Wondering how popular pickleball is in your state? Think you know which states have the highest interest, and which have the lowest?  Are you thinking Arizona is the top because we have such great facilities here at Saddlebrooke Ranch?  Maybe…….?

You’ll be surprised to see the top 10 states.  Before you read the list, take a few guesses as to where your state may rank in its respective interest in pickleball. According to Google, the following ranks each state by its interest in pickleball, based on search volume.

Values are calculated on a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 is the location with the most popularity as a fraction of total searches in that location. A value of 50 indicates a location which is half as popular.

1. Utah – 100

2. Idaho – 55

3. Arizona – 52

4. Hawaii – 51

4. Florida – 41

6. Colorado – 40

7. Kansas – 39

8. Vermont – 38

9. Minnesota – 37

10. Delaware – 37

Were you correct?  I know… I would never have guessed it either.

Golf Club Fitting Day is Monday October 17th – by Appointment Only.

You will be able to try-out the following golf clubs:

~Callaway Golf clubs

~Cobra clubs

~Cleveland Golf clubs

~Srixon clubs

Sign-up sheets are in the Pro Shop but Walk ups welcome on a space available basis.

Location: SaddleBrooke Ranch Driving Range from 10 AM – 2 PM

Special pricing available only for orders places the day of the demo.

After playing golf one Saturday during the summer, Joel Pritchard, congressman from Washington State and Bill Bell, successful businessman, returned to Pritchard’s home on Bainbridge Island, WA (near Seattle) to find their families sitting around with nothing to do. The property had an old badminton court so Pritchard and Bell looked for some badminton equipment and could not find a full set of rackets. They improvised and started playing with ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball. At first, they placed the net at badminton height of 60 inches and volleyed the ball over the net.  As the weekend progressed, the players found that the ball bounced well on the asphalt surface and soon the net was lowered to 36 inches. The following weekend, Barney McCallum was introduced to the game at Pritchard’s home. Soon, the three men created rules, relying heavily on badminton. They kept in mind the original purpose, which was to provide a game that the whole family could play together.

September has arrived. The 19th through the 30th we will be closed to prep the course for a winter of dormant turf. We are extremely excited about the health and density of the turf and expect great playing conditions this winter! Stay in tune with the Forecaddie to keep up to date with everything pro shop and golf course related. In the sections following, you will find all the information relating to this month in golf, as well as contact information for our golf

Pro Shop Hours – Open 30 minutes before the first tee time and 1 hour before shotguns. The pro shop closes at 4:00pm. Pro shop staff will carry the pro shop cell phone (520-561-1196) until 5:30. Staff is available until one hour before sunset.

First tee time 9-1 to 9-30: 7:00am

Last tee time 9-1 to 9-30: 5:00pm

Shotguns: 8:00/1:00

Rate Periods: 9-1 to 9-30:

Prime 7:00 – 11:52 Midday 12:00 – 1:52

Twilight 2:00 – 3:22

Super Twilight 3:30 – Sunset

A maintenance plan is put into place at the beginning of the year. Variance in weather and agronomic conditions may require changes to the schedule. September Maintenance Schedule The entire facility will be closed from September 19 to September 30 to prep for the winter. Since we will not be overseeding the fairways, carts may access the fairways when we open October 1. After a good rest and extra care from Aaron and his crew, the driving range tee is restored and ready for a busy winter. Speaking of the range tee, we will continue our program of resting the natural turf one week per month, except in December and January, when it will be rested for two weeks in those months due to the slowing of the growth rate of the rye overseed. The Bermuda turf is slowing down and will go fully into dormancy following our first frost. Please support our maintenance staff by filling divots with sand and repairing ball marks on the green. Cart traffic is highly damaging to the turf, so please limit time on the turf as much as possible. Back Nine morning nine-hole times will not be available on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on a year-round basis to allow maintenance time to complete weekly tasks.

Every month Mike and Ken will conduct a free golf clinic. All residents and their guests are welcome to attend, and there is no cost. Please sign up in the pro shop. The staff have a book behind the counter with all the scheduled clinics that you can sign up for. You are welcome to attend as often and as many as you like! The clinics will cover basic technique and mechanics of each topic and are great for learning a new skill or brushing up a skill that needs some work. The next clinic will be in October due to the course maintenance closure. In October we will cover pitching on Monday, the 24th, at 2:00 pm at the practice chipping green.

Maintenance/Overseeding Closure –September 19-30, 2022

Many residents have asked what operations would be performed during the September golf course
closure. The list below outlines these operations.

Overseed – it takes 4 days for germination, 4-5 days to establish rooting, then mow and fertilize
= 10-12 days before ready for foot traffic.

Overseed Driving Range tee
Chipping green complex
All par 3 tees, 11 Rust, Plum, 13 Rust, Plum
Selected area #9, 20 yard band around lake edge
Boulevard on left side of 10

Needle Tine and heavy top-dress greens to smooth and reset surface. Heavy topdressing
required to attain targeted top-dress rate for the year. We will not mow the green for 4-5 days
after the topdressing. This is a critical practice.
Apply course wide pre-emergent application
Apply course wide fall fertilizer application
Work to finalize summer projects that were not completed
Final sodding of needed areas
Bunker maintenance
Edge bunkers
Check sand depths
Freshen up all bunkers with new sand
Replace worn/ broken bunker rakes
Paint cart path markings
Detail granite landscape beds
Trim all trees in turf
Edge cart paths
Paint tee markers

For questions, please email Randy Friedman at randy61739@yahoo.com

BREAKDOWN OF KEY PICKLEBALL PADDLE FEATURES

Materials

Pickleball paddles are made of wood, composite, or graphite. Each material has its pros and cons.

Wood: Wood is inexpensive. It offers adequate performance and durability. Because it’s the heaviest material, however, it isn’t a desirable option for all players.

Composite: A composite pickleball paddle is lighter than wood and offers a textured surface. This is important once you move up from the beginner ranks and want a paddle that gives you greater ball control. A composite paddle costs more than a wood paddle.

Graphite: High-end paddles are made of graphite (also known as carbon fiber). This material gives you the lightest weight with the most power. The higher price range of this paddle makes it a better option for the serious player.

Paddle size

For competition, USA Pickleball states that the size of a pickleball paddle (including the handle) cannot exceed 24 inches, while the paddle cannot exceed 17 inches. There are no restrictions when it comes to the paddle’s thickness. The average paddle is 8 inches wide by 15 inches long. However, if you prefer, you can get an elongated paddle. This might not be a desirable option if you have larger hands because it means the handle will be shorter.

Edged vs. edgeless

The edge guards on a pickleball paddle help protect it from damage that may occur from swiping it across the ground during gameplay. A player may opt to sacrifice this protection to get an edgeless paddle. These models maximize the playing surface and give the player a larger sweet spot at the expense of having a paddle that’s more vulnerable to damage.

Weight

The ideal weight of a pickleball paddle is a preference. With a lighter paddle, a player needs to swing harder to get a powerful shot, but they have more control. Conversely, a heavier paddle gives a player less control but more power.

The SaddleBrooke Ranch Golf Club is hosting a FITTING DAY at the SaddleBrooke Ranch Driving Range Monday August 8th.  Due to the popularity of this event, it is By Appointment Only. Sign up in the Pro Shop or call 520.818.6403.  The Golf Clubs are from the LTDx family and is their most powerful lineup yet. PWR-COR Technology unlocks faster ball speed and extreme forgiveness to achieve Longest Ball Distance.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pickleball pro, choosing a vacation destination with ample pickleball resources is sure to enhance the experience. Vibrant pickleball communities thrive all over the country––especially in warm, dry places––making a pickleball trip the perfect escape in winter months. As the fastest-growing sport in the US, pickleball is a great way to connect with new communities and enjoy fun, low-impact physical activity with your travel companions. But unlike other popular leisure and vacation sports like golf, pickleball is easy to learn and won’t break the bank.

As pickleball grows in popularity throughout the country, tourist destinations have begun to capitalize on the opportunity to use pickleball to attract visitors––building pickleball courts at resorts and hosting pickleball events and tournaments. That means there are lots of options out there for pickleball lovers––whether you’re planning a pickleball-centered trip or just want to make sure you can practice your drop shot while you travel.

SaddleBrooke Ranch is a regional pickleball hub because of its 24 courts available to members of the Pickleball Club and visiting friends and relatives.  It is also used by those who are looking for that perfect retirement spot in sunny Arizona in which to plant roots in a 55+ Active Community.  Those looking for re-sale homes can contact Lynn Baker or Douglas Sedam at SBRanchRealty.com or call 520-829-5219 ext. 3 or we can accompany you to the Sales Office if you are looking to build.  While you look at homes during the day, Lynn can plug you in to a few games of pickleball with friendly club members in the evening under lighted courts.