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If you don’t have rules governing the proper use of your range, batting cages and other amenities, then you may be liable for customers’ abuses of them.
By setting and enforcing rules, you minimize your liability if a mishap occurs. Rules transfer responsibility to the customer and give you the ability to say “I told you so” if an injury happens because the rules were ignored.
When deciding what rules to set, use common sense:
• No running or roughhousing
• Hitters must wear helmets inside the batting cages
• Shoes must be worn at all times.
If you have a double-deck tee line, consider an age requirement for the upper level. It’s also a good idea to check with your insurance adviser and to review your policy as both might provide regulations you hadn’t considered.
Just having rules, though, isn’t enough. You must make them visible and enforceable. Signs stating the rules need to be posted at eye level in multiple locations. Make them obvious, even at the expense of aesthetics. For example, bright yellow caution lines can be painted along the back of the tee line to mark the safety boundary to keep people from getting hit with a swinging club. Warnings about stepping out onto the landing area should be posted at least every two to three tees.
Key in on likely problem areas, where visibility might be low, such as blind spots that can’t be seen from the clubhouse. Having your employees alert to these areas and ready to enforce the rules will make troublemakers think twice before misbehaving.
When employees see an infraction, they need to act. Empower employees to impose the rules and to make judgment calls when the problem persists, such as asking the offenders to leave. If the problem escalates, have management step in, and don’t be afraid to threaten prosecution. Often just instilling some level of fear can help curtail misconduct. Installing video cameras can also be a deterrent against unruly behavior—people are less likely to act up if they know they’re being taped.
In today’s litigious society, it’s virtually impossible to remove all liability in the event of an accident, but by having preventive measures in place, you can lessen the probability that you’ll have to go to court or that you’ll be held completely responsible.
Ultimately, these controls keep you in control of your range.
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