Lightning Hits a Golf Bag
This story below is absolutley insane. A guy out doing what he loves to do, trying to out last the rain and finish his round, and then bam….just terrible. I couldn’t imagine being that officer that had to witness the tragedy after it happened. Not to make fun of the situation, but kind of reminds me of the scene from Caddyshack.
A man got hit by lightning Monday morning on a golf course in Madison, WI. The following are pics of what was left of his bag. Please pass this along to your golfing buddies. Read the what the policeman says, then take a look at the pictures.
“I have been a police officer for 18 yrs and have seen a lot of gruesome and disturbing scenes (if you can imagine it, I have probably seen a variation of it) … this one was different because it hits close to home and some of us have been in this situation.”
This 75 year old golfer (no pictures of him) was out on the course with 3 other retired guys for a regular weekly tee time, and the weather forecast didn’t even predict rain at 10pm the night before.
They teed off and got around to the back nine when it started to rain, and when there was a little lightning way off in the distance so they headed in.
They waited under a tree half way in when the rain became very heavy. When it let up a little bit three of them then continued in but one guy decided to wait it out under a 50′ pine with an overhang of 10′ while standing next to his bag. Minutes later a lightning bolt struck his bag and push cart as he was holding onto one of his clubs killing him instantly. On the top of the first photo you will see what was left of his driver … also in a later photo are little brown clumps which used to be golf balls. Most of the items in the bag simply disintegrated from the heat and intense initial zap – including the labels to his ping irons and Cleveland woods (which all popped off). The electricity burned holes into the bottoms of the clubs. The strange thing is the tree under which he was standing had no sign of a lightning strike. The bolt literally went sideways under the tree to the golf clubs.
Lesson to be learned – If you are caught out on the course or water…. distance yourself from anything metal OR graphite. (Did you know that lightning rods are often made of graphite?) Put your cart 50′ away from you! When you see lightning off in the distance GO IN IMMEDIATELY, DON’T WAIT.
Chalet Hills Golf Club
943 Rawson Bridge Rd
Cary, IL 60013
(847) 639-0666
Website
Chalet Hills, located in Cary, IL was my second stop on my day of 36 holes. Chalet is one fantastic golf course, and easily one of my new favorite courses in IL. One of my big criteria’s for ranking a golf course is how memorable the course is….well this has to be one of the more memorable layouts around. The course boasts mostly tight tree lined holes, some wide fairways, elevation changes, and just a great mix of holes. Chalet also has to be one of the more picturesque courses in the Chicagoland area. The course is surrounded by rolling hills, wildlife, and plenty of water hazards. Cary might be a difficult place to get to, but this course is one hidden gem that must be discovered by everyone. During my own research of this course I found that in 2004, Golf Digest ranked Chalet Hills as #3 out of the 5 “Best Kept Secrets in America!” For many years now I have been dying to make it up to Cary to play here, and have to say Golf Digest was not wrong. Designed by Ken Killian, who claims Chalet was the greatest golf course he has ever designed, plays from 6,877yds from the men’s tips and a rating/slope of 73.6/137, and 5,983yds, 75/134 from the women’s tee’s. This course is also extremely well conditioned, and I have to say for a public golf course the greens are impeccable. Hands down probably the best kept and fastest greens I have played in a long time. Chalet offers a driving range area, practice putting green, and nice club house. Chalet is an absolute must play for every golfer of all levels. I would even recommend this course to golfers from out of state. This course has it all and I guarantee you will enjoy.
Let me end by saying I played twilight and tee’d off at 5:30 and played 18 holes of golf in 2 ½ hours….which I have to say is rather impressive. I played by myself and literally flew through the course. Unfortunately, since I played so late in the day the picture quality of the course wasn’t as good as I’d hope due to most pictures being affected by the sun setting. Given that the pictures won’t offer the portrayal of the course as I would have hoped, don’t worry because I’m sure I will be back there soon and will take better pictures.
Foxford Hills Golf Club
6800 S Rawson Bridge Rd
Cary, IL 60013
(847) 639-0400
Website
Foxford Hills Golf Club was my first stop in what was a fantastic day of 36 holes of golf. Foxford Hills was a great course and must play for everyone in the Chicagoland area. This course features elevation changes, wide open holes, tree-lined holes, and plenty of well positioned MacKenzie-styled bunkers and water hazards to collect your balls. The bunkering on #12 and #13 are two great examples of what Alister MacKenzie made his last name famous for. I felt that the layout of the course was well designed and each hole had its own unique characteristics, including its own name. The course was aesthetically beautiful and challenging, and made me stop and look around several times to take in the scenery. I played from the gold tees which was around 6,600 yards, but the course plays from 6,988 yards and has a rating/slope of 72.8/129 from the men’s tees, and 5,564 yards and a rating/slope of 70.9/122 from the women’s tees. The front nine is basically wide open, but then on the back to you start to get into more of a wooded style course. As there are excellent holes on the front, the layout and landscape of the back nine was much more to my liking. One thing that I do need to mention was that fairway condition on some holes on the back was a little rough and in need of some maintenance. With the undulating fairways and elevation changes on the back, coupled with all the rain, the fairways were extremely effected. Another weird observation I made after a few holes, was that there was no fringe around the greens. Am I alone on this one thinking that is weird? With that said, these last two points I’ve made should by no means prevent any golfer from playing here, because this is one heck of a golf course. So, if you are looking for a course that is unlike most in the Chicagoland area, will challenge your game, but most importantly provide an extremely enjoyable round of golf, stop no further, and head to Foxford Hills.
Jackson Park Golf Course
6401 S. Richards Drive
Chicago, IL 60649
(773) 667-0524
Website
I played Jackson Park Golf Course recently for the first time and have to say, for a CPDG (Chicago Park District Golf) course I was pretty impressed. Designed by legendary architect Tom Bendelow, this historic municipal course played 5,444yds from the tips and had a rating/slope of 65.7/109. Located just 10 minutes south of the Loop right off Lake Shore Drive, Jackson Park is a convenient golf getaway for someone looking to not travel far from downtown for 18 holes of golf. The course is situated right off Lake Michigan, and there are a few holes which you see the water and the Marina. You can also see some of the buildings from downtown on a clear day. In all honestly though, this isn’t the type of course you go home and brag about to your friends, but still recommend it (I know that might be kind of an oxymoron). The day I was out there, the bunkers were in horrible condition, which might have something to do with all the rain, but I hope they are maintained better than that. The tee boxes were also in terrible condition. On the contrary, the fairways were in above average shape and the greens were surprisingly in good condition, slow, but well-kept. Almost every hole is lined by mature trees, so accurate shots are necessary at Jackson Park. The course does provide some challenge, but being that it is a shorter course a great score is definitely feasible. The staff was very friendly, and you can’t beat some grilled food out on the course at the 14th hole. For the price, the location, and the course itself Jackson Park is a must if you live in the city.
The Links at Carillon
21200 W South Carillon Dr
Plainfield, IL 60544
(815) 886-2132
So I have finally played a round in 2011. It has been a long wait but the sticks have finally touched the grass. The weather in Chicago has just been miserable this spring, but my season has begun. My first round of the year was played at The Links at Carillon in Plainfield. The Links was a perfect course to kick off the season and shake the cobwebs off. The Links at Carillon is a 27 hole facility, and I got the chance to play the Red and White courses. The Red course played at 3,391 yards with a rating/slope of 72.5/125. The White course played at 3,438 with a rating/slope of 71.1/123. Both courses are very similar in layout and condition, and I believe the Blue course is as well, but a little shorter in yardage. Overall, the course was extremely flat with not that much undulation in the greens except for a few holes. I found that the course provided many challenging holes, but the par 3s were a big disappointment……no wow factor there. The course is surrounded by homes on every hole, which is something I don’t particularly like, but there is still plenty of room for errant shots. There is a driving range, practice green, and chipping area. This course definitely deserves a try for Chicagoland golfers. Enjoy a hole-by-hole review with pictures below.
CHICAGO GOLF CENTRAL 