CLOSURE LOOMS FOR DRIVING RANGE\Neighbor must post $76,000 bond to bar operation of Los Robles\site.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

Driving down the Ventura Freeway on Tuesday, Ricky Thompson was pleasantly surprised to see a row of golfers honing their swings on the Los Robles Greens driving range.

The Newbury Park resident, who had thought the range was closed because of a pending lawsuit, made a quick exit from the freeway to hit a bucket or two. Though willing to use ranges in Westlake Village or Camarillo if Los Robles closes, the avid 35-year-old golfer says Los Robles is better because golfers can hit off turf rather than mats.

"This is the only one that has turf, so you're losing that if they close this place and that's no good," Thompson said. "You play golf off the ground, you don't play golf off the mat."

The countdown for closing the range started Tuesday as city officials wait for the owner of a neighboring building to post a $76,000 bond, which kicks in the terms of a preliminary injunction barring errant balls from his property.

Al Dickens, a partner in the 18,000-square-foot office building, sought and received the injunction Oct. 31 in Ventura County Superior Court. Dickens has sued to force the city to prevent golf balls from whizzing over the range fence onto the property.

City officials say that their efforts to solve the problem have drastically reduced the number of errant balls but that they must close the range for now to meet the zero-tolerance terms of the injunction. The city is expected to lose up to $40,000 a year in revenue plus the cost of reconfiguring the practice range.

The city challenged terms of the injunction in a hearing Feb. 20 before Ventura County Superior Court Judge Barbara Lane, but Lane rejected the city's arguments.

An Aug. 19 trial has been set to decide whether to impose a permanent injunction.

As of Tuesday, City Attorney Mark Sellers said that Dickens had not filed the bond, which is intended to protect the city against losses should it win the court case.

"The injunction isn't effective until they file the bond," Sellers said.

Jack Sweeney, the attorney for plaintiff Dickens, did not return telephone calls Tuesday seeking comment.

In interviews last month, however, Sweeney said that the golf ball problem had to be resolved in order to ensure the safety of the building's occupants. Several construction workers have been hit, and Dickens himself was once knocked out by an errant ball, he has said.

The building was expected to be ready for occupancy March 1.

Though delighted that the range is still open for use, many people are frustrated by not knowing the driving range's fate, said Al Saunders, an assistant pro at the course.

"It's a very frustrating thing to be in limbo," he said.

Pointing to the white golf balls spread over the center and western portion of the driving range, Thompson noted that golfers have been making an extra effort to not slice the balls east toward the building.

"Everybody is more careful now," he said.

CAPTION(S):

Photo Hal Zedwick of Newbury Park gets in a few practice swings at Los Robles Greens driving range Tuesday. Jeremy Greene/Special to the Daily News