A new twist in the endless cell phone debate

Is the PGA Tour giving in to the inevitable? According to a report on golfchannel.com, the tour is considering allowing spectators to bring their cell phones to tournaments provided the phones are on silent or vibrate settings.

The cell phone debate has been raging for years in golf circles -- not only when it comes to their presence at tournaments, but also at regular courses. On one hand, the thinking goes, our game is meant to be a sanctuary from the distractions of work and home. On the other, it is cell phones and smartphones that would allow many people who otherwise couldn't sneak off to a golf course to at least stay connected. Maybe that's not the golf your father and your grandfather knew. But as Golf Digest Editor-in-Chief Jerry Tarde has written, in an era when the game is fighting to attract new players, it seems like a deal worth striking.

The banning of cell phones is just one debatable golf rule we tackle in this slideshow. A number of you have already made clear you don't agree with our thinking on some of these issues. But even if that's case, we still want to hear from you.

*-- Sam Weinman