The High Court has dismissed a spectator’s claim after he was struck by a golf ball during the 2016 West of Ireland Amateur Golf Championship at Rosses Point Golf Club, County Sligo. The court found that the golfer had played the shot correctly and that there was no evidential basis for finding the tournament organisers negligent.
The judgment, delivered by Ms Justice Bronagh O’Hanlon on 4 June 2021, concerned an incident on the 11th hole. The plaintiff, Colm Campbell, was watching the quarter-final when a shot by competitor Kevin Le Blanc struck him on the head. Campbell told the court he had been talking with friends and was not watching when Le Blanc hit the ball. He said he had been standing near a path, but was unsure of his precise position.
The dispute included whether Le Blanc’s shot was wayward and whether he should have shouted “Fore”, and whether Campbell was standing in a safe place. The court accepted evidence from Le Blanc, his caddy and the referee that the shot followed its intended line and was not considered wayward. From where he played, Le Blanc could not see the green or the spectators to its left. The judge said it would have been unreasonable to expect him to walk forward to check the line before playing, given the 40-second time limit.
The organisers, County Sligo Golf Club and the Golfing Union of Ireland National Coaching Academy Limited, were also sued over the absence of stewards, signs or barriers directing spectators. The judgment said spectators at the amateur championship largely regulated themselves and were expected to understand golf and take care for their own safety. The court found no evidence supporting negligence by the organisers.
The judge distinguished the case from an earlier golf injury claim involving a person seated in a cordoned-off area. She concluded that the evidence supported the defendants’ position and dismissed Campbell’s claim. Because the ruling was against him on liability, the court did not address the medical evidence or determine damages.