dufferman
Journeyman Pro
Last week there was the 'sue the course for ice thread' which everyone had a good old moan about - but this weekend I was playing with my usual lot on a public course - pay & play, no members.
On the par 3 17th my playing partner topped a tee shot and it flew along the ground at some speed, heading right towards trees. We knew that the group in front had teed off & their bags were at the top of the path to the 18th fairway, the other side of the trees my playing partners ball was heading towards. We both gave a shout of fore, even though the ball was ground-bound rather than air-bound. He went off to his bag and got a second ball to fire up another one, whilst I hit a blinding tee with my pitching wedge 10 foot from the hole. As my ball landed, two of the guys from the group ahead wandered onto the 17th green and started to shout 'you've hit him'.
We wandered down to the group ahead, not quite understanding what had happened. As we got there we saw a lad, probably about 30 / 35, sitting down. Turns out, the first ball my playing partner hit had jumped up and hit the poor sod square in the face. His glasses had broke and he had a bloodshot eye - however, he was ok and just a bit shocked. An ambulance was called as a precaution but he was ok to walk up the 18th fairway to it in the carpark.
Details were exchanged, and they shook hands. Apparently they hadn't heard the call of fore, even though 2 of us had shouted. To say the least we were all a bit shook up, mainly for the site of the guys bloodshot eye and the reality of the ball jumping up and hitting him.
I 3 putted. Awful.
Anyhow, later on on Saturday, my playing partner called up a solicitor (free legal advice from a bank, apparently), and he talked the advice line through the incident. The outcome was, if the guy had of wanted to sue my mate, he wouldn't have a leg to stand on, we did all we could (shouted fore) to inform them a ball was coming their way. It's a risk that is taken on a public course and the moment you walk out on the course you can't really win a court case if you get hit. A bit like being hit in the face by a football at a game because you're sitting behind the goal and a player misses the goal.
My said he'd put money towards a new set of glasses as a token of goodwill. It was interesting though, because we all let our golf insurance lapse in October and he started to regret the decision. However, how can that one particular golf insurance company claim a golfer was sued for £400,000 because another golfer lost his eye if a legal firm say that there's not a leg to stand on? Is it to do with loss of earnings / disability? Would it be different on a private members course?
On the par 3 17th my playing partner topped a tee shot and it flew along the ground at some speed, heading right towards trees. We knew that the group in front had teed off & their bags were at the top of the path to the 18th fairway, the other side of the trees my playing partners ball was heading towards. We both gave a shout of fore, even though the ball was ground-bound rather than air-bound. He went off to his bag and got a second ball to fire up another one, whilst I hit a blinding tee with my pitching wedge 10 foot from the hole. As my ball landed, two of the guys from the group ahead wandered onto the 17th green and started to shout 'you've hit him'.
We wandered down to the group ahead, not quite understanding what had happened. As we got there we saw a lad, probably about 30 / 35, sitting down. Turns out, the first ball my playing partner hit had jumped up and hit the poor sod square in the face. His glasses had broke and he had a bloodshot eye - however, he was ok and just a bit shocked. An ambulance was called as a precaution but he was ok to walk up the 18th fairway to it in the carpark.
Details were exchanged, and they shook hands. Apparently they hadn't heard the call of fore, even though 2 of us had shouted. To say the least we were all a bit shook up, mainly for the site of the guys bloodshot eye and the reality of the ball jumping up and hitting him.
I 3 putted. Awful.
Anyhow, later on on Saturday, my playing partner called up a solicitor (free legal advice from a bank, apparently), and he talked the advice line through the incident. The outcome was, if the guy had of wanted to sue my mate, he wouldn't have a leg to stand on, we did all we could (shouted fore) to inform them a ball was coming their way. It's a risk that is taken on a public course and the moment you walk out on the course you can't really win a court case if you get hit. A bit like being hit in the face by a football at a game because you're sitting behind the goal and a player misses the goal.
My said he'd put money towards a new set of glasses as a token of goodwill. It was interesting though, because we all let our golf insurance lapse in October and he started to regret the decision. However, how can that one particular golf insurance company claim a golfer was sued for £400,000 because another golfer lost his eye if a legal firm say that there's not a leg to stand on? Is it to do with loss of earnings / disability? Would it be different on a private members course?
