Weight. Weight is the most important factor when choosing a paddle. Pickleball paddles can range from 6 to 14 ounces. Most composite or graphite paddles weigh from 6 to 9 ounces. Weight influences how a paddle feels when you pick it up and swing it on the court. For someone without pre-existing injuries, your choice of paddle weight is entirely up to your personal fitness level and comfort.  A heavier paddle will help you to drive the ball, but will provide less control of the ball. However, be aware that the heaviness of the paddle also accelerates fatigue in your arm and can strain your elbow. Conversely, a paddle that is too light may not provide enough drive but will increase ball control.

Grip Size. It is important to play with a paddle that has the correct grip circumference for your hand. Playing with a paddle grip that is too big may cause the paddle to slip in your hand and can lead to elbow problems. For this reason if you are trying to decide between two sizes, try the smaller size first. Smaller grips allow for more wrist action, which aids in putting spin on the ball and enhances control. This wrist action also produces powerful serves and facilitates quick hand changes for those players that switch hands during play. A larger grip will provide more stability, and be easier on your arm, so you can see that it is important to find the “just right” size for your hand. Competitive pickleball players often customize their paddle grips using an over-grip to re-wrap their paddle exactly to fit their personal preference.

FORECADDIE NEWS & UPDATES:

June brought temperatures in the 100’s, and July will hopefully include plenty of rainfall. Please remember to increase hydration. Here in the desert, due to the dry air, perspiration is not evident, and it is easy to get dehydrated without realizing it. Please also remember that the rainstorms in summer usually also have thunder and lightning, so please take shelter and stay safe! 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 associations and our Greens Committee.

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 6:00. Staff is available until one hour before sunset. First tee time 6-1 to 7-31: 7:00am Last tee time 6-1 to 7-31: 6:00pm Shotguns: 8:00/1:00 Rate Periods: 6-1 to 7-31: 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. June/July Maintenance Schedule The entire facility will be closed every Wednesday, June through September, June 6 to June 12 and August 1 to August 7 for heavier maintenance operations. The course has also one additional scheduled closure week 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. On the range tee, the natural turf will be rested 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 actively growing and coming out of dormancy. The maintenance crew will be applying fertilizers and performing cultivation to support this activity. Changes in the rotation of the course or one-hour delays to the first tee time may occur as needed to support these important procedures. Please support our maintenance staff by filling divots with sand and repairing ball marks on the green. Back Nine morning 9-hole times will not be available on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on a year-round

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.

SaddleBrooke Ranch Golf Club – About Us

Designed by the Tom Schroeder team, the 18-hole championship course meanders through lush green desert terrain with natural washes and mountain views from almost every direction. Mounds, hollows and bunkers surrounding large, receptive greens offer an enjoyable challenge for novices as well as avid golfers. Join the fun with groups for your skill level:

• Ladies Golf Association
• Men’s Golf Association
• Ranchette Women’s Putters

Driving Range

Set against a scenic backdrop, the driving range and practice facilities at SaddleBrooke Ranch provide a wide array of practice activities to help you master your short and long game.

Pro Shop

You’ll find everything you need for your round of golf at The Pro Shop at SaddleBrooke Ranch, featuring a wide variety of golf attire and equipment from shoes to golf gloves and hats.

The Bistro Viente

Grab a quick bite before your round or enjoy lunch after at the Bistro Viente, located in the adjacent La Hacienda Fitness Club building…featuring snacks, beverages, sandwiches and salads.

 WHEELCHAIR RULES

The USA Pickleball Board collaborated with a committee comprised of selected individuals, both “Standing Players” and “Wheelchair Players” to develop rules specific to wheelchair pickleball. The following rules have been finalized and have been added as “Section 16 – Wheelchair Pickleball” to the IFP Pickleball Rule Book.

16.A. Basic Play

The wheelchair is considered part of the player’s body and all applicable rules that apply to a player’s body will apply to the wheelchair except in non-volley zone as listed below.

All applicable rules which apply to standing players apply to those in a wheelchair except as listed below.

16.B. Two Bounce Rule 

The wheelchair pickleball player is allowed two bounces of the ball on his or her side of the net. The second bounce can be anywhere inside or outside of the court boundaries.

16.C. Service 

• C.1. Server shall be in stationary position, and then allowed one push before striking ball.
• C.2. At the time the server strikes the ball, the server shall not touch with any wheel: any baselines, sidelines, center lines or the extended center or sidelines.

16.D. Non-Volley Zone (NVZ) (two bounce rule applies)

• D.1. When a wheelchair player strikes a ball in the NVZ, on a volley, it is a fault only if the larger-rear wheels contact NVZ.
• D.2. Upon exiting the NVZ, after striking a bounced ball, the player’s larger-rear wheels must return to outside the NVZ boundaries (so no rear wheel contact is made in the NVZ) before hitting a volley, or it is a fault.

16.E. Wheelchair/Standing Pickleball

• E.1. When a wheelchair pickleball player is playing with or against a standing person in singles or doubles, the rules of pickleball for standing players shall apply to all standing players while the wheelchair pickleball rules shall apply to all wheelchair players.

16.F. Singles Wheelchair Pickleball

• F.1. Singles play with one or both players in a wheelchair shall be played on half court. The server and the receiver shall serve, receive and play the entire point from their respective service and receiving court.

May 2022 Golf Course Maintenance:

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. May Maintenance Schedule The driving range tee is planned to be on the artificial turf for one week beginning Monday, May 16th. The natural turf will be rested 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 actively growing and coming out of dormancy. The maintenance crew will be applying fertilizers and performing cultivation to support this activity. Changes in the rotation of the course or 1-hour delays to the first tee time may occur as needed to support these important procedures. Please support our maintenance staff by filling divots with sand and repairing ball marks on the green. Back Nine morning 9-hole times will not be available on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on a year-round basis to allow maintenance time to complete weekly tasks.

Free Monthly Gold Clinic:

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 clinic for May will cover bunkers, and will be held on Monday, May 23rd, at 9:00am at the practice bunker.

Welcome to the SaddleBrooke Ranch Pickleball court complex. We have completed construction of 24 courts. Various courts are available to our members, residents and guests. You can reach the courts by taking Arizona Highway #77 (Oracle Road) north of Tucson and turning left onto SaddleBrooke Ranch Road West. Follow the road past the 4-way stop and continue to the end where you will find the courts on your left. The physical address is 31080 S. Amenity Drive.  At times courts are reserved for Club play but there other times during the day or evening that anyone can play.  The complex is one of the best venues for play in southern Arizona.  Courts are directly across the street from the Fine Arts building (including wood working, technology, glass and many other artistic pursuits), Library and Dog Park.

                           

Wednesday, March 11, 2020
A regular meeting of the SaddleBrooke Ranch Golf Club Green Committee was
held in the La Vista Room at the SBR La Hacienda Club on March 11, 2020.
Committee Members present:
Jean Cheszek, Jim Cook, Ken De Leo, Toni Graves, Jack Gressingh, Jeanne
Osterlund, Jeff Pharr
Not present: Mike Mycka, Sam Rossi
Robson Staff present:
Chris Blake, Mark Giannonatti, Mike Jahaske, Ken Steinke
Jack Gressingh called the meeting to order at 10:20am.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Minutes from the meeting of February 5, 2020. After a motion by Jean
Cheszek and a second by Jeanne Osterlund, the Minutes of 2/5/20 meeting
were unanimously approved.
2. Ed’s Dogs. Mr. Robson visited with the County’s Board of Supervisors
about permit application approvals for the restaurant- a review that should take
two hours has taken four months. Results should be forthcoming.
Pool Area Outdoor Bathrooms. Progress is continuing; expect pavers and
inside seating.
Community Garden. Raised boxes for the community garden that were
ordered from China are delayed and permit applications are on hold. The design
of these fenced gardens is perfect for our climate.
Tennis Courts, Bocce Ball and Corn Hole. Dave M is making every effort
to improve the surfaces of the two new tennis courts; work is being done on
the weekends.
3. General Course Issues
New Trees on Holes 7 and 18. After lengthy discussion pre-meeting, it
was decided that the placement of trees is still TBD. The prime consideration is
safety. The aiming pole on Fairway 7 is working. Ken De Leo believes that a
tree or two would be excellent behind the greens of Holes 8 and 16. Decisions
should be made before spring planting in May; temporary orange poles will
remain until then. The committee will also be considering the addition of a
“desert area” on the left side of the bunkers on #18.
Electricity in Bathroom between Holes 14/15. Robson Land Development
told Ken and Mike it would be six to nine weeks for re-connection.
Cart path between Holes 15/16. Chris bought 12 tons of gravel that was
added to the cart path; there is no guaranty that repaving will be accomplished
before April; Robson Land Development does the grading.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Report from Mike Jahaske. For January and February 2020, revenue is up
$57K over 2019, annual memberships are up +26, golfers are 50/50
public/residents. There have been no closures the past month; the course is
pursuing public rounds; our biggest competitor is “The Views” golf course in Oro
Valley.
Questionnaire: Response has been low; the pro shop will hand out
questionnaires to all groups on Saturday. “Golf Now” responses are very
positive.
2. Report from Chris on Course Conditions. The fairways are firm and
challenging to hit from; the solution will be to increase water and increase
drainage on areas that remain wet.
3. Skateboard/Scooter Golf Carts. Although there are liability issues, they
will no doubt be allowed although no one in SBR has asked. Pebble Creek and
Robson Ranch TX has voted to allow them. At SBR a handicap cart is available
for handicap golfers; driver can drive on the putting green and the seat tilts so
driver may stand to putt; same is true for other strokes.
4. Report from Jeff Pharr on Adopt-A-Hole. We now have an updated list of
the participants & hole assignments. There was some confusion on assignments
and hole teams. A message will be sent out reminding everyone what their
responsibilities are and identifying their teammates so they could coordinate
their efforts.
5. “Volcanoed” Pin Concerns. Chris and Mike checked all eighteen pins and
determined that none are “volcanoed”. Mark G. feels that since cups are set at
6:00 am, changes can occur throughout the day as flags are removed, and
there is repeated walking on the turf near the pins. “Volcano cups” may be the
result of when the pin is pulled and the cup emerges from the hold with the flag
due to sand in the pin hole. The metal cup setter is heavy duty and is not
breakable; pins are being set correctly. Mr. Whittmann will get a response letter
6. Questions from Membership and Answers from the Committee.
a. Recent drainage issue on Fairway 13 was caused by a sprinkler that
ran three hours longer than intended.
b. The over seed schedule for 2020 is 9/28/2020 through
10/19/2020.
c. It is possible to bring poa annoa seeds onto greens via golf shoes;
the perception is that it affects putting, but it does not. The bags of grass seed
that we use are certified not to contain poa annua.
d. Casual water and tire tracks- you get automatic relief.
e. During casual golf, take relief from damaged fairways; on
tournament days; it is up to the tournament director to declare if relief will be
given.
f. The crossing safety at the four way stop between fairways 9 and
10, will be studied.
g. Bunker areas do not guarantee sand; whether your ball lands in play
on the course or even on cement in bunkers, the ball should be played where it
lies.
h. Holes 5 and 14 drop zones: If it is impossible to take relief on
these holes, go back to the most forward tee (gold or plum), which will serve as
designated drop zones.
i. Hole 11 hazard stakes. Red hazard stakes will be left where they
are. If the hazard stakes were to be moved the cart path would be in the
hazard.
j. Hole 1: The red lateral hazard stakes on the left side will be
removed. There should be white out of bounds stakes from the tee boxes up to
approximately the first left fairway bunker. No one knows who wrongly installed
the red stakes.
k. Red stakes, Right side Hole 4, ~200 yards out. Could the stakes be
moved a bit closer to the rough so that people could take their drop on grass?
Mark Giannonatti proposed revisiting the tree issues in a few weeks.
The Green Committee meetings are open to everyone with an interest in the
SBR golf course, have a question or comment. Email your questions to
sbrgreencommittee@gmail.com
The next SBR Green Committee meeting date is TBD because of the coronavirus
pandemic.
Respectfully submitted, Toni Graves
Approved 3/24/202

Mission

The mission of the SBRPA is to establish SaddleBrooke Ranch as a premiere pickleball community serving all skill levels and formats of play, thereby promoting the passion and sport of the game both inside and outside our community.

Strategies  (as prioritized by our membership)

SaddleBrooke Ranch Men’s Golf Association

The purposes of this Association are to stimulate and maintain interest in golf at the SaddleBrooke Ranch Golf Club:

To promote good fellowship among the members; and to enhance the social and recreational lives of SaddleBrooke Ranch Property Owners.

The association organizes weekly competitions and special events throughout the year.  The weekly competitions are held every Thursday morning at 9:00 AM (December through February) and 8:00 AM (March – November).

For information about joining the league, please contact our membership chair.  Click on Member Information tab.

Special Events for 2022
​Ryder Cup – March 9th, 10th & 17th
Club Championship – April 13th & 14th Schedule Change​
Special Event – May 18th & 19th
Founders Cup – October 26th & 27th
Special Event – November 2nd & 3rd Schedule Change

Procedures To Join SBRMGA

1. You must obtain a Chelsea number. Go to the Pro Shop and fill out the form requesting a Chelsea number. Chelsea is the online system to book, reserve and request tee times. Return the form to Ken Steinke, the Assistant Head Pro. Ken will have a Chelsea number emailed back to you within 24 hours.

2. Go to the AGA website at azgolf.org and click on the “Join” button.
A) Scroll down till you find Saddlebrooke Ranch Men’s Golf Club.
B) Click the Join/Renew button to the right of our club name.
C) Follow the prompts and fill in the required information.
D) You will pay your AGA and SBRMGA dues via credit card.

3.  After you complete the process of joining the SBRMGA, the Membership Chairman (MC) will receive an email from the AGA, indicating you have met the requirements for joining our club.

4. After verifying you have a Chelsea number, the MC will inform the AGA that you have been accepted into our club.

5. The MC will then send you an email welcoming you to the SBRMGA. The email will also include instructions on how to sign up for one of our weekly events.

6. If you have any questions, please contact our Membership Chair – Steve Schenck

Golf in March:

March has begun, and with it, the busiest golfing period of the year. The dormant turf will soon begin to green up, and we will begin the growing season. This will be an exciting summer as the greens mature and soften, and the fairways thicken, and weak spots fill in. This will be our first summer coming up wherein the course was fully dormant during the winter, and the potential for summer conditions our best yet! 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 associations and our Greens Committee. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Pro Shop Schedule:

Pro Shop Hours – Open 30 minutes before the first tee time and 1 hour before shotguns. The pro shop closes at 3:30pm. Pro shop staff will carry the pro shop cell phone (520-561-1196) until 6:00. Staff is available until one hour before sunset.

First tee time 3-1 to 3-14: 7:15am

• Midday 12:00 – 1:52
• Twilight 2:00 – 3:22
• Super Twilight 3:30 – Sunset
• Last tee time 3-1 to 3-31: 5:00pm
• Shotguns: 8:00/1:00 Rate

First tee time 3-15 to 3-31: 7:00am

• Prime 7:00 – 11:52
• Midday 12:00 – 1:52
• Twilight 2:00 – 3:22
• Super Twilight 3:30 – Sunset

Gold Maintenance Schedule:

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. March Maintenance Schedule The driving range tee is planned to be on the artificial turf for one week beginning Monday, March 21st. The natural turf will be rested 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.

Every 3-4 weeks, November through March, we will delay tee times one hour on a Monday and Wednesday to allow the staff to paint the greens and fairways.

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.