Golfers’ ramp bogey
Fears flying balls will endanger boaters
THE new boat ramp proposed for Yorkeys Knob is not a holein-one for the beach suburb’s golf club, which is worried about how ramp users will be protected from flying golf balls.
The State Government is planning on building a six-lane boat ramp west of the existing harbour at Yorkeys Knob, outside the marine walls.
The $11 million facility is to include a new carpark, which will back on to the Half Moon Bay Golf Club.
Opponents of the new boat ramp have claimed on social media that the golf club will be “downgraded” if the project goes ahead.
However club manager Greg Ferry said this was simply untrue.
“The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) have given us assurances that (the ramp) won’t encroach on golf club land that we use at the moment, so the course will stay as an 18-hole course, and we can continue to operate as such,” he said.
He said, however, the club did have concerns about the location of the proposed ramp.
“There’s going to be a huge big parking area next to one of our greens,” he said.
“There’s a road that will run all the way down the length of one of our fairways.
“We’re going to have to put up netting, which we’re concerned might catch birdlife.
“They’ve also got to plant a heap of trees, and even then that’s not going to stop (golf balls).
“And then there’s the issue of who’s got the insurance cover on it, and all that.”
TMR did not respond to a request for comment before deadline yesterday, however a Q&A on the department’s website about the project addresses the golf club’s concerns.
The department says it is working with the club as planning progresses, and golf balls being hit into the car park is “one of the risks we will be looking at very closely.”
“TMR will seek input from Half Moon Bay Golf Club and recognised industry experts before making any decisions on a solution,” it said.