Chisholm Park Golf Club golf professional Andrew Whiley said the council's plan would see the fence built along the edge of cliffs at Lawyers Head, next to the scenic No 9 green.
The 2.8m-high fence, which would stretch for 281m, would block panoramic views from the green of Tomahawk Beach and the Pacific Ocean.
Mr Whiley feared the move would destroy the course's "marque golf hole", which had won praise from golfers and journalists around the world.
"It's probably one of the most photographed golf holes in the South Island, if not New Zealand . . .
"It's our identity," he said.
However, council community and recreation services manager Mick Reece yesterday said a final decision on whether to build the fence was still three months away, and would depend on how people used the area in the meantime.
It was possible the fence's design could be changed if city councillors instructed staff to do so, he said.
The plan to build the fence was part of a compromise agreed by councillors earlier this month, which resulted in John Wilson Ocean Drive - leading to Lawyers Head - being reopened to vehicles yesterday for the first time since 2006.
Mr Whiley said he accepted the fence was needed, but believed it should be built further inland - between the nearby No 10 green and the public car park at Lawyers Head, and running back down John Wilson Ocean Drive.
That would leave uninterrupted views of the area from the No 9 hole, while stopping members of the public from wandering across the green towards the cliffs, he said.
His argument had backing from up to 58 amateur and professional golfers from New Zealand and internationally, included a "seething" former New Zealand professional and course designer Greg Turner and Australian professional Peter Fowler.
Mr Fowler, in his email, said he had played around the world but still regarded Chisholm Park's No 9 hole as "one of the great golf holes" because of its "world-class" views.
"I understand the need for a fence . . . but having that fence running across the top of the cliff of the golf course will destroy a great golfing view."
Mr Turner said the fence would be "unprecedented in my considerable experience of links golf" and "catastrophic" for the course.
"The damage to the reputation of both the course and the city in golfing circles would be significant."
Cr Paul Hudson, chairman of the community development committee that decided on the compromise agreement, said when contacted golfers' concerns about the fence had only been brought to his attention yesterday.
It was possible a meeting could be held with Mr Whiley, or the matters raised could be considered as part of the resource consent process for the fence.
However, the positioning of the fence was based on professional advice, including that from emergency services, and he questioned whether repositioning it would work.
"That's not protecting anyone from the edge of the cliff," he said.
