Do golfers lie?

I don’t know, are golfers older and white, except for Tiger Woods?

Just came across this news on a fire that burned 25 acres in Irvine,  that the golfer claims was started by a golf ball hitting a rock. From the LA Times:

A golfer accidentally chipped a rock, setting off a 12-acre blaze next to the Shady Canyon Golf Course in Irvine, officials said.

McKeown said no charges have been filed against the golfer, whose name has been withheld. Apparently, the golfer was in the rough and was trying to hit his ball out of it when he accidentally swiped at a rock, which sparked the blaze at 12:07 p.m. Saturday, officials said.

McKeown said brush fires are not uncommon when temperatures reach into the high 70s and lower 80s and conditions are right.

Yahoo Sports seems to think this is really funny.

Over the weekend, a golfer’s routine swing in the rough at the Shady Canyon Golf Course in Irvine, Calif., struck a rock. Not so different from the way you play, right? Only this time, the impact caused a spark, and the spark set off a blaze that eventually covered 25 acres, according to the Steven Buck, General Manager of Shady Canyon Golf Course, and required the efforts of 150 Orange County firefighters, writes the Associated Press.

Wow. And I felt bad the time I shanked a ball through the window of a house too close to the fairway.

As it was, the blaze required both helicopters and on-the-ground crews.

And now, your turn. This is going to inspire a raft of bad Sportscenter-esque “When we say he set the course on fire, he really set the course on fire!” jokes.

Yeah, if you’re a total jackass. There are over 2700 comments, so I guess a lot of golfers think they’re funny. Maybe they’ll trot over and dance on the graves of  all the animals and trees that died. Hopefully, they’ll also win some tournaments, and pay back the thousands of dollars spent on 150 firefighters and the helicopters putting it out.

Did you read the temperatures? It was a very cool weekend – almost like fall. I don’t believe it was a ball hitting a stone. Has anyone actually ever seen this happen? Wouldn’t it have to be a particular stone, like granite? I don’t know the science of fires.

No, this anonymous bad golfer was a smoker, or maybe even deliberately set it, who knows. Did you know that even after the Griffith Park horrendous fire that burned 800 acres, Councilman Tom LaBonge STILL  wanted to allow smoking on the golf course?! They’re special folks there!

My fervent wish is for this anonymous golfer to have a relaxing dinner and drinks at the Shady Canyon Golf Course Clubhouse, if they have one, and then spill his guts to the other golfers hanging around there.

Then I shall get his name and report it here.

Photo credit: Thanks to Zach Bates