Golfer hit by ball on head loses bid to sue

A JUDGE has struck a benchmark for golfers by dismissing a claim by a player who was hit on the head by a ball.

Iain Gray, 69, had sued the club where he was a lifelong member after a wayward tee shot caused him brain injuries.

He was left with an increased risk of epilepsy, dizzy spells and speech difficulties.

In his action against Workington Golf Club in Cumbria he claimed he never heard a shout of “Fore”, the usual alert when a ball is mis- hit.

Judge Catherine Howells presiding over his county court claim said she felt sympathetic but that there was no way the club could have foreseen or prevented the rare incident.

She told the hearing at Workington’s West Cumbria Court House: “My sympathies are with the claimant.

“But he was extremely unfortunate to be hit by an errant ball.”

Mr Gray, a married father of one, suffered “focal injury damage” in the accident in 2011.

He was standing beside the green at the 307- yard second hole at the £ 540- a- year club, which he joined at 17.

When Graeme Hodkin, 47, teed off from the first hole, he hooked his 220 yard shot to the left and it cleared 18ft high trees before hitting Mr Gray.

Expert witness Jonathan Allbutt said 20,000 games a year were played on the course but this was the only accident of its kind.

After the judge’s decision Mr Gray said: “When you suffer significant brain damage that affects your life and family but the law deems you have lost the case it tells you everything.”

The club said: “We take health and safety very seriously but golf is not without its risks.”