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Council orders short-term fixes for pickleball courts after players struck by golf-range balls
Summary
After players reported golf balls breaching netting and striking a player, council directed staff to take immediate steps — including moving a tee box and installing interim netting — and asked for cost estimates for longer-term solutions.
The council heard multiple accounts that golf balls from the adjacent driving range have been clearing existing netting and striking players on the nearby pickleball courts. A player at the meeting described being struck in the forehead and seeking medical care; other speakers said the courts draw large groups and that repeated incursions have occurred.
Council members and staff discussed short-term and long-term remedies. Short-term options discussed included adding or repairing netting at the west edge and south side of the courts, installing higher poles rated for heavy wind loads (poles discussed at about 60 feet with foundations for 35–40-foot nets), installing temporary nets across the top, and placing an "irons-only" restriction or moving the driving-range tee boxes down two tiers to reduce elevation and risk.
A rough quote was discussed for a short-term fix that would extend the net along the west side to the end of the courts at about $26,500 plus roughly $2,900 for a new net (total near $30,000) — not including south-side netting, which would add more cost. Staff advised that poles and foundations for long-term netting would be substantially more expensive because of size and wind loading. Several council members urged immediate administrative staff action rather than waiting for the budget process: options included moving the tee box down, declaring the driving range "irons only," posting signage requiring golfers to warn court users, and arranging pool or pavilion scheduling changes if needed.
Council directed staff to pursue short-term safety steps (including exploring moving the tee box to lower tiers, installing improved netting, and coordinating with the POA about ball retrieval), to get firm cost estimates for a longer-term solution and to return with a budget amendment if appropriate. Staff noted alternative funding options, including the tree-mitigation fund or turn-back trail funds, but cautioned that some funds are restricted or affect reserve ratios.
