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Current Membership Information
We have 388 active members
including
6 pending surrenders
3 on LOA
14 Surviving Spouse
15 Champion
19 Flex members
12 Non Resident members
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| TVGC Board Meeting Dates |
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In the Fall the 2015-2016 meeting schedule will be posted.
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Tonto Verde Golf Club
Financial Report | | |
March 31, 2015
financial report.
The Financial Report for the year ended June 30, 2015 will be available as soon as the Board approves the Auditor's Report.
Click Here to view the Independent Auditors Report on the Financial Statements
from McGladrey for the year ended June 30, 2014
2015-2016 budget.
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Golf Shop Hours
6:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Wednesday Through
Sunday.
Closed Monday & Tuesday
Until September 30th
Starting October 1st 6:30 AM to 5:00 PM 7 Days a Week |
Upcoming Events
October 28
MGA Opening Day
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November 2
Womens Interclub Kickoff
November 3
NDA Opening Day
November 3
WGA Opening Day
November 4
WGA Best Ball 1s Round
November 4
Lady Putter Opening Day
Noember 6
Friday Couples
November 10
WGA Brunch & Golf
Novermber 17
WGA Member/Member
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| Divot Digest Archive | | Interested in reviewing a previous Divot Digest? Click Here to access the Divot Digest Archive. | |
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| Accessing The Golf Event Calendar | | |
When you click any of the links that take you to the Golf Event Section on ForeTees you will see a login page. For this you will need your ForeTees login and password. If you have forgotten your ForeTees info you can contact the Golf Shop for assistance.
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As the seson begins to heat up - the golf schedule not the tempreature - this is the last once-a-month communication. Starting in October we will return to the twice monthly distributions - The Divot Digest on the second Tuesday and the Divot Update on the 4th Tuesday.
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 | From The President
|  As October fast approaches, I want you to know that your board and the various TVGC committees have been busy this summer preparing for a great golf season and trying to anticipate the opportunities that will come with the opening of Trilogy Verde River Ranch. I think it appropriate to remind you that all of the TVGC directors and officers, as well as countless committee members, serve our community with no compensation. We volunteer our time and talent freely, because we love our community. As we prepare for the many opportunities and challenges that are on the horizon, I want to thank all those who volunteer to help make Tonto Verde the great place we call home. The Board of Directors held a conference call meeting on August 6th. Several important policy decisions were discussed and approved. These include: President's Report: P&C Insurance Review - The TVGC has secured adequate property and liability insurance to cover normal business risks to our golf course operations. The good news is our total cost for insurance, including worker's compensation, is slightly less than last year. Customer Service Seminar - The TVA has arranged for a seminar focusing on club operations, training and service standards to provide the best customer service to our members and guests. We have been invited to have our member-facing employees attend. We give a big thanks to Steve Peterman for the invitation. Action Items: Handicap Committee Charter - the Board approved this charter and the addition of the committee to the organization chart. Operations Committee Charter - this new committee is made up exclusively of our key paid staff leaders. The purpose is to facilitate better teamwork communication between departments, take more ownership of financials and relieve volunteers of some routine problem solving issues. Approved. TVR Agreement - a new agreement with Tonto Verde Realty (TVR) was approved for the purpose of selling golf memberships. The TVGC does not have an employee who markets, sells and closes club memberships, but rather we have in the past contracted with Gary Loving for that function. Gary is joining TVR and our contract will in essence be shifted to that company. The next golf season and year will be exciting. Our volunteers, with community support, are ready for the challenge.
Scott Thiss
President
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| Notes From Your Pro | 
Greetings golf members. With the oppressive August heat in the rear view mirror, those of us around Tonto are looking forward to some more comfortable golfing conditions and the symphony of activity that comes with them. Encouraging progress continues to be made on the construction of the new cart storage facility. Updated photos are posted weekly on the golf homepage of tontoverde.org.
Those who frequent this publication have heard that TVGC has decided to lease a fleet of 60 Club Car vehicles equipped with Visage GPS systems. Utilizing this technology will allow us to better manage our assets while enhancing our ability to deliver an exceptional on-course experience. Standard features with our lease package include Connected Car Controls that let us manage speed, behavior and access of the entire fleet, a group or a single car. We'll now be able to ensure that fleet carts don't drive too close to greens, tees, bunkers, in the desert or parking lot. Authorized staff will be able to simply apply a Cart Path Only restriction with one click of a button from any computer, tablet or smart phone. There are a multitude of game enhancement features including dynamic distances to pins and points of interest that we'll have to choose from. GPS subscriptions are similar to many cable packages in that they will allow us a 60-day trial period with all of their capabilities. During that time period we'll evaluate features like pace of play tracking, food and beverage ordering, and club-sponsored advertising. These are all very exciting concepts and we're eager to put them to the test in the coming months.
As we transition out of "summer rules", golfers should start to get back in the habit of pairing up in golf carts. Individual carts will no longer be permitted starting Monday, September 21st. It's also time for me to issue my annual reminder of the Time Par system we must adhere to when it comes to pace of play on our golf courses. Although many of us prefer to play faster, we ask that you please continue to respect the fact that we allow members and guests 4 hours to play a round on the Peaks and 4 hours 15 minutes on the Ranch. Our staff will continue to do their best to facilitate group(s) playing through when it's beneficial for all involved.
Starting October 1st, the golf shop will be open 7 days a week from 6:30am - 5:00pm. We also begin our "shoulder season" next month which means that guest rates will return to $70 before 1pm and $55 (twilight) after. There is no overlap in our overseed schedule this fall. One golf course will be open everyday until November 2 when both will be a full go for the busy season.
Until next time, keep em flying long and straight!
Jeff Ostlund Head Golf Professional |
| Superintendent's Tee Box | 
Currently in the Golf Course Maintenance department, we are cranking up for the 2015 overseed season. The Peaks course will start this process in 2 weeks and the Ranch to follow 3 weeks after. In the past few weeks, there have been several monsoon storms roll through the Phoenix Metro area, Tonto Verde has not received any rain. Although rain would be nice, I am hoping no rain to allow for a successful overseed. Once each course opens from overseeding, we will be cart path only for 3-4 weeks for the Ryegrass to become fully established, as the new grass will only have 2 weeks of growth on the roots.
Our overseed schedule is as follows:
- September 21 Peaks Course
- September 28 South Driving Range Tee and Chipping Green, Putting Course
- October 12 Ranch Course
- October 19 North Driving Range Tee, Putting Green
- November 2 Both Courses Open
As you are playing this fall, take special notice to the new sand installed in a select number of bunkers on both courses. As I have stated in past articles, we changed out the sand in the following bunkers: Peaks #8 fairway and green, #9 behind the green, and Ranch #9 green. This sand has improved both the playability of the bunker as well as the drainage of water. The old sand has become so contaminated with soil and other airborne contaminants, that drainage has almost become non-existent. We have continued to cultivate the sand in the remaining bunkers to allow for improved drainage until we can either replace the sand or rebuild the entire bunker. The summer was busy for the Maintenance department and we accomplished several detail projects around the property. This mainly was addressing edging all turf areas bordering the desert, and pruning trees and bushes. We also addressed several broken and unsafe cart path panels which should make for a smoother ride around the property for the new fleet of carts. We have also sprayed most of the desert landscape with a pre-emergent herbicide to help limit the amount of weeds that germinate in these areas. This will help with labor not having to spray and remove the weeds in these areas. And according to the news I have been hearing, El Nino has a 90% chance of occurring this year. All that means is a wetter than normal winter season, which is needed in most of the Southwest. Safe travel for those coming back as we look forward to everyone's return after a busy and productive summer and successful overseed for Golf Course Maintenance. Keep it in the short grass, Travis Blamires Golf Course Superintendent |
| From The Golf Committee |
Tonto Verde Golf Cart Fee Policy
Adopted by TVGC Board August 6, 2015
Purpose:
TVGC is excited to have a new fleet of Club Car Precedent i3 electric golf carts in the fall of 2015, as well as a storage facility for the carts. The new fleet will provide an improved golf experience for our members and guests by reducing the noise and fumes from our current fleet of gas carts. They will be modern and the latest in every sense of the word. In addition, this change will create more space for parking and scoreboard watching in the staging area. With this addition, it is necessary to reevaluate our current policy on pricing and usage of carts.
Policy:
Beginning in the fall of 2015 members will have these choices regarding golf cart usage:
- Members may continue to use their own carts without change to existing practice and policy.
- Members may elect to use TVGC's new electric carts on a daily fee basis. That charge will be $25 per rider for 18 holes. This price includes tax. The nine hole charge is $15/rider, tax included.
- Non-Resident members may choose between an annual package that includes club storage, locker room facilities and cart fees for $600/year until July1, 2017, or the daily fee as described in #2, above.
- Effective November 1, 2015, gas carts shall no longer be used on the Tonto Verde golf courses. Members with gas carts in use at Tonto Verde as of July 1, 2015 may continue to use those carts until replaced.
- For Temporary members, cart usage will be included in the monthly charges. (See Membership Plans for further details)
- We'd like all of our members to experience the new fleet. There will be a "grace period" where members may use the carts free of charge. That period will commence when the carts arrive and last until November 1, 2015.
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| From The Membership Committee | 
Membership in the Tonto Verde Golf Club continues on an upward trend. Net dues paying members increased to 384, year over year. At the end of the 2014/2015business year, there were 388 dues paying members and 4 of those members are newly on the surrender list. The chart at right shows the growth of net dues paying members over the past 4 years.
Persistent strength in the real estate market and proactive membership marketing will help extend the trend in the new year.
Golf membership at Tonto Verde remains to be a terrific value. This is especially true when compared to similar clubs in the Phoenix area. We have two golf courses, a superb staff and a stellar location. All of these factors contribute to a wonderful experience. Be sure to tell your friends and family about Tonto Verde because marketing and sales take a back seat to our best source for new members - your referrals.
For questions about this article or any of our membership options you may contact Gregg Libbey, Membership Chair, at glibbey@yahoo.com. |
| Electric Cart Storage Facility Update |
TVGC Members,
As of this writing the Electric Cart Storage Facility is nearing completion and is on time and on budget with an estimated completion date of September 15th. Remaining work is stuccoing the exterior to match the Clubhouse and installing the compressed aggregate driveways and flooring.
A Few Building Details:
- Electrical includes lighting, charging and circulating fans.
- The building has a parapet roof which is sloped for water runoff and not visible from the exterior to reduce overall height.
- Landscaping will be completed in late October when cooler weather prevails. Pam Torrance will landscape with desert plantings mostly from our nursery.
Some have concerns as to the stark appearance of the building. Please have patience as we complete the landscaping and a few exterior amenities.
There have been some questions as to why we are not using solar power. It was considered and deemed not economically feasible as there are not sufficient tax incentives in Arizona. Rich Varda of our committee has experience in this area. Solar can easily be added if and when it is economical.
We thank our committee and staff members and HOA for their help and guidance: Rich Varda, Jeff Ostlund, Scott Thiss, Tenna Dillon, Pam Torrance, Nigel Finney, Gordon Thompson, Steve Peterman and Contractor, Brian Curtis.
Electric carts: Jeff has negotiated an excellent "deal" with Club Car and details are in this publication.
Dave Burns
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| Update On Marketing
| The summer is always one of the busiest times for Marketing as we prepare for the upcoming selling season and in particular the increased traffic generated by our new neighbor Shea Trilogy Verde Ranch and their Grand Opening in October. We have already completed a number of to-do items from our long list including:
- New photography of our residents enjoying the amenities of Tonto Verde - hiking, biking, putting green, card games, the Mesquite Grill bar and patio dining. Many thanks to our neighbors that graciously allowed us to photograph them.
- Updated and re-printed the Tonto color brochure for the lobby, distribution to visitors and use by our Realtors (included some of our new photos!)
- Updated and re-printed new mini-brochures of this fiscal year's Golf Membership Plans (the new plans have also been updated on our website).
- The Tonto Verde website is being updated and "re-freshed" with many new photos, copy, design and enhancements. It will be re-launched, along with a new Tonto Verde app, on October 1st.
- We're ready to implement Operation A-Frame signage on Dynamite Rd starting as far west as Alma School Road encouraging visitors to keeping coming down Dynamite (past Trilogy) to Tonto Verde.
- Tonto-On-Display Open House Tours are scheduled for Nov. 14, Jan. 16, Feb. 13 and March 12. If your home is for sale, or you are considering putting it on the market, talk to your Realtor about participating.
- Promotional package with Arizona Golf Association magazine and radio program starts this fall including a live remote radio broadcast from Tonto Verde on Nov. 14.
- A targeted campaign of local and national advertising promoting our community, including the Discover Tonto Verde program, will launch this fall and run through early spring.
- A new Hospitality Committee has been formed and we're thrilled with the number of residents that have volunteered to welcome new visitors and new members to Tonto Verde.
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| MGA Update |
Summer is almost over and thoughts of returning to Tonto are in everyone's head. The overseed dates are set and the Pro Shop is gearing up for the Fall crunch. Take a moment and go on the Tonto Verde Website, click on the "GOLF" tab and then click on the "Golf Events". Check in the MGA box, then hit "apply filters" and you will have the MGA Event Calendar for the year. Mark down on your calendar the event sign-up dates and don't be left out of an event that you really want to play in (Desert Classic).
The first event is open for sign-up on September 15th and it is our Opening Day Breakfast and Golf Event. Fall Best Ball is available for sign up on October 1. Get a partner and sign up or notify the Pro Shop that you need a partner and they will fix you up.
Travel safely back to Tonto and always bring your "A" Game.
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| From The WGA | | The WGA is excited to report that our membership is close to an all-time high, and we are reaching out to all of the Flex and Temporary members to invite them to join either the WGA or NDA. If you haven't already done so, please be sure to mark your calendars for the WGA Opening Day on November 3rd - noon shotgun with appetizers following, and the Member/Member on November 17th and 19th. |
| From The NDA | |
It's hard to believe that September has arrived!!
Mark Your Calendars & Save These
We will begin our season with a Coffee Reception to be held at the home of Val Thomson on November 2, 2015 at 9:00 am.
Our Opening Day Shotgun will be on November 3, 2015 at 9:00 am with lunch and our business meeting to follow.
Please plan to join us for the NDA/WGA Mixer on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 2:00 pm. NDA members invite a WGA member to play 9 holes of golf then celebrate with friends & food in the clubhouse.
Tuesday mornings are reserved for the NDA to golf, so please come out and join us.
We look forward to the 2015/2016 golf season.
TVNDA Communications. |
| Lady Putters |
Lady Putters Registration Deadline October 1st! The 2015-2016 season is just around the corner! Sign up now so you won't miss our Opening Party on November 4th! All golf members, HOA members and seasonal renters are welcome to join Lady Putters. Please submit your registration form before October 1st (Click Here for form). Return/mail your completed form along with your check to Sue Long at 18714 Ironwood Circle, Rio Verde, AZ 85263. For questions, contact Sue at seplong@cox.net or call 480.471.4602.
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Tell Your Friends!
The Tonto Verde Discovery Program has launched!
Contact us by phone at 480.471.3566
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Your Communications Committee
Tonto Verde Golf Club
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