We had an inspection from the Department of Health, this happens every five years. They checked our paperwork and looked at our infrastructure. They checked our well sites and reservoir location. Our inspector did not find any major problems with our system. He would like to see a few housekeeping items worked on. With the weather starting to get cool the Water Department would like to remind owners to make sure their homes are properly winterized. Here is a list of some things to consider:
All hoses should be removed from all faucets, even if it is a frost free.
If you are gone for an extended period of time the Water Department can shut off you water at the meter for $5.00, this will not stop pipes from breaking but it will not flood your home. Just as a reminder, the water policy effective August 1st 2009, states members are not to access the meter boxes in any way or they will be subject to the enforcement mechanisms of the policy. All samples taken have been good. We are currently at 1,325 connections to the water system. The total year to date gallons produced for the overall domestic water system is 262,330,175.
PRO SHOP NEWS – Kyle Preston, PGA Professional I can’t believe the season is already winding down! It seems like summer had just started. We had our last couple events earlier this month with the Harvest Hustle (formerly known as the Frostbite), and the Fall Best Ball/Chapman. We had an excellent season with a lot of great events. Some of the most exciting news to share is that we have hired an Assistant Professional. Chris McGuyer has been in the golf industry for several years now. He and his wife moved to Yakima from Arizona earlier this year and he was looking for the right facility to further his golf career. He brings a wealth of experience, and enthusiasm to keep growing the golf culture at Desert Aire Golf Course. With an Assistant we will be able to accomplish many things, and one that I am looking forward to is having more player development programs. We plan to offer lessons and clinics to sharpen the skills of long-time golfers and introduce the game to new or non-golfers. Make sure to stop by the shop and introduce yourself to Chris! The golf course is still looking amazing thanks to our awesome maintenance crew, and still a lot of good weather coming, so come on out and get it in while you can. Winter Rates start November 1st. When the weather does take a turn, we will potentially setting up a simulator somewhere at the facility this winter. We are still trying to figure out the logistics of it and where it can go, but that’s something to look forward to for the cold days of winter. We will also be utilizing this technology to give more in-depth lessons and hopefully be able to offer club fittings next season. We are starting the process of ordering new gear and apparel for the Proshop for the 2026 season. As we prepare for that, we need to clear room for the new merchandise. I will put out information soon on a sale that we are going to run to clear out old merchandise. See you all soon!
Golf Course SUPERINTENDENT Report – Shawn Hocking We have finished our fall events and will be concentrating on projects that we typically don’t have time to complete during the regular season. These projects are on the GC, parks, and greenbelts. The GC work will go through October and into early November, then transition to the park through November, and then to the green belts in December. We did not do as much core aeration on fairways this year as we have done in the past, but concentrated around greens and approaches. These areas were seeded in the process, and the seedlings are growing well. Not doing as much aeration gave us the opportunity to level and seed the right side of 16 fairway. It has a decent stand of grass, but there are some thin spots that should fill in with time. Since we didn’t do as much core aeration, we will be doing more with the Mega Slit, which is a knife type aerator. Other fall projects on the GC will include some small irrigation projects, raising sprinklers and valve boxes, resodding a few bunker faces, a few other sod projects, ball washer/bench pads, etc. The work in the park will begin in November and will include maintenance type work; such as pruning, edging, and possibly planting trees. We also will be pinning down the parking curbs that were set out in the parking lot and pouring light standards for lighting. By mid-November, we will start working on decorations for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
A Huge Thank You We’re hopeful to once again secure great community business sponsors—another special thanks to this summer’s sponsors: Power of Three Desert Aire Real Estate, Kinghunter Guide Service LLC, La Popular, Perfecto Landscaping, CKDA, Kel-Carts, Ace's Custom Carts, Leo-Re-Kon Harvest Foods, DA Designs Clothing, Johnston Trucking & Tiddaly Diddalys! And thank you to everyone who gave toward this summer’s show and to those who have already chipped in for next year—you are making this celebration possible! How to Contribute · Venmo: @DA-Fireworks-Fund · Cash/Check: Drop off at the office (make checks payable to “DA Fireworks Fund”). Please send your contribution by October 31, 2025 so we can secure next year’s show. Let’s keep this fun tradition alive in our community! With gratitude, Your Fireworks team (Sonja Hoven, Stephanie Almeida and Rick Long) Golf Committee—Kyle Patrick Our golf course has seen a tremendous amount of play this Summer. Course Superintendent, Shawn Hocking and his crew have done a masterful job of maintaining the grounds. The bunkers are filled with fresh sand and the grass is growing strong before Winter sets in. Course Professional, Kyle Preston and his staff have kept up with demands and challenges throughout this busy season. He is restocking the merchandise this Winter and looking forward to the Spring golf season. The Desert Aire Owners Association has raised the amount per round that accumulates in the GIF (Golf Improvement Fund). Next year we will see an increase in the amount to be used for improvements with no cost to members. Our committee meets monthly and monitors the progress of our golf course, with our committee members providing much needed insight and advice on the operations of our course all year. The office staff provides much needed support for our endeavors. We have a 1-3 year plan that will help us guide our improvements in the coming years. Kyle Patrick, Chair Wendy Knopp, Secretary and Country Club representative Dave Hartnett, Men’s Club representative Marcia Bartlett, Ladies Club representative Kevin Anderson, Leslie Savisky, and Suzanne Yanak, members-at-large Cool and Interesting Facts about Golf * Golf originated in 15th-century Scotland and was even banned by King James II in 1457 to keep people from playing and instead practicing archery. * The first recorded game of golf was played in 1457. * The oldest existing golf club in the world is The Royal Burgess Golfing Society, founded in 1735. * The first 18-hole golf course in America was built on a sheep farm in 1892. * The longest hole in the world is the 7th hole at the Satsuki Golf Club in Japan, which is 964 meters (1,058 yards) long. * The highest golf course in the world is the Yak Golf Course in India, located at 4,270 meters (14,009 feet) above sea level. * Early golf balls, called "featheries," were made by stuffing wet feathers into a leather pouch. * Wooden golf balls were used before the development of the modern rubber-core ball. A regulation golf ball must have a diameter of 4.25 inches and a depth of 4 inches.
Country Club Happenings As the season starts to wind down and the snow birds head south, Desert Aire Country Club would like to thank everybody who participated in our events. We will have a new golf event in June 2026—Draft Day. Stay Tuned!
We just completed The Harvest Hustle (formerly The Frostbite) in early October. It was a sunny fall day but we had some wind. We had 22 teams participate. The Sloppy Joes and Macaroni and Cheese was awesome and we can’t forget those pumpkin bars. Yummy!! Fun was had by all. Our final event for the year is the Hawkvemberfest on Sunday, November 2nd at 4:30 p.m. We are partnering with the Sagebrush Senior Center. Come on down to the Sagebrush Center and watch the Seattle Seahawks take on the Washington Commanders. You can sign up to enter the chili, bread, and/or dessert contest. There is no charge for this event. Soon it will be time to renew your club memberships so look for that information to be coming soon.
We look forward to next year and hope everybody has a safe and happy winter. THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US ON THE DESERT AIRE COUNTRY CLUB BOARD!!!
IMPORTANT DATES: All meetings (held via Zoom, login information is available on the website member page, unless stated otherwise) and owners are encouraged to attend. Desert Aire Board of Directors – Held the 3rd Thursday of each month (except December) at 6:00 PM. Architectural Committee - Meets the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at 3:00 PM. (Except in November and December, when they meet only on the 2nd Thursday). Golf Committee – Meets the 1st Wednesday of each month at 3:00 PM. Parks and Recreation Committee – Meets the 1st Wednesday of each month at 5:00 PM. Communications Committee – Meets the 2nd Tuesday each month at 3:30 PM. Security & Safety Committee - Meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 4:00 PM Desert Aire Airport Commissioners - Meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at 4:00 PM.