THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 22, 1994 TAG: 9406210147
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAM STARR, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: 940622 LENGTH: Medium
At first, the Chesapeake resident thought someone shot her. She slammed on the brakes. Then she saw a group of golfers on the side of the road and realized that an errant golf ball destroyed the windshield of her Ford Aerostar van. Williams, 42, said she had never driven that route before and didn't even know there was a Kempsville Greens Golf Course.
{REST} ``I had glass all over me - I'm lucky my 2-month-old wasn't in the car with me,'' said Williams, who was picking up the baby and her other two children in Thalia. ``This golfer could have severely injured someone. Had anyone been behind me they would have smashed against the van.
``No one could believe a golf ball did this kind of damage,'' she added. ``It was like a head-on collision.''
Golf balls that fly into streets or yards around golf courses are nothing new. At Kempsville Greens, signs are posted everywhere warning golfers that they are responsible for any damage done by their golf balls. Few golfers ever confess, though. Williams was lucky; she left her name and number at the pro shop and the responsible golfer called her. He was surprised to find that Williams didn't want any money. She just wanted to let him know what could have happened.
``I told the man I wanted nothing from him, but for him to know the chance he took,'' Williams said. ``I'm trying to get the point across that we made out this time. Next time we might not be so lucky.''
Williams called various city offices to see if netting could be put up at the offending hole or if signs could be posted on the street to warn people that they drive at their own risk. Kempsville Greens golf professional Jack Good said $275,000 has already been spent to make changes on three holes, because the city allowed condominiums to be build nearby.
``This is not unique to this course - it's always a possibility when you have a golf course next to a road,'' said Good. ``Houses and golf courses and roadways don't mix.''
According to Bob Esenburg, city risk management administrator, the steps taken to improve that hole and two others include erecting netting, planting pine trees to act as a natural barrier, shortening the holes and moving the landing tees. The number of incidents has ``decreased dramatically'' since improvements were made.
``The developer redesigned the course, put condos and townhouses around it and then gave it to the city,'' said Esenburg. ``Unfortunately, golf is not one of those scientifically exact games. People will shank the ball.''
Or slice it to the right, as Thomas Darnall did when he hit Williams' van. Darnall, a retiree, has played Kempsville Greens a number of times and has seen ``a lot of golf balls go into that street.'' He didn't think his would ever be one of them, however. Darnall said that he left his name at the pro shop because he felt it was his ``right and duty'' to pay for the windshield.
``I'm not a good golfer,'' Darnall admitted. ``Most duffers like myself have a good slice and it ends up in the street.
``Next time I will not try to hit such a long drive on that hole,'' he added. ``It looks almost reachable in one shot and it's not.''
Esenburg and city golf course supervisor Steve Shields visited Kempsville Greens last Thursday to see if anything else could be done to make hole 15 safer. Shields suggested planting a brightly colored shrub on the landing area to act as a target, so golfers can consciously aim to that area. The pine trees will grow and fill in more, said Esenburg. They also talked with the traffic engineering department about putting warning signs on Baxter Road.
``Our concern is if we put a sign on Baxter it will be a double-edged sword,'' Esenburg said. ``It's telling people they've got to be observant for golf balls and they won't.''
by CNB