San Francisco Boardsailing Association

3rd Ave Golf Balls

Use this online form to Report Stray Balls to SFBA

June 2006 Update:

New nets are installed, and are quite impressive.

April 2006 Update:

New nets delayed to May

The discouraging weather that has rained out most of the fun at Third Avenue has also contributed to the delayed start of raising the nets at the driving range (there is also some haggling over permits and engineering). The contractor who is raising the nets is backed up on all of his jobs due to the excessive rain and the ground on the driving range and along the unpaved shoulder are too wet for the trucks and cranes. It's frustrating, but I think it is going to happen, hopefully without much more slip in the start date.

Peter Thorner - SFBA

March 2006 Update:

Net to be Raised After two years of wrangling between the Mariner's Point Golf Course, Foster City and the San Francisco Boardsailing Association (SFBA), it looks like the safety nets will be raised to 100' along the back of the driving range and along the entry roadway. SFBA ultimately did retain an attorney who pressed the City with regard to our opinion that there was serious legal liability on behalf of the city and the golf course. The city and the golf course recently reached agreement on a revised lease that requires the golf course to promptly raise the driving range nets and add a net canopy over parking areas along the side of the range. The work at the golf course will impact parking on site and will impair access. Once the job is complete, there should be a dramatic improvement in terms of safety. The management at the golf course is trying to get the job done as soon as possible, while we are still early in the season. They are currently awaiting the issuance of the building permit, which is conditioned upon approval of the engineering work. It looks like work will probably start around April 3rd and it will take at least 2 weeks. Heavy rain may cause delays by making the ground too soft for the heavy equipment needed. If you have been out to Third Avenue over the weekend, you will see that the steel poles for the job have already been delivered and are stored along the entry road. They made some effort to store these poles on the golf course property, but the ground was apparently too wet for the trucks to gain access. The manager of the golf course knows that parking impacts are a concern and is trying to identify strategies to minimize the impact. Their main focus is on getting the job completed on schedule so that things are back to normal before May. Since I don' t get down to Third Avenue much these days, feel free to send me updates as to what is going on as the construction progresses or e-mail any questions. Peter Thorner San Francisco Boardsailing Association thorner@sfba.org

September 2005 Update:

SFBA has retained a lawyer who has been in regular contact with Foster City regarding the golf ball problem. The City Council has held a number of closed door sessions to consider their options and city staff have been meeting with the golf course. There is currently some discussion between the City and the course regarding a plan to cover the parking and rigging area at Third avenue with tented netting in order to reduce the cost of preventing golf balls from landing in the public recreation area.

March 2005 updates:

During the past year, the Marina Point Golf Course (MPGC) and Foster City have been trying to negotiate a solution to the stray golf ball problems at the Third Avenue launch. SFBA has met with MPGC and the City in an effort to speed a solution. Last year, it looked like the golf course was likely to move forward with a plan to raise a significant portion of the existing safety nets up to 140 feet high. Unfortunately, the plan to raise the nets has been stalled because of the high price in excess of $500,000. During the 2004 season, MPGC did widen the net that protects the rigging area from balls hit on the course (as opposed to the range) and they added additional netting between the driving range and the existing course netting near the rigging area in order to close a gap where some balls have passed between the nets.

MPGC has now implemented an alternative solution for the driving range. They have introduced reduced flight golf balls. If these balls work as advertised, they should prevent golf balls from overflying the safety nets at the driving range. These are the balls that typically land in the parking lot, especially near the entry corner. Chris Aliaga, the manager of MPGC, has indicated that his staff is working to remove any remaining regular flight balls from play and are actively enforcing a rule against the use of regular flight balls at the driving range. All of the new reduced flight balls will have triple green stripes. The old black stripe range balls will be removed from play as they are collected from the range.

If the reduced flight balls prove effective, the remaining problem will be the golf balls that are hit toward the rigging area from the 5th hole of the golf course. The widening of the nets conducted in 2004 should address this problem in part, but some balls will likely overfly the course safety nets. MPGC has agreed to post additional safety signs at the 5th tee. SFBA is preparing signs that will include a map style graphic that clearly shows golfers that a heavily used area lies just beyond the 5th green and the rise just behind it. While some golfers may act irresponsibly, most are likely to show more care if they know that stray balls will land in an area where people could easily be hit. SFBA will also prepare additional signs to be posted at the driving range stairways and ball machine.

SFBA has avoided demanding one specific solution in favor or arguing that any solution should be evaluated based on effectiveness. If the use of reduced flight balls is truly effective, then there is no reason to raise the nets for the range. So that we can evaluate the results, please continue to report any stray balls to Peter Thorner at thorner@sfba.org.

Previous content: (from April 2004)

For a number of years, windsurfers and kitesurfers using the Third Avenue launch in Foster City have suffered injuries and property damages caused by golf balls that leave the grounds of the Mariners Point golf course and driving range. SFBA has been meeting with the management of Mariners Point, the City of Foster City and members of the boardsailing community in an effort to find a solution that will prevent further damages or injuries. For more details on the situation, please review the letters that SFBA has sent to Mariners Point and Foster City:

SFBA Letter - October 31, 2003

SFBA Letter - March 6, 2004

Mariners Point has been asked to make operational changes in order to protect the users of the shoreline area. Mariners Point will be implementing management practices that are designed to significantly reduce the number of golf balls that stray into the public access areas. Mariners Point should also be training their staff to respond immediately when a stray ball lands in the public access area so that the source can be located and further stray shots can be prevented. Mariners Point may set up a dedicated phone number, but for now, report stray balls to the main clubhouse number

Report Stray Balls to Mariners Point – (650) 573-7888 x 0

SFBA is currently collecting information all stray balls that leave Mariners Point. Detailed information will allow us to determine whether the management practices are working, recommend changes, and document an unsafe condition if serious problems continue.

Report Stray Balls to SFBA

Please include: 

  • Time & Date
  • Detailed Location
  • Damages or Injuries
  • Wind Condition
  • If known, whether the ball came from the range or the course
  • Name and Contact Information
  • Copies of any Photos of Injury or Damage

Mariners Point is exploring the possibility of raising the safety nets that protect the parking and rigging areas from stray balls. If Mariners Point decides to move forward with higher nets, the job could not be completed before the end of the 2004 boardsailing season. In the meantime, Mariners Point has been asked to make operational changes in order to protect the users of the shoreline area.

Mariners Point has proposed the following management practices:

1. On the upper deck of the driving range, use mats with no tees to discourage use of drivers during high wind

2. Direct range personnel to consistently monitor upper deck of driving range for compliance with "no driver" policy

3. Post additional signage on driving range alerting golfers of risk of injury/damage from golf balls leaving the facility

4. Eliminate use of front grass tees in the afternoon, when wind picks up

5. Dedicate space on ball machines for windsurfers to post information/photos for customers to see

6. Maintain proper information and forms in pro shop for injured parties

7. Offer use of our front parking lot for access to Northern launch site

8. Make periodic announcements on our PA system during windy season to warn golfers of danger of balls leaving the facility

Work with anemometer to monitor wind speeds and implement restrictions as necessary

Mariners Point denies that they are liable for any damages or injuries caused by stray golf balls leaving their property. They are required by Foster City to provide claim forms and accept claims made. If Mariners Point refuses to pay a claim, an injured party would need to take them to court in order to make their case that the course is liable. A police report may also be filed in order to document a case of injury or damage.

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