Most dangerous things you've seen on a golf course?

[Vector Zero]

I once had to apologise to about 30 people stood on the first tee after nearly wiping them out once.

I was playing down the 18th par 5 of my local course where the 1st tee is only about 30 yards from the 18th green to one side. I was hitting my second shot with a hybrid into the sun and hit a great feeling shot that went straight at the green and then disappeared into the glare. Unfortunately it must have been turning over because I then catch sight of it hurtling straight towards the 1st tee and I didn't have time to shout.

In hind-sight I should have shouted the instant I lost sight of it as a precaution, but you live and learn. Apparently it missed one of them by about a foot.

[SloverUT]

I really hate that saying: "Turnabout's fair play".  All it really means is that you reacted badly to another person acting badly.  Not to mention that if you are hitting back into a foursome you may hit 3 other guys who are equally appaled at their partners actions.

[geauxforbroke]

I would never hit a ball back at someone. Too easy to hurt someone, and I'm pretty sure a lawsuit could be successful in that case.

We were playing at a resort on Toledo Bend in Louisiana several years ago. The course was stacked up, and there was a foursome behind us that kept pushing us, even though we were waiting on every shot for the group in front of us.

One of the guys hit into us on one of the par 5's and the ball rolled right up even with our cart about 10 yards to the left. We made a comment on the next tee box about being patient and that there was no where for us to go. The same guy hit into us on the next hole, which was a long par 4 with water left. I watched as the guy hit his tee shot and watched it roll up about 5 yards behind us. I casually walked over and striped a 6 iron into the pond.

[Vector Zero]

Another random thought; does anyone else get nervous when watching the crowds lining the tee box as a tour pro is getting ready to drive? I know these guys are pros but a shank off the toe isn't completely unheard of for them, right? I mean, one really ugly swing and someone is digging a golf ball out of their head.

[TJBam]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Really good way to hurt someone.  Or get your ass kicked.......

In this case, I think the perp was the guy who drove into me and he should be worrying about getting his ass kicked.

His drive was about 230 and I was hitting a 4i hybrid back to him.  No chance of hitting him, ball landed 190 and rolled 200 or so up to the front of the tee box.

We got bunched up at the next teebox and there was no confrontation.  I got out of the cart and looked at him and neither him or his playing partners made an effort to make eye contact or share any words of wisdom.

[Vector Zero]

Originally Posted by SloverUT

I really hate that saying: "Turnabout's fair play".  All it really means is that you reacted badly to another person acting badly.  Not to mention that if you are hitting back into a foursome you may hit 3 other guys who are equally appaled at their partners actions.

You're right of course but we were only 14 when my friend did it and it was a lone player so no chance of hitting innocent parties. I wouldn't dream of acting in such a fashion now that I'm a responsibly 30 year old...

[geauxforbroke]

Originally Posted by TJBam

Quote:

Originally Posted by David in FL

Really good way to hurt someone.  Or get your ass kicked.......

In this case, I think the perp was the guy who drove into me and he should be worrying about getting his ass kicked.

His drive was about 230 and I was hitting a 4i hybrid back to him.  No chance of hitting him, ball landed 190 and rolled 200 or so up to the front of the tee box.

We got bunched up at the next teebox and there was no confrontation.  I got out of the cart and looked at him and neither him or his playing partners made an effort to make eye contact or share any words of wisdom.

Still not OK to deliberately hit a ball back at someone. If he hits you, then a judge would probably say that you were hit during the normal course of a round and assumed the risk (that's what I've always been told about lawsuits in these types of cases). I would imagine if you hit one backwards back at a group, that same defense probably wouldn't hold up because hitting balls backwards at other people in retaliation is hardly in the normal course of a round.

[Vector Zero]

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

I watched as the guy hit his tee shot and watched it roll up about 5 yards behind us. I casually walked over and striped a 6 iron into the pond.

Ah, now that's a better idea. Or you could just "accidently" step on his ball as you walk off, heavily.

[TJBam]

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

Still not OK to deliberately hit a ball back at someone. If he hits you, then a judge would probably say that you were hit during the normal course of a round and assumed the risk (that's what I've always been told about lawsuits in these types of cases). I would imagine if you hit one backwards back at a group, that same defense probably wouldn't hold up because hitting balls backwards at other people in retaliation is hardly in the normal course of a round.

Of course.

But for the record for the rest of the round the group was very polite and I'm not sure we even saw them waiting on the tee box while we were on the fairway waiting on the green.  Hope his buds will never let him live that one down.

[Vector Zero]

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

Still not OK to deliberately hit a ball back at someone. If he hits you, then a judge would probably say that you were hit during the normal course of a round and assumed the risk (that's what I've always been told about lawsuits in these types of cases). I would imagine if you hit one backwards back at a group, that same defense probably wouldn't hold up because hitting balls backwards at other people in retaliation is hardly in the normal course of a round.

An easy solution would be for me to aim directly at the guy in question which would mean I'm assured to miss.

[geauxforbroke]

Originally Posted by Vector Zero

Quote:

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

Still not OK to deliberately hit a ball back at someone. If he hits you, then a judge would probably say that you were hit during the normal course of a round and assumed the risk (that's what I've always been told about lawsuits in these types of cases). I would imagine if you hit one backwards back at a group, that same defense probably wouldn't hold up because hitting balls backwards at other people in retaliation is hardly in the normal course of a round.

An easy solution would be for me to aim directly at the guy in question which would mean I'm assured to miss.

I think the same thing when hitting out of the woods. But that seems to be the only time I hit it where I aim.

[Vector Zero]

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

I think the same thing when hitting out of the woods. But that seems to be the only time I hit it where I aim.

Ah yes, the unmistakable sound of golf ball hitting wood. That reminds me of a time I saw a playing partner have to duck as it bounced straight back at his face.

[barbm12thtee]

Ah, now that's a better idea. Or you could just "accidently" step on his ball as you walk off, heavily.

Hey when it happens once I figure its an accident and stare then down with arms raised, like "whats up?" When it happens twice its more likely intentional so I treat it like a found ball and it goes in my bag. Only been questioned once about picking up someone's ball and I just denied it.

[Vector Zero]

Originally Posted by barbm12thtee

Hey when it happens once I figure its an accident and stare then down with arms raised, like "whats up?" When it happens twice its more likely intentional so I treat it like a found ball and it goes in my bag. Only been questioned once about picking up someone's ball and I just denied it.

There's a small course in Bristish Columbia called Marmot Ridge where the local rule used to be that you got a free drop if a marmot steals your ball. Happens quite a lot apparently but it would make a great excuse.

[barbm12thtee]

There's a small course in Bristish Columbia called Marmot Ridge where the local rule used to be that you got a free drop if a marmot steals your ball. Happens quite a lot apparently but it would make a great excuse.

LOL...I guess I'm a large squirrel then.

[Vector Zero]

I always chuckle at the thought of an irate golfer chasing a giant rodent down a fairway with a pitching wedge shouting, "give me back my ProV1 you little bastard!"

[RayG]

As a literal reading of the original question- THE most dangerous things I've seen at a course is poor layout. Greens too close to tees and the like. One particular hole at the course I grew up on had one hole that exemplifies the problem. The tee box for 7 is just off to the right back edge of the green for 12. There is a bunker right of the green for 12. Hole 7 parallels 12 in the opposite direction. The tee for 7 is sometimes put a bit further back that semi blocks the view of that trap, sometime not. If you are on the tee of 7 and someone is in that trap you wait until they are done. If you are in the trap and someone is teeing off, you wait. But if neither is paying attention it's a dangerous situation as happened at least once. A young lady wandered in to the trap without paying attention, and the guy on the tee wasn't paying attention, nor was anyone else for that matter. The guy teed off, thinned it and slammed into the ladies head just at the temple. She dropped like a bag of wet potatoes. She was lucky she was wearing a visor because it caught that padded bit near the visor. This was before cel phones and the like, but there was a hot dog cart that the course provided, fortunately the guy with the cart had his truck and was able to speed back to the clubhouse to call an ambulance. Found out a few weeks later she was lucky to only have a small hairline crack in her skull. They STILL haven't put up any kind of netting or fence at that spot. 2nd situation was a small course in Ireland, had at least 2 crossing fairways. A bit disorienting the first time you play. Been awhile but the one I remember was a fairway crossing the path of a par 3. You teed up on one side of the fairway and some water to get to the green on the other side. If they did that on a busy local mini it would require hardhats- fortunately this was a semi-private small little course in an out of the way village and wasn't crowded. They DID have a bell system, so I guess it works for them when they get "busy".

[Beachcomber]

During golf tryouts in High school, everyone would go up to the first tee and watch as the guys tee'd off.

One of the kids was standing off to the left, about 15yds... He wasn't even on the tee box, but he was far enough ahead of the kid teeing off that when he tee'd off - and pulled it severely to the left, that the ball hit the kid standing on the left in the throat.  I'll never forget it, because he immediately dropped to the ground and grabbed his throat.  We didn't know if he could breathe or what the issue was... But it was just the shock of being hit, and the pain of getting nailed in that area that had him down on the ground.  It left a huge welt on his neck/throat area.

The good thing was the kid who hit the shot only made a glancing blow on the ball - nearly missed it, so the tee shot didn't have enough velocity to do major damage.

A second story dates back to when I worked on a local golf course.  In order to speed play, we had a few holes on the course where they would send us out to fore caddie.  One was a par 5, which had a large marsh area which crossed the middle of the fairway and came into play on your second shot.  There was also a stream that ran through the property and dumped off into that marsh area.  One guy would be on the tee with a walkie talkie, and communicate down to the fore caddie in the fairway when tee shots were being hit from the elevated tee.  The fore caddie down in the fairway would be off in the rough looking for the balls that landed.  Then get the yardage so that when the players pulled up, they didn't waste time looking for their ball, and trying to get yardages.

So one day, I was working the fore caddie spot down in the rough off to the left... And a foursome of ladies were hitting their 2nd shot which had a forced carry - or you needed to lay up.  They laid up behind the marsh, which left them with approximately 80yd shot into the green for their 3rd.  They went down to their ball with the cart, and hit their 3rd shot.  There are foot bridges that walk across the marsh and stream area, but you can't drive a cart over these foot bridges.  There are signs that clearly mark that... The cart path is back on the right side - and you have to drive back to the right to get up to the green side with a cart.  Well the ladies didn't pay attention and drove the cart onto the foot bridge (which is narrow - not wide enough to drive a cart over!).  They made it about 3 yards onto the bridge before the cart crashed into the marsh.  I didn't even have a chance to yell at them to stop before the cart slipped off the foot bridge.  Thankfully the ladies were not seriously injured, just bumps and bruised.  And shaken up... We had to get a tractor out on the course to pull the cart out of the marsh/stream inlet which was about a 6ft drop.