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Committee hears frost‑delay and water‑use updates; tiff‑tuff bermudagrass trial planned
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Summary
Environmental services staff said a text alert system has about 2,500 subscribers; water use through November is roughly 404 acre‑feet below last year and under conservation allotment; a 'tiff‑tuff' bermudagrass trial at Echo Mesa No. 9 is being mowed weekly with plans to expand to Stardust in 2027.
Todd Petty, environmental services, told the Sun City West golf committee on Dec. 11 that staff use a text‑notification system for frost delays and course closures with roughly 2,500 subscribers; he said he typically sends notices by about 6 a.m. when conditions justify a restriction.
Petty explained that localized microclimates across different courses produce spotty frost — for example, Deer Valley and Trail Ridge can be colder than Pebblebrook — and described why a 45‑degree ambient reading can still produce frost in low‑lying areas. He reviewed multi‑season frost figures that showed heavier delay/restriction seasons and said the current 8:00 a.m. tee time start in winter months has reduced the need for some early frost restrictions.
On water, Petty reported through November the operation was roughly 404 acre‑feet under last year and under conservation allotment by 34 acre‑feet in the prior year; he said the center has been under its allotment for many years and expects to remain in compliance. He described investments in irrigation, turf conversions and a plan to expand a tiff‑tuff bermudagrass installation at Echo Mesa No. 9 and later to Stardust in 2027.
Petty cautioned that overseeding scheduling will change in 2026 to adapt to hotter falls and longer summers; the working changes will adjust overseeding windows and aerification plans to preserve ryegrass germination and course conditioning.
The committee asked several operational questions about frost‑delay policy and the pros and cons of pushing tee times later versus cutting tee sheets; staff said pushing tee times preserves more of the prebooked rounds while cutting tee times can unfairly cancel groups who arrived earlier.
