Head injury

[Jjwills]

Hi, I’m am after some advice, I was playing a local public course Sunday morning with my 2 boys, 9 and 15. The 9th hole runs along side the driving range, the 9th hole also houses hundreds of stray balls from the range.
Any way, I was sat waiting for the 9th to clear when I was stuck by a ball full on the head, just missing the kids. knocked me unconscious and split my head open. Felt like a bomb went off in my head, I came around after a good few seconds to the sounds of the kids screaming and blood everywhere, Few stitches later and I’m suffering with dizziness and my youngest is suffering with the traumas.
Where would I start by getting advice regarding this, not so much for compensation for me but more to make this course safe, my kids play there regularly and I can’t think of something like this happening to them.
This is an obvious problem as the amount of range balls found around the course, sometimes hundreds on the 9th fairway.
If I can stop some else get hurt then it’s a win for me

 

[Bagger Vance]

Start by reporting it to the club/pro shop. They should be able to advise. As for finding the perp, I think you've got no chance.

 

[irip]

Hi, I’m am after some advice, I was playing a local public course Sunday morning with my 2 boys, 9 and 15. The 9th hole runs along side the driving range, the 9th hole also houses hundreds of stray balls from the range.
Any way, I was sat waiting for the 9th to clear when I was stuck by a ball full on the head, just missing the kids. knocked me unconscious and split my head open. Felt like a bomb went off in my head, I came around after a good few seconds to the sounds of the kids screaming and blood everywhere, Few stitches later and I’m suffering with dizziness and my youngest is suffering with the traumas.
Where would I start by getting advice regarding this, not so much for compensation for me but more to make this course safe, my kids play there regularly and I can’t think of something like this happening to them.
This is an obvious problem as the amount of range balls found around the course, sometimes hundreds on the 9th fairway.
If I can stop some else get hurt then it’s a win for me

Sounds like they need a net to stop the balls from the range before they meet the course.
Hope you feel better soon but make sure you get properly checked out.

 

[Billysboots]

I would be interested to know if anyone else has ever been struck by a stray ball from the range, and if such an incident was reported, what the club’s response was.

We have a very similar problem with a range to the left of our 10th hole. The fairway is often littered with range balls, and repeated calls for a net have so far gone unheeded.

I have recently emailed our club manager (we are a proprietary owned club), advising him that I regard the absence of a net as a clear health and safety issue, and that it needs to be addressed. I have told him I have retained my email, along with previous exchanges, and that I will be happy to make them available to any interested parties in the event someone is struck and injured.

I am told the club are now actively costing a net, as they should have done years ago.

 

[Oops!]

I’m afraid nothing will change without a legal battle, which could end up being costly for the club.
My recommendation, therefore, is to consult a lawyer. He or she can then handle everything else without causing you any hassle.
I don’t know the British legal system well enough to make a definitive judgment, but here (in Germany), the club (!)—as the operator of the facility—is responsible for ensuring that exactly this kind of thing doesn’t happen. And the club is insured precisely for cases like this! So I assume that they will at least have to cover your medical expenses (and, if applicable, those of your children [psychological counseling?]) and your legal fees, not to mention any potential compensation for pain and suffering.
BTW: The insurance company can (and will!) exert considerably more pressure on the club to install safety measures (e.g., a net) than an individual can…!

P. S.: A photograph of the „hundreds of range balls“ on the 9th Fairway will help tremendously !

 

[IanM]

Have you reported this to the club?

 

[Orikoru]

I've played a course like that, where the 2nd hole is directly in slicing radius of the driving range (Little Hay). I think it's scandalous that clubs get away with this, in all honesty. Nobody shouts fore when they're on the driving range so I'd be surprised if people aren't being hit without warning constantly. It shouldn't be legal.

Definitely make a complaint to the club, and if they don't assure that they'll be doing something about it I'd be getting social media involved, with photos of your injury and naming and shaming the club.

Even without naming and shaming them you could contact Golf Monthly to do an article and raise awareness about safety on driving ranges that are adjacent to golf holes.

 

[RichA]

Our 18th fairway is on the slicing side of the driving range. There’s no net. It gives me the willies if there’s anyone on the range when I’m coming down the 18th.
Fortunately we aren’t a big club and, while the range gets some use, it’s rarely busy.
If I got hit by a ball I’d be speaking to a lawyer. And I’ll be photographing any balls on the fairway from now on; that’s good advice.

 

[clubchamp98]

I was hit on the head by a ball.
Knocked unconscious and off to hospital for a CT Scan
I had concussion for quite a long time but the worst aspect was I had vertigo that was horrible.
So make sure your checked out by a doctor.

Far to many clubs install ranges when there really isn’t enough room for them just to make money.

 

[BrianM]

I got hit on the hip last Sunday, similar scenario, driving range runs along the edge of our 18th, my belt probably saved it from being worse, still bruised pretty badly though.
Boy shouted late as well, couldn’t apologize enough, but one of them were it could off been my head.

 

[The Squirrel]

And apologising almost seems unfair on those "causing" the accident - I mean if you've got a dodgy slice then the driving range is exactly where you should go to work on fixing it so you're not spraying it round a busy course on a Sat morning.


OP, my only thought that goes against some advice above is that the only certainty from getting lawyers involved is that lawyers get richer - so avoid that if possible. I'd start by writing to the club, explaining what has occurred, with as much detail as possible (photos are ideal - both of injuries and of a ball-strewn fairway). Set out in the letter what your expected or desired outcome is (whether that's money - although in the UK this should be to compensate any genuine measurable loss such as time off work or cost of any further rehab treatment rather than a random large sum for "distress" or whatever - or whether that's implementation of protective measures). If the club engage with you within the timeframe and take steps to do what you want then great, while if they don't you can then engage a lawyer if you feel that's required from a position where you can evidence having tried to resolve the issue yourself and been ignored - which makes your position far stronger and you look more reasonable when it comes to anyone else considering the case.

 

[Neilds]

First port of call should be to report it to the club. How are they expected to fix the problem when they may not be aware of it. If they fob you off, you might want to go the legal route but give the club a chance to act first.

Since we had top tracer on the range we have had a lot more ‘casual’ golfers on the range and more balls we’re ending up on the course . We put in a net along the side but soon realised it needed to be higher so had to put another couple of metres on top. This has eliminated the balls found on the course. Never heard of anyone being hit before the net went up.

 

[jim8flog]

Every commercial organisation is required to have an "Accident Report Book"

Make sure you inform the club and it is recorded in that book. You never know about possible long term effects from such an injury and your views about seeking compensation may change in the future.

 

[Oops!]

And apologising almost seems unfair on those "causing" the accident - I mean if you've got a dodgy slice then the driving range is exactly where you should go to work on fixing it so you're not spraying it round a busy course on a Sat morning.


OP, my only thought that goes against some advice above is that the only certainty from getting lawyers involved is that lawyers get richer - so avoid that if possible. I'd start by writing to the club, explaining what has occurred, with as much detail as possible (photos are ideal - both of injuries and of a ball-strewn fairway). Set out in the letter what your expected or desired outcome is (whether that's money - although in the UK this should be to compensate any genuine measurable loss such as time off work or cost of any further rehab treatment rather than a random large sum for "distress" or whatever - or whether that's implementation of protective measures). If the club engage with you within the timeframe and take steps to do what you want then great, while if they don't you can then engage a lawyer if you feel that's required from a position where you can evidence having tried to resolve the issue yourself and been ignored - which makes your position far stronger and you look more reasonable when it comes to anyone else considering the case.

Normally, I’d be completely on board, but my experience with situations like this has taught me that organizations only take action when they get the impression that you’re serious and that it threatens to get expensive and/or damage their reputation.

That’s why I recommend hiring a lawyer: just to build up some pressure!

Oh, and do as recommended : See a doctor !

 

[Klimski]

The course where my father is a member has a par 3 course behind the range. If you are on the first hole there you hit a button and a siren goes off on the range, with a flashing light so as to inform poeple not to hit driver for 10 minutes. And of course, there is a net. Works fine

 

[The Squirrel]

Normally, I’d be completely on board, but my experience with situations like this has taught me that organizations only take action when they get the impression that you’re serious and that it threatens to get expensive and/or damage their reputation.

That’s why I recommend hiring a lawyer: just to build up some pressure!

Oh, and do as recommended : See a doctor !

As the owner of a business that tries to do the right thing I can tell you that
- come to me and constructively make me aware of an issue or problem and I will work with you to try and come up with a solution we're both happy with; one that will keep you as a client - my reputation matters and I try to be fundamentally a good person too - most businesses (like most people) are actually the same as this, believe it or not. Strangely, things not going to plan can actually end up with clients liking you more, so long as they can see you responded well and did everything possible to solve their issue, so (good) businesses do actually try really hard with problem resolution.
- go straight to lawyering up without talking to me, or giving me a chance to put any problem right, and I am no longer interested at all in solving your issue or making things better for you - all my energy will go into defeating you and your lawyer, and you and I will 100% never do business again.

The attacked-by-lawyer thing has only ever happened once to us - someone came for us with a lawyer and an extremely ill conveived case without ever contacting us first (it was about a bad outcome they'd had - but one we didn't actually have any involvement with at all). If they'd come to me directly I could have explained what was going on to them, and been able to put it right, all for a tiny fraction of the cost they spent on solicitors (they got nowhere).

I think you'll find nearly all small/medium businesses and organisations actually work this way. The exception is huge companies where there is no sort of personal relationship and a legal letter just gets punted off to some far distant legal department to be resolved. A golf club absolutely falls into the smaller and more personal category though. The OP sounds like they wish to continue playing at the golf club in question. This isn't really compatible with hiring a lawyer just to correspond with them...

 

[Oops!]

I find your approach to things remarkable. It’s the way I was taught to do things and the way I’ve always tried to do them first and foremost. But I’ve also had to learn that these days, that seems to be a “dying breed.”
As for classifying a golf club “into the smaller and more personal category,” I have serious doubts about that. From the OP’s perspective, that may be true. From the club’s perspective, however, its financial success is likely the top priority.
BTW, even letters from lawyers can (at first) be worded very cautiously and “friendly.” It is up to the client to make it (sufficiently!) clear to their lawyer what their goals are. The lawyer can—and will—then phrase the letter accordingly.
Hopefully…
Anyway : Good luck to the OP ! May he succeed in his endeavor !

 

[nickjdavis]

I find your approach to things remarkable. It’s the way I was taught to do things and the way I’ve always tried to do them first and foremost. But I’ve also had to learn that these days, that seems to be a “dying breed.”
As for classifying a golf club “into the smaller and more personal category,” I have serious doubts about that. From the OP’s perspective, that may be true. From the club’s perspective, however, its financial success is likely the top priority.
BTW, even letters from lawyers can (at first) be worded very cautiously and “friendly.” It is up to the client to make it (sufficiently!) clear to their lawyer what their goals are. The lawyer can—and will—then phrase the letter accordingly.
Hopefully…
Anyway : Good luck to the OP ! May he succeed in his endeavor !

You dont need a lawyer to do this.

A simple written letter explaining the facts of the incident and that you feel there is an ongoing risk that needs to be addressed, along with an offer to engage with the club to provide more details about the incident, is all that is required.

It is however imperative that the OP tells the club what has happened. Although the OP has no desire for compensatory recourse at this moment in time, god forbid, if complications arise 6 months down the line, then he would not have a leg to stand on if he decided to chase compensatory or insurance based redress....the club would rightly turn around and say, sorry to hear of your injury but we have no record of anyone reporting such an incident to us....we would have happily provided all assistance available to us at the time if we had known that you had been struck.

As for a lawyer helping to "build up pressure"....there is only pressure if "you" have deep enough pockets to follow up with whatever threat/demands/requests with further instrucution via the legal process. The lawyer isnt going to take things further without "you" giving him more money.

 

[Oops!]

You dont need a lawyer to do this.

A simple written letter explaining the facts of the incident and that you feel there is an ongoing risk that needs to be addressed, along with an offer to engage with the club to provide more details about the incident, is all that is required.

It is however imperative that the OP tells the club what has happened. Although the OP has no desire for compensatory recourse at this moment in time, god forbid, if complications arise 6 months down the line, then he would not have a leg to stand on if he decided to chase compensatory or insurance based redress....the club would rightly turn around and say, sorry to hear of your injury but we have no record of anyone reporting such an incident to us....we would have happily provided all assistance available to us at the time if we had known that you had been struck.

As for a lawyer helping to "build up pressure"....there is only pressure if "you" have deep enough pockets to follow up with whatever threat/demands/requests with further instrucution via the legal process. The lawyer isnt going to take things further without "you" giving him more money.

I think we can agree that we disagree.
Let's leave it at that!

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Am I missing something, but surely the first thing to do is straight after being struck like that is go into the club to report it and speak to someone. The wound is still fresh as is the effect on the kids.
There can be no doubt or hint of make-believe then.