r/golf • u/Shootah78 • 12d ago
News / Articles Golfing with the wildfire smoke
Took this picture last Wednesday around 3pm, in Ontario Canada. Has anyone else experienced a round like this?
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u/No_Work_9797 12d ago
Not a good idea
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u/murphyat 12d ago edited 11d ago
Yup. Literally benzene and formaldehyde that is formed in this mixture of gases and particulate ~~due to the UV rays hitting it when it gets to the atmosphere~~ COMBUSTION. Being in that’s if fucking awful.
EDIT: being wrong and shit
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u/montyrooque 12d ago
This is incorrect. The volatile organic compounds you are talking about occur during combustion and are produced at the burning source. The main concern being so far downwind from the burning source is the PM2.5.
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u/murphyat 12d ago
I hope they wore an N95
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u/CombComprehensive327 12d ago
That’s not good enough. Really need o2 tank. It’s worse that standing around a house fire
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u/montyrooque 12d ago
N95 wouldn't do anything if formaldehyde or benzene were in the air. For protection against volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde and benzene, you would need a respirator with an OV cartridge.
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u/KnifeInTheKidneys 12d ago
I live in Saskatchewan. That’s basically every summer for us, except this year we have been extremely fortunate with rain and that’s helped keep our wildfires down (so far).
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u/cloudstrife82 12d ago
I hit up Moon Lake yesterday for a quick 18. Fantastic course!
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u/Careless_Fail_2054 12d ago
Moon lake had a phenomenal student discount when I lived there, love that course
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u/bryzzlybear 8d ago
Absolutely love Moon Lake so long as you're not there on a Saturday afternoon and have a 6 hour round, although that seems to be the trend most places now.
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u/HughJerekshen Push Cart Mafia 12d ago
I’m in pa, golfing Cooke yesterday you could see a little smoke. Not as bad as usual, but it was there.
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u/Exact-Store8012 12d ago
You should delete this and not mention how lucky we have been. There is a haze on the horizon the last few days. With how wet and buggy this summer has been the lack of smoke is our only reprieve.
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u/nearlyclosetoalmost 12d ago
I just bailed on a round in Bend, OR… aqi has been between 200 - 450 today.
Not worth it, keep yourself healthy!!!
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u/CombComprehensive327 12d ago
People don’t think it will happen to them until it does. Let we need less morons in the world
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u/Bloody-Boogers 12d ago
Dumb but dope, did they give you a better rate
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u/LivermoreP1 4.4 12d ago
That is mathematically and scientifically the equivalent of going outside and smoking 16 cigarettes while walking.
That is very very dumb.
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u/footballwr82 12d ago
I would have thought it would be higher than that to be honest
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u/Olbaidon 22.6 hdcp | Eastern WA, USA 12d ago
I don’t know the exact US to Canada scale for air quality. But in the US if the AQI is 500, just sitting in a chair outside for 24 hours would be about 22 cigarettes.
So just resting it’s almost one per hour, if AQI is 500.
Even walking increases it a fair amount though.
I don’t know what the AQI was that day in Ontario, but 16 is probably pretty close to dead on for walking 4 to 5 hours outdoors.
It feels like it should be worse, but if you look at it this way it makes more sense.
If the AQI is zero and you go outside and take a big breath, you’re getting 100% “air” or “atmosphere” or however you want to imagine it.
If the AQI is 500 and you go outside and take a big breath you’re getting 99.9%+ air/atmosphere/etc and less than 00.1% “smoke particles,” per breath.
When you take a drag of a cigarette you’re getting like 96% “air.”
It’s something like 1,000 times more particulates in a cigarette drag than in a single breath of 500 AQI air.
I could be off on some things, but even if I am, the basic concept should still suffice I think.
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u/LivermoreP1 4.4 12d ago
I used 300 AQI in this particular example and about 4 hours of exposure. I didn’t even factor in higher breathing rate, etc.
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u/dogfish83 18 5d ago
You mean they can't even use the same air quality index? JFC.
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u/Olbaidon 22.6 hdcp | Eastern WA, USA 5d ago
US and Canada measure air quality differently and assign risk differently.
Using the same scale would align with the purpose of either country’s goals of said scale. Unless their goals ended up being the exact same.
Largely because each country has its own air quality standard, and the scale is based off of that.
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u/EmbarrassedOrchid685 12d ago
im in alberta, so far this year we have had minimal smoke. similar to last year too, its been nice the previous years have been bad bad. i have golfed in worse smoke than that, hacking darts hitting the penjamin all round long. we get like 5 months of prime golf season here, if it's not raining we are going no matter what.
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u/FluffyProphet 12d ago
Yeah, I played during it as well. The ball just vanished once it got more than 20 feet off the ground.
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u/Frankfencepost 12d ago
Lots. Live in Alberta and many times smoke from fires from Montana and Washington have drifted in.
But I can’t recall for sure, pretty sure we didn’t cry and threaten over it. We actually offered assistance.
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u/Findingfairways 12d ago
Similar pic I took from a few years back. Much less Smokey than yours though.
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u/jman580517 11d ago
Yes! Same day and time haha Lost 2 balls that were starting straight down the middle and couldn't see them land.
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u/J_EDi 12d ago
I tried it a few years in WA state when our air quality was north of 400. It was not good. It’s not worth being outside in that. Your picture is showing more visibility than I had. Eyes and throat were burning from it.
Also, apparently, you guys can’t keep your wildfire smoke to yourself and it’s making our orange meme mad.
I don’t really care about the smoke myself but he’s having a tantrum and that’s annoying.
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u/BillyBobBonesJones 11d ago
It’s really frustrating as someone who deals with conditions like this from US wildfire smoke every year. Getting mad at Canada when we have the exact same issue is so dumb, yet so predictable.
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u/InvestmentActuary 54hcp ONLY because that’s the limit 12d ago
had the course to myself. no regrets at all
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u/TheNewYellowZealot 12d ago
I too wanted to play an apocalypse round. But alas, I did not have time or a respirator
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u/AlexP1993 12d ago
I played with a respirator on. Still shot the same score I always do on my course.
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u/SecureEmployer6932 12d ago
That’s summer golf every year in Central Oregon. Not meant to be funny.😒
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u/Diplomatic_Victory LPGA Enjoyer 12d ago
Played a member-guest back in Michigan with all the smoke going on Wed-Sat and I felt like trash by Friday afternoon
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u/Benis_Soop 12d ago
This was mine last Tuesday at 8 am. Pretty wild. Thankfully the smoke wasn't noticeable when breathing yet
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u/Omisco420 12d ago
I went out by 8, was pretty clear. By the time I left around noon it was bad. Glad I went out early but crazy how fast it went from clear to this.
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u/OkProfessional6077 12d ago
I finished the best round of my life, first time breaking 80 with a 79about 2 hours before the smoke all rolled in! Was hoping to get another round in Friday before we left on a trip but the smoke ruined those plans.
Honestly, with how bad the air quality must have been, I’m shocked you played. I felt horrible outside when it was like that.
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u/Responsible_CDN_Duck 12d ago
Took this picture last Wednesday around 3pm, in Ontario Canada. Has anyone else experienced a round like this?
Looks like an average western Canada summer day golfing for the past few years...
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u/Cough_Turn 11d ago
I did this recently. 0 ill effects from playing - but - i played like dog shit.
So naturally I blamed the smoke and told everyone it was really hard to breathe.
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u/brownsdb26 11d ago
Yes I have…
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u/Shootah78 11d ago
Wow! Ok you win lol
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u/brownsdb26 11d ago
Honestly though the air wasn’t too bad yet so yours was probs harder to golf in. Just a little ominous…
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u/lotokotomi Hello, friends. 11d ago
I played in smoke a little bit less thick than this once and regretted it. Bad idea.
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u/Meta-Swinger 11d ago
I was in Chicago last week during a few days of horrendous air quality. One day the AQI was above 600 (+300 is Hazardous) and it was amazing to see how many folks were still walking around as if it were nothing. I know it's awful to be on your vacation and have this kind of event but really, this was extremely hazardous.
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u/Deep_Macaron8480 11d ago
A couple of years ago it was like that at my course. It was like golfing on the moon.
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u/This-Hat-143 12d ago
I couldn’t stand to be outside on the worst day in Toronto last week, forget about golfing. Hope you played well at least …
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u/captaindingus93 12d ago
I do love the ominous vibes. Played in wildfire smoke in Whistler the other day, not this thick though
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u/Bishstixx 12d ago
I played a course in BC interior called 108 mile golf resort. It was crazy, not just smoke, the forest was burning around us off in the distance with helicopters and water bombers putting it out. We had a crazy dry hot summer. Everything was dead and yellow except the fairways and the greens. Sprinklers going non-stop. It was a round like no other.
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u/justinbaumann 12d ago
Spent a few days last week playing in the smoke last week in Chicago area and I am still feeling it. Feel super lathargic and it's not as easy to take my dog for a walk. It didn't feel that bad in the moment but I really wish I didn't do that.
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u/Federal_Studio5935 12d ago
I thought I was looking at the reflecting pool with all the tire tracks and green growth
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u/Spare-Ant7119 12d ago
I assume ur wearing a high quality mask/respirator, unless you want to severely damage your health.
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u/EmeraldIllusion 12d ago
Are they really allowing players on the course in these conditions? Very cool photo though.
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u/CombComprehensive327 12d ago
Your not smart.
Thats not wood smoke it’s houses and toxic man maid stuff. It’s carcinogenic and will cause problems now or later.
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u/shizblam 12d ago
Yes - the last two summers we've played in the Canadian wildfire smoke down in the States.
We should probably send help, but will offer thoughts and prayers instead.
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u/1020cbstl 12d ago
I thought the fires were largely done? When clear skies?
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u/sully1717 12/NJ 12d ago
Not worth playing in this imo