Golf course owners and operators, or at least their attorneys, are no strangers to the inside of a courtroom. In fact, golf courses, and those who run them, have a history for being the subject of lawsuits for a variety of reasons, including errant golf shots and golf car mishaps.
In an effort to help support owners and operators, the National Golf Course Owners Association recently launched its Champions Circle, an advocacy initiative aimed at assisting golf course owners and operators facing litigation.
The NGCOA, like many other allied golf associations, has a history of advocating on behalf of owners and operators since it was founded nearly a half-century ago.
Golf courses often are the subject of lawsuits for reasons, such as errant shots that strike golfers, nearby homes and passing cars. Others have been sued when golfers crash after losing control of their golf car. Earlier this year, a group of golfers sued a municipality over selling tee times for the city's seven public golf courses to a foreign third-party purveyor. In 2022, a man sued a Massachusetts golf course when he was denied an SUV he says he won as a hole-in-one prize after recording an ace on the hole.
As part of its commitment to help golf industry professionals navigate through legal waters, the association recently stepped up to assist Indian Pond Golf Club in Massachusetts and Cazenovia Golf Club in New York, both of which became embroiled in litigation as a result of errant shots by players.
According to the NGCOA: "In more recent years, we've faced a rising tide of litigation targeting the golf industry, and NGCOA's advocacy department has remained vigilant, responsive and victorious."
In the Indian Pond case, homeowners are seeking relief after their home reportedly has been hit by a barrage of golf balls. The couple initially was awarded a $3.5 million settlement, which was set aside by a Supreme Judicial Court judge.
In the Cazenovia case, a golfer filed suit after saying he was injured upon being struck in the eye by an errant shot from another participant during a tournament.
The goals of the Champions Circle program are:
- Support emergency legal and advocacy needs;
- Support ongoing golf industry organizations and their initiatives to amplify our collective voices, and provide greater influence, exposure and guidance in complex external factors;
- Build a network of legal professionals in areas of liability, human relations and property management;
- Support future and yet-to-be-determined advocacy work.
According to the association: "Our fight has continued as more policies and laws have arisen that have negatively impacted the golf industry — many at the state and local levels. More will come. And though NGCOA continues to assist, we'll need the industry to help build our offense and defense to assist directly in these fights — and to continue providing our member courses with timely and effective legal and emergency response."