At the first sign of lightning or thunder, stop play and get everyone to safe shelter. Do not wait for rain.
Overview
Lightning can strike miles away from a storm. The National Weather Service (NWS) says to go indoors when thunder is heard and to wait 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning before going back outside [fact: https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-safety-overview, checked 2026-10-24]. Your course's own weather policy comes first. Follow it, and the course professional's decision to stop and restart play.
What to do when lightning or thunder starts
- Sound your course's horn or signal, or have the course staff do it. Stop play immediately. Do not finish the hole.
- Move everyone to a fully enclosed building or a hard-topped vehicle. NWS names only these as safe places [fact: https://www.weather.gov/rnk/outdoorslightning, checked 2026-10-24]. Open shelters, pavilions, trees, and golf carts are not on that list.
- Have course staff or volunteers check that no group is still out on the course.
- Ask groups to stop entering scores. Redswing has no pause switch, so tell people directly. Their saved holes stay safe.
- Send an announcement to everyone who opted in to texts. See Announcements. Not everyone has opted in, so also announce in person.
- Write down the time of the last thunder you heard.
Tornado warning
Take the warning seriously. Move everyone to the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. Follow the course's and local officials' instructions. Do not wait for a text from Redswing.
When to resume
- Wait the full 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning. Each new thunder starts the 30 minutes again.
- Get the course's go-ahead.
- Tell everyone the restart time by announcement and in person.
- Decide what to do about the schedule: a shortened round, a later auction close, and the dinner time. See Rain delays and shortened rounds.
Things to know
- Redswing cannot detect weather, and cannot stop play for you.
- If the delay runs long, the decision to call or shorten the round belongs to your committee and the course.
- Cancellation and refund choices are covered in Postponing or cancelling an event.