Golfers struck by lightning statistics In a recent survey conducted by the National Lightning Safety Council from 2006-2019, over 29% of fatalities came from golfing. The total number of deaths in the US included over 418 lightning-related deaths in 14 years. Surprisingly, fishing is the most dangerous outdoor sport followed closely by golfing.
How many golfers die from lightning strikes each year?
Report on lighting deaths in the United States from 2006 through 2016 also reveals that golf has one of the highest incidences of lightning strike which was responsible for the deaths of 9 golfers from 2006 to 2016.
How many people have been killed by lightning in 2020?
National Weather Service Lightning Fatalities in 2020: 17 (no 2021 fatalities to date) ...
How do lightning and thunderstorms affect golfers?
Over half of all golf course-related lightning deaths happen after a thunderstorm has passed over. Because lightning is attracted to standing objects, a golfer is usually the tallest object on the grass. It’s obvious that most lightning comes from a cloud by an electrical build-up and discharges to the ground.
Are golf courses at your own risk from lightning?
This is where many golf courses have special waivers that don’t leave them at fault in case of wrongful death. This is possibly where the expression of play at your own risk’ comes from. But to be fair to players, each official golf course must supply safety zones for lightning. Golf course safety shouldn’t be a throwback to the caveman days.
How many golfers die from lightning each year?
Why do golfers die from lightning?
How to tell how close a thunderstorm is to a golf course?
How does lightning travel?
What are the rules for golf?
How long should you wait to play golf when there is lightning?
Is lightning a problem in golf?
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How many people get struck by lightning golfing?
There have been a dozen documented cases of golfers killed by lightning since 2006, officials say. Nine of them were hit as they actively played, while the others were standing under a tree or other unsafe sheltering spot, data shows.
Is it safe to golf in lightning?
Golf and Frisbee Golf are the only sports with regulations relating to lightning. A good rule for everyone is: "If you can see it (lightning), flee it; if you can hear it (thunder), clear it."
How many people are killed due to lightning?
Lightning damage in the U.S. - number of fatalities and injuries 1995-2020. In 2020, there were a total of 17 fatalities and 53 injuries reported due to lighting in the United States. In the previous year, there were 20 deaths and 100 injuries reported due to lightning nationwide.
Who Is golfer struck by lightning?
During the 1975 Western Open at Butler National in Oak Brook, Illinois, Lee Trevino was standing on the 13th green. But suddenly, as the rain started pouring down; he opened an umbrella. However, along with rain, lightning struck Trevino and left him unconscious.
Do golf courses attract lightning?
Jensenius said golf clubs and other metal objects do not attract lightning and that getting in the cart would not protect you.
Are golf clubs lightning rods?
You can get struck by lightning while holding up a golf club on the fairway because it acts like a lightning rod, making you a tall object on the course.
How common is it to be struck by lightning?
The odds of becoming a lightning victim in the U.S. in any one year is 1 in 700,000. The odds of being struck in your lifetime is 1 in 3,000. Lightning can kill people (3,696 deaths were recorded in the U.S. between 1959 and 2003) or cause cardiac arrest.
Who's been struck by lightning the most?
Roy Cleveland SullivanRoy Cleveland Sullivan (February 7, 1912 – September 28, 1983) was a United States park ranger in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Between 1942 and 1977, Sullivan was claimed to have been hit by lightning on seven occasions, surviving all of them.
What does being struck by lightning feel like?
“It felt like you'd actually been walloped by something, or you were inside a bass speaker.” As the bolt struck, there was a millisecond flash of intense, burning heat, that had already dissipated by the time his brain could even register it.
How many golfers are killed by lightning each year?
He died at the golf course. John Jensenius, a lightning safety specialist at the National Lightning Safety Council, said there have been 12 golf-related lightning fatalities in the U.S. since 2006. Slivinski's death was the third this year.
What famous golf legend has been struck by lightning?
At the PGA Championship he won the fifth of his six major championships. He won the title by a stroke, again over Nicklaus, the fourth and final time Nicklaus was a runner-up in a major to Trevino. At the Western Open near Chicago in 1975, Trevino was struck by lightning, and suffered injuries to his spine.
Who said even God can't hit a one iron?
Lee TrevinoAfter being struck by lightning in 1975 at the Western Open, Lee Trevino advised golfers caught in storms to hold up a 1-iron because "not even God can hit a 1-iron."
How many people are killed by lightning per year?
Lightning kills about 20 people each year in the United States and hundreds more are injured. Some survivors suffer lifelong neurological damage.
How many people died of lightning strikes in 2019?
20U.S. Lightning Deaths in 2019: 20.
How many people get struck by lightning a year 2021?
From 2006 through 2021, there were 444 lightning strike deaths in the United States. Males are four times more likely than females to be struck by lightning. The average age of a person struck by lightning is 37 years....Lightning Strike Injuries and Deaths Vary by Region.StateMississippi9Missouri1625 more rows
How many lightning strikes hit the Earth every day?
Average number of lightning strikes worldwide per day - 8.6 Million. Average number of lightning strikes in the USA per year - 20 Million. VOLTS in a lightning flash - between 100 Million and 1 Billion. AMPS in a lighting flash - between 10,000 and 200,000.
When is the most lightning?
Lightning can occur during any time of the year, but lightning casualties are highest during summer. July is generally the month with the most lightning. Lightning strikes often occur in the afternoon. In fact, two-thirds of all lightning casualties occur between noon and 6pm.
Which states have the most lightning?
Lightning generally decreases from the southeast to the northwest, except for a few places such as the Rocky Mountains, where topography causes regular thunderstorms during the summer. Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio , Pennsylvania, and Texas have the most lightning deaths and injuries. Florida is considered the “lightning capital” of the country, with more than 2,000 lightning injuries over the past 50 years.
Where do lightning strikes occur?
The majority of work-related lightning strikes occur in Florida and Texas, two states where seasonal lightning deaths and injuries are high. For more information, visit.
National Weather Service Lightning Fatalities in 2021: 10
Last Updated: 9/8/2021. This page is updated when new information is received and reviewed for completeness.
2021 Lightning Fatalities by State
Last Updated: 9/8/2021. This page is updated when new information is received and reviewed for completeness.
How to stay safe from lightning on golf course?
The first step in staying safe from lightning on the golf course is awareness of weather conditions and expected weather conditions during your round. If you know that thunderstorms are possible, then you know to watch out (and listen out) for trouble.
How to avoid lightning strikes?
Go to large permanent buildings or get into a fully enclosed metal vehicle (car, van or pickup truck). Avoid trees since they attract lightning. Avoid small, on-course shelters: They are intended only for sun and rain safety. Don’t wait around for the next strike, please.".
What is the scariest thing to see on a golf course?
Lightning strike near a golf course - what every golfer fears. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images. Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. Lightning is one of the scariest and most dangerous things golfers will ever encounter on the golf course.
What does it mean when you hear thunder on a golf course?
If you hear thunder, it means that lightning is within striking distance.
What happened to Bobby Nichols?
Lightning has struck during professional golf tournaments many times, most infamously at the 1975 Western Open. It was there that Lee Trevino, Jerry Heard and Bobby Nichols were struck by lightning, knocked unconscious. All suffered burns and the strikes caused Trevino and Heard back injuries that required surgery.
What to do if you are caught on the golf course?
If caught on the course and unable to get off, do not stand under tall trees or sit in a golf cart. Do not stand under a lone tree, even a small one. Do get away from the cart and away from your golf clubs. Stay away from water. If you have metal spikes, take them off.
How far away is thunder?
It is recommended that you seek shelter if the time between the lightning flash and the rumble of thunder is 30 seconds or less (6 miles).
Where to avoid lightning on golf course?
Since there is a risk of lightning on every golf course, it is extremely important to follow the basic lightning protection measures, most importantly seek safe shelter such as the clubhouse, avoid standing in the middle of fairway, near a metal pole or a tree.
How many golfers seek emergency care each year?
According to a study by Golf Digest, each year an estimated 40,000 golfers seek emergency treatment due to injuries caused by errant golf balls and flying club heads. High risk of severe injuries is also associated with the use of golf carts.
What percentage of golf injuries are caused by low back injuries?
A study by the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences on golf-related injuries found that low back injuries account for 15.2% to 34% of all golf injuries, followed by injuries to the elbow (7% to 27%) and shoulder (4% to 19%). According to an Australian study of upper limb injuries in golf, injury to the wrist accounts for 10% of all golf injuries.
Is golf a high risk sport?
“Results of the research analysing the risk of injuries per sport, and in particular golf, reveal that the risk is much higher than commonly thought. If we can trust the statistics, more people are injured while playing golf, badminton, tennis, fishing and even bowling, to mention just a few leisure sports included, than by playing rugby, hockey and similar team sports that are generally regarded to be injury high-risk.
Can golf injuries be fatal?
Golf-Related Injuries Can be Very Severe and Even Potentially Fatal. Photo credit: sattahipbeach/Shutterstock. In addition to being much more common than anticipated, golf injuries have also been found to be very dangerous and even potentially fatal, especially those involving the head.
Is golf more common than most people think?
To truly benefit from playing the game, however, it is of utmost importance to not to underestimate the risk of injury which – as GolfSupport has found – is much more common and potentially more severe than most people think.
Is golf good for health?
The benefits of playing golf outweigh the risks associated and virtually all studies investigating the relationship between golf and health conclude that it has a positive effect on both physical and mental health and even helps increase longevity. To truly benefit from playing the game, however, it is of utmost importance to not ...
How many golfers die from lightning each year?
The number of golfers killed each year in the US now represents 27 golfers per year. With the popularity of golf reaching a younger audience, the age group of fatalities is getting younger.
Why do golfers die from lightning?
Over half of all golf course-related lightning deaths happen after a thunderstorm has passed over. Because lightning is attracted to standing objects, a golfer is usually the tallest object on the grass. It’s obvious that most lightning comes from a cloud by an electrical build-up and discharges to the ground.
How to tell how close a thunderstorm is to a golf course?
There is a certain number of tell-tale signs that help you can estimate how close a thunderstorm is to a golf course. The first is the number of times lightning occurs and the proximity of how far away the storm is. Counting between the initial lightning flash until you hear the thunder tells the distance.
How does lightning travel?
It’s obvious that most lightning comes from a cloud by an electrical build-up and discharges to the ground. It can also travel from could to cloud alternatively. In rare cases, it can travel horizontally from a cloud over 2-3 miles until it reached its target.
What are the rules for golf?
According to the golfing rules in 6 through 8, the golfer has the opportunity to finish their game at their own risk. They may also discontinue if they feel there is danger involved. This is where many golf courses have special waivers that don’t leave them at fault in case of wrongful death. This is possibly where the expression of play at your own risk’ comes from. But to be fair to players, each official golf course must supply safety zones for lightning.
How long should you wait to play golf when there is lightning?
While it’s not recommended to play golf while there is lightning, the recommended waiting time between strikes is 30 minutes. So after any strike has been seen or heard, you need to wait 30 minutes before moving from your location. This precaution is to ensure that any left-over static build-up in the cloud is spent.
Is lightning a problem in golf?
The growing number of fatalities that are from lightning strikes is a growing problem in the US. Every year certain months are riskier for golfing due to the weather patterns. In the Midwest, where lightning storms can be unpredictable, golf courses need to provide special shelters. They must also announce a 3-siren warning that lets golfers have enough time to finish a course.