Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters, is famous for its strict and seemingly archaic rules, and former Masters chairman Billy Payne explained why one of their most notorious rules has never changed.
During Payne's introductory press conference before the 2017 Masters, he was asked about the future of their strict no-cell-phone rule and was adamant that it would never change on his watch.
"You're going to have to ask the next chairman," Payne said. "Because that's not going to change while I'm chairman."
Payne then explained the policy.
"I just don't think it is appropriate," Payne said. "The noise is an irritation to not only the players, the dialing, the conversation; it's a distraction. And that's the way we have chosen to deal with it."
For comparison, here is Tiger Woods near the patrons at this year's Masters on the left and near the fans at the 2019 PGA Championship. At the Masters, there are a few point-and-shoot cameras, but most of the patrons are just enjoying the moment and not staring at a phone screen trying to record it.
Augusta National does provide pay phones for the patrons if they do need to contact the outside world.
That Payne would be so concerned with eliminating noise not directly associated with the sport of golf should not come as a surprise.
The governing board has always been obsessed with the presentation of the tournament, including their famous azaleas, the white jumpers for the caddies, the prohibition of running among patrons (and don't call them spectators or fans!), and even the minimal number of commercials that are allowed during the television broadcast.
Augusta National says most patrons prefer the ban
Payne retired as chairman after the 2017 Masters. New chairman Fred Ridley addressed the issue before the 2019 tournament and said the rule is unlikely ever to change, noting that most patrons like the ban.
"I think our patrons appreciate our cell phone policy," Ridley said. "I know that we have now become an outlier, if not the only outlier in golf, as well, at allowing cell phones."
Like Payne before him, Ridley acknowledged that a future chairperson might think differently but suggested he wouldn't bet on it.
"I don't believe that's a policy that anyone should expect is going to change in the near future, if ever," Ridley said. "I can't speak for future chairmen, but speaking for myself, I think we got that right."
