Re: golf balls at 3rd

From: Matt Chapman (mchapman@synopsys.com-DeleteThis.com)
Date: Wed Jun 27 2001 - 09:56:17 PDT


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Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2001 09:56:17 -0700
From: Matt Chapman <mchapman@synopsys.com-DeleteThis.com>
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To: wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com
Subject: Re: golf balls at 3rd
References: <3B32F358.B80493B@unetix.com-DeleteThis.com>


It'll take a while (the probabilities are low) but sooner or later
a golf ball will strike and injure a child walking or biking on the
bay path. If we're lucky the injuries won't be too serious, and
one of parents will be a lawyer.

In the mean time, you can:

 o Sail elsewhere.

 o Hammer small dents in your car so you don't notice the new ones
   (and wear a helmet while rigging.)

 o Start working with the city to get parking and launch access
   north of the driving range. There's lots of room there for
   parking, the wind and tide height are pretty similar to what
   we have now, and there's no artillery (aside from seagulls.)

  - Matt

Jonathan Hahn wrote:
>
> I finally had an encounter with a golf ball at 3rd (actually my car
> did). Tuesday at around 6:15 I was parked along the side of the golf
> course near the corner. I was inside the car and heard a loud impact.
> At that time I couldn't find any damage to my car because of the sun was
> too bright and too high overhead. When I came back after sailing at
> around 7:45, I found the impact right away. It was a large depression
> on the driver's fender about 2 feet from my head.
>
> I went to Mariner's Point Golf Course, and the guy behind the desk took
> my info. Today I got a message from Chris Aliaga the manager. He said
> he takes down the info and submits a report to Foster City. He said
> there'd be no reimbursement since the golf ball hazard is clearly
> marked. (I would say there's no voluntary reimbursement, but I do not
> believe those signs eliminate their liability.) They also have a sign
> for the golfers which says the golfers are responsible for any damage
> their golf balls cause; but I'm not aware that the golfer can be
> identified by the ball, so this is merely another effort to protect the
> golf course. If the balls could be used to identify the golfers (which
> is possible, but probably a pain for the golf course), then that would
> definitely serve to reduce the intentional balls over the fence.
>
> I called my insurance company and I have a $100 deductable on
> comprehensive. They said they'd take the information about the golf
> course, but they weren't overly interested. I doubt they would pursue
> it for a few hundred dollars, and I would not pursue it for my
> deductable.
>
> So in this case I will eat my deductable and that will be the end of
> that. But what is the larger solution to the problem? I believe it is
> a certainty that someone will be seriously injured or killed sooner or
> later. Is that what the city and golf course are waiting for?
> A precedent setting event?
>
> A windsurfer was injured by a golf ball a while back (Pierre?)... what
> ever happened with that?
>
> Wasn't there an issue about the city restricting the height of the
> fences? What ever happened with that?
>
> It seems to me that the city is ultimately responsible for situating a
> golf course next to a public beach access & parking lot, and also it has
> the deepest pockets on the line. I thought I heard that the city leased
> the golf course the land. If I was Foster City, I'd want to eliminate
> one or the other and the golf course produces tax income, probably spent
> millions to develop the area, and I believe has a lease. So I'm not
> sure it's in the interest of windsurfing to be reporting golf ball
> impacts to Foster City... or is it? I don't hold out any hope for a
> solution to the conflicting uses of the area. I believe that as soon as
> there's a serious accident, the parking lot will be closed. That will
> be the most expedient solution to the problem.
>
> -Jonathan Hahn



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