Hazardous weather, such as extreme heat, strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning, pose potential … [+]
Golf is one of the most-weather dependent sports. And when the sun is shining, and the wind speed is low, it is the perfect golf day. But as most of us have experienced, those days are not nearly as often as we would like. Earlier this month, the PGA Tour’s PLAYERS Championship saw weather delays due to high winds and rain. And while a recent study found that golfing only accounted for 4 percent of lightning strike fatalities, a golfer in Brisbane, Australia, who recently was injured by a lightning strike can confirm that it is still a real danger and reminds us of the ever-present threat lightning causes.
These recent events are a reminder that hazardous weather, such as extreme heat, strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning, pose potential safety threats and impact a golfer’s game strategy and performance. So, if you are one of the hundreds of elite professional golfers, or one of the estimated 41 million who play the sport, knowing the weather and the potential dangers associated with weather hazardous events is important.
First and foremost, it is important for everyone – from spectators to players and golf course operators – to understand the safety risks of severe weather. Golf course operators create lightning-related evacuation plans, including a plan for how and when to sound the alarm. Course management works through the logistics of how much time is required for all players and employees to get to safety in the event of lightning threats. But even with weather safety protocols and warning systems, it is ultimately the player’s responsibility to discontinue play and seek shelter when dangerous conditions develop. It is not always possible for staff to monitor conditions on the entire course, and it is not safe to put staff at risk, so it’s important that players also stay aware of changing weather conditions.
In addition to the universal lightning safety tips, which include common items such as not standing under trees, some golf-specific tips include not getting into your golf cart or remaining on the course to wait out the storm. Avoid contact with metal, including your golf clubs and umbrellas, and don’t wait until the last minute to stop playing, as it may take longer than you expect to get back to the clubhouse safely. A high percentage of lightning-related injuries are at the onset, where people wait too long to get to safety, and at the end of a storm, when people assume it’s safe to resume activities without waiting long enough.
Given the larger number of patrons and supporting staff at professional events, there are often meteorologists on-site, monitoring live weather data and lightning detection networks while constantly communicating with event organizers. My colleague* Wade Stettner is one of the professional meteorologists that are often on-site to provide overall risk assessment. He monitors several sources of weather information, including radar and lightning sensors on the course, to be informed of evolving forecasts and weather conditions. If the forecasted weather poses a danger, the on-site meteorologist will consult with the course superintendent and tournament organizers to decide on the best possible action, including evacuation time and access to safety areas. The team also consults to determine when it is safest to resume play.
And while safety is the number-one concern for the players, spectators, and officials, weather also factors into many course-related decisions. Officials want the course to be as challenging, yet fair, as possible and will use the weather to their advantage. For example, wind dramatically impacts how a course plays, and tee boxes may be moved forward or backward to compensate for sustained wind gusts. Even rain showers have implications on the course set-up and estimated round duration such hole locations may be moved to a higher part of the green to avoid potential pooling on a rainy day.
Many golfers are willing to play through all weather conditions—if you aren’t one, I bet you know one— but weather can be more than an inconvenient byproduct of an outdoor sport. By using real-time weather data, meteorologists, course managers and organizers work in collaboration to make the best decisions in the moment that keep players and spectators safe and keep the hazards on the course.
* Jim Foerster works for DTN
