Golfer who lost an eye sues club for £750k

A golfer who lost an eye at Niddry Castle Golf Club in Scotland is suing the club over a lack of signage, and the golfer who hit the ball.

Anthony Phee, 44, has launched a case for £750,000 at the Court of Session in Edinburgh after a stray shot hit him in the eye. The impact was so powerful that the eye had to be removed.

The golfer who hit the ball shouted ‘fore’, and this, claimed Mr Phee, meant that he ducked. However, the ball was only just above the ground at the time.

He is suing Niddry Castle as there are no signs on the course to warn players of shots from the 18th tee or to tell players to wait while the shots are played. It is believed a risk assessment would have revealed the potential danger to golfers standing where Mr Phee was located at the time of the incident. Mr Phee was not a member of the club and had never played there before.

He is suing the other golfer, James Gordon, as “It is common knowledge among golfers that it is the responsibility of the striker of the ball to satisfy himself that his shot cannot harm anyone.” Mr Gordon has claimed that Mr Phee was playing in a group of four, and the other three “went down” when he shouted ‘fore’, but Mr Phee looked upwards.