• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Advertise • Subscribe • Contact

The Golf Wire

Covering the business of golf!

MENUMENU
  • Apparel
    • BIION FOOTWEAR OXFORD IS THE SHOE FOR EVERY DAD

      PXG LAUNCHES SUMMER 2023 APPAREL CAPSULE COLLECTION

      KIT DAD OUT WITH GALVIN GREEN APPAREL THIS FATHER’S DAY

  • Business
    • GCSAA LAUNCHES WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS GOLF INDUSTRY LABOR SHORTAGES

      ADIDAS GOLF CONTINUES SUPPORT OF COLLEGE GOLF EXPERIENCE TOP100 CAMPS

      GOLF WEATHER IMPACT: MAY SIGNIFICANT “UP”; APR UTILIZATION EASES SLIGHTLY

  • Courses
    • TROON SELECTED TO MANAGE RAINTREE COUNTRY CLUB IN NORTH CAROLINA

      SHANGRI-LA RESORT AND CRESCENT HOTELS & RESORTS TO CELEBRATE GRAND OPENING OF THE BATTLEFIELD GOLF COURSE

      THE NEMACOLIN GOLF ACADEMY ANNOUNCES TWO-DAY GOLF SCHOOL, JULY 13 – 14

  • Equipment
    • NEED A FITTERVENTION? CLUB CHAMPION IS HERE TO HELP

      PING SLAM PLD LIMITED ZING 2 DROPS TUESDAY, JUNE 13

      ORCA GOLF CREATES ‘PAWS COLLECTION’ GOLF BAGS

  • People
    • ORIGINAL PENGUIN® LAUNCHES CHI CHI RODRIGUEZ COLLECTION

      BLACK AND HUNTER ACHIEVE CERTIFICATION

      PING SIGNS SAM BENNETT TO MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT

  • Podcasts
  • Media
  • Search
    Close

PTI GOLF COMPLETES MESA DEL SOL GC PROJECT THAT SAVES WATER, TRIMS EXPENSES

February 15, 2023

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Email

YUMA, AZ  – At first glance this appeared to be a simple turf conversion project at Mesa Del Sol Golf Club, the type of job PTI Golf has done dozens of times before. Replace the existing grass with a type that requires less water and labor – a win/win/win for the course owner, the maintenance crew and the environment.

However, after a few more glances, the project proved to be a “one thing leads to another” job for PTI principal Kip Wolfe and his team, but one they took on with excitement.

“We went there thinking we were just doing the greens, but the job expanded in scope as we went along,” said PTI Principal Kip Wolfe. “But this was such a good group of people to work with, and they really worked their tail off with us. We think it turned out very well.”

“The group” included golf course owner Steve Olafson, a roll-up-his-sleeves type of owner who was there most days working alongside his and PTI’s crews. His Arnold Palmer-designed course, located in the southwest corner of Arizona, is extremely popular during winter months but play slows dramatically when the thermometer rises in the summer. That’s when most of this work was done.   

“We were overseeding every year, putting $150,000 to $200,000 worth of seed down then spending a few weeks growing it in so we would have beautiful green grass in the winter. But it takes a lot of water to make that happen,” said Olafson.

After a visit with a USGA consultant, Olafson had decided to switch to a more sturdy type of grass that requires less water and no overseed.

“This was a big gamble with a lot of risks for an operation of our size, but we decided to do it for the long-term benefits,” said Olafson, who switched to TifTuf in the fairways and TifEagle on the greens. “We reached out to PTI to help us with the project, and I am glad we did.”

It quickly became obvious that structural changes in the greens complexes would be necessary with the new TifEagle grass.

“Many of the greens were severely pitched from back to front,” said Wolfe. “Some of them were so severe that the balls wouldn’t stay on the greens with this new type grass. So we recontoured the greens, in some cases adding tiers, so they would receive shots better and not be so severe to putt. We also enlarged some of the greens, providing more pin placements.”

The job didn’t end there, however. Early on during the work Olafson decided that some of the tee boxes needed to be reshaped.

“A lot of the tee boxes were shaped such that they weren’t aimed in the proper direction,” he said. “So we reshaped them and re-directed them slightly. It was a big improvement.”

Since well water is used to irrigate Mesa Del Sol, there was not enough water to complete the grow-in process in one season. Half of it was done this past year and the other half was overseeded. By the end of this year the entire course will be covered with the new grasses, with no need to overseed.

Wolfe and Olafson both had high praise of the teamwork between the two crews. And Olafson was thrilled with his choice of PTI Golf.

“PTI was incredible,” he said. “The project was logistically well planned out, and they provided a lot of expertise in re-shaping the greens. If they came upon a problem that wasn’t part of their job, they would do it anyway. They were just a very professional crew and a pleasure to work with.

“This was a very big budget project for a course like ours, but PTI certainly more than met my expectations.”

ABOUT PRO TURF INTERNATIONAL

Pro Turf International is a family owned construction, landscape and golf maintenance company with over 30 years of hands-on experience in the Southwest. They proudly serve the golf, sports and landscape industry to enhance quality and improve conditions in a safe, environmentally friendly manner. For more information call (702) 315-5121, or visit www.ptigolf.com.

ABOUT MESA DEL SOL GOLF CLUB

Located next to the Gila Mountains in the Fortuna Foothills area of Yuma, Arizona, Mesa Del Sol Golf Club offers one of the most picturesque golfing experiences in the region and is a favorite course of residents and visitors alike.Designed by Arnold Palmer, the golf course accommodates players of all experience levels. Players can choose among five sets of tee boxes, ranging in yardage from just under 4,300 yards from the forward tees and stretching to over 6,800 from the back tees. Mesa Del Sol has an active Men’s Club and Women’s Club, as well as weekly co-ed events.  

 

Contact:

Mike Jamison (407-474-0531) mike@jamisongolf.com

 

 

 

 

Tweet
Share
Pin

Related Posts

GCSAA LAUNCHES WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES INITIATIVE TO ADDR...

“KOSTIS & MCCORD OFF THEIR ROCKERS” DELI...

ACE INDOOR GOLF AND GIMME SIMULATORS WEBSITES COMBINED FO...

Primary Sidebar

Search

Footer

THE GOLF WIRE

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

FAQ | Privacy Policy | Turnstile Media Group © 2021, All rights reserved.

Sign Up For Free

Join us to receive the Wire with the latest golf industry  news, product announcements, media interactions, golf travel deals and fashion releases.