Golf-ball-sized hail covers Colorado golf course during severe storm

What started as a typical Monday afternoon at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen quickly turned into a scramble for cover when a hailstorm brought golf ball-sized hail to the course.

"Man, it was a little scary; it sounded like gunshots going off," said Jack Wales, who was at the tournament.

As golfers were carted to shelter, the greens in Evergreen were soon covered in white as a hailstorm fell in the middle of tournaments.

"I've lived up here my whole life, never seen storms that bad before. I mean, it was insane," Wales said.

The hail wasn't just loud, but Wales said one golf-ball-sized piece hit him on the head.

The storm hit Monday afternoon, forcing a delay in play for many as organizers and players waited out the severe weather.

But after the skies cleared, golfers had to find their balls among the golf-ball-sized hail.

"Everyone had to switch to a different color ball, because if you had a white ball, it was - you weren't gonna find it. It was, it looked like a field of balls out there," Wales said.

As the storm rolled in, the club says they sounded a warning that follows the same protocol they use whenever lightning is detected within five miles of the course.

"We blow the horn when there's like a warning, and that's about all we can do. If you want to come in and take shelter, you can, or otherwise you can stay out there and keep playing," said Will Dunham, assistant pro at Hiwan Golf Club.

But Dunham said he wouldn't recommend playing through severe storms like Evergreen saw today.

Still, the club reports no major damage aside from some temporary additional hazards on the green.

"I think it will definitely take a week or two to, you know, get it back to what it was," Dunham said, "When that happens, it's, you know, a nightmare for the greens keepers."

And some golfers found damage in the parking lot.

"My car's got a couple of things on it. Brand new car," Wales said.

For longtime golfers in the area, though, they say this may be par for the course when it comes to spring weather in Colorado.

"This is gonna be pretty common, I think, for the next couple months," Wales said.

But when asked if any storms like today would impact his golf game, Wales said, "Not at all. Keep getting after it, for sure."