COURSE SAFETY UPDATE

Many golf courses within Australia face the challenge of their boundaries being lined by residential housing, which can be a problem given that golfers have a tendency of hitting balls in unintended directions. This situation has been heightened in recent years, due to the nuisance factor to neighbours and the legal interaction between the two parties. 

Eastlake Golf Club is sadly not immune to these pressures, with a number of our neighbours engaging legal advice for this very situation in recent years. A solution to this issue has been reviewed at length by the Club's Board, and I am pleased to share the course plans approved by the Board recently to reduce the likelihood of balls leaving the Club's property. 

Why the need for course changes?

In late 2021, the Club was contacted by neighbours with concerns over the frequency of balls being hit into their properties and the risk such shots posed to the safety of their families and property. One group of neighbours were so concerned by this risk, they engaged legal representation in late 2022, requesting that the Club implement measures to stop golf balls from entering their property. 

In response to this letter, the Board engaged Craig Parry as the Club’s architect to prepare plans to address these safety concerns. Through discussions with Craig Parry and a review of past golf ball damage claims and reparations, it became apparent that there were several holes on the property that posed a risk to people and property, specifically holes: four, five, six and eighteen. The Club asked Craig Parry to prepare plans for these holes so the safety issues might be mitigated. These plans have since been costed and approved by the Board, and they are now being shared with the members ahead of the Club lodging development applications with Bayside Council.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CHANGES

Fourth Hole

The issue on the fourth hole is the houses along the left-hand boundary, and as such the Club plans to:

- Remove several trees between the 4th and 15th fairways to ‘open’ the fairway up to all players.

- Re-shape the fairway to ensure a smoother landing area on the fourth fairway with a raised edge to ensure balls don’t roll all the way down onto the 15th fairway.

- Trees will be planted, and sandy wasteland introduced atop the hill to encourage play away from the boundary fence.

- The unsightly area between the 4th white tee and the boundary fence will be landscaped and native plants planted to stabilize the bank.

- The hole will remain a challenging Par 5, however players will need to give more thought to their tee shot rather than just aiming up the left-hand side.

Fourth Hole Plan (PDF)

Sixth Hole

The issue on the current sixth hole is players hooking their tee shot into the house on the corner. With this in mind:

- The forward tee will be excavated to allow players to view the fairway from the back and middle tee and the back tee will be expanded to its maximum size (whilst retaining its current length).

- Several trees will be removed from the right side of the current fairway and the fairway will be moved to the right (away from the house on the corner).

- The existing fairway bunker will be expanded, and another bunker added to discourage shots to the left.

- Native tree plantings will be added along the boundary fence to block or stop balls leaving the property.

Sixth Hole Plan (PDF)

Alternative Considerations

- The original plan by Craig Parry called for the 18th green to be moved 30 meters south, shortening the hole but taking the houses out of play. It was felt by the Board that this measure would be to the detriment of the hole and thus an alternative solution was sought.

- The Board did consider the prospect of a fence along the boundary of the 18th hole; however, this option was ultimately rejected on account of the cost, likelihood of the fence proposal being rejected by the neighbours or council and on advice from Craig Parry as to its effectiveness.

- The possibility of re-arranging the direction / order of play for the 1st and 18th holes was considered, however this would likely result in a Par 3 18th hole and the possibility of additional balls in Astrolabe Park and was felt to be unsuitable for the course playability.

- The Board is currently considering the possibility of applying to Crown lands to plant tall trees along the strip of Crown land between the Club and neighbor’s property as another layer of protection for stray balls.

- Additional native tree planting is planned beside the greenkeeper’s shed and along the boundary fences of the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 18th holes for added protection and to compensate for the trees removed during the renovation process.

- Eastlake GC has the benefit of several spare holes which will minimize the interruption during this course work, and it is planned to do the work in stages to minimize interruption.

Summary

The Board hopes members appreciate the time and effort that has gone into these plans to rectify a serious issue that we cannot afford to simply ignore. 

We look forward to members’ support of the planned work and encourage those with constructive feedback or questions on these plans to contact General Manager Rob Blain on
(02) 9663 1374 or manager@eastlakegolfclub.com.au. 

Hard copies of the plans will soon be available within the Clubhouse for members to inspect, and Rob Blain will be available should members wish to discuss the work in person.