Sun City West Golfers,We are glad to have everyone back playing the Sun City West golf courses! We understand that everyone is enjoying great course conditions and the improved pace of play due to the one golfer per cart rule. However, with the additional cart traffic comes more wear and tear on the course that can result in long term damage and unfavorable playing conditions if we are not careful. There has been a lot of abuse of cart rules since we reopened on May 4th.
In order to keep great course conditions, we need ALL golfers to do their part. Please help us in keeping our golf courses in great shape by following these cart rules:
1) Stay on and return to cart path as often as possible
2) Use the 90 degree cart path rule whenever it makes sense
3) Stay on cart paths around tees and greens
4) Carts should never drive between a green side bunker and the green
5) If a cart is on the opposite side of the green from cart path, the cart should be 15′ for medical flag players and at least 30′ from green for all other golfers. If you are on the cart path side of the green, you should return to the cart path and park the cart on the path. Carts around the green is where we see most of the damage to the golf course.
6) Stay out of desert as much as possible, enter at your own risk. Fleet carts are not allowed in the desert.
7) If someone in your group is not following the above rules, remind them! Old habits die hard!
What happens to the turf from cart damage:
All vehicles cause turf damage. This includes motorized golf carts, pull carts, and maintenance vehicles. Some of the damage may not be visible for days or even weeks as a result of the effects of soil compaction. Wet turf is more susceptible to cart damage so early morning traffic should take extra precautions versus when the courses start to dry out later in the day.
Vehicle traffic has the greatest impact on wear and soil compaction due to the amount of area covered and the increased damage caused by repeated traffic over a concentrated area. Damage is further increased with a greater number of turns, a higher speed of travel, and the number of traffic that passes over a given area. Based on research, the main focus for minimizing the damage caused by golf carts should be on spreading traffic over a wider area or restricting golf carts to paths. See what the USGA recommends about how golfers can help care for the golf courses during these special times by clicking here. You may visit usga.org to find out more.
Walking the golf course and carrying your clubs impacts the golf course far less than pull or motorized carts based on the total amount of area impacted. Pull carts impact the golf course less than motorized carts, but all carts impact the golf course more than walking. This is due to the smaller area contacted by foot traffic and the wheels of the pull cart.
Most of the damage caused by golf carts can be minimized when drivers use common sense and observe proper course etiquette. Each person driving a cart must be aware of the damage that vehicles cause and take steps to reduce that damage in order to preserve the condition of the course for all golfers.
In SCW, the quality of turf your ball is resting on is closely tied to the amount of exposed cart traffic in that area. Follow the above cart rules and expect good lies. Ignore the rules and your lie will surely be something other than good!
Your cooperation is greatly appreciated and all our fellow golfers thank you!
Golf Ops is offering Geometry classes to refresh everyone’s memory of using a protractor 
to measure 90 degrees…..just kidding.
90-Degree Rule In Effect The “90-degree rule” means that the golf course is allowing carts onto the grass — but only at 90-degree angles from the cart path. In other words, don’t drive the golf cart up the middle of the fairway from the tee box to your golf ball. Stay on the cart path until you are level with your golf ball, then make a 90-degree turn off the cart path and drive straight across to the ball.
The “90-degree rule” minimizes the time a golf cart spends rolling over the grass, while still allowing convenience for golfers.
IN THE EARLY MORNING ESPECIALLY, I HAVE FOUND THE MAINTENANCE STAFF CAN HOVER AROUND THE GOLFERS WITH THEIR MACHINERY OFTEN, MAYBE TALK ON THEIR CELL PHONE WHILE WAITING, TALK LOUDLY TO EACH OTHER, AND PARK NEAR WHERE YOU ARE TEEING OFF WITH THEIR MOTORS RUNNING . . . IT CAN BE VERY DISTRACTING; CAN THEY BE ADVISED TO TRY TO MINIMIZE THEIR DISRUPTION OF THE GOLFERS WHILE THEY ARE DOING THEIR IMPORTANT WORK?
We get lectured about the extra wear and tear on the courses because of this one person to a cart mandate, yet we continue to have this ridiculous policy in place. We are adults and quite capable of making our own decisions, and we certainly don’t need people without any medical background whatsoever making decisions for us. The same goes for the ridiculous notion that someone might catch cooties from touching a flagstick or bunker rake. Absurd, not a shred of scientific evidence to support that line of thinking, but the policy continues. The odds of that happening are so infinitesimally small as to not be worthy of even being considered. Leave us alone and let us play the game as it was meant to be played.
Same goes for the proshop patios. Why is it okay for the Crooked Putter to allow people to enjoy a beer on the patio but not at any other golf course, where the starters are being paid very well to stand around and do nearly nothing, day after day? Is there something magical in the air at Grandview? Do you just not care that socializing after a round is an integral part of the experience, and for many people in this community, the ONLY social outlet they have?!?!?
LEAVE US ALONE AND LET US ENJOY UR GAME AGAIN!!!!!
In regards to the updated online account to make tee times, pay dues etc.:
I hope the 9-hole button will be removed from the online Lottery request as it creates confusion for initiator and assumed frustration for the course starters. It serves no purpose UNLESS Golf-Ops is going to offer the 9-hole players the privilege to use the online Lottery. I appreciate your efforts to keep our golf community at it’s reputation of standard of excellence.
If a person has a medical flag approved by the golf club, are they required to have someone drive with them in their cart? It does not make sense, because that person with the medical flag may not be able to complete all nine or 18 holes, so that would penalize the person that was riding with them.