Course Maintenance

The Director of Golf and Golf Course Maintenance staff post regular updates on golf course maintenance, such as over-seeding, watering, closures, and other issues. All maintenance is performed in accordance with the golf course maintenance standards.
 

This month’s course schedules, one for Eagle’s Nest golf course and one for Tuscany Falls golf course, display each day’s plan for maintenance closures, as well as for shotgun and tee times, and for tournaments.
Golf Course Maintenance – protecting our valuable assets

After the builder and architect are gone, a golf course needs constant and attentive care.   Golf course maintenance staff help enhance both the playability and the visual appearance of a golf course.  Professionals who work on golf courses understand and respond to the unique needs of the particular golf courses and work to ensure that the needs are met daily. Our golf course superintendents, Joe Miller and Jeff Lebo, ensure that our staff is well trained and up to date on the latest in golf course maintenance technology and expertise.  

Joe and Jeff oversees the labor, time, materials and finances in a manner that protects the courses, preserves their visual appeal and enhances the enjoyment of the game. They manage 40 employees and the budget for Golf Course Maintenance, which is $2.2 million per year.  Using a broad base of facility management skills, they must meet financial goals while protecting these living, breathing assets which require daily care and attention. Every day, the superintendents communicate with the maintenance staff to assign tasks and plan for the day’s assignments. 

What’s involved in maintaining our golf courses?

• The total turf acreage is 350 acres of grass that are mowed 364 days a year which includes 10 acres of greens

• Over 170 acres of desert landscaping is maintained on a rotating schedule

• 40 acres of lakes are maintained by a lake maintenance company on a continual basis and closely monitored between March and November.  Crews look for insects and algae infestations and stock the lakes with algae and larvae (mosquito and midge fly)  eating fish

• 82 sand traps are raked at least 6 times a week and sand is replaced on a rotating 5-year schedule

• 80,000 pounds of perennial rye grass, 2,000 pounds of seaside bent and over 2,000 pounds of poa trivialis are spread in the annual October overseed

• Aerifying greens– The greens are double aerified once a year with a special machine that removes 5/8” round/4 ½” deep plugs. This process improves air and water access to the grass roots and improve s drainage and removes thatch (dried, dead grass)

• Aerifying fairways – one employee is dedicated to this all summer on a continuous rotation, removing thatch to improve percolation and drainage

• Verticutting or vertical cutting is mowing to remove thatch. This is performed in late spring and summer and lightly thins the grass on the greens and helps smooth out the greens

• Fertilization – a granular form is applied year round on the fairways by a spreader and greens are done by hand. The type of fertilizer applied depends on the season and the weather. Iron is sprayed on in winter to keep the grass darker.

• Integrated Pest Management – key maintenance staff are licensed by the state to apply pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides; continuing education is required annually to maintain licenses; applications are made year round as required

• Tree trimming and care – Over 4,000 palm trees are trimmed annually in July/August after they have gone to seed so the seed pods can be removed. Over 2000 other species of trees are trimmed by staff. Palm trees and larger trees are trimmed by outside tree trimming specialists.  Shrubs are trimmed on a continual rotating schedule by staff.

• Watering and Irrigation Maintenance – Amount of watering depends on the season and weather. Information is obtained daily from a weather station and computer recommendation. Watering is done at 80% of recommended amount.  Water usage is in line with strict state water use guidelines. Eagle’s Nest uses well water exclusively drawing from two 800’ deep wells. Tuscany Falls has five 800’ wells which are supplemented by effluent water purchased from Liberty Utilities.  The state requires non-irrigation lakes be filled with effluent water. There is one irrigation lake on Eagle’s Nest and two on Tuscany Falls, the rest are non-irrigation.

• Cleaning – eight sets of restrooms are cleaned throughout the day.

In addition to the above, the Golf Course Maintenance staff must supervise yearly improvement and/or renovation projects, work closely with other management team members, the Director of Golf, the HOA Golf Committee, as well as, golfers, vendors, suppliers, golf professionals, golf course architects and others in the golf industry. Additionally, they is called upon to educate community groups and especially golfers about golf course and turf grass management through updates posted on the HOA website, at meetings and in the PebbleCreek Post.

Although it is an overwhelming responsibility, it is one of significant importance. And it has been noted that avid golfers rank well-maintained greens and bunkers as the most important aspect to their enjoyment and satisfaction in playing golf.  Spending money on golf course maintenance saves money in the long run by protecting this valuable community asset.