Greens Committee Meeting Summary: April 2021
There is a LOT happening right now! The Greens Committee communications sub-committee is sending out information but it never hurts to get it twice. This is quite a bit more detailed since you are all involved golfers.
John Whitmeyer was introduced as the Superintendent who will oversee all SBR maintenance activities over the next few months. This includes, but is not limited to replacement of the greens, implementing the drainage improvement project and improving the fairways. John has over twenty years of experience in golf course maintenance, including greens replacement. He is awesome and we are lucky to have his expertise.
Greens Project:
Other Maintenance Projects:
Effects on golfers:
Other:
Sent by Saddlebrooke Ranch Golf Club
There is a LOT happening right now! The Greens Committee communications sub-committee is sending out information but it never hurts to get it twice. This is quite a bit more detailed since you are all involved golfers.
John Whitmeyer was introduced as the Superintendent who will oversee all SBR maintenance activities over the next few months. This includes, but is not limited to replacement of the greens, implementing the drainage improvement project and improving the fairways. John has over twenty years of experience in golf course maintenance, including greens replacement. He is awesome and we are lucky to have his expertise.
Greens Project:
- Spraying the current greens to kill the existing grass is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 4 after League Play, assuming reasonably calm conditions. The last tee time is 12:45. No golfers will be allowed on the course anywhere near the areas being sprayed and the course will be closed for the remainder of the day.
- Wednesday, April 5 is back-up day in case the weather doesn't cooperate, or the spraying takes
- A second round of spraying will occur on Monday, April 19 (with 4/21 the back-up date). A third round may be done in late April, if needed.
- Basically, for the month of April tee times on Mondays will end at 12:45 and will not be booked for Wednesdays. IF SPRAYING IS COMPLETE AND THE COURSE MAY BE UTILIZED, TEE TIMES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON A FIRST COME BASIS. CHECK CHELSEA ON THOSE DAYS FOR AVAILABILITY.
- Tee times will be available Thursday through Sunday as usual.
- The putting green and chipping green will also be sprayed as those greens are being redone as part of the project. Watch for closures on the same days. No one will be allowed near those areas for 12 hours so portions of the parking lot may be blocked off as well.
- The construction contractor crew is scheduled to arrive on April 12 to begin work on drainage and tee boxes.
- Depending on weather, the greens are scheduled to be stripped starting on May 1.
- Temporary greens will be marked as Ground Under Repair until May 1 in order to get them into as good a condition as possible by then.
- Fairways will re-contoured to their original shapes.
- Some greens will be modified slightly (1-2 inches max) to remedy slope/drainage challenges.
- The new greens are scheduled to open for play mid to late September depending on weather.
- Control of Poa Annua was discussed. John Whitmeyer stated that there must be an ongoing maintenance program to control poa. The first year our new greens will be most vulnerable to it. The new superintendent must carefully watch and manage it. Mark G stated that he is committed to such a program.
- The new greens will not be over-seeded this year. to allow the health of the Bermudagrass to further improve.
- John has had the time to dig under some of the fairways - but not all, to evaluate the still-dormant Bermudagrass. He reports that he is optimistic about what he sees, specifically on the fairways that were not over-seeded. He believes that our fairways can be brought back to prior good quality. His plans are consistent with the recommendations of a USGA Agronomist, and include topdressing fairways with 1" to 1.5" of sand this summer, plus aerating. John's recommendation is that sand depth beneath the surface ultimately totals at least four inches. Mark stated that a Fairway Improvement Plan will be formalized within the next two weeks.
Other Maintenance Projects:
- The same construction company will address drainage issues throughout the course.
- SBR crews will be working on the fairways and rough. Fairways will be punched and top dressed throughout the summer to achieve the goal of increasing by 1" to 1.5" of sand. The roughs will be aggressively punched and treated as well. Sod will be laid as deemed appropriate.
- #16 Tee Box: Due to the homes on the right side getting an inordinate number of golf ball hits, the plan is to move the Rust tee box to the right of the cart path, remove the "brow" between the tee box and fairway to improve golfers sight-lines, and plant trees just ahead of the tee box on the right. A temporary additional tee box to left of the Pine tee box will be established to see if this reduces the number of houses being struck by golfers.
Effects on golfers:
- There will be disruption on the course all summer to allow for these extensive maintenance projects.
- Tees will be mowed only 2 x per week.
- Bunkers may not be groomed daily.
- The new greens will not be overseeded this year. The full planned closure for overseeding MAY not be required depending on if the fairways are healthy enough to allow for acceptable play during dormancy without overseeding. This is TBD as the summer progresses.
- Golfers with an Annual Pass will receive a refund of approximately $1,100. This is a refund, not a credit. Checks will be mailed around the first of May. Annual Passes will be suspended from May 1 until the new greens are opened. During that time, golfers will be charged at the following rates: $10 per round for Annuals, $15 per round for Residents and $20 per round for outside play. The Annual Program will restart when the new greens open for play.
- There will be no change or refunds to holders of Play Cards.
- Reciprocal play: Tucson National will allow play between May and September for $50 per round. HOA2 will allow tee times to be reserved five days in advance at the Resident Rate, plus a $10 cart fee. Robson Ranch will allow SBR play on Saturdays after 10 a.m. at the Resident Rate with no cart fee. Negotiations are still underway with other courses.
Other:
- Over the past month the maintenance staff has been expanded from six to eighteen full-time employees.
- Mark G is interviewing candidates to replace Chris Blake. He has three that show good potential at this time.
- The Personal Golf Vehicle Policy created by the Greens Committee has been formally approved by Robson. Residents may now ride PGVs that conform to the policy on our course.
Sent by Saddlebrooke Ranch Golf Club