If the weather turns sour, even the most relaxing hobby can become terrifying.
Bad weather has been the genesis of some of the most frightening sporting events in history. For example, a lightning strike at the U.S. Women’s Open made the event instantly memorable—and there are plenty of incidents where dramatic weather caused a game to turn deadly.
But if you find yourself in a situation where the weather seems to be getting worse, what are you supposed to do? How will you react?
Two golfers learned this firsthand after heading out for 18 holes—and finding themselves running away from a tornado.
What Happened During This Golf Outing?
In a video with over 2.7 million views, TikTok user Jonah (@jonahgould19) shows a golf course. He and his friend are golfing. On the horizon are grey clouds and the beginnings of what seems like a severe storm.
“Pov: you get caught in a tornado on hole 15,” Jonah writes in the text overlaying the video.
The rest of their video documents the pair’s attempt to escape the tornado. Keeping good spirits, they get into their golf cart and begin to drive. Eventually, they happen upon a hut. They enter the hut, with Jonah opening the door to film the progression of the storm.
“Survival instincts had to kick in there,” Jonah writes in the caption of the video.
What Should You Do If You See A Tornado On A Golf Course?
Jonah was correct to stop playing and seek shelter.
Generally speaking, if someone is out in a field and sees a tornado, they should seek real shelter immediately. On a golf course, this could be the clubhouse, a maintenance building, a restroom, or any other sturdy structure with an interior room. Once inside, they should attempt to go to the basement. If there is no basement, they should seek an interior room on the lowest floor of the building. They should also stay away from windows.
If a golfer is nowhere near shelter, they should follow the standard steps for tornado protection while on land. First, they should get away from everything that could move—for example, trees, carts, water, fences, or any other unsecured object.
From there, they should find the closest, lowest place. This could be a ditch, ravine, drainage depression, or another low-lying area. Once there, they should lie flat and face down, covering their neck and head with their arms.
While it may be tempting to stay in the car or seek shelter under a tree, it’s a bad idea. It’s also a bad plan to stay under an overpass or to sit in an open-sided rain shelter. In short, your priority should be secure, real shelter—and, while it may be tempting to film the whole thing, like Jonah, you should probably just focus on keeping yourself safe.
Viewers Are Terrified
In the comments section, users criticized Jonah’s decision-making shown in the video.
“Tornado! Let’s drive to it to get away from it!” joked a user.
“Survival instincts of a fart,” added another.
That said, some commended the golfers.
“Idk why so many in this comment section are being so sarcastic. those boys did everything right except hold camera on it for longer view,” offered a commenter.
“I like how everyone talks ab what they should of done acting like they expected a tornado to just spawn in,” stated a second.
@jonahgould19 survival instincts had to kick in there #golf #foryou #foryoupage #golfing
BroBible reached out via TikTok direct message and comment.