Lawrence Club Seeks Funding for Possible Flying Balls Issue

An official from the  sought funding from the village to alleviate a potential problem at the golf course in which balls were straying from one green to another, raising safety concerns for players.

“That’s something that happens on any golf course,” Howard Teitlebaum, the greens chairman at the Lawrence Men’s Club and longtime LYCC member, said at the Feb. 3 meeting of the Board of Trustees. “It’s just a concern we have for people’s safety, and we just want to make it safe.”

Golf balls have apparently been straying from the fifth tee onto the eighth green of the course, Teitlebaum said, and the Village of Lawrence-owned club is asking for approval of funding to create better visibility and ultimately to alleviate any issues with golfers being struck by flying golf balls.

However, Leo McMahon, general manager of LYCC, doesn’t see the straying balls as a major concern for safety, saying that balls “very rarely” find their way from the fifth to eighth green.

“He might have been using that to try to push the project along a little bit, however, there isn’t a safety issue,” McMahon said, referring to Teitlebaum. “If there was, we would have to do something about it immediately.”

East Coast Shaping, a golf course renovation firm, has appraised the cost of improvements at around $21,000 to $22,000, Teitlebaum said.

Possible solutions to stop the potential golf balls issue include the use of trees and bushes, fences, which were used to keep golf balls from obstructing the marina, and in extreme cases can go as far as rerouting holes.

LYCC officials said that they have used architects in the past for landscaping work, improvements around the greens and bunkers as well as for repairs on the drainage system.

While the trustees were not opposed to allowing the funding for this project, they were also not opposed to getting a second opinion, and a cheaper solution to the problem.

“We haven’t yet made our decision,” Trustee Edward Klar said at the meeting.

Since the month of February is off-season for golfers, the club uses this time to make renovations.

Currently, several of its facilities, including the main office, pro shop, clubhouse and marina, are undergoing minor repairs such as painting and sheet rock installation.

LYCC is also removing the old maintenance facility, formerly located in the active playing area of the golf course, and building a new one out of the way to make a safer location for greens keepers.

 “We’ve made renovations, and we are making improvements on our buildings,” McMahon said. “We’re very hopeful and positive about our future.”