Golf Anyone?

This morning on the way to work I heard a news story about a recent court decision in Hawaii. Seems there was a unanimous decision that a golfer cannot be held liable for injury to another golfer due to a stray ball.

I have not yet been able to locate this case on the Internet, but allegedly one golfer's stray ball hit another golfer in the eye (OUCH!). But, according to the Hawaii courts, this is the risk you take when you go to the golf course.

Seems like an okay rule to me. But it reminded me of a funny story that occurred in our family about ten-eleven years ago.

Arriving home from work one day, as I drove up in the driveway, Angie and Missy ran out of the house excited and talking a mile a minute. I finally figured out that they were breathlessly talking about Kevin Costner.

My dad was living with us back then and was appearing as an extra in the movie, "Tin Cup", portions of which were being filmed in Kingwood, Texas.

"Mom! Mom! Grandpa got hit in the knee with a golfball by Kevin Costner and his own personal assistant came to our house and I might get to be a movie star!!!!" Angie was trying to get this wonderful news across to me.

I rather dismissed it, getting out of the car, saying, "Okay, girls, okay, ya, right...."

Just then Dad appeared at the door step on crutches. Not even thinking about what the girls had just told me I asked, "What happened to you?!"

"Didn't they tell you?" he asked.

"Uh...."

"I got hit in the knee with a golf ball - by Kevin Costner."

So I had to get the whole story. This was just too weird, I thought. But as it turns out, Dad's place as an extra on the set that day was to be in the crowd as Kevin was making this shot. They were doing some practice shots when suddenly the ball went out into the crowd and - you know where it landed - SMACK! Right into Dad's knee!

Dad was taken (according to Angie and Missy, by Kevin's personal assistant) to the emergency room at Kingwood Hospital where they took X-rays and determined the bones were not fractured, just bruised. They braced him up and sent him on his way, but he told me that while he was there Kevin called a few times to check up on him and so every time the phone rang all the nurses were running to the phone to get a chance to talk to him! Dad was quite the celebrity at the hospital! And funny that he had no complaints about all the pretty nurses wanting to hang out with him!

When the assistant brought Dad home and when Angie discovered who he was, she promptly extended a friendly handshake and introduced herself... just in case he might know someone in Hollywood looking for a gorgeous actress/model (mind you, she was a teenager then).

The next day, Dad took the wayward golf ball, hobbled onto the set with his crutches, and as soon as Kevin saw him he went over to him and autographed the golf ball. Dad really got a kick out of that.... well, with the good leg anyway... ;)

That's my story for today, folks!