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Committee leans toward replacing fence rather than installing netting to limit wayward golf balls
Summary
After discussing netting durability and wildlife concerns, the committee favored replacing existing fence between holes to reduce wayward golf balls and agreed to consult town staff and Sudbury Valley Trustees on approvals.
Committee members discussed options to reduce wayward golf balls near the third and fourth holes, including replacing an aging fence and the more complex proposal of netting that would raise and lower.
Members and conservation representatives raised concerns about netting’s durability, weather effects, maintenance and risk to wildlife. Several committee members described netting as unlikely to be a long-term solution and said it raised practical and environmental questions that would require additional approvals.
The group expressed general support for replacing or extending the existing fence (a more conventional, lower-maintenance option) while noting that the golf course and town remain responsible for obtaining any necessary approvals and consulting Sudbury Valley Trustees because of conservation interests. Committee members discussed contractor pricing already obtained and the potential for mobilization charges to affect costs.
No formal motion to proceed with fence work was recorded; members agreed to pursue town review, check setbacks and coordinate with town staff on whether the work is a replacement (often simpler) or an extension that might trigger additional approvals.
The committee also discussed broader liabilities for wayward balls and noted that case law and common practice generally hold the player who hit the ball responsible for damage, but that fencing was a practical mitigation measure.
