Suncheon Golf Course 50s Pond Drowning Accident
Suddenly Hit in Chest by Ball Flying from Sky and Collapsed
Half of Golf Course Accidents Are 'Cart Accidents'
Korea Consumer Agency Urges Compliance with Safety Rules
[Asia Economy Reporter Seunggon Han] On the 27th of last month, a woman in her 50s, Ms. A, drowned and died after falling into a pond at a golf course in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do. According to the police, Ms. A was playing golf with three companions when she moved alone toward the pond to look for her ball after a driver shot. She was rescued by 119 rescue workers who arrived after the report, about 40 minutes later, and was transported to a hospital but passed away.
There are two main types of ponds related to this accident within the golf course. One is a scenic pond with a depth of about 1 meter, and the other is a retention-type pond about 3 meters deep, designed to collect water. Drowning accidents at golf courses are mostly known to occur in retention-type ponds. The pond where Ms. A fell was reported to be about 3 meters deep.
However, there are many criticisms that this accident occurred because the golf course failed to properly fulfill its safety management duties. It was revealed that the golf course neglected safety management by not installing warning signs or fences to alert about the risk of falling. The police are also reportedly investigating whether the golf course was negligent.
Among office workers who do not have golf as a hobby, this kind of accident?falling into a pond while retrieving a golf ball?is often seen as incomprehensible. However, golfers say such accidents are not uncommon. This reflects that there are many safety accidents, big and small, at golf courses, including being hit by golf balls or falling from golf carts.
◆ Suddenly hit in the chest by a ball flying from the sky... four weeks of medical treatment
In June 2018, Mr. B was playing a round with acquaintances at a golf course in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, when he was hit in the chest by a ball flying from somewhere as he passed the 7th hole and collapsed. The ball, hit from the 6th hole tee shot, flew 210 meters to the 7th hole and struck Mr. B’s chest, resulting in a diagnosis requiring four weeks of medical treatment.
Mr. B sued the golf course, and Mr. C, who was in charge of safety at the golf course, was brought to trial on charges of failing to fulfill his duty of care. The court ruled that considering Mr. C’s duties, it was realistically difficult to predict the direction of each shot and warn adjacent holes accordingly, and acknowledged that regular safety education to prevent ball accidents was conducted for caddies, thus acquitting Mr. C.
On the other hand, there was a ruling recognizing the responsibility of a golf course caddie. In July 2019, at a golf club, four people including Mr. E, Mr. and Mrs. F, and Mr. G were playing a round with Mr. D as the caddie. Mr. E took his second shot at the 8th hole, and Mr. F, about 40 meters ahead, was hit in the right eye by the golf ball. It was a serious injury requiring treatment.
The prosecution charged Mr. D with professional negligence causing injury, arguing that he knew the proximity of Mr. E’s and the victim’s positions but placed the victim in front of Mr. E, leading to the accident. However, Mr. F did not want to press charges. Since professional negligence causing injury is a quasi-offense (where prosecution is not pursued if the victim does not want the perpetrator punished), the case was dismissed. Nevertheless, considering that the main responsibility lay with Mr. E and that the victim was partly at fault, a fine of 5 million KRW was imposed.
As a result, among golfers, there is an opinion that safety accidents at golf courses can always happen, so safety rules must be strictly followed. Mr. Kim, a mid-30s office worker, said, "I don’t play golf often, but from what I hear around me, you can get hurt by balls flying suddenly, so you always have to be careful." He added, "But even if you are careful, accidents don’t just disappear. Ultimately, everyone must follow safety rules while enjoying golf."
◆ Increasing golf cart-related accidents... Korea Consumer Agency urges compliance with safety rules
Also, in 2020, a woman in her 50s was seriously injured after colliding with a road at a golf course in Gangwon Province, and last year, a woman in her 60s died from a head injury at a golf course in Chungbuk.
In October 2020, at a golf course in Changwon, a user sitting next to a caddie on a golf cart fell when their right foot got caught on the cart path, hit their head on the ground, and was urgently transported to a hospital.
Golf cart-related safety accidents continue to occur. According to the Korea Consumer Agency, among 87 consumer harm cases related to golf courses reported to the Consumer Injury Surveillance System (CISS) from 2018 to 2021, 44 cases (50.6%) involved golf carts.
In a survey conducted by the Consumer Agency on the safety status of cart roads and golf cart performance at 10 public golf courses nationwide, it was found that safety facility management on some cart roads and golf cart safety devices were insufficient.
Among the 19 cart roads installed at the 10 surveyed sites, 51 steep slope sections requiring caution during golf cart driving were identified (maximum slope angle 16.8°). However, safety facilities such as anti-slip pavement or warning signs were insufficient at 22 locations (43.1%). Also, 11 of the 19 cart roads (57.9%) required repairs due to surface depressions, and some roads had poor drainage performance.
The Korea Consumer Agency recommended golf course operators improve facilities and equipment to prevent safety accidents and urged golf cart users to follow safety rules such as getting on and off the cart only when it is completely stopped and holding the safety handles.
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