Message from the Director of Golf
Rick Price, PGA
Last month, we held our annual Cure for Cancer event, which was a huge success, attracting 220 golfers. Thank you to all who participated and donated to the cause. We raised over $60,000 for the University of Arizona Kids for Steele Children’s Research Center.
All men’s and women’s leagues are wrapping up their main tournament schedule in April. The Chip & Putt events remaining are on Thursdays, April 2, 16, & 30, concluding at the end of the month. You can play up to six people per group. The entry fee is $20 per person, which includes golf, prizes, and dinner on the terrace. Sign up online through the reservation system or call the Pro Shop at 520-825-3110.
If you want to improve your game, we have many teaching opportunities with our professional staff in group and private settings. We offer golf clinics every Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. throughout April. We also offer a couple more club-fitting days with Cleveland & Srixon, XIIO, through the end of the month.
The Grille @ The Turn offers barbecue lunch from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM every Friday and Saturday in April, before closing for the season. Our menu includes hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, and chicken sandwiches.
As a reminder, the driving range closes every Thursday at 3:30 PM for a clean pick of all range balls in the wash and desert areas.
We will announce our new rates and membership plans next month for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2026.
Golf Course Update
April is the time of year when the peak golfing season is slowly ending, the temperatures are steadily rising, and big changes begin to happen on the golf course. The golf clubs still have major events in the first couple weeks of April, so it is important to maintain turf conditions at high level, but with the warmer temperatures and the chances of rain decreasing that becomes a difficult challenge.
The roughs are really starting to green up as they come out of the winter dormancy. As they begin to grow the irrigation needs to be turned back on as well. Throughout most of the winter the non-overseeded areas do not require irrigation but instead rely on the winter rains. This keeps the course drier and also saves on the water budget. Turning the irrigation back on leads to more maintenance to ensure the grass is getting the correct amount of water while trying to keep playing conditions from getting too wet.
April also sees the start of transitioning away from the overseeded winter ryegrass back to the underlying bermudagrass in the tees and fairways. This is a challenge to slowly remove the ryegrass while getting the bermudagrass to grow and maintain good playing conditions for the club events. This process is done slowly by lowering mowing heights, verti-cutting the turf canopy to allow sunlight down to the bermudagrass, aerification to alleviate compaction and allow oxygen to the roots, and small applications of herbicides to slowly remove the ryegrass.
Golf Course Reminders
As members and residents of The Views Golf Club, if you would like your golf course to be and remain in its best possible condition, we recommend that you follow these guidelines:
1. When driving your golf cart around the tees and greens, always keep the cart and all four tires on the path, including all handicap-flagged golf carts.
2. Please follow the signage and stakes for golf cart traffic.
3. Keep carts in the overseeded fairways as much as possible. Use 90 degrees, entering the fairway and then back to the cart path. Stay out of dormant roughs as much as possible.
4. Use sand & seed only to fill in divots in the fairways, tees, NOT in the rough or dormant areas.
5. Repair your ball marks and one other on the greens.
6. Rake the bunker after you have played your shot, and leave the rake in the bunker with the handle outside the bunker.
TEE TIME RESERVATIONS
In April, the first tee time starts at 6:30 AM. The Pro Shop will open at 6:00 AM and close at 5:00 PM daily except during holidays.
Thank you for checking in and being ready to tee off at least 10 minutes before your scheduled tee time. Arriving early at your scheduled start time helps keep us on schedule throughout the day, leading to a good pace of play and an enjoyable day on the course.
If you have fewer than four players, someone will likely be booked for that time slot. If you would like no one else to be paired with your group, you may pay for the entire foursome at the public rate to reserve the space.
It is also the person's responsibility to book the starting time to communicate these procedures to all golfers in their group before arriving at The Views Golf Club.
Golf Tip: Dialing in Your Irons
Consistency with your irons begins with controlling the bottom of your swing. Great iron players strike the ball first, then the turf. This comes from proper setup and balance. Your weight slightly favors your lead side, your hands are just ahead of the ball, and you maintain a stable posture. Your goal is not to “help” the ball into the air, but to compress it. When you learn to trust that downward strike, your contact becomes predictable, your distances become reliable, and your confidence begins to grow.
The second key is developing a repeatable tempo and rhythm. Many inconsistencies come from trying to hit the ball too hard or forcing positions in the swing. Instead, think of your swing as a smooth sequence with a balanced takeaway, controlled transition, and committed through-swing. The best players don’t rush from the top; they allow the club to fall naturally into position. When your tempo stays consistent, your timing improves, and your strike becomes far more dependable from shot to shot.
Finally, consistency is built through purposeful practice and clear intention. Don’t just hit balls, practice with a target, a routine, and a plan. Step behind each shot, visualize the ball flight, pick a specific target, and commit fully before you swing. Train your mind to treat every practice shot like it matters. Over time, this builds trust and discipline. When you combine solid contact, steady tempo, and focused practice, your iron play becomes more consistent and the game becomes a lot more enjoyable.