Message from the Director of Golf
Rick Price, PGA
On Sunday, March 15, we will host our annual Cure for Cancer fundraiser. We have a double tee start in the morning and afternoon. There will be some availability late in the afternoon to play nine holes if you are not playing in the event. We appreciate your support and participation. If you have not donated or registered to participate, please do so. We also have a charity auction site where you can purchase items to support the event. We will send out information on how to log in to the auction site when you can begin bidding on items. Again, our goal this year is to donate over $50,000. More information is available on our website or from the pro shop.
The Women’s 18-hole Solheim Cup is on March 3, 6, 10, and their Member Guest is on the 24. The Men’s 18-hole Club Championship dates are March 4, 7, and 11.
Our Chip & Putt league offers golfers and non-golfer’s fun activities on the course. It’s on Thursdays at 4:00 PM on March 5 and 19. The entry fee is $20 per person, which includes golf, dinner, and prizes.
The Grille @ The Turn offers barbecue lunch between 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM every Friday and Saturday. Our menu includes hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, and chicken sandwiches.
We offer golf clinics every Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. Throughout March, we offer club fitting days with PING, PXG, Cleveland & Srixon, XIIO, TaylorMade, Callaway, and Titleist.
If you want to improve your game, we have many teaching opportunities with our professional staff in group and private settings. Contact the Pro Shop for further information.
Sincerely,
PGA Director of Golf
rprice@theviewsgolfclub.com
520-825-3110
Golf Course Update
The greens were rebuilt in 2020 and they were grassed with a variety of Ultradwarf Bermudagrass called TifEagle. This variety of turfgrass is widely considered to be very durable, putts well, and more drought tolerant. Since the golf course has been averaging over 60 thousand rounds a year it was necessary to have a grass that can withstand that large amount of play and still provide a good playing surface.
The negative side of the Ultradwarf variety of turfgrasses is they don’t transition well after being overseeded, they are more susceptible to diseases as comparted to older bermudagrass greens, and they rapidly generate organic matter, also called thatch. The accumulation of organic matter is what impacts playability the most as time goes on. Most importantly as thatch builds up under the surface the greens become “spongy” causing bumpy, soft conditions.
Organic matter is managed by various processes. The most visible method to control thatch is aerification where cores are pulled which literally removes the thatch. The holes are then filled with sand that contains no organic matter at all. Another method is verti-cutting. The mower blades are vertical to the surface so they “pull” the thatch out of the green surface. Sand is then top dressed in the grooves for smoothing.
These methods do disturb the playing surface which is inconvenient for golfers. However, the more they are performed over the years, the better the playing conditions remain. Skipping aerification, verti-cutting, and topdressing will eventually lead to unhealthy greens with poor putting surfaces.
Frost line: 520-825-0322
Michael Kropf
Director of Golf Maintenance
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 blue stakes to enter and exit the fairways or proceed 90 degrees, entering the fairway and back to the cart path from the fairway. 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 March, the first tee time starts at 7:00 AM, and each week it is adjusted by 8 minutes earlier until 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.
DRIVING RANGE
Open from sunrise to sunset except on Thursday; the range closes at 3:30 PM. Range balls can be purchased from 6:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily. A driving range card is available to purchase for $250 for (50) small buckets.
PRACTICE PUTTING GREEN
The green is available for putting and chipping at knee height or less.
SHORT GAME PITCHING AREA
The short game area features two practice chipping greens and a bunker between the 1st tee and 9th green at the bottom of the hill.
Note: The short game practice area is only for members, residents, and paying guests. If someone who wants to use the practice area is not a member, resident, or paying guest, the fee is the same as a large bucket of range balls purchased in the Pro Shop.
PRACTICE FACILITIES AND DRIVING RANGE TEE
After hitting practice balls, we ask that all golfers who use the practice facilities leave the basket and any extra range balls on the range. Someone from our staff will gladly pick them up and return them to their proper place. This will ensure that we always have the proper amount of equipment available.
Also, a reminder that our range closes at 3:30 PM every Thursday for a clean pick, and volunteers are always welcome to help. Thank you for your cooperation, and we wish you well in your practice!
MERCHANDISE & SALE
We have selected items of merchandise on sale at 50%. We look forward to assisting you in finding the perfect gift or items you want to purchase.
All members receive 20% off clothing and 10% off golf clubs and accessories. SCOV residents receive 10% off. Discounts do not apply to items already on sale.
Loyalty Rewards Program for annual 9, 18 hole members and SCOV residents receive an additional 10% loyalty credit on green and guest fees, clothing, food and beverage purchases in the Pro Shop, Grill @ the Turn and beverage cart. Loyalty credits do not apply to purchasing memberships, gift cards and entry fees.RO SHOP
Golf Tip: HOW TO AVOID 3 PUTTING
Three-putting is not so much a stroke problem as it is usually a preparation and awareness problem. Most golfers focus on the mechanics of their stroke, but the real key to avoiding three-putts is distance control. Long putts should be approached with one primary objective: to get the ball close enough for an easy two putt. Shift your mindset to pace and “rolling it inside a comfortable circle.” When your focus moves from outcome to speed, your margin for error shrinks dramatically. Great putters control pace first and direction second.
The second key is reading the putt with clarity and commitment. Many three-putts happen because the first putt is either too aggressive or tentative. Indecision creates poor speed and poor speed magnifies poor results. Before you ever stand over the ball, see the putt in your mind with a good feel for the distance. Choose your line. Commit fully. A confident stroke even if slightly misread, will almost always finish closer than a cautious one. Confidence is built by practicing long putts with the goal of stopping the ball within three feet.
Finally, develop a simple, repeatable routine that keeps emotion out of the process. Walk around the putt, feel the slope with your feet, take one or two practice strokes while looking at the hole, and then step in and roll it. Avoid overthinking mechanics during play. Trust what you’ve practiced. Three-putting is often the result of poor focus or rushing under pressure. Stay present. Control your speed. Commit to your read. When you manage those three elements, three-putts begin to disappear and your confidence on the greens begins to grow.