[Mrs. Heck]

Thank you to the nice man who stopped to see if his ball did any damage. While on Churchill Greens a few days ago, his ball went through (an apparent weak spot in) our birdcage screen and bounced around in our lanai. He offered his name and number, and I thanked him and returned his ball.

What a difference from the fellow 2 weeks prior who broke our bathroom window with his ball. He didn’t even come up our side of hole of number 6. We have his ball too, if he wants it back!

[ElDiabloJoe]

Originally Posted by Mrs. Heck

Thank you to the nice man who stopped to see if his ball did any damage. While on Churchill Greens a few days ago, his ball went through (an apparent weak spot in) our birdcage screen and bounced around in our lanai. He offered his name and number, and I thanked him and returned his ball.

What a difference from the fellow 2 weeks prior who broke our bathroom window with his ball. He didn’t even come up our side of hole of number 6. We have his ball too, if he wants it back!

I broke a window on a house while hitting down a fairway a couple of years ago. Knocking on the door went unanswered. Left my name and number with a neighbor. Eventually agreed to go 50-50 with the homeowner on the window repair.

During my research during that time, I learned states vary, but most states go by two rules:

1. If your house was there first, and then the golf course came, they are responsible for damage players cause to your house. However;

2. If you knowingly built or bought on a golf course that was already there or disclosed to be coming, then you assumed the risk of golf ball damage when you purchased, players are not held responsible for the damage they cause to your home.

My opinion however, is that if my ball caused damage to your house because I could not keep it on the fairway, then I am at least partially (and likely wholly) responsible. Just because you cannot hold me legally liable does not trump my moral obligation. Others and their opinions will vary, of course.

[villagetinker]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe

I broke a window on a house while hitting down a fairway a couple of years ago. Knocking on the door went unanswered. Left my name and number with a neighbor. Eventually agreed to go 50-50 with the homeowner on the window repair.

During my research during that time, I learned states vary, but most states go by two rules:

1. If your house was there first, and then the golf course came, they are responsible for damage players cause to your house. However;

2. If you knowingly built or bought on a golf course that was already there or disclosed to be coming, then you assumed the risk of golf ball damage when you purchased, players are not held responsible for the damage they cause to your home.

My opinion however, is that if my ball caused damage to your house because I could not keep it on the fairway, then I am at least partially (and likely wholly) responsible. Just because you cannot hold me legally liable does not trump my moral obligation. Others and their opinions will vary, of course.

Fortunately, my balls tend to find water, sand and occasionally rocks, so I have not had the experience of hitting a house, I have ended up on their lawn and I then abandon the ball, but I would also try to settle if I caused any damage.

[Laker14]

About 20 years ago I was playing on one of the Pinehurst courses and drilled an errant 3-wood, very hot and very right, towards a neighboring house's very large picture window.

Heading dead for the center of all of that glass. About 15 feet from the window was a tree with trunk maybe 6 inches wide. Maybe 4 inches wide. My ball struck that tree dead center and bounced all the way back onto the course, into the fairway. I was so shook up I picked the ball up and just walked the next coupe of holes before I could feel myself ready to try again.

Man, that was close.

[ThirdOfFive]

I don't know the legalities. I know they do get discussed here from time to time.

However there is such a thing as good old common sense. My wife and I were playing on Silver Lake a couple of years back. One of the holes there (#7, maybe?) has a fairway that plays along a row of homes. My wife sliced a drive that bounced on the fairway and then over the fence of a homeowner, who was in his yard doing some work at the time. No harm done. We walked over and asked if my wife could retrieve her ball. He was good-natured about it and she got her ball back. I commented that with his home so close to the course he probably has had to deal with broken windows from time to time.

He just grinned, walked over the the nearest window, rapped on it and said "Plexiglas!"

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Mrs. Heck

Thank you to the nice man who stopped to see if his ball did any damage. While on Churchill Greens a few days ago, his ball went through (an apparent weak spot in) our birdcage screen and bounced around in our lanai. He offered his name and number, and I thanked him and returned his ball.

What a difference from the fellow 2 weeks prior who broke our bathroom window with his ball. He didn’t even come up our side of hole of number 6. We have his ball too, if he wants it back!

You probably need to get metal awning and canvas for you’re bird cage it you live the slice danger zone