from the mouth of someone in the gallery. So long as I don’t solicit that advice or give it to a fellow competitor, there is no penalty whatsoever. The fact that a TV viewer might be better informed has zero bearing from a rules standpoint.

by Double Eagle on May 28, 2009 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

no – I mean someone stand there with the players doesn’t have the same point of view as someone either standing at the green ahead or behind…or watching on TV.

we have all bristled at viewers calling in to report a rules violation – but you’re saying that it’s ok to get advice on course conditions, club selection, or player situation from someone watching TV IS ok ??

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 28, 2009 9:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

???

What? Of course soliciting advice is not OK, from any source.

You made the point that the TV viewer or Twitterer is more informed than an idiot in the gallery, making it a big advantage. First, I’m saying I disagree that the advantage is bigger, but I’m really saying that it doesn’t matter how well informed the advice is or what source it comes from. The rule doesn’t take the quality of the advice into consideration. Period.

A person Twittering a club selection is indistinguishable from a person in the gallery shouting it out, from the perspective of the Rules.

If the player does not solicit advice from Twitter and does not solicit advice from the gallery, then no advice has taken place. It doesn’t matter if a player happens to see a tweet suggesting a club selection or hears the same thing from the gallery. I don’t see how the situations can be treated any differently by the Rule as it’s written.

by Double Eagle on May 28, 2009 10:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Very true about the rule. It’s only advice if you take it – regardless of how it’s delivered. I mean, technically, “get in the hole!” is advice for the ball :)

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on May 28, 2009 10:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

advice is only advice if you take it ? that’s like telling a jury to disregard testimony they just heard. it’s already out there and in the minds of the jury.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 28, 2009 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m just telling you what the rules say.

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on May 28, 2009 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Advice is advice...

…if the player solicits it. Otherwise, fans could just steer players to victory by shouting advice to the rest. If I tell a player to use a 5-iron and he does, that’s advice, right? Sorry, but no. That would be unfair to the player.

Besides, what pro in his/her right mind would pay attention to anyone shouting or twittering club selection or other advice?

by Double Eagle on May 28, 2009 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Really ? Someone having more information than another ISN’T an advantage ? Two people standing next to each other have the same point of view have the same information – but if one person has someone watching from another location has more information if it makes its way to you.

Twitter pages are individual. Everybody can’t see every Tweet that gets sent. Two or three players in the same group can hear the loudmouth who thinks he is giving good advice or encouragement or whatever.

I’m just saying that the lines are getting blurred too much – which is why Tours have a rule against having phones and PDA’s on the course during play.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 28, 2009 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What I’m saying is that a person watching on TV may have some extra facts from the broadcast, but a person standing on the tee for two hours will have a lot of information that the TV watcher won’t. Especially if he happens to be standing on a non-TV hole in which case the advantage is clear.

The point is moot, though, because the quality of the advice is irrelevant to the rule.

by Double Eagle on May 29, 2009 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs