[Doug Siebert]

The thread about the trees got me to thinking about the circumstances of how people get hit by golf balls. Everyone who plays the game has close calls to varying degrees on a regular basis (during the Midwest Mashie a few months ago a ball hit by another GCA participant landed only a few feet away from me during my downswing on a tee shot, for instance) but I'm curious about the circumstances for actually hitting or getting hit, not close calls.

I was hit once, when I was probably 14 years old or so, playing with my dad in the Bahamas. He wasn't on the tee when I teed off - I think he had left a club behind on the previous hole and needed to retrieve it. I hooked into an adjoining fairway that people were playing up on and didn't want them to play my ball, so I set off walking towards it. I was about 200 yards away when my dad hit a low pull that caught me in the back of my arm. Wasn't serious, but enough that after I played one more hole I had to call it quits. My dad never missed that far left, I probably didn't even think to look back at the tee and keep an eye on what he was doing. I honestly can't remember if he yelled Fore or not, but sometimes I get into my own world on the golf course and that doesn't even register with me.

I also hit someone once back in 1991 on Carnoustie's 10th. I'd had a terrible front nine, duck hooking my way around to a 49 without a single decent full shot. We had to wait a few minutes while the group in front looked for a ball so I was messing around on the tee trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. The caddie told me I was clear to hit so I hit and apparently had figured it out as I finally caught one dead square down the middle. Between that and the 25 mph following wind, I landed right behind the group in front as they were walking to the green and caught one of their caddies in the back of the head on the hop. I was mortified and practically ran up there, with my caddie following. I apologized profusely to the poor old caddie rubbing his head and he told me I need not apologize, that it was my caddie's fault for letting me hit. My caddie said "look how far down the hole you are and he almost hit you on the fly, I didn't know he could do that!" I remember still being a bit shook up on the next tee and my caddie told me "don't worry about him, he's been hit in the head more times than anyone can count, can't do him any more harm!" Hitting someone in the head must agree with me, I went round the back in 38 including an ace on 16 

Neither case had nothing to do with whether trees screened anything or not. One was down to me being down the fairway when I shouldn't have been, the other with me being told I was clear to hit when I wasn't.

[Jon Wiggett]

Doug,

I have probably been hit a couple of dozen times though most of these have occurred through either my own stupidity or by freak accidents and mainly whilst on the driving range. The worst place to be if you are hit is within 20 yards of the hitter. The most painful occasion for me was when a playing companion caught a shot off the toe of the club and the ball clipped the tip of my little finger. Stung like hell for days after.

Worse is been hit by the club. Had this happen twice. Once when some idiot took a practice swing in the pro shop with a new driver when I was behind him. The other time was when someone clubhead flew off whilst making a shot and looped into my lap as I sat watching him.

Jon

[Tom_Doak]

I've been hit once, when I was a kid, by Billy Casper at the Westchester Classic.  I was walking up ahead and didn't stick around to try and weasel an autographed ball ... don't know that I would have got one from Billy anyway.


As someone who walks a lot of courses on his own, while others are playing, I have to say there are many times when it's good to have a tree to duck behind when someone is hitting your way.  The idea that there is a black-and-white answer to the question of trees and safety is silly.  Sometimes, trees protect; other times, they only give the illusion of protection.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Doug,

Nailed my best friend with my first two shot attempts!  After a little range time, we proceed to the first tee of Medinah No. 2, he lined me up, and I shanked it to his foot.  Gamely, lined me up again, and I shanked it, hitting his other foot.  Dragged him up the hill to the clubhouse and the round was over.   But, that was the last time.

Been hit as a 12 year old at Mt. Prospect (6th hole, in the leg) and come close as a maintenance worker setting cups at Glencoe Golf Club at age 22.  Whizzed past my face as I was kneeling on the green, no fore as far as I can recall.

To a large degree, I think we have missed certain traditions in golf, like never walking ahead of play, due to carts and speed of play. 

Does anyone know if the stats on getting hit have gone up over the last few decades?  I do recall carts getting in more accidents, although most of that was in senior communities with road crossings, getting hit by a car.

[Duncan Cheslett]

As someone who walks a lot of courses on his own, while others are playing, I have to say there are many times when it's good to have a tree to duck behind when someone is hitting your way. 

Couldn't agree more, Tom.

You are talking about a tree, and when you can see someone playing towards you. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a few stately specimen trees on a golf course.

On the other thread, Sean and I were talking about dense walls of trees which obscure vision without giving true protection.

[Sean_A]

I hit two people that I know of.  Once was the lady Captain of Droitwich.  I thought I hit her full on with a wood...ends up it bounced first.  To be fair...she did pop out from behind trees into my fairway while playing an adjacent hole.  I hit another lady smack in the ankle with a wedge which flew a green...that must of hurt.  Again, she was walking where she shouldn't have been and trees compromised my view. 

I have been near some doozies...one right in the head...straight to hospital.  Another in the cahones...he was done for the day. Another on the knee...ended up being quite serious and he doesn't walk right to this day. 

Ciao

[Tommy Williamsen]

I have been hit twice by my sister and my wife.  Not sure if that has any deeper meaning. When I was about 14 and my sister 11, my Dad I structed me to take my sister to play nine holes. It was the last thing I wanted to do. My sister really didn't like golf and I didn't want her around. She was awful and I was irritated that I had to bring her with me. Consequently, I was always in front of her. She nailed one tee shot and hit me square in the back from about fifty yards. It didn't really hurt but it caused me to rethink my strategy of needing to be in front of a player.


My wife hit me when she first began to play. She was near a few trees and I was behind her. She hit a tree perfectly to have it carom and hit me in the arm. Again it didn't really hurt.


I've never even come close to hitting anyone.

[JMEvensky]

I have been hot twice. Y my sister and my wife.

You should probably correct this typo .

[Howard Riefs]

I've been hit once, when I was a kid, by Billy Casper at the Westchester Classic.  I was walking up ahead and didn't stick around to try and weasel an autographed ball ... don't know that I would have got one from Billy anyway.


As someone who walks a lot of courses on his own, while others are playing, I have to say there are many times when it's good to have a tree to duck behind when someone is hitting your way.  The idea that there is a black-and-white answer to the question of trees and safety is silly.  Sometimes, trees protect; other times, they only give the illusion of protection.

Reminds me of getting pegged by Mickelson during the final round of the 2003 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields. Walking down the left side of the 13th hole (actually the 4th hole in play as the nines were flipped), Phil sliced one my way that hit me on the right shoulder and bounced toward the fairway.  I was fine but he still gave me a Titleist and thanked me for assisting him with a more favorable lie.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I've been hit once, when I was a kid, by Billy Casper at the Westchester Classic.  I was walking up ahead and didn't stick around to try and weasel an autographed ball ... don't know that I would have got one from Billy anyway.


As someone who walks a lot of courses on his own, while others are playing, I have to say there are many times when it's good to have a tree to duck behind when someone is hitting your way.  The idea that there is a black-and-white answer to the question of trees and safety is silly.  Sometimes, trees protect; other times, they only give the illusion of protection.

Have told the story before, but almost hit by Trevino at the 1970 US Open at Hazeltine.  Since he advertised for Faultless golf balls, but rumored to actually play Titleist, I looked down at the ball near me, in the deep rough, trying to see the logo, which was face down and hidden.  Must have looked longer than I thought, because next thing I know, Lee is over me, telling me to move, because "a 7 iron to the forehead is no kind of souvenir to take home from the Open."

[Ian Mackenzie]

1. I was hit in 1984 at the pub track in Lake Forest, IL - Deerpath Golf Course. Was waiting on 3 tee for the group to clear in front. Was watching group behind hit into 2 green. Guy hits his approach with one of the worst shanks I have seen. Hits the wooden sign on 3 tee and ricochets right into my chin. Ouch.


2. I hit a deer once at Spanish Bay. Does that count? 

[Jonathan Mallard]

I've been hit in the head. Right behind my ear. Still have a scar there.


Last hole of the day, our best player in the group hit a very poor drive, so I was helping him to look for it. It was found, he was a 2 handicapper, so I ducked what we all thought was well out of the way. He caught it on the toe, I had enough time to barely turn as it was a 3 wood for a second shot on a par five from about 40 yards back of me.


I heard a low audible ring, and perhaps passed out during the time I fell to the ground. I got up, realized I was still here, and tried to walk. Poorly. I grabbed a bag of ice at the clubhouse, and waited for my mother to come and take me to get medical attention - which wound up being 4-5 stitches.

[cary lichtenstein]

3 tmes. I duckhooked into a guy's leg, got hit in the chest and hit a moose at Banff, oh, I just remembers, I hit a goose and it exploded.

[Criss Titschinger]

I've been hit, but it was kind of my fault. I was monitoring a scramble and heading back towards a tee in a cart. I thought I was in the clear, but should have waited until the group was off the tee before getting in striking range. Got one off the cart path on one hop on my calf. Being my scramble, the guy was apologetic, but I owed my share of the blame.


Never hit a person myself, but I have done a Randy Johnson. 20 yards off the tee, hit a robin that was passing by accident. Bird was dead on impact. Worst yet, I was lying one 390 yards away in the rough. 

[Tommy Williamsen]

I have been hot twice. Y my sister and my wife.

You should probably correct this typo .

ThnKs 😎

[RSantangelo]

When I was about 14 I flushed a 3 wood when the group ahead was in the carts and leaving the green on the par 3 2nd hole.  I thought I hit the clubs and cart roof.

After getting a pretty good shout down, the guy proceeded to finish play 16 more holes.  Then my parents got  a demand letter for his visit to a doctors and "pain and suffering"...

I am still not sure I hit him or if I did if it deflected into him....

[Pete_Pittock]

0 and 3.  First was at Glendoveer East after I had crested a high hill and was out of view. We had to wait for the green to clear and I was hit in the Achilles heel.  Second was at Broadmoor when I glanced up and saw someone teeing off in front of we and to the left. Watched a viscous duck hook and only had time to start to react and the ball hit the inside of  my arm and the side of my chest. Third was unforgiveable. One of my foursome had a terrible time around the greens and on the 18th took a full swing with his putter. The ball would have gone 200+ if it didn't catch my ankle at a range of about 8 feet. It was a Titleist 3, I remember distinctly as that was still impressed on my ankle a week later. I found I my limit was seven long island iced teas (poolside) and I played and rode 36 the next day.  All of these were more than 35 years ago. Knock on wood.



 

[Carl Johnson]

We have two par 3's, side by side playing opposite directions.  Although you're pretty much always aware of the possibility of incoming pulls from some of the opposite tees, I got smacked right in the gut once by a tee ball.  The "golfer" yelled "fore" when the ball was probably about 6" away from me.  Just a bruise.  We used to have a line of trees separating the holes, but took them out about 8 years ago.  I thought it was a good move then, and still do, in spite of what happened to me.

Also once got hit in the ankle on one hop on a "golfer's" drive.  No big deal.  The landing area is blind off the tee and I guess the "golfer" didn't realize we were in the area.

[Chris Mavros]

I was hit in the ankle a few years ago.  It was brutal.  The metal pole just in front of my cart, a foot from head, was hit once on an errant drive.  That could have ended badly.  I have never hit anyone though. 

[Wayne_Freedman]

Hit once by an idiot who hurried on a blind shot over a hill.
Got me with a descending ball on the inner thigh.
That little ball left a black and blue mark the size of a heavyweight boxer's fist.


Hit an opponent, once, in a match when I was in some trees with a really bad lie.
Never saw him as he kept walking forward. My shot hooked off a root and hit him in the butt. [size=78%] [/size]
Lost the match.


And, saw a guy get beaned less than a month ago in Palm Desert.
As he walked off a green, the player in a group ahead of us did not wait, hooked his hybrid,
and nailed him. Ball bounced 20 yards off the victim's head.
He dropped as if he had been shot.
Blood everywhere.
They took him away in an ambulance.


This stuff is going to happen.
Stay behind whoever is hitting, and warn people when they insist on walking ahead of you.


Better to yell, "Fore," than say you're sorry.


Probably less expensive, too.

[Bill Brightly]

45 years of golf, never been hit, never hit anyone, (Caddy experience helped...) But I have a great story about being hit...


Guy is paying 9 hole muni in North Jersey. (Paramus GC.) Wayward shot hits him under his eye, fractures his eye socket and he is out for the year.


Guy recovers, comes back next spring to play. Unloads his clubs from trunk, is walking to the pro shop to check in, wayward shot hits him square in the head, knocks him out, ambulance hauls him away.


It is unknown if he ever played golf again.

[David Davis]

Very happy to have never been hit but also have experienced a couple funny ones.


Playing in the last group at a corporate outing at one of the highest rated private clubs in The Netherlands. Painfully slow round as is often the case in corporate sponsor days. On the 14th hole which is a par 5, all 4 of us standing in the fairway waiting on our second shot when I see an older couple in a cart pull up to the ladies tee and tee off. Then drive up perhaps 80 yds behind us. The man steps out of the cart, grabs a fairway wood and hits a lined drive into the bag resting on one of my playing partners backs who had tried to get out of the way. The man then yells at us for being in his way. Shouts we are not allowed to play on HIS course, swearing and pounding his club into the ground. His wife is also yelling at us. Then he races off back to the clubhouse.


Once standing on a tee in France about to hit my drive when in my back swing a ball moving rather quickly nutmegged me (no contact). The scary part is that we never saw anyone to know where it came from.


The last one was an unbelievable Barkley Bank double ricochet (must of been like a 5 iron) that hit the guy standing safely behind and 20 yds to the right of my playing partner (who hit the ball) square and with full force in the butt. Allegedly leaving a pretty serious bruise which I did not personally witness. Leading me to believe that possibly the safest place to stand is about 100 yds in front of anyone who's hitting. However, it goes without saying this is a another strong vote for links golf. Not many double ricochets happening in a treeless environment.

[John McCarthy]

Hit 3 times.  First on the 4th green at Butler during caddy golf.  Lad behind me pured a 4 wood and hit my left forearm.  The bruise lasted 2 weeks.  Caddy yard justice was dispensed.

Once hit between the shoulder blades at the range.  I was hitting off the grass slightly ahead of the mats.  A high school gym class was learning golf and a pretty girl hit one off the toe.  She and the teacher said their apologies while I am writhing on the ground like Gregor Samsa.

[RDecker]

Took a shanked drive in the chest from about 50 feet a couple years ago.  The club made me go to ER and have tests, afraid my heart would stop from sudden trauma... Hurt like hell.  Pretty remarkable though in 25 years of Golf maintenance only hit the one time.  I've never hit anyone...yet(can you hear the knocked wood?).

[Ian Andrew]

Hit three times
Once working, twice playing
Leg, back, stomach

The one in the back was a driver from a good player, he didn't wait and hurt a lot.
Happened first year I played.

Hit two people
shanked pitch out (partner), bounced one into the greens chair on the opposite fairway at club I worked with

That's over 38 years of play

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