ChappyEight
Well-Known Member
- Jun 21, 2007
- 4
- 0
(I posted this in another forum too, in case you feel like you've read this before, but not everyone visits every golf forum obviously.)
As I was recounting with a co-worker a situation I ran into last summer in my 2 man best-ball league, I thought it might be an interesting topic to bring up here.
The back-story is basically that in August of `96, when I was a freshman in high school, my football team was struck by lighting (it hit the ground a couple feet from us and the energy came up through our metal spikes). Ever since that time, naturally I've been very conscious of weather when I am outside.
So, last summer as we tee off on a Sunday evening around 4PM for our league, I can see storm clouds rolling in in the distance. By the time we finished the first hole (375 yard par 4) it had started raining and the thunder was quite loud. The lightning appeared to be within a few miles to our west coming right at us. The three guys I was playing with wanted to keep going. So, I obliged by quickly hitting my tee shot on the par 3 second and scurrying back to the cart (thinking of course that the rubber would keep me from getting a ground strike like before).
We get to the green and I hurry out and four putt because, at this point, I could care less about my score and am more concerned with the impending weather that is now nearly on top of us.
As we leave the second green and head to the 3rd tee box, the lightning siren sounds from the clubhouse and the gps on the carts shows a lightning warning. The guys I'm playing with want to keep going! I told them I was done but they insisted on playing. So, the three of them hit their tee shots and as we are driving down the fairway (on a par 4) lightning strikes on another part of the course, probably 500-600 yards away from us.
So, of course then they decide to go in. Back at the clubhouse I got endless ribbing and ridicule for being a "pansy" (I'll keep it clean) and that maybe I should start playing from the ladies tees. Now I have pretty thick skin so I don't get easily irritated or offended and, in fact, I often give other guys a hard time about their games, etc. as often takes place on the course.
However, I can't understand the ignorance that goes into staying on a golf course when lightning is even remotely close. It seems like flirting with disaster for what, an extra hole or two? Why is someone less "manly" for wanting to avoid danger that is so completely avoidable?
I still get teased when weather starts to move in and I usually either ignore it or tell them to kiss my backside.
I'd just be curious to get other people's thoughts on this. Again, I could give a crap what others think of me, but it just seems like way too many golfers think they're too "tough" to worry about a little lightning.
As I was recounting with a co-worker a situation I ran into last summer in my 2 man best-ball league, I thought it might be an interesting topic to bring up here.
The back-story is basically that in August of `96, when I was a freshman in high school, my football team was struck by lighting (it hit the ground a couple feet from us and the energy came up through our metal spikes). Ever since that time, naturally I've been very conscious of weather when I am outside.
So, last summer as we tee off on a Sunday evening around 4PM for our league, I can see storm clouds rolling in in the distance. By the time we finished the first hole (375 yard par 4) it had started raining and the thunder was quite loud. The lightning appeared to be within a few miles to our west coming right at us. The three guys I was playing with wanted to keep going. So, I obliged by quickly hitting my tee shot on the par 3 second and scurrying back to the cart (thinking of course that the rubber would keep me from getting a ground strike like before).
We get to the green and I hurry out and four putt because, at this point, I could care less about my score and am more concerned with the impending weather that is now nearly on top of us.
As we leave the second green and head to the 3rd tee box, the lightning siren sounds from the clubhouse and the gps on the carts shows a lightning warning. The guys I'm playing with want to keep going! I told them I was done but they insisted on playing. So, the three of them hit their tee shots and as we are driving down the fairway (on a par 4) lightning strikes on another part of the course, probably 500-600 yards away from us.
So, of course then they decide to go in. Back at the clubhouse I got endless ribbing and ridicule for being a "pansy" (I'll keep it clean) and that maybe I should start playing from the ladies tees. Now I have pretty thick skin so I don't get easily irritated or offended and, in fact, I often give other guys a hard time about their games, etc. as often takes place on the course.
However, I can't understand the ignorance that goes into staying on a golf course when lightning is even remotely close. It seems like flirting with disaster for what, an extra hole or two? Why is someone less "manly" for wanting to avoid danger that is so completely avoidable?
I still get teased when weather starts to move in and I usually either ignore it or tell them to kiss my backside.
I'd just be curious to get other people's thoughts on this. Again, I could give a crap what others think of me, but it just seems like way too many golfers think they're too "tough" to worry about a little lightning.