How much does lightning detection cost for a golf course?

Most vendors do not publish prices. Public procurement records give a guide: in the City of Denton, Texas tender (RFP 6942), installation was quoted at $12,060 per site for Perry Weather and $11,282 per site for Thor Guard, with Thor Guard software at $1,700 a year and maintenance at $800 a year per site. Tulsa Public Schools reported about $35,000 a year for ten Perry Weather sites. Software-only services with nothing installed start lower: StrikeWatch is $249 a month for one site.

Is a free weather app enough for a golf course?

The National Athletic Trainers' Association advises considering a commercial, real-time lightning detection service that has been independently verified. A free app also alerts only the phone it is on, depends on someone checking it, and leaves no record of what the course knew and when.

Can software alerts replace a siren on a golf course?

Not on their own. A siren reaches golfers who are not looking at a phone; text alerts reach staff wherever they are and keep a record. Many courses use both: alerts tell the staff when to act, and the horn tells the players.

What radius should a golf course use for lightning?

No national rule fixes one. The 2026 CISA and NCS4 guide says each venue should set its radius from its size, the people on site, storm speed and the time needed to reach shelter. Published course policies suspend play at distances from 6 to 10 miles, often with an earlier warning ring; a storm moving at 30 mph covers 8 miles in 16 minutes, so a large walking course may need to start clearing earlier.

What is the difference between lightning detection and lightning prediction?

Detection networks report strikes that have happened, with time and location. Thor Guard markets its on-site sensors, which measure the atmosphere's electrostatic field, as lightning prediction. Some software also shows a storm-movement forecast; that is a forecast, not a measurement.

Buyer's guide · Golf

Golf course lightning detection systems, compared.

Golf courses protect players from lightning in four ways: staff watching the sky with a free app; on-site detection hardware with sirens (Thor Guard, Perry Weather, Earth Networks Sferic Siren, DTN OnGuard, Boltek); software alerts from a professional detection network with nothing installed (StrikeWatch); and, at championships, an on-site meteorologist. The right choice depends on how long your course takes to clear, whether you need a siren that reaches players without phones, and who makes the call.

Who wrote this. This guide is published by StrikeWatch, which is one of the systems compared. We have kept to facts we can link to: each vendor's own website and public procurement records. Where a vendor does not publish a price, we say so rather than guess. We also say plainly what StrikeWatch does not do. Checked 22 October 2026. Corrections are welcome at nick@strikewatch.app.

What the guidance asks a course to have

No US law names a lightning product for golf courses, and none of the guidance does either. What the main guidance does ask for is consistent:

A written plan and a named decision-maker. The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) calls for a lightning-specific emergency action plan for each venue and "a chain of command that identifies a specific person" to clear the field. The 2026 CISA and NCS4 guide names two roles: a Weather Safety Official, who monitors conditions, and an Authorized Decision-maker, who starts the plan. One person can hold both.
A radius set with time to clear the course. The CISA and NCS4 guide does not fix a distance. It asks each venue to set its own from its size, the people on site, storm speed and the time needed to reach shelter.
Reliable detection. NATA advises considering "a commercial, real-time lightning detection service that has been independently verified". The CISA and NCS4 guide describes detection from ground and satellite networks, delivered through venue equipment or apps.
A 30-minute all-clear. NATA: activities stay suspended until 30 minutes after the last lightning or thunder. In golf, the R&A's Committee Procedures leave the call to the committee, and players may stop on their own if they believe lightning threatens them (Rule 5.7a).

Side by side

Information about other companies' products comes from their own websites and from public procurement records, linked under Sources. Prices vary by package and site.

System	How it detects	On the course	Alerts and all-clear	Cost
Ranger, horn and a free app	Staff watching the sky and a consumer weather app.	A horn sounded by hand.	Depends on who is watching; the 30 minutes is timed by hand.	Free. No record of what was known and when.
Thor Guard	On-site sensors that measure the atmosphere's electrostatic field. Marketed as lightning prediction.	On-site sensor system.	ThorAlert, ThorMobile and ThorTV software. The vendor says it signals when the atmosphere has "returned to a state of stability".	Not published. Denton, TX tender: $11,282 per site to install, $1,700 a year software, $800 a year maintenance.
Perry Weather	National Lightning Detection Network data, plus an on-site weather station.	Weather station; sirens available.	Text, push and Club Car and E-Z-GO cart screens; countdown timers for the all-clear. Also heat (WBGT) alerts and meteorologists on call.	Not published; two-week free trial. Denton tender: $12,060 per site to install. Tulsa Public Schools: about $35,000 a year for ten sites.
Earth Networks Sferic Siren	Earth Networks' own network, covering in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning.	Siren with horn and strobe.	Email, text and app alerts; you choose the wait, and an online countdown clock shows the all-clear.	Not published.
DTN OnGuard Siren	Lightning detection networks (not named on the product page).	Sirens and a beacon.	Advisory, caution and warning ranges, plus all-clear notifications.	Not published.
Boltek	An on-site detector, short and long range.	Detector; can trigger sirens, stack lights and signs.	Configurable range; display software.	Not published.
StrikeWatch	Vaisala's lightning network via Xweather: the National Lightning Detection Network in the US, global coverage elsewhere.	Nothing installed. Works alongside an existing horn.	Text alerts to every registered phone at 20, 10 and 8 miles; a restart clock on any screen, counted from the latest strike inside 8 miles; a storm-movement forecast where available; a time-stamped log of every alert.	Published: $249 a month for one site, $499 for up to five, $999 for a portfolio.

What StrikeWatch does not do

It has no siren of its own: if players need an audible signal, keep or add a horn, and let StrikeWatch tell your staff when to sound it. It has no on-site weather station, no heat (WBGT) monitoring and no meteorologist on call; Perry Weather and DTN offer those. Texts depend on mobile networks. Like every system here, it supports the decision; your Authorized Decision-maker makes it.

Where the lightning data comes from

Perry Weather says it uses the National Lightning Detection Network, which Vaisala operates and which also powers StrikeWatch. Earth Networks runs its own network. Thor Guard and Boltek measure at the course itself. For most courses the network matters less than two other things: how quickly the alert reaches the people who must act, and whether the radius leaves them enough time to clear the course.

How to choose: five questions

How long does it take to clear the course from the farthest hole to shelter? That sets your radius. A storm moving at 30 mph covers 8 miles in 16 minutes, so a large walking course may need to start clearing before the storm reaches 8 miles.
Do you need a signal that reaches players without phones? If so, you need a siren or horn, whichever system tells you when to sound it.
Who is your Authorized Decision-maker, and how will they know? The alert has to reach that person, and the staff who clear the course, wherever they are.
Can you show afterwards what you knew and when? Defense lawyers now advise courses to document their lightning protocol and enforce it consistently. A time-stamped record does that automatically.
Is this a capital purchase or an operating cost? Hardware usually means an installation budget and maintenance; software-only services are a monthly or annual subscription.

Common questions

How much does lightning detection cost for a golf course?: Most vendors do not publish prices. Public records give a guide: in the City of Denton, Texas tender, installation was quoted at $12,060 per site for Perry Weather and $11,282 per site for Thor Guard, with Thor Guard software at $1,700 a year and maintenance at $800 a year per site. Tulsa Public Schools reported about $35,000 a year for ten Perry Weather sites. Software-only services start lower: StrikeWatch is $249 a month for one site.
Is a free weather app enough?: NATA advises considering a commercial, real-time detection service that has been independently verified. A free app also alerts only the phone it is on, depends on someone checking it, and leaves no record.
Can software alerts replace a siren?: Not on their own. A siren reaches golfers who are not looking at a phone; text alerts reach staff wherever they are and keep a record. Many courses will want both.
What radius should a golf course use?: No national rule fixes one. Published course policies suspend play at distances from 6 to 10 miles, often with an earlier warning ring. Set yours from the time your course takes to clear.
What is the difference between detection and prediction?: Detection networks report strikes that have happened, with time and location. Thor Guard markets its on-site electrostatic sensors as lightning prediction. Some software also shows a storm-movement forecast; that is a forecast, not a measurement.

See it running for your course

StrikeWatch can show a live board for your course's exact coordinates, with the 8, 10 and 20-mile rings and the restart clock, before you decide anything.

Request a demo board

Sources

Perry Weather, golf and resorts, pricing and free trial pages · PGA of America, Perry Weather named Official Weather Platform · City of Denton, TX, RFP 6942 pricing evaluation · Tulsa Public Schools, board questions and responses, 23 February 2026 · Thor Guard, lightning prediction for golf courses · Earth Networks, Sferic Siren · DTN, OnGuard Siren · Boltek, golf course lightning detection · NATA, position statement on lightning safety (2013) · CISA and NCS4, Lightning Safety Guide for Sports and Special Events (2026), summarised by SportsField Management · Wilson Elser, the evolving standard for golf course lightning liability · StrikeWatch, plans and pricing.