Jim Grosjean
The sign says it all. MountainView Golf Course is closed until November for the most important renovation in its history. The work officially began on May 1 with a laundry list of improvements slated to be finished by the end of October.
Perhaps the most important upgrade will be the brand-new Rainbird irrigation system. The original apparatus has outlived its useful life, and the replacement system will be more efficient and require much less maintenance. Teeing grounds that have turned into hardpan will be replaced with new tees. Bunkers will be reshaped, lined, and filled with white sand. Hopefully, bunkers filled with stones will be a thing of the past. There will be a turf reduction of between 7 and 8 acres. This will occur in areas of fairways that are rarely in play, so there won’t be a noticeable change in approach. This will also help with water conservation. A new cart path will be built behind the administration building between the ninth green and tenth tee to bypass the dangerous trek through the parking lot. Other cart paths will be repaired or replaced as well. The 15th green will be softened to allow for more reasonable pin placements in flatter areas.
It sounds ambitious, but we’re all looking forward to having a course we can be proud of. The renovation is an inconvenience for SaddleBrooke TWO golfers, but it’s also an opportunity to finally figure out how to play The Preserve course. Tee times may be a little harder to come by, but that problem will be somewhat mitigated by the exit of our dear snowbirds and by the system of double tee times in the mornings. Unfortunately, the scheduled aerification of The Preserve must go on July 10 through 30. Tee times can be had at SaddleBrooke One after its members are looked after.
Many area courses have steeply discounted openings in the summer as well. The Views and El Conquistador are fine public courses in Oro Valley. You can also play where the pros play at Tucson National for a reasonable $85. This July will be the time for avid golfers to branch out and enjoy many other fine courses in Tucson or even Phoenix. The website underpar.com lists at least 22 courses in Arizona to play through their voucher system. So, golfers, don’t despair. This summer, the world is your oyster!