Golfer killed when cart plunges off cliff

[Sean Leary]

This also happened some years ago at Pebble Beach on the eighth hole. Drove the cart over the cliff in the fog.

Bob

Bob,

I had always heard that this story was urban legend.  I certainly wouldn't doubt you in your area of expertise, but I always thought that story was a tall tale.

[Jon Spaulding]

I believe Mr. Tufts has had multiple back surgeries as a result of carrying Mr. Simper for 4 years .

[PThomas]

heard of a caddie in Colorado who died when the golf cart he was riding on - by standing on the back and hanging on - hit a bump or something and he fell off/got thrown off and died

[SPDB]

Hey Middlebury!  Trinity in the house!  Go NESCAC!

OT--Hamilton here as well...

OT-- Bowdoin as well...NESCAC golf teams are the worst in the country if Simper and I make golf teams...

Speak for your own school. Jay's and my alma mater has at least produced a professional golfer, and not a piker either....Jay Williamson.

[SPDB]

 Neither Mountain Golf nor golf course architecture are the cause.

Jay,
How do you know that?

If you want to argue that it is the architect's fault - please, be my guest.

I don't know who's at fault. I'm more curious how you seem to know who's not at fault. That article didn't give much to draw conclusions. What's Mountain Golf?

[Jay Flemma]

Wow we really do have a lot of Nescacers in the house...and I was on the Trinb golf team when Jay Williamson was there...and except for him,. yes we sucked hard.

[Pete_Pittock]

More information on the accident is included in this account in the S.D. North County Times -
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/05/23/news/top_stories/28_40_397_22_07.txt

The relevant paragraphs:
The men told officers that Payne had just teed off from the second hole on the facility's southern 18-hole course, but he lost his first ball, which went off into the brush, Kerns said. He was unable to locate the ball, so he hit another one and was headed toward his friends who were ahead of him, he said.

His friends told officers that Payne got back into the electric golf cart that was parked on the grass and went to get on a concrete path, Kern said.

"As his golf cart traveled off the lawn area and onto the concrete cart path in a southerly direction, the golf cart began to bounce around. It appeared that he lost control of the cart as it veered over the east curb of the cart path and down an embankment where it eventually went off a sheer cliff," Kerns said.

The cart jumped the concrete path's 6-inch curb and first went 30 feet down a slope with brush and trees, then over the cliff, the officer said.

The electric cart was governed for 12 mph

[Mike_Young]

We don't hear of many of the cart deaths.....but be careful with those things...the biggest injury is the left foot hanging over the edge of the cart.....it can hit the smallest root or stump and flip a grown man out of the cart..usually a completely obliterated knee and/or hip joint....

[Kevin_Reilly]

This also happened some years ago at Pebble Beach on the eighth hole. Drove the cart over the cliff in the fog.

Bob

Bob,

I had always heard that this story was urban legend.  I certainly wouldn't doubt you in your area of expertise, but I always thought that story was a tall tale.

Is that the Kamikaze Cove story?  Supposedly the cart driver was a Japanese man.  Pebble Beach Co denies that the story is true.

[Bob Jenkins]

Our caddies were still spreading the Kamikaze story when we were there this past April.

Bob J

[John_Cullum]

... isn't it the right thing to do to NOT go after the designer?  Its bad for the game and bad for architecture...not to mention the poor architect that gets sued.

But not for the Plaintiff's lawyer, and that is all that matters

[Jay Flemma]

..and that is why we desperately need tort reform in this country or we need to move to the British system of "loser pays."

[Kalen Braley]

..and that is why we desperately need tort reform in this country or we need to move to the British system of "loser pays."

Now that is something I would get behind 200%...loser pays would put an end to alot of the crappola law suits in this country.

[Jay Flemma]

Crappola lawsuits insure that justice goes to the wealthy...not the righteous...

[Kalen Braley]

Crappola lawsuits insure that justice goes to the wealthy...not the righteous...

And thats different from today in what way??  

Seriously though, I think the threat of "loser paying" would give some pause if they knew going in they didn't have much of a case.  I guess you are right though, at least the rich could "bluff" better because it wouldn't be as much of a sting if they carried thru and lost...

[Emmy]

Just a few years ago, a friend (and  senior member at our club) was run over by an unattended golf cart. He was riding in the cart with another dear friend of ours at the wheel.....They were headed to the range and when they reached their destination both exited the cart. A golf bag that was nestled between them (in the front of the cab) fell over, hit the accelerator causing the cart to take off, thus running over him. He was air flighted to the hospital, and died a month or so later. A dark cloud hung over our club for a very long time.

We now host a junior golf tournament every summer in his memory.

[Martin Del Vecchio]

Now that is something I would get behind 200%...loser pays would put an end to alot of the crappola law suits in this country.

And to many legitimate lawsuits also.  That change would tip the balance of justice away from the poor and toward the wealthy.

And if such a thing couldn't be achieved during the Bush presidency, I don't think it will ever happen.

[SL_Solow]

Jay;  you have it a little backwards.  Loser pays serves as a deterrent to suits brought by those without the means to pay costs in the event of a loss.  Perhaps in the commercial context this has some merits but in tort cases, the defendants are usually represented by insurance companies with pockets that are deep enough to run the risk of fees on top of damages if they can't reach settlements.  Individual plaintiffs often can't even afford their own lawyers, hence the prevalence of contingent fees.  I don't dispute that abuses exist caused by less than scrupulous counsel who benefit from the large contingent fees.  But on balance I would hate to limit access to the courts for tort victims.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Just a few years ago, a friend (and  senior member at our club) was run over by an unattended golf cart. He was riding in the cart with another dear friend of ours at the wheel.....They were headed to the range and when they reached their destination both exited the cart. A golf bag that was nestled between them (in the front of the cab) fell over, hit the accelerator causing the cart to take off, thus running over him. He was air flighted to the hospital, and died a month or so later. A dark cloud hung over our club for a very long time.

We now host a junior golf tournament every summer in his memory.

My wife's family is from Woodland.  I remember hearing about the accident before it was mentioned during Dillon Dougherty's matches at the US Amateur.