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.

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

This type of surveillance isn’t new to SkySafe. According to the company, this year’s event (January 22-25) will be the third Farmers Insurance Open it has secured. Last year, it spotted 12 rogue drones flying above the course during the week of the event, leading to the arrests of nine pilots.

The firm has also been enlisted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to survey marquee college football games and monitor for unauthorized drones flying over the campus.

“With our technology, tournament organizers gain real-time visibility into potential aerial threats, such as rogue drones on the course, enabling rapid responses to unauthorized activity,” said Melissa Swisher, chief revenue officer of SkySafe.

According to SkySafe, the company can detect drones without requiring the PGA Tour to invest in any hardware or infrastructure. Organizers can “whitelist” approved drones—such as those used by media to provide a bird’s eye view—to keep an eye on both authorized and unauthorized aircraft. When a drone is detected, the technology automatically sends an alert with its exact launch location.

Drone detection systems like SkySafe can help organizers preemptively stop drone incursions by pinpointing the pilot. But once a drone is in the airspace, there is little recourse.

According to the Baltimore Banner, the NFL, for example, recorded more than 2,800 incursions during the 2023 season—up from about 2,500 in 2022, which itself was double the season prior. Some, like the drone that paused play during a playoff matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, occurred in the middle of high-profile games.

However, the authority to jam or take down rogue drones lies with the federal government, which is typically only called in for marquee events such as the Super Bowl. The NFL and other professional sports leagues, including Major League Baseball, are lobbying Congress to extend that authority to local law enforcement.