THOSE FAMILIAR WITH the No. 8/No. 17 hole at Port Townsend Golf Club know that San Juan Avenue runs along the entire length of the left-hand side of the par-4.
There’s a large Aspen or birch tree (I’m a golf columnist not a botanist) on the right side of the fairway and players should aim just to its left to have a shot at a solid approach to the two-tier green.
Or you can snap hook your drive directly into the passenger side windshield of an oncoming Dodge Caravan.
I don’t recommend it, but I did just that one balmy spring day during a high school golf practice.
Things went from bad to worse when the van stopped and a shaking, visibly distraught newborn mom ran over to the golf course.
Turn’s out there was a two-week old baby lounging in a car seat just behind that windshield.
Luckily for me and my opposite-of-flush bank account at the time, there was no physical damage to anything involved.
Mom? Upset to the extreme and probably not likely to let the little one near the links at any time.
Baby? Still sleeping peacefully.
Windshield? Not a ding to be seen. The ball just bounced off and into a ditch.
I found the ball but I was a little shaken myself from my direct hit that turned into a near miss and I didn’t finish the last two holes.
Thankfully, this is the only time I have ever hit anyone while playing a round.
I’ve had many chances to use the traditional shout of “Fore” for my wayward shots, they just haven’t found any other victims.
A pre-New Year’s judgement in New York State Court found that golfers are not entitled to that courtesy while out on the course when the New York State Court of Appeals ruled against a personal injury lawsuit.
According to an Associated Press account, Dr. Anoop Kapoor and Dr. Azad Anand were playing on a nine-hole Long Island course in October 2002 when Anand was hit in the head while looking for his ball on a fairway, blinding him in one eye.
The seven judges on the state Court of Appeals, siding with lower courts, said Kapoor’s failure to yell in advance of his errant shot from the rough did not amount to intentional or reckless conduct.
“The manner in which Anand was injured — being hit without warning by a ‘shanked’ shot while one searches for one’s own ball — reflects a commonly appreciated risk of golf,” the Court’s ruling said.
The court cited a judge’s finding that Anand was not in the foreseeable zone of danger and, as a golfer, consented to the inherent risks of the sport.
The inherent risks portion of that ruling reminds me of the warning of the danger of thrown bats and thrown or batted balls printed on baseball ticket stubs.
The Virginia State Supreme Court batted down a similar claim in 2003.
So I would expect if a spectator was injured from an errant tee shot or approach . . . say in Tacoma during the 2015 U.S. Open and they promptly sued, that our state courts would find no room for recovery for the injured spectator.
For more on the Kapoor-Anand story visit http://tinyurl.com/2e8zjse.
SkyRidge Winter Links
The 27-hole Winter Links Open at SkyRidge Golf Course in Sequim is set for Saturday, Feb. 5.
The four-person team event has some special rules.
Players will play with a partner for nine holes of scramble golf, switch to a different partner for nine holes of two-person best ball and then play alternate shot with the last partner for the final nine holes.
Each team must have a total handicap index of 24.0 or greater.
Handicap will be determined by giving each two-person team 15 percent of its added total for the scramble, 25 percent of its full handicap for the better ball and 20 percent of its added total for the alternate shot format.
Tee time is set for 8:30 a.m. (barring frost).
Cost is $160 per team and includes all that golf, food, range balls, four KP’s, an LP and competition money.
An optional honey pot is available for $80 per team.
Cart seats are going for $15 for the 27 holes.
SkyRidge is an easy course to walk, but I think most will take advantage of the cart. It would be a wise choice.
Arctic Open set
Port Townsend Golf Club’s next tournament is the always popular Arctic Open on Feb. 12-13.
The past couple of months have given golfers a good chance to practice in many types of weather: snow, rain, freezing cold, etc.
Players who went out in the conditions should have a leg up experience-wise for the Arctic Open, which is played in any type of weather.
The golf course also holds an all-day $10 skins game on Saturdays.
It’s $10 for the game and $10 for greens fees.
The course’s three-month long Winter Eclectic began on New Year’s Day.
For more information on any Port Townsend Golf Club event, phone the course at 360-385-4547.
Save the date
Seven Cedars Casino, and by extension, Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course in Sequim, is one of five presenting sponsors for the annual Seattle Golf and Travel Show at the Qwest Field Event Center on Feb. 11-13.
All the big names in the world of golf equipment and apparel will be on hand for the event.
If golfers want to make an evening of it in the big city, the Crowne Plaza of Seattle is offering a special Seattle Golf Show rate of $99 for single/double occupancy.
Book your rooms at www.cphotelseattle.com, or phone 877-410-2551 and ask for the Seattle Golf Show rate.
Reservations for that rate are good through today.
It also includes a 50-percent off rate for parking.
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Michael Carman is the golf columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. He can be reached at 360-417-3527 or at pdngolf@gmail.com.