www.ditl.org

Golfer's swing sparks 25-acre California blaze

By Jay Busbee

Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

You can use a golf club for all kinds of non-golfy purposes -- walking stick, fishing rod, club, to name three. And now we can add to that list -- firestarter.

Over the weekend, a golfer's routine swing in the rough at the Shady Canyon Golf Course in Irvine, Calif., struck a rock. Not so different from the way you play, right? Only this time, the impact caused a spark, and the spark set off a blaze that eventually covered 25 acres, according to the Steven Buck, General Manager of Shady Canyon Golf Course, and required the efforts of 150 Orange County firefighters, writes the Associated Press.

Wow. And I felt bad the time I shanked a ball through the window of a house too close to the fairway. That was nothing compared to this!

The golfer's name is being withheld, which is probably for the best, and no charges are going to be filed. Fortunately, it all could have been much worse. As it was, the blaze required both helicopters and on-the-ground crews.

The conditions were ripe for a blaze, with dry brush from a recent heat wave just waiting for the right spark. Like, say, one caused by metal on rock.

And now, your turn. This is going to inspire a raft of bad Sportscenter-esque "When we say he set the course on fire, he really set the course on fire!" jokes. So let's get ahead of the curve. Best bad golf-and-fire-related pun in the comments wins a round of applause. Go!

Photo credit: Thanks to Zach Bates

Nickswitz wrote:Is that actually possible? I mean I know most things can cause a spark but can a golf ball really spark a rock?

Captain Seafort wrote:

Nickswitz wrote:Is that actually possible? I mean I know most things can cause a spark but can a golf ball really spark a rock?

It wasn't the ball - it was the club. Any two hard enough objects striking each other hard enough can cause a spark, and both rock and metal certainly count.