Thanks again for your interest in helping sustain Pusch Ridge Golf Course! We hope you enjoy the updates below in an effort to keep our readers informed and engaged.
Water Conservation & Course Updates
The last Friends newsletter cited a 2015 USGS survey reporting as much as 73% of AZ’s water is used for crop irrigation versus 2% for golf (slide 56 of 72). Now consider that 25% of US fresh water goes toward food that goes uneaten. Is it about water Use, Misuse or Waste?
Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf, Craig Brewer of Hawkview Aerial Solutions, conducted a drone survey of the course on Saturday, July 17th. Drone surveys have become common practice in course management; used to map features, identify problem areas, track treatment progress, and plan for course redesign (e.g., turf reduction). Turf reduction is not in the plans for the first year at Pusch Ridge (PR), when all focus and attention will be placed on course restoration and increasing rounds played. FOPRG will focus on boosting the latter, however, we remain mindful of PR’s water consumption and shall take every opportunity to assist the Town and Indigo with environmental stewardship.
Follow the link to a first cut drone video of the PR Golf Course (https://youtu.be/kASvniHE10s).
The photo above is an orthomosaic of 995 images captured during the survey. It provides a remarkable snapshot of the very dry course conditions following record setting heat. Once the mid-August orthomosaic is developed, FOPRG will be able to see the benefits of the wettest July on record and the fertilizer applied to stimulate Bermuda grass recovery.
Other course restoration activity started in July and continuing into August:
Tree trimming and removal
Wall-to-wall fertilization
Top dressing the greens, ¾ core aerification
Pump station updates, sprinkler head replacements
Verti-cut fairways/tees
Greens, tee and fairway wetting agent application
Mother nature has put our little course to the test with the greatest extremes in history, but what does not kill PR makes PR stronger, and that goes for the FOPRG as well.
Leagues and Events Updates
Before you know it - fall will be here and it will be time to play golf!
In preparation for the course opening, during our July 28th open Zoom meeting, many of our Friends shared great ideas of ways to encourage more play. Ideas included
· Men’s and Ladies Leagues (with and without handicaps)
· Dine and Nine
· Night Golf
· Family Golf
· Nine and Wine
· Monthly Scrambles
· Youth Golf
Over the next few months, the Friends Board and Advisors will be working with Indigo to cultivate and develop these event ideas into reality. So stay tuned!
Volunteers Request
Are you kind-of tech savvy and good at researching on the internet? Do you enjoy communicating with others and have decent follow-up skills? Do you have about two hours a week that you can dedicate to a special FOPRG project?
We are currently looking for five to six people who can help us discover new ways to spread the word about Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf.
Please contact us for details and to find out more!
Mark Your Calendars!
Event details are forthcoming.
Thurs. August 19, 2021 @ 3:00 pm: Open Friends Zoom meeting with Town of O.V. and Indigo Golf representatives
Sat. October 30, 2021: Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf Reopening golf event.
Mon. November 1, 2021: Pusch Ridge course opens to the public
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