Fall overseeding at Scottsdale Golf Club

 

It is amazing how fast time flies here at the Scottsdale Golf Club. I truly cannot believe that we are entering our fall overseeding of the golf course at the end of the month.  Thankfully we are back to where all areas of the Club are reopened, albeit with limited capacity in the Clubhouse and the Fitness Center.  The Club has been fortunate to weather this difficult year and I am thankful to my team that they have all worked together to keep the membership and each other engaged.  Without them, none of this is at all possible.  As we move forward, we need all Scottsdale private golf courses in compliance with the guidelines that the Club is following as they are required by the CDC and Arizona Department of Health Services.  We will continue to communicate these to you but our biggest need is to have you wearing a mask when in the clubhouses with the exception of when you are SEATED.  All other times we require you wear them for the safety of our members and staff.  Not wearing masks in these areas will not be allowed until further notice so thank you in advance for your continued cooperation.

As we lead up to our Winter at Scottsdale Golf Club, we will be making some minor improvements to the s side of the main Clubhouse where we will be enhancing the outdoor dining spaces which include the south patio and fire pit area along with the addition of permanent heaters and misters.  Those projects are expected to start this week and are expected to be completed by opening the weekend following the overseeding closure.   There will be minimal disruption in that area but it may be a bit of an eyesore for a few days.  As a reminder Scottsdale private golf courses

will remain open during overseeding despite the closure to the course and driving range.

     

In Club Governance news, following the successful vote to update the Club Bylaws, the Board and Management are working to put those significant changes, namely the introduction of the Capital Dues program, into practice for the coming fiscal year which begins October 1.  For those interested in finding the new Bylaws, they can be found on the member side of the Club Website under the Club Info section.  As we get through the rest of the summer, the Club Committees are in the process of making some minor updates to the Rules and Regulations as well.   

There has been a buzz around private golf clubs in Scottsdale in recent weeks as more members and guests have been enjoying the Club and we look forward to keeping that going through the coming months.  With that being said we all know that many of the experiences that you have come to enjoy at the Club over the years will need to be re-imagined to keep everyone safe.  We look forward to having you experience the Club in this new manner as we view this as a tremendous opportunity to find new ways to enhance the Country Club at DC Ranch Experience!  Wherever you may be, enjoy the ‘rest’ of your summer….and know that the entire staff is very much looking forward to seeing you all back on the Ranch soon!

MY HANDICAP DOESN’T TRAVEL from Scottsdale Golf Club

We were in a meeting with a few USGA officials last week regarding Scottsdale Golf Club

and slope ratings as compared to other clubs around the valley.

We relayed to them the comment from many members who, on the rare occasion play away from the club; lose bets and say their HANDICAP DOESN’T TRAVEL.

These USGA rules and handicap officials quickly responded “Your handicap doesn’t travel because YOU don’t travel.”

They said when you finally play an away course, where you don’t have the familiarity you do at home, you SHOULD expect on most away rounds, you will shoot 3-5 strokes higher than at your private golf clubs in Scottsdale home course. It sounds to me like you might want to get in some away games in the near future!

HOT AND HUMID at Scottsdale private golf courses

The hot and humid weather at  Scottsdale private golf courses is here to stay for the next 4 months at least but the good news is the Bermuda grass thrives with the heat and humidity.

You will see all fairways, greens, rough and tees fill in and get more density as the months go by which will make for better playing surfaces, and position us for a better overseed from September 28th through October 22nd and we will reopen on the 23rd.

Specifically, #13 green at Scottsdale Golf Club is getting healthier by the day and the newly resodded green surrounds are knitting together nicely.

The north chipping green was re-sprigged 12 days ago and is filling in after being enlarged by 900 SF.

The Scottsdale Golf Club HORSESHOE course was re-sprigged with 328 Bermuda grass and is getting great traction with the greens maturing after one year of growth.

Our goal in the next few months is to build a nice sized Tif Eagle Bermuda grass nursery on the northwest side of the practice tees for use on the golf course as necessary in the future.

I realize what we are experiencing with this Pandemic; no one alive has been through this.

Scottsdale Golf Club is doing what we can to follow the protocols, policies, and procedures as defined by the CDC and medical experts so that we can keep the club open with as many amenities as possible.

We have mentioned in many of the videos to date that not only has our club played more golfers than ever before since March 15th, but also more than the surrounding Scottsdale private golf courses in the valley as well.

Scottsdale Golf Club almost 5000 rounds ahead of our forecast since October, which no one could have predicted.

I took my best guess when asked about next year’s play starting after we return from overseed, and I have every belief we will not play as many rounds as this year.

We still need to adhere to the most critical directives since this pandemic started, which are Social Distancing, washing your hands repeatedly, and wearing a mask whether you like it or not. We hope that there will be a vaccine found and our fears will perhaps turn into hope for the future.

Scottsdale private golf courses will keep everyone apprised when directives change but know we will error on the side of caution along the way.

Scottsdale private golf courses is pleased to offer as many single rider carts since our play is not as active as it was many months ago, but when we reopen after overseeding, we won’t have enough carts for everyone to have their own.

We will however have clear vinyl separators between the driver of the cart and any passenger, whether they are family or not.

Scottsdale Golf Club will continue to check on shotgun starts, but for the upcoming season we will be using a first tee start so we can help maintain the social distancing between golfers as best we can.

We are closely monitoring our tournament schedules as well, with the primary strategy being safety, which is our number one priority for all members and staff.

We have had an immense amount of support from you all as you have expressed that we should do whatever we can to stay open. I am pleased to report we have not closed golf at all and with your cooperation, we will continue to offer golf each day.

We thank you for your cooperation through this time and hope to have your continued support and understanding.

PLAY THE CORRECT TEES at Private golf clubs in Scottsdale

As I was checking on play this morning, I was asked a question that I am frequently asked, which was “How many players are playing from the correct tees at Scottsdale golf club ” My answer has been the same for many years; not enough. Here is my thinking:

The game is a sport where we challenge ourselves on each and every shot and hope that our score reflects our timeless hours of practice and preparation.

Many others play the game only for the social aspect and fun at Scottsdale golf club.

I believe you can accomplish both if you play from the correct tees that fit your skill, meaning, how many greens can you REACH in regulation, not how many you HIT in regulation, as that is a different question.

Too many players at Private golf clubs in Scottsdale play from tees too far back and their chances of reaching and hitting greens is very small.

I would encourage you to track a few of your rounds and count the number of greens you had birdie chances on and if the number is consistently low, you might consider moving up a tee and this will enable you to have more fun as well at Private golf clubs in Scottsdale.

This is a true story about when I was competing years ago and playing my best. When I would go out to play with amateurs or members, they would expect I would want to play “From the Backs” (as they would call them). Little did they know even at my level, that wasn’t always as much fun as they would expect.

I made them an agreement that we would start one tee forward and when they started to make too many birdies, we would move back a tee. To date, many years later, we have never moved back one time!

A great way to get your confidence up at Scottsdale private golf courses is to play for fun from a more forward tee and see how many greens you can hit in regulation and thus, how many birdie opportunities you can have in a given round.

Wouldn’t it be fun to go home and tell your family you just shot your best round ever?

Lastly, remember, golf is a game of a lifetime, but it shouldn’t take you a lifetime to play it!

A fast player keeps good friends!!

Scottsdale Golf Club is all about its Members

This former cattle ranch in the Valley of the Sun is proving country clubs can flourish by offering amenities, programming, and service that appeal to all generations Scottsdale Golf Club opened in the late 1990s on a knoll near the McDowell Mountains, The Country Club at DC Ranch, in Scottsdale, Ariz., sits on land that a century ago was part of a working cattle ranch. At its peak, DC Ranch stretched for 43,000 acres and employed cowboys tending to 4,000 head of cattle. Today, it still has a rustic look and feel, captured primarily in the Club’s heralded, 45,000-square-foot Ranch Hacienda Clubhouse, which lends a welcome sense of history to a modern city like Scottsdale. Key to its success, the Club focuses on both the current and future generations. “We are a club who cares,” says Melanie Halpert, Director of Membership and Marketing. “People are looking for the whole package in their country club. They are truly looking for a connection. Our team, along with the members who join, make that possible.” The longevity of the staff speaks volumes about the commitment to keeping members happy and engaged. Though the Scottsdale Golf Club is barely two decades old, many of the staff have been on board for nearly the entire run. Continual improvements and renovations keep the facilities fresh and attuned to the desires of members. Open year-round,  Scottsdale private golf courses offers a full summer camp for kids and an extensive calendar of social events and activities for adults. To encourage participation from all ages, the Club closes its driving range two afternoons a week and transforms it into a nine-hole, par 3 course. It’s been a huge hit, a fun (and fast) golf experience allowing golfers of every skill level to share in the pure joy of the game. There is serious golf to be played here, too. Redesigned by Tom Lehman and John Fought in 2002, the 18-hole course offers memorable views of the Valley of the Sun and climbs dramatically into the mountains on the back nine. Challenge is found in the course’s length, deep bunkers, and subtly breaking greens. There are 400 golf members, but because the club is a diverse mix of retired and working members, it is always easy to get a tee time. Scottsdale private golf courses have come a long way. Without forgoing its rich history it has successfully forged a fresh way to keep country club life fun and engaging

Private golf clubs in Scottsdale created a full calendar of social distancing events to keep members engaged and active. “We don’t get mulligans in life, so no rules can be broken, no matter who it might be,” said Dick Hyland, Scottsdale Golf Club Director of Golf. While DC Ranch’s Scottsdale private golf courses continued to stay busy, the kitchen and food-and-beverage department organized to-go parties, online cooking classes, coffee pick-up in the valet area, grocery service, homemade hand sanitizer, and holiday take-home parties. The popular “Quaratin-O” curbside drive-through pick-up parade party involved several stations where members stayed in their cars and picked up drinks, desserts, and food, all while live music played in the background. Youth programming was essential as well. The youth department Scottsdale Golf Club at created cooking contests, Zoom craft parties, virtual workouts and pick-up art projects to keep kids busy. The Private golf clubs in Scottsdale Fitness and Wellness department, started zoom classes, online seminars, and do-it-yourself home spa tutorials, while social activities continued with online Happy Hours, book clubs, flower-arranging classes, and online art lessons.

Private golf clubs in Scottsdale get Practice Park renovation

The entire 11 acres at Private golf clubs in  Scottsdale was scraped to the dirt in June of 2019 and re sprigged with Tif eagle Bermuda on the greens, and all other turf is 328 Bermuda which is a better practicing surface then the 419 variety we removed. The boundaries of the park were enlarged to approximately 14 acres which enabled us to get many of the perimeter Horseshoe holes built.

An 8500 SF putting green was built adjacent to the two greenside bunker/ short game areas on the southwest side of the park.

The practice tees on both the north end and 2/3 of the south tee were enlarged and re –sprigged late in the process and do not have as strong a Bermuda base as we will get with this entire Bermuda growing season in front of us. The dew point will climb as well as the humidity kicks in over the next few months, necessities for Bermuda growth.

A little steady rain during Monsoon season would help starting in late June.

WHAT ARE WE SEEING NOW at Scottsdale private golf courses?
The cool season rye grass is saying I can’t take the heat and I am going away and let the Bermuda take my place until October.

This is what we see all over, some turf areas are a brown color, and some places will fill in with Bermuda sooner than others, as we chemically sprayed out the rye to get rid of it a few weeks ago.

Many of you have not seen this process take place as you have not been here this time of year, but as this is a necessary evil each summer as overseeding is in the fall.

Please know the conditions will get better as the weeks go by.

LOCKER ROOM SERVICE RESUMES JUNE 2ND at Scottsdale private golf courses

The ladies’ and men’s locker room services will resume starting Tuesday June 2nd.

We ask that you bring shoes in to the respective locker room  managers one pair at a time, so Todd and Denise can get everyone one  clean pair of shoes before a few get multiple pairs.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

The showers are available but the steam room is not until further notice.

MONDAY’S CLOSED:

The clubhouse, golf course, Horseshoe, practice areas, bag room and locker rooms will be closed on Monday’s through overseeding and for priority agronomy projects. Aerification week is June 8th through the 12th and the golf course will be closed for a much needed rest after the demanding season.

For those who enjoy numbers, the months of March, April and May accounted for 13,800 rounds against a forecast of 10,500 rounds, oh my!

There was more practicing done off the new practice tees than ever before with some days having as many as 260 people hit balls.

Please keep in mind the proper way to practice is to create a line of divots in front of the last ball you hit.

Please avoid spreading out your divots in your stations as it does not permit others to enjoy good turf to practice from.

Let us know if you need a demonstration.

Lastly, should you need to communicate with us, please contact us in the golf shop at (480) 342-7210.

You are all to be thanked for your cooperation thus far, and into the future.

As for those of you who enjoy the spoken word, please stay tuned.

Stay safe and stay healthy!!