HELLO GATES/GOODBYE YELLOW ROPES
Ron Palma, Gate Committe Chairperson

Just a reminder that the addition of the gates and the deletion of the yellow ropes was done to enhance the beauty of the course. With the gates we now have the ability to direct the flow of traffic, thus supporting our goal of assisting Tom Shephard in maintaining the condition of the course.

By the way, Tom and his crew must be applauded for having the course in such fantastic condition. How about the green and plush fairways and let’s not leave out how great our greens are.

Most everyone has expressed their displeasure with the yellow ropes, at some point in time. Well that problem has been solved: we will no longer have the yellow ropes on our golf course. Because of several factors such as the weather being ideal for over-seeding this year and our fairways being in such great condition, Tom Shephard has agreed to remove the ropes and monitor the wear and tear of the golf course. However, if we don’t obey basic golf cart rules like, “cart path only on par 3’s,” the ropes will return. We must also remember that every year is different, meaning that the use of the gates and ropes must be evaluated on a year by year basis.

In order to support the decision to continue with the gates program and also abolish the yellow ropes, everyone playing our beautiful golf course must adhere to some guidelines.

REGARDING THE GATES:
1. Everyone must utilize the entrance gates and the exit gates at all times.
2. We will no longer utilize the 90-degree rule, under any circumstances as long as the gate system is in place.
3. We will add additional exit gates to the following holes:
a. To the right side of hole #2
b. To the left side of hole #4
c. To the left side of hole #7
d. To the right side of hole #8
4. Please do not drive any closer to the green then where the exit gates are located. (You should never have to make a U-turn to exit a gate)

REGARDING THE YELLOW ROPES:
The yellow ropes have been eliminated to enhance the beauty of our golf course.

This doesn’t give us the right to drive all over the course and, frankly, if that does occur we will be forced to put the ropes back up. So common sense and unwritten golf cart rules should be adhered to.

For example:
. You don’t drive your cart on the fairways or roughs of par 3’s, you stay on the cart paths. That’s just the way it is on every golf course, why should it be different at Desert Falls?

. You don’t pull your cart up close to or to the side of any green. Again this isn’t done at any other golf course, why should it be different at Desert Falls?

. You don’t drive your cart over or on any T-box.

There are many more unwritten golf cart rules in respecting a golf course not just these three. If everyone just exercises “common sense,” we will be just fine.

Enough said! Let’s all use common sense and let’s all have the respect for our golf course that it deserves. Adhering to these simple rules will contribute towards maintaining the condition of this course that we all want and enjoy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
. The gates will be placed along the edge of the cart path at a distance between the poles that will be wide enough to make a smooth transition and be at a consistent 18 feet apart (or 7 paces).

. Many members have expressed thoughts on why the gates were in awkward positions. We listened and the gates will be positioned further in front of the women’s tee (when possible) and closer to the greens (when possible). However, we must remember that they get moved every day, so they will not always be in everyone’s ideal location.

I hope that all members appreciate the time and effort many people have volunteered, to make these few changes, in an attempt to make our golf course better and satisfy all concerned.