Morons playing in a thunderstorm

Paul_Stewart

Paul_Stewart

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I was out playing at Hampton Court Palace GC last night and could see a massive storm rolling in towards us. Having been struck by lightning in 2002 and lucky to even still be here, I was out of there after nine holes and in the clubhouse about 15 minutes before the storm hit.

The clubhouse marshal sounded an air horn three times around 6.15pm to get everyone off the course.

And about one group actually stopped playing.

The other 8-10 groups still out on the course just carried on playing. Utter morons.
 
You dont have to be a moron to think waving metal sticks in the air when there is lightening about is a good idea.. oh no wait yes you do, yes definitely morons
 
I wonder how much those who stayed out would have moaned and tried to sue the golf club for not 'protecting' them had they actually been hit by lightening!

These days everyone seems to know their rights but few consider their responsibilities. These morons as you rightly call them were endangering their own lives needlessly and potentially the lives of others who perhaps went onto the course to ask them to leave or in the worst case went out their to try to save their life after a lightening strike.

Morons is certainly the right description!
 
I love thunderstorms but they are the one thing guaranteed to get me off a golf course in rapid quick time.
There is nothing worse than being out there when a storm is close by. You know another lightning flash is coming, but you're not quite sure where it's going to be. You can't help thinking it's going to coincide with you reaching the top of your backswing....
 
Myself and Jan played 9 holes last night with the storm in the distance.
There was about 5-6 second gap between the lightning flash and the thunder so it was a fair distance away.
Was still happy to get finished before it got any closer though.
 
Myself and Jan played 9 holes last night with the storm in the distance.
There was about 5-6 second gap between the lightning flash and the thunder so it was a fair distance away.
Was still happy to get finished before it got any closer though.
Click to expand...

The light from a lightning bolt travels at the speed of light, whereas the sound of thunder travels at the speed of sound ( approx 1 mile every 5 seconds). So if you can count to 10 between flash and bang, its 2 miles away

So if you were only 1 mile from the lightning, thats too close in my opinion, as it can move towards you within a minute or two.

Having experienced a lightning strike whilst playing cricket, and feeling the electricity come up through the spikes on my shoes, I know that its not something you want to mess about with.

Another sport that is effected by thunder is fishing, having a 4 metre carbon rod in your hand is a great lightning conductor.

Like to hear more about Pauls experience

Fragger :o
 
I once literally ran back to the clubhouse scared ****less after a massive thunder clap straight above me while I was actually on for my PB a good few years ago. My do'er scottish pro at the time said "no point in your best round being your last round laddie". Wise words indeed. Yes, they are morons.
 
The light from a lightning bolt travels at the speed of light, whereas the sound of thunder travels at the speed of sound ( approx 1 mile every 5 seconds). So if you can count to 10 between flash and bang, its 2 miles away
Click to expand...

Smell travels even slower.
I can hear the thunder of a ripe fart but sometimes don't get the aroma for about 3 or 4 seconds although I am only about 3 feet or so away.
So depending on the thickness, sometimes smell only travels at about a foot a second.
 
I was struck in 2002 on the 1st at Sunbury. It wasn't raining and there were just some dark clouds in the distance.

I was watching my friend play his shot and had taken the bag off my shoulder to make sure I had an umbrella in there. The bolt hit the bag, arced across me and blew me about 20 feet across the fairway. If I hadn't taken the bag off about five seconds earlier, it would have killed me. You cannot survive a pure direct strike like that.

As it was it shredded my clothes and by the time the ambulance got there, the paralysis had worn off and you could hear me from about 100 yards away.

All I remember about the journey to the hospital were the sirens going and the other paramedic telling me he had no more water to pour over my burns.

I was in intensive care for two days and hospital for two weeks.

Back playing a month later and still came 3rd in the club championship six weeks later even though I was dosed up to the eyeballs.

Moral is, if I see any kind of thunderstorm in the near vicinity, I am out of there pronto.
 
Smell travels even slower.
I can hear the thunder of a ripe fart but sometimes don't get the aroma for about 3 or 4 seconds although I am only about 3 feet or so away.
So depending on the thickness, sometimes smell only travels at about a foot a second.
Click to expand...

You can't even use the excuse that you thought you were just thinking that one but were actually saying it out loud because you took the time to type it too!!

Still, at least we aren't able to transmit smells via this forum! :)
 
I love thunderstorms but they are the one thing guaranteed to get me off a golf course in rapid quick time.
There is nothing worse than being out there when a storm is close by. You know another lightning flash is coming
Click to expand...

There is! Try sitting on a river bank with a 30ft graphite pole in your hands and you're a 20 min walk from safety
 
I'd say the group who had to wait for the hooter before leaving the course have got a bit of a screw loose too. As far as I'm concerned, if you've got a golf club in your hand and you can hear thunder and see lightning you're too close. Never been struck myself and intend to keep it that way.
 
Paul....amazing story!!!!!! :o
Glad you got out of it and lived to tell the tale. Hopefully it might make people think twice about risking it....just not worth it.
 
Played cricket in Isleworth a few years back on the adjacent sports ground to one that took a direct hit and unfortunately killed somebody. Since then any sign of lightning and my I'm vacating the vicinity with all due haste.
 
I found the newspaper story from a couple of weeks later - makes good reading. That is one of the clubs from the set. Callaway replaced my driver free of charge in return for them having the old melted one for research purposes. The insurance paid for a complete new set.

http://www.bucpower.com/lightning.jpg
Click to expand...

Wow - that is fairly sensational! What are the chances...?
 
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