VOLUME 18, ISSUE 7! AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013 THE LINKS IRONWOOD LADIES GOLF ASSOCIATION Patti’s Post I think that when Neil Diamond recorded "Hot August Night", he really didn't know what he was talking about. Obviously he never experienced August nights in Arizona! I'll take a cool August night any day! For those of you who are fortunate enough to be away from the valley I envy you, but hope that you are safe and having a great time. The first week of August (July 29th - August 4th) the course will be closed to aerate the greens and verticut the fairways. Then comes all the fun of trying to improve your putting game on bumpy greens. Overseeding will take place September 23 for approximately 3 weeks with cart path only for 3 weeks after the course reopens. During the time the course is closed, if you are an Ironwood only annual member, you may play at Oakwood using your membership. IronOaks will be testing an alternative to overseeding this year. Information on this is available on the IronOaks golf website under Golf Information, IronOaks Alternative to Overseeding for 2013. Any of your concerns or questions are addressed there. Take some time to look this over. Charles and the Golf Committee have worked very hard to bring all the necessary information to you. The summer league is still attracting a number of players. Last month there were 28 ladies who played at Lone Tree and really had a nice time. The staff was overly friendly and helpful. On August 14th, Ironwood will be hosting and the fee for Ironwood annual members is $3.00 toward the prize money. The last event of the summer will be hosted by Sun Lakes Country Club in September. (Continued on Page 2) SUMMER START TIMES FOR ILGA June, July, August & September AM: 7 am PM: 10:45 am ! PAGE 1 VOLUME 18, ISSUE 7! AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013 PATTI’S POST CONTINUED Upcoming: The signup sheet for the Member Guest tournament held in November will be available in the computer room in September. This year we will be having only one tournament. Be sure and get your application in early. Mark your calendars for the 2013 Golf Expo October 30th. Wishing you continued cool weather, good golf, and safe travels, Patti Bev Lutes is actively looking for new board members for 2014. There are positions open for President, Vice President, and Secretary. Please contact Bev if you or someone you know would be interested in being on the board. Her contact information is (480)883-8163, blutes12@gmail.com. Thank you Bev for all your hard work. Golf Trivia Golf balls were originally made of wood. Later, they were made from boiled feathers stuffed into stitched leather known as "featheries". The modern, and cheaper, golf ball filled with gutta-percha was not developed till 1848. There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball. Balls travel significantly further on hot days. A golfer swinging a club at around 100 mph will carry the driver up to eight yards longer for each increase in air temperature of 25°F. Phil Mickelson, who plays left-handed, is actually right handed. He learned to play golf by mirroring his father's golf swing, and he has used left handed golf clubs ever since. The chances of making two holes-in-one in a round of golf are one in 67 million. Golf was banned in Scotland from 1457 to 1502 to ensure citizens wouldn't waste time when preparing for an English invasion. ! PAGE 2 VOLUME 18, ISSUE 7! AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013 IRONOAKS ALTERNATIVE TO OVERSEEDING FOR 2013 In an effort to keep our members informed, we are sharing the following information provided by the IronOaks Golf Committee regarding the 2013 overseeding. Please watch for details in further issues of The Links and also on Stay in the Loop. Traditional fairway management practices are changing, in large part due to the environment and economy. After careful study and analysis of a trend within the golf course industry, the IronOaks Golf Committee and Staﬀ are prepared to undergo testing of a new type of winter fairway management. This past year our Golf Course Superintendent, Charles Keys, began the testing by applying a Turf Colorant on a portion of the driving range at Oakwood. The results were positive, with color holding well and the health of the Bermuda grass underneath improving. The colorant protected the grass from frost, which allowed it to come back faster and healthier. IronOaks is now ready to expand the test by using the Turf Colorant on five of our forty-five fairways. One fairway on each of our nines will not be overseeded in an eﬀort to determine how the colorant performs in high-traﬃc areas (i.e. cart and foot traﬃc). The test fairways are: #2 Ironwood #16 Ironwood #7 Sonoran # 5 Palms #5 Lakes The tees and greens will be overseeded. There are multiple advantages to this alternative which will result in substantial cost savings. ! • less water used • less fertilizer used • less mowing (which means less fuel consumed and fewer labor hours) • fewer pesticides used • fewer man-hours for preparation of overseeding In addition, the potential for improved fairway conditions include: * more ball roll due to drier fairways * no cart usage restriction after overseed (on the designated fairways) * healthier grass under the colorant, allowing for a quicker transition Taking into account the expenses necessary for the colorant and application equipment, not overseeding these five fairways and some common areas that do not aﬀect golf should result in a cost savings of approximately $21,000. The Golf Committee and Staﬀ are excited about this alternative and the savings and impact it can have on our courses in the future should we extend this procedure to include more or all of our fairways. As the season progresses, we will welcome all feedback relating to this test. We hope everyone will approach it with a positive attitude knowing that your Golf Committee and Staﬀ are working together in an eﬀort to create a substantial cost savings to all homeowners, while keeping our courses in the best possible condition with maximum playability and enjoyment. PAGE 3