If a golf course injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward
Golf Course Accident Injuries typically occur from struck-by-ball incidents, golf buggy accidents, or slip and falls on the course terrain.
If your life, or the life of a loved one, has been affected by a golf course accident, we can help. Whether your injuries were caused by a slip, trip, fall or other incident, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
You can make a No Win, No Fee compensation claim for an accident in a public place with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.
Golfing injuries are more common than you think, you are not alone
Most professional golfers will sustain an injury at some point during their career. Although amateur golfer injuries are less common, 57% of golfers report injuries with wrist, back, elbow and knee problems being the most common (bjsm.bmj.com).
Even the most competent golfers can play an errant shot - a spectator and two marshals at the Open championship were struck in the face, and a spectator was hit in the head by a golf ball at the Scottish Open the following year.
Whether compensation can be successfully claimed for injuries sustained on a golf course is likely to be very dependent on the circumstances of the accident.
If you decide to make a golf course accident claim, your personal injury solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.
How much compensation can I claim for a golf injury?
The level of compensation you can claim for an injury on a golf course will depend on:
- the seriousness of your injury,
- the effect your injury has on your daily routine and work life,
- the financial costs and losses you have experienced due to your injury.
Golf course accident injury
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Updated January 2025
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General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.
Special damages will be awarded for any lost earnings, loss of commission or bonuses, and loss of pension contributions. It may also be possible to claim for loss of future earnings, if the medical prognosis establishes that you won't be able to work for any period in the future.
These damages will also cover the cost of any medical procedures you might need to treat or recover from your golf course injury such as pain medication, physical therapy and psychological support.
Read more:
A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Average golf course accident general damages compensation table
The following golf course accident payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).
These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.
Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).
Ankle injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Minor fractures, sprains, and ligament injuries with full recovery | Up to £15,250 |
| Moderate | A fracture or ligament injury with mild ongoing symptoms | £15,250 to £29,500 |
| Severe | Lengthy treatment required, and your ability to walk has been permanently affected | £34,740 to £55,540 |
Elbow injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery within 18 months | Simple fractures, cuts or injuries (e.g. tennis elbow) with no permanent symptoms | Up to £3,920 |
| Recovery between 18 to 36 months | Simple fractures, cuts or injuries (e.g. tennis elbow) with no permanent symptoms | Up to £7,210 |
| Recovery after 36 months | Simple fractures, cuts or injuries (e.g. tennis elbow) with no permanent symptoms or damage | Up to £13,970 |
Finger injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Relatively minor injury | Finger fractures that recover in under 6 months, and/or injuries with tenderness, pain in cold weather, or scarring | Up to £5,270 |
| Index finger fracture | Fracture fully heals, but with ongoing pain, disability and an increased risk of osteoarthritis | £10,110 to £13,570 |
| Finger fractures | Fractures that cause deformity, affect sensation, and/or have a long term affect on your grip and ability to use your hand | Up to £40,760 |
Hand injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) injuries to one or both hands | A fracture or break recovering within 6 months, and/or with scarring, tenderness and pain in cold weather | Up to £5,270 |
| Moderate injuries to one or both hands | Moderate crush injuries, penetrating wounds, or deep cuts | £6,280 to £14,730 |
| Moderate/serious injuries to one or both hands | Serious crush injury that causes impaired function andthat cannot be resolved with surgery | £16,040 to £32,170 |
Knee injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | E.g. dislocation, torn cartilage or meniscus, that could cause future symptoms or weakness, or that exacerbated an existing injury | Up to £15,250 |
| Moderate | More serious knee injuries with a greater risk of future symptoms, pain and weakness | £16,460 to £29,050 |
| Serious | E.g. a leg fracture that extends to the knee joint, or injuries that cause constant pain and restricted movement, and/or a risk of osteoarthritis or future knee surgery | £29,050 to £48,210 |
Leg injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Simple femur fracture | Simple femur fracture with no damage to articular surfaces | £10,110 to £15,620 |
| More serious fractures | Incomplete fracture recovery with ongoing symptoms | £19,930 to £30,800 |
Wrist injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lesser | Relatively minor soft tissue injury or displaced fracture, with a full recovery within 12 months | £3,920 to £5,260 |
| Moderate | Uncomplicated Colles' fracture | Around £8,250 |
| Moderate | Fracture or soft tissue injury with complete recovery | £6,750 to £11,480 |
Claiming compensation for psychological injuries
Psychiatric harm is less obvious than physical injury, but the consequences can be just as difficult to deal with.
Our 2025 Public Place Injury Claimant Survey highlights that 29.03% of claimants reported they had suffered a psychological injury, 70.97% of which related to a physical injury.
Accidents on golf courses can cause anxiety in open spaces (agoraphobia), seriously limiting future participation in the sport.
Your solicitor will help ensure that any psychological harm you have suffered as the result of another party's negligence is recognised and included in the calculation of your compensation award or settlement. In addition, you can also claim for mental health treatment costs that may not be readily available on the NHS.
Our compensation calculator can estimate your compensation for psychological injuries. Or you can call us on 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor.
Do I have a golf course accident claim?
As a basic rule, you will be eligible to make an injury claim if you were injured:
- within the last 3 years, and;
- another person was to blame, and;
- that person owed you a duty of care.
Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.
What if I was partly to blame?
Liability for an accident often involves fault on both sides.
In our recent 2025 Public Liability Injury Claimant Survey, 17.45% of respondents thought they could be partially to blame for their accident.
You can often still claim compensation even if you were partly to blame, as cases with shared fault usually settle with a split-liability agreement.
Read more:
Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?
How long do I have to make a golf course accident claim?
In most cases, you have 3 years from the date of your accident or injury.
If you were injured when you were under 18, a parent, guardian or adult 'litigation friend' can make a claim on your behalf. Once you turn 18, you have until your 21st birthday to start an injury claim.
Serious injuries on the golf course
Depending on where the blow lands, golf balls travelling at high speed have caused serious injury to players, spectators and members of the public outside the course or range.
Being struck on the back or side of the head may cause concussion or brain injury, including cerebral haemorrhage.
Being hit in the face may break bones or lead to teeth damage, or lead to the partial loss of sight if there is a blow to the eye.
See also:
Who is liable for accidents on a golf course or driving range?
In most cases, the golfer who struck the ball is liable for the accident, but only if the golfer's actions are negligent, falling below the expected standard.
Generally a golfer should not play the stroke until he is certain that the area is clear. A cry of "fore" if another player strays across the path of the ball may not be sufficient to allow that person to get out of danger.
Although golf liability insurance is available, it is estimated that only 10% of golfers have cover, so any claims for injury may need to be made against the defendant's household policy. Not all home insurance policies, however, include public liability cover for sports injury and may offer only restricted cover for equipment used for golf.
Visiting players from abroad may not have home insurance, so the potential for compensation against a defendant golfer may be limited.
A solicitor will be able to investigate further and provide clarity on whether an injured claimant has a claim against a golfer responsible for their injury, and whether a payout is likely.
See also:
The golf course's liability
Setting out general duties that employers have towards their employees, the Health and Safety at Work Act also requires that people other than those at work are protected from risks to their health and safety. This includes club members, visiting players and spectators.
As part of the golf course's duty of care, fences should be erected to contain areas where a golf ball might be mis-hit and cause injury. Where this is not possible, prominently displayed signs should alert golf course visitors to the risk of injury. The layout of the course should also be designed minimise risk.
Where there is a lack of fencing or signage, or fences or signs are poorly maintained, the golf course may be found liable for any injuries sustained as a consequence.
Following a significant claim against a Scottish golf course - and recognising their duty to protect the public from straying into the path of golf balls - the British and International Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and the Golf Course Managers Association (GCMA) have worked in conjunction with the Health and Safety Executive to create a new safety management system.
All golf courses are encouraged to use the new documents for their risk assessments.
Faulty equipment
Many courses hire out golf buggies. These need to be fully maintained to ensure their brakes do not fail, or that they do not roll over. The management of a golf course may be liable for an accident caused by faulty equipment or inadequate signage of uneven ground or dangerous slopes that cause a golf cart to topple and injure the occupants.
Players' and spectators' responsibilities
As well as taking care not to hit another player with a golf ball, players (and spectators) also need to ensure they do not walk into the path of a shot that is being played. Ignoring signs and walking out of the rough or trees into the fairway without due care may mean that any claim for compensation is reduced for contributory negligence.
What caused your golf course injury?
Golf course accident claims are usually referred to as public or occupiers' liability claims. Click on the icons below to learn more:
Can I make a no win, no fee golf course accident injury claim?
Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim golf course accident injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
Get expert advice now
Interested in talking to an injury specialist about your claim?
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A survey of golf injuries in amateur golfers. | British Journal of Sports Medicine (reviewed: 01/08/2024)
Home - GCMA (reviewed: 28/07/2024)
The British and International Golf Greenkeepers' Association | BIGGA | BIGGA (reviewed: 02/08/2024)
Author:
Howard Willis, Personal injury solicitor
About the author
Howard Willis qualified as a solicitor in 1984 and has specialised in personal injury for over 25 years. He is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and is a recognised Law Society Personal Injury Panel expert.