Home/Golf Course Woes

[Keebler Elf]

Just saw a news bit on CityTV about some homeowners who sued the golf course next to their home for all the stray balls that kept damaging their home.

At first I thought they deserved the odd stray ball b/c they chose to live next to a golf course. Then I heard they had been hit by 1,500 stray golf balls over a couple years! They even had pictures of a big bin in which they collected them all.

Getting hit by a few golf balls is one thing, but 1,500 is quite another. So they sued. And won. And the golf course promptly put up a 7m monster fence at the property line.

Guess what? They sued again. And won. No more fence.

It'll be interesting to see what happens next...

 

[ham2004]

who was there first...

Just saw a news bit on CityTV about some homeowners who sued the golf course next to their home for all the stray balls that kept damaging their home.

At first I thought they deserved the odd stray ball b/c they chose to live next to a golf course. Then I heard they had been hit by 1,500 stray golf balls over a couple years! They even had pictures of a big bin in which they collected them all.

Getting hit by a few golf balls is one thing, but 1,500 is quite another. So they sued. And won. And the golf course promptly put up a 7m monster fence at the property line.

Guess what? They sued again. And won. No more fence.

It'll be interesting to see what happens next...

I wonder who was there first...

 

[Keebler Elf]

I would imagine the golf course. Although I'm sure they never mentioned that the neighbours could be getting hit by that many stray shots...

 

[train]

I would imagine the golf course. Although I'm sure they never mentioned that the neighbours could be getting hit by that many stray shots...

What exactly do the home owners expect/want the golf course to do then if they don't want the protection of the fence . Trees take a long time to grow big enough.

I live on a golf course and get a few balls but hey I play so I'm sympathetic.

 

[calloway]

I think it all comes down to a realistic assumption. When they first moved in they had to accept some level of responsibility. But if there has been a significant increase in the number of golf balls in their backyard because of tee box changes... hole layout changes or tree removal... the golf club may have to assume liability for broken windows... damage to the home or other.

 

[Keebler Elf]

I think the homeowners wanted the course to redesign one of the holes. Of course that would cost a lot of money so the course wanted to put up a fence instead.

edit: a little more info - they've lived there for 6 years and have been averaging 300 golf balls per year. They're had something like $14K worth of damage done to their home and I suspect their insurance is not going to cover it anymore (which probably started the legal battles). The golf course threw up a 7 metre fence virtually overnight without even notifying the family. The judge threw the fence back in the golf course's face, recognizing it for the insult that it was. The family wants to know how the golf course got a permit so quickly (the fence blocked access to the road as well). The golf course is now hiring an architect to redesign the hole that backs onto the family's house.

 

[ham2004]

Is it one of those gold course/house combo's

I have some friends that bought their house right on the golf course. They even waited for it to be built. They are now on the 7th hole of a very busy course and constantly complain about stray shots, people looking for lost balls and what not. I have told them time and again that if they didn't want the hassle why buy on a golf course parameter.

There answer, "the course always look so nice and we have a beautiful back yard"

Nuts yes, realistic no...

 

[Keebler Elf]

I think part of the problem may lie in golf courses not openly and frankly disclosing how much stray ball traffic neighbours will actually receive.

Remember, the golf course owns the golf course land - not the homeowners' land surrounding it...

 

[ham2004]

It is kinda like moving in next to a pig farm.

If you buy a house next to a pig farm, and the wind is blowing the other way, should you than be able to shut down the farm operation because the wind changes direction. Or how about the homeowner who buys that primo peice of real estate, in the glide path of runnway 9N. The owner should have thought of this before buying the property, not demand compensation afterwards.

To often people forget about the rights of others. Self centered people who buy their "dream home", knowing full well that there is a potential for problems should not have the right to sue for thier own stupidity.

Sorry just me ranting about the stupid people out there, who think the world revolves around them.

 

[Keebler Elf]

They're not really seeking compensation. They're seeking a reduction in the volume of stray golf balls that are hitting them. Big difference.

The pig farm is a bad example. You can't control the winds. But you can control the layout of your golf greens to limit the number of stray shots.

 

[ham2004]

Keebler I agree in principal but

If everyone (through legal action) got what they wanted, our courts would be jammed even worst than they are now. I find that any kind of comphensation is unreasonable, and this would include getting the course layout changed. I am sure that the golf course would accomidate them if there were a reasonable alternative to this, but it costs lots of money to change the hole layout at any club and the membership have rights too.

 

[canucklehead]

zOk the land next to you is zoned residential.... you aim part of a leg of the golf course that people will be driving into towards it??? The Golf course has to take some of the responsibility. I think the Golf Club needs to redesign the hole.

If i lived next to the Golf course i would never get any work done.

 

[canucklehead]

Actually I am glad you brought up the pig farm, because the slaughter house at Old Weston lost a law suit due to the odour. Just because you own a shit farm does not give you the right to force others to smell the odour. With odours where do you draw the line at a safe distance? What part air to pig odour dilutes the smell enough and at what distance?
A lot of factors are involved.

 

[ham2004]

This is a example of what is wrong in our world

1. Normally most golf courses are in the country, and do not butt up against residencial areas. They have green spaces around them.

2. If a golf course is next to homes, it is usually the developer that promotes the easy adult living of being right on the golf course. Most developers are aware of the course design long before the houses are built. This is a hugh selling factor to alot of people.

3. I wonder if the complainer in this case is a member of the golf club. Most of the people who have golf courses butting up against them are members of the club. They get reduced fees, because the course is so close.

4. Why do people think its ok to change things, or have things changed for them because it bothers them. I don't like my neighbour who parks his old beat up junker next to my nice shiny car. Should I be able to make him buy a new car or park elsewhere. I am not happy that I have a steel mill within 2 miles of my house, truck traffic runs up and down my street all night, it has caused damage to my foundation, should I make Dofasco move or have the city re-route my street. I don't like having a fire department down the block, it is really annoying at2:00 am when they hit the sirens at the lights, should I have them relocate. The dairy two blocks over pisses me off with it machinery at night, should I have them layoff the night shift. NO I think I bought the place, I should have the common sense to realize the world does not revolve around me.

 

[Sanders1]

Gotta love that both parties can't work together.

After the OMB ruling, a fence was put up by the golf course to stop balls. However, the houseowners didn't like it, and now it's been taken down.

Wonderful

 

[Keebler Elf]

Did you see the fence? You wouldn't like it either. Not to mention it blocked access to the road.

 

[Keebler Elf]

4. Why do people think its ok to change things, or have things changed for them because it bothers them.

I think getting hit by 300 golf balls a year goes a little beyond just being "bothered"...

 

[thewheelman]

Some facts...
The club, Islington GC, is probably nearly 100 years old by now. At least much older than the homes built around it.

Also this problem only began a few years ago, when the course was "redesigned", and the redesign brought this property into the path of errant golf shots.

I do not know the reason for this course change, but it is quite possible that the course was changed to reduce this exact problem for other homeowners.

 

[a 1 player]

Um, can I have my golf balls back?

 

[red]

could they not just put up a net? like at a driving range