As the summer months come to a close in Borrego Springs, Rams Hill Golf Club is set to open on November 3, 2023, for another highly anticipated new season.
This summer, Rams Hill embarked on a two-year multi-million dollar project to help extend the season by changing the grass types seen on the course. Extending the season will allow guests to take advantage of the course year-round, including great conditions in mid-September and October.
Rams Hill underwent Phase 1 of bermudagrass renovations, where all putting greens have been converted to miniverde bermudagrass. The greens were planted in four groups, with the first grouping of greens planted on June 23.
With the help of the original architect on Tom Fazio’s design team, Tim Jackson, now with Jackson-Kahn design, the putting greens on #2, #7, and #17 have been expanded, offering golfers fresh perspectives and challenges as they navigate the new pins.
The hot, humid weather in the late summer was beneficial for the growth of the new mini verde bermudagrass greens. The temperatures reached above 110 degrees, with several days of high humidity and nice rains. The intended green speed for opening day will be between 10-10.5, with hopes to reach 11-12 by December.
Overseeding was completed on October 1, followed by the first mow of the season on October 12. It is hard to believe this is the last “first mow” of overseeded fairways that Rams Hill will ever have. While water conservation will be a significant benefit that we welcome, we’ll certainly miss the anticipation of the first mow! Learn more about our water conservation in our blog as well as a feature in our All For Borrego series.
A lot of hard work has gone into this project. Integrity Golf, Evergreen Sod, and Harvey Irrigation have all been fantastic to work with, while Superintendent Willie Lopez has led the charge. Phase 2 is set to begin following the 2023-2024 season, where the remainder of the golf course – tees, fairways, roughs, etc – will be converted to TifTuf bermudagrass.
Watch a recap of our summer efforts here!
Come see for yourself starting November 3!
