ENCINITAS — The team that runs Encinitas Ranch Golf Course is looking to add a standalone protective net fence on the north side of the driving range.
The fence would be installed at an angle to block errant tee balls from the ninth hole for golfers using the north side of the driving range, including the COBRA Custom Tour Fitting Experience, where golfers can test different clubs. According to city documents, the safety structure would be 36 feet tall and 50 feet wide.
Bob Dobek, a project consultant with deep ties to Encinitas Ranch, including serving as construction manager during its construction, said the top reason for adding the fence is safety.
“It’s really for protection, that’s all it is,” Dobek said. “We don’t want to see anyone get hurt.”
Dobek led outreach efforts to communicate the project to the public.
The netting will be internal to the property and will not affect ocean views from neighboring businesses or homes the way an exterior structure might, Dobek told The Coast News.
The golf course is owned and operated by the Encinitas Ranch Golf Authority, a partnership between the city and a management company. The city handles administrative matters, while JC Resorts operates the course under a management contract.
Erik Johnson, regional director of operations for JC Resorts and a former general manager of Encinitas Ranch GC, said the post-COVID uptick in golf’s popularity has made safety a point of emphasis.
Johnson said in an email that right-handed golfers hooking the ball or lefties slicing the ball from the ninth tee have led to “several close calls” on that side of the range, which is why the course “wanted to take a proactive approach” in adding the fence “to prevent a person from ever being hit.”
The next steps for the project will be to secure a permit and then seek bids for construction.
The physical components — poles and netting — will be provided by Judge Netting, a Garden Grove-based firm, according to Dobek. He added that the company also provided netting for the rest of the range, so the new addition will match.
The netting is expected to cost about $35,000, according to Johnson. He said the team hopes to complete the project before the busy summer season.
