A parent is pushing for enhanced safety measures at a nearby golf course located adjacent to his multimillion-dollar standalone house following repeated incidents of errant balls striking the residence.
William Fennell, 44, asserts that the safety of his children, who are 10 and 7 years old, has been endangered, as over 60 balls have entered his yard or driveway within just the past two years.
He now faces a £3,000 charge for fixing two of his family vehicles – a
Tesla
The Model 3 and the Volvo V90 – both of which were harmed by errant bullets.
Several roof tiles on the outbuilding of his 16th century thatched house have also been smashed by balls from the 17th hole at the Ufford Park Resort near Woodbridge, Suffolk.
Mr. Fennell, who narrowly avoided injury as a ball whizzed past his ear, worries that one of his kids might suffer a coma if struck in the head during a severe accident.
However, he asserts that the Ufford Park Resort has not taken accountability and declined to cover the costs of the damaged vehicles, even after facing legal warnings.
He is currently ridiculing the club by purchasing the domain name uffordparkresort.com and launching a website to display images of golf balls that have ended up on his land.
The humorous website encourages golfers to retrieve their balls at no cost - however, up until now, none of the players have stepped forward to collect them.
Mr. Fennell, employed as a carpenter, relocated with his spouse to their antique five-bedroom house eight years back, aware that it was adjacent to an 18-hole golf course established in 1992 within 119 acres of historically significant green space.
He mentioned that he was originally pleased to have the "stray ball or two" landing in his yard from golfers who sliced their shots on the 458-yard par-four 17th hole.
However, he grew more annoyed upon realizing that several tiles on his shed had been shattered by wayward bullets.
Mr. Fennell mentioned that he discovered balls lying on the ground near the shed whenever his roof sustained damage.
He stated: "It suddenly crossed my mind that a ball landing on our property might result in severe harm to my children, my wife, myself, or any visitors we have."
I had some leftover tiles from when I constructed the shed, so I was able to handle the repairs on my own. I visited the club to inform them of the situation, and they assured me they would investigate it.
But shortly after, our Tesla suffered damage to the hood when a ball hit it a few months later in 2024. The entire front panel needed replacing, costing approximately £1,500.
When I returned to the club to express my concerns, they claimed they didn’t have any documentation of our previous conversation. The manager present then informed me he would bring it to the attention of their committee.
But later, I received an email stating that they weren’t liable and wouldn’t cover anything.
I attempted to communicate with the top-level management group, but they refused to interact with me. They had an outlook that there was nothing significant happening here.
Due to the Tesla being struck, I created a spreadsheet to document every occurrence of balls flying over, indicating where they landed on my property and any resulting damage.
Last year, the Volvo sustained damage to the front panel. As it's a leased vehicle, we'll be responsible for covering the £1,500 repair expenses prior to returning it.
The harm done to the Volvo made me realize how much destruction a wayward ball could inflict if it struck someone’s head.
We hired a lawyer and had a short correspondence, but Ufford Park refused to accept liability.
Mr. Fennell was recommended to sue the club for damages caused to his vehicles but put off taking legal steps due to concerns that expenses could rise to £10,000.
He subsequently chose to explore alternative methods of targeting the club, which charges £1,199 annually for seven-day membership, and opted to invest approximately £20 on acquiring multiple online domain names associated with it.
Following a conversation with his brother, who is a web developer, he chose one of the names to create a site where golfers can recover their lost balls.
Mr. Fennell currently shares images of golf balls that end up in his yard, highlighting the company or brand insignias with the expectation that they might be identified.
His site is promoted on a board located at the edge of his yard, visible to golf players during the 17th hole.
Mr. Fennell stated, "Certain individuals claim that the golf course existed before I purchased my home, implying that I shouldn't complain about balls landing here."
But I deserve to feel secure in my own yard without facing a threat of injury because of my neighbor's business operations.
Individuals could claim it resembles residing near an airport and enduring constant sounds, yet such noise won’t result in a hospital visit. It’s absurd to imply it was our responsibility to move here.
It’s not unfair to request that golf balls remain inside the boundaries of the course. I’m not opposed to golf players, but the course should bear the responsibility.
I can't prevent my children from playing outdoors, but I'm always worried about the risk of balls going over.
His anxieties increased when he heard "a click" from a golfer striking a ball far away as he was heading to his vehicle, then a "whistling noise" as a ball zoomed past his head and landed in a garden area next to him. He recounted the event in January of this year as "horrifying."
Mr. Fennell stated that his objective was still to have Ufford Park Resort cover the costs of damage done to his family’s vehicles and to "hire a professional golf course designer" and implement any suggestions made to enhance safety.
He stated that the course and its design required an update to reflect advancements in golf equipment over the past few years, allowing players to drive the ball with more power and distance.
Mr. Fennell stated, "The true issue is that they refuse to invest any funds and have operated without consequences. This is an enterprise putting nearby residents at risk and acting in a shameful manner."
The Ufford Park Resort, acquired at an unknown cost by LQ Resorts in 2022, stated that it carries out 'routine assessments of risks' for everyone using the golf course as well as residents in the surrounding area.
A statement from the resort, which features a 90-room hotel, spa, and fitness center, stated: "We are deeply proud of our regional standing and make every effort to keep our golf course central to the community."
We approach our duties with great seriousness. We are dedicated to ensuring a secure atmosphere for our staff, guests, and surrounding community.
Since our establishment in 1992, we have been involved in curriculum revision, wayfinding systems, and awareness campaigns, emphasizing the duties of responsibility for golfers during play.
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