Stray golf balls cause concern
“We know golfers do not intentionally hit golf balls into the homes on the estate, but they are bound to hit them,” is the message conveyed by the Ebotse Golf and Country Estate management.
The issue of golf balls constantly striking homes on the estate was brought to the attention of the City Times by a resident, Louise Bryson, who lives near hole four.
“We moved to the estate in December 2009 and we already had golf balls hitting our home,” Bryson said.
The estate’s golf course has 18 holes which are surrounded by roughly 760 houses on the estate in Rynfield.
The resident said she has easily collected 600 or more golf balls since 2009 and has spent about R22 000 repairing the damage they have caused.
“I had to replace 145 roof tiles and 17 windows in a period of seven years, because of golf balls hitting my house,” she said.
Bryson’s sister, Tessa Wilson, who lives with her, is also quite annoyed at how she needs to protect her 12-year-old son from the outdoors, because of the fear of him being hit by a golf ball.
“We bought into this lifestyle, but we sit in our houses looking at this lifestyle which is being promoted,” said Wilson.
During the seven years, Bryson said she made contact with the home owners association (HOA) and the estate management on numerous occasions to discuss ways of preventing this reoccurrence.
“The management have tried to resolve the problem by planting trees and trying to redirect the golfers aim, but we still have the problem,” Bryson said.
However, Bryson and Wilson said these solutions are not immediate and so their problem is still at large.
The City Times met with Ebotse management team, Vince Cocbain (managing director), Hardus Maritz (head of golf course superintendent), Hein Papenfus (CEO) and Stephan Vorster (estate manager) at a roundtable meeting to find out what has been done and what can be done to reduce the problem.
The team provided a list of how they tried to help the situation:
•Built trees to deviate the lower golf balls
•Built an additional tee box on the right hand side to give golfers a better view of where they are aiming.
•Lowered the mounds to expose the fairway, so golfers hit closer to the left, which is the direction opposite to the houses.
•Brought the fairway closer to the tee box, so the view of the hole is clearer.
•Conducted spotting exercises to see which angle the golf balls are coming from.
•Placed signs on the golf course asking golfers to be mindful of the homes on the estate.
Management concluded by saying the best way to solve the problem immediately is by placing a temporary net, which is placed at the home owner’s risk, responsibility and cost, until a hedge, which should be planted immediately, has grown to its full potential.
“We will assist where we can,” said Vorster.
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