Golf Course Update August 16th, 2021

Our fairways are looking better every week! We ask golfers to support this progress by filling not only divots in the fairway, but also on the tee boxes. Use sand which is available throughout the golf course in brown bins, located at the tee area on holes #1, #6 and #10, and the restroom at #14/#15.

Communications Update: A few weeks ago, the community’s email service was expanded, allowing the pro shop to send out The Ranch Forecaddie and Course Updates directly to the email subscription group. Subscription choices were also expanded so you can opt to get either publication or both! We automatically added everyone subscribed to the Forecaddie to the Update subscription, but you can cancel that at any time if it becomes “info overload” for you. Speaking of subscriptions, we have almost 2200 emails signed up!!

Subscription Sign Up: If someone wants to sign up for either the Forecaddie, or the Course Update, have them follow these directions:

1. Go to the SBR HOA website – saddlebrookeranchhoa.org
2. Click on the Communications tab.
3. Scroll down to “Subscribing to Newsletters”
4. Click on link provided and fill out the form provided.

The newly sprigged greens continue to fill in. Maintenance has been fertilizing and topdressing to promote further growth and begin the process of smoothing the surface. Cutting height is now just under 1/4”! The USGA visited and was very impressed with the grow in! We also learned another aspect of how to tell when the greens are ready for play, thatch mat thickness. The USGA recommends a 1/2” mat so the greens can hold up to play. The front nine is at 1/4″ and the back nine is at” 1/8”. It will take an estimated 6 weeks for the mat on both nines to get to 1/2”.

Holes #9, #10, #13 (the second half only), and #15 are cart path only to assist the turf recover. Those with handicap flags may enter the fairway on those holes.

The ice and water machine at the pro shop has been repaired and is chock full of ice!

The basic pickleball line call rules are:

• The pickleball must land in the correct service court on the serve. All of the lines of the correct service court, except for the Non-Volley Zone line (also known as the Kitchen line), are “in.” This means that if the served pickleball lands on the sideline, centerline, or baseline, the serve is “in.” If the pickleball lands in the Non-Volley Zone (or the Kitchen), on the Non-Volley Zone line, or completely outside of the lines of the correct service court, then the serve is “out.”
• On any shot other than the serve in pickleball, the pickleball is “in” if it lands anywhere on the pickleball court. This includes all of the lines of the pickleball court. In other words, if the pickleball lands on the sideline, centerline, baseline, or the Non-Volley Zone line on any shot, other than the serve, then the pickleball is “in.” If the pickleball lands completely outside of the lines on the pickleball court, then the pickleball is “out.”

Last time we looked at the Outdoor pickleball and its characteristics.  This time we look at the Indoor pickleball.

Indoor pickleball characteristics

• Tailored for smoother indoor court surfaces and the still air of indoor play
• Are made from softer plastic
• Lighter
• Have larger, fewer holes – usually about 26
• Don’t bounce as high
• Allow for more control in your serve – though with less power, that can lead to longer rallies than a more hard-hitting outdoor game
• Weighs about 0.8 ounces
• Wears out by going soft, versus going out of round or cracking
• Hurt less if you get hit by one!

Players playing socially actually can chose the ball that fits them best, usually based on their level of play.  The softer indoor ball may fit for outdoor play as a player increases their skills.  You will likely want to ultimately transition to the outdoor ball as your skills improve.  As you move indoors during inclement weather or colder seasons of the year you want to use the indoor ball on slicker floor surfaces.

Robson Golf Links Program:

As a Resident of a SaddleBrooke Ranch Adult Lifestyle Golf Community, you can play golf at all seven Robson Resort Communities across Arizona and Texas at the low Resident rate.* Get your golf buddies and take a road trip! Enjoy great weather and championship golf while you tee it up at all of the Robson Resort Golf Clubs. Expect the home course treatment because you always have the home course honors at any Robson Resort Community.

• PebbleCreek
• Robson Ranch
• The Preserve at SaddleBrooke
• Quail Creek
• Robson Ranch Texas

*Tee times must be made by phone or in person and will be based on space available.

Outdoor pickleball balls are heavier, harder, made of smooth plastic and have 40 drilled holes. Due to their weight and construction, outdoor pickleballs are less effected by wind.

Outdoor pickleballs come off the paddle faster and harder than indoor balls. They are easier to hit hard due to having less drag. However, outdoor pickleballs are more difficult to control and require finesse to place accurately. With outdoor balls, rounds are typically shorter.

Outdoor balls sometimes crack or go out-of-round. Outdoor balls can last a few rounds or much longer. Lifespan depends on players’ style, playing surface, and even the temperature. To check roundness, hit a ball up into the air with spin and watch how the ball moves.

Since outdoor balls are slightly larger, heavier, and harder, they’re noisier, and getting hit with one hurts more than an indoor ball.

Next:  The In-door Pickleball

WELCOME TO SBR GOLF

Making the most of its beautiful setting, the SaddleBrooke Ranch Golf Club 18-hole championship golf course is located on a mesa with breathtaking vistas of the natural desert landscape. Drop by your home course, where the golf staff greets you by name, and enjoy a day with friends on the links.

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.

31280 S. Amenity Drive
Oracle, Arizona 85623

Contact:
Pro shop: 520-818-6403
After Hours Cell: 520-561-1196
Chelsea: https://sbranch.chelseareservations.com
Your Chelsea home page has access to tee times and events as well as the golf event and maintenance calendars, special event news, rate sheets and annual/play card applications, seasonal daily frost delay info and golf starting times, and greens committee minutes.
SBRMGA: www.sbrmga.org
SBRWGA: www.sbrwga.org
Greens Committee: sbrgreencommittee@gmail.com

Hours:
Pro Shop Hours – Open 30 minutes before the first tee time and 1 hour before shotguns. Soft close at 3:30pm as staff go out to check the course carrying the pro shop cell phone (520-561-1196).
Staff is available until one hour before sunset.
First tee time: 10-1 to 10-14: 7:00 10-15 to 10-31: 7:15
Morning Shotgun: 8:00
Afternoon Shotgun: 1:00
Rate Periods: 10-1 to 10-31: Prime 7:00 – 11:22 Midday 11:30 – 1:22 Twilight 1:30 – 2:52, Super Twilight 3:00 – Sunset

Here are three key considerations for everyone considering what pickleball paddle to purchase.

#1 Price. Good composite pickleball paddles start at $50. There are three categories of paddles – wood prices range from $13-$36, composite from $45-$145 and graphite from $60 – $145. Note on wood paddles – Wood paddles are the least expensive, however they are super heavy paddles with a solid plywood core. They don’t provide the wonderful pickleball POP that players love. After playing with the wood paddles and testing out other players’ composite paddles players quickly change to a composite or graphite paddle. If you’re new to pickleball and looking for your first paddle, go for an inexpensive composite or graphite paddle right away.

SaddleBrooke Ranch Golf Community Course Construction Updates:

• The golf course and practice facility greens surfaces will be replaced with Mini-Verde in a process that will overlap this spring and summer. The process will take approximately 5 months to complete. Annual golfers will receive a refund of the fees for those 5 months in the sum of $1,100. On Monday, May 3rd, Annuals were be suspended and may play the course with temporary greens paying a green fee. Green fees will be reduced while temporary greens are being used. Suspended annuals will pay $10 and residents will pay $15. Chelsea points will stay as they are. In October when the new greens are ready, all suspended annuals will be restored; and green fees will revert to posted rates.
• Monday, May 3rd we converted to all 18 holes having temporary greens. This will last until the new greens are grown in and ready for play. We expect the greens will be ready by the first of October. This date is variable due to weather conditions. Temp green course yardages are posted on Chelsea in a printable format. Most holes will play an average of 50 yards shorter. A spreadsheet with the changes for each hole is posted in printable form on your Chelsea home page.
• During the course of the summer the fairways will be aerified 2-3 times and will also be heavily top dressed with sand.
• Speaking of sand, the practice green bunker has been reshaped giving it a more greenside appearance, while also helping keep sand off of the green. The range field end will still allow for fairway bunker style shots out onto the range field. All the sand was removed while the bunker was reshaped, so it now has completely fresh sand as well!
• On May 12th the re-sloped area on #16 fairway was sodded to about 80%. The remaining 20% was sodded on Friday, May 14th, along with the tees on #16, #18, #3, and the remaining Golf tees. The drainage work areas were also sodded. Finally, the collars on greens #1-9 were sodded. On May 24th and 25th, the front nine greens were sprigged and the collars on the back nine greens and practice greens were sodded. The back nine greens and practice greens are expected to be sprigged during the second week of June.
• Once all the greens have been sprigged, the construction crew will leave. Our maintenance crew will then continue the grow-in process and also continue restoring the fairway and rough surfaces. We hope to improve the fairways and rough areas enough to allow them to be good dormant playing surfaces this winter.

Courtesy of the Golf Caddie

Website:

Welcome to SaddleBrooke Ranch Golf Club!