Rhodes Ranch course superintendent offers lawn tips

Rhodes Ranch is home to the 6,909-yard Rhodes Ranch Golf Club, an 18-hole course with various water features, city views and gently rolling fairways that opened for play in November 1997.

The course is the centerpiece of the 162-acre development, according to Brad Vowles, golf course superintendent.

"Residents of the master-planned community can have lawns equally as green as the lush golf course and conserve water," he said.

Vowles advises residents to cut back on watering and increase fertilization when summer gives way to fall.

As with most golf courses in Las Vegas, Rhodes Ranch is primarily Bermuda grass. The course is given an extensive reseeding early in fall to keep the fairways green during the winter.

"Fall is the best time to establish any new planting, and it's when we give our course a strong over-seeding to keep it green year-round," Vowles said. "Lawns should be reseeded around the end of September, and residents can add plants or trees to their yards through the end of October."

Most of the resident lawns in the community are fescue-type grasses, which isn't prone to go dormant in the winter. Vowles suggests homeowners thin out the lawns and add fertilizer to stimulate growth. The biggest mistake most homeowners make, he said, is overwatering.

"If you cut back on watering, that allows the root systems to take hold," he said. "It's so much better to water thoroughly every other day rather than 10 minutes daily. It's much better for a healthier lawn."

The latest offering of homes at the community is The Collection, which features 11 floor plans ranging from a three-bedroom model measuring 1,467 square feet to a 4,138-square-foot home with five bedrooms. Homes are priced from the mid-$440,000s.

To visit, take the Interstate 215 to Durango Drive and go south, following the signs.

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