Summary
Tooele City authorized installation of three baffle-net systems at Oak Hills Golf Course after staff highlighted lower cost and higher effectiveness compared with taller continuous nets; contractor Judge Netting Mountain West to install systems at $64,500 from capital project funds.
Tooele City Council voted 5-0 on Aug. 20 to approve a resolution authorizing the installation of three baffle-net systems at Oak Hills Golf Course to reduce errant golf balls reaching nearby homes.
Darvin Cook, Tooele's parks and recreation director, reviewed site history and mitigation efforts. He said staff had changed hole alignments and removed a large tree to reduce shots directed toward a cluster of houses near hole 17, and that recent resurfacing on Drew Bay Road increased ball bounce off the road surface.
Cook presented three baffle nets as the preferred solution. "These are called baffle nets," he said. "They're angled ... so that when you have a slice from a bad hit, it's going into the net." He told the council the three-net option cost $64,500 and, based on staff visits to other courses, offered the best balance of effectiveness and cost compared with single, very tall continuous nets that would have been more expensive and less effective.
Cook said the nets would be located on the back nine where errant shots were most likely to leave the property, and confirmed Judge Netting Mountain West would be the contractor. He described the planned nets as roughly 30 feet tall and positioned to intercept slices before they cross Drew Bay Road; staff described capturing an estimated majority of stray shots rather than a 100% solution.
Council members asked about visual impact, alternative layouts and public response; Cook said nearby residents had cooperated during mitigation discussions. The council approved Resolution 2025-74 and directed staff to proceed with the capital project procurement and installation.
The project will be funded from the current-year capital budget and overseen by parks and recreation staff; Cook said staff would continue to educate golfers about etiquette and liability, noting several instances where golfers proactively reported potential damage.
