Terry J. Clark sued Time Inc. a year after it ran an article on its GOLF.com website that referred to the former General Manager of the Kansas City, Mo., property as “Vlad the Impaler.” Clark sought $12 million in damages for defamation and emotional distress, but the judge ruled that the article was “not actionable as a defamatory statement.”
Sunday River GC Assets Auctioned Off Amid Ownership Dispute
Newry Holdings LLC was the sole bidder at an auction on March 15 to purchase equipment and other assets of the Newry, Maine club as it continues a legal fight over the club’s ownership with Harris Golf. An upcoming hearing will discuss accusations that Harris Golf broke into the club the week before and took 76 GPS units, 18 golf carts, two computers, 200 folding chairs, 25 tables and a skid-steer loader.
Residents File Lawsuit Against The Reserve at Woodside in Pickleball Dispute
Dale and Marilyn Theesfeld first filed suit against the Aiken, S.C., club in July 2015, claiming that the pickleball courts create noise issues and the strobe lights from the facility shone into their home at night. The club has denied the couple’s claims.
Former Employee Files Class-Action Lawsuit Against Farm Neck GC
Anna Shkuratova is suing the Oak Bluffs, Mass., club for not paying the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and $10 per hour under the Massachusetts minimum wage law. The suit alleges five subclasses of employees were not paid minimum and overtime wages, and includes counts of breach of contract and unjust enrichment.
Caddie Sues Club, Owner, Driver in Golf Cart Accident
Professional caddie Alicia McFadden is claiming Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club, owner Discovery Land Co., and driver David Harbour were negligent in August 2015 when a golf cart accident resulted in McFadden suffering a fractured skull, torn rotator cuff and cervical and lumbar damage that have resulted in $100,000 in medical bills.
Lawsuit Filed in Ownership Dispute Over Sunday River GC
The legal complaint alleges that SR Golf Holdings LLC and parent company Harris Golf Inc. have refused to hand over assets and membership fees to the new owner, Newry Holdings LLC. Newry Holdings is seeking $5.6 million in unpaid mortgage debt plus legal fees, and is also asking the court to bar Harris Golf from marketing the club as its own property and selling memberships.
Naperville (Ill.) CC Ordered to Refund $700,000 to 27 Former Members
Judge Dorothy French Mallen found that the club’s Board of Directors acted improperly when it amended the club’s bylaws concerning initiation fees, constituting breach of contract. The court documents did not indicate whether any penalties were imposed or punitive damages assessed, and the club declined to comment on the ruling.
Members Sue City Over Rye (N.Y.) GC Closure
In December 2015, the city received $2.5 million in a settlement with a fungicide manufacturer over tainted chemicals that destroyed portions of the club’s turf, causing all 18 greens to be closed for about three months. The city says it has a no-refund policy built into membership contracts, but a group of members is accusing the city of negligence and breach of contract.
Trump National GC Jupiter (Fla.) Owes $5.8M in Lawsuit
A federal judge ruled that the club must refund 65 disgruntled members their deposits plus interest after banning them from the property but continuing to charge annual dues. A column in Bloomberg touted the lawsuit loss as a win for Trump, who took on nearly $50 million in debt owed to members who put down refundable deposits when he bought the property, but will now pay only a portion of that sum.
Indian Creek (Fla.) CC Wins Judgment Against Village
A final judgment in Miami-Dade Circuit Court ruled that assessments made by the village on the club to support its police department were invalid. An appeal upheld that ruling but left the door open for special assessments to be imposed on the club in the future.
Golfer Seeks $50,000 in Fox Run Golf Links Porta-Potty Lawsuit
On August 11 last year, Brian Berg claims he was hit and seriously injured by a porta-potty that was being hauled by a forklift driver while he played at the Elk Grove Village, Ill., golf course. Berg is suing the Elk Grove Park District, which owns and operates the golf course, and the employee who was driving the forklift.
Judge Approves $2.3M Settlement in Kiawah Island (S.C.) Golf Resort Lawsuit
The lawsuit was filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2015 on behalf of 240 Jamaican guest workers, alleging that they were improperly charged recruitment fees and forced to pay excessive housing and transportation costs. Both sides agreed to the settlement in June.
City Settles Class-Action Lawsuit with Rye (N.Y.) GC Employees
The city will pay $1 million to settle a lawsuit that claims a group of club employees, mostly waiters and bartenders, were consistently denied their tips and overtime pay from 2007 to 2013. The employees originally sought around $4 million, and in a show of good will, the city council is planning a reception at the golf club for the employees.
Pine Orchard Y&CC Sued Amid Racism Allegations
Kamran and Kara Farid, who were temporary members of the Branford, Conn., club for two years but denied permanent membership, have filed suit against the club, alleging that, “Certain members of the club had, over the course of the plaintiffs’ provisional membership, made derogatory and racially insensitive comments about the plaintiffs’ race, religion, color, national origin, and/or ancestry.” The club said the claim is without merit.
Federal Jury Finds Insurance Company Must Cover Clubs’ Ice Damage
Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) Country Club, Birmingham (Mich.) Country Club and Pine Trace Golf Club in Rochester Hills, Mich., filed insurance claims after suffering damage from bad winter weather from December 2013 through April 2014, which the insurance company denied. In a civil judgement, the insurance company was ordered to pay more than $500,000 total to the clubs, but the sums are a fraction of what each facility requested for compensation.