SAN CLEMENTE : Bid to Curb Errant Golf Balls Ended

A controversial attempt to reduce the number of golf balls battering a row of homes next to the San Clemente Municipal Golf Course was scuttled Wednesday by the City Council.

Wearing ribbons emblazoned with the single word, golfer, about 20 golfing enthusiasts applauded the council’s decision not to renew an experiment that had reversed the direction of play on two holes across the street from the homes.

Instead, the council unanimously approved a $9,500 plan to install trees and sand traps in an effort to encourage golfers to aim away from homes on Avenida Santa Margarita.

Although some homeowners said the number of balls striking their homes and cars dropped dramatically during the experiment, the altered holes merely shifted the problem to another set of houses farther down the street, the council agreed.

Golfers complained bitterly during the 30-day trial, claiming that the changes made the holes more difficult to play.

Two sand traps and several trees will be dug into the right side of the fairway, which is separated from the homes by a narrow street.

After a 90-day trial, the council will review the situation to see if the latest measures reduce the number of errant balls.

The council also directed city staff to look into the cost of erecting a 30- to 50-foot fence along the street. That option has been strongly opposed by the homeowners, who say the fence would destroy the panoramic ocean view from their front yards.