So nearly struck by lightening today!

[GOLFBALL_WHACKER_GUY]

Hi all,

so, I managed to finish work early today and after watching the open I've been itching to play around, so headed to my local course for an afternoon tee off. Parked up, sun was beaming, not a cloud in the sky.
Tee'd off at the first, lovely straight drive up hill and finished about 90 yds from the green, waswell chuffed as I usually slice, however as soon as the ball left the tee, it began to rain.
Ah, just a shower i told myself as i walked the fairway in my shorts and clima-lite shirt.
Well in the time it took me to reach the ball it had started to proper piss it down, so i rushed my shot and over shot the green. sawa fork in the distance, 'where did all those clouds come?' from i thought as i rantowards the green with my trolley. i took cover under the trees and decided to call the wife to ask what the weather was like where she was, and then came the hail.
I was just wondering how i was going to putt with hail on the green, when BANG! lightening struck no more than 100yds from where i stood. Car alarmsgoing off in thecar park, and crapping myself now i decided to leg it to the clubhouse, about 600 yds down hill and over a fence. Reckon i covered it in 25 seconds with the trolley! Ten minutes later it dried up and the sun was beaming once again, so i went back to my ball and played the rest of the front 9. I stopped there because i shot 70 through the remaining 8 holes, and that put me right off playing the back 9.
I blamed thestatic


Anybody else ever almost been hit?

 

[snell]

You saw a fork me lightning and proceeded to take cover under some trees... you mad man

 

[hangover]

The closest I've come to lighning was in Greece. I was sitting in the hotel bar having a drink to get out of the rain when lightning hit the steps leading into the hotel. The crack from it was deafening. I had to go and change my underpants after it.

 

[Basher]

Never, ever take shelter under trees during a thunderstorm!

Leg it to a nearby building (clubhouse) or your car. Outdoor wooden shelters do NOT offer adequate protection from lightning strikes.

 

[G_Mulligan]

I once saw three guys trying to fit into a porta loo during a thunderstorm...at least I hope it was because of the lightning and not just a coincidence.

But yeah never trees apparently the lightning hitting the tree strips the bark and fires it in every direction.

 

[upinsmoke]

I don't think the risk is flying bark. rather its a tall structure with a route to ground/earth. On a golf course, with the misses I make every week, I wouldn't like to be standing near any trees.

Also don't stand in the fairway with your 5 iron above your head unless your wearing your Dunlop wellies.

 

[Mark_G]

Not a good idea to put your umbrella up either, be it steel or carbon.

 

[GOLFBALL_WHACKER_GUY]

I knew about the "don't stand under a tree in a lightening storm" rule but figured it would be safer than walking across three fairways dragging a bag of metal

Wasn't expecting it to land so close either, as a few weeks back a house across the road had it's roof hit by lightening, it must be following me around!

 

[Paul_Stewart]

Speaking from experience of course .... get the **** of the course!

 

[Smiffy]

I remember playing a course in Berkshire once. Was on a training course with a mate from work. Middle of summer, took our clubs with us as we knew there were a couple of decent golf clubs nearby and we'd be finished early enough to get 18 in.
Baking hot day, we turned up at the course and I left my brand new demonstrator (Mazda 323F) in the car park with the sunroof wide open to try to keep it cool.
We were at the furthest point away from the clubhouse when it started coming over all dark and the Mother of all thunderstorms erupted. Absolutely hammered down and we had to take shelter under some trees as we didn't have our waterproofs with us.
By the time we got back to our cars, you could have put a fleet of Koi carp in mine

 

[USER1999]

Was driving through a storm in Florida, and there were lightning bolts hitting the ground all around. Scary, but at least I was sat in a modern day faraday cage.