Golf Course Fatality

[OldeDude]

Bad news at my local course yesterday afternoon, a fatal golf cart accident. This is a mountain course, with some pretty steep windy cart paths, and they have had accidents in the past, but really do all they can to try to prevent this kind of thing from happening (signs, curbs, etc). Here is the story from a local media source:

CAMINO — A man from Texas crashed a speeding golf cart at a Camino golf course Monday and died.​

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The California Highway Patrol says just before 4:30 p.m., the 44-year-old man was driving along the 10th fairway of the Apple Mountain Golf Resort. A 31-year-old Sacramento man was riding with him.​

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At one point, the man began speeding down a hill on the cart path, according to the CHP. The golf cart lost control as it went over a bridge and broke through a railing before landing in a creek.​

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When the cart crashed, the CHP says the driver was ejected from his seat. He died from his injuries.​

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The Sacramento man who was with him sustained minor injuries and was taken to nearby Marshall Hospital.​

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CHP investigators believe the man may have been drinking alcohol prior to the deadly crash.​

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Of course my thoughts and prayers go out to this man's family and friends.

Hopefully this will be proven to have been just a devastating accident, and not end up in the kind of litigation that is so common these days, that must find fault and blame where there should be none.

 

[SquirrelyDave]

That’s sad to hear. Hopefully his family can find peace quickly.

 

[DataDude]

Golf carts are dangerous and should be driven as such. Too many people drive them like Evil Kneival.

 

[Gyro25]

Damn that's terrible, thoughts and prayers are with his family as well

 

[golfinnut]

That's horrible. Sometimes golf carts & alcohol don't mix too well

 

[radiman]

Terrible news. Feel for the man's family.

 

[Par5zN2]

Definitely a horrible accident. I, too, hope it doesn't go to litigation.

 

[Canadan]

I'm surprised in a place like that, the carts don't activate a speed governor going down a hill.

Sad story. Even more sad that it involved alcohol.

 

[tahoebum]

I'm surprised in a place like that, the carts don't activate a speed governor going down a hill.

Sad story. Even more sad that it involved alcohol.

Very sad. The carts are governed but it is super hilly and one of the two or three most dangerous courses for a golf cart that I've ever played. They had a similar death there about 10 years ago and I know of at least one death from a heart attack as well. My buddies son tipped a cart there two years ago and messed up his hand badly enough to need surgery.

 

[2BFAST]

Watch...they will next be saying to outlaw golf carts

 

[DNice26]

That is terrible.

 

[OldeDude]

It was weird when my wife told me about this last night, she saw it on her local Facebook feed, as I had been there yesterday afternoon using the practice facilities. The pitching/chipping area is right below the 10th tees, and the cart path goes up the hill right by where I was practicing. I finished up about 10 - 15 minutes before the accident happened, and I can't help but wonder if that last cart I saw head up to #10 was the one that had the accident.

As @tahoebum mentioned, there was a fatal cart accident here many years ago, and it too was on the 10th. That one was on the hill well before the bridge, going through the switchbacks. They have since put curbs all along that cart path, added speed-bumps, and lots of warning signs.

 

[TheDoctor]

This is sad to hear and my thoughts are with the family of the deceased

In some ways, driving a cart is no different to driving a car, and driving a car under the influence of alcohol is illegal, so it wouldn't surprise me if the sale of alcohol on course ends up being regulated as well

 

[millsan1]

Sad to hear.

 

[jdtox]

Sad story for sure. I've seen some pretty crazy things happen in a golf cart. Its always fun and games till someone gets hurt...or in this case is killed.

 

[McLovin]

I'm surprised in a place like that, the carts don't activate a speed governor going down a hill.

Sad story. Even more sad that it involved alcohol.

exactly my thought. i'm not one to automatically lawyer up, but in this situation it sounds like the course should have anticipated the hill would be dangerous and provide carts with better safety measures.

 

[Canadan]

exactly my thought. i'm not one to automatically lawyer up, but in this situation it sounds like the course should have anticipated the hill would be dangerous and provide carts with better safety measures.

By providing alcohol, I'd argue they were doing quite the opposite.

 

[OldeDude]

Very sad. The carts are governed but it is super hilly and one of the two or three most dangerous courses for a golf cart that I've ever played. They had a similar death there about 10 years ago and I know of at least one death from a heart attack as well. My buddies son tipped a cart there two years ago and messed up his hand badly enough to need surgery.

As @tahoebum mentioned, there was a fatal cart accident here many years ago, and it too was on the 10th. That one was on the hill well before the bridge, going through the switchbacks. They have since put curbs all along that cart path, added speed-bumps, and lots of warning signs.

As you can see from the comments above, I don't know what else they could do. At some point in time we have to take responsibility for our own participation in activities that could be harmful to us. Believe me, the management of this course is very aware of the hazards related to operating a course in this type of terrain, and has been very proactive in attempts to mitigate those hazards.

 

[ntanygd760]

This is sad to hear and my thoughts are with the family of the deceased

In some ways, driving a cart is no different to driving a car, and driving a car under the influence of alcohol is illegal, so it wouldn't surprise me if the sale of alcohol on course ends up being regulated as well

By providing alcohol, I'd argue they were doing quite the opposite.

No more then a bar over serving. If they over served they can be liable but not for a dangerous hill, ends up being the same though. No regulations with serving on course will be changed because they are already in place in theory. It is up to the course to teach that though. Also the passenger will probably sue the driver and course.

 

[Bernoulli]

Very sad. The carts are governed but it is super hilly and one of the two or three most dangerous courses for a golf cart that I've ever played. They had a similar death there about 10 years ago and I know of at least one death from a heart attack as well. My buddies son tipped a cart there two years ago and messed up his hand badly enough to need surgery.

Similar death 10 years ago will be a problem for the course as will be the alcohol. Although the deceased, to some extent was responsible for his own demise, the design of the cart path, the course's prior knowledge of its danger and the fact that the course either allowed or served alcohol to be consumed on premises will likely result in the course facing some liability for this person's death.

 

[GraniteRoost]

That is awful. I think a lot of folks underestimate just how sketchy handling golf carts are even in the best of conditions. Only rear brakes, minimal suspension, all it takes is one rear tire to slide a little to go for a BIG ride. So easy to beark a golf cart loose.

Not saying this guy was fooling around, likely just trying to negotiate a difficult hill and made a mistake. But honestly the folks who intentionally rip 360's sliding down hills are asking for it.

 

[wadesworld]

Very sad. The carts are governed but it is super hilly and one of the two or three most dangerous courses for a golf cart that I've ever played. They had a similar death there about 10 years ago and I know of at least one death from a heart attack as well. My buddies son tipped a cart there two years ago and messed up his hand badly enough to need surgery.

Not every course can afford it, but a course I recently played utilized the GPS to govern the cart. While you were going down the super-steep switchbacks, you couldn't go above barely-creeping even if you put the accelerator to the floor. Hopefully more courses will implement that.

 

[GraniteRoost]

Not every course can afford it, but a course I recently played utilized the GPS to govern the cart. While you were going down the super-steep switchbacks, you couldn't go above barely-creeping even if you put the accelerator to the floor. Hopefully more courses will implement that.

But did it the GPS apply the brakes as well? I don't see how, and that's one of the issues... the braking systems on carts are entirely mechanical. No way for the computer to intervene to slow down. (Not that that should be required.) A top end private course I play is very mountainous with several switchback slopes throughout, and brand new Club Car GPS units. The carts will disable near greens/keepout areas, and stern audible and visual warnings will flash on the LCD display when steep slopes are encountered.

The cartpaths are well laid out and even then on a wet day it can get really slippery, even paying attention and going slow.

This thread has really made me wonder if it should not be a matter of law that golf carts have front brakes. I hate the idea of over-legislating things and unnecessary expense, however, its hard to overstate how much additional safety margin front brakes would provide.

 

[wadesworld]

But did it the GPS apply the brakes as well? I don't see how, and that's one of the issues... the braking systems on carts are entirely mechanical. No way for the computer to intervene to slow down. (Not that that should be required.) A top end private course I play is very mountainous with several switchback slopes throughout, and brand new Club Car GPS units. The carts will disable near greens/keepout areas, and stern audible and visual warnings will flash on the LCD display when steep slopes are encountered.

The cartpaths are well laid out and even then on a wet day it can get really slippery, even paying attention and going slow.

This thread has really made me wonder if it should not be a matter of law that golf carts have front brakes. I hate the idea of over-legislating things and unnecessary expense, however, its hard to overstate how much additional safety margin front brakes would provide.

Yeah, it did. At the top of the hill, no matter how hard you pressed the gas or let it coast, it would not go faster. It must have had some electronic gearing reduction.

 

[Stemmy66]

terrible story to hear, but stupid is as stupid does.... men in general are risk takers and too often don't accept the obvious dangers as such. Godspeed to his family.