It can be a frustrating and dangerous time to play golf, as I discovered this weekend, when I squinted through a pea soup of fog for my usual Sunday morning roll-up.
Visibility was less than the distance you could hit a three-quarter corner, but I drove along the A1 back to my original route, full of optimism, thinking it would be clear – just at the street corner.
As I expected, the parking lot was crowded but not a golfer in sight while the clubhouse appeared in the darkness like the Marie Celeste.
Golfers wandered the pro shop, nervously examining clubs, sweaters and bags for sale with no real intention of purchasing and keeping half an eye on the end of the Chinese Grand Prix on television.
The tension was rising. Could they get the golf fix they’d been waiting for all week while driving their cars, going through endless meetings, and hammering their fingers on their computer keyboards?
The outlook looked bleak as groups returned from spooky adventures from a first tee you couldn’t even see.
“That’s fucked up !” said one angry golfer, gripping his cart as if he had just had an adventure at Alton Towers.
“I hit my tee shot, I had no idea where it was going!”
Another trio claimed to have reached the middle of the second fairway, played their second shots up to the par 5 very cautiously and immediately discovered four players still searching for their tee shot!
“After that we realized it was a bit too dangerous to continue. We don’t know who was there, we shouted but there was no response.” said their leader.
As the pro shop continued to fill with golfers wandering aimlessly as if they were coming from homes for the disoriented, I decided to do one last weather check and then headed to the safety of my car.
Golf is not a game to be played hampered or “blinded” by thick mist and fog – it could even land you in court.
The law says you can be held liable if you shoot knowing it could pose a danger to others. However, negligence must be proven.
Forecasting danger is at the heart of most court decisions regarding sports injuries. Generally, if the risk of injury is foreseeable by the victims, courts have dismissed the lawsuits.
Although hitting a ball into the mist there without knowing whether other players on the course are within reach can be construed as reckless, it is also a gray area.
After all, while playing, the victim of a bullet strike could be seen as taking a rash risk and aware of the dangers of their actions.
However, a US judge recently ruled that a player who hit an unexpected “mulligan” – bringing a replacement ball into play – without announcing it to his colleagues would put himself at risk of a personal injury suit.
So remember, while we can all understand the frustration that foggy, humid mornings bring to golfers, you could be putting your own health and safety and that of others at risk if you’re not careful.
Tell us on the forum if you suffered damage or liability on the golf course and how the court or insurance judgment went.
