PGA Tour Expands Drone Spotting Partnership on Golf Courses

A low-flying, buzzing plane can knock off a golfer’s swing, disturb the silence on the course, spoil the viewing experience for fans, and even pose a threat if it’s carrying a payload. So, for its only event held on a public municipal course — the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Calif. — the world’s top golf series is enlisting the help of drone detection company SkySafe.

“The safety of our players, fans and sponsors is our top priority,” said Andrew Harmatis, the tournament’s chief operating officer. news release.

This type of surveillance is not new to SkySafe. According to the company, this year’s event (January 22-25) will be the third Farmers Insurance Open. Last year it is spotted 12 rogue drones flew over the course during the week of the event, leading to the arrest of nine pilots.

The firm was also reckoned by Illinois State University Urbana-Champaign to monitor college football games and control unauthorized drones flying over campus.

“Thanks to our technology, tournament organizers can see in real-time potential aerial threats, such as drones, on the course, allowing them to quickly respond to unauthorized activity,” said Melissa Swisher, SkySafe’s director of revenue.

According to SkySafe, the company can detect drones without requiring the PGA Tour to invest in any equipment or infrastructure. Organizers may whitelist approved drones (such as those used by the media for bird’s-eye views) to monitor both authorized and unauthorized drones. When the drone is detected, the technology automatically sends a notification with the exact location of its launch.

Drone detection systems like SkySafe can help organizers stop drone incursions early by pinpointing the pilot. But when an unmanned aerial vehicle is in the airspace, there are no means of protection.

According to in Baltimore bannerfor example, the NFL recorded more than 2,800 interceptions during the 2023 season — compared to about 2,500 in 2022, more than double the previous season. Some like that drone playback is paused during the playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, occurred in the middle high profile games.

However, the authority to jam or destroy rogue drones rests with the federal government, which is usually only brought in for mass events such as super bowl. The NFL and other professional sports leagues, including Major League Baseball, have been lobbying Congress to extend those powers to local law enforcement.