Errant golf balls have been flying off a Mississauga golf course at high speed and damaging cars in nearby neighbourhoods, say angry residents who are pushing city officials to make it stop.
And in at least one case, according to the area’s city councillor, a resident was nearly struck in the head by a fast-moving, out-of-bounds ball that had left the grounds of Credit Valley Golf and Country Club.
In a notice of motion to be discussed at city council next Wednesday, Ward 7 Coun. Dipika Damerla is asking her colleagues to join her and direct city staff to seek solutions to the problem — at both the Dundas Street West/Old Carriage Road area golf course and any other golf facilities where similar issues exist.
Damerla wants staff to “investigate and report back on enforcement options — including the development of a new bylaw — to require golf courses located near residential areas to implement and maintain adequate safety measures, including higher or heavier-gauge netting where needed.”
The councillor also suggests in her motion that City of Mississauga staff consult with residents of the west Mississauga neighbourhood and Credit Valley club officials “to explore practical and immediate mitigation measures that put public safety first.”
In her notice of motion seeking to address “golf ball safety hazards in residential neighbourhoods adjacent to golf courses,” Damerla also noted that:
Residents living adjacent to Credit Valley Golf and Country Club have reported golf balls routinely landing in their front and back yards.
Stray golf balls have damaged property — including shattering windscreens — and in at least one incident narrowly missed striking a resident in the head.
The current safety netting in place at the golf club has proven inadequate as golf balls continue to pass through the mesh, creating an ongoing safety hazard.
Residents have a reasonable expectation to enjoy their homes and yards without fear of injury or property damage caused by neighbouring recreational uses.
The city currently lacks regulatory authority to mandate the use of heavier-gauge netting or to enforce safety standards for golf courses on private land.
The city-owned BraeBen Golf Course has been required under the Highway Traffic Act to install thicker netting to protect adjacent roadways, “highlighting a regulatory inconsistency that leaves residents less protected than roads.”
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