Cell Phone Cameras to be (Somewhat) Permitted on European Tour

Golf has gone great lengths in the last year to become technologically advanced and social media friendly for their fans—which has widely been considered one of the main reasons why golf is once again booming in popularity. While most of these changes have happened on the PGA TOUR, the European Tour is now piloting a new idea.

This upcoming week at the Irish Open, instead of being kicked out of the event for taking snapshots on your cell phone, fans will be encouraged to have their phones out. The event and the European Tour as a whole are attempting to capture a snapshot of the event that they can share with the world as a festival of golf.

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This will be the first time in the history of the European Tour that cell phone cameras will be allowed to be used during a live event. The Portstewart grounds will have specific areas where phones are allowed to take pictures, but they will prohibit videos from being taken. One lucky fan will even win 500 euros worth of Irish Open merchandise for snapping pictures of the tournament.

Asked about the decision to change the policy on cell phone cameras, Irish Open director, Simon Alliss, said:

“We know that almost everyone now uses their mobile phone to take pictures so we’re embracing that and encouraging spectators to share their experiences on social media and show the world what a wonderful event the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in Portstewart really is.”

While this perk will be nice for spectators, there are some rules that have to be followed, such as only taking pictures in the designated areas on the course. Some of the other rules include making sure that the camera flash is turned off, keeping the phone on silent at all times, and all pictures can only be taken by a phone camera, not any other photographic equipment.

With so many people using their phones to record events now, it is a logical move for the European Tour to attempt to control phone usage rather than ban it. If the Irish Open is successful in doing this, the PGA TOUR may be soon to follow their lead.

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