Originally I would have thought there was only one way a golfer could start a forest fire, but I now realize there are two: dropping a lit stogie and smacking your club on a rock while hitting a shot from dry grass. No, seriously.
Sports by Brooks informs us that it took 200 firefighters over seven hours to contain a 12-acre forest fire at Shady Canyon Golf Course in Irvine, California on Saturday afternoon. Here’s what the Orange County Register reported about the blaze.
[Orange County Fire Authority Captain Greg] McKeown said the fire likely was sparked when a golfer – who knocked his golf ball into the grass that borders the fairway – struck a rock with his club trying to get the ball out of the rough.
I bet the golfer that hit the shot has never regretted missing the fairway more in his life if that is indeed what started the massive fire. On a side note, Shady Canyon is supposedly the preferred golf course of Tiger Woods when he’s staying at home in California. Then again, it’s awfully tough to gauge where exactly home is for Tiger these days.
Sources:
Golf Shot Sparks Blaze, 200 Firefighters Respond [SPORTS by BROOKS]
Fires in Shady Canyon contained [Orange County Register]
