Council approves taller netting, poles at Northmoor Country Club to stop balls reaching Edgewood School

Following a public hearing on Jan. 27, the Highland Park City Council approved zoning variations and design review to allow Northmoor Country Club to install six additional poles with netting up to 130 feet high and approximately 260 feet long to stop golf balls from leaving the driving range and landing on adjacent school property. The council voted 7-0.

Director of Community Development Veil Fontaine said the action responds to a city citation that alleged Northmoor—s driving-range balls had landed on property occupied by Edgewood School and created a public nuisance. Fontaine summarized an expert analysis submitted by the club that recommended center-targeting of tee bays and minimum safety-net heights between 70 and 130 feet to reduce ball escapement to far less than 1%.

The proposal requests variations from the zoning code for a reduced front yard, increased allowable accessory-structure height (up to 130 feet), and reduced accessory setback so the new poles would be offset behind the existing poles and nets. Fontaine said North Shore School District 112 strongly supported the proposed solution and that staff recommended approval.

Michael Lieber, vice president of Northmoor Country Club and a Highland Park resident, told the council the new poles would be gunmetal gray, the netting is black and visually transparent, and the added poles would be designed to be as visually unobtrusive as possible while meeting the safety requirements. He said the club preferred the more extensive safety installation to ensure the driving range no longer posed a hazard to the adjacent school.

Corporation counsel noted the council was acting under the city—s zoning code procedure for settling litigation; the installation is part of a settlement that would lead the city to dismiss the citation when the work is completed. The applicant has until May 31, 2025 to complete the pole-and-net project, at which point the city will dismiss the citation, staff said.

An attorney for the club described the expert—s trajectory analysis and the east-west width chosen for the new netting based on typical ball paths. A few members of the public asked technical questions about the netting coverage and whether balls aimed left or right would still be contained; staff and the applicant said the expert analysis informed the placement and height to address the pattern of escaped shots.

Councilmember questions focused on color and visual impacts, and staff and the applicant said the poles and netting would be low-visibility materials and would be offset from the existing structures. The council approved the variances and design review; the vote to grant the relief was recorded as 7 ayes, 0 nays.