There was nothing there at the time. Homes would grow above the canyons and out of the open fields of the area, but not until a couple of decades later. It was a beautiful, isolated site for a golf course, and the La Rinconada Country Club was born.

All that means is that the golf course, and its accompanying driving range, have been in the same location for a long, long time—more than seven decades.

But it's all those many years later when complaints of errant golf shots from that driving range are putting the club's conditional-use permit in jeopardy. It hardly seems fair.

And why is this controversy brewing now? Because residents who moved into their homes decades after the country club had already been established, who moved into their homes in full knowledge that they would become neighbors of a driving range, are now complaining about errant golf balls.

Fine. The country club should be responsible for its golfers. But La Rinconada is trying very hard to accommodate its neighbors. The club has erected signs and placed them on the range so that members will be aware of the severity of the situation; golfers have been restricted to use of only certain clubs when driving from the tees closest to Wedgewood Avenue; and the club has planted 14 redwood trees along the sides of the driving range.

La Rinconada is doing its best to be a good neighbor. Likewise, the residents should be good neighbors and recognize the good intentions of the country club.

It seems like they are. Neighbors seem to be pleased with the progress being made to mitigate the problems between the country club and the residents. In fact, at an April neighborhood meeting hosted by the club, one Wedgewood resident said that "there is a 3,000 percent improvement and the problem has been solved."

While all neighbors are not quite as satisfied, most recognize and appreciate the improvements the country club had made.

But the town seems to be a little slow on the uptake. La Rinconada asked the Los Gatos Planning Commission last week to approve its conditional-use permit, but the commissioners came up short of granting the request. It's not that the planners denied the country club's appeal, but they did add further conditions and postponed any decision until September.

Planning has indicated that the club must hold an annual meeting with neighbors and must not remove any of the trees planted as extra screening.

So far the club has cooperated with all concerned to solve its problems. And if the efforts of the country club are good enough for neighboring residents, they should be good enough for the town, too. La Rinconada has been a good neighbor and an important part of this town for more than 70 years—its conditional-use permit should be approved.