Two golfers were killed by lightning as they waited out a storm in a rain shelter on a course in Johor Bahru, local media reported today.

Six others, two golfers and four caddies, were injured and treated in hospital for severe burns after the incident at the Royal Johor Country Club in Johor Bahru on Thursday, the New Straits Times said.

The two men who died - 81-year-old CE Tiong and 57-year-old accountant KK Wong - were wearing metal spikes when the lightning struck, the paper said.

Club general manager Manjit Abdullah said the lightning warning siren was sounded at 4.40pm and golfers were advised to return to the clubhouse.

"We even despatched a van to pick up the golfers at designated halfway houses," he said, but the four dedicated golfers chose to wait out the storm and were struck about 20 minutes later.

Tiong's son Francis said the four golfing buddies played every Thursday, come rain or shine.