Committee presses staff for plan to reduce ball-machine noise, asks for cost timeline by next meeting

Sun City West golfers and committee members told staff the noise from driving-range ball machines—particularly those placed near clubhouse patios—has become disruptive on course patios, and the committee asked management for a concrete plan and cost estimate by the next meeting.

Several committee members and residents described the machines as loud enough to interfere with patio conversation, especially at Echo Mesa and Grandview. One member said the machines were “annoying” and urged staff to act; another asked for a budget line to move or cover the devices. Pat O'Hara and Todd Patty said staff have tried multiple mitigation approaches, including padding inside machines and repositioning them, but that previous fixes either degraded machine reliability or failed in high heat. O'Hara said the machines come from the same dealer and acknowledged the dealer knows of the drop noise when balls are dispensed.

Committee members estimated the moving cost of an individual machine has been in the low five figures; in the meeting staff gave a ballpark of about $10,000 for a new machine and cited prior moves that were “somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000.” The committee asked staff to return at the next meeting with a timeline and definitive cost estimate for moving or otherwise mitigating noise, and the general manager agreed to provide a firm answer by the next meeting.

Ending: Staff committed to deliver a timeline and cost estimate at the committee’s next meeting; the committee suggested adding a line item in the capital plan if costs justify a funded project.