Private Country Club in Scottsdale Offer more Junior Golf clinics due to high demand

The Private Country Club in Scottsdale has Good news! The practice facility and our lesson program will remain open during the upcoming Sept/Oct Scottsdale Golf Club overseeding period. Now that we have a good team of experienced professionals (JaRon, Justin, Hank), with plans to welcome a talented female assistant this Fall to the Scottsdale Golf Club, we are ready to add more Junior golf programming. 

 

Sunday mornings Junior golf clinics (9-10am)

August 14, 21, 28

September 4, 11

 

Wednesday afternoon Play Days at Private Country Club in Scottsdale  (4pm)

August 17, 24, 31

September 7, 14

*The Horseshoe is also available for play on Sundays 3-5pm.

 

The fee for our 5 clinic dates + 5 play days is $150/child and is limited to club members only. 

The Sunday clinics at Scottsdale Golf Club are not drop-in because we must staff in advance. The Play Days are optional as your schedule permits. Registration is posted on the Foretees site under Events. We will add more instruction dates in Sept and Oct.

 

In late October, Scottsdale Golf Club host our first Parent-Child tournament, and registration will be online soon. Our first 3 Parent-Child events will be on October 29, November 19, and December 17 at 3pm. All ages are welcome.

 

Beginning in Feb/Mar ‘23 Scottsdale Golf Club

 will prepare our first team(s) for participation in the PGA Junior League competition. For those unfamiliar with this fun program think Little League for golf. PGA Junior League has grown tremendously over the past 10 years and many parents have asked if we can field our own team(s). 

 

Finally, in late May/early June we will conduct our inaugural Junior Club Championship.

 

This is the natural evolution for instruction departments and I’ve enjoyed my first 9 months at DCR. To date, I’ve taught 750+ private lessons to 210+ different club members. As participation grows our team will work with leadership to create a best-in-class amenity this membership can be proud of. Thank you for supporting everyone on our professional staff and feel free to contact me with any questions.

Scottsdale Private Golf Courses offer lots of Junior Golf Programs

As announced at the Scottsdale Private Golf Courses junior clinics, we will continue instruction for kids age 9 and under over the next four weeks on Sunday mornings at 9am. Due to popular demand at  Scottsdale Private Golf Courses we are adding a dedicated instruction hour for juniors age 10-13 on Sunday mornings at 8am while it is still hot. The clinic at Scottsdale Golf Course runs a four-week class with an optional Play Day on the Horseshoe, on  Wednesdays at 4pm The Scottsdale Private Golf Courses member fee is $120 for the four weeks and the Play Days are not designated instruction time. This is a time to meet others and have fun playing versus hitting balls on the practice tee. 

As a reminder, the Scottsdale Golf Course will be closed for over-seeding Sept 26-Oct 20 but the Scottsdale Golf Course practice facility will remain open for practice and instruction on the North end. Cody’s Lesson Book is posted on Foretees through October. Lesson sign-ups are available.

How Dick Hyland, Director Of Golf at The Country Club at DC Ranch, made his way to the best golf course in Scottsdale

Growing up across from Merion Country Club in Pennsylvania impacted his decision to make golf his career.

All the kids in that area worked at one of about a dozen fine clubs in that area such as Aronimink Golf Club, Philadelphia Cricket Club, The Philadelphia Country Club, and a host of others.

I did that through college and all the while my game kept getting better, as I really worked hard on it, especially my short game as I didn’t have the length some of the bigger guys did.

My senior year another professional mentioned I should consider a career as a PGA professional, as he thought I could make a go of it so off I went.

I got my PGA Class A Membership after but three years of PGA f business schools and of course passing the playing ability test.

I was the Director of Instruction at the Innisbrook Resort in Florida which also included coordinating Golf Digest Golf Schools where Bob Toski and the legendary Jim Flick were the lead instructors. Jim ended up being one of my closest friends and instruction mentors those next 35 years.

Never did I guess this part of my career would take off so quickly at a Scottsdale private golf courses. 

I was then selected by the PGA of America to teach in their instruction workshops. From then on I believed I could really give this professional golf career a go at a Scottsdale private golf course. 

Through all of this and my travels, I was able to play many terrific clubs and of course, some of the favorites have been besides Merion East are Augusta National where I posted two 72’s and two 71’s in the four rounds I played there years ago. Other courses like Pine Valley, Winged Foot, Baltusrol, Seminole, Muirfield Village, Pebble Beach, and Cypress Point are must-plays if you get invited. OOPS,

I failed to say the Cochise Course at Desert Mountain on of the best golf courses in Scottsdale, where I had the course record for many years at -10, a  62, how could I forget that!!!

What makes these Scottsdale private golf courses special in my opinion, each hole is a distinct, memorable piece of artwork having holes going in every direction.

When you walk up 18 at the best golf course in Scottsdale you wish you had more holes to play, you can remember every hole distinctly after playing only one round, you used every hole in your bag, did the course start into the east sun and finish into the west sun?

And if you never got to play it again would you be disappointed?

If your answer is no, it could use a refresher!!

My sleeper course to play would be Loch Lomond Golf Club near Glasgow, Scotland.

When the weather is nice (90 inches of rain per year) it has it all from a golf point of view if you ever get the chance, do not pass it up.

Why Does a Scottsdale golf course Aerate So Much?

Playing conditions at a  Scottsdale golf club are of the utmost importance for most golfers, and aeration is needed to keep the turf healthy and playing well.  Aeration can be disruptive, but the long-term benefits of aeration far outweigh the short-lived disruption.  The next time you play on greens that were recently aerated, keep in mind that aeration is performed for the long-term health of the course.  The greens may not play their best immediately following some aeration treatments, but everyone is playing in the same conditions, and golfers still can enjoy the game and make plenty of putts.

The word aeration stimulates negative emotions for many golfers. It may come as a surprise, but  Scottsdale golf course superintendents also dislike aeration.  After all, the last person who wants to disrupt the smoothness of the putting greens they work so hard to maintain is the superintendent. 

Golfers often ask, “Why is aeration needed so often?”  Aeration is an essential program to keep playing surfaces healthy and in good condition.  Aeration primarily is performed to control organic matter-i.e., decaying roots and grass stems- relieve soil compaction, stimulate root growth and improve drainage. If the organic matter becomes too thick, it acts like a sponge and holds water at the surface after rain or irrigation.  Excessive organic matter also inhibits root growth, reduces oxygen levels in the soil, encourages disease, and eventually can lead to turf failure. Furthermore, excessive organic matter creates soft surfaces prone to ball marks, footprinting, and inconsistent playing conditions.  Aeration and topdressing are the most effective ways at a Scottsdale golf course to control organic matter and maintain smooth, firm putting surfaces.

Core aeration involves physically removing small soil cores from the turf and is the most common type of aeration. Aeration hold allows excess moisture to evaporate and promotes gas exchange in the soil, resulting in stronger root systems and turf that is better able to tolerate golfer traffic.

Proper timing of aeration at Scottsdale golf club will ensure the fastest possible recovery and return to smooth surface conditions. The key to a quick recovery is to perform aeration when the turf is healthy and actively growing.  There are many types of aeration that superintendents use throughout the season; some are more labor-intensive and disruptive to playing surfaces than others.  Less-disruptive forms of aeration, including venting aeration with small-diameter, solid tines, also are beneficial because they can alleviate turf stress by promoting oxygen levels in the soil. Aeration programs that have a small impact on a playing surface generally can be performed throughout the season with little or no disruption to play.

Looking forward to a really great summer golf season at Scottsdale golf club!  In addition to transition and aerification, we have a few other projects on our list for the summer which include tee leveling and drainage work around the course. I hope everyone enjoys their summer break and we look forward to seeing everyone back after overseed!

Five key Spring Transition components for the Desert South West Scottsdale golf club

1) Height of cut – Height of cut is critical at Scottsdale golf club. We begin lowering the height of cut on all overseeded areas come mid-February and progressively lower throughout the following weeks.

2) Soil moisture management- Dry conditions equal poor Bermudagrass at a Scottsdale private golf course recovery during late spring and early summer. It is critical to prevent areas from becoming chronically dry as it will delay Bermudagrass transition.

3) Chemical removal- Many  Scottsdale private golf courses use a variety of tactics to chemically remove overseeded Ryegrass without injuring the understory Bermudagrass. However, we must not wait until June to employ this strategy because much of the Bermudagrass may have already struck out. This tactic is much more effective when used end of April through May. 

4) Nutrient inputs- Nutrient sources should be applied in coordination with chemically removing overseeded grasses at Scottsdale golf club. This will stress Ryegrass during warm daytime temperatures while providing nutrients for emerging Bermudagrass.

5) 100 Days Plus- It would be nice to give Bermudagrass 162 days of growth in the absence of competition from Ryegrass. However, 100-120 days is the guideline courses should keep in mind when planning overseed dates and timing chemical removal of overseeded grasses.  If Ryegrass growth is retained well into June at Scottsdale private golf courses, the ability of Bermudagrass to develop the rhizome growth necessary to recuperate the following year will be severely limited. In other words, maintaining Ryegrass into June could result in a season-ending injury for Bermudagrass. 

Growing two grass crops annually is a tenuous situation. Extending the Ryegrass growing season into June at the expense of Bermuda grass health is a season-ending injury.

Scottsdale Golf Course Spring Transition

 

                Few discussions regarding turf grass management on Scottsdale golf course get more emotional than discussions on whether or not to overseed with perennial Ryegrass.  However one fact about overseeding is indisputable: overseeding with perennial Ryegrass can, and often does, have an adverse effect on Bermudagrass. Nevertheless, management practices can be implemented that significantly reduce the impact of overseeding on Bermudagrass health.  The most important of those practices is getting rid of the perennial Ryegrass by late spring. One of the troubling trends occurring on the best golf course in Scottsdale is the increasing practice of Overseeding too early in the fall and keeping the Ryegrass too late in the spring/summer. If Bermudagrass does not have sufficient time to grow during the summer without competition from the Ryegrass the Bermudagrass will decline. This may occur in as little as one year and more often occurs gradually over a period of several years. Why does this happen? A fundamental principle in weed science at the best golf course in Scottsdale is that plants compete with one another for four basic resources: 1) Water 2) Nutrients 3) Carbon Dioxide 4) Light. Light is the most crucial of these four for the benefit of the Bermudagrass. In overseeded environments, when Bermudagrass begins to come out of dormancy in spring, perennial Ryegrass growth is at its maximum. As a result, the Ryegrass provides significant shade to the Bermudagrass at  Scottsdale golf course.

                      Allowing Ryegrass to grow into June at a Scottsdale golf course limits the Bermudagrass growing season and contributes to poor-quality Bermudagrass. By late spring it is time for Bermudagrass to emerge from winter dormancy. Bermudagrass at the best golf course in Scottsdale utilizes carbohydrates stored in underground rhizomes to produce new leaves every spring when temperatures in the top four inches of the soil reach about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Bermudagrass has about three chances to produce new leaves while trying to emerge from under the shade and competition of overseeded grasses before it will strike out and die. If a new leaf is unable to capture sunlight- strike one. This process repeats itself until, you guessed it, strike two and strike three. After strike three the Bermudagrass has spent its entire carbohydrate reserve and when sampling the soil it will reveal the hollow rhizomes. A proactive management regime is necessary to encourage successful Bermudagrass recovery.

Time flies when you are having fun at Scottsdale Golf Course

As the saying goes “Time flies when you’re having fun.” It is hard to believe that it’s already April.  I have been very happy with the course conditions this season at Scottsdale Golf Course. It was a perfect scenario with the timing of the weather change in conjunction with overseed this year, as we didn’t have to contend with 100-degree days during the most important first 6 weeks of growth. The consistency and playability of the greens have been impeccable with tournament-like conditions throughout.  Earlier in the season, we saw a few less rounds which means less ball marks and less traffic, all beneficial to the  Scottsdale Golf Course and to those of you trying to book tee times. 

   I would like to take a minute to discuss our bunkers, consistency, and playability at the Best Golf Course in Scottsdale Bunkers are one of the most popular topics discussed around any club.  They are often criticized for being too hard, too soft, too wet, or contaminated with sediment.  Discussions almost always end with the familiar refrain: “All we want are consistent bunkers!”  I have some good news and some not-so-good news.  It can be done.  For many years, much before I got into this business 21 years ago, golf course superintendents have tried to maintain all the bunkers with the same riding machine or hand raking technique.  In a quest for consistency, this approach was doomed to fail because of the many factors that influence bunker performance.  The shape of the subgrade, the runoff of surface water, the spacing of the drain lines, the amount of irrigation used nightly in the desert, and the position of the bunkers in relation to the prevailing wind and direction of the sun are a few of the factors that make each bunker unique.  The same maintenance program does not produce consistent bunkers at the Best Golf Course in Scottsdale.  As you can see, it is impossible to have true consistency from one bunker to the next or one hole to the next.  There is nothing consistent about golf, you have a downhill lie or an uphill lie, hitting a pitching wedge will give you a different lie in a bunker than a screaming 4 iron will give you.  I know that it is our maintenance team’s responsibility to maintain these bunkers as perfect and consistent as possible, which can be very costly and labor-intensive.  We recognize there are challenges we have to adjust to and we have made adjustments and have implemented the “Aussie Method” raking technique about 4 weeks ago. This method involves minimizing disturbance of bunker faces and only aggressively raking the floors of the bunkers.  We use paint rollers to smooth bunker faces which creates a firmer base to negate plugged lies from happening. Another crucial piece to this challenge is dedicating more labor hours and being proactive in the adjustment of the sand depths. The objective is to make sure that we are maintaining them at the proper 3”- 4” depths range on the floors of the bunkers.  So, given all the uncontrollable factors I listed earlier, and how they affect the consistency and playability of each bunker, I can assure you that our team is striving for the best.  I want to thank each of you for the great feedback and comments regarding course conditions and the continued support for the long-term sustainability of the Best Golf Course in Scottsdale.