Grant’s story: ‘It was like I’d been shot’

Amateur golfer Grant Sweeney had no time to react. The next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground with blood pouring from his forehead.

The 46-year from Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast was on a golf trip to Queenstown in 2024, playing one of the region’s best courses. 

They were on the final hole at the Millbrook Resort – home of the New Zealand Open – when Grant suffered a sickening blow. 

He was playing with good mate Luke Farmer when he crept ahead on the par three 18th hole. Luke had duffed his tee shot to the right and had an approach shot of around 100m into the green. 
 
Grant was about 25m ahead on the left when Luke hit a low hooking shot that struck his friend flush in the forehead at incredible speed. 

“It happened so quickly – I never saw it coming,” Grant says.

“I walked around from our cart and his ball just went straight into my forehead and knocked me off my feet. It was like I’d been shot.”

‘I never thought it would happen to me’

The father of two was in shock lying on the ground, while Luke and the other lads from the golf trip, who had already finished their round, came running to his aid. 

He was in a bad way. There was a copious amount of blood pouring out onto the grass. 

“I was in quite a bit of pain and shock as I came to terms with what had happened,” he says. 

“All of the lads were worried about me as they could see I wasn’t right. You hear stories of people suffering serious injuries on the golf course but I never thought it would happen to me.” 

Grant was in line to win the golf tournament with his mates in Queenstown but, given he didn’t finish the round and hand in his card, the bragging rights went to another player. 

“I thought my mates might have given me the jacket out of sympathy but they were pretty brutal. That’s what friends are for,” he laughs.

Luke and Grant have been good friends for a long time. They attended high school and played rugby together.  

“I felt terrible,” Luke says.

“When I hit it, I looked up and it was like it happened in slow motion. It was heading straight for him and I couldn’t do anything about it.

“When I saw him hit the ground and look pretty worse for wear from the blow, I was worried. Fortunately, it’s something we can all laugh about now.”

‘It makes you stop and think’

The staff at Millbrook Resort quickly leapt into action. With his friends, they bandaged Grant up and made sure he had his injury checked by a medical professional. 

He was taken to Queenstown Hospital, where his forehead was stitched and he was checked for concussion symptoms. 

Witnesses to the incident said something similar had happened a few years before – and the golfer had passed away from the blow.

In 2018, a 27-year-old man died after sustaining a severe head injury when he was struck by a flying golf ball at the Frankton Golf Centre in Queenstown.

“The boys told me that story later that night and I couldn’t believe it,” Grant says. 

“I feel very lucky – it could’ve been much worse. I could’ve had permanent damage or, even worse, died from the accident. It was one of those moments that makes you stop and think.”

ACC encourages taking a moment

ACC supported Grant through his recovery. He says it took several weeks until he felt back to himself again.

In 2025, we accepted 259 claims for people getting struck by a golf ball. This was the highest number of claims in the past six years. Over that period, a total of 1,196 people have been struck by a golf ball and made an ACC claim. 

For all golf injuries in 2025, ACC accepted 11,016 claims, which came at a cost of almost $14 million to help people recover. This was the highest cost and number over the past six years. Around 90 per cent of these were soft tissue injuries. 

We paid for 14,815 days of weekly compensation for people who sustained a golf-related injury in 2025. 

ACC Injury Prevention Leader James Whitaker says heading away for a golf weekend with your mates is an awesome time, but he encourages people to take a moment to consider the risk of injury. 

“We’re lucky in New Zealand to have some of the best golf courses in the world and getting away with your mates is a brilliant experience,” he says. 

“But it’s easy to get too relaxed on the golf course and, if you get it wrong, the consequences can be dire. As Grant will tell you, getting hit by a golf ball is a very painful and scary experience. 

“So we recommend golfers to slow down, stay behind their playing partners on every shot and be aware of what’s happening around them. 

“We want all golfers to have fun out there, play well and stay injury free so they can keep doing what they love.” 

Safety is everyone’s responsibility

Phil Aickin, Golf New Zealand Tournament and Handicapping Manager, says the safety of players on the course is everyone’s responsibility.
 
“Unfortunately, golfers can be wayward and there’s a chance of being hit,” he says.  

“It’s impossible to guarantee safety when holes are adjacent but, for play within your own group, make sure you make good decisions and keep out of dangerous areas as much as possible.”

For Grant, it’s a golf lesson he’ll never forget. 

“I was standing in the wrong place and I wasn’t paying attention,” he says. 

“I was too casual at the end of the trip, and I was looking forward to a beer in the clubhouse. I put too much trust in my playing partner to hit a good shot.” 

“My advice to other golfers is to not take that chance. Just hang back until they’ve played their shot. You always have time, and those few seconds could stop you getting seriously hurt.” 

Staying safe on the golf course

• Only hit if you know the fairway is clear
• If you hit a ball which may land close to other players, yell FORE
• If you hear FORE, turn your back to the direction of the call and crouch down
• When practical, stay behind the person next to play
• Be aware of every shot being played in your group
• Avoid standing in the shank position (a ‘shank’ is a shot hit sideways)
• If drinking alcohol on the course, take extra care as your judgment could be impaired