~ANNOUNCEMENT~

 We are thankful to update you with increasingly good news at Scottsdale private golf courses which we all need in this challenging season.

It has been great to see so many of you enjoying your Club despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Scottsdale private golf courses have focused on being your safe haven during these past few months and the team has worked diligently to stay healthy, stay open, and stay ahead on the ever-changing regulations in our many outlets.

 

Fortunately, with the recent reopening of the fitness center at Scottsdale private golf courses we now have all amenities back online.  With the approaching fall/winter season we need to make sure that everyone adheres to the rules as outlined by the management team - unanimously supported by the Board - so that we can remain open without undue restrictions or unnecessary closings throughout the season.  None of us enjoy many of these restrictions but they are non-negotiables to continuing operation.  

 

While the coming winter season will look different at Scottsdale Golf Club than it has in year's past, your Team at the Club is working very hard to make the golf course conditions superb, add additional and upgraded outdoor dining space, and to implement new offerings and services for you and your fellow members so that you can remain engaged at and truly enjoy at the private golf clubs in Scottsdale.

 

The recent Monsoon Tournament at Scottsdale Golf Club demonstrated how efficient the Team can be and how much fun we can all have despite the safety requirements.  The Team under Kyle and Dick's leadership performed like the well-oiled machine we have so enjoyed and appreciate over the years. The 42 teams of golfers had a great time. Social distancing, masks, plastic cart dividers and so much more were there for safety and not perceived as an impediment to enjoyment. And enjoy the day everyone did. The courtyard food and drink offerings before, after, and on all 18 holes served by enthusiastic Team members were over the top and the course conditions were great. And in addition, there was Heidi's boutique offering of sports clothing accompanied by bubbly and the now/new normal other functions and usage across the Club from full tennis courts, Zigi's gasoline offering, food, gym, to pool fun and more. The day ended with a sell-out Saturday night dinner crowd - spread across all dining spaces indoors and out - with a definite vibrant "buzz."

Private Golf Clubs in Scottsdale Have Opening Day

Please be reminded that you may book a tee time for Opening Day Golf at Private golf clubs in Scottsdale tomorrow morning.  

Tee times at Private golf clubs in Scottsdale will be off the 1st and 10th tee starting at 7:30 AM – 9:20 AM for the morning wave and again at 11:30 AM – 1:20 PM for the afternoon wave.  Please keep in mind that the golf course is going to be very full and the pace of play is going to be very important for our ability to turn and start on time and also for everyone’s enjoyment. 

Opening Day Golf at Scottsdale Golf Club will include a Two Person Better Ball Game, prizes, food and drinks on the golf course.  The cost for this event will be $40/Person to your account.

Tee times for the rest of the weekend will start at 7:30 AM off of the First tee only.

Opening Week Events Overview at Scottsdale Golf Club

North Driving Range and Short Game Area Open:  8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Junior Golf Orientation: 4:00 PM at the Ranch House Cantina

Golf:

North Driving Range and Short Game Area Open:  8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

The Horseshoe Short Course Opens at:  2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Fitness at Scottsdale Golf Club

• 6:30 AM - 7:30 AM: Field Games on the South Range Tee ($20)
• 7:30 AM - 7:45 AM: Field Games Podium Prizes 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes.
• 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: TAQUATA at the pool ($20) *includes 1 mimosa after class
• 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch n Learn “Lift Busters” Debunking the top 5 fitness myths that claim they work, but are scientifically a waste of your time and resources. At The Ranch House *includes healthy lunch ($40)
• 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Aquaholics at the pool ($20) *includes 1 adult libation after class.

Thursday

Golf:

North Driving Range and Short Game Area Open:  8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Fitness:

6:00 AM - 6:25 AM: Yoga+ Beats® sitting meditation on the fitness lawn (complimentary)

6:30 AM - 7:45 AM: Yoga+ Beats® Vinyasa Flow on the fitness lawn ($35) *Bloody Mary’s & Mimosa drink specials to follow class.

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: SUP Yoga at the pool *limited to 10ppl & 1 class per day ($35)

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch n Learn. “Benefits of Juicing, Tonics, and Chocolate!” at The Ranch House ($30) includes delicious samples!

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: SUP Yoga at the pool *limited to 10ppl & 1 class per day ($35)

6:30 AM - 7:00 PM: Yoga+ Beats® sitting meditation on the fitness lawn (complimentary)

7:00 PM - 8:15PM: Yoga+ Beats® Slow Flow on the fitness lawn ($35). *Beer & Wine drink specials to follow class

renity of the classic art of Yoga with the on-water fluidity of Stand-Up Paddleboard. Boards will be anchored in the pool. $35/member, $50/guest. 

Friday

Opening Day Golf: 7:30 Tee Times (1st and 10th)

Saturday

Golf: Tee Times starting at 7:30 AM (1st Tee Only)

Sunday 

Golf: Tee Times starting at 7:30 AM (1st Tee Only)

The Horseshoe Short Course: 2:00 PM Tee Times

Driving Range Closes at 1:45 PM for The Horseshoe.

Three Shot Hole at Scottsdale private golf courses

If you have a tendency to make the occasional big number on a Par 5, it is a good idea to come into the hole with a different strategy.  Think of the hole in 3 shots, working from the green backwards.  Before hitting your tee shot at Private golf clubs in Scottsdale think of where you want to hit your third shot from.  What is your most comfortable yardage? 75 yards, 100 yards, 120 yards???  Your goal should be to hit your third shot from a very comfortable yardage.   

After deciding where you want the third shot to be hit from, you now think of how to get there.  For example, if you are playing a 500-yard par 5 and you want to be 100 yards for your third shot, all you need is 400 yards out of your first 2 shots.  That can be broken down in a number of ways (250-150, 225-175, 200-200).  This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will always need to hit driver off the tee at Scottsdale golf club.  Try this strategy and you should be able to hit the green in regulation more often and give yourself more birdie looks and eliminate the big numbers.

Tip #3 Picking the Right Club (Layup and Approach Shot)

Knowing how far you hit your clubs at Scottsdale private golf courses (carry and total distance) is key for both laying up on a Par 5 and also for hitting your approach shot.  It is important when laying up that you LAYUP.  If you can’t reach the green on your second shot, it is better to lay up to a comfortable yardage than it is to leave yourself with a 40-70 yard pitch shot.  It is also important to avoid laying up into trouble.  Make sure that you pick a club that can’t reach certain fairway bunker or hazards to ensure an easier approach shot.  

When hitting your approach shot into the green at Scottsdale private golf courses it is important to hit a club that will carry the correct yardage to land on the green.  With a majority of the greens at DC Ranch being surrounded by bunkers, it is important to play a club that will take the bunkers short of the green out of play.  Learning your carry and total yardages with each club will allow you to hit more greens in regulation on Par 5’s and give you more birdie opportunities and easier pars at Private golf clubs in Scottsdale 

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!!