Insurance risk prompts ‘towering’ net for Moonah Links, Fingal
A complaint about stray balls has sparked fears beautiful views across Mornington Peninsula’s championship golf courses are at risk.
South East
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A giant net is being built around a single house on the Mornington Peninsula to protect it from mis-hit golf balls from a nearby course.
The 12m tall, 24m wide net will wrap around two sides of a Fingal house that overlooks the sixth hole of the Legends Moonah Links.
The local council approved a permit application for a net on golf course land near 48 The Ridge Rd on Tuesday, despite fears it would lead to similar protection needed for hundreds of houses on or near Mornington Peninsula golf courses.
A council report revealed that the net was needed to alleviate insurance risk and that the course was in danger of losing its championship status if it had to permanently change the hole to reduce the risk of mis-hit balls.
The Herald Sun understands the owners of No. 48 had complained about golf balls hitting their property but were not consulted about the net because the plan did not need to be advertised.
They later saw work happening near their house, discovered what was proposed and asked their local councillor to step in.
Cr David Gill started investigating, however, before he was able to act he received a legal letter advising him that the property owners no longer wished to object.
“I decided to call it in anyway because it had the potential to set a dangerous precedent,” he said.
“There are 57 other houses along that golf course, are they all going to end up enclosed by nets?”
“And what about the hundreds of other houses we have on or near golf courses on the peninsula?”.
At a council meeting on Tuesday Cr Gill said the net would “tower” over the house, leaving it in constant shadow and compromising views.
“This net, it’s more than twice the height of the house,” he said.
“It doesn’t pass the pub test.”
He said people who bought on or near golf courses generally accepted that errant balls would be part of the deal.
Cr Kate Roper said while she understood people wanting to protect their property the net was “over the top”.
“I play golf. I’ve been hit by golf balls on the golf course, I’ve had one bounce on my car going down Springvale Rd and I understand why nets are deemed necessary but it’s a really sad precedent if we’re going to start seeing these huge structures across our view lines.”
Councillors were also worried about birds becoming entangled high in the net and dying.
“It’s a deathtrap for wildlife,” Cr Debra Mar said.
“I can’t see the owner getting a cherry picker to save the poor things.”
Despite the concerns the council voted in favour of the net.
According to Golf Australia similar issues regarding mis-hit balls and property damage were experienced by courses around the country, especially in urban areas.
Nets were common and some courses had been forced to change holes to meet insurance requirements.
Local councils have also had to act to reduce risk on public courses.
In 2021 Transurban warned Yarra Council that it could face paying millions of dollars in compensation due to golf balls from Burnley Golf Course crashing onto Monash Freeway.
The council rejected the option of building a higher perimeter fence because of the $6m price tag.
Instead the course is being redesigned and is currently closed.
