KEY POINTS:
A teed-off doctor has hit out at the level of safety on an Auckland golf course after a ball smashed into a cart his 3-year-old son was riding in.
John Harman wants Takapuna Driving Range to urgently increase the height of the 10m safety net bordering the neighbouring course.
He was enjoying an outing with sons Sam, 19, and Jack, 3, two weeks ago until they reached the seventh green, when two balls from the double-decker range smashed into their cart. "Sam and I were trying to putt on the green and suddenly two golf balls smashed straight into the cart's windowscreen where Jack was sitting.
"If we'd parked the cart side-on, which you normally do, facing the hole, it would have hit him on the head and he'd be dead now - there is no maybe about it. A ball coming down at that height and speed would kill even an adult."
Jack was moved to safer ground while the two men lined up their next shot - but the blitz continued. "We went to the next tee and at least five balls hit the trees around us," Harman said. "In the end we just ran for cover."
The range's operations manager Kurt Visser said he found it hard to believe balls could be hit across the range of more than 200m and a 40m buffer zone on to the seventh green.
He said the business lodged a resource consent application with North Shore City Council a month ago to add an extra 10m on to the boundary net.
"We want to make the entire driving range nets 20m high," Visser said. "Obviously our clients are very important to us and their safety is paramount."
Harman said he challenged a staff member, who claimed the problem was caused by range users ignoring the rules.
Visser said he hadn't been told of the complaint but staff tried to put adult male golfers on the bottom floor, where there was less chance of them clearing the boundary.
If that wasn't possible they were given explicit instructions to use iron clubs, which can't hit the ball as far.
Staff members constantly patrolled the range, he added.
But Harman isn't the only concerned patron.
Another man, who did not want to be named, said he could drive the ball over the netting.
If safety doesn't improve Harman said someone could be injured or killed. "I think it is unsafe," he said. "End of story."
