WATCH: Incredible shot of lightning striking a ball on a driving range

We probably don’t need to tell you this, but you shouldn’t try to emulate what you are about to see.

Any sort of outdoor golfing during a lightning storm is a terrifically bad idea.

Even on a partially covered driving range, the unpredictable nature of lightning could pose risks.

One golfer defied the safety recommendations, and it produced this incredible video of a ball being struck by lightning in mid-flight.

The reaction says it all.

If you are in an area which is prone to lightning storms and are out on the course with the weather closing in, you should get off the course as soon as possible.

Deaths on the golf course as a result of lightning strikes happen often enough to remind us of the danger of playing in a storm, in the United States the number has hovered around one every 14 months or so with spikes around unusual weather patterns.

While there is no reason to come in for a little bit of rain, the slightest threat of lightning should get you right off the course.

Check forecasts often, and continue to check them during your round if you are able to.

Consider downloading a reliable radar app as well if you play in areas prone to lighnting.

Having a reliable radar with you at all times, equipped with a lighting detection/prediction mode, is a must for all. Most of these types of apps have a radius of 10 miles (some more, some less) from your location. This is so you can tell how close the approaching storm, or more importantly, the last lightning strike was. Remember, the rain won’t kill you, but the lightning could so don’t focus on the radar as much as the lightning strikes. A “personal radius” of ten miles is a good safety net for when the bolts get too close.

Nowadays, a lot of golf courses have lightning detection systems installed, which sound an alarm when lightning strikes the course within a predetermined distance. Some possess a mechanism for both detection and prediction. A prediction system uses atmospheric factors, such as the accumulation of electrical charge in the region, to forecast the location and timing of a lightning strike. Detection indicates the distance of the most recent strike.

If you get stuck out on the course in a storm follow these tips:

• Do not stand under tall trees or sit in a golf cart. Do not stand under a lone tree, even a small one.
• You must get away from your cart and away from your golf clubs quickly.
• Stay away from water.
• If you are old-school and have metal spikes on, take them off.
• If stranded in the open, go to a low place such as a ravine or valley, or the lowest spot you can find.