FORE!!!

The recent Formula One accident and the serious injuries sustained by Philippe Massa got me thinking about the golf ball. While accidents in F1 are commonplace, the drivers and manufacturers have spent millions on protecting themselves and making the vehicle as safe as possible. Nobody could have predicted a spring falling off one vehicle and hitting another driver on the head while travelling at 250km/h.

On the golf course however, the risk of being hit by a golf ball is rather high. We seem to take this for granted because the probability seems low and there are few reported incidents. Despite the fact that we don't have any protective wear, there's also a belief that most golfers can hit straight enough - even though we may now and again shank a ball 60 degrees.

The average speed of a golf ball, when it leaves the club head, is 150km/h. This is an average because we know that the size of the club head, speed of the swing and design of the golf ball all determine the velocity. On an average 250m drive the speed would have reduced to about 70km/h by the time it hits the fairway - significantly slower but it can still cause damage to our fragile bodies.

I absolutely abhor golfers who fail to shout "fore" when they see their ball travelling in the direction of other golfers. It's just one of the many courtesies that should be extended on the golf course - the only one, in fact, that can prevent injury. It sometimes also happens that a golfer playing an adjacent hole may find himself on your fairway - that does not necessarily give you the "right of way". I've also played with some guys who felt it to be their duty to rush the slower 4-ball ahead of them by firing a drive just after the 4-ball's moved on after playing their 2nd shots. That's just silly.

Let's be more aware on the golf course and treat the other golfers as all being part of the the Greater Fellowship of Golf.