lightning

[williamalex1]

I played at an away open today , after playing 11 holes the heavens opened torrential rain, thunder and lightning for about 20 minutes.
We expected to hear a horn/siren to cancel because it was so bad, but no sound so everyone just kept on playing. We would have walked in but unfortunately we were at the furthest away point from the clubhouse.

Should it have been stopped, and what would be the legal situation if someone had been struck by lightning, and claimed the club.????

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I would imagine you the stand would be you played on at your own risk and the knowledge that lightening attacks on golf courses are well known and documented means you should have made your own risk assessment and stopped. Not sure the club has any obligation to call golfers off although many do have an inclement weather policy these days including hooters

 

[ColchesterFC]

Should it have been stopped, and what would be the legal situation if someone had been struck by lightning, and claimed the club.????

No idea on the legal situation but yes it should have been stopped. As soon as there is any chance of lightning in the area swinging a metal stick above your head is never a good idea.

But more importantly, did you win?

 

[williamalex1]

No idea on the legal situation but yes it should have been stopped. As soon as there is any chance of lightning in the area swinging a metal stick above your head is never a good idea.

But more importantly, did you win?

Sadly no , but i was 2 under par [net] when the rain started then i just couldn't grip the clubs, as i said in my velcro thread. :smirk:

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Had the same situation today in a Pro Am

The club are obliged to duty of care to their golfers on the course

If they feel there is any possible danger they must halt play

But if play is halted you are well within your rights to walk off

 

[Khamelion]

If there is lightening during a comp at my course, three short blasts inform the players to leave the course, if there is lightening about during normal play it is at the discretion of the player to leave the course.

 

[palindromicbob]

Are you a sheep unable to make a call regarding your own safety? Lightning in the area then you stop and seek shelter somewhere safe then report to the committee ASAP.

It is one of the few times a player is able to make their own decision to discontinue play without penalty. Doesn't even need to have been a flash, the belief that there is a risk is enough to stop play.

The club may have a duty of care to suspend play in these situations but that does not replace the duty of care a person has for themselves.

 

[DaveM]

I find that very surprising. That nobody walked in.

 

[williamalex1]

Are you a sheep unable to make a call regarding your own safety? Lightning in the area then you stop and seek shelter somewhere safe then report to the committee ASAP.

It is one of the few times a player is able to make their own decision to discontinue play without penalty. Doesn't even need to have been a flash, the belief that there is a risk is enough to stop play.

The club may have a duty of care to suspend play in these situations but that does not replace the duty of care a person has for themselves.

No i'm not a sheep at all, we decided to play on as we were playing well, no one else that we could see walked in . We were about a mile or so away from the club house with as much chance of been hit by lightning while walking in.:ears:

 

[el marko]

If you really consider claiming against a golf club because they didn't sound the horn during lightning then you need your head looking at. Use common sense.

 

[williamalex1]

If you really consider claiming against a golf club because they didn't sound the horn during lightning then you need your head looking at. Use common sense.

I never said i would consider claiming , i asked what the legal situation would have been if someone had been struck .Read the post properly before getting on your high horse.

 

[palindromicbob]

No i'm not a sheep at all, we decided to play on as we were playing well, no one else that we could see walked in . We were about a mile or so away from the club house with as much chance of been hit by lightning while walking in.:ears:

Pretty sure that waving a conductor around would likely increase the chance but hey, if you are playing well and happy to take the risk then go on. I'm sure we've all seen Caddyshack (if not then it is recommended viewing). ]

The tone of my first response is triggered by the final line of your post. Basically sounds like an expectation on the committee/club to look out for people while they fail to take responsibility for themselves. People complain about a nanny state but this it the type of attitude that warrants it's creation.

 

[williamalex1]

Pretty sure that waving a conductor around would likely increase the chance but hey, if you are playing well and happy to take the risk then go on. I'm sure we've all seen Caddyshack (if not then it is recommended viewing). ]

The tone of my first response is triggered by the final line of your post. Basically sounds like an expectation on the committee/club to look out for people while they fail to take responsibility for themselves. People complain about a nanny state but this it the type of attitude that warrants it's creation.

A umbrella works as a conductor too, i'll tell Andre' Previn when i see him.

 

[backwoodsman]

Same occurred sat our place yesterday. Playing in a pro-am, two holes to go (and a shotgun start so we all had two holes left) when there the biggest clap of thunder I've heard in years and a scarily close flash of lightning. We were half way back to the clubhouseat at a sprint by the time the hooter went. Rain came down like nothing I've seen in years. (Putting green went from "fine" to flooded in about 10mins - and by flooded I mean covered all over by at least an inch).

As regards the OP, you can take nothing about the law as given, but I cannot see anything that would make the club liable. The duty of care is often misunderstood. A landowner is not required to make persons safe absolutely, just to take reasonably practicable measures to prevent harm arising. And they would not normally be expected to make or enforce decisions that a normal person could reasonably take for themselves. Eg to shelter from lightning perhaps. If they had insisted that players stay out and complete their round, then that might be a different thing. But of course, they couldn't do that under the RoG.

 

[Smiffy]

Whenever I have played and heard thunder in the distance I pack up straight away. This would be the same whether I was playing in a friendly game or a competition.
I have enough negative thoughts going through my head during my swing without the "what if" that creeps in as I get to the top of my backswing with lightning in the vicinity.
I was playing in Portugal one year when a storm came over. My mate Norman had just played a shot when a massive bolt of lightning appeared, followed immediately by an almighty clap of thunder. Frightened the life out of us, and it was clubs away and sit in the buggy time.

 

[Hobbit]

May 1989, Darlington GC. The storm had pretty much passed over but the course was awash so we decided to walk in. Another group joined us part way up the fairway.

There was a brief sensation of your hair standing up, then BANG!!!! And yes, I did have hair back then. The 8 of us were laid on our back's like a bunch of dead flies.

At the slightest rumble you won't see me for dust.

 

[Stuey01]

A umbrella works as a conductor too, i'll tell Andre' Previn when i see him.

So... Don't use an umbrella in a lightning storm.

 

[Smiffy]

I love a good storm. If there is one around, and I am at home, I can spend ages watching it out of the window.
At our recent meet at Cooden, a massive thunderstorm rolled in over the channel. I spent most of my time out on the patio watching it gather momentum.
But out on the course?????
Like Hobbit, you wouldn't see me for dust. Just feel so vulnerable.
I was out fishing on Monday, it came over pitch dark and started hammering down.
As much as I enjoy a thunderstorm, I was praying it wouldn't start thundering and lightning.

 

[Laka]

in this case, playing on a link or park course is more dangerous then play on a wooden course. When there is no high trees , players on an open course will then be potential lightning conductors, especially with an umbrella...........sit down....

 

[HawkeyeMS]

They should have stopped play, but regardless, I would have walked in, playing in thunder and lightning is stupid and dangerous and you are well within your rights to stop playing if you think you're in danger.