By RICK MARTINO
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Golf is fun but there is nothing funny about lightning. There was an old joke that goes "Sam Snead is only afraid of three things: Ben Hogan, downhill putts and lightning."
Snead would never admit to the first, even if it were true, he might admit that the second never thrilled him, but will happily concede that when storm clouds blew in, he headed for the clubhouse.
So should you.
Weather detection systems are infinitely more advanced today than they were even just a few years ago, and the result is that hundreds _ possibly thousands _ of lives are saved by early warning alerts on the golf course.
Still, for all the advances in science and meteorology, the simple rules of common sense can go a long way toward protecting you from the dangers of lightning.
First, keep an eye on the horizon.