Ryeivte:

‘Fore

isn't en

YOU'RE standing on
the sixth hole, 125
yards from the green,
about to hit your third
shot with a nine iron.

The golfers ahead have
moved off the green to the
seventh tee to the right. You
judge them to be almost at
the tee and at feast 20 yards
from the sixth ercen when
you swing.

Your ball slices to the
right and beans one of the
players in the mourh, requir-
ing 22 stitches and substan-
tial teeth work.

Are you at fault?

Yes. Mr. MeVety, who hit
Mr. Mahoney this way, was
100% ro blame.

“If plavers are on the
same hole, and clearly visible
and within range, then it is
clearly negligent to hit a golf
ball toward them,” said the
judge.

“On the other hand, if
players are walking down an
adjacent fairway and one is
struck by a sliced or hooked
ball and there is no reason
for the person striking the
ball to foresee he would
hook or slice it onto another
fairway, then, and in such
event, liability should not
attach to the person striking
the ball.”

What if vou’re a scratch
golfer, scoring in the high
70s or low 80s, helping your

onto the edge of the fairway.
You're to the right of your
buddy, walking up the hill ro
get behind him.

Your buddy shanks the
ball ata 75 degree angle to
the right, hitting you square-
ly in the eye. Is he at fault?

Yes, but only for 75%. Mr.
Finnie was 25% responsible
for his own injury when his
friend Mr. Ropponen hit
him, because Ropponen was
a beginner and Finnie should
have warned him not to hit
while Finnie was still in

front.

Now, what if you're play
ing the eighth hale and
badly slice vour drive to the
right. You want to play your
second shot to within 15 teet
of the seventh tee.

Ata range of 40 to 80
’ ow aim dircetly tor the
seventh tee where several
peuple are standing.

This time, your aim is
straight.

You shout “Fore,” but
vou still hit a golfer at the
seventh tee,

Does shouting “Fe
excuse you trom liabil

No. When Mr. Whitehead
struck Ms. Ratcliffe this way,
resulting in her eve needing
to be removed, the judge
declared: “It cannot be said
that a person is excused for
hitting another with a golf
ball because he has told him
he is going to shoot almost
directly at him ...

“The person playing
golf ball should be serupu-
lously careful not to hit any-
body, and if he does, the
onus of making an ¢
tion showing the care and
caution he took is much the

though he had
a stone or fired 3
gun

Golf etiquette seems to
follow the law, so if you
observe the cules of golf eti-
quette, you probably won't
get sued.

— This column is written
with the assistance of the
North Vancouver law firm of
Ratcliff & Company, Suite
500, 221 West Esplanade,
988-5201. The column pro-
vides information only and is
nat to be relied on for legal
advice.

78 ORMOTIVE

BCAA, BRA, LC.B.C. Snproved

SPRING SPECIALS .

et x

2 Luge, On & Fiver en
x .
3 Check battery, test antifreeze, ~
check tires & brakes, visuat inspection

4, Super Luae

All above with written B.C.A.A., inspection ~
feport. rotate tires, top up ail fluids *
op uP "We, oft, fier,

Pressure test cooling system, check belts,

hoses, visual leaks, check on rad condition, ©

tighten clamps, drain and fill anti-freeze inch. 4

Diagnose A/C operation. Test temp. pertor- ~ $
mance, check refrigerant level, check com-

pressor belts, hoses, etc.

8, ALIGNMENT

f KEITH Lynn siu- :

5 dent Adam Devries
(right) battles for
the ball with B.C.
wheeichair sports
demo team mem-
bers Richard Peter
(centre) and

s James Trener dur-
ing a recent visit

, to the North Van
4, school,

NEWS Paul

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