Masters cracks down on wearables
The Masters tournament is tightening enforcement after fans reportedly used smart glasses and other wearable tech to bypass the venue’s long-standing phone-and-recording ban. Coverage describes organizers updating security measures to address the new hardware appearing in the crowd. ( )
Augusta National spent the 2026 Masters looking for smart glasses after fans used wearable devices to get around the tournament’s no-phone rule. (aol.com) The Masters began on Thursday, April 9, and Augusta’s standing policy bars “cell phones, laptops, tablets, beepers, drones” and other devices that can transmit photos or video during tournament rounds. Cameras are allowed only on practice-round days from Monday through Wednesday. (sports.yahoo.com) Reports this weekend said security staff were watching for smart sunglasses that can record video and take photos while looking like ordinary eyewear. Mashable said Apple and Google smartwatches can also send texts and calls, creating another gap in the rulebook. (mashable.com) Augusta National has sold the event for years as a rare phone-free sports venue, with patrons using banks of landline phones on the grounds instead of carrying mobile devices. Players and fans have said the ban changes the atmosphere by cutting down on screens and noise. (usatoday.com) The pressure point in 2026 is that recording gear no longer looks like a camera. Smart glasses from companies including Meta can hide a lens and microphone inside frames that pass for regular sunglasses under a cap. (msn.com) Augusta’s rules already make one narrow exception for fitness bands and electronic watches, which several outlets highlighted as a loophole once watches gained calling, texting, and data features. That has left organizers trying to enforce an analog policy against devices designed to disappear into clothing and accessories. (sportingnews.com) The club showed this week that it still enforces the ban aggressively. Former Open champion Mark Calcavecchia was removed from Augusta National after security caught him using a cell phone on the property. (usatoday.com) That leaves Augusta with a familiar rule and a different kind of checkpoint: not just phones in pockets, but cameras on faces. (nationaltoday.com)
