Club Pro Out of Line???

[Grahaman]

This happened at my course last Friday and I would appreciate your thoughts on whether the club pro acted appropriately in this situation.

A couple who are good friends of mine where playing the #2 hole which is a 414 yd par 4 that borders a 4 lane highway right up against the fairway. There is a head high hedge row that runs the length of the fairway and intermittent tall trees as well. They both teed off and sent slices into the roadway. They teed up their 2nd ball and proceeded down the fairway not knowing that something was brewing.

They proceeded to play out #2 and #3 hole and were in the fairway on #4 when a golf cart approached them with a man and teenage son onboard. The man said to them that they had hit is car and demanded their information because tehy owed him $200 for insurance deductible to fix the dent in his car. They were flabbergasted and asked how he andhis son got a cart and came to them? They said that the club pro told them it was my friends on #2 and that they could take this cart to go find them and confront them. They gave the man their info and went on with their round stunned and pretty pissed at the club pro. They asked him after the round what happened and he said that this man drove up and wanted to know who was on the hole by the road a few minutes ago because his car was damaged by a golf ball. The club pro told the man my friends name and then gave him the keys to a cart to go find them on the course and confront them. We are all kind of shocked by our pro's actions. The consensus is that he should have been a line of defense for us, his customers, who pay his salary. This is a private country club and we would have expected him to give the proverbial shoulder shrug not sell us down the river. WE are all now nervous when teeing off on #2 because of this incident.

What do you all think? Was the pro right or wrong in his actions.

[DavidFehertysBike]

If i was president at this club then that pro would be looking for a new job.

[BallStriker]

A golf pro's job is to not assist people from their legal liabilities and/or responsibilities -- your friend should take accountability for his poor tee shot (and resulting damage) and that should be the end of it.

If you and your friends don't have the nerve to play a hole with possible consequences looming for a poor tee shot, quit the game or find another course.

[plugged]

So, you want the club pro to shield you from personal responsibility? That's impressive.

BTW, his first loyalty is to his employer, not to any single member.

[golfro]

So what your suggesting is that the country club should absorb the damages?
I'm not sure what the standard procedure is for this kind of occurance but the pro responded in a timely manner to find the right person responsible for the damages. In retrospect, it may have been better if the pro escorted the man and his son to find your friends but the end result still remains... you're responsible for the damages and the pro responded quickly to find the person responsible.

[DavidFehertysBike]

  plugged said:

So, you want the club pro to shield you from personal responsibility? That's impressive.

Wrong.

The course has to buy insurance for this type of circumstance. It should have been handled without the players even knowing about it. By your logic, the guy in the car shouldnt have been driving on a road that is so near to a golf course.

[ajschn06]

I can't believe how some of you think this is the golfers fault. If you put a golf course next to a road, this is bound to happen. We all know how difficult it is to hit a golf ball straight(especiallly the driver). I would have given the guy(in the cart) a simple F*** You, and continued with my round...

[James_Black]

what's the problem?

the pro gave them the cart? if the guy had to walk the whole way down to you he'd be more pissed off.

  None said:

I can't believe how some of you think this is the golfers fault. If you put a golf course next to a road, this is bound to happen. We all know how difficult it is to hit a golf ball straight(especiallly the driver). I would have given the guy(in the cart) a simple F*** You, and continued with my round...

smart move, you'd probably get a broken nose for doing that at my club.......

Put yourself in the other guys shoes... his car has been pelted by golf balls and he wants insurance info. your fully insured if you've paid your membership/greenfees so it's ok....

[iacas]

  golfro said:

So what your suggesting is that the country club should absorb the damages?

I agree with this and the two posts previous to it.

  DavidFehertysBike said:

The course has to buy insurance for this type of circumstance. It should have been handled without the players even knowing about it. By your logic, the guy in the car shouldnt have been driving on a road that is so near to a golf course.

I played at a course that had a driving range next to the road. Granted, it was on the left side of the road, but the club was not required to purchase insurance. Anyone who hit a car had to deal with it himself.

IANAL, but I doubt you are either, are you? Licensed the state in which this occurred?

  ajschn06 said:

I can't believe how some of you think this is the golfers fault. If you put a golf course next to a road, this is bound to happen.

Only if the golfer hits it there. And besides, the road might have been put in next to the golf course. A motorist does not assume the same risk(s) that a person who buys a house on a golf course does.

  James_Black said:

what's the problem?

Who knows...

[ajschn06]

  James_Black said:

smart move, you'd probably get a broken nose for doing that at my club.......

Ha, riiiight.....

[TigerWoodz]

  None said:

There is a head high hedge row that runs the length of the fairway and intermittent tall trees as well,

I think a tall safety net should be erected before a serious accident is caused??

[sean_miller]

  TigerWoodz said:

I think a tall safety net should be erected before a serious accident is caused??

Bingo. There is probably signage and there are notes on the scorecard referring to the hole and the risk. There should also be signage on the road to watch out for flying golf balls. Everyone is little bit responsible and the motorist sounds like one ballsy SOB who's lucky to be alive. If I played that course I'd tee off with an iron on that hole.

[DavidFehertysBike]

  iacas said:

I agree with this and the two posts previous to it.

The course has to have liabillity insurance. Im 100% positive of this. In most of the northeast corridor, anyway.

[Grahaman]

  DavidFehertysBike said:

If i was president at this club then that pro would be looking for a new job.

My friends did accept responsibility and gave the man their information. The debate is whether the club pro should have handled it differently and directed the man to the club business manager instead of sending an angry non member onto the course with a golf cart to chase the "offending" party down. If my friends had not been the civil kind, it could have gotten ugly. The overriding sentiment on the 19th hold is that unless you are intentionally trying to hit the ball at a car, house, person, etc that no liability exist. They did the civil thing and gave up their info. but it just doesn't feel right. Does anyone no the civil legalities on this type of issue or have you had a personal experience with this?

[kevinbomb123]

If that guy tries to contact you say "iam not liable contact the course goodbye" your not liable pay nothing!!!

[chef35ca]

I think that he proably should have accompanied the two out to you to diffuse any potential violence. But if somebody in your group hit his property, then where's the problem with them coming out to confront you?

[Shorty]

  Grahaman said:

This is a private country club and we would have expected him to give the proverbial shoulder shrug not sell us down the river.

...and people wonder why there is a stereotype of private country club golfers being *^seholes....

You ought to be ashamed of yourself. The pro could have told them that he would forward the details to them. They shouldn't have been given a cart, but the pro is not emplyed to "shrug his shoulders" and protect people from responsibility. Especially those with such an appalling attitude.

[Shorty]

  Grahaman said:

The overriding sentiment on the 19th hold is that unless you are intentionally trying to hit the ball at a car, house, person, etc that no liability exist.

No lawyers at the 19th hole, evidently...