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3:38PM Monday 08 September, 2008 Sunshine Coast weather Mostly sunny min 11° - max 23°

Golf balls aren't our problem: club

12:00a.m. 7th August 2008

| By Sam Benger

Golf balls aren't our problem: club

Dorothy Miller has been living alongside the Pelican Waters Golf Course for five years and constantly has golf balls flying onto her property. Photo: Brett Wortman/177521c

After five years living next door to Club Pelican golf course at Pelican Waters, Dorothy Miller has seen her fair share of stray golf balls land in her yard.

But until recently, Dorothy hasn’t had a problem with the golf balls, which have been known to end up in her swimming pool, hit her pot plants, crash into her roof and hit the satellite dish in her backyard.

Dorothy said she was previously reimbursed for any damage caused to her property by the golf course, but since new management took over in September last year, she was told there was nothing they could do.

She said she still had not been reimbursed for damage caused to her satellite dish in January last year, and had not been paid for a broken terracotta pot.

“In January last year, a ball caught itself in our satellite dish and we contacted (the previous management), got a quote for the repairs and the told us they’d get back to us. But they didn’t and we went overseas for three months and then when we returned we contacted them again and the new management had taken over and told us they knew nothing about it,” she said.

She said she was told to claim on her home insurance or find the golfer who did the damage and take it up with him.

But she said she believed it was the responsibility of the golf course to pay for the damage.

The Club Pelican manager refused to return phone calls from the Daily yesterday.

> What do you think? Should Mrs Miller be reimbursed for the golf ball damage or should she cop it sweet?

Recent Comments

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Posted by golfito from pacific paradise
on 7 August, 2008 at 4:50 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Obviously the golfers at Club Pelican need more practise - a lot more.
Posted by spamhaus from Bokarina
on 7 August, 2008 at 5:18 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
These photos are ridiculous. Tell me they didn't physically spread out those golf balls on the deck and ask her to crouch over them and look sad for the photo.

Is that how the deck looks every afternoon? Or is that all the balls ever that have landed in the yard? Or did they go and get those balls for the photo shoot?

But I do agree if the golf balls are damaging her property, the club should look after it.
Posted by chillibin from little mountain
on 7 August, 2008 at 6:28 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
It is a difficult one - she did buy a house bordering a golf course so I guess she knew the risks. However if management have previously coughed up for damage expenses then I guess they have set a precedent. What happens with all the other homes that border golf courses? Interesting one....
Posted by News_Watcher from Redcliffe
on 7 August, 2008 at 7:01 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Ed, Whilst the story is an interesting one, the new management of the Club Pelican should consider the practice of that club's previous owners to compensate. However, noting that the resident has a collection of golf balls; how much does a golf ball cost? Not being a player, if the management doesn't come to the party, then perhaps Dorothy should sell them. I remember times when motorists traveling along Sandgate Road in the Brisbane suburb of Virginia used to get hit with golf balls. Now I think there's a protective fence.
Posted by LilMissSunshine from local
on 7 August, 2008 at 7:35 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
You bought next door to a golf course... it just cant get more plain and simple than that.
Posted by Myke_Hunt from Mooloolaba
on 7 August, 2008 at 7:54 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Throw them back on their roof, and at their windows...they will get the Hint !
Posted by BigTiny from Wondai
on 7 August, 2008 at 8:14 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Sell the golf balls you collect and pay for the damage yourself..... Its the same old question though, were you there prior to the construction of the Course or did you buy, fully aware of what and who you had as a neighbour? Theres good money to be made from those lil white devils.....get together with your neighbours and collect and sell em by the bucket.
Posted by jdt1986 from Buderim
on 7 August, 2008 at 8:14 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Technically she should go through her insurance company... If she makes a claim and makes her insurance company aware that the golf course and its members are responsible for the damage, the insurance company will then usually go to the golf course for reimbursement of their own funds...
Posted by Robert from Buderim
on 7 August, 2008 at 8:14 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Perhaps the golf club management should think about the implications of a young child being seriously hurt.
Posted by bigvic from Coolum Beach
on 7 August, 2008 at 8:35 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Pelican Waters has always promoted itself as a GOLF estate. I am sure this home owner won't be whinging when she comes to sell her house and the golf course frontage adds $20,000 in value (at least)
Posted by SunshineCoaster from Maroochydore
on 7 August, 2008 at 8:40 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Surely the Club makes enough profit from membership and cost per game to cover this sort of insurance claim. I know Horton Park Golf Course have put the high nets in place to prevent too much carnage to residents, but will promptly cover any damages. It is part of having a golf course planned in with a suburban community.
If Club Pelican don't see this perspective maybe they should move their golf course out of a suburban area..maybe the back of Sippy Downs or even further.
Posted by Munners from Kawana
on 7 August, 2008 at 8:46 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Maybe they're aiming at the enormous satellite dish!
Posted by Paulas from Sunshine Beach
on 7 August, 2008 at 8:57 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Agree that she knew the risks before buying, however I don't think that removes all responsibility from the golf club. Knowing the strange hitting habits of its members, the Club has a responsibility to reduce the risk to people outside its boundary fence.

Sounds like a good case for the lawyers if the Club now wants to play ignorant.
Posted by Cowgirl from Valdora
on 7 August, 2008 at 9:54 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Looks a little staged to me. Lets face it all she's had damaged in the past was a pot and her sat dish. Yes I think the club should be responsible if its something like a window, very expensive to fix but hasn't she just gone overseas for three months? Surely a new pot would be in her budget.
Posted by wallet72 from Pelican Waters
on 7 August, 2008 at 9:54 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I do feel for her, but she did buy her house knowing the golf course was there.

I bet she would be the first to complain if the golf club decides the answer is to string huge nets around the boundary and ruin the view.
Posted by My_2_cents from Southern end
on 7 August, 2008 at 11:20 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I wonder if Anna Bligh is the Club Pelican's new manager ?! Sounds like her managerial style ... a problem ??? Where's the sand, my ears are getting cold !

Bligh ... Pelican ... it all fits so well :)

To digress (and go to the issue), I thought golf clubs had insurance policies for these incidents ? I'm sure she's not the only 'victim' of golfers with abilities similar to mine.
Posted by nathan from caloundra
on 7 August, 2008 at 11:24 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
three words. suck. it. up.
Posted by Bentley from Pelican Waters
on 7 August, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The Masterplan is a Golf Course / Waterfront estate. I am sure she appreciates the view, the added value this provides, together with the reduced number of neighbours homes bordering her property. Not the first time someone living on a golf course wanted pristine golf course views but without the hassle of actual golfers. Looks very staged and "tabloid" to me.
Posted by LJ_Turner from Marcoola
on 7 August, 2008 at 12:40 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I think this is a joke. It's akin to buying next to an Airport and then whinging about the noise of planes.

Posted by Cooroy_Kid from Cooroy
on 7 August, 2008 at 2:16 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I can't wait to see who is complaining about what in tomorrow's Daily.

Get a life, people!
Posted by SunshineCoaster from Maroochydore
on 7 August, 2008 at 3:20 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Maybe she has the same problem they have here in Maroochydore with Horton Park Golf Course...by the time the golfers get around to the 13th hole many of the bad shots are due to excessive drinking on the course and the players are intoxicated. Maybe a ban on alcohol on the course would help!
Horton Park even have a guy driving around in a beer cart promoting this behaviour. Lucky it's not a shooting range!
Posted by bendertiger from Calamvale
on 7 August, 2008 at 4 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
She has a legal right to be re-imbursed by the golf course for the damage! The golf course has failed to take reasonable steps to mitigate the KNOWN and OBVIOUS risk of stray balls. I.e. placing a tall net on their side of the fence which has the ability to catch stray balls.

What happens if this woman is out in her garden one day, get's clunked in the head by a stray ball and suffers bleeding causing her to become epileptic and suffer seizures? The course will be liable then, by the course allowing golfer's to use it's facilities provided for a fee and to the knowledge of the golf course itself, they then assume responsibility for the action's of the individual golfer's unless that golfer is negligent in their actions i.e. purposely aim's a ball smack bang at her house!
Posted by buderimbob from Buderim
on 7 August, 2008 at 5:17 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
bendertiger it was good to read your intelligent blog.There were some good points made from some of the bloggers but most weren't worthy of reading.
I live on a golf course boundary on land that my wife and I paid for through hard work.The golf course has a boundary and if any missile,ball or club, causes damage to my property then I would expect compensation from the golf club.
To return to bendertiger's comments I doubt if any golf club committee would leave itself open to litigation if a nearby resident or somebody walking/driving past the course was seriously injured.
If I was Dorothy Miller I would have my solicitor talk to the club committee and add the solicitor's fee to the damage bill.
Posted by jayboy from moolooaba
on 7 August, 2008 at 7:26 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
sue the club dorrie
whatsamatter got no balls
Posted by bobbie from Pelican Waters
on 7 August, 2008 at 9:35 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
As a resident living on the golf course, i expect to have the odd one fly into my back yard and pool etc, and when i get damage i will be persuing the golf club for damages and see how i go....BUT my biggest concern is that i have been outside near the pool on occasions and have had a golf ball land very near to me. This worries me for the safety of my little children who could be seriously hurt, but more because the golfers on the course do not have the decency to shout 'FOUR' when they miss-hit and it goes in the direction of the houses. I would think this is something that the club should highlight with their members, as this kind of injury could cause them major litigation problems, and could be somewhat prevented if you know there is a ball coming in your direction....where has common courtesy gone??
Posted by Munners from Kawana
on 8 August, 2008 at 7:57 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I wonder if the complainant would like a massive net strung outside her house.
Posted by Phil_Surfmore from Alex
on 8 August, 2008 at 10:07 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I love golf. If it was easy, everybody would do it!
Go for the net, Dorothy, its your only hope.

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