The 14th hole at Andover Country Club is a par five, 570-straightaway along Beacon Street.
It’s also a longstanding concern — as well as an injury waiting to happen — for staff and students at West Elementary School, where teachers have had cars damaged and windshields smashed by stray golf balls.
On Friday, an employee at the school who had her car dented by a golf ball took to social media to post her concerns on the Andover Cares about our Schools and Town Facebook group. She said she called the Country Club to ask who was on the 14th hole when her car was hit on June 2, but the person who answered the phone refused to give her any help.
“How is this ok?” she wrote. “This has gone on for so long, and I just can’t seem to understand [how it continues] in a town [that] cares about their kids.”
Nicole Kieser, a spokesperson for Andover Public Schools, referred comment to Town Manager Andrew Flanagan.
“I reached out to the owner of Andover Country Club to discuss the issue,” Flanagan said. “He’s exploring a potential option that would mitigate the issue. I expect to speak with him again next week once he has more information.”
Andover Country Club did not respond to requests for comment.
Andover Police Lt. Edward Guy said the department has taken four reports about golf ball damage at West El since April 1. The department’s safety officer, Glen Ota, has been in touch with the Club and is working to resolve the issue.
“In a case like this, it seems that a conversation between the School Administration and their neighbors, Andover Country Club, would be beneficial to see if there is a solution to this issue,” Guy said in an email. “I suggest some type of netting may be proposed, which would hopefully mitigate golf balls from damaging vehicles and/or potentially striking a person in the lot and injuring them.”
Stock photo.