Another unbelievable lightning situation

[Paul_Stewart]

As many of you know, I was struck by lightning in 2002 so am aware more than most of the dangers posed by a storm.

I was playing today in an R&A Qualifying competition at another club and a series of thunderstorms rolled in. Most players took shelter but a few idiots carried on with umbrellas raised at the sky at they attempted to end their round and lives in one go.

During one of the bigger interruptions, someone phoned the clubhouse and asked why play had not been suspended.

"Because we have green fees lined up for the rest of the day after your competition has ended and delaying the event would mean they would not be able to play."

So these stupid ******s are putting their own revenues over the safety of their customers.

And the hell with it, it's HOEBRIDGE GOLF CLUB in Woking, part of the Burhill Group who have one of the worst money-grabbing reputations in the county when it comes to their courses.

Players were walking in all over the place and after three breaks under the trees, we came in after five hours and got told we were behind time and could face a penalty. We had to drag one of the group away before he rammed up a club up the guy's backside.

Simply unbelievable.

 

[Oddsocks]

i think your past makes this a sensitive subject for you paul. Its only after joining this forum and reading the stuff on here that ive heard about a so called siren. none of the courses i have ever played have suspended play because of thunder.

 

[Aztecs27]

And the hell with it, it's HOEBRIDGE GOLF CLUB in Woking, part of the Burhill Group who have one of the worst money-grabbing reputations in the county when it comes to their courses.

Unfortunately this is probably true from what I've heard. My place is a Burhill club and I don't think they would close the course for much as they get so much pay and play foot traffic.

As I'm a member of the club attached to the "golf centre" It has the right to suspend play on any of it's competitions (I believe) due to adverse weather.

There are signs on our 1st and 10th tees that say "Play at your own risk in all weather conditions"

 

[pokerjoke]

Theres a big difference between thunder and lightning.
As i see it thunder is ok,lighning is a complete no,no.
Why take the risk,as with umbrellas up,madness

 

[USER1999]

We have a siren. Apparently it can be heard 3 miles away.

However, we don't use it much. It's function is to protect the course, not the players. So it is sounded to stop play if the course is flooding.

If it is lightening, then it is the players responsibility to mark up and walk in.

However, we have had numerous arguments about this, and the club are starting to get the message that we want to be called in. This allows everyone to resume where they left off, rather than have some carry on, and then it is chaos when it is time to resume, often with 5 groups now on one hole.

 

[chrisd]

We have 4 local courses doing final local qualifying for the open today and there is thunder and lightening in the area - I bet the siren has been going off like it's an air raid!!


Chris

 

[chrisd]

We have 4 local courses doing final local qualifying for the open today and there is thunder and lightening in the area - I bet the siren has been going off like it's an air raid!!


Chris

I have just checked and all four courses say 2nd round - play suspended

It is brighter in Folkestone so guess they will be underway soon - they wouldn't dare kill a golfer!



Chris

 

[Paul_Stewart]

Oddsocks - totally understand where you are coming from on this one.

But this was a qualifying competition being played at Hoebridge so is therefore under R&A rules and juristictions.

If they don't want these kinds of events, then don't run them and don't take people's money. It's just typical money-grabbing and the hell with the service.

 

[0]

As many of you know, I was struck by lightning in 2002 so am aware more than most of the dangers posed by a storm.

I was playing today in an R&A Qualifying competition at another club and a series of thunderstorms rolled in. Most players took shelter but a few idiots carried on with umbrellas raised at the sky at they attempted to end their round and lives in one go.

During one of the bigger interruptions, someone phoned the clubhouse and asked why play had not been suspended.

"Because we have green fees lined up for the rest of the day after your competition has ended and delaying the event would mean they would not be able to play."

So these stupid ******s are putting their own revenues over the safety of their customers.

And the hell with it, it's HOEBRIDGE GOLF CLUB in Woking, part of the Burhill Group who have one of the worst money-grabbing reputations in the county when it comes to their courses.

Players were walking in all over the place and after three breaks under the trees, we came in after five hours and got told we were behind time and could face a penalty. We had to drag one of the group away before he rammed up a club up the guy's backside.

Simply unbelievable.

These clubs have a 'Duty of Care' whether they like it or not, glad you named them, any club that puts finances over Lives are irresponsible and not to be coveted.

 

[CallawayKid]

Theres a big difference between thunder and lightning.
As i see it thunder is ok,lighning is a complete no,no.
Why take the risk,as with umbrellas up,madness

Thunder is the noise of lightning, the two go hand in hand pj. Also be aware that lightning can strike up to 25 miles away from an active cell. These are not to be messed with! First rumble then suspend play, if there's any doubt, there's no doubt.

CK

 

[NWJocko]

I just don't get a) knobheads who want to play in thunder and lightning and b) courses that behave in that way!

Not sure where the law stands in terms of duty of care but, morally, literally putting folk's lives at risk for a £100 - £200 fourball fee is absolutely shameful. In my opinion of course.

However, I know I wouldn't need to be called off when the lightning starts, nothing surer to get me off the course.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Theres a big difference between thunder and lightning.
As i see it thunder is ok,lighning is a complete no,no.
Why take the risk,as with umbrellas up,madness

You don't get thunder without lightning and if you can hear the thunder, you're too close to be walking around with metal sticks in your hand

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Hoebridge is my old club and will do anything to get people on the course, the place literally never closes. We often had the public double booked with the comp tee times and they always gave the green fees right of way over members. If they close the course they have to give refunds, so they don't close it and make you pay even if you don't play. I've refused to play in a comp there before because of thunder in the air when my tee time was due but got fined because the course was not closed so we had to pay for the times we had booked for the comp. They always put the onus on the person to choose not to play rather than close the course and lose money.

It really is madness and in a R&A run comp I'm surprised there wasn't someone from outside the club calling the shots but there you go.

 

[Smiffy]

Can anybody say that they could honestly concentrate when there is a thunderstorm nearby?
I've played a couple of times when I've heard thunder rumbling away in the distance and getting closer, and I can honestly say that when I reach the top of my backswing the thought of being clobbered does go through my head.
How can you play golf like that?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I agree with Hawkeye and would have thought there would have been a competition organiser running things who would have told them to call it off even if they let the public take their own lives in their hands. Just filter the groups back in between green fees on resumption alternatively and carry on. Any sign of lightening and I stop and if the clubhouse is nearby go back in. Don't really care if I lose my place, can't continue etc. Like Smiffy I'm always thinking "is it near" as I swing and never commit to anything and hack more than normal. I'd rather stop, go back and try and play properly without a metophoric eye over the shoulder all the time