Ohio Golf Journal October 2017

Long time golfer and volunteer for the Marathon Classic, Joe Stechschulte was forced to miss the annual LPGA Tour event in Toledo last summer, due to injuries he sustained from a golf cart incident. Over the 4 th of July weekend, Joe was enjoying a round of golf with his son at Ottawa Park Golf Course inToledo. On a hilly paved cart path, made slick by rain, the cart began to slide and as the right- side wheels caught on the curb, the cart flipped over. Stechschulte’s leg and ankle were caught under the cart, completely shattering his ankle. Two surgeries were required to install several screws and plates to assure the bones would heal correctly. Two full months after the accident, he was still in a walking cast and boot, not allowed to put any weight on his foot. Rich O’Brien, a PGA Professional in South Carolina, experienced a similar accident with more severe consequences. While riding as a passenger in a golf cart, Rich was thrown ten feet out of the cart. Similar to Stechschulte’s accident, as the cart was descending a steep black-topped cart path on a left-hand S-curve, the cart hydro-planed on slick pavement. O’Brien was not as lucky, however, his head struck the curbing, and he suffered double cervical and lumbar fractures to his spinal cord, as well as, multiple skull fractures, which resulted in several strokes and massive bleeding, causing significant damage to his brain. His recovery was long and arduous. Doctors are amazed that he is not at least partially paralyzed from this trauma. He still suffers PTSD syndrome and cannot ride on the passenger side of a golf cart without experiencing stress. Tip for Parents Referring to tip No. 12 from the accompanying chart, if you are taking a small child with you to the golf course, never leave the key in the ON position, better yet, take the key completely out of the cart. I can tell you this frommy own personal experience. Once my wife and I were warming up to play an afternoon round of golf at our local course. We had decided to take our two-year-old daughter along with us and she was impatiently waiting in the golf cart, not 10 feet away. Our highly inquisitive daughter stomped her foot down on the gas pedal, with her hands on the steering wheel. The sudden jerk caused the cart to turn in a tight circle, at full speed. My wife was yelling, my daughter was screaming and the golf cart kept careening. Luckily, it did not hit another cart, the big tree near us or slam into the clubhouse before I was able to jump into the cart and pull my daughter off the gas pedal. Our leisurely afternoon round of golf got off to something less than a relaxing start. At least no one and nothing was harmed in the adventure, but the results could have been much worse. Check out the short list of safety tips for operating a golf cart on the course. There is a more comprehensive list of rules if you want to use your cart on city streets. Be mindful, don’t unintentionally injure someone or yourself, due to carelessness. Foramorecomprehensive listof rules foroperation on city streets at: http://www.golfcartsafety.com/ safety-fundamentals 1. Never drive recklessly or joy ride. 2. Never drive intoxicated. 3. Only carry the number of passengers for which there are seats. 4. Drivers and all passengers should keep all body parts (arms, legs, feet) inside cart while vehicle is in motion. 5. Do not allow anyone to ride standing in the vehicle or on the back platform of the vehicle. 6. Operate the vehicle from the driver’s side only. 7. Carefully turn and look behind golf cart before backing up. 8. Avoid sharp turns at maximum speed, especially on hillsides or slick cart paths. 9. Drive straight up and down slopes to reduce the risk of passenger ejection, or rollover. 10. Avoid excessive speed, sudden starts, stops and fast turns. 11. Reduce speed due to driving conditions, especially hills or other inclines or declines, blind corners, and inclement weather. 12. Do not leave keys in golf cart while unattended and make sure the parking brake is set. Safety Tips for Golf Cart Operation Ohio Golf Journal Ohio Golf Journal