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.

2nd Annual Scottsdale Private Golf DC Ranch Masters Par 3 Contest and Masters Week

We are also excited for our 2nd annual Scottsdale Private Golf DC Ranch Masters Par 3 Contest in conjunction with Masters week on Wednesday, April 6th.  This 9-hole individual and team Scottsdale Private Golf competition was a big hit last year and again will have plenty of action to keep your interest.  With Scottsdale Private Golf Men’s and Ladies’ tees, closest to the hole competitions on every hole and optional gross & net skins we expect this fun event to be very well received.  Scottsdale Private Golf Players may form their own groups or the Scottsdale Private Golf Staff will be happy to pair you.  This year’s Scottsdale Private Golf Registration is now available on ForeTees or by calling the Golf Shop.  The entry fee of $35 per player includes a BBQ buffet following play.  Don’t wait to sign-up as we expect available spots to go quickly.


Our weekly Scottsdale Country Club Ladies Instruction clinics continue to be held each Tuesday from 1-2 PM.  Each session addresses both full swing and short game components at only $20 per Scottsdale Country Club student.  Please register on ForeTees under the events tab and bring your friends.  The more the merrier!

Scottsdale Country Club Junior Golf instruction is also available on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30-11:30 AM and Wednesday play days on the Golf Course from 4:00-5:00 PM.  We love seeing your youngsters learning this great game and encourage them to bring their friends as well.  Please help us by registering your children on Scottsdale Country Club ForeTees so we can be prepared with the appropriate amount of instructors.

As we continue with the most active time of year at the Club please be reminded that the Scottsdale Country Club Golf Shop has the responsibility to pair two-somes and singles on the tee sheet to give all Members the opportunity to enjoy 18 holes of golf.  We also appreciate your continued support of our Scottsdale Country Club Pride of Ownership programs.  Thank you for filling your divots with sand & seed, fixing ball marks on greens, properly raking bunkers and maintaining pace of play at four hours or less.

2016 Premier Scottsdale Country Club Member-Guest tournaments

It’s time to sign up for our 2016 premier Scottsdale Country Club Member-Guest tournaments at the Country Club at DC Ranch. This year, we have added an additional tournament, The Chill, to be played Friday & Saturday, January 8-9. Like the Scottsdale Country Club Round-Up, the Chill will provide an exceptional Scottsdale Country Club tournament experience, but will be shorter (two days) with an optional practice round. The Round-Up, April 27-30, will remain the same, with a five 9-hole Match Play format, at a cost of $1,400 per team. The Chill will be played in stroke play formats of Select Drive Better Ball and Better Ball with a $900 per team entry fee. Additional optional competitions will surround each tournament to peak your interest.

The Scottsdale Country Club Round-Up field will continue to be selected from the point list we have used for years. The Scottsdale Country Club Chill field will consist of teams selected based on the following priorities: (1) the waiting list from the previous year’s Round-Up, (2) next from members with points on the point list but who did not play and were not wait-listed for the previous year’s Round-Up, (3) next teams will be selected by lottery from all remaining Scottsdale Country Club Full Golf Members who did not play in last year’s Round-Up, but who wish to play in the Chill, and (4) finally, if the field is not full, by lottery from Country Club Scottsdale Members who played in last year’s Round-Up, regardless of whether they are in this year’s Country Club Scottsdale Round-Up.

Each calendar year, points will be allocated based on either your participation in a Country Club Scottsdale tournament, or your failure to get into one or both events pursuant to the rules below. Entry into both tournaments will become available on the same date, Tuesday, November 3rd, 2015, on ForeTees or by calling the Country Club Scottsdale Golf Shop. The time and date on which you register has NO bearing on your position in the field.

• The entry deadline for BOTH The Round-Up and The Chill is Tuesday, November 17, 2015.
• As described above, your points as of the most recent Round-Up will be used to select teams.
• A Member can only play in ONE of the events in a given calendar year, unless his second choice event is not fully subscribed.
• Even if a Country Club Scottsdale Member plays in both events in a calendar year (because one was not fully subscribed) he will receive the maximum of 1 point for that year.
• A Member may register for both events, but must prioritize which event he prefers to play in at the time of registration.
• A Country Club Scottsdale Member playing in either or both events will receive the maximum 1 point for that year.
• A Member who signs up for but does not get into either event for a full year will receive the maximum 2 points for that year.
• A Country Club Scottsdale Member who signs up but does not get into any event for two consecutive years will receive 3 points for the second year he does not get to play.
• A Member who signs up for either event, is selected, but withdraws, shall receive no points for that event, and if it is the only event for that he signed up for in that year, he will receive no points for that year. A Member who withdraws from one event, may not use his points to prioritize his entry in the other event.

The schedules of events for both tournaments and the current points list are attached for your planning needs. Once the entry deadline has passed the Professional Staff will be able to confirm your position in the respective tournament fields, and will publish them on Thursday, November 19th so that you may make plans with your guests. We are excited about the additions to our Gentlemen’s Member-Guest programs and look forward to hosting you and your special guest this season.