PETITION TO THE WALNUT CREEK CITY COUNCIL

Urgent Action Required:

Addressing the Critical Safety Hazard from Diablo Hills Golf Course's Design Flaw Affecting Residents, Family, and Visitors of Masters Ct and Players Ct in Walnut Creek.

To the Honorable Members of the Walnut Creek City Council,

We, the undersigned residents, family members, and visitors of Masters Ct and Players Ct in Walnut Creek, are writing to express our concerns and respectfully ask for your immediate intervention regarding an ongoing safety hazard posed by errant golf balls from the adjacent Diablo Hills Golf Course.

This dangerous situation is not new and is far beyond reasonable expectations of living near a golf course. We face a continuous barrage of high-speed golf balls directly caused by a fundamental design flaw: Hole #5's dog-leg right angle points straight at our apartment buildings. These balls constantly land where we walk, park, and use outdoor spaces, creating an unacceptable and constant threat to our safety. We are all experiencing frightening near-misses, real hits, and significant property damage, including many car dents and shattered windows, posing a constant risk of severe injury or even fatality.

This dangerous situation extends beyond our residents. Employees of Optimus, the gardening company subcontracted by our HOA, also face constant worry about golf balls hitting them or damaging their vehicles while working. They've observed the problem stretching further down the golf course into Crosby Ct and Stoneridge Apartments, though Hole #5 remains the primary source. Significantly, Optimus maintains its own collection of these errant balls.

Despite repeated attempts to resolve this with Diablo Hills Golf Course management (specifically the owner Debbie Singh) and Club Vilas HOA, our concerns have largely been ignored. Previous attempts by residents to address this issue were dismissed with claims of signed liability agreements. However, when a known, repeated hazard is not addressed, liability shifts. The Golf Course's lack of adequate safety netting for a known, repeated hazard puts our lives and property at risk, constitutes legal negligence, and an unacceptable disregard for community safety.

Given the persistent lack of meaningful response from both Diablo Hills Golf Course and our HOA management, and with this safety risk continuing to escalate, we believe the City Council's immediate intervention is crucial for a resolution.

We urge you to:

Mandate an Independent Expert Evaluation: Require the Golf Course to commission an independent expert evaluation of its layout to identify hazardous areas and recommend comprehensive netting solutions to protect residents.
Ensure Immediate Implementation & Enforcement: Mandate the Golf Course to immediately implement all recommended safety measures, including proper netting, and enforce compliance to ensure ongoing resident protection.

No resident, family member, or guest should suffer injury before appropriate and legally mandated safety measures are taken. We implore the City Council to protect the lives and property of its residents.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

The Concerned Residents of Masters Ct and Players Ct, Walnut Creek