golfers a plea please
 

Please please Please yell fore.
when you hit a ball offline in the direction of a house..........
I was gardening this morning ( and I live on a golf Course) And I was Hit once and had another close call within 3 groups and no one said anything!!!. Please if you hit a ball that looks like it is going OB please yell.. Fore .. something.. anything..to alert a homeowner who may be out there. even if you don't see us we May Be There!! Thanks for letting me rant... But please give the homeowners a warning!

Just curious...what course and hole are you on??? You must be right in the line of fire!

Good point.

I often have to do it for someone in the group I'm playing with.......because they forget.

Being a "long hooker," I often go in places where the homeowners.... thought they were relatively safe. :(


Advice for new non-golfing homeowners; About 150-220 yards off the tee and on the right, is where most wayward tee shots end up.
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yes I know I am in the Line of fire but it it does not excuse the lack of Respect or common courtesy to warn someone that you have hit a crap shot!! Now for the next few weeks I have to live with a big bruise on my left leg because someone did not have the courtesy to yell fore...And to top it off None of the group even came by to claim the ball or or see how I was!! (just a little ****ed about that..) if you do something own up to it!! At least say Sorry... Well my rant is done .. Hopefully someone else will learn fr0m this.. But please If the ball goes offline... YELL SOMETHING.... Thanks

Odds are they did, but it was a different four letter word than "fore." :D

Hope you heal soon. :)

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Thanks on trak I will heal and thanks for listening to my rant

You're very welcome and I certainly don't think it's a "rant." :)

It's been my experience, that some people think that advanced age gives them the right to eschew rules and common courtesy.

I have never been afraid of pointing it out....when that occurs. :D

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I am on your side and sorry you were injured, but there is a possibility they had no idea which way the ball went and that is why they never came looking for it. I know many a time 4 of us are standing there saying "anyone see where that went"? Hope you are not hit again especially when you are doing one of my favorite activities - gardening.:)

Some golfers freeze when they see their ball headed for a house. They just close their eyes and listen to hear if the ball hit the ground or the roof?
I do feel badly for this OP. This OP's commentary is good reminder that someone has got to be the wingman for the guy driving the ball

We always listen for glass breaking, fortunately that has never happened. If it did that would mean a stop by the house to take care of the damage. As far as retrieving the ball, a ball hit that far out of bounds is a gonner!

I feel very bad for you and think it's awful that some TV folks actually cannot enter their own yards without the fear of, or at least, the thought of possibly being injured.

Can I suggest that you go to the tee or other area from which balls are hit. Is there anything blocking the view of the golfer, such as a tree or bush, etc? If so, perhaps you could alter it so your space is more visible.

Bless you.

The local rules state that if a ball is OB, it's a goner anyway.

Even if it's just a little bit beyond the white stakes and you can see it....you're not supposed to go into someone's yard and get it.

Seems only fair, to keep inconsiderate golfers from traipsing all over someone's property.

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Thats also the price you pay for living on the fringe of a golf course.

Nowhere on the deed does it say that living on a golf course permits trespassing on private property.

If I can reach a ball with a club or ball retriever without setting foot on private property or damaging landscaping, I will get the ball. Otherwise, buh-bye. I've got some more in my bag.

Yep. :thumbup:


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Wow Bogie - that is an interesting point - a ball breaking glass. Don't think I have enough swing to ever make that happen, but if I did I am not sure I would feel responsible for the damage. Sounds awful, but I feel that is a risk you take living on the course - been there, done that (living on the course).

Oh brother, I'm taking cover as I type this.:boxing2:

Folks, I knew that when I bought my home on the Golf course that I would have balls flying in the yard.. hitting the house etc..I expect that.. What I did not expect is the lack of courtesy of the folks hitting off the tee to warn others of a bad shot... I've been playing this game for 40+ years and still play to a 2 handicap and Yes I do hit the ball wayward sometimes.. But when I do I always yell FORE.. Even if it does not seem that anyone is in danger.. If you do not see where it went Yell to be on the safe side.. Please!!!

Just to clear this up.. In the state of Florida you Are responsible for where your golf ball goes and the damage that it does.. Please read your good golf guide provided by the Villages.. Scenerio: if you hit into the group in front of you on the course and you hurt someone you as the person who hit the ball are liable.. So what is the difference if you hit a homeowner in the backyard? you are still liable for the shot! listen when I was hit this morning I was more peeved that the person who did it did not even come over to ask how i was!
I was more than tempted to fire the golf ball back at them ( and I am probably alot more accurate than They were.. HA Ha) but what would that have solved but to get me in trouble.
The whole purpose of this thread though is not to ask who is right or wrong but to get our Villagers to yell when they hit a ball off line

Fair enough!

I did not read anywhere,by the OP about trespassing on private property. Not sure about your deed comment.

Love your story, but the courts have already ruled that you live in a Dangerous place and knew about forehand. The golfer here cannot see far enough to see where the ball landed. Smile and forgive, it might be me

I am sorry that you are in the line of fire and that people don't yell "fore", however, just to clear this up....Who pays for golf ball damage to a condo? - Sun Sentinel
Legal experts say being in the line of fire comes with the territory when you buy into a condo or homeowners community that borders a golf course.

"The golf courses were not built overnight," said Donna Berger, of Katzman, Garfinkel and Berger, one of the largest community association law firms in the state. "I live on a golf course, too, and have had to deal with damages. But as the law sees it, owners assume the risk when they move in." She said it is similar when home buyers purchase a home near an airport. It is difficult for them to file a lawsuit based on airplane noise.

She said Florida and other states have routinely upheld that principle, adding that an owner may have grounds for a lawsuit when the golfing-related damage rises to the level of a general nuisance, such as a home or unit being struck on a regular basis."

and this http://www.smglawfirm.com/article_de...p?detail_id=33

Agree with you.....
 

Your goal is a good one, however I think you have a better chance of winning PowerBall. I don't want to seem unsympathetic, I truly do sympathize, however this is one of many examples of a lack of courtesy exhibited "in the bubble". It seems that some people have a feeling of entitlement when living in/visiting the Villages, and their behavior is...and I will be polite......disappointing. I certainly hope you feel better and don't be shy about ranting! There is nothing wrong with expecting (sigh, I guess I will change that to "hoping for") courtesy from those around you.

Your prior post quoted another post that referred to "traipsing" on private property and indicated that's what comes with living on a golf course. My response was that living on a golf course doesn't give up the right to control access onto your land. The deed comment was facetious.

I was wondering how long it would take and who would make an irrelevant comment about it being the price you pay for living on the golf course.

The thread is about people having the smarts and consideration to yell fore or something when the shot goes awry.

I do not think its "Irrelevant" at all. Its the truth. Yelling fore is your answer,maybe the people living next door to you do not want to hear "fore" all day long. Did you think of them. Like moving next to a airport and now complain about the noise.

What an irrelevant but not unexpected response. To follow through on that line of "reasoning", if a golf cart was veering off the path and about to hit someone, there would be no reason to honk the horn or yell a word of warning because that would be disturbing to others in the vicinity and ...gee oh well...it's a golfing community and accidents happen.
The truth is: It is the widely accepted action to let people know they are in the way of danger. Kind of a given.

I think it is called "common courtesy" - remember that?

Time to get back on topic and quit sniping.

Not a lawyer but there is available information of the golfer's obligation, the homeowner's assumption of risk, and the golf course owner's potential liability. A great read is at http://www.willamette.edu/wucl/pdf/s.../scoffield.pdf which even covers the situations of hitting a car on a road or a caddy. It comes down to that the golfer is obligated to yell "fore" if he is aware that his shot is travelling toward another person who is possibly able to benefit from the warning. There is no obligation to yell if there is no one expected where the shot is travelling. Most interesting case where the course was held liable is this:
"Thegolf course had changed the location of the green, shortening the yardage of the hole from 315 yards to 232 yards, but had failed to change the yardage indicated on the scorecard. Two years after the green location was changed, a golfer teed off while the plaintiff was standing on the green. The golfer had never played the course before and consulted the scorecard to determine the distance to the green. The golfer saw the plaintiff standing on the green, but knowing that he could not drive the ball over 300 yards decided to tee off. His shot traveled to the green, hitting and injuring the plaintiff. The court held there was sufficient evidence to sustain the jury’s determination that the golf course was negligent in failing to change the yardage on the scorecard and hence, the course owners were liable for the plaintiff’s injuries."

Wouldn't you think a golfer can tell the difference between something 230 vs 315 yards away? Especially one who can hit a ball 230 yards straight to the green.

Nonetheless, yelling "fore" is legally required not just a courtesy in situations where the golfer knows or should know that his shot puts others at risk and a warning could be of benefit. In the OP's situation where he is hidden from view I IMO don't think a warning is required, but would be a courtesy. I do wonder what the OP would have done differently if while gardening he heard a distant "fore". I'd hate for him to have to wear a bike helmet and shatterproof goggles.

That says it all. :thumbup:


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An opinion from "the bubble"
 

I find myself in the category of folks who do not yell fore if I see no one endangered in the direction of my shot. Contrary to popular belief portrayed in this thread, I do not do this because I am rude, entitled, etc.

That said, I am positive I would stop by once I knew you were there and ask if you were OK and explain I had no idea you were there.

I will try to do better in the future, although I will feel funny at first yelling fore at no one, but I understand your point re: better safe than sorry.

I do feel bad for your situation and I do not think folks yelling fore would make me personally any more comfy. I am curious what will you do when you hear fore? I guess you do what any of us do when we hear that... hold our breath and cover what we can.... Likely it would not have changed the outcome this time, but I am not sure?

If I was living in a spot where balls were flying in my yard, I do not know if I would ever be outside for fear of being seriously injured, i.e., an eye or temple, etc.

I wish you luck finding a safe way to enjoy your space and I will start yelling at houses :beer3:

I believe it is very difficult, in that split second of a wayward shot headed for yards/houses....to determine if anyone is around.

Therefore, a warning is appropriate.

In addition, it is best to yell.. "Fore right/left" (as applicable).

That way a person in their yard will immediately know, if they should duck and cover.

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If your yard is in a position to be pummeled, you should not "hope" someone will yell fore to avoid injury. Doing that enables you to be a victim. You should be aware of who is on the course and when shots are being fired. Take appropriate action based on what you see.

I never forget when I worked in a steel mill as a teenager I would never walk down along side the 80 inch rolling mill line until the leading edge of the coil was fully engaged in the coiler after going through the 5 stand finishing rollers a quarter mile down the line. That glowing red piece of steel was moving at over 50 mph and if it hit a bump on the line it turned into hot, pink ribbon candy and piled up right where everyone walked. Instant death if you were anywhere near it. Although I never did the walk without my observation and rule, some did, a few got killed. Take care of yourself, no one has your best interests at heart more than you do.

Granted it's a different state, but I worked at a golf course in Massachusetts that was forced to reconfigure one of it's holes after a class action lawsuit was brought.
The course was built in the early 1900s. A developer bought a large tract of land adjacent to the course in the 1960s and built a number of houses and streets etc.
The third hole which was a short par four was along the boundary of the course and the development. The course put up a tall fence in order to prevent balls from going into the yards which were right over the fence. It didn't help because balls were going over the fence and some were reaching houses on the other side of the street from the houses that abutted the course.
The residents got together and sued the golf course which was owned by the town. The court found that although the golf course was there first and the people should have known the risks associated with living next to a golf course, the lives and safety of the general public took precedence over the profits of the golf course.
The golf course converted the short par four into a par three which really detracted from the course as the next hole was also a par three.

By the way, I'm not saying that it's right or wrong, and I always yelled "Fore" because I thought it was the considerate thing to do, but I've seen people who upon hearing "fore" turn to look to see from where the ball was coming and catch it with their face. I've also seen people, upon hearing "fore" run right into the path of a ball. I really think that hearing "fore" only helps if you have some place to run under cover.
All in all I think that yelling "fore" is the right thing to do because if your ball hits someone, at least you can say you warned them. They might also feel better knowing that they were going to get hit as opposed to being totally surprised.

I also live on a golf course. 95% of the golfers know that the ball went onto private property. They break windows hit people etc.. many just walk on to peoples property to pick up balls 10 to 30 yards into the property. Simple put there are golfers out there that do not care about anyone or anything other then their golf ball. Yes I know if you buy on a golf course a ball will go on to your property. However the attitude of many golfers is pitiful. Many owners have put up signs no trespassing etc. I have seen golfers look around laugh at the signs then walk over and hit them with their club. If you complain to the golf course then admit they really can't do anything about it. So I looked up florida law about private property. I was surprised to read that a person coming on to your property carrying carrying a club could be shoot by the owner in self defense. Especially with sign posted and being told not to enter. Sooner or later it is going to happen.

A friends wife (at least this is what he told our group) was playing with her girlfriend and hit a ball into someone's yard.
When she went to get it the guy came out and claimed the ball now belonged to him.
Her girlfriend threw in a second ball and the guy says "what's that all about"?
She replied "every prick I've ever known had 2 balls"! They walked away and continued on.

:laugh:

Sorry for your injury and glad your OK. You have to ask yourself though, if someone did yell fore, you may have moved a slight bit and been hit in the head or face.

She had no business trespassing, just to get her golf ball.

I would have probably thrown both of them back to her, with a..."here, go stay on the practice facilities until you learn how to play better...and can comprehend golf etiquette and common courtesy."

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