After a bolt struck the flagstick on the second hole of Stonebridge GC in West Valley, Utah, Superintendent Matt Isabel noticed the octopus-like Lichtenberg web of dark lines on the green. The club then posted a photo on its Facebook page that generated 18,000 views.
Late on the afternoon of May 18, employees of Stonebridge Golf Club in West Valley, Utah cleared the course when they saw a storm brewing, television station Fox 13 of Salt Lake City reported. Their action proved to be timely, Fox 13 reported, because around 5:30 p.m., a large bolt of lightning struck the green on the second hole, burning what’s known as a Lichtenberg figure—or a web of dark lines—into the grass.
“Our superintendent, Matt Isabel–the next morning, actually, when he was taking care of the golf course–noticed that the lightning had struck the flag stick and then sent out that octopus-like mark on the green, and he photographed it and came in and shared it with us in the golf shop,” Paul Phillips, the club’s Marketing Director, told Fox 13.
That photograph went viral, receiving thousands of shares on social media, including on Reddit after a post by user Geoffreypjs, Fox 13 reported.
“As of now, over 18,000 people have viewed that picture,” Phillips told Fox 13. “So, it’s really cool—typically we don’t have 1 percent of that response for a Facebook post, so it’s really been exceptional.”
Meteorologist Christine Kruse from the National Weather Service explained to Fox 13 how lightning leaves such marks behind.
“Lightning struck that pole, and then, as it hit the ground, it looked for areas of least resistance and spread out,” Kruse explained. “You can get up to 60 feet away from that pole.”
During a storm, Phillips told Fox 13, Stonebridge uses a loudspeaker to warn golfers to evacuate the property.
“[It’s] definitely something you want to take shelter from,” he said. “When there’s lightning, we don’t want to be out with our golf clubs because they conduct electricity. So when you see that, get off the golf course.”
To view Fox 13’s report, go to:
http://fox13now.com/2015/05/20/this-is-what-happens-when-lightning-strikes-utah-golf-course/
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