Never been so scared at a golf course

[fundy]

Had the pleasure of playing in the final of the winter pro-am series at Brocket Hall today. Played off the whites on the Palmerston which was more than a test in the wind with a decent field of pros the best shooting 71.

At one point on the front nine a very substantial tree came down in the woods between holes, about 30 yards from where I was. Thought this was as bad as it got until later in the day.

After the pro-am the pros had a skillshot challenge on the 18th of the Melbourne course whilst most of the amateurs watched, from under one of the big trees at the back of the green. Whilst they were hitting shots there was the most almighty crack and the next thing you knew a large portion of the tree canopy collapsed to ground from over 100ft high, thankfully at the back of the tree whilst everyone was at the front. Never heard such a scary noise and the crack when the top part of the tree hit the ground left no one in any doubt of what wouldve happened if it had hit (as 25+ grown men scattered everywhere lol). Reminder to self - never stand under old trees on a very windy day!!!!

 

[Alex1975]

Damn, that must have been an interesting experience!!!

Sounds like they need a sergen look at there trees... Does golf insurance cover death by falling tree?

 

[rickg]

Thank god I didn't lend you my old driver and 3 wood until the evening.......they may have been damaged...

 

[Imurg]

We've had quite a few trees cropped in the last couple of weeks.
Close call Steve!

 

[markgs]

There has been a lot of trees coming down all over the country, i think its a mixture of very high winds all the time and the tree disease which it everywhere

 

[birdieman]

I do Dangerous Tree Survey as part of my job, landowner has a duty of care to protect people and property and all golf courses should have professional tree inspection done probably annually because they are inviting people onto that land.
You want a qualified Tree Inspector/surveyor to look at the trees, he'll deem whats wrong and then get a tree surgeon in if required, any tree surgeon will just say fell it as felling is a lot easier than climbing and pruning so dont ask them first.
If the tree in question had been inspected, defects noted and any remedial work done the golf club would not have been liable, if a defect was missed then the surveyor is liable. If they have not had tree inspection done and the tree was later shown to have defects and someone got hurt/killed then the club would be liable. If it was a healthy tree and break caused by high wind then its force majeure and plain bad luck. If its unusually windy a forest is not the best place to be.
Re tree diseases there are dozens around since year dot, part of nature. You just need to know what to look for, there are many factors rendering a tree unsafe other than diseases that the lay person will not see.

Might have to write to them (GC) and ask for work!

 

[PNWokingham]

Nightmare! It was a windy day. I had a pleasant journey home - left work at 6.30 in Vcitoria, train to Clapham, change to Reading train - it started going slow and pulled in at Staines and we were told it was terminating as a tree had fallen across the tracks near Wentworth golf club. That meant train to Windsor riverside, walk to Windsor Central, train to Slough - to find out that the Paddington line was also having big cancellations - lots of waiting, slow train to Reading, more waiting and it was getting cold - eventually train home to Wokingham for a round trip of nearly 4.5 hours and 6 changes! The fun of commuting!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Been close to a lightning strike but never anything like this. Felt the pain on PNWokinghham's commute on Tuesday when I got to Reading at 5.20 and got the wife to come out and meet me off a train at Wokingham at. 7.15