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Titanium-Headed Golf Clubs Create Brush Fire Hazard In California

Posted by timothy on from the match-point dept.

Hugh Pickens DOT Com (2995471) writes "Things to pack in your golf bag: clubs, balls, tees, beverages and a fire extinguisher. The NYT reports that scientists have determined that striking a rock while swinging a titanium club can create a shower of sparks that are hot enough, and last long enough, to start a brush fire. The finding, by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, clears up what fire officials in Southern California have seen as a mystery: the origin of two recent golf course fires in Irvine and Mission Viejo including one that burned 25 acres and injured a firefighter in 2010. "That was hard for anybody to believe," says Steve Concialdi, a captain with the Orange County Fire Authority. "We were thinking they were started by cigars or cigarettes." Most clubs come with stainless steel heads, but a significant number have recently been produced with a titanium alloy, which makes them lighter and easier to swing. The only problem is that, when struck against hard surfaces — like rocks or concrete — the impact with the rock abrades the titanium surface, producing small particles — up to about one-fiftieth of an inch in diameter — that burned for up to a second, at temperatures high enough to cause dry vegetation to ignite. Given the drought in California and the extreme fire danger, Concialdi says the fire department is asking golfers using titanium-coated clubs to move their balls away from rocks and dry vegetation and onto the irrigated fairways. He says while golfers may complain it's making the game easier, it's too risky to do otherwise this season. "Talk about a hazard," says Concialdi. "We are looking at a severe fire season because of the drought, and no one should take chances with titanium clubs on dry ground.""

169 comments

  1. Just put out your fire asswad. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Otherwise, I'll 'stand my ground' on your ass.

    1. Re:Just put out your fire asswad. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You're right, they can't stop you using titanium clubs, just like they can't stop be from using a lighter to purposely start a forest fire (they make such nice "nature" photographs, or at least ones that win awards easy enough). All they can do is ask politely that I don't start fires, just like they are asking here to be more careful with how you use titanium clubs.

    2. Re:Just put out your fire asswad. by gzuckier · · Score: 1

      Show me a contract where I agreed to do that in return for consideration's. Don't have it then I have NO obligation to do so.

      This is just a tax in a thin disguise like when serfs had to work six days each week on the baron's land.

      Try to enslave me and the only ground you'll have will be six feet deep and you'll be under neath it, communist asshole.
      --
      roman_mir

      "In Soviet Union, ground is underneath you!"

      --
      Star Trek transporters are just 3d printers.
  2. I call BS. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    It's a big leap to say 'titanium clubs may cause sparks' to 'they caused these 2 fires'.

    1. Re:I call BS. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Seriously. That would mean something interesting happened while playing golf, which is just too far of a stretch.

    2. Re:I call BS. by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      May cause sparks when they hit a rock. I haven't noticed many rocks on the greens of golf courses, but I'm not a golfer. Also, if a shower of sparks came off your club and started a conflagration wouldn't you notice?

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:I call BS. by gnick · · Score: 1

      If I shelled out enough to buy titanium clubs, I'd sure as hell notice if I hit concrete with it when I swung. Maybe people are just too embarrassed to admit that they not only dinged up their expensive club, but also were there when some grass (presumably off the fairway and thus unwatered) spontaneously combusted.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    4. Re:I call BS. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also, if a shower of sparks came off your club and started a conflagration wouldn't you notice?

      I'd guess quite a few people would pretend not to. "Oh, that fire that caused $4 million damage? Haha, no idea what could have caused it, haha."

    5. Re:I call BS. by careysub · · Score: 5, Informative

      May cause sparks when they hit a rock. I haven't noticed many rocks on the greens of golf courses, but I'm not a golfer. Also, if a shower of sparks came off your club and started a conflagration wouldn't you notice?

      And of course, greens - being watered and cut regularly - don't burn. But roughs sure do. And that is where the two fires started - in the dry rough where there were most definitely rocks. The CBS news last night showed one of the actual locations where the brush fire started and, yes, it was full of rocks.

      --
      Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
    6. Re:I call BS. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      titanium clubs are drivers almost exclusively - and used only at the tee box - so this is highly unlikely !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    7. Re:I call BS. by Sockatume · · Score: 2

      No more than you'd notice a smouldering cigarette in the long grass, no.

      --
      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    8. Re:I call BS. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's a big leap to say 'titanium clubs may cause sparks' to 'they caused these 2 fires'.

      They don't even know for sure that it caused those 2 fires, it could still be cigarettes, glass shards and lots of other things. Showing that it is theoretically possible does not prove that it was the actual cause.

    9. Re:I call BS. by Bacon+Bits · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm not a golfer

      Yes, obviously. There are no rocks on greens, but there are likely no titanium heads, either. That's where you use the putter. Putters need to have some weight to them since you don't swing them very hard.

      You might swing hard with a titanium head club on the tee or on the fairway, but you're unlikely to encounter rocks there, either. You're also unlikely to encounter dry grass.

      The problem is when golfers hit into deep rough, which can be far off from the fairway that you're intended to play from. Rough can be largely unmaintained. There can be fallen trees, tall grass, and rocks. It isn't irrigated, so it's likely to be as dry as wild grass. And, no, you may not see sparks on a bright summer day. Daylight in an open field on a clear is quite glaring. Even if you did see the sparks, you may not see any flame. The fire could smolder for hours as a tiny ember before finally flaring to life. That's why you're always told to cover a fire pit with sand before you leave it to ensure it's extinguished, remember?

      --
      The road to tyranny has always been paved with claims of necessity.
    10. Re:I call BS. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You wouldn't be using that amount of force on a green anyhow. Pebbles do often make their way onto teeing grounds from golfers spikes. I've seen sparks off my driver if I happen to catch the ball a little too high on the face (the bottom of my driver head hitting the aforementioned pebbles). I like when this happens.

    11. Re:I call BS. by careysub · · Score: 4, Informative

      It's a big leap to say 'titanium clubs may cause sparks' to 'they caused these 2 fires'.

      If you read TFA, and not just the TFS, you will discover that in both of the cases the golfers knew that their clubs had started the fires and said so!

      They just weren't believed.

      So this is no "theory" - it is simply confirmation of the cause already stated by the (unsuspecting and no doubt quite surprised) perpetrators.

      --
      Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
    12. Re:I call BS. by Nidi62 · · Score: 3, Informative

      You can find rocks in the rough, or even off the hole completely, where grass is going to be much higher and much more likely to be dead and dry, particularly in a drought situation (and many golf courses out west go for a "deserty" look). And having read an article about this a few days ago, they found out that sparks from a titanium club hitting a rock burn at over 3000 degrees for over a second. Easily enough to ignite dry grass. It's not a shower of sparks either, all it takes is 2 or 3.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    13. Re:I call BS. by Charliemopps · · Score: 4, Informative

      The people noticed. Explained what happened and weren't believed. The authorities thought they'd dropped a cigar or something. Now they realize these people may have been telling the truth. I've done some metal working with Titanium alloy in the past. It throws VERY hot sparks. Aluminum hardly sparks at all, and when it does they aren't very hot and do not last long at all.

      Also, most brush fires start UNDER the grass. There's a dry bed of grass beneeth the green gras above. The fire spreads under the grass and you very well may not notice it. It will kreep along until it hits a big fuel source. I could see someone hitting a ball out of the rough... then walking up to the cart or whatever and notice smoke back where you just walked away from and thinking "WTF?"

    14. Re:I call BS. by H0p313ss · · Score: 1

      Supporting argument, if you're swinging a golf club you're not looking at the ground to see what happened to the club, you're looking down the fairway to see what happened to the ball.

      --
      XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
    15. Re:I call BS. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      There are very good reasons to use a driver or long wood (which can also be titanium) from the rough. They tend to have more mass which helps minimize club deflection, and also helps push through tall grass better. This is a very common strategy.

    16. Re:I call BS. by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1

      But roughs sure do. And that is where the two fires started - in the dry rough where there were most definitely rocks.

      The only club with titanium is the driver, and that's used on the tee only. Using it in the rough is extremely unusual. It's very unlikely that two different fires were set by someone (a) deciding to hit driver from the rock-strewn rough, (b) creating a spark, and (c) that spark starting a smoldering fire.

    17. Re:I call BS. by myth24601 · · Score: 1

      Maybe people are starting to get Titanium iron now?

      --
      No matter where you go, there you are.
    18. Re: I call BS. by peragrin · · Score: 1

      Then you aren't paying attention. I have a couple of fairway drivers designed to hit off grass instead of tees. These are angled to hit farther than an equivalent 1 or 2 iron.

      Not everyone plays golf smart. If the ground was mostly flat they may go for distance over positioning. If I can't get on the green I play short. But many people will play range of potential shot first. Instead of landing best for the next.

      --
      i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
    19. Re:I call BS. by demonbug · · Score: 1

      The only club with titanium is the driver, and that's used on the tee only.

      A quick search suggests you're wrong.

    20. Re:I call BS. by David_Hart · · Score: 2

      I'm not a golfer

      Yes, obviously. There are no rocks on greens, but there are likely no titanium heads, either. That's where you use the putter. Putters need to have some weight to them since you don't swing them very hard.

      You might swing hard with a titanium head club on the tee or on the fairway, but you're unlikely to encounter rocks there, either. You're also unlikely to encounter dry grass.

      The problem is when golfers hit into deep rough, which can be far off from the fairway that you're intended to play from. Rough can be largely unmaintained. There can be fallen trees, tall grass, and rocks. It isn't irrigated, so it's likely to be as dry as wild grass. And, no, you may not see sparks on a bright summer day. Daylight in an open field on a clear is quite glaring. Even if you did see the sparks, you may not see any flame. The fire could smolder for hours as a tiny ember before finally flaring to life. That's why you're always told to cover a fire pit with sand before you leave it to ensure it's extinguished, remember?

      Up until now, the majority of clubs with titanium in them have been drivers and fairway clubs. Recently they have been putting titanium in irons, which are more likely to be used in the rough.

    21. Re:I call BS. by Nethemas+the+Great · · Score: 1

      They're talking about "bad" golfers that miss the well manicured/watered parts and land their balls in the rough "wild" areas outside. The parts with rocks, tall dry grass (remember California/drought), etc.. I think you're also imagining a flint fire steel. This isn't a shower of sparks, but it evidently may well be enough to ignite fires anyway.

      --
      Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once ... with negative results.
    22. Re: I call BS. by Stan92057 · · Score: 1

      "Not everyone plays golf smart."

      I dought the vast majority of golfers could play smart even if they wanted too. Takes a lot of skill to play smart golf.

      --
      Jack of all trades,master of none
    23. Re:I call BS. by lsatenstein · · Score: 1

      May cause sparks when they hit a rock. I haven't noticed many rocks on the greens of golf courses, but I'm not a golfer. Also, if a shower of sparks came off your club and started a conflagration wouldn't you notice?

      One could suppose that after a ball got hit into the rough, that in trying to play honestly, the player used the club alone to clear the ball to the green, and in that process of a few missed swings, those tiny embers of titanium started the golf fires.

      So, now the rule must be, do not play golf when there is a drought.

      --
      Leslie Satenstein Montreal Quebec Canada
    24. Re:I call BS. by smithmc · · Score: 1

      You don't use titanium clubs on greens. And if you're hitting your putts hard enough to make sparks, you're definitely doing it wrong.

      --
      Downmodding is the refuge of the weak. Don't downmod, make a better argument!
  3. So does this mean... by Viol8 · · Score: 1

    ... that golf courses have finally stopped wasting water by watering grass every day? Thats always some good news I suppose for the state.

    1. Re:So does this mean... by Diss+Champ · · Score: 1

      No.

      The summary says that the fairways are still irrigated. It is when the ball lands off the irrigated fairway that the problem is being reported. According to the summary, golfers are being asked to bring the ball back to the fairway to avoid starting fires if they hit the ball into the rough.

    2. Re:So does this mean... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      The solution is simple: let's ditch the titanium clubs and start making magnesium ones!

    3. Re:So does this mean... by gnupun · · Score: 1

      Or coat the titanium clubs with steel or some other alloy that is less sparky...

    4. Re:So does this mean... by oscrivellodds · · Score: 3, Informative

      Only the poor would cover their titanium clubs with steel.

      Real 1%ers will demand gold or platinum.

    5. Re:So does this mean... by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      Steel is sparky.

      Non sparking sools made for use in environments with potentually explosive gasses present tend to use brass or another copper alloy, typically known as bronze, but that's not terribly specific as almost any copper alloy except brass is called bronze. Mostly this works because iron (and titanium) are actually moderately reactive and if you can light them, they burn exceptionally hot.

      Copper does not as it is substantially less reactive.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    6. Re: So does this mean... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or ban golf

    7. Re:So does this mean... by operagost · · Score: 1

      I don't play golf, and even I know you have to take a penalty stroke if you do that so there's a reason for their resistance.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    8. Re:So does this mean... by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      The solution is simple: let's ditch the titanium clubs and start making magnesium ones!

      They will be even lighter...lighterer? As in cigarette-lighterer?

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    9. Re: So does this mean... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Real 1%ers are beyond needing to show off. They wear copper plated gold and platinum jewelry.

    10. Re:So does this mean... by BattleApple · · Score: 1

      But if you did play golf, you'd know that most golfers cheat on their score cards anyway

    11. Re:So does this mean... by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      But if you did play golf, you'd know that most golfers cheat on their score cards anyway

      It's not cheating, it's creative accounting intended to maximize our enjoyment of the game.

      Most golfers are recreational players who would never finish a round if we had to play by every single damned rule, because we're simply not good enough.

      Hell, I bet most of us don't know all of the rules and don't care anyway -- I play over 100 rounds/year and I don't give a damn what all the rules are, because while I play over 100 rounds/year, I also score over 100/round; which, alas, is not considered within the realm of being a skilled player. :-P

      For most of us amateur golfers, "improving your lie" is a given, and the people you play with know it, and you know their score is distorted as well.

      The scores of most recreational golfers I know are understood to include "+ C", where C is ill-defined at best, but proportional to the amount of experienced frustration on any given day.

      Most of the people who adhere to every rule are either really good and actually compete -- or overly intense schmucks nobody likes to play with. For the rest of us, well, the score isn't really the point.

      We're just out there to play; because if it takes 10,000 hours to get good at something, most of us still have another 9,000 to go. ;-)

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    12. Re:So does this mean... by BattleApple · · Score: 1

      It was just a joke, I move my ball all the time. I usually stop keeping score by the 3rd or 4th hole anyway. I just don't go around telling people I shot a 72 when it was more like 92. As far as I'm concerned, I've just been practicing golf for 20 years. I'll never play competitively, so there's no reason to be able to hit a ball in every possible situation.

  4. First world problems.. by vakond1 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can't really be more first world, can it?

    1. Re:First world problems.. by oodaloop · · Score: 1

      Forest fires are hardly first world problems. Now if someone complained their golf club was scratched after striking a rock and starting a fire, that's another story.

      --
      Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
    2. Re:First world problems.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Forest fires started by titanium golf clubs are as first world problem as it gets. Somehow I don't think it's much of a concern in, say, Central African Republic, or Chad, or East Timor.

    3. Re:First world problems.. by ArsenneLupin · · Score: 1

      Somehow I don't think it's much of a concern in, say, Central African Republic, or Chad, or East Timor.

      Are you sure none of those luxury hotels (for Westerns) in these countries have golf courses next to them?

    4. Re:First world problems.. by CastrTroy · · Score: 1

      I don't play golf, but titanium clubs sounds like the pinnacle of solutions to a problem that doesn't exist. Does using titanium really make the club that much lighter that one would get a significant head speed increase? Are the properties of the metal such that it makes the ball "bounce" off the club that much better? Most people who play golf have very little problem with hitting the ball far, but have a much bigger problem with accuracy. Titanium most likely won't fix the problem. I've one ever played one 9 hole round in my life, but from my experience, you can do a lot better by trying to make short accurate shots than trying to squeeze an extra 50 yards out of your drive, and ending up in the bush half the time.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    5. Re:First world problems.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I can't vouch for the effectiveness of titanium over any other metal in golf clubs but from experience (being a 9 handicapper) that distance definitely matters. Most of it comes out of better technique than technology however.

      Back on topic though, the sparks I've seen coming off golf clubs don't appear, in my humble opinion, to look like they last long enough to start fires, but I'm from the UK so I don't often see the drought being spoken of.

      How about we crack down on people dropping cigar and cigarette stubs instead. They actually ARE on fire.

    6. Re:First world problems.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But nobody in the western world cares if some rich asshole burns down Africa.

    7. Re:First world problems.. by tsqr · · Score: 1

      I don't play golf, but titanium clubs sounds like the pinnacle of solutions to a problem that doesn't exist. Does using titanium really make the club that much lighter that one would get a significant head speed increase?

      No, that isn't the point. All driver clubheads are pretty much the same weight (per golf rules). Since titanium is lighter in weight than steel, an equivalent weight of titanium gives you a larger clubhead, which is the goal.

    8. Re:First world problems.. by CastrTroy · · Score: 1

      Shouldn't the size of the club head also be accounted for in the rules? I know it's not, but isn't that something that should be addressed? I guess you couldn't make it too big, or air resistance on the club head would start to become a noticeable factor, but there should be very specific limits on what the size and shape of the club head should be. To me it seems like tennis and golf forgot to update their rule books with changes in technology, and hence, the sports have completely changed from what they once were.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    9. Re:First world problems.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think many golfers are similar to triathletes, folks with large disposable income looking for whatever "edge" they can. I've seen plenty of average athletes on $10,000 tri bikes that will shave 2 seconds per mile, but if they actually put more effort into proper training they could do much more than that on a less expensive bike. However, to those people, time is a luxury and money comes easy.

    10. Re:First world problems.. by tsqr · · Score: 1

      Shouldn't the size of the club head also be accounted for in the rules? I know it's not, but isn't that something that should be addressed?

      Well, actually it is accounted for in the rules. Keep in mind, drivers originally had heads made from wood, which is why they're sometimes referred to as "woods" regardless of the material they're made of.

  5. If you think this is bad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you think this is bad, you should see what happened to the last guy who waded into the watar hazard with my cesium club heads.

    1. Re:If you think this is bad... by oscrivellodds · · Score: 0

      I think you mean sodium.

    2. Re:If you think this is bad... by ArsenneLupin · · Score: 3, Informative

      I think you mean sodium.

      Cesium is correct and actually works much better than sodium.

    3. Re:If you think this is bad... by oscrivellodds · · Score: 0

      Cesium is a liquid at 28.4C. You'd have a hard time hitting a ball with a liquid club.

      Sodium is correct.

    4. Re:If you think this is bad... by careysub · · Score: 2

      Atomic number sodium = 11.

      Atomic number cesium = 55.

      Can't we just compromise and pick an alkali metal close to 33?

      That would be Rubidium at 37. It is also solid at room temperature (but would melt in the sun at 39C/103F) and also reacts violently with water. The higher the atomic number of the alkali metal the more violent the reaction. Sodium really isn't very impressive - a small piece doesn't really burn it just sizzles. Potassium (atomic number 19) burns though (and potassium does not melt until 63C/146F). Everything higher than potassium is likely to explode.

      --
      Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
    5. Re:If you think this is bad... by oscrivellodds · · Score: 1

      39C is a common temperature out in the sun on a southern California golf course.

      I think we've beaten this dead horse enough, haven't we?

    6. Re:If you think this is bad... by cellocgw · · Score: 1

      39C is a common temperature out in the sun on a southern California golf course.

      I think we've beaten this dead horse enough, haven't we?

      Did you beat the horse with a wood, steel, or Cesium club? And does a horse carcass throw sparks?

      "Hey, we were going to *use* that horse head!" -- The Godfather.

      --
      https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
  6. Anyone for a.. by tinkerton · · Score: 1

    Magnesium club?

  7. Stop playing golf in a drought by vakond1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yes, I agree that forest fires are a significant issue.. however, why can't they just stop playing golf when the state is hit by severe droughts? Not just the fire hazard, but a waste of irrigation water... I believe this is excess luxury which harms the environment.

    1. Re:Stop playing golf in a drought by BlackPignouf · · Score: 1

      +1

    2. Re:Stop playing golf in a drought by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Might as well ask "why can't the rich stop being assholes?".

    3. Re:Stop playing golf in a drought by pspahn · · Score: 1

      Honestly, everything in moderation.

      I've played some public golf courses that are adjacent to airports and rail lines and would otherwise be used for more sprawl or more industry. I like that there are places that provide refuge for birds and small mammals and one can go pay $12 and play a game for a few hours.

      I don't play golf that much, in fact I haven't played at all in several years, but it's still a decent game and use of space ... in moderation.

      I've only flown over Phoenix, but seriously, that is excessive as are many lush courses that scream opulence and waste of resources. If a town wanted to have a public course, I'm all for it. Most of the rest are simply excessive.

      --
      Someone flopped a steamer in the gene pool.
    4. Re:Stop playing golf in a drought by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why do people continue to live in a damn desert?

    5. Re:Stop playing golf in a drought by operagost · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Electricity rates are skyrocketing. Why can't the President set his thermostat lower than 75 degrees in the winter?

      Who decides what is too luxurious? The politburo?

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    6. Re:Stop playing golf in a drought by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      Why do people continue to live in a damn desert?

      Their desert living is subsidized by others. The root cause is left as an exercise for the reader.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    7. Re:Stop playing golf in a drought by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The envirnment (red in tooth and claw) cannot be harmed bytch! Lib.com environfaghgs CAN be harmed by cornholing Gaia. Wowserdo! And hopefully often. You -- yeah lib.drooler ... mind standing by tht patch of dry weeds while I flail-away with this titanium .....

    8. Re:Stop playing golf in a drought by j_l_cgull · · Score: 1

      Blasphemy ! Where would PHBs discuss the lack of STEM employees and the need to increase H1-B quotas ?!

  8. Golf, Now With Fire Hazards! by xianzombie · · Score: 3, Funny

    Play it as it lays! Water Trap, Sand Trap, Raging Inferno Trap. If you can reach it, play it!

    1. Re:Golf, Now With Fire Hazards! by DigiShaman · · Score: 1

      Your game is ON FIRE baby!!!

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
  9. I knew it by PPH · · Score: 1

    Man's discovery of fire and golf date back equally far.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
    1. Re:I knew it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, fire has nothing to do with Prometheus?

    2. Re:I knew it by smithmc · · Score: 1

      I don't think persimmon makes sparks when hitting a rock.

      --
      Downmodding is the refuge of the weak. Don't downmod, make a better argument!
  10. Golf by rossdee · · Score: 1

    If you are hitting a rock with your club, you're doing it wrong.

  11. Lemme see if I get this. by oscrivellodds · · Score: 1, Insightful

    1) Golfer wacks ball + rocks with club.
    2) Club produces sparks that burn for up to one second igniting surrounding brush.
    3) Golfer ignores smoking brush and walks off after his ball.

    Makes sense to me!

    1. Re:Lemme see if I get this. by geekmux · · Score: 1

      I think it goes more something like this:

      1) Shitty golfer with far too much money whacks ball + rocks with titanium club.

      2) Shitty golfer gets pissed and curses because he just put a scratch in his new $500 driver.

      3) Shitty golfer storms off in a rage, ignoring the environment around him in search of the beer cart.

      Sorry, but if you're going to invest the money into titanium hardware, learn to play the game well enough that you're not hitting rocks.

    2. Re:Lemme see if I get this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      nope, he speeds away in his electic golf cart. Walking doesn't appear to be encouraged in US golf!

    3. Re:Lemme see if I get this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The golfer in question probably doesn't notice the smoke due to the small dustcloud he created upon hitting the dry ground and leaves before the dust has settled.

    4. Re:Lemme see if I get this. by Sockatume · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You can "ignite" the bush without immediately creating obvious smoke and fire. People cause brush fires by stubbing out cigarettes for the same reason, they think "the ground I stubbed this out on is not currently obviously aflame, therefore I'm good".

      --
      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    5. Re:Lemme see if I get this. by VortexCortex · · Score: 2

      1) Golfer wacks ball + rocks with club.
      2) Club produces sparks that burn for up to one second igniting surrounding brush.
      3) Golfer ignores smoking brush and walks off after his ball.

      Makes sense to me!

      The brush tends to smolder for a good long while before it becomes an inferno. Just light a corner of a leaf with a spark or red hot iron, and toss it on a pile of leaves (in a controlled environment, fire pit, etc.). It may burn itself out, but the spark that causes an inferno may come from many leaves or grasses that burn nearly completely out, before touching off the next one. It could be hours before any smoke or flame is noticeable from just a few meters away.

      They claim not to have found a cigarette butt culprit, but absence of evidence doesn't prove a claim. Perhaps the fires were caused by folks who lost their glasses, and the sun shone through them just so. Maybe micro-lighting AKA static arc. I've seen crackling sparks when dumping very dry sand, dirt or flour. If you're not careful you can blow a whole grain silo up with nothing more than a bit of agitation, it's a fuel-air bomb. Some really hot dry dirt and grasses blowing around could cause a spark. I've seen lightning in Arizona dust storms. They've got sand storms with lightning in the Middle East, hell, even Mars has 'em.

      Not saying that's what caused it, just that there are plenty of possibilities. Could even be aliens, or time travelers who's appearance altered history and so they're preserving their time-line best they can by starting the fires that should have happened. Hard to tell.

    6. Re:Lemme see if I get this. by H0p313ss · · Score: 2

      1) Golfer wacks ball + rocks with club.
      2) Club produces sparks that burn for up to one second igniting surrounding brush.
      3) Golfer ignores smoking brush and walks off after his ball.

      Makes sense to me!

      According the the article:

      Steve Concialdi, a captain with the Orange County Fire Authority, in Irvine, said that in both incidents, golfers using 3-irons with titanium-alloy heads had said they hit the ground and created sparks that started the fires.

      So you're 2 out of 3.

      --
      XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
    7. Re:Lemme see if I get this. by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Could even be aliens, or time travelers who's appearance altered history and so they're preserving their time-line best they can by starting the fires that should have happened. Hard to tell.

      Could it have been caused by a black hole?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    8. Re:Lemme see if I get this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have you ever heard of smoldering?

    9. Re:Lemme see if I get this. by gzuckier · · Score: 1

      You obviously are unfamiliar with the sport of Natural Golf, which uses rocks instead of artificial spheroids. (I can't bring myself to type "balls").

      --
      Star Trek transporters are just 3d printers.
  12. I'll add one by invictusvoyd · · Score: 1

    Bear Gryllis titanium club to my survival kit. Makes for a fine weapon too .. err .. what's golf ?

    1. Re:I'll add one by u38cg · · Score: 1

      With a titanium club, golf is whatever the fuck you want it to be...

      --
      [FUCK BETA]
    2. Re:I'll add one by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 1

      Make sure to add VIP hotel accommodations as well. Bear Gryllis don't leave home without 'em!

      --
      I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
  13. Re: Disgsting Habit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Along with all other fields that use real grass, and astroturf because that is a petroleum product, and dirt fields becuase that contributes toward global warming when compared to a forest.

  14. Wait a minute- the ground was rocky! by oscrivellodds · · Score: 2, Funny

    These weren't 1%ers. These were poor people playing on public courses. They SHOULD be banned!

  15. easier? by pahles · · Score: 3, Insightful

    'He says while golfers may complain it's making the game easier' So they are using lighter clubs to make it easier, then complain they have to move the ball to the fairway?

    --
    Sig?
    1. Re:easier? by rogerrabit · · Score: 2

      "Lighter club"... seems appropriate!

    2. Re:easier? by DerekLyons · · Score: 2

      'He says while golfers may complain it's making the game easier' So they are using lighter clubs to make it easier, then complain they have to move the ball to the fairway?

      If you're not a sportsman or familiar with their mindset, the difference between the two forms of 'easier' may not be immediately obvious.

      A titanium club makes it 'easier' in the sense that it allows a given golfer to get more out of a given swing regardless of skill level. (And being a piece of equipment, it's at least theoretically available to everyone.) However, hitting from the rough is more difficult than hitting from the fairway and requires a degree of extra skill, so moving the ball to the fairway somewhat reduces the level of skill required and thus the challenge of the game.

      It also violates a basic precept behind many sports - absent a rules violation, you take the circumstances as they arise. Specifically in golf, you "play the ball as it lies".

  16. Re: Disgsting Habit by jesse.d.johnston · · Score: 1

    as soon as they wrap up the finishing touches on the internet trolling ban, I'm sure you can ask your local congressman to look into it (if he/she isn't out golfing when you call.)

  17. Hey.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's California, what do you expect? I'm sure this is some ploy to regulate and extort money from citizens.

    If you hit a rock with a lawnmower, it can throw sparks too.

    OH MY GOD, if your hubcap scrapes the curb, it can cause sparks!!

    Best off just stay inside. LOL

  18. Obvious solution by the_saint1138 · · Score: 1

    Since golfers don't want to make the game easier by moving the ball, a better solution would be to make the game harder.

    I propose a 2 stroke penalty for any forest fires started during the swing.

    1. Re:Obvious solution by oscrivellodds · · Score: 1

      What about brush fires?

    2. Re:Obvious solution by the_saint1138 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Brush fires are only a 1 stroke penalty, but they have to play again from the same spot.

  19. Re:Yuo faIl It! by oscrivellodds · · Score: 1

    uh, OK!

  20. Dubai Desert Clasic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, I agree that forest fires are a significant issue.. however, why can't they just stop playing golf when the state is hit by severe droughts? Not just the fire hazard, but a waste of irrigation water... I believe this is excess luxury which harms the environment.

    You think the environmental issues of golf are bad in California? I challenge you to visit one of the golf courses in Dubai. Beautiful green fairways and water features in the middle of a blazing desert. It's scary to think just how enviromentally insane that place is.

    1. Re: Dubai Desert Clasic by vakond1 · · Score: 2

      The fact that the situation is worse in Dubai doesn't mean that we shouldn't impose sane (temporary) restrictions in California. You don't actually need to go that far, Las Vegas isn't much better either... but still just as irrational.

    2. Re:Dubai Desert Clasic by pspahn · · Score: 2

      Not that it compares, but I always found this rather humorous.

      --
      Someone flopped a steamer in the gene pool.
    3. Re:Dubai Desert Clasic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some 99% of the water in Dubai comes from desalination. That is a different beast than taking water from one region and diverting it to another such that the former has much less water than historically necessary to maintain the ecological status quo. There are still potential environmental issues, but it mainly comes down to how they generate power.

  21. Aluminum by wisnoskij · · Score: 1

    They are certainly only using Titanium for its name. Its particular attributes are not going to add anything to a golf game. Titanium is used for its unmagnetic nature, and its stability even under high temperatures. If you want light, then use Aluminum, or some hollow system.

    --
    Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    1. Re:Aluminum by oscrivellodds · · Score: 0

      "Titanium is used for its unmagnetic nature..."

      So the earth's magnetic field won't mess up your swing?

      "... and its stability even under high temperatures."

      And your club won't get damaged in the ensuing conflagration?

    2. Re:Aluminum by Gibgezr · · Score: 1

      No, the metal and composite heads are already made hollow. Titanium has a better strength vs. weight ratio than most other materials they could use. Its alloys also have useful "hardness" and "ductility" (elongation) properties when making heads for golf clubs.

      So no, it's not used for its name, it's used for its performance.

    3. Re:Aluminum by careysub · · Score: 2

      It would be interesting to see a real engineering analysis of the effect of different metals on golf performance (a driving machine would provide real data). But in the case of titanium actually providing some sort of advantage to the golfer this could be mostly preserved by simply putting a thin stainless steel facing on the striking surface. And this would preserve what is no doubt the real advantage of these clubs - generating sales for the manufacturer and retail chain.

      --
      Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
    4. Re:Aluminum by tsqr · · Score: 1

      Aluminum is not a great choice for a golf club head due to its poor fatigue properties -- it would tend to get very brittle after repeatedly pounding at golf balls. Plus, though Ti is about 70% heavier than Al, it has twice the tensile strength. Aluminum does make a pretty good golf club shaft, though.

    5. Re:Aluminum by wisnoskij · · Score: 1

      Well it is all thickness, As long as the metal is heat treated right, and not too thin I do not think you would encounter any problems. They make aircraft out of both.

      --
      Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    6. Re:Aluminum by wisnoskij · · Score: 4, Informative

      Titanium does not have any special strength vs weight. It is slightly below Steel and slightly above aluminium. But at the end of the day they are all basically the same. We make aircraft out of aluminium, because the same weight of steel would be too thin and we make steel girders out of steel because the same thing with aluminium would be too big; And we use Titanium when heat might be a problem, in general. Using reasonable alloys, their strength/weight is similar.

      And 99% of metal hardness is in the heat treating. You can make steel into elastic, or rigid as diamonds.

      --
      Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    7. Re:Aluminum by Z00L00K · · Score: 1

      I'd rather use brass, that's what used for many applications where sparks can be a problem. Bronze may also be good. If it's too light then fill the head with lead.

      If you still want "sexy" materials it's worth to look into composite plastics.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    8. Re:Aluminum by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      Fatigue properties have nothing to do with thickness.
      Aluminium breaks far more readily than titanium. The higher stressed parts are preferably made of titanium, not aluminium.
      For example, aluminium screws are never ever used for parts that will be stressed, but titanium screws are strong enough to replace steel screws in many cases.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    9. Re:Aluminum by wiredlogic · · Score: 1

      Titanium is used for its unmagnetic nature

      You wouldn't want some poor golfer to have his swing deflected by the Earth's magnetic field would you?

      --
      I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
    10. Re:Aluminum by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      They are certainly only using Titanium for its name. Its particular attributes are not going to add anything to a golf game.

      Uh no. I share Saint Carlin's opinion on golf, but even I know better. Titanium is harder and stronger than aluminum. If you want light, you use an aluminum-magnesium alloy, since magnesium alone would have the same problem as Titanium only moreso. But the titanium is hard, and unlike aluminum it's stronger than steel for the same size part. Like Aluminum, it's lighter than steel for the same size part. Titanium is used for its attributes, and not for its name.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    11. Re:Aluminum by Cederic · · Score: 2

      Titanium does not have any special strength vs weight. It is slightly below Steel and slightly above aluminium. But at the end of the day they are all basically the same

      No, they are not.

      Which is why we make aircraft out of aluminium or titanium, and use steel where strength is more important than weight.

      How the fuck you got an 'informative' for that spiel of bullshit is astounding.

    12. Re:Aluminum by lars_stefan_axelsson · · Score: 1

      No, they are not.

      Which is why we make aircraft out of aluminium or titanium, and use steel where strength is more important than weight.

      No, he's actually correct. They're roughly the same in terms of strength per weight, which is what he said.

      However, they're not nearly as similar when it comes to density, with titanium being about half of steel, and aluminium being about half of titanium.

      That's not to say that there aren't any differences at all, even when considering strength/weight, esp. when we take the many different alloys into account, which in certain application (fighter jets) can make a difference.

      --
      Stefan Axelsson
    13. Re:Aluminum by Cederic · · Score: 1

      Since when the fuck was a 30% difference "roughly the same"?

    14. Re:Aluminum by wisnoskij · · Score: 1

      Yes they are. Steel has a higher strength/weight than Aluminum, even Stainless has a higher strength/weight than aluminium. But these are relativity small differences. The significant difference is the density, which is why we use Aluminum.

      --
      Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    15. Re:Aluminum by lars_stefan_axelsson · · Score: 1

      Since the difference per volume is quite a bit larger. With steel being stronger both per weight and obviously volume, we should be making fighter aircraft out of steel, then?

      Hint, there are other qualities that are more important than a couple of percent in difference in tensile strength.

      If you take your chill pills and climb down off the walls, you might learn something you know...

      --
      Stefan Axelsson
    16. Re:Aluminum by gzuckier · · Score: 1

      Fatigue properties have nothing to do with thickness.

      Ha! You lie! Everybody knows thin people fatigue less!

      --
      Star Trek transporters are just 3d printers.
    17. Re:Aluminum by gzuckier · · Score: 1

      I remember the day I realized that carbon fiber automobile hoods, etc. which were not made of prepreg (i.e., which I could afford) were just fiberglass with a layer of carbon fibre on the outside, and were no lighter or stronger than they would be without the carbon fiber.

      --
      Star Trek transporters are just 3d printers.
  22. Fore by puddingebola · · Score: 1, Funny

    Fore! FIRE!

  23. up to about one-fiftieth of an inch in diameter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So around 0,05mm?

    1. Re:up to about one-fiftieth of an inch in diameter by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1

      1/50 in = 0.02 in = 0.508 mm.

      --
      Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
  24. Brush Fire Hazard? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wouldn't the real question be: "Who left all those brushes laying about?"
    Must have been a very sandy golf course, if everybody brought hir own brush.

  25. Severe drought, but irrigated fairways by neo-mkrey · · Score: 1

    So the severe drought only applies to the 99%, right?

    1. Re:Severe drought, but irrigated fairways by Z00L00K · · Score: 2

      Probably - because if you can afford to play golf then you can afford to have the water imported from Canada.

      But you are right - cut the water to the golf courses - if someone insists on playing golf, then do that where it isn't a water shortage.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    2. Re:Severe drought, but irrigated fairways by gzuckier · · Score: 1

      The best courses are irrigated with Perrier.Some say Evian, but they're just worried about the CO2.

      --
      Star Trek transporters are just 3d printers.
    3. Re:Severe drought, but irrigated fairways by smithmc · · Score: 1

      Aren't golf courses irrigated with grey water these days?

      --
      Downmodding is the refuge of the weak. Don't downmod, make a better argument!
  26. Most Reactive Metal by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 2

    Titanium would be the one for this. It's the most reactive metal, the only thing known to burn in pure nitrogen.

    Under normal conditions it doesn't burn because it forms a tough oxide layer by rapidly reacting with water vapor in the air. But do something to expose a lot of bare metal and yes it will get interesting.

    1. Re:Most Reactive Metal by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure what you mean by reactive, but lithium seems way more reactive to me.

      --
      I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
  27. turn it off by nten · · Score: 1

    and walk away

    --
    refactor the law, its bloated, confusing and unmaintainable.
  28. So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Fooooouuuu-IIIIRE!

  29. Far more likely by anmre · · Score: 2

    I am a golfer, and one constant amongst us is that we'd sooner cheat and use the old foot-wedge from the rough than risk dinging up our new shiny $500 stick. We also pee in the rough. And smoke cigars. I don't see the need to bring in statisticians and physicists for this conundrum.

    1. Re:Far more likely by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      and also smoke cigars

      I'm pretty sure you just nailed what really is causing the fires. cigarettes and/or cigars.

  30. Something new for them to ban by gelfling · · Score: 1

    Or tax or sanction or limit or otherwise be all California about.

  31. drought? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what drought? I thought it rained a lot in California last month. Remember the flooding that the news stations and weather channel reported? I'm confused.

  32. Real story by slapout · · Score: 2

    Scientist got caught on golf course when they were suppose to be working and had to make up a story

    --
    Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
  33. Mythbusters? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sounds like a job for Adam and Jamie.

  34. Beer and Cigars will still be allowed. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Beer and Cigars will still be allowed.

  35. Missed opportunity. by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

    Oh, c'mon, how could you not end that rant with, "That smell - it's not burning brush, it's the glorious smell of freedom!"

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
  36. Re:Fuck the NANNY STATE by riverat1 · · Score: 2

    Ok, just be prepared to pay for any damages you may cause like lighting a fire.

  37. This is silly by ggraham412 · · Score: 1

    This has got to be one of the silliest concerns I have ever read, in the NYT no less. I've had a great laugh over this, thank you for making my day.

  38. The article has vivid spark pictures by systemeng · · Score: 1

    See the author's photograph: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com...

  39. You want to know what else causes sparks? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Striking a clay weeping tile with a pickaxe. Yes. A clay pipe that is connected to the sewer system... you know, with explosive gas?

    This article is stupid. GG slashdot.

  40. Today a new study has been released... by Noishkel · · Score: 1

    ... by the socialist center for hating rich white business men has reveled that golf clubs start forest fires!!1

    I'm honestly wondering who the hell signed off on this article? Some intern straight out of J school? Even crappy public golf courses are not going to just have rocks laying around to hit. Let alone one of those meticulously groomed courses that the kind of person with titanium golf clubs are going to visit.

    To actually suggest that there is a real chance of this is completely ludicrous. Statistically speaking you're probably going to see more fires started by falling meteorites than some golfer.

  41. BAN Titanium Golf Clubs!!!!!!111!!!!!! by wganz · · Score: 0

    Do it for the chilluns!
    Require registration of all these dangerous fire storm creating devices. These should only allowed for professionals. Need a chief law enforcement officer's approval for purchase or transfer; then, have an 18 month background investigation to see if the new owner has ever been involved in any fire related incidents. Require a $200 tax stamp for each transfer or purchase.
    Do it for the chilluns!

  42. No titanium? No problem. by jcr · · Score: 1

    I'll get busy developing magnesium and flint club heads.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  43. Re:Fuck the NANNY STATE by RightSaidFred99 · · Score: 1

    I've shit more subtle and funny sarcasm, you facile douchebag. Humorously I imagine most of your ilk took your childish snark at face value.

  44. Possible is not plausible. by RightSaidFred99 · · Score: 1

    I can put out 20 random theories that are _possible_. Doesn't mean it's likely.

    Let's see.. sparks from people hitting their expensive clubs against rocks and causing sparks which start a fire no one notices.. or some asshole flicking his cancer stick in the brush. I know which one I'd guess.

  45. The Foot Wedge is still safe... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Problem solved...

  46. so, which fire extinguishers are approved? by swschrad · · Score: 1

    the PGA has a major say in what you pack in that bag. I would be interested in knowing what fire extinguishers are on the play list. I suspect they are as verboten as a hipflask, chalk dust squirters, and those "10,000 yard" balls.

    --
    if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
    1. Re:so, which fire extinguishers are approved? by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      I suspect they are as verboten as a hipflask

      Well, that's golf struck off the list of sports for when I retire. If it's true. Which I doubt. And enforceable. Which it's not.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  47. Plenty of rocks in the woods by Stan92057 · · Score: 1

    Plenty of rocks in the woods at golf courses. Had to hit from the woods more then once, so golf doesn't always get played from where you would LIKE to play from lol. Low skilled golfer can put a golfball anywhere, including 3 fairways across lol seen it happen.

    --
    Jack of all trades,master of none
  48. I didn't have any problems... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...until I started using those flint golf balls with my titanium clubs.

    Flint. The hottest golf balls on the tour!!

  49. Re:Fuck the NANNY STATE by riverat1 · · Score: 1

    roman_mir, and here I thought you were all about personal responsibility.

  50. Making the game easier... by cyn1c77 · · Score: 1

    He says while golfers may complain it's making the game easier, it's too risky to do otherwise this season.

    If they are worried about "making the game easier," they should be using the old wooden drivers and steel "irons" that I learned to play with.

  51. Re:Fuck the NANNY STATE by gzuckier · · Score: 1

    I will use my clubs that I BOUGHT on the course that I PAID for membership. Where in the constitutian does it say I can't?
    --
    roman_mir

    In the part that says "No jerks allowed in our cool new country!".

    --
    Star Trek transporters are just 3d printers.
  52. Improbable assumption by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And under what conditions would a golfer, using a driver within the teeing area, strike a rock?