Waste Management Phoenix Open, More Than Just Fun...

It is that time of year again, the Waste Management Phoenix Open is just around the corner. This great event is really the beginning of the golf season, but yet so much more. This event is the place to be seen in Phoenix with nearly 500,000 golf fans attending the event for the week.

Party's, concerts and fun is a large part of the week, and oh yes, lets not forget, some of the greatest golfers in the world. The Thunderbirds, (History) one of the nations greatest charitable groups sure knows how to throw a party. The largest PGA TOUR event in the world is more than just a good time and great golf, the Waste Management Phoenix Open generates millions of dollars to help thousands of charities.

This year’s tournament will be the 77th Waste Management Phoenix Open and the 26th event played at the TPC Scottsdale. We feel extremely proud to be apart of an event that has given over $75 million dollars to wonderful charities in and around the Phoenix area. It is the money generated from this event that has enabled so many charities to touch some many lives. This event is not just about the golf, but so much more... 

Click on the link to see the Fall 2011 Thunderbirds Charities Newsletter Thunderbirds Charities

Happy New Year

#4 Champions Course



 Thank goodness 2011 is over. We have had one very unusual year and we are very glad to see this year come to an end. While there were many challenges in 2011 there were equally as many successes. As is normally the case with a top notch team and people, when things get difficult and challenging the good team rises to meet the challenge.

New Year is one of my favorite times of the year. Not because I want to be older or rush my time away, but because the New Year is a great time to reflect and challenge yourself. It is the reset button of life. It's true, you can't change what has already happened, but you can learn from what has and refocus goals and directions. If you find that the wind of opportunity is blowing you off course, stop and realize the you may just need to readjust you sail.... If we focus on the negative and the challenges, we loose the competitive drive and attitude to achieve our goals.

#17 Stadium Course

I would like to wish everyone a very blessed, healthy and prosperous New Year. Lets hope to see some even better recovery in 2012!

    

2012 Tournament Construction in Full Swing



Danny Ellis of T&B Equipment



We just got the overseed down on the Stadium Course and the tournament construction has already begun. Seed hit the ground on October 8 and 9 with the course opening back up on October 18 and the tournament construction began on October 31. It seems like we just get back to normal from the last event and the trucks are rolling back in to deliver the equipment to construct the more than 1,100 skyboxes for the next Waste Management Phoenix Open.

#18 Skyboxes Under Construction

The small city that T&B Equipment constructs around the famous 16 takes the longest to build and really will not be complete until just before the event even though they started on October 31. With nearly 1 million square feet of floor space built on the course, the coordination can sometimes be a full time job. The good thing about our event is that this will be the 26th year that TPC Scottsdale will host this event. I guess all the practice makes for greater success.

#16 Skyboxes Under Construction

The course is just now going through its first real cold weather of the season. We have had frost for the last few days and it is easy to see where we need to add some more seed. Overall, the overseed is pretty good though we still have some growing to do. The fall season was unseasonably warm with record warm temperatures which caused the bermuda to continue to grow. In fact, we grew more bermuda in the month of October and the first on November than we did in June and July this year.

Our team continues to work hard to push the overseed cool season turf along. We have been adding extra seed and fertilizing to help with density and color. For the most part, most people would believe the course is in good condition though with the tournament in early February we have to have the conditions at a higher level than most that early in the season. This is the added pressure of conditioning for a PGA TOUR event. While preping a golf course for any Club Championship can be stressful, our Club Championship just happens to be early in the season and on TV.

Coots: A Perpetual Pest

Here at TPC Scottsdale, we deal with a common pest among golf courses in the southwest that dwell in our lakes during the peak season: North American coots. Coots are a nuisance bird that feed on the overseeded turf surrounding the lake banks which causes unwanted damage to the golf course. In addition, their excrement is a black, tarry substance that damages turf and is unappealing to our guests.

In order to control the population of the coots, we have implemented a strategy that will discourage them from nesting and migrating to our lakes. After many different strategies, we have found a way to at least manage the number of coots that migrate here.

The first step that was implemented was our golf course dog, Tio. Tio is a border collie that has been trained to run lakes and chase off unwanted birds. Secondly, we strung fishing line around the lakes. Adding the string around the lakes makes it difficult for the birds to quickly enter the water, which allows Tio to be used more effectively. Also, we have experimented with a garlic extract product that is sprayed on the lake banks. This product gives the turfgrass an unpleasant scent and taste. Finally, we utilize a kayak to further spook the coots away from the property. The more we are able to harass the coots, the more succesful we become.

5 Receive Champions TOUR Card on Champions Course

What a great week on the Champions Course. The weather and the course were outstanding as 78 players looked to achieve five spots on the Champions TOUR. Known as one of the most difficult TOUR's to qualify for, this years the Q-School field was very strong with 24 former PGA TOUR winners and 2 former Major Champions all grinding for their spot on the Champions TOUR.

At the end of the four rounds on Friday the cream indeed rose to the top with 5 player receiving their Champions TOUR card. Congratulations to Jeff Freeman who shot a 264 -20 to take first place; Gary Hallberg and Jim Rutledge tied for second place with a 268 -16; Fourth place was Jeff Hart with a 269 -15; and P. H. Horgan III got fifth place with a 270 -14.  

A look from behind 1 green, Champions Course

Our staff did a great job getting the course in great tournament condition with firm fast greens and excellent firm fairway conditions. With the weather being so nice the scoring was very good which is a testament to how good the conditions were for the event. This type of event is an honor for our facility to host and just shows how good the Champions Course really is. Now our big focus turns to the Stadium Course and the 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Readying the Champions Course for the Champions TOUR



#4 Champions Course

 Now that the seed has germinated on the Champions Course our focus has turned to the Champions TOUR preparations with the Champions TOUR Q School Finals tournament just 2 weeks out. TPC Scottsdale is fortunate to play host to the Champions TOUR Q School every other year. Play begins on Tuesday, November 15 and runs through Friday, November 18 with top 5 players receiving their TOUR card for the 2012 Champions TOUR season.

#11 Champions Course

The course is shaping up to be in real good condition and should provide a good test for the participants in this year field. The course has a different feel than in years past with only the fairways and tees being overseeded. Non-overseeded greens are a bit different, though will provide excellent putting surfaces for the competition. With the above normal temperatures that we have been experiencing the bermuda is still very actively growing and has outstanding color. The rough has lost some color due to the shorter daylight time but will still put a premium on hitting fairways during a round of golf.

#15 Champions Course

As you may recall from an earlier post, we have tried something different this year on the Champions Course to assure that we have the best 12 month conditions possible on this great course. By not overseeding the greens we will have somewhat of a calculated risk, though by not overseeding the greens we will not have to take the greens through two transitions, establishment of overseed and transition back to bermuda. Greens will putt extremely well throughout the season and will have a good green color, though in mid December through January the color will be slightly off from the normal rich green color, though the putting will still be very good.