Drinking Water on Courses

[SideSwipe]

i know not all courses have this, but i always keep an eye out for the cartgirl. its becomes a really long round when you are walking a course that does not have one coming around every so often (.... and yes, forgetting to pack a water bottle)!

[iacas]

If a golfer collapses, dies, gets sick, whatever on the course due to heat exhaustion you don't think the golf course is going to get sued?

You can sue for anything. I don't think they're going to WIN or have much of a case (if they can find a lawyer who will put his name on a lawsuit). They assumed the risk by going outside, the course did not promise them there would be free water and lie to them, the course likely didn't sell out of bottled water or other beverages, etc. Golf courses are in no way obligated to have free water any more so than your local Little League field is or anywhere else you might go when it's hot. Your neighborhood park, beaches, tennis courts, etc.

By your logic, anyone who collapses, dies, or gets sick anywhere other than their own home or yard should be able to sue. So no...

And again, how does water become contaminated? People put towels, their hands, etc into the cooler. Just lock the coolers so that cannot happen.

I believe the coolers in the stories I linked to were locked up. IIRC, the maintenance crew didn't properly clean the containers.

I can't recall the last course I played at (that had free water) where you would have been able to dip your hands or towels in. They've all been in little locked boxes with just the spigot sticking out.

[P3R3]

I play golf and tennis with a guy who denies himself water. He is in incredible shape and will only drink water (never a beer - god forbid!) at the end of the round or match. He believes that in the near future potable water will be in very short supply and he is training his body to live with the minimum amount. What bugs me is we often walk 18 in ninety degree plus heat or play three sets of tennis at noon and I'll be hydrating every chance I get and I'll be soaked in sweat and he'll be dry as a bone. I hate this guy! -dayll

Theres a reason he isnt soaked in sweat. He is dehydrated, and combined with a lack of sweat he is just asking to have a heat stroke.

[P3R3]

Lets see here:

There are 17,000 golf courses in the US. Lets say that the average golf course has 2 water coolers (way conservative). In your stories 3 water coolers were contaminated. That is 1 in 5600 water coolers in an entire year. One cooler led to a wrongfull death, this was one cooler, one day.

Sample Space: 17000*365
Contaminated: 1
That is a 1 in 6,205,000 chance of death by water cooler.

The probability of being struck by lightning is 1 in 6,000,000.

Fearfull of the water cooler still?


Time to cry chicken little yet?

[iacas]

Sample Space: 17000*365

First off, who are you talking to? I'm not fearful of the water cooler, but I'm a golfer, not a course operator. Your numbers and math, though fine and dandy, misses the point I've personally been making on behalf of the courses: the cost of a wrongful death lawsuit can be pretty expensive.

Would you take a 1 in 6 million chance of being hit with a $20M lawsuit? Or, if you don't care about the money and just about humanity, a 1 in 6 million chance of killing someone? This is, of course, assuming your numbers are correct. We obviously haven't factored in the courses that may have contaminated water but which don't result in lawsuits that show up in Google searches.

[P3R3]

First off, who are you talking to? I'm not fearful of the water cooler, but I'm a golfer, not a course operator. Your numbers and math, though fine and dandy, misses the point I've personally been making on behalf of the courses: the cost of a wrongful death lawsuit can be pretty expensive.

I guess they can contemplate that chance when you realize that on your daily commute to the golf course they have a 1 in 1300 chance of being involved in a fatal car accident in a years time.

Or wait for themselves to be struck by lightening first. :P

[BigAl5150]

There is a much higher chance of someone becoming sick due to heat exhaustion rather than contaminated water. If a golfer collapses, dies, gets sick, whatever on the course due to heat exhaustion you don't think the golf course is going to get sued?

Perhaps, but as Erik pointed out, there is implied risk in going to play golf in warm weather. If the course has established a policy detailing no drinking water on the course and has informed all golfers of that policy they would have a very good chance of defending themselves in any lawsuit.

With that said I don't have a problem with courses deciding not to offer drinking water. They, however, need to have it available via purchase. They also should have some sort of notification for the golfers telling them there is not water on the course.

Most courses I've played informed me during payment that there is no water on the course but is available for purchase. Also, I've seen signs posted in the clubhouse. Courses could do a better job of this though IMO.

First off, who are you talking to? I'm not fearful of the water cooler, but I'm a golfer, not a course operator. Your numbers and math, though fine and dandy, misses the point I've personally been making on behalf of the courses: the cost of a wrongful death lawsuit can be pretty expensive.

And there in lies the main issue. Insurance isn't cheap and the course operator would have to get a commercial liability coverage, an excess policy and an umbrella policy to get a high enough limit of insurance to deal with this risk. And if the course operator blows through all of their insurance and has to pay for their own defense/settlement/verdict? Far easier just to remove the water.

[P3R3]

Not offering water on a golf course is just another way to screw us out of more money. Also, in many states it is required by law that service establishments supply water free of charge.

[Fourputt]

Not offering water on a golf course is just another way to screw us out of more money. Also, in many states it is required by law that service establishments supply water free of charge.

And this is the bottom line. All they want is another way to gouge the consumer. It has nothing whatsoever to do with liability. It would cost them a pittance to have ozone water available to rinse the coolers with prior to filling them each day and reduce or eliminate the risk of contamination. But they can charge a couple of bucks per 12 ounces for bottled water... the same kind of purified water that I can buy for $.40 a gallon at the water store. Guess I'll start my own business....

[P3R3]

And this is the bottom line. All they want is another way to gouge the consumer. It has nothing whatsoever to do with liability. It would cost them a pittance to have ozone water available to rinse the coolers with prior to filling them each day and reduce or eliminate the risk of contamination. But they can charge a couple of bucks per 12 ounces for bottled water... the same kind of purified water that I can buy for $.40 a gallon at the water store. Guess I'll start my own business....

A course nearby only offers "spring water" in unmarked 12 oz bottles, they charge $1. All they do is fill up bottles with tap water and voila $1 richer.

[Dyna]

Played a new course today & while it's only 9 holes they had 2 water coolers, on the 5th & 7th tee boxes. Had signs on them stating they had some sort of interior filtration system also. These weren't the typical plastic igo coolers but were made of metal & had a spigot system you pumped.

I will definitely be playing this course more often because the people I met were very friendly & they seemed to genuinely appreciate my business.

[iacas]

And this is the bottom line. All they want is another way to gouge the consumer.

Gee, I must not be anywhere near as cynical as y'all. You could just bring your own water in your golf bags...

[Fourputt]

Gee, I must not be anywhere near as cynical as y'all. You could just bring your own water in your golf bags...

I don't need to. I've never (in more than 30 years) played a course that didn't offer water as part of the service. And if I ever do play one that cheaps out like that, I can assure you that I won't be going back there.

[laconic517]

I hate it if a course does not have water. Too hot here not to offer it.

Gee, I must not be anywhere near as cynical as y'all. You could just bring your own water in your golf bags...

I walk and my bag/push cart doesnt have room for a big enough water bottle that would hold enough ice for an entire 18. I hate courses that dont offer it, its bogus. ANd when I do buy water/gatorade/pop from the clubhouse or whatever, its piss warm by the 2nd hole.

[atlien31]

I just throw a few bottles in my bag. I keep looking for the hot drink girl but never see her :(

[DDBowdoin]

I like to travel a lot and mix up my rounds but I play a lot at two local munis... one has locked coolers that they fill with Poland Spring Bottled water, the other offers zero water... they function on the same budget

it just doesnt make any sense to me

[Shindig]

Gee, I must not be anywhere near as cynical as y'all. You could just bring your own water in your golf bags...

I started doing this. I bring one 24-oz bottle and two 32-oz to use to refill the 24-oz. Lemons or oranges in the bottles, and I should wrap them in ice.

The only course where I don't do this is a short par-3s course with $1 bottles of water, with proceeds benefiting the local VA. I don't need to drink much on this course, and the fees are so inexpensive ($10 for unlimited until you leave) that I don't really mind. I figure I carry so much anyway and I've got a strong back.