Rules · Tip
Stay Safe From Lightning
Part of our rules programs. Build a program with it
Lightning and golf don't mix. A few more shots aren't worth your life. Lightning can strike miles from the rain, so a dry sky doesn't mean you're safe. It's most common on summer afternoons and evenings. Check the forecast before and during your round. Use a radar app that warns you about lightning. Learn your course's policy and what its warning horn sounds like. Know where shelter is before you start. When the warning comes, go right away.
Step by step
- Check the forecast often.
- Use an app with lightning alerts.
- Learn the course's horn and policy.
- Know where shelter is.
- Leave right away when warned.
Why it works
Lightning travels from a storm to the ground, and golfers on open ground holding long clubs are often the tallest things nearby. A strike can land miles from the rain, so clear sky overhead tells you nothing. Checking early and leaving at the first warning gives you time to reach real shelter before the storm is close.
Common mistakes
- You wait for rain or thunder before you decide to leave.Treat the first alert or horn as the signal and leave then, even if the sky overhead is dry.
- You finish the hole or take a few more shots after the warning.Stop play at once, put the club away, and head for shelter without playing on.
- You start the round without knowing where shelter is or what the horn means.Ask in the pro shop about the policy and horn, and note the nearest shelter for each part of the course before you tee off.
How you'll know it's working
- You can say what the course horn sounds like and where the nearest shelter is from the hole you are on.
- Your radar app has lightning alerts switched on and shows a live alert before you leave the car park.
- You check the forecast at the start of the round and again during it, not only at home.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Check the forecast and set up your app alerts at home the night before, so only a quick look is left on the day.
Harder: Plan your route to shelter from every hole as you play, and decide in advance when you would stop on each part of the course.
Common questions
Can lightning hit you when it isn't raining?
Yes. Lightning can strike miles from the rain, so a dry sky overhead does not mean you are safe.
What should you do when the course lightning horn sounds?
Stop play right away and go to shelter. Do not finish the hole, and follow the course's policy about when play can restart.
