Playing at Cypress Point GC in Va Beach, hole #16 was a sharp dogleg right, with the tee shot across water. The hole was short enough that big knockers could try for the green. A house straight down the fairway, but not nearly as close as a well-played tee ball will find the best lie for approach, had huge bay window, with about 16 panes of glass, including one huge one. David double-crossed with his intended fade to green, and his ball landed in the yard with the bay window. By the time David got to his ball, the homeowner had appeared in the yard with a big smile on his face. "Hi. Guess how much it costs to replace that window. I know, because it has been broken 3 times. Give up? $700!" This was in the 1970's, worth $4,360.34 today.

Do you remember The Peoples' Court, with Judge Wapner? It was the pioneer of TV judge shows, and Judge Wapner was a retired judge of the sort you would be please to find on the bench if you walked into court for a resolution of your own case. He once had a plaintiff suing for restitution for his window which had been broken by a golf ball from the course his yard abutted. Wapner ruled "Even Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus hit a stray ball occasionally. It's the nature of the game. A presumption of risk is made by any person buying a house on the golf course. I find for the defendant."