Q: I play golf on a course that is lined with homes on many of the holes. Just about every time we play, one of us hits a ball into a homeowner's yard, and sometimes our bad shots land on a homeowner's roof. Is a golfer liable for property damage or personal injuries due to a bad shot that hits a home or a person who is in the backyard of the home?

A: A golfer would most likely not be liable for an errant shot that causes property damage or a personal injury.

Everyone who plays golf, parks in a golf course parking lot, or owns a home on a golf course knows that shanks, hooks, slices and other bad shots are foreseeable and common. The risk of inadvertently being hit or having property damaged by an offline shot is part of the game, and the person who hits the bad shot will generally not be liable. If the law were any different, many golfers would find the sport too risky to justify playing.

However, a golfer can be held liable if the homeowner or injured person sues and can prove the........

© Houston Chronicle