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February 23, 2016
Greetings!
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From The Golf Shop
Ladies Trunk Show
Wednesday, March 16th
Open to the General Membership & Guests 11:00am - 1:00pm in the Kiva Room
February Golf Shop Sale
7 Days Remaining... Sale goes until February 29th
30% Off Retail Price on Shoes, Outerwear & Golf Bags
Golf Shop Hours
Beginning March 1st
6:30am - 5:30pm
Junior Camps
New this Spring at Tonto Verde, we are offering week long junior golf camps! The objective of the junior golf camps is to provide an opportunity for juniors to further develop their golf skills, etiquette, ethics, and knowledge of the game through an organized quality program consisting of: instructional clinics and games in a fun, friendly learning atmosphere.
Dates: March 7-10, 14-17, 21-24, 28-31
Ages: 6-10 (2-3 pm), 11-15 (3-4 pm)
Cost: $125 for week (Monday-Thursday), 4, 1 hour lessons, $35 for a single clinic
*Price includes a shirt, hat, and a daily snack
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Superintendents Tee Box
I guess I should be careful for what I wish for. In my last article, I was mentioning how cold it was and how frost was making an impact on tee times. Well temperatures have now flipped 180 degrees with a massive high pressure in place over the desert Southwest. That has brought on transition of the Bermuda earlier than expected and the watering challenges that go along with transition.
For the past two weeks, we have seen high temperatures records set in Phoenix. And the week prior, we were experiencing abnormally cold days. That wide fluctuation in temperatures in such a short period of time makes it hard for turfgrass managers to determine watering needs of the golf course. Normal temperatures in February for Phoenix are 70's and 40's. Our watering practices are to water to 75% of what is lost to the environment. Water lost to the environment is referred to as ET, which is evaporation and transpiration. Over the past two weeks, the ET value has been around .20" due to very low humidity in the atmosphere. That is, two-tenths of an inch of water is needed to replace what was lost, so we would apply .15" of water through the irrigation systems. We get the ET value from our weather station that is part of the central irrigation system. We also utilize weather forecast models for the upcoming 5 days, looking at highs, wind and rainfall possibilities. To complicate the watering issue further is the fairways were overseeded with Ryegrass that is currently actively growing. The roughs, which are Bermuda, are currently in a semi-dormant state, and are starting to wake up due to the warmer weather. Active growing grass will utilize available water as it is applied, thus making the surface drier. Where in the roughs, the Bermuda is not actively growing, so any excess water applied can have a tendency to accumulate and make for a wetter surface. Our irrigation cycles begin at 8:00 PM and end around 10:00 PM depending on how much water is going out nightly. We then evaluate wet and dry spots daily as part of our daily course inspection, and make changes accordingly in the central computers. Currently with the higher than normal temperatures and low humidity, we are seeing the Ryegrass on the edge of the fairways turn purple towards the end of the day. Purple colored grass is a sign of drought stress conditions. The sprinklers in the fairways don't get 100% coverage on the edges, so we are forced to turn on the rough sprinkler to get full coverage on the Ryegrass. Applying water to a semi-dormant grass will allow for a wet surface as it is not taking up as much water compared to active growing grass. This is where I would expect the complaints would be coming from for "wet conditions" or "lift, clean, and place". This week we are going to start mowing the roughs to encourage growth by removing the dead portion of the leaf near the tips. This will stimulate water uptake as the plant will start to photosynthesize. We will manage the water accordingly depending upon weather and other factors tied to plant growth. Water is the biggest input on a golf course, and transitions helps to make it more complicated. As it has been mentioned in the past Divot Digest, there is a proposal for a two-phase approach for redoing the bunkers at Tonto Verde. On February 23rd, 26th, and March 1st there will be informational meeting scheduled for members to familiarize themselves with the project. I would recommend attending one of these meetings, as they provide detail into the scope of work to be done on each course. And we need your vote to proceed, as the project is over $500,000. This plan can be accomplished using existing capital reserves and NO additional assessment. Click Here to sign-ups for one of the meetings on ForeTees. Keep it in the short grass, Travis Blamires Golf Course Superintendent
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From The Nominating Committee
Here are bios for the nominees for election to the Tonto Verde Golf Club Board. The Nominating Committee members are; Chairman Mike Morehouse, Judi Sevier, Farrell Odom, Jerri Dann and Marianne Johnson.
DICK DUGAN
Dick Dugan graduated from Penn State with a degree in Business Administration. After 39 years with Ernst & Young he retired as the firm's Mid-Atlantic Area Managing Partner. Since his retirement from EY he has served as a member of the Board of Directors and chair of the Audit Committee of four public companies. He has also served as president of numerous non-profit charitable and academic organizations. He has been a member of the TVGC Finance Committee for 2 years and is currently chairing that committee. Dick feels the implementation of the Club's Strategic Plan is critical to the future operational success and growth of TVGC. Appropriate financial management of this process will be an essential aspect of our Club's future.
JIM UFFELMAN
Jim has been in Tonto Verde for 10 years. In that time he has served on the TVA Board of Directors 2010-13, on the TVGC Green Committee 2007-10 and is currently chair of that committee. He had a career in sales and sales management with Xerox, Apple, Bay Networks and Softiron Systems and continues conducting Leadership and Management training programs. Jim wants to ensure that we continue to invest in our community and its golf courses in order to sustain the membership levels needed to prosper.
HARRY WARD
Minnesota born and raised Harry attended the University of Minnesota. He retired from a career with General Mills after 36 years where he held several management positions, retiring as Director of Customer Services. He has chaired the TVGC Long Range Planning Committee for 2 years and is finishing a 1 year term on the TVGC Board of Directors. Harry's vision for TVGC is to maintain and improve our two excellent golf courses while creating member satisfaction and value. He feels this can be accomplished with high quality professional staffing, efficient operations, open communications and solid common sense management.
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The Next Board of Directors Meeting is Thursday February 25th at 8:00 am
Note: The day for the Friday meeting is right but the date should be the 26th not the 25th
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From The Golf Committee
Our TVGC controller, Tenna Dillon, advises us that the Hole-In-One fund is getting low and it will need replenishing. Look for a $10 Hole in One fee on your next billing statement.
Here are some stats regarding the HIO pay out:
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From The Membership Committee
TVGC Membership Special
&
2 free 30-Minute Lessons
(480)689-9697
Offer Available February 1st - February 29th, 2016
*Applicants Responsible for $20,000 Joining Fee and $125.00 Monthly Capital Assessment.
Savings of up to $7,700 with NO monthly golf dues until January 1, 2017.
Equity not included. Flex Members opting-in will be responsible for
full membership dues beginning January 1, 2017
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From The Handicap Committee
Process for Peer and Posting History Review 12/4/2015 (Reprint) Periodically, each TVGC member should log into ForeTees and verify their personal posting history. Additionally, it may be necessary to perform a peer review of another club member. The following process outlines the steps to perform these reviews. 1. Log into ForeTees and select "Golf" from the banner 2. Scroll down and select "Post a Score" 3. Select the Horizontal Line Icon next to the word "Menu" 4. From the drop down list, select "Handicaps" 5. From the drop down list, select "Peer Review Report" 6. From the Member List box, select the first letter of your last name or your peer's last name 7. From the Name List, select your name or your peer's name 8. Once the name is populated in the Search Box, select "Search" Another process can be followed to obtain the same information. 1. Follow steps 1-4 above 2. From the drop down list, select "View Handicaps and Scores" 3. At the bottom of the page select "Peer Review Reports" 4. Enter all or part of your name or your peer's name Select your name or your peer's name from the drop down list
Posting Incomplete Rounds: Remember if you only play 7-8 or 9 holes, you need to post the score as a nine hole round. If you only play 13 thru 17 holes you need to post it as an 18 hole round. In all cases you should post your score using the following for any uncompleted holes. If you do not receive a stroke on any uncompleted hole record a par for that hole. If you receive a stroke record a bogey and if you receive two strokes a double bogey. Any questions, contact the Golf Shop.
If you drop out early and play only nine holes, say due to rain during the round, you MUST call the pro shop and ask, that same day, to please show you played only nine holes, otherwise, the ForeTees system will show that you did NOT post a correct 18 hole score that you originally signed-up for.
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From The MGA
MGA- Spring Best Ball is underway with 60 teams competing through the month of March. Our Guest Day was a huge success with 60 members and their guests playing a best ball event. Flight winners were: Dave Mooty & Hank Wilkinson - 59; Gary Roberts & Mike Falbo - 60; Harry Ward & Don Sullivan - 59; Rob Bachrach & Ron Gobeski - 57; Wayne Fisher & Danny Granum - 57; Max Dorflinger & Tom Scavone - 62.
The Desert Classic currently has a full field of 60 teams but don't let that stop you from signing up. We usually have a couple of teams drop out so we are looking to add teams to the wait list.
Stroke Play signup is open and you can Click Here to signup, We have 51 members ready to play in flighted stroke play, so don't delay and sign up right now. Play begins on March 9 and is over on the 11th. As you read this Divot Digest, our Member-Member has 77 teams signed up and will have already played our first round. We finish on Wednesday afternoon with a dinner and our champions for each flight for 2016 will be announced.
Our season-long "Race for the MGA Cup" is on and our members are accumulating points for each event they participate in. The top 60 point winners (and ties) will be playing for $6600 In April. You can't win points if you don't play!
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Click Here For The Golf Event Calendar
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From The WGA
The WGA was proud to welcome AWGA representative Kelly Hollister to our brunch meeting on February 9th. Kelly presented Tonto Verde Golf Club with its fifth annual AWGA GEM Award for excellence in the areas of food and beverage operations, inside and outside services, condition and playability of the course, and pro shop purchasing options for women.
The award is based on results of surveys completed by women who play our courses. We know how special our club is, but it's great to hear that others appreciate it, too. Congratulations to all of our staff whose hard work make this award possible. Below is a picture of our AWGA Representative Claudia Carroll and President Cindy Carlson receiving the GEM Award plaque from Kelly Hollister.
We received a great response to our appeal for volunteers for WGA positions for the 2016-17 season. We still have a few spots to fill, so if you are interested In helping out, please contact Cindy Carlson or Connie Goerich. It's a great way to get to know your fellow golfers.
Our annual Stroke Play Championship is scheduled for April 12 and April 14. This tournament consists of 2 days of flighted gross and net stroke play. Sigh-up will be available on ForeTees starting March 1st.
On a sad note, we extend our thoughts and prayers to WGA member Chris Hardy on the passing of her husband Bill.
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FromThe CGA
Thanks to chairs Cindi and Dave Pendergraft and Gloria and Rob McCoy, the Lucky Ducky Tournament held on February 21st was a big success! 48 couples participated in a scramble and various other events in a fun filled event on a beautiful afternoon of golf followed by dinner and awards. Lucky winners were:
1st Rick & Christie Gorsline and Bryan & Evelyn Donnelly
2nd Pete & Lynn Robinson and Ray and Raena Borth
3rd Richard & Joyce Ardern and Ronald & Sally Smith
4th Bob & Diane Dietsche and Dick & Jan Putnam
5th David & Lois Voita and John & Mary Muilenburg
Closest to the pins - Pete Robinson, Val Jessen and Steve Hamann
Lucky 7 - Tim & Kristin Gabrielse and Jim & Laurie Furlong
Lucky Derby Hole #7 - Don McCormick & Bill Goerich
How Many Tees in the Jar -- Linda Dixon
Lucky Duck Race - Garry Madaline
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Friday Night Couples
You have taken golf lessons to improve your aim and to improve your ability to "go after the pin". You are lining up your approach shot to the green buy can't find the pin. What's going on???????
Are they stolen ??? Did the group in front forgot to place the pin back into the hole????
Ahhh - must be Friday Night Couples with a GREAT game of NO FLAG PIN on the GREEN SCRAMBLE. Game will take strategy and LOTS of luck, along with some great fun.
Ranch Course - Men Using The White Tees
Ladies - Your Preference Silver, Golf, Combo, Etc.
(Ladies, Let the Golf Shop Know Your Preference)
3:00 PM Friday, February 26, 2016
$10.00 per couple for Golf
Dining off the menu
Click Here to Sign up on ForeTees and we will see you on the range prior to the tee time.
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From The NDA
Last Thursday, February 18th, there was a great turnout for the NDA Couples golf event followed by a Casino Night full of fun games and wonderful food stations. Dee Pallasch and Bonnie Dennis, the chairs of the event, insured everyone had plenty of playing money. A great time was had by all!!
Upcoming on March 8 is the NDA Saguaro Soirée - our member/guest event. This year's theme is Amazing Arizona.
On March 22 is the NE Valley Interclub event to be held at Tonto Verde. Let Carol Devery know if you would like to play.
It's hard to believe but our wind-up Couples event is fast approaching on April 16!! It will be a Pool Party sponsored by the Past Presidents of the NDA.
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From The Lady Putters
With warmer temperatures, sunny weather and professional golf events happening nearby in the valley, Lady Putters got their chance to putt with our own Tonto Verde pros this month. Golf staff Ashli Helstrom, Kyle Beversdorf, Aubrie Nelson and Alex Gaugert met over 70 women putters on the 18-hole putting course during a recent Lady Putters event to demonstrate their putting skill and give tips and encouragement in the art of putting. As an added bonus, each of these pros donated a 30-minute lesson (golf or putting) to the lucky winners whose names were drawn during lunch. Lady Putters meet every Wednesday morning at the 18-hole putting course with registration at 10, announcements at 10:15 and putting promptly at 10:30. Lunch follows. If you are interested in joining, contact Treasurer Sue Long at seplong@cox.net or 480-550-2509.
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Marketing Update
Marketing is pleased to report increased visits from interested and active prospects:
- The Tonto-On-Display Community Open House tour on February 13 brought 200 visitors to the community. Everyone received information on the new February Golf Membership Sale and a $20-off coupon to use in the Mesquite Grill. The great news is that several Realtors reported that visitors from the tour scheduled appointments to return to Tonto Verde and look at properties.
- The Discover Tonto Verde program is now booking "Discover Day" packages at Tonto Verde (since the 4 day/3 night Discover package is booked for February & March), and Realtors are reporting very engaged and interested prospects looking at ownership in Tonto.
- The Hospitality Committee has a fabulous Lobby Greeter Success Story! Thanks to a friendly Greeter who gave a tour to a "lost" visitors on Sunday, Valentine's Day and recommended they stop in at the "Realtor-On-Duty" Open House, the visitors made an offer on a home 2 days later! Without a Greeter in the lobby to catch this visitor, the opportunity would have been lost.
If you have just 3 hours a month to share your friendly smile and welcoming style by working as a Greeter in the Clubhouse Lobby, the Hospitality Committee would love to have you! Please call Pam Halpern at 480-223-2748 for more information.
Tonto Verde In the News (summarized from the blog on the Tonto website)
The 2016 Preview issue of Arizona Golf Insider magazine recently featured Tonto Verdes Mesquite Grill in an article written by Carey Sweet, food and wine writer for the Arizona Republic, San Francisco Chronicle and Scottsdale and Sunset magazines. Click Here to read the review. In highlighting the seasonal cuisine of talented and experienced Chef Chris Falconer, Ms. Sweet zeroes in on many of the menu standouts that Tonto Verde residents know and love including the Verde salad, chicken corn chowder, Scottish salmon, prime rib and decadent mud pie. She also praised the upscale territorial look of the dining room and the al fresco terrace with its unforgettable view of Four Peaks.
In a separate article, this issue of the Arizona Golf Insider magazine also mentions Tonto Verde as one of the 20 courses in Arizona awarded the coveted GEM (Golf Endorsed by Members) award. Click Here to see the article. Given by the Arizona Women's Golf Association (AWGA), this award is given based on data collected and compiled by AWGA members across the state. The objective is to select courses that provide a great golf experience for women in Arizona. The criteria include customer service, playability, clubhouse facilities, and restroom availability. (Note: this is the third year in a row that Tonto Verde has earned this coveted honor.)
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Electric Cart Building Evolution Report
Our Cart Storage Facility is near completion and I wanted to give a final report on its status to the membership.
History: Several years ago in response to the need to replace an aging gas cart fleet, maintain strong outside play revenue and address new competition, the Board made a strategic decision to switch to electric carts. The Electric Car Building project started in March of 2014 with plans to build a temporary facility on the driving range. Later plans were shifted to a permanent structure at the east end of the parking lot. Due to some technical issues regarding the number of parking spaces used, we were required torelocatethe building to our preferred and current location.
This relocation change required additional funding to re-route power, excavate the berm and meet other county regulations. Permits from Maricopa County, the state Fire Marshall and our own TVA Design Review Committee were obtained. The Board then decided to build a permanent building designed to meet the Design Requirements of the Community and authorized a budget of $250.000. The Building is now complete and we are $2,439 under budget.
Aesthetics: Landscaping and the Event Space evolved as the building was built. Pamm Torrance, Rich Varda and Scott Finlay contributed to the Landscape and Event Space design. They enlisted the help of the employees of the Grounds and Outside Services Staff to do much of the labor to complete the work. This was done within their working hours without additional expense. They took pride in their work and the finished product shows it. We have received many compliments from Members, Guests and Outside Play on the Facility and the Carts.
Customer Satisfaction: The reviews from our members, Non-Resident members and outside play have been very positive regarding the electric carts, especially when compared to the gas carts. Both Trilogy and Rio Verde have electric cart fleets. Jeff Ostlund said it is having a significant impact on increased revenue from outside play and we expect it will assist in attracting Non-Resident Members.
Sprinkler System: The State and County do not require a sprinkler system for this building and we were issued a Building Permit accordingly. After the construction began and after approval of our Design Review Committee we were informed by the Rio Verde Fire District that a sprinkler system was required and we are required to abide by their rules. After many meetings we were given verbal approval to install a lesser cost residential system. The design is in process and will be presented to the Fire Chief and Marshall for approval. Installation will begin shortly thereafter.
Gratitude's: The Committee: Rich Varda, Jeff Ostlund, Pamm Torrance, assisted by Scott Finlay (Outside Services), Brandon Barreth (Asst. Superintendent) and our wonderful employees. Regular reports were made to the President, TVGC Board, association gatherings andto the membership thru the Divot Digest, and we have appreciated the support and comments frommembers.
If you have any questions please contact me.
Dave Burns, Chair
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TVGC On The Radio
Click Here to hear LPGA Hall of Fame Pro Pat Bradley on Tonto Verde.
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Charity Roundup!
March 3, 2016
Register Now!!!
All Are Welcome!
Last Chance!
The Biggest Charity Event of the Year!
Don't Miss Out On The Day Of Fun!
There is still room in the morning scramble.
Non-Golf Club Members Are Welcome to Play
(No additional cost - contact Pro Shop to register)
Dinner Only
( Click Here to Register on the TVA Events Calendar)
Break-The-Glass Skills Contest
Silent & Live Auctions
Golden Ticket Raffle
Cocktails & Dinner
Get a Hole-In-One, Win a Car on #15
SIGN UP TODAY AND BE A PART OF SOMETHING BIG IN OUR COMMUNITY!
If you can't attend, please consider making a donation through Fund-The-Need
Registration closes February 26th
72 hour cancellation policy; no rain checks
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Golf Clubs And Putters For Grandkids
The TV Lending Closet and the TV Golf Pro Shop have teamed up to provide your grandchildren with golf club sets for their use and enjoyment during their visits here in Tonto with you.
The clubs, made especially for youth by US KIDS GOLF, are height and weight appropriate. The sets currently available will fit youth from 39' tall to 63" tall. The Golf Shop has a measuring guide which will insure proper fit.
Because we have a limited supply of the clubs, both right and left handed, we are asking that they be checked out daily and returned daily to the Golf Shop (similar to the Demo Program) rather than once weekly to the Lending Closet so that there is availability for the next young golfer.
We also have a supply of putters, separate from the sets, for use on our Putting Course - also available on a daily basis through the Golf Shop. Watch for information from the Golf Shop regarding Junior Golf Camps here at Tonto Verde during schools spring breaks!
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TVGC Board Meeting Dates
February 25th
March 28th - TVGC Town Hall Meeting
March 31st - Annual Meeting/April Board meeting
April 28th
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