The soft summer breeze rustles through the tall stands of mature Aspen trees and prairie grasses in the lush valley on the northwest edge of the city. Here nature sits untouched, a picture perfect backdrop for the homes that grace the ridge above. Nearby, the voices of happy children ring out, as they ride their bikes in the cul-de-sacs connecting the homes. And anchoring it all is a beautiful 18-hole golf course. This is Valley Ridge, home to almost 6,000 residents. Most live in single-family homes (93 per cent) and the area is almost entirely owner-occupied, leading to a connected community with a vibrant and engaged feel.

Golf-course homeowners have several tools at their disposal to protect their property from errant golf balls

For people living along golf courses, glass damage from errant golf balls is no laughing matter. While the problem isn't large in terms of total homes affected, it's a big deal for the few that do live in the line of fire.

"Only a small percentage of courses have homes bordering them," said Slade King, COO of Play Golf Calgary, which runs five courses in and around the city.

"Within all of the Calgary courses, only a few holes have issues, so out of 30,000 golfers who play that course in a year, you may have 10 incidents of golf-ball damage to houses."