The SaddleBrooke Ranch Pickleball Club is the largest sports activity here at the “Ranch”. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport for seniors in America and as such, residents enjoy the benefits of great exercise, competition, and numerous friendships developed through the sport.

By joining the SaddleBrooke Ranch Pickleball Club you are welcome to participate in coaching sessions for new players, play either non-competitive or competitive play aka “round robins” and tournaments with other Pickleball Clubs.

What you can expect by joining the SBR Pickleball Club:

• A playing program for all skill levels covering beginners, novice, intermediate and advanced players including men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles format. (time)
• Be the voice of pickleball to and with Robson management (voice)
• Promote the game of pickleball to SaddleBrooke Ranch residents and guests (recruit)
• Programs to enhance pickleball safety, skills and knowledge for all levels and
  combinations of play (develop)
• Encourage social camaraderie off courts – as well as on courts (socialize)
• Play and skills development outside SBR (compete)
• USAPA sanctioned tournaments (host)
• Build an SBR pickleball brand internally and externally via the club logo and colors on apparel and accessories (promote)

Golf Course Access Dear residents, as much of the community activities have been closed for precautionary measures to help reduce exposure to the COVID-19 virus, many of you have taken to walking as a way of exercise and to get out of the house. Please remember that for your safety we do not allow joy riding, walking, biking, jogging, etc. on the golf course AT ANY TIME. Only golfers, golf staff, or emergency or other authorized service vehicles are allowed on the golf course and paths. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation! Page 3 The Ranch Forecaddie Golfing News Cont. Overseeding 2021 This year will be the first year we did not overseed any fairways; and, because the greens are new, the greens as well. We overseeded the tees and the greens’ collars on the course, and the driving range tee and collars of the practice greens. Fairways and greens will be painted for aesthetics, to retain heat, and to reduce wear. In some parts of the country the practice of not overseeding has occurred for years; but in the desert southwest, it is still an emerging trend. Since this will be our first time, we will review the results of not overseeding and review the benefits each year to determine if the program will continue as is or be modified. Below are listed some of the main benefits to not overseeding the greens and fairways. · The health of the base Bermuda turf will continue to improve without the competition of Rye seeded over it. Overseeding weakens the base Bermuda leading to turf loss increasing with each time the turf is overseeded. · Not overseeding eliminates the transition period in the summer allowing for improved turf conditions in the spring, summer, and fall. Transition occurs when the Rye overseed dies out from the pressure of applying herbicide, lowering mowing heights, and restricting irrigation. It can often create brown or bare spots until the Bermuda reestablishes itself. · Not overseeding reduces the closed period in the fall and completely eliminates the period of cart-path-only following overseeding. · Non-overseeded turf reduces frost delays in the winter. · Allows for cleaner turf with less weed intrusion due to being able to treat the entire course and not damage overseeded areas. · Reduces water consumption and saves on seed costs (which have doubled just in the last year). Full Course Opening Day on Saturday, October 2nd · Saturday, October 2: the course opened completely with the greens included. Flagsticks may now be removed! The range tee will stay on the artificial turf for two additional weeks to allow the natural turf tee to mature. Golfers will be able to drive to the ball because the fairways will not be overseeded. One hole per nine will have the fairway closed to cart traffic. This practice will continue through the winter to help rest the turf from cart traffic. Those will disability placards may request an orange shop flag to access the closed fairways. Personally owned BLUE flags will not be honored. Cart Rule Extended Cart sharing will remain optional when we open on October 2nd and will be reviewed monthly as the outlook on COVID 19 is quantified. We do request that golfers consider sharing a cart whenever comfortable to help in reducing the wear and tear on the turf during this busy golf season.

1. Mood & Mental Health

Playing pickleball can improve your mood and ward off depression.

As participants get their hearts pumping with this form of moderate exercise, it can improve blood pressure levels as well. Physical activity can help release feel-good endorphins and take our mind off our worries.

Participating in a group sport can also improve social interaction. Exchanging smiles with a teammate can benefit our moods and mental health.

In addition to the social benefits of playing sports, participating in a pickleball game can also make you more confident.

As you get in shape, you’ll feel better about your appearance, which can improve your mental health, too!

2. Burn Calories

While there’s no serious running, playing pickleball does provide a little aerobic exercise. As a great alternative to more strenuous physical activities, pickleball is ideal for older age groups that still want to get in a little moderate exercise.

The game combines ping-pong, tennis, and badminton and requires players to move within a small court.

This gives participants the opportunity to get on their feet, move around, and burn calories while they’re playing pickleball.

3. Improve Balance

A rousing pickleball game can also improve your balance. Regular activity, including the aerobic exercise pickleball requires, can improve our balance even as we age.

As more players perfect their pickleball game, they can build their stamina, footwork, and control as well.

4. Better Agility

Since a pickleball moves much slower than the speed of a tennis ball, a pickleball game is a lot easier on older bodies.

This gives players the opportunity to tone their muscles and improve their agility.

5. Reduce Health Risks

According to NPR, pickleball is also a great sport for participants with previous injuries. Instead of putting your health at risk, you can burn 40 percent more calories than walking without causing yourself further pain.

6. Make New Friendships

Pickleball is also a social sport. Whether you play a single or doubles game, learning how to play pickleball can put you on the court with other enthusiastic players.

That way, you’re making social connections as you play, which can improve your mental health, too.

7. It’s Fun!

Finally, pickleball is a fun leisure activity that can help you break away from your usual routine. Get out there and have a blast.

It’s not about winning, but about having fun with the other players around you.

Here are five tips to help you win your next pickleball game!

Who are the SBR Pickleball Association Sunday Chicks?  Every Sunday evening from 6 to 8 PM you can find a group of fun-loving women on the pickleball courts who call themselves the Sunday Chicks.  This is no ordinary group of Ranch pickleball players.  First, you will hear music being played, all while they enjoy round robin play with ladies typically rated 2.5 to 3.5.  They play pickleball while singing along with oldie goldies like Neil Diamond, the Beach Boys and other favorites.  They have also been known to break out and dance a little on the courts.

This group started in the Spring of 2020 when four women got together and met to play pickleball.  They soon came up with the name Sunday Chicks and due to their outgoing personalities and their music, other ladies began joining the group.  The foursome has now grown to a group of 36 players.  Once you play with these ladies you will not want to miss a single one of their weekly sessions.

 

Golf Course Update October 15th, 2021 Sanding Divots – We see many golfers are sanding their divots and we greatly appreciate the effort! We ask that you DO NOT sand divots on the tee boxes however, as the maintenance crew will be sanding AND seeding the tee box divots and if golfers sand the tee box divots the seeding will not be as effective. Thank you! Saturday 8:00a Open Play Shotguns resume on Saturday October 16th. Simply request 8:00 for your request if you wish to be placed in the shotgun. There will be tee times ahead of the shotgun from 7:15 through 7:52. Tee times before and following the shotgun will depend on the size of the shotgun. Cart Traffic Control this Season – The most detrimental thing to the course’s conditions in the coming months is cart traffic. WE need to work together to minimize wear patterns as play enters and exits the golf holes. The key to this is dispersing cart traffic throughout the entire golf hole as much as possible. Here’s how you can help preserve our conditions. 1. Strictly follow the 90 degree cart path rule. What this means is that you stay on the cart path after your tee shot until you are 90 degrees to your ball, then you drive to your ball. After your final shot onto the green again drive 90 degrees to the cart path, don’t continue up the fairway and exit as close as you can to the green. 2. Do not enter the turf as the soonest possible entry point, follow the 90 degree rule. 3. If you see wear patterns starting to develop don’t drive through the thinning area, look for an alternative entry/exit Course Painting will occur every 3 to 4 weeks. The paint is not just for aesthetics, also included with the paint are nutrients for the turf. The paint itself also keeps the turf warmer and helps keep it more resilient to cart traffic. In order to get the paint down and allow drying time we will delay tee times on painting days by one hour. The following days have been scheduled for painting thus far: 10-20 and 22 and 11-17 and 19. Cart Path on #9 after the green near the lake will be widened next week. Cart traffic will be directed onto the grass left of the path while work is being done. The hole will remain OPEN for play! Monday, November 8th the last tee time will be 1:52 in order to allow course maintenance time to apply poa control agents.

 

Golf Course Update October 7th, 2021   Saturday 8:00a Open Play Shotguns resume on Saturday October 16th. Simply request 8:00 for your request if you wish to be placed in the shotgun. There will be tee times ahead of the shotgun from 7:15 through 7:52. Tee times before and following the shotgun will depend on the size of the shotgun.   Cart Rule Extended – Cart sharing will remain optional when we open on October 2nd and will be reviewed monthly as the outlook on COVID 19 is quantified. We do request that golfers consider sharing a cart whenever comfortable to help in reducing the wear and tear on the turf during this busy golf season.   Cart Traffic Control this Season – The most detrimental thing to the course’s conditions in the coming months is cart traffic. WE need to work together to minimize wear patterns as play enters and exits the golf holes. The key to this is dispersing cart traffic throughout the entire golf hole as much as possible.   Here’s how you can help preserve our conditions. 1. Strictly follow the 90-degree cart path rule. What this means is that you stay on the cart path after your tee shot until you are 90 degrees to your ball, then you drive to your ball. After your final shot onto the green again drive 90 degrees to the cart path, don’t continue up the fairway and exit as close as you can to the green.   2. Do not enter the turf as the soonest possible entry point, follow the 90-degree rule.   3. If you see wear patterns starting to develop don’t drive through the thinning area, look for an alternative entry/exit   Here’s what we’ll be doing to regulate traffic patterns and wear on the course. Please follow these guidelines to help preserve our conditions.   1. We will use white stakes to designate areas to avoid with your cart, please go around these areas don’t drive over the stakes and through the area. The stakes will designate weak areas, wet areas, areas developing wear patterns and used as a general traffic control. This is to try to allow the area some recovery from traffic.   2. Cart directional signs – as you approach the greens these will be yellow arrows pointing towards the cart path, this designates for you to proceed to the cart path, don’t continue to drive to the green. This will allow us to control wear patterns at the exit point of the hole. We will be shifting the arrows forwards and backwards based on developing wear patterns anywhere from 20 – 50 yards from the front of the green. These distances will vary on each hole dependent on wear patterns.   3. As a last resort to control traffic we will use the red gates to designate entry and exit points. The gates may be use only at an entry or exit or both.

Golf Course Update: The Golf Course Preview Event on Sunday, September 19, was a huge success as the pro shop hosted two nine-hole shotguns for a total of 256 residents! All players received a free-of-charge round of golf with range warm up. In addition, a ticket good for a complimentary beverage at the Ranch House was issued as well as a raffle ticket to win one of eight full range cards (a $200 value). The weather was perfect that day and the greens were as well! The winners of the range card raffle are: Sue Wells, Mike Movius, Dave Joyce, Bill Teasdale, Lynn Fidler, Elmer Klavetter, Susan Ness, and Sam Rossi. Congratulations to the winners, your range cards will be available for pick up on October 2nd.   Over-seeding 2021 –This year will be the first year we do not over-seed any fairways and, because the greens are new, the greens as well. We will be over-seeding the tees and the green’s collars on the course, and the driving range tee and collars of the practice greens. Fairways and greens will be painted for aesthetics, to retain heat, and to reduce wear. In some parts of the country the practice of not over-seeding has occurred for years, but in the desert southwest, it is still an emerging trend. Since this will be our first time, we will review the results of not over-seeding and review the benefits each year to determine if the program will continue as is or be modified. Below I list some of the main benefits to not over-seeding the greens and fairways.   The health of the base Bermuda turf will continue to improve without the competition of Rye seeded over it. Over-seeding weakens the base Bermuda leading to turf loss increasing with each time the turf is over-seeded.   Not overseeding eliminates the transition period in the summer allowing for improved turf conditions in the spring, summer, and fall. Transition occurs when the Rye overseed dies out from the pressure of applying herbicide, lowering mowing heights, and restricting irrigation. It can often create brown or bare spots until the Bermuda reestablishes itself.   Not overseeding reduces the closed period in the fall and completely eliminates the period of cart path only following over-seeding.   Non-overseeded turf reduces frost delays in the winter.   Allows for cleaner turf with less weed intrusion due to being able to treat the entire course and not damage overseeded areas.   Reduces water consumption and saves on seed costs (which have doubled just in the last year).   Full Course Opening Day is on Saturday October 2, and the course will open completely with the greens included. The range tee will stay on the artificial turf for two weeks to allow the natural turf tee to mature. Golfers will be able to drive to the ball because the fairways will not be over-seeded. In addition, flagsticks are now removeable and KP markers will also be allowed!

 

Located in the North Tucson area, SaddleBrooke Ranch Golf Club borders the Santa Catalina Mountains. The course meanders through the high Sonoran Desert, incorporating natural washes into the design and providing stunning mountain views from almost every hole. Abundant desert flora and fauna further enhance the rugged, gently rolling terrain. The golf course offers a mix of challenging holes and player-friendly features, resulting in a layout with several interesting risk-reward opportunities that will appeal to low and high handicappers equally. The player-friendly fairways are generous, allowing beginners to feel comfortable with ample room off the tees and rewarding thoughtful play. There are also carefully placed mounds, hollows, and bunkers along the large, receptive greens that provide opportunities to recover an errant shot. The golf course is made even more versatile with five different sets of tees.

Golf course details

• Holes: 18
• Designed by: Tom Schroeder Design
• Public/Private: Semi-Private/Community
• Year opened: 2007
• Golf Season:
• Guest Policy: Open
• Tee times welcomed: Yes
• Fairways:
• Greens:

Facilities

• Pro in house: Yes
• Driving range: Yes
• Rental clubs:
• Rental carts: Yes