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Parks board approves enclosed hitting cage at Helfrich Golf Course
Summary
The Parks Board granted the Helfrich Men's Club permission to build a 15-by-20-foot enclosed hitting cage at Helfrich Golf Course to reduce stray balls into nearby yards; the club expects to fund the roughly $10,000 project through sponsors and club fundraising and will seek planning approval next.
The Evansville Parks Board voted to allow the Helfrich Men's Club to proceed with plans for an enclosed hitting cage at Helfrich Golf Course, the board learned at its July 10 meeting.
Mark Wallace, president of the Helfrich Men's Club, told commissioners the course lacks a driving range and golfers often tee off near the first hole and hit into wooded areas. "There have been some occasions where some backyards over on Wemberg... we wake up in the morning, there's some golf balls in our backyard," Wallace said, describing the safety and nuisance concerns that prompted the proposal.
Wallace described a permanent chain-link enclosure roughly 15 feet deep by 20 feet wide with top netting, two hitting bays, a door and a concrete pad beneath the mats. He said initial quotes put the project at about $10,000 and the men's club plans to solicit sponsorships (including from the Westside Nut Club and local contractors) to cover costs. He emphasized that a durable, enclosed structure would limit vandalism and reduce maintenance burdens on parks staff: "All they have to do is mow around the outside of it," Wallace said.
Board members asked about operations and whether the facility would produce revenue. Wallace said the cage would be free initially (users would bring their own balls); selling buckets of balls might be considered later and would be left to the golf professional to manage.
After discussion, a board member moved to approve the club's request and the motion carried. With board approval, Wallace said the next step would be to take the proposal to the area planning commission to finalize location and permitting.
The measure authorizes the Helfrich Men's Club to move forward with planning and seeking necessary permits; no binding city funding was approved at the meeting.
