A common misconception regarding Tournament Officials is that we just handle rulings on the course; however, two of our most time consuming activities are monitoring pace of play and weather. Since the weather in Florida has been a main topic of conversation, we will focus on weather for this Rules article.
There are two main concerns with weather; 1) unplayable conditions and 2) dangerous weather. During the month of May the FSGA has been struggling with unplayable conditions around the state for our State Championships, Florida Junior Tour events, One-Day Events, and qualifiers for FSGA and USGA Championships.
Golf is an outdoor sport and conditions are not supposed to be perfect all of the time. Competitive golfers should expect to play in all sorts of challenging conditions, even if they are unpleasant. Playing in light to moderate rain, high winds, cold and hot temperatures is normal and expected. However, there are times when we must suspend for non-dangerous situations (three horn blasts). When the rain is so heavy that casual water is accumulating on the putting greens or the wind is moving golf balls on the putting greens then it is time to suspend. Another reason to suspend for a non-dangerous situation is darkness. When play is suspended for a non-dangerous situation, players have the option to complete the hole they are on if one player has at least begun the hole.
Parts of Florida has received so much rainfall this past month that some FSGA tournaments were cancelled or postponed. Courses become unplayable when bunkers are completely full with water, there are no reasonable relief areas for casual water, the greens have standing water, and course maintenance cannot get their equipment on the course to prepare for a tournament round.
Suspending for dangerous weather is much different. With Florida being the lightning capital of the U.S., we must take every precaution to ensure the safety of everyone on the course. Fortunately, most golf courses in Florida have lightning detection systems (Thor Guard, Weather Bug, etc.) that detect multiple readings from the surrounding area and has algorithms that predict the likelihood of a lightning strike within a given area (usually 8 miles). When these systems detect a reasonable chance of a lightning strike it sounds its sirens (one long blast) and players must stop play immediately and take shelter.
In addition to the lightning detecting systems many clubs have, the FSGA monitors weather on various outlets. We have a subscription with WeatherSentry DTN which is used by many professional sports since it one of the most reliable systems and has excellent lightning detection and radar tracking. When weather is approaching the 20-mile radius of the golf course our staff goes on alert and we actively monitor weather. If lightning approaches the 8-mile radius then we normally suspend play. Some factors may cause a suspension to occur earlier, like a very fast moving storm or a golf course that will take a long time to evacuate and get everyone to safety. Even with all of the technology at our fingertips, weather can be very unpredictable, especially in Florida! During the summer months a storm can build right on top of you without warning!
When playing recreational golf please use extreme caution. If the course doesn’t have a lightning detection system, put your safety first and take shelter when you hear thunder. The FSGA emphasizes that players have the right to stop play if they think lightning threatens them – even if the Committee has not authorized it specifically by signal. See Rule 6-8 for more.
Be safe out there friends!
