On the back nine this afternoon. It's me and 3 of my friends. Lefty hits a big slice down the left, left of the fence-line, re-tees and hits another down the fairway. He lets the first one go, so we're all in the fairway waiting to hit our seconds. An older gentlemen start screaming from his back yard, "Did someone hit a ball over here?", no one really acknowledges him the first time so he asks again. My friend raises his hand and says, "Yah, I did." So the older man yells back, "Well I need a name and number from someone before you take off."
Well, I know his ball was definitely over the fence but it didn't look like it was deep enough to hit a house, we definitely didn't hear anything from the box, but the hole was playing down wind. I'm a member out there and the other 3 are not, so I told my friend I'd go talk to him.
I go over and ask him if everything is OK. All he can say is "You either hit my house or car so I need a name and number." So, I reply, "Is something broken?" He says, "I don't know yet, I need a name and number though, you either hit my house or car." I start to get frustrated at this point, it's one thing if we've broken a window or dented a car or something, but all he really has at this point is that he heard a ball (I can only assume hit his roof from his reaction) but he wants to blame us for something.
So, I ask, albeit in a smartass tone, "Was it the house, or was it the car." He again replies that he doesn't know. "So, you want our information, but you don't know if I've done damage to either your house or car? I'm not going to do that." He says, "That's right." So I tell him, "Take a look around, go check out your car, I want to see what damage your claiming before I give you any information." He says we're going to drive off if he walks away, I assure him we wont. He goes to the front of his house and comes back on his phone, and says "I have your cart number, I'll just call the proshop and get your name." I said, "Sure that's fine, they should have it for you." At that point, his wife, who I haven't noticed this whole time comes out from the patio and says, "Wouldn't it just be easier if you gave him your information." I said, "I don't think there is any reason to, I grew up on a golf course and we were always told it's the homeowners responsibility if something happens, you assume liability." She said "Try telling that to your insurance company." At that point, I said fine, call Tony, call Ken (pros at the club), they know who I am, they can give you my info. He says, "Oh you're a member?" I say yes sir, so he says, "Well then I guess you won't be very hard to track down." I say I guess not and drive off....
Anyway..
Question 1: I know I didn't take the high road, but am I the A-Hole here?
Question 2: Am I right in the fact that it's the homeowners responsibility?
Well, I know his ball was definitely over the fence but it didn't look like it was deep enough to hit a house, we definitely didn't hear anything from the box, but the hole was playing down wind. I'm a member out there and the other 3 are not, so I told my friend I'd go talk to him.
I go over and ask him if everything is OK. All he can say is "You either hit my house or car so I need a name and number." So, I reply, "Is something broken?" He says, "I don't know yet, I need a name and number though, you either hit my house or car." I start to get frustrated at this point, it's one thing if we've broken a window or dented a car or something, but all he really has at this point is that he heard a ball (I can only assume hit his roof from his reaction) but he wants to blame us for something.
So, I ask, albeit in a smartass tone, "Was it the house, or was it the car." He again replies that he doesn't know. "So, you want our information, but you don't know if I've done damage to either your house or car? I'm not going to do that." He says, "That's right." So I tell him, "Take a look around, go check out your car, I want to see what damage your claiming before I give you any information." He says we're going to drive off if he walks away, I assure him we wont. He goes to the front of his house and comes back on his phone, and says "I have your cart number, I'll just call the proshop and get your name." I said, "Sure that's fine, they should have it for you." At that point, his wife, who I haven't noticed this whole time comes out from the patio and says, "Wouldn't it just be easier if you gave him your information." I said, "I don't think there is any reason to, I grew up on a golf course and we were always told it's the homeowners responsibility if something happens, you assume liability." She said "Try telling that to your insurance company." At that point, I said fine, call Tony, call Ken (pros at the club), they know who I am, they can give you my info. He says, "Oh you're a member?" I say yes sir, so he says, "Well then I guess you won't be very hard to track down." I say I guess not and drive off....
Anyway..
Question 1: I know I didn't take the high road, but am I the A-Hole here?
Question 2: Am I right in the fact that it's the homeowners responsibility?