Scottsdale Country Club 2015 Men’s Interclub Matches

This is a final reminder to respond if you would like to participate in this year’s Scottsdale country club Men’s Interclub matches.  Please reply to this email or to Drew Darrow at ddarrow @ ccdcranch.com with your interest in playing as well as your shirt size no later than Friday, October 16th.  Our first match takes place on Wednesday, November 18th at Scottsdale country club Desert Highlands so team uniforms must be ordered as soon as possible.

This season’s matches have been scheduled as follows:

1. November 18 & 23 vs. Scottsdale country club Desert Highlands Golf Club
2. December 7 & 9 vs. Scottsdale country club Troon Country Club
3. January 7 & 11 vs. Scottsdale country club Scottsdale country club Desert Forest Golf Club
4. February 4 & 8 vs. The Mirabel Club
5. March 14 & 25 vs. Scottsdale country club The Boulders Golf Club

It is important to mention that Scottsdale private golf players of all abilities with handicap indexes ranging from scratch or better to 21.0 are encouraged to participate in the Interclub.  Scottsdale private golf Golf courses will be set up between 6,200 – 6,400 yards.  The more balanced our team is with a range of handicaps the more competitive we will be.  Keep in mind the whole idea is to have fun while meeting new people and playing other Scottsdale private golfcourses in a friendly competition.

The Scottsdale private golf team selection process has been tweaked again this year in an effort to field as competitive a team as possible, as well as eliminate the amount of last minute cancellations we have experienced the past few years.  These last minute withdrawals not only leave us scrambling just to field a team but they also result in a less balanced, less competitive team due to handicap inequities against our competitors.  Therefore, we have abandoned the pre-season commitment form used in the past and will be asking for players to confirm their interest in playing in BOTH the home and away matches on a monthly basis.

It has been agreed upon by all participating Scottsdale private golf clubs that their teams will be chosen in a similar manner.  Scottsdale private golf Players who are available to play in both the home and away match each month will be divided into A, B & C groupings according to their current handicap index at the time of selection.  Three players from each handicap group will then be drawn to represent DC Ranch for that month’s matches.  Every effort will be made to include as many members as possible throughout the season and afford everyone on the team equal playing opportunities.

As is the case each year, a few changes have been made to the East and West divisions giving us the opportunity to play some different clubs than last year.  We will compete in the West division against Scottsdale private golf club Desert Highlands, Troon Country Club, Desert Forest, Mirabel and The Boulders.  Come seasons end we hope to be on top of the division and face the winner of the East division in the Championship match to be scheduled in April.   

Countdown to Scottsdale Golf club Course Re-opening Date

The countdown begins as we get closer to our Scottsdale golf club course reopening date of October 16th just a few weeks away. We believe we had a good catch of rye grass during the overseeding weeks. Night time temperatures were cooler and we had very little wind or Monsoon activity.

This summer we were very aggressive with our Scottsdale golf club agronomy practices, such as aerifying, verticutting and topdressing the greens with the hope they continue to get healthier than ever before. The goal is to provide the best playing surfaces possible at Scottsdale golf club but it must be requested -- we need your help. Many are not familiar with the Scottsdale golf club adopting a Pride of Ownership program years ago, and in summary, it is about fixing ball marks, filling in divots with sand and seed, and raking bunkers smoothly. If we all do our part, we will assist the Scottsdale golf club Agronomy team in providing these surfaces.

As we mentioned, our Scottsdale golf club opening rounds will be on Friday, October 16th utilizing a 1st and 10th tee start from 8:00 a.m. to 9:40 a.m. and a second wave from 12:00 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. Please sign up on ForeTees seven (7) days in advance. The first week Scottsdale country club reopens, all carts must stay on paths from October 16th through October 25th without exception. Medical and DMV will be permitted to drive carts in fairways from October 26th through November 6th when cart path restrictions are no longer in effect.

We have a limited number of four-bag attachments and push carts available on a first come-first serve basis on your day of play. Our Scottsdale country club season kick-off shotgun starts are on Friday, October 23rd at 7:30 a.m. and the other at 12:30 p.m. Registration has been open for many weeks, so times might be few for this fun day.

During this opening weekend, we will have a demo day on Saturday, October 24th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the south end of the practice park. This is our big multivendor day with Titleist, Callaway, Ping, Sun Mountain, Taylor-Made with its new M1 clubs, and new to the club industry, PXG Golf.

Please stop by or reserve a fitting time in advance by calling the golf shop at (480)3427210. In addition to our opening weeks of play, we have our premier tournament for fall, our Member/Member. The Scottsdale country club Rodeo will be played by the women on November 10th and 11th, and the men on November 12th through the 14th.

Please sign up on ForeTees soon, if you haven’t thus far. I’ve saved the best for last as far as openings go by telling all golfers the south end practice area will reopen on Saturday, October 10th from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Scottsdale country club North end tees and short game area will reopen on Tuesday, October 20th.

I recently was asked what I thought about the state of the game of golf, which to me seems very simple, both on the men’s and women’s PGA and LPGA. What Jordan Speith and Jason Day accomplished was terrific, and not far behind were Ricky Fowler and Rory McIlroy. I envision these four to be very competitive for many years to come.

Not to be outdone, some LPGA players emerged with some of their best season to date, moving in and out of the #1 position throughout the year, such as Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson, and the youngest #1 player in the world, Lydia Ko. I believe these young players and many more will be fun to watch compete. In closing, we are excited about the upcoming season and look forward to seeing everyone back at the Scottsdale country club.

The Country Club at DC Ranch "Rules & Regulations" and employee related news

Okay, I’m going to say it again– it’s good to be ! Scottsdale private golf ! Last month I shared some of the key concerns still facing so many private golf and/or country clubs across the state and across the country…..and how fortunate Scottsdale private golf is to be the exception to the rule, e.g., financial stability, a ‘full’ equity Golf membership, leading edge on capital reinvestment and a ‘best practices’ club governance structure that has benefited the club greatly over the course of the last five years. Most importantly, however, it’s that “fun, family and friendliness’ culture you’ve created that defines Scottsdale private golf,

The Country Club at DC Ranch – a culture that continues to be the basis for our success. So why am I repeating myself again this month? Simply because of the chatter of discontent that I’ve heard recently. Yes, I understand that the decision mid-summer to leave the Rules & Regulations “as is”, and to enforce accordingly as it pertains to prohibiting pets on club facilities and/or use of the cart paths for any reason other than golf, created some angst with some Scottsdale private golf Members. And, of course, the decision to implement a Scottsdale private golf‘Player’s Services Fee’ this month has not been the most popular decision in all quarters of the Club either. But, other than that, I’m perplexed about why else our membership might be dissatisfied with their Club.

So I ask, if there is any area of the Scottsdale private golf Club in which you, individually or collectively, feel that Scottsdale golf club club leadership / club management is not meeting or exceeding your expectations, please share your thoughts with me at your earliest convenience! A Scottsdale golf club Member Satisfaction Survey is scheduled for late spring…..but in the meantime, please feel free to communicate accordingly.

I also shared with you last month that the Scottsdale golf club’s Club’s Pool Supervisor, Victor Vega, was leaving us and that the search was on for his successor. The search is over……as Victor recently expressed a desire to return to the Scottsdale golf club and we’re welcoming him ‘home’ with open arms.

Other employee related news that I’d prefer you hear from me rather than the proverbial rumor mill – Pastry Chef extraordinaire, Mary Ann Weber, recently informed us that she had accepted another opportunity in the Palm Desert area! The 4th longest tenured (17 years) Scottsdale golf club employee of the Club, Mary Ann’s shoes will be difficult to fill but, as I always tell staff, we’ll look at this not as a crisis, but as an opportunity. In addition to Mary Ann, our Executive Sous Chef, Eric Seitz, recently informed us that he has accepted the Executive Chef position at a new club in the Wickenburg area. Erik had only been a member of our culinary team for three years, but he is a talented young man and will be missed as well. Wherever you may be at the moment, enjoy the ‘rest’ of your summer….and know that the entire staff is very much looking forward to seeing you all back at the Ranch.

Scottsdale Golf Club Special Events

There are only a few spots remaining for Thursday’s Scottsdale golf club rules seminar and happy hour hosted by the Arizona Golf Association and Executive Director Ed Gowan this Thursday, October 22nd prior to Scottsdale golf club Burger Night from 4-5:30 PM.  Please bring your rules questions and join us for this special opportunity.  Registration is available on Scottsdale golf club ForeTees under the events tab or by calling the Golf Shop.

FootJoy will at Scottsdale golf club this Friday from 10:30 – 2:00 performing personalized shoe fittings for Scottsdale golf club Members.  FJ offers more sizes and widths than any other footwear brand and the their shoe fitting expert will help you find your correct size to play Scottsdale private golfcourse  FJ will have 56 men's sizes from 6-16 across four widths (Narrow, Medium, Wide and Extra Wide) and 37 ladies sizes from 5-12 across three widths (Narrow, Medium, Wide) that you can try on to determine the best possible fit to allow for maximum enjoyment of your golf game.

Saturday brings our Scottsdale private golf Fall Demo Day from 8-3 on the Scottsdale private golf Practice Park.  PING, Titleist, TaylorMade, PXG, Callaway, Sun Mountain and more will be on site showcasing their latest and greatest product for the upcoming year.  Launch monitors, club fitters and our professional staff will be available to get you into the best possible equipment to elevate your Scottsdale private golf game.

We hope you are able to join us for these special events and look forward to seeing you at the Club soon!

Scottsdale Private Golf Overseeding Practices

As we Scottsdale private golf overseedes very year, so do I share this short overseeding lesson as a reminder to our seasoned Scottsdale private golf members, and as an introduction to our new members. Scottsdale private golf Overseeding takes place every September and is the process where ryegrass is sown and grown between existing bermudagrass plants.

Bermudagrass is the Scottsdale private golf warm season grass that is our summer playing surface which thrives in the seasonal heat, but goes dormant when temperatures drop sufficiently. Ryegrass, on the other hand, is a Scottsdale private golf cool season grass that grows in our colder winter temperatures. Ryegrass becomes our Scottsdale country club playing surface on tees, fairways, and roughs as it matures in January.

Scottsdale country club TifEagle bermudagrass greens are also overseeded with a blend of cool season grasses. A mix of poa trivialis and bentgrass matures into our greens surfaces around the same time. The entire Scottsdale country club overseeding process takes approximately two weeks and is the most intensive of our yearly cultural practices. The week before we close we thin and reduce the height of the bermudagrass. It takes another week to seed the entire 85+ acres. In 7-10 days the seed germinates and a week later we start to mow.

This year we will reopen the south range complex on Saturday, October 10th, as it was overseeded a week earlier than the golf course - which will reopen on Friday, October 16th. This year there will be a few changes to our standard Scottsdale country club overseed practices, most notably, the height of cut of our fairways and rough. Both will open at and be maintained at lower heights of cut than normal. Scottsdale country club is doing this to increase our odds of a smoother, more seamless transition back to bermudagrass in the spring. Lastly, the entire Scottsdale country club Golf Course Maintenance Team looks forward to the start of the new season and seeing everyone back on the course again. Important October dates: 10 (South range open), 16 (Course open), 23 (Season Kick-Off), 27 (World Series & Full moon).