Lighting Policy
– Mount Juliet Estate Management Team consider the safety of its Members and Guests the top
priority during inclement weather. Weather reports and local conditions are monitored during storm
warnings. If it is decided that it is unsafe to continue to play golf as a storm approaches, the
Professional Shop will sound a klaxon to call all golfers off the course and into the clubhouse.
– If there is a risk of lightning play MUST be discontinued. Mount Juliet Estate Golf club is not
responsible for the safety of any golfer on the course and it is therefore your responsibility to remove
yourself from any situation which you deem dangerous.
– If you see lightning or hear the klaxon (three short blasts) the following will apply:
Proceed immediately to the clubhouse.
- Do not continue to play golf and do not seek shelter under trees. Trees do not protect you from
lightning.
- During competitions, if there is a lightning risk, play will be suspended and players must leave the
course.
- Where play is automatically suspended on the sound of the klaxon, a player may not override the
Policy decision to evacuate the course.
- Players should stop play and seek shelter any time they believe lightning threatens them, even if
the klaxon has not been sounded.
– Although the Club will take every precaution to ensure the safety of players during a thunder storm, it
is a player’s own responsibility to discontinue play when in his/her opinion lightning is a threat. It is not
always possible to monitor conditions on the entire course and players have a duty of care to
themselves. They should therefore familiarise themselves with both the Club policy and the Rules of
Golf.
– Discontinuing Play – Rule 6-8 as stated in the R&A Rules of Golf will apply to all competitions and
matches where there is a risk of lightning. The rules of golf are straightforward when lightning is a risk.
Rule 6-8 makes it quite clear that a player is entitled to discontinue play if he or she believes there is
danger from lightning. Although bad weather in itself is not a good reason for discontinuing play, bad
weather accompanied by lightning, or the very real risk of lightning, most certainly is. Common sense
dictates that play in these circumstances must be discontinued in the interests of safety. Even if the
klaxon is not sounded and the player honestly believes that there is a real risk of danger from lightning,
then he or she is entitled to proceed under the provisions of Rule 6-8 and discontinue play.
– Resumption of Play – Where play has been suspended due to lightning, play must be resumed where
it was discontinued, even if resumption occurs on a subsequent day. (see Rule 6-8 R&A Rules of
Golf.) When the danger has passed, 3 short blasts of the klaxon will indicate that it is safe to return to
the course.
– We insist that all members adhere to the lightning policy. Failure to do so is at your own risk and
Mount Juliet Estate accepts no liability for any Member or Guest who fails to co-operate with any
decision to suspend play and close the course.
– It is not the responsibility of staff to retrieve clubs, equipment or trolleys from the course during a
lightning storm where play has been suspended, as their safety may be jeopardised.
– Please note that golf buggies do NOT give protection from lightning.
LIGHTNING IS A SEVERE HAZARD THAT MUST BE VIEWED SERIOUSLY
