Golfer killed when Tree falls on her!

[lightrider]

Seems pretty common in Aus....

Tree branch kills golfer
By Matt Williams and Rhiannon Hoyle
19apr05



A GOLFER about to play a shot on a suburban course was killed yesterday in a freak accident when a branch of the giant gum tree she was standing under crashed to the ground.

Sally Dearman, 48, was playing in a women's pennant competition on the fifth hole at the Flagstaff Hill Golf Club course.

A member of the North Adelaide Golf Club, Ms Dearman died of head injuries caused by the 13m branch.

The three other golfers Ms Dearman was playing with were unharmed. They, along with ambulance officers who arrived at the scene later, tried in vain to resuscitate her.

Authorities described the accident as "freakish", especially as it happened on a calm day, with high winds not a factor.

A similar incident happened last weekend on the same course when a gum-tree branch fell on the first hole where golfers normally line up to tee off. No one was injured.

The golf course was closed after yesterday's accident, which happened about 11.15am.

Golfers later left the course and the club rooms in shock, some crying and others consoling each other.

Many were too distressed to speak and grief counsellors were called in.

Ms Dearman, of Payneham South, was not married and has no children.

It is believed her parents are seriously ill in a metropolitan hospital.

Yesterday, Ms Dearman's golf team was competing against members of the Riverside Golf Club, which was rocked by the deaths of two women when its clubhouse roof collapsed in April, 2002.

"I was speaking to some women from Riverside and they said it's bought all the bad memories back of what happened there three years ago," Thaxted Park Golf Club member Marlene Wright, 53, said.

Mrs Wright's husband, Jim, 57, said the death was "unbelievable".

"It's a freak accident, it's as simple as that," he said. "For a branch to fall off out of the blue like that and hit someone is totally unbelievable and beyond words."

Vines Golf Club member Ros Brunton described Ms Dearman as a "lovely lady" who was well liked by her fellow golfers and friends.

"She was a highly ranked player at North Adelaide and she was probably their number one pennant player in their grade three team," she said.

North Adelaide Golf Club president John Smith described Ms Dearman as "an inspiration to young golfers".

"The club certainly will be putting something together in memory of Sally," he said.

North Adelaide Golf Club secretary manager Geoff Duthie fondly remembered Ms Dearman from when they both joined as members in 1982.

"Sally was always such a smiling, happy person and I remember her from right back when we both joined the club," he said.

The Flagstaff Hill Golf Club manager was unavailable for comment yesterday.

A police report on the death is being prepared for the coroner.

[straightshot7]

Wow, that's rough. Heaven must have needed someone like her.

[josephs_79]

[quote name='straightshot7' timestamp='1439525008' post='12134700']
Wow, that's rough. Heaven must have needed someone like her.
[/quote]

While not disagreeing (and the post being 10 years old ) Gum trees are notorious for dropping their branches at any stage day or time irrespective of the weather!

They do drop more so in windy wilder weather but it is not uncommon to hear one drop out of nowhere like above in very calm conditions. It is why they are hated on golf courses and more so around houses where the council won't allow you to cut them down!

[golfgirlrobin]

Well, this is weird.

[KYMAR]

Wow you sure brought this thread back from the.....uh,....old thread pile.

[Musky]

Throw back Thursday!

[straightshot7]

What the heck lol. I have no idea how but this was on top of my threads list. Was it moved to tour talk and why?

Sorry i had no idea it was so old haa

[fore]

...and now the rest of the story

A quick google search reveals that they now have Sally Dearman's Memorial Trophy. I believe it's a stableford competition.

Seems like a nice tribute.

[NCLancer]

However no participants in the tourney are allowed to chew gum.

[NHauss]

[quote name='KYMAR' timestamp='1439525684' post='12134752']
Wow you sure brought this thread back from the.....uh,....old thread pile.
[/quote]

I would say too soon but its really not

[sprcoop]

Not just gum trees. Twice I have witnessed large/potentially fatal limbs fall out of trees for no reason. As a teenager sitting in a park I hear a crack like a gunshot. A 15" diameter limb falls 30 feet out of an oak tree. Second I was on the USC campus and a nearly identical scenario happened but I don't remember the type of tree.

[gopherguts]

Is 10 years, 3 months and 9 days (+/-) a record for a dormant thread to be woken up ?

[KYMAR]

Right? In fact the woman in questuon was reincarnated as a korean and came within a whisker of qualifying for the womens U.S open

[NHauss]

[quote name='gopherguts' timestamp='1439697145' post='12146174']
Is 10 years, 3 months and 9 days (+/-) a record for a dormant thread to be woken up ?
[/quote]

It has to be haha. The OP (reviver) got fooled because it was only 1 post before as well so barely even a thread... probably because Golf wrx only had about 10 members back then

[fore]

[quote name='NHauss' timestamp='1439704351' post='12146516']
[quote name='gopherguts' timestamp='1439697145' post='12146174']
Is 10 years, 3 months and 9 days (+/-) a record for a dormant thread to be woken up ?
[/quote]

It has to be haha. The OP (reviver) got fooled because it was only 1 post before as well so barely even a thread... probably because Golf wrx only had about 10 members back then
[/quote]

Less than 2000 members back then. Thread originally started a couple months before I joined.

[Hawkeye77]

If it had started now, imagine the rules forum dissection of how to treat the limb and /or body if anyone's shot was affected.

In a Stephen King kind of way buildings and trees attacking women golfers in that area.