CBS coordinating producer Lance Barrow chuckles that he's sometimes asked if he just shows up at events on Saturdays, when CBS begins airing action. But broadcast networks typically handle the early-round play that airs on cable TV, such as coverage of the AT&T National that began airing Thursday on the Golf Channel. And in the makeshift CBS compound set up behind a practice range at Congressional Country Club, Barrow ticks off TV golf's challenges: "There aren't boundaries, there's more than one ball, nobody has numbers on their backs and nobody ever stops playing."

Barrow, sitting in a production truck in front of a wall of live monitors during play, handles things like when to take ad breaks — based on how quickly key groups are playing or how long it takes to get from certain greens to the next tee — and oversees a 250-person production that's "like a small business" with an eclectic workforce.

Such as Matt "Sandman" Sanders, who Barrow calls "our traffic controller" in overseeing about 20 on-course spotters — including spotters assigned to each announcer — who send in details such as club selection and distance off tee shots that are then used in onscreen graphics.

Sanders didn't exactly grow up training for his job. He spent 22 years in the Air Force — "I made bombs" — but was also "a huge golf nut" who left the service in 1997 when he became a caddie on tour for Dave Rummells briefly before that player's injury left him sidelined. Then, he began paying his way between tournaments to be a TV spotter — ready to relay things like what shot a player was about to hit — and try to stay "as invisible as possible" even as you communicate with caddies about club selection.

While Sanders wouldn't favor miking players or caddies — no need, he says, to pick up "gossip" between shots — he endorses more electronic eavesdropping: "I'm probably going to step on some toes here, but if I was a producer I'd have those microphones jammed right in there (near players and caddies) every time."

Tom Loss — "my nickname is Total" — is a dentist who sits behind Barrow during play. He's been a volunteer U.S. Golf Association official — whose first tough call was advising Nick Faldo, now CBS' lead analyst, on the rule consequences of climbing a tree to search for a ball he'd hit in the 1992 U.S. Open. Loss sits ready to instantly explain rules to CBS.

Which has left him seeing infractions on TV monitors that players themselves don't even know are infractions — and then trying to let players know before they sign scorecards: "If we see something on TV (and it's relayed to players), we can prevent a disqualification."

And this weekend, CBS' crew included its first British knight — Faldo, who was working with CBS for the first time since his knighthood had been announced. The crew, during ad breaks, superimposed Faldo's face over someone being knighted — "check you grip, Mum," Faldo responded, noting the sword in the Queen's hand.

Faldo, who left for Britain Sunday to play the Scottish Open, British Open and Senior British Open, noted his friends could address his new status with shorthand — "S'Nick" — but on-air partner Jim Nantz would be granted no shortcuts: "You Jim, can call me 'Sir Nicholas Alexander Faldo.' " Unless, say, Barrow is counting down to a commercial and there's no time.