Ever hit anyone (or anything living) with a golf ball?

[LovinItAll]

I've seen two people hit hard with balls, and I hit my wife once:

1) At a course in Jax., a friend of mine was teeing off on #1. The #9 green was very close to the teeing ground. My buddy hit a low slice that caught a dude in the neck and dropped him. My friend was so shaken up that he didn't want to finish the round.

2) Playing with a father and son-in-law in Memphis, the SIL had dribble a tee shot. The FIL drove to his ball about 125 yards away. The young guy hit a low bullet with a 3 wood and caught the older guy in the ribs. He hit the deck as well.

3) When my wife was learning to play, we were on a par 3 course. I was in a bunker and she was across the green. I said, "Head's up!', to which she replied, "I've got it". Well, I hit a terrible, low shot that caught her in the shin. She stays the hell out of the way now.

[tiger187126]

i was trying to show my wife how to swing and i was standing behind her moving her arms, but when i let go to say something she took a full backswing and hit my in the side of the head with the driver.

those things are pretty rough.

[jamo]

I hit a friend in the face with a putter about 8 years ago. I still haven't heard the end of it.

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by jamo

I hit a friend in the face with a putter about 8 years ago. I still haven't heard the end of it.

I would recommend shortening your stroke slightly.

[Brian Fergusson]

Originally Posted by jamo

I hit a friend in the face with a putter about 8 years ago. I still haven't heard the end of it.

Follow through or back swing?

[Wally Fairway]

Not really a fit for this thread.... but as good as any -

Here are a couple of videos about hitting things (SIAP)

Hitting a golf ball into a car...or catching a golf ball with a car

http://www.heavy.com/moto/moto-video/2012/06/how-to-catch-a-golf-ball-with-a-mercedes/

[preisman]

I have not hit anyone with a ball yet, but just last month I hit my friend with my hybrid. I was having a tough time in the rough. Once I finally got out of it I went to strike the ground with my club. I was playing so bad I missed the ground and the club continiued to his back. I laughed for about 5 minutes, but I did feel bad. It was an accident and he took it very well. I paid for our next round of golf and a few beers.

[meenman]

I finally got to hit one of my playing partners this weekend.

Both of us were in a bunker, he hit first and walked out.

I left my club face a bit too far open and hit him in the back (not hard enough to hurt him)

He kind of deserved it though for slamming his golf cart into ours earlier in the round (that is the non-drinking cart so they cant blame alcohol for their stupidity)

[wowzer]

While playing at Dyker Beach golf club, I hit a perfect drive at the 14 th tee. When my golf ball was about to land in the fairway left, I saw it take a severe 90 degree turn and it shot into the reeds/bushes to the right. When we approached, a dead raccoon was on the ground where my ball ricochet. The raccoon looked like it was in mid step, with it's right front paw extended...but it was dead. I must've hit it in the head. Tommake matters worse, I was assessed a 1 shot penalty as my ball shot out of bounds. Another time, I watched a woman hit a Canadian geese with a low stinger from a fairway wood...the animal made some really loud honking noises, then rolled over several times. She was distraught. The last time, I saw a man hit a geese in the neck with an iron shot. The bird's neck was partially broken...and it tried to fly and run away, but the neck just flopped to the right and it just tumbled onto the floor several times. It was horrible...as the animal would get up and try to fly again and again. The rangers picked it up as we came back around, 2 holes later...the bird was still alive, but only flapping wings on one side.

[VoidOfEnigmas]

When I was about 13 I was on the driving range and the place I was at had very narrow stalls. I was trying to practice different takeaways and as I was working on inside out the man behind me leaned down and I hit him in the forehead with a 3 wood and knocked him out. Still feel bad about it he had to get an ambulance ride. I didn't know how to react because I was so young.

[Bichondaddy]

In college...back in the late 1970's....I was playing with one of my fellow football players and on a Par 3 we were standing around waiting for the group in front of us to finish.  Well...they finally finished...I had honors and walked up and teed up the ball....took a few practice swings and hit my shot.  Well...for some reason, one of the members of the group in front of us walked back onto the green while my ball was in flight....and dang if I didn't nail him on his right shoulder.  Now all of us were yelling "Fore" at the top of our lungs....but he just kept walking.  When my ball hit him he just flipped us off and walked off the green.  We never figured out why he walked to the the next tee and then decided to turn around walk back on the green.  It's the only time I never hit anyone.

[Brian Fergusson]

Originally Posted by Bichondaddy

In college...back in the late 1970's....I was playing with one of my fellow football players and on a Par 3 we were standing around waiting for the group in front of us to finish.  Well...they finally finished...I had honors and walked up and teed up the ball....took a few practice swings and hit my shot.  Well...for some reason, one of the members of the group in front of us walked back onto the green while my ball was in flight....and dang if I didn't nail him on his right shoulder.  Now all of us were yelling "Fore" at the top of our lungs....but he just kept walking.  When my ball hit him he just flipped us off and walked off the green.  We never figured out why he walked to the the next tee and then decided to turn around walk back on the green.  It's the only time I never hit anyone.

Let me understand this: He finished the hole, walked to the the next tee, then came back on the green he had just played and ignored your group yelling "fore"? He deserved getting hit.

[Jeffrey71]

I hit a bird while on the driving range. Completely crushed it's head with the ball. My wife now jokes that I got a "birdie" on the driving range......

[Uncle Peter]

I almost hit a few things:

1) I was trying out my friend's driver (which was a custom made one with a non-standard shaft length which my friend did not tell me about) at the beginning of the 10th hole at my local course, a few years ago. There was a group behind us and one of the guys was having a chat beside the yardage sign for the hole. So I line up the driver and swing. Don't I hit the ball with the uppermost part of the driver causing the ball to push-slice so badly that it nails the metal yardage sign and make a cannon-like boom that echoed all over the course. It scared that poor man to death, but he was surprisingly not angry with me, and even chuckled about it at the end of the round.

2) Same course but on the 2nd hole, within the same year. The 2nd hole is a 124 yard par 3 uphill over a 60 yard lake. I topped an 8I and managed to skim across the water and almost hit some birds in the water.

3) I was trying out my 64* wedge about a year ago at the range. I placed the ball in the front of my stance on a fluffy lie and took a huge swing. I managed to send the ball high and the wind took it, landing it in the parking lot behind me and luckily not hitting any cars.

[Putridgasbag]

Originally Posted by abrahamx

One time I sliced a ball and was heading into a group but I could see it was going to land a good 10-20 yards away from them so I did not yell fore.  I see him fall down and acted like I did not see him.  When I looked at him a few seconds later he fell down again then started bitching at me for not yelling fore even though, as I told him, I knew it would not hit him.  He then proceeds to yell fore as I attempt my second shot.  I was by myself and he was in a foresome, otherwise it would have been on.  A-hole.

No the A-hole was you.

If you hit a ball towards or even close to any other player yell "fore". It amazes me how many times balls land within the vicinity and you here the excuse "I knew it wouldn't hit you". BS you have no idea how the ball is going to react when it hits the ground, how it is going to bounce. Give the guy a chance to protect himself, you sure would like that courtesy so why wouldn't you extend it to him?

It is like some people are scared to yell fore and by yell I mean loud enough that the possible victim of the errant shot can here it, yell it like you mean it. Errant shots happen, it is part of the game, so there should be no embarrassment in yelling fore, yet a lot of players seem to be tongue tied or meek in informing others that the ball is heading in their vicinity.

[cart7]

Hit my playing partner once years ago.  Dead shanked a ball that went at a 45 degree angle from where I was aiming.  He was only about 10 yds in front but way off to the side.

It left a mark that's for sure.

[mrdb]

I have never hit anyone but have been hit myself.  I remember being at the club house after a good round having a few drinks and the guys are talking about people having being hit. "I've never been hit in 20 years of golf" I said and as soon as I did I remember thinking I shouldn't tempt fate. The next day i was playing with 20 marker in competition who, out of a thick grass managed to hit a ball about 85 degrees left, must have nearly gone through his legs, and clocked me fair on the point of my ankle.

Funnily, the same guy nearly killed me a couple of month later, with a flushed three wood that wizzed past my ear, still on the way up. Again at a pretty unimaginable angle to where he was aiming, especially considering how well he got it. I try to avoid him on the time sheets, nice guy though he is.

At my home course we recently had a visitor smash a ball into a tree and it bounced back and hit him in the chest, bringing on a heart attack. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance. Not sure how it turned out.

[bunkerputt]

I have hit the following living things to my knowledge:

1.  Trees

2.  Turtles

That is all.