Augusta officials prohibit fans from bringing mobile phones and other gadgets, such as radios or walkie-talkies, into their tournament. Fans entering the course can check their phones at a booth and pick them up as they leave. But if officials see a fan making or receiving a call on the course, they are authorized to confiscate the phone and issue a claim check. PGA Tour bans phones The Masters is not a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, but the Tour also prohibits fans from bringing their cellphones to its events. Tour spokesman Bob Combs says the policy has been in place for 4 years and workers check about 150 to 200 phones a day during a typical tournament.
Most fans check their phones voluntarily.
Others are confiscated. A wireless device might be helpful to fans trying to follow a tournament while they're out on the course following a particular player or group. Right now, the Tour is in the planning stages of offering Palm Pilot-style gadgets for rent to fans that help them follow tournaments. But it isn't happening yet. IBM produces the masters.org Web site, including its wireless component.