who's responsible?

"Judge Makes Ruling on Errant Golf Ball"

The link is to a Trib article posted recently: A woman whose property lines the 17th hole of a golf course in the western Suburbs of Chicago was struck in the head by an errant tee shot. She has since developed migraine headaches, and is attempting to sue the golfer for damages.

The comments are about as inspirational to the human condition as watching Democrats and Republicans "cooperate" to lead our nation these days. There, I said it. Polarization and blame-gaming is the most distressing, yet prevalent issue that seems to be driving our general opinions these days. I'll go down swinging to say that our poor decision-making skills are as evident on a golf course as they are in our media.

There's a choice to play the course, and how to play each hole. There is also the choice to live alongside a course. There is also the choice to plot the land for development so that the arrangement of homes and play-path are questionable. Finally, there is the decision of personal-injury counsel to seek damages for situations involving inherent risk.

I don't blame Mrs. Demo for being upset with her misfortune. When I have had a migraine, nothing in the world is right. I cannot blame daylight for making my life hurt. Now Mrs. Demo could now be said to suffer a new condition: solastalgia, “the pain experienced when there is recognition that the place where one resides and that one loves is under immediate assault . . . a form of homesickness one gets when one is still at ‘home.’ ” [Click here for the article where I found this term.] This is sickly ironic, since people usually like to live by golf courses to enjoy the aesthetic of the course. Do they not consider, such as when they apply to insure their homes, that such a problem-potential exists?

The clichés abound--namely, "there are no roses without their thorns." Hey, I love to be in a relationship...until it falls apart in a fiery crash, metaphorically speaking. Then I go to therapy until I stop blaming the partner for my own misfortune. The issue is not about blame, but about the fact that life has its ups and downs. When my mom passed away, there was a chance for us to question the practices of the hospital. Does it bring Mom back?

No. The part that hurts the most cannot be undone. The part we wish we could get back does not improve. Money and justice are useless to assuage this. Only time and intention provide any healing.

UNLESS the prosecution can prove that Mr. Kinney's intention was to sacrifice his shot to cause a course-side resident harm, which I am in no position to consider here. I can imagine the confusion that such a precedent could set. Spectator events could be scattered with people who might think that they could cash in on a professional's errant shot. So what if they paid for the ticket to watch? These are professionals, right?

I can imagine counsel for the defense advising against further apology...in which case, I would say that Mr. Kinney and the members of his legal team should be banned from the game. That, friends, is bad golf.