Sonic booms - on a golf course???

I'm both amused and amazed by a report from England, which suggests that the latest space-age materials used in golf clubs have an unforeseen and very unpleasant side-effect.

Being caught in a thunderstorm or hit by a ball ought to be the only real dangers in a round of golf.

But players of this most relaxing of games are being warned they are at serious risk of shattering their eardrums when they tee off.

Modern titanium clubs create a 'sonic boom' when they connect with the ball, say scientists.

The risk of going deaf is so great that doctors are advising golfers to wear earplugs while they play their tee shots.

Experts have identified at least one case of a golfer of 55 who they believe has damaged his hearing as a result of using one of the new drivers three times a week for the last 18 months.

Tests were carried out on six titanium clubs and six thickerfaced stainless steel models and sound levels measured.

While the steel clubs produced the agreeable 'tink' of a well-hit shot, the titanium ones were much louder, described by some as similar to a gun being fired.

Dr Malcolm Buchanan, an Edinburgh-trained ear, nose and throat specialist - and a keen golfer - said: 'Our results show that thin-faced titanium drivers may produce sufficient sound to induce temporary or even permanent cochlear damage in susceptible individuals.

'Players should be careful when playing with these thin-faced clubs as they make a lot more noise.'

Dr Buchanan, one of the authors of the report which appears in the latest edition of the British Medical Journal, added: 'Wearing earplugs is a possibility, although it might be a bit too radical for some.'

But Andrew Coltart, a professional golfer, pointed out: 'If you are wearing earplugs you might not hear shouts of "fore", be hit by a ball on the head and get brain damage.'

. . .

An internet search revealed other concerns about the club. One player reported: 'Drives my mates crazy with that distinctive loud BANG sound.'

Another said: 'This is not so much a ting but a sonic boom which resonates across the course.'

I'd love to know the materials science behind this. Is the titanium resonating at a different frequency? Is that because of its thinness, or the filler material behind it, or the material used for the shaft of the club? There are so many things that may contribute to this.

I guess it's just another example of the law of unintended consequences at work. The titanium clubs may well improve one's performance - but at a price that's not only financial.

Peter