I have had to caution a player from time to time who gets ready to tee off when the group in front has just reached their carts. Yes, the green is clear, but, since we are a long way from the Tour, there is no telling when you may send one off line and either hit or scare the crud out of the group in front. I wait until they have entered their carts and moved well away toward the next tee.
I am a little paranoid about being hit into. Early in my golfing life I was hit in the chest by a tee shot from the adjacent hole. Scared the heck out of me. The golfer was very apologetic, but it really was a course design flaw. The holes were so close together it was bound to happen.
But the incident that haunts me today was when I played golf with my dad about 12 years ago. We had finished the first hole and were putting our clubs back in the cart when the group behind us hit toward the green. The ball hit me in the back of the head and knocked me unconscious for a few seconds. I came to lying on the cart path. My dad was furious, and the hitter was only slightly apologetic. (Said something about not leaving the green area fast enough!) I was taken to the hospital, but was OK (although my wife may challenge that statement). I never got to play golf again with my dad as we lost him to cancer not long afterward.
I will NEVER play a shot when there is a possibility of reaching someone in the group in front, ever.
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