A hole at the Forest Creason Golf Course is close enough to the road that golf balls are ending up in the street.

Hole 17 at the Forrest Creason Golf Course is within a few feet of Mercer Road, which could pose a danger to people driving or walking in the area.

Golf Course Director Kurt Thomas said that golf balls rarely end up in the street, and the course has no plans to deal with this problem.

‘It’s not an every day occurrence,’ he said.

Chris Lorenzen, a clubhouse worker at the golf course, said the golf course is only open about six to eight weeks during the school year, so the flow of traffic does not typically coincide with golf being played.

‘Realistically, it’s not a problem,’ he said.

Cars are more often hit than people, Lorenzen said. Drivers will report their car being hit based on the extent of the damage. When a car or person is struck, the golf course is not responsible for the injuries or damages, he said.

‘Whoever hit the ball is legally obligated to fix what they broke,’ Lorenzen said.

Junior Kyle Plumley golfed at the course in the summer on a weekly basis. He has never hit a car on Mercer Road, although he has hit balls onto I-75.

He doesn’t think the issue is big enough for the golf course to do anything about it.

‘I don’t think it’s that big of a problem,’ he said. ‘If you’re that bad, don’t play.’

He also said that cars sometimes get hit as a result of drivers who will honk when driving by in order to disrupt the golfers.

Some students feel the golf course should do something about this. Freshman Jose Borges believes that the hole should be moved.

‘I don’t think it’s that hard,’ he said. ‘All you have to do is patch up the hole and make another one that isn’t close to the street.’

Senior Jasmine Watts also believes the golf course should do something about the situation. She said they should put up nets to block the balls from getting to the street.

‘They have those giant nets they can put on the edge of the golf course,’ she said. ‘That would remedy the situation.’

Lorenzen also said the cost of putting up a net would be more than the golf course can afford.

Graduate student Thomas Husson said that if the golf course can’t afford it, maybe the city should help. He also said signage could help warn those passing by. Either way, he said the golf course is great for the University.

‘There are not a lot of universities with courses, so it’s a good thing that it is here,’ he said.