Glass shattered, leaving shards on her arms and in her hair. The damage spread at least eight inches in every direction."I thought I was shot," said Marsh. "I'm sure glad I wasn't." It was no bullet. Marsh and her classic Mercedes 500 SL were victims of an errant golf ball.Lemay Avenue in Fort Collins runs right alongside the practice facility for Collindale Golf Course, owned and operated by the City of Fort Collins. A 55-foot high net runs the entire length of the practice range. It's big enough to stop most – but not all – golf balls. Still reeling from the broken glass, Marsh proceeded directly to the course, where she expected restitution, or at least an apology. "They said there was nothing they could do because when you drive by a golf course you do it at your own risk," said Marsh. Golf course officials put it a bit differently. Colorado law stipulates the operators of the course must do their best to maintain the course in a reasonable manner to best prevent instances like this from happening. After that, they are generally not held responsible for the actions of highly unskilled (or even mischievous) golfers. "We've invested nearly $600,000 in the last five years in netting," said Jerry Brown, Manager of Golf for the city. "We maintain the net, we staff and watch the range, I'm not sure what else we can do."Even the golfers themselves are not held responsible for errant shots that may inflict damage or injury, unless it can be proven their actions were intentional. "Even Tiger Wood can't control all of his shots," added Brown.Brown added that on a busy day some 10,000 range balls are hit. He estimates less than a half dozen escape the range, and seldom do those balls actually hit cars or pedestrians. Despite the slim chances of being hit, the course also posts signs along Lemay warning drivers and pedestrians of the possibility of errant shots. Marsh, whose insurance is likely picking up the $600-plus repair, isn't convinced. "A house owner has liability, so they should have liability insurance as well," she said.
Drive past golf courses at your own risk
FORT COLLINS - Renate Marsh thought it was a drive-by shooting. She and her husband were driving northbound on Lemay Avenue on a recent summer afternoon when, without warning, her windshield took a direct hit.
