Does a golf club need a lightning detector or a subscription service?

A hand-held or fixed detector warns the person holding it. A subscription service like FlashAware watches the course from satellite around the clock, alerts every staff member you list on their phones, and keeps a record of each STOP and ALL CLEAR call. Many clubs run both: the horn on the course and FlashAware as the documented trigger.

How fast are FlashAware's lightning alerts for a golf course?

Typically 2 to 16 minutes after a flash, because the satellite publishes flash data in windows. Ground sensor networks are faster. FlashAware's default PREPARE radius of 20 km is designed to give the starter time to get the horn ready before a cell reaches the 10 km STOP radius.

What does FlashAware cost for a golf club?

R3,990 for a season pass covering one course from October to March, or R499 per month. A free 30-day trial needs no card.

GOLF CLUBS

Suspension calls your committee can stand behind.

Under the Rules of Golf the Committee decides when play is suspended for dangerous conditions and sounds the horn. FlashAware gives the starter, the pro shop and the marshals the same satellite picture at the same moment — on their phones — and records every STOP and ALL CLEAR so the decision is defensible afterwards.

Honest about speed. Satellite flash data typically reaches FlashAware 2–16 minutes after the flash. That is why the default PREPARE ring is 20 km: it buys the starter time before a cell reaches the 10 km STOP ring. If you hear thunder, suspend — FlashAware confirms and records; it does not replace your judgement.

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What changes on a storm afternoon

14:52 — PREPARE

A cell 18 km west is tracked moving east at 40 km/h. WhatsApp to the starter, the pro shop and the head marshal: get the horn ready, note the groups on the far nine.

15:07 — STOP

A flash is detected inside the 10 km STOP ring. Alert goes out; the starter acknowledges with one tap and sounds the horn. The acknowledgement is logged with time and name.

15:48 — ALL CLEAR

No flashes within the STOP ring for the configured wait. The replay later shows exactly where lightning struck and when — useful when a member asks why play was held for forty minutes.

FlashAware alongside what clubs already use

	Hand-held / fixed detector	Siren system on ground-sensor data	FlashAware
Who gets warned	Whoever holds or hears it	Everyone within earshot of the siren	Every staff phone you list, wherever they are
Speed	Seconds (nearby strikes only)	Seconds to a minute	Typically 2–16 minutes after the flash
Record of decisions	None	Sometimes a log	Every call, receipt and acknowledgement, replayable
Hardware	R6,000–R15,000 once-off	Installed siren plus service fee	None
Cost	Once-off, no updates	Quote	R3,990 per season or R499 per month

Many clubs keep the horn and run FlashAware as the documented trigger and the wide-area view the horn cannot give.

Golf club questions

Can FlashAware warn our members directly?

Alerts go to the staff recipients you list (up to 5 on the Club tier). Signalling players is the Committee's call — the horn, marshals, or your member app. FlashAware tells your team when and logs that they acted.

What are the default thresholds?

STOP when a flash is detected within 10 km in the last 15 minutes (a flash closer than 5 km triggers immediately); PREPARE when a flash is detected within 20 km in the last 15 minutes, or a tracked cell is projected to reach that ring; ALL CLEAR after 30 minutes with nothing in range. Radii, counts, windows and the wait are adjustable per course.

We host tournaments. Does FlashAware help with the referee's decision?

It gives the referee a live map with tracked cells and projected movement, and afterwards a minute-by-minute replay. The decision remains the referee's.

How long does setup take?

About five minutes: drop a pin on the course, confirm the radii, add recipients, verify their phones. We walk your manager through it on a short video if needed.

See what the satellite saw over your course this season.

Free exposure report, or a 30-day trial of the Club tier. No card.

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