To the editor:

I’m not a golfer. It has always been portrayed as a “rich boys” club. My experience today has not changed that perception.

I don’t have a fancy truck. It is old, has many miles, is dented and has some rust. It is a ’97. But I take care of it

and it serves me well. It has all the required insurance. On my way south on State Highway 15, while passing the Winthrop Golf course, my poor old truck was struck by a golf ball. I pulled over and stopped, retrieved the ball and drove along the shoulder to where I was across from the golfers who hit the ball. I will admit I was upset. It is traumatic to have a ball hit right in front of you on the hood of your vehicle and roll up your windshield.

I confronted the golfers. What I heard was “Gee, it isn’t our fault you ran into the ball.” Not, “Are you OK?” or “Oops, here’s the name of our insurance agent.” Nor would they give me their names because ”that doesn’t matter because it isn’t our fault you hit the ball on the road.”

Now I’m angry as well as traumatized. The poor club house manager caught the brunt of it and I’m sorry, but the patrons in the bar did not help matters. Several inserted themselves to be served beverages while she is trying to ask questions of me to see how she could best help. Another accused me of not having insurance and how it was to be expected to get hit by golf balls while driving by a golf course.

Gary, the course manager (I hope I got that right) calmed me down, explained that the golfer’s homeowners insurance would be the responsible party for damages, and helped me track down the golfers in question. They did apologize. It isn’t like I was going to sue for damages. It is an old, dented truck. But a little care and compassion for your fellow human would be nice.

It would have gone a long way to calming me if they would have trotted down into the ditch to see if I was OK. Offer me a soda at the club house while they got the insurance information would be appropriate. But, the concept that I was at fault for driving on the road while they were playing golf really adds to the impression of “entitlement.”

Pegeen Rozeske

New Ulm