PGA Tour Extends Golf Course Drone Detection Partnership

Partner SkySafe last year spotted 12 rogue drones flying over golf courses hosting the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open.

Jack Daleo

Monday, January 20, 2025 at 10:00 AM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

Key Takeaways:

The PGA Tour is proactively utilizing SkySafe's drone detection technology at events like the Farmers Insurance Open to counter a rising trend of drone incursions that disrupt play and pose safety risks.
SkySafe's system offers real-time detection of unauthorized drones and their launch locations, proving effective by leading to multiple pilot arrests (e.g., 9 arrests from 12 detections last year).
Despite detection capabilities, professional sports leagues nationwide face thousands of annual drone incursions and are lobbying Congress to grant local law enforcement the authority to actively counter or take down rogue drones, a power currently limited to federal agencies for marquee events.

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As American professional sports leagues contend with rising numbers of drone incursions during events, the PGA Tour is being proactive.

The low-flying, buzzing aircraft can throw off a golfer’s swing by shattering the silence of the course, ruin the viewing experience for fans, and even pose a threat if they are carrying a payload. So, for its sole event played on a public municipal course—the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California—the world’s premier golf series is enlisting the help of drone detection firm SkySafe.