Las Vegas golfers must endure overseeding at courses

It’s that time of year when many golf courses undergo the dreaded overseeding process. It’s expensive for course owners and a major inconvenience for golfers during a time when the weather is getting perfect.

But there’s a reason behind it, according to TPC Summerlin superintendent Dale Hahn.

“Overseeding (can be) a way for a superintendent to provide quality playing conditions in the winter months for golf courses that have Bermuda grass,” he said.

Hahn added that course owners and superintendents are increasingly questioning the process because a course can remain playable without overseeding but won’t have green conditions because the Bermuda goes dormant.

The general overseeding period is late August through early October. Contact your favorite course for specifics, which can include cart-path-only and green-aerification situations.

Among the courses remaining open include two of the three Pete Dye signature layouts at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort. The Paiute is located at a higher elevation than most Las Vegas courses and Rye grass is the prominent turf, which doesn’t need the overseed process to remain green. Sun Mountain and Snow Mountain will be open, other than brief closures for aerification.

All three Paiute courses will be open over Labor Day weekend. The Wolf course will close from Sept. 4 to 26 for “general maintenance and an innerseed process,” according to marketing director Ayeesha McKeany.

Other courses remaining open during the overseed season include Arroyo, Siena, Bali Hai, Coyote Springs, Royal Links, Mountain Falls, Wildhorse, Aliante and TPC Summerlin. Primm Valley will overseed, but one of the two courses always will be open.

Hall of an accomplishment

Recently graduated UNLV player Harry Hall has been selected to represent Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup matches against the United States on Sept. 7 and 8 at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England.

Exber prepares with victory

Brady Exber, a nine-time Southern Nevada Golf Association player of the year, will play in the U.S. Senior Amateur beginning Aug. 24 at Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, North Carolina. He shot 69 and won the championship division of the SNGA Tour Arroyo event by seven shots.

Other winners were Todd Roberts (senior), Steven Fink (silver), Craig Goleno (net), David Golder (senior net) and Walter Sabati (silver net).

Weekly deal

Locals can play Primm Valley for $49 before 11 a.m. seven days a week.

Top golfers go for cash

The $50,000 Topgolf Tour championship is this weekend in Las Vegas. The two-player teams received spots through qualifiers in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

Stars on, off course

Ron Read, a former U.S. Golf Association regional representative for the SNGA and the first tee announcer at the U.S. Open for 23 years, has published “Starting the U.S. Open — from Shinnecock to Pebble Beach.” Among those endorsing the publication, available on Amazon, are Jim Nantz and Jack Nicklaus.

The golf notebook appears Wednesdays. Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. He can be reached at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @LVGolfInsider.