AusLeisure

A risk assessment has resulted in the temporary closure of three holes at Auckland’s Chamberlain Park Golf Course following reports of golf balls striking vehicles travelling on the nearby North-Western Motorway.

Auckland Council has closed the 5th, 12th and 14th holes temporarily at Mt Albert’s Chamberlain Park.

The risk has been assessed as extreme as it is likely to result in serious harm or fatalities which has led to the closure.

Kim O’Neill, Acting General Manager for Auckland Council’s Community Facilities advises “golf balls hitting vehicles on the motorway is something that we take very seriously. Until we can work out a long-term practical solution the best thing to do to ensure public safety is to close the three holes.”

Between December 2020 and February this year, there were three incidents of golf balls hitting vehicles travelling on the motorway. There have been reports in the past but the increase in number in close succession led to the decision to close the three holes with immediate effect.

Most cases resulted in damage to the body of the vehicles, but in one of the incidents a golf ball struck and damaged the windscreen of a vehicle.

O’Neill says it is this danger that has led to the immediate closure and notes “we were concerned that this could led to serious harm to people, so the decision was made to act now.”

The closed holes were identified as being the most likely to result in golf balls on the motorway due to the direction of play.

Attempts to reduce the risk of balls landing on the motorway were already in place, including moving tees to change the angle of potential golf swings. These changes had been made on the advice of a golfing specialist.

Whilst no incidents were recorded between March and November 2020, the number of reported incidents in a short space of time showed that the measures were not working.

A further report looking at the trajectory of golf balls from the golf course was obtained and resulted in the closure of the three holes.

Auckland Council’s Community Facilities, which operate the golf course, will investigate options to address the closures and prepare a report to the local board.

Albert-Eden Local Board governs Chamberlain Park and will make the final decision on the best way forward once that report is submitted to them.

Image courtesy of chamberlainpark.co.nz/

Related Articles

18th March 2021 - Singapore Golf Association launches new series of local professional golf events

18th March 2021 - Merger of Callaway Golf Company and Topgolf International completed

13th March 2021 - Golf Australia highlight golf’s summer boom

12th March 2021 - New indoor golf centre opens in Perth

9th March 2021 - Torquay golf resort sold for $12.8 million

9th March 2021 - Laguna Golf Lang Co continues to back junior game as Faldo Series hits 25

2nd March 2021 - Go Golfing tour group supports NSW bushfire impacted communities

24th February 2021 - SPORTFIVE launches new global golf strategy

23rd February 2021 - James Sutherland calls for ‘need to protect’ public golf

18th February 2021 - Fresh turf installed for redeveloped Fremantle Public Golf Course

15th February 2021 - Community consultation open for Belair Golf Course and Country Club precinct upgrades

12th February 2021 - Junior girls to develop golfing skills with scholarship support

29th January 2021 - Vietnam’s Laguna Golf Lang Co joins Asian Tour Destinations in anticipation of return of international golf tourists

21st January 2021 - Holey Moley mini golf concept set for Australian television debut

19th January 2021 - Yarrambat Park Golf Course unites with local businesses for summer launch

16th December 2020 - Golf Australia announces major partnership with Apia

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.