Golf swing 'causes 12-acre brush fire'

A golfer reportedly sparked a 12-acre brush fire in California when he struggled to get his ball out of the rough.

The unnamed sportsman hit his ball out of bounds but as his iron club scraped against a rock it set alight the dry scrubland, causing a blaze at the Shady Canyon Golf Club in Irvine, the Daily Mail reports.

Of the man's anonymity, a club member said: "You can't blame him for keeping his head down. Otherwise everyone's going to be asking if he's on a hot streak, and saying his game is on fire."

Firefighters required helicopter support to tackle the blaze, which did not reach any of mansions situated alongside the course.