This morning, we woke up to thunder and lightning storms that were pretty intense at times. It's a perfect time to review the Club's lightening detection system and how you can be safe during electrical storms on the golf course. First, let me talk about the system we have in place to alert us to lightning in the area.
When the lightning detection system sounds, members and guests know to clear the golf course and other outdoor amenities. Ever curious how this system works?
Since we purchased this system in 2007, I personally installed it and have been responsible for the upkeep and preventative maintenance schedule. This system has been very reliable and is relatively user friendly. The picture above is the sensor that is mounted to the roof of the Clubhouse. Technically speaking, this incredibly sensitive piece of equipment is known as an optical coincidence sensor. In short, it works by detecting two things. First, the flash of light that is generated by lightning and second, the electromagnetic pulse that is also generated by lightning. It takes both of these items into account and can then instantly calculates how far the strike was from the sensor. If that distance is 5 miles or less, the alarm will sound immediately. Highlands CC staff can program the desired distance we want the alarm to sound in 5 mile increments, up to 20 miles away. Again, our system sounds only when lightning is detected in a 5 mile range from the Clubhouse, where this sensor is mounted. So if you hear thunder, and the alarm doesn't sound, it is because the storm is more than 5 miles away and not because the system in malfunctioning. When the system detects lightning, you'll hear what sounds like a fire alarm. This means you need to stop playing immediately, return to your cart and exit the golf course to seek safe shelter. Our rain sheds can protect you from rain, but do not provide adequate protection from lightning. Once the system sounds, a countdown timer begins. Once 30 minutes pass with no additional strikes, the all-clear tone will sound alerting you that it is safe to return to the golf course. If a strike is detected during that countdown, the timer resets itself to 30 minutes. The all-clear tone is distinctly different from the alarm and it sounds like a busy signal on a telephone. It is also worth noting that the system is only active from 7:00AM to 8:00PM. This prevents the alarm sounding in the middle of the night.
There are other systems on the market as well, but not as reliable as this system, in my opinion. A competitor of Strike Guard, is a system that measures static electricity in the air. When the amount of static electricity is conducive for lightning, the alarm sounds. This sounds good but in reality it leads to more false alarms than not.
A lightning detection system is a great tool to protect golfers and others from approaching weather. However, always use common sense when you are outdoors and while it is extremely rare due to battery back up systems, electronic equipment can fail. Always trust your gut feeling and if you do feel like you're in a potentially dangerous situation, follow your instincts and leave the golf course. Every year, a handful of people are killed on golf courses by lightning strikes.
It is also worth noting that all storms start somewhere. It is possible an electrical storm forms immediately above us, giving little to no warning that a storm is approaching. Below are a few lightning safety fact sheets.
