The greens at Scotsdale seem to be surviving the winter, golf maintenance director Keith Ihms told the Joint Advisory Committee on Golf last week.
The greens were planted with Bermuda grass when the course was renovated in 2016. Bermuda grass is a warm-weather grass and can't survive very much cold weather, so covers were bought to keep the greens warm during winter. In spite of the covers, the winter of 2017 -2018 was hard on all the courses in Bella Vista, especially Scotsdale, so last summer the greens had to be replanted and heavier covers were ordered.
The greens were uncovered last week even though cold temperatures were expected to return, Ihms said. Because of the time it takes to put on and remove the covers, the greens sometimes remain covered on temperate days but, last week, the staff decided to leave the covers off and let the sun shine on the grass. That gave Ihms the chance to look closely at the greens and access their health.
Golfers may be unhappy this spring, Ihms warned. Because the grass is still young, covers may be used on occasion in March and April. Once the grass greens up, any frost can damage it, so covers may be necessary when the temperature dips below 32 degrees. But when the temperatures consistently remain above freezing, the greens should be in good shape for summer play. In the future, mature greens may be able to survive uncovered in the late spring.
Golf operations director Darryl Muldoon told the committee about a possible plan to simplify the process of getting local businesses to sign on to sponsor a POA or charity tournament. Since local businesses get so many sponsorship requests, Muldoon suggested that one committee could be formed to handle all the POA and charity tournaments including the Rally for a Cure, which benefits Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the Prostate Cancer fundraiser. The JAC might help fill that committee.
Committee member Steve McKee presented a list of ideas to boost rounds by encouraging "rare" golfers. He explained that rare golfers only play between one and 10 times a year and only during nice weather. Since they don't play with a group, they are more likely to be on the course in the late afternoon or evening. His list of incentives ranged from a loyalty card -- play four times and get the fifth round free -- to group lessons and the chance to practice with the pros. Muldoon promised to discuss the list with the golf pros from all the courses when they meet.
General Manager Tom Judson told the committee that a plan to renovate the Country Club course with a focus on preventing future floods may be presented next month, but there's no work scheduled for 2019.
Sports on 02/20/2019