Are Golfers Responsible For Broken Windows (Or Other Damage)?

Golf is a sport enjoyed by thousands of players, and if you have the misfortune of living on a golf course, you may be victim to thousands of errant golf balls that break your windows. Not all golfers are blessed with great ability, and most of the time, an errant shot can be struck near your home and break your windows. That’s a frustrating proposition, especially if it happens frequently.

The law states that the golfer who broke a window nor the golf course are required to pay for broken windows or damage as long as they didn’t do it on purpose and the house was built after the course was. If the golfer was playing normally and it was not their intention to cause any harm to your property, then they aren’t liable.

That seems counterintuitive afterall they were the one who broke your window or damaged your property. However is most locations the houses were built after the golf course so by building or buying the home you accepted the liability that a stray golf ball might damage your house or property. If your house was built before the golf course was then typically the golf course is liable but again, the golfer is not liable.

The golfer simply misjudged their shot and accidentally broke your window or caused other damages to your property.

To see some of the latest and greatest golfing gadgets currently on the market just click here.

Who Should be Held Accountable?

Some people believe that all golfers should be held accountable for the damage they caused to a property regardless of how they were playing. If you broke a window, you must pay for the damages, and many golf courses have explicit rules that dictate the liabilities for causing damage to any home.

However, it is not strictly implemented, and most of the time, golfers escape any liability even if they have caused damage to the property.

There are two parties at fault here, the golfer and the golf course. There must be some institution that must pay for the damage caused to the property, but that fails to pass most of the time. So, if a golfer damages your property, it could be that no one pays for the damages. You will have to foot the bill because the golf course and the golfer could claim that they were playing normally, and it was an accident that couldn’t have been avoided.

Are Golf Courses Held Responsible for Damages?

Golf courses mainly avoid any responsibility for damages caused to the property of an individual because they build the golf course first and then the houses are built afterwards. Since those houses were built on the golf course that was already there, the builder (and subsequent owners) knew that broken windows or damaged property were a possibility and accepted that liability.

In most cases, the golf club will be liable only if they built it after the houses nearby were built. In that case the homeowner could go after the course for the damage.

How Do I Protect Golf Balls from Coming into Your Yard?

Even though it can be hard to pinpoint who has committed the damage, you can do some things to ensure that errant golf balls don’t damage your property. There are numerous ways to protect your windows from golf balls, and we will be sharing the top five methods you can employ. These include the following ways:

1. Golf Ball Screen

There are companies out there that provide golf ball screens that can be attached to the windows of your house and stop errant golf balls from breaking the windows. All you must do is erect these screens over your windows and ensure that any golf ball that comes into your yard will hit the screen rather than smash your windows.

The quality of the golf ball screen will determine the extent of the damage to your window, so ensure that you only get the best quality golf ball screens for your home.

2. Roll Down Panels

You can install roll-down panels if you don’t want a permanent solution fixed in place of your windows for errant golf balls smashing into them. These panels can be installed near your windows and protect them against errant golf balls that may fly out of the sky.

The best part about these panels is that they can be rolled down when no one is playing golf, so they won’t ruin the look and appeal of your windows and ensure that you get complete protection from errant golf balls in return.

3. Plexiglas

You can install Plexiglass windows, which are sturdier than your normal windows, and ensure no errant golf ball breaks down your window. These windows will ensure that you are not compromising the security of your home, and errant golf balls won’t be smashing into your home.

Plexiglas windows are promising because they can protect your home from golf balls that come flying into your backyard and are a suitable proposition for homes on the golf course.

4. Screen Enclosure

You can also get a small screen enclosure installed in your backyard to protect errant golf balls from landing in your backyard but will not damage your windows. These screens will ensure that the golf balls hit them instead of your windows and won’t cause substantial damage to your property in return.

The best part about these screen enclosures is that they can be erected in front of your windows and are affordable.

5. Netting

The final solution for errant golf balls breaking your windows is to install netting around your windows and in your backyard. It will collect all the errant golf balls that come the way of your home and will prevent damage to your windows and other areas of the home.

It’s a cost-effective solution to ensuring that no stray golf ball that lands in your backyard causes any harm to your windows or other areas of the home.

Conclusion

Even though the golfer who broke your window might seem to be the one who would have to pay in the event of damage that is actually not the case. The golf course will also escape liability if they can prove that the golfer was playing normally and wasn’t out to cause any harm and the home was built after the course was.

Therefore, the best solution for you is to protect your home from errant golf balls so that you’re not repeatedly replacing your broken windows and replacing things at your house from damage caused by golf balls.