Golf is supposed to be fun, right? And hell yeah it is! But the game also requires you to be careful about your surroundings. Being well-aware on the golf course can go a long way you know – you can prevent accidentally hitting someone or being hit yourself.
The most common injuries in golf, however, have nothing to do with golf balls. These are mainly caused by golfing too much or over-swinging.
You should be physically strong enough to play an 18-hole round of golf. And when playing, scan your environment – never take a shot when someone is standing in front of you and even you mustn’t stand in front of a golfer shooting his/her ball.
Death by a golf ball – not the most common accident indeed, not even on the list of rare incidents or mishaps that occur on the golf course. But then being hit by one is not completely unavoidable or impossible.
Golf balls, for sure, move very, very speedily, which amps up the combined mass of the ball. Meaning that rapid speed increases the weight of the ball. And when the golf ball is in fast motion like this and, by chance, ends up hitting someone’s head, nose, eye, etc., it certainly can cause some serious trouble.
But then has anyone been killed by a golf ball? And how common are such accidents on the golf course? Time to find out!
The Truth About ‘Can A Golf Ball Kill You?’
Loud and clear – golf balls DO NOT carry huge amounts of kinetic energy and then there’s the compression effect as well that takes place on impact. And just this much should suffice when it comes to stating the fact that a fatal accident caused by a golf ball is highly, highly unlikely, and rare.
There may be OTHER kinds of fatal incidents on the golf course but these, more often than not, don’t involve golf balls. Although just in 2018, a man in New Zealand playing golf with his buddies was struck by a ball in the face (the temple) and then died a few days later because of that particular injury.
Even so, hardly any humans actually die after being hit by a golf ball. A threat like that is very, very low. To be honest, people (including those playing golf on the course) do get struck by golf balls. It happens all the time but such an everyday occurrence leading to a freakish death is almost statistically impossible.
What Needs to Be Done If You’re Hit In the Head By A Golf Ball?
Getting hit in the head with a golf ball definitely should not be taken lightly. You could get a concussion, which is most likely to temporarily disrupt your normal brain functioning. So after getting struck, if there’s any nausea, headache, dizziness, or feelings of withdrawal or confusion, please see a doctor as soon as possible and get an MRI done.
Suppose the golf ball comes in contact with your hand or any other part of the body (except for the head of course) and, at the same time, if that blow isn’t severe, you should be alright.
How to Avoid this kind of Golfing accident?
Golf-equipment-related injuries are very few. And even when you think you can avoid getting hurt, there’s not much you can do to achieve that.
- Just don’t stand in front of golfers taking their shots.
- When whoever is swinging, stand behind that person.
- Always know who the next golfer is for hitting the shot.
- And you, as a golfer yourself, should never swing your club when someone or a group of people is standing in front of you.
How Likely Are You to Get Struck By A Golf Ball?
The exact odds, obviously, cannot be stated because every situation/exposure is different. Meaning not every person is hit by a golf ball in the same manner and/or with the same speed or intensity.
But then if you play golf every single day or live or work on a golf course, certainly those odds of getting struck by a ball become higher. Otherwise, the chances are quite slim (less than even 1-percent).
And the same can be said for those who aren’t careful when on the course. For instance, if you just stand in front of a group of golfers hitting shots expecting them to be skilled or careful enough to shoot the ball around or over you, you’re then only welcoming unnecessary trouble.
