Image Up Advertising & Design

| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | SEPTEMBER 2022 | 17 The Golf Advisory Committee over the past few months has received a significant increase in the amount of complaints regarding golf rule violations. Nearly all the complaints involve golf carts too close to the greens, golf etiquette, and dress code violations. Wearing a collared shirt tucked in would eliminate the complaints heard regarding the dress code. Golf carts driving too close to the green has become a serious problem, and no golfer enjoys chipping from areas around the green compacted by excessive cart traffic. We welcome golfers with blue flags and the opportunity afforded them to enjoy our wonderful courses at Sun Lakes. However, a surprising number of complaints regard golfers abusing the spirit of having a blue flag continue to rise. Golf etiquette complaints mainly involve repair of divots and ball marks or raking sand traps. Most golfers at Sun Lakes are conscientious and care about the condition they leave a hole in once they've putted out. The offenders are a handful, we all know who they are, and the GAC hears the names often. The Pro Shop staff and members of the GAC are not interested in being the golf course police, and when we do point out a rule violation, it often becomes confrontational. If anything is going to change for the better it needs to come from peer pressure. This means if you have a golfer in your group who is one of the aforementioned offenders, reminding them of some basic golf etiquette would go a long way. Perhaps this golfer is handicapped and unable to fix their divot, ball mark, or rake the bunker. Please step up and help them out; not only will they appreciate it, but all the golfers following behind you will appreciate it as well. Sun Lakes Committee Reports Master Architectural Saving water is an absolute necessity of all Californians today. It is not just saving water during the summer, but saving water all year long. Many articles have indicated that over 40 percent of all household water usage is water for landscaping. The City of Banning and Sun Lakes Country Club have each set forth their mandates concerning water usage and landscape irrigation. These mandates are based on the Governor's Executive order N-7-22 and The State Water Resources Control Board Emergency Regulations. These water mandates require the following: 1. Landscape irrigation is limited to no more than two days per week from June 1 to Oct. 31. 2. Landscape irrigation is limited to no more than 1 day per week from Nov. 1 to May 31. 3. All landscape irrigation is limited to no more than 10 minutes at each station. 4. No homeowner landscape irrigation between 10 am and 8 pm. 5. No landscape irrigation during or within 72 hours of rain. This water mandate is going to result in some brown yards and some wilted plants. WHAT CAN AN INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNER DO TO LESSEN THIS EFFECT? Now is the time to consider re-landscaping your front and back yards so they will be less dependent on water or installing plants that are more drought tolerant and can survive on the watering mandates that are now in effect. If California doesn't get more rain this winter, we are probably going to have even more severe water rationing and landscape irrigation restrictions. Sun Lakes Country Club will not allow a desert-like landscape entirely of rock, sand, dirt, etc. for front yards. Section 7.20(F) of the Rules and Regulations. However, if homeowners want a 100 percent desert-like landscape in their backyard, it will probably be approved. Sun Lakes Country Club Rules and Regulations have determined that the visual aspect of front yard landscaping is very important and the Master Architectural Committee (MAC) will require that landscaping that can be seen from the street have a balance between front yard softscape and front yard hardscape. Section 7.20(G). The MAC, with the concurrence of the Master Board, is no longer requiring a 50/50 hardscape-softscape mix. The MAC will now approve a 70/30 mix — 70 percent hardscape and 30 percent softscape. This mix will still preserve the visual aspect of the front yard, but will allow for bubblers or drip irrigation for the 30 percent softscape instead of sprinklers for the entire yard. This allows for more water to reach each individual plant during the 10 minute water cycle. A 70/30 hardscape-softscape mixture can save up to 70 percent of your present landscape irrigation water. Don't forget Artificial Turf. While it is more expensive than a 70 percent hardscape and 30 percent softscape mixture, it requires no water and still gives the lush look of a green front yard. Most good artificial turf products are warranted for 20 to 25 years and are dog friendly. ~ Roy Nierman, Chairman, MAC Golf Advisory

• Cover