Scottsdale Golf Club summer golfing tips + Scottsdale Country Club updates

Scottsdale Golf Club Summer Tips & Updates

I know many of you have escaped the Scottsdale Golf Club heat of the summer for cooler climates, but we still have many golfers who know how to enjoy a fast round of golf when the temperatures are over 100 degrees. To play safely in this weather, please do not forget to apply sunscreen generously before and during the round, wear headwear that also covers your ears, and drink plenty of water and Gatorade while you play at Scottsdale Golf Club. It also helps to keep a wet towel handy to keep your face and arms cool.


Most of our hearty golfers play in the morning before the temperatures reach their peak in the late afternoon. Typically, these times are before 10:00am. Again, by taking the necessary precautions before and during play we may continue to enjoy this game throughout the summer months. Listed below are some Scottsdale Golf Club activities and dates to remember, which I believe are important to talk about again in this message.

Golf Tips: Getting Out Of The Bunker

I am frequently asked about bunker play - specifically if I have any simple tricks, hints, or rules of thumb for getting out of the deep greenside bunkers. First I would recommend getting a quality 56 degree sand wedge and/or a 60 degree lob wedge with at least 10-12 degrees of bounce. The “sole” of the club (or flange) acts as a spoon through the sand and should have enough bounce so as to not dig too deep in the sand. By carrying a wedge with a higher loft and a reasonable amount of bounce, we can promote lift in the golf ball. This will give you the best chance to succeed more often than not out of all bunkers.


Once you have the proper tools, it’s time to talk set up. When you address the shot, your stance should be slightly open to your target line, with the ball placed in the center of your stance. Your body weight should be primarily focused on your forward side. This helps create what we call a “v” shaped angle of descent through the sand ever so slightly behind the impact area. Remember, the club never really comes in contact with the ball on an explosion shot, and we need some sand between the clubface and ball to soften the landing. A point to keep in mind is that the ball goes where the sand goes, and the sand goes in the direction of your swing, not where the clubface is pointed. Your club face should be slightly open to maximize the loft if the lift and sand texture is soft enough. If these conditions are considered to be more firm or hardpan, then a square clubface is better utilized.


To open the clubface properly, take your standard grip and turn the club within your hand placement to open the face. Do not take your standard grip with a square clubface and just turn the clubface to the right. Should you do this, the face will not be open through the impact area, the club will dig, and you might not get the ball out if you hit too far behind it. Most importantly, remember to first get the ball out of the bunker. Then get it on the green somewhere. Finally, when you get more proficient and confident, you can try and get it close or even hole it. After a little practice, you will never fear getting out of a greenside bunker again.

Scottsdale Country Club Clubhouse Member Golf

During the summer months of June, July and August, clubhouse members have the privilege of playing up to six (6) rounds of golf on a space available basis. These times may be reserved three (3) days in advance and have no restriction on the days in which they are played. You are welcome to host up to 3 guests with you for each round.

Scottsdale Country Club Fairway & Rough Aerification

On June 20th, we began aerifying all fairways and roughs and will continue until completed. As with our usual summer schedule, the golf course will be closed on Mondays.

Greens Aerification

Tuesday, July 5th and Wednesday, July 6th, the golf course will be closed for the only major green aerification of the summer.

Scottsdale Country Club Putt Your Eyes Out

How many 10 foot putts can you make in a round of golf? Think it is easy? Let’s give it a go and have some fun while testing your putting skills. This Scottsdale Country Club competition will see our members start with a 3:00 p.m. shotgun on Wednesday, July 20th. Participants will drive to each green, and place their ball 10 feet around the cup. The player with the fewest amounts of total putts by the round’s end will be our champion.

The Rodeo

It may seem like a long way off, but now is be a good time to start thinking ahead about who your partner is for the men’s and ladies’ Rodeo Member-Member. The Ladies Rodeo is on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 8th and 9th, and the Men’s Rodeo is on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, November 10th-12th.

Friday Fun Day: Center Cut

The Black Friday challenge was so well supported that we have decided to offer another chance to compete with your friends on Friday June 10th at the Scottsdale private golf Club.

We will have a 12:00 shotgun start for the first 120 Scottsdale Golf Club players to sign up on Foretees under the event tab named CENTER CUT.

You are welcome to bring up to three guests in this 2BB of 4 Stableford scoring format where you can WHEEL (have multiple partners for a fee) to increase your chances of winning.
The entry fee per a Scottsdale Golf Club member is $50.00, and guests are set at $100 which includes guest fee/cart, lunch, prizes and Hors d’houevres.
The Scottsdale Golf Club course will be played from the forward tees to hole locations in the center of each green, so we can encourage all players to shoot their best round ever and have fun doing it!
Please consult this Scottsdale Golf Club event sheet for more details.
If you think it might be too easy, then see if you can GO LOW!

Scottsdale Private Golf MEN’S DAY SATURDAY:
Keeping the momentum going, on Saturday June 18th we will be holding an 8:30 Scottsdale Private Golf shotgun start with accompanying competition for the men. Should anyone else like to participate and beat-the-heat, they are more than welcome to play in the shotgun – however will not be included in the men’s game.
On Scottsdale Private Golf  Foretees you will find the tab to sign up; This carries with it a $30.00 per person entry, which includes lunch and prizes and a Red ,White and Blue game.
The format per 4 person Scottsdale Private Golf team is each player will play 4 holes from the red, white and blue tees of your choosing and all play on #9 and #18 will be from the Scottsdale Private Golf black tees(Wherever we put them), from there it will be a two best balls of three competition.

George Sokolis Farewell

George Sokolis, one our Scottsdale Golf Club PGA apprentice golf professionals who has been at the Scottsdale Golf Club  for the last three years, will be leaving the club to pursue additional education beyond the degree he currently has with the hopes of venturing into the business world.

If you happen to go through the Scottsdale Golf Club golf shop before his last day on Friday, please take a moment to wish him a fond farewell.

On behalf of not only all departments he worked closely with over the years, but the membership as well, we wish him and the entire Sokolis family the best.

Good luck George and thanks for all you did!

Scottsdale Golf Club RATES RECAP

Scottsdale Golf Club Summer rates for guests accompanying a member are $50. For $60, the guest can receive an included lunch from a set menu prior to their tee time. Drinks are excluded. A member may bring up to 7 guests, however this requires prior approval from the Scottsdale Golf Club golf shop.

Scottsdale private Golf Club CLUBHOUSE MEMBERSHIP GOLF :

Starting June 1St, Scottsdale private Golf Club Our BEST SUMMER YET program is encouraging all of our Scottsdale private Golf Club Clubhouse members to take advantage of their privilege to play 6  total  rounds of golf during the months of June, July, and  August for this summer only.

This offer for the remainder of summer was overwhelmingly supported by your Scottsdale private Golf Club Board of Directors.

We want you to experience this great game of golf at  a preferred Scottsdale private Golf Club  rate of $50.00 per round any day of the week on a space available basis. Simply start by calling the Scottsdale private Golf Club golf shop 3 days in advance of the day you wish to play, noting that starting times can be made after 11:00 each day.

You are also welcome to invite up to 3 guests, with their guest fee being $70.00 per person.

We hope to see all of our clubhouse members taking advantage of this opportunity over the next three months.

Scottsdale Private Golf Three P's

Over time I have tried to bring up a few topics which would set the Scottsdale Private Golf Club apart from many clubs in golf and I believe I have a few, which when we all buy into what they represent, we will set ourselves apart from the rest. Simply put, they are the three P’s 1- Scottsdale Private Golf Pride of Ownership: We will keep fresh in your mind with each newsletter , which mandates fixing ball marks, repairing divots, and raking bunkers smoothly. 2- Posting your scores: This keeps the Scottsdale Private Golf game and handicaps fair for all and the committee is being very diligent in keeping a close grasp on this practice. 3- Scottsdale Private Golf Pace of play: Can we ever say enough about this? To date I know of no one who has ever admitted he was a slowplayer, thus ruining the enjoyment of a round for others behind them, not to mention some might not finish their round in the maximum 4 hour time frame we request.

Some ask me why I play Scottsdale Private Golf course so fast and it comes from growing up and trying to get in as many holes before dark as possible, not to mention when I listened to my Scottish friends, they say the faster you play the more time to socialize after the round as opposed to during it. I believe players are not prepared to play immediately when it is their turn, and if you waste 30 seconds per hole, over the course of a round that is 9 minutes. I was asked how others could play faster so I have enclosed an article I wrote for a magazine with some pointers in an effort to help Scottsdale Private Golf members. I hope they help and if you have any questions, please come in and contact us. The last thing you want is a reputation that you are holding up the field! Enjoy your Scottsdale Private Golf round, and remember these three P’s.”

There are four critical factors that discourage new golfers from enjoying the game and keep current Scottsdale Country Club golfers from playing more than they do: the Scottsdale Country Club game needs to be more accessible for all, more affordable, more fun in order to attract new Scottsdale Country Club golfers, while pleasing the current Scottsdale Country Club golf enthusiast, and finally, there is the issue of slow play which we are addressing here. We need to teach or retrain Scottsdale Country Club players to help the problem of slow play. Even though golf is said to be a social game, perhaps playing faster will allow for more quality social time at the end of the round instead of during it. First, take a minute to prepare for the round by making sure all you need is easily accessible from your bag, cart, or caddie.
• Head covers, if needed on the clubs to prevent scratches, should be situated in the top compartment so they can be reached easily. If you don’t need the covers, put them in the cart or inside the bag.
• Group your irons for grab-and-go play. Have the mindset that every time you put a club in the bag, you take 1 to 3 clubs out based on what you know of your next shot. On an approach shot, you can typically guess which one of the three clubs will do the job.
• It is not imperative to put your club in the bag after every shot. Get in the cart with the cub in your hand and go to your next shot.
• While your cart partner is hitting his next shot, walk or drive to your ball and prepare to hit.
• Certainly getting accurate yardages is important for all players, so be swift in looking for a yardage marker, a hole location sheet or using a yardage device.
• On the tees and full swing shots, play when you are ready and it is safe to play. Be alert and get in the game!
• If in a bunker, rake your way out to a low point where it is easier to exit rather than climbing out on a steep slope.
• When driving to the green it is typically best to park your cart behind the green or the nearest exit point. Never park in front of the green where you are walking back into play after you have finished putting ultimately holding up the group behind you.
• In a perfect world, continuous putting would be in place. You putt out when it is your turn regardless of how far away from the flagstick your ball lays. Line up your putt from behind your ball only – that is where you typically get your first and best read of the green. Circling the hole aimlessly should be discouraged.
• Once you have picked up your ball marker, take no more than 15 seconds to hit your putt. The first player to hold out tends to the flagstick as all remaining putts are holed. Faster play also means more space for additional golfers. More golfers mean more activity at the club and the potential for more revenue, more new friendships, and possible business connections.

Faster play means more family and friends time. It will give you more time after the round for quality socializing. I have yet to listen to a golfer say they played poorly because they were asked to play faster. I have heard players say they had no rhythm, timing or flow to their round as they were continually waiting to hit their next shot. So, where does it start and who are the culprits for slow play? The first groups of the day set the pace and should be reminded of this. As they set the pace so follows the groups behind them. The old adage still holds true, it’s “keep up with the group in front of you,” not “stay in front of the group behind you.”

Each course should be timed by hole so players know where they should be relative to the time they started. Slow play is gradually eating away at everyone’s enjoyment of the game, and in turn, golfers find alternate things to do with their time. It is the game for a lifetime, but it shouldn’t take you a lifetime to finish a round. I was first introduced to golf as a caddie when we had a chance to play at the end of the ay, and our goal was to get in as many Scottsdale Country Club holes as we could before dark. As a foursome we could easily get in 18 holes in three hours walking and carrying our clubs. We need to get back to these times and take responsibility for our pace of play so every player at all levels can continue to enjoy this game for years to come. Of all the issues affecting our game, slow play is perhaps the easiest for all golfers to fix.

Country Club Scottsdale Golf Course Maintenance

The Country club Scottsdale weather this spring has been unseasonably warm and we are taking advantage of it by lowering the heights of our Country club Scottsdale mowers a little earlier than normal. This will increase Country club Scottsdale chances of a smooth transition back to Country club Scottsdale Bermuda grass. The amount of bermudagrass that is already present is a very encouraging start. Another phase of our Country club Scottsdale transition program is to slice the rough which will be done for the second time at the beginning of the month. We will be concentrating on trimming and detail Country club Scottsdale projects for the majority of the month culminating in ‘The Round Up’ at the end of the month. Thank you all very much for the many favorable comments and all the positive feedback regarding our course conditions this spring. Our main goal in golf course maintenance is to always provide the best possible playing surfaces that we can. When the weather cooperates and the turf behaves, the course can be a thing of beauty and a pleasure to play. It makes all the hard work well worth it and very satisfying. We hope you can all get in an extra round or two . . . see you on the course!

Scottsdale Golf Club Member Survey

We want to know what you are thinking! Once again this year, your Scottsdale golf club Board has chosen to work with the McMahon Group, a professional club consulting firm, to conduct a comprehensive Scottsdale Golf Club member survey.

We have a couple key objectives in conducting this survey. First, much of the feedback we get is on day-to-day issues or isolated events, and we know that sometimes the views expressed by one person may not represent the broader membership. A professionally done survey gives an opportunity for ALL of our members to be heard and for us to compare how our club is doing against national benchmarks, and to better understand how different membership cohorts are enjoying the club. Second, one of the key responsibilities of the Scottsdale Golf Club Board is to plan for the future. The membership survey will give us insight into your thoughts and priorities for the future direction of our club. When members approved Phase I of the Scottsdale Golf Club Facility Master Plan, there were several elements we elected to defer including renovation of our pool area, expansion of our kitchen and casual dining facility at the pool, an expanded fitness center with room for classes, and an expansion of our main kitchen area. In addition we continue to get requests for more space for small events, meetings and card games. We know that some of these Scottsdale Golf Club enhancements would add to the satisfaction of our existing members and will also make us more attractive to new members down the road (and in turn help to keep our resale price strong).

We also need your input on the timing of any future Scottsdale Golf Club enhancements – especially given the long lead times these types of Scottsdale private Golf Club projects require for planning, design and permitting. Is this something our Scottsdale private Golf Club members would like us to get started on now? In the next 3 to 5 years? The next 5 to 10? As you know, our club is already in an enviable position. Our last Scottsdale private Golf Club member survey showed that we are in the upper half of clubs nationally in terms of member satisfaction. And with our Scottsdale private Golf Club Clubhouse renovation and addition to our tennis facility, we know that our members are enjoying the club more than ever. While costs and expenses inevitably rise each year, our club continues to be in good shape financially.

Our most recent benchmarking against other clubs of our type nationally, shows that we are in the upper half for most financial metrics. The only debt we have is for the member-approved expansion, which is being serviced as scheduled and will be retired over the next 52 months. Our current debt to asset ratio is in the best quartile of clubs of our type. And our current financial position is healthy, meaning that we can cover our operating expenses and fund our capital maintenance needs. So we are in a good position as we plan for the future, and continue to move our club experience to even better levels. Expect to see your invitation to participate in the Scottsdale private Golf Club membership survey in late April. I hope each of you will take time to respond. We look forward to hearing from you!

Scottsdale Golf Club Upcoming Events

We hope you have been enjoying the exceptional Scottsdale Golf Clubweather we’ve been experiencing over the past few weeks!  We would like to take a moment to remind you of some of the upcoming events at the Scottsdale Golf Club.

The Scottsdale Golf Club Stroke Play Club Championships are in full swing with the Senior Championship leading the way last weekend.  Congratulations to our 2016 Scottsdale Golf Club Senior Champion John Poole who put together two remarkable rounds of gross 70-69 to capture his second title in four years.  In the Super Senior Championship Jack Benton seized the gross title in a 3-player sudden death playoff with Jack Fairfield and Bob Haney.  Way to go Jack!

Scottsdale Golf Club Net Senior Club Champions also played outstanding golf.  Congratulations to Bill Carder for winning the Scottsdale Golf Club Championship flight, Larry Moore on his first flight victory and Bob Haney in the Super Seniors.  If you see them around the Club please take a moment to compliment them on their remarkable play.

We look forward to crowning our Scottsdale private Golf Club Ladies Club Champion this coming weekend and the Scottsdale private Golf Club Men’s Stroke Play Champion next Saturday & Sunday.  If you have yet to register for the Scottsdale private Golf Club Men’s Club Championship please be reminded that TODAY is the deadline.  We are hoping for a record turnout this year.  Please keep in mind that the Scottsdale private Golf Club tournament is flighted and played from multiple tees so players of all abilities are encouraged to participate.  The Scottsdale private Golf Club Championship flight will be contested from the Black tees both gross and net with the first and second net flights being played from the Scottsdale private Golf Club Blue and Blue/White tees.  We hope you sign-up to play.