Ernie Huxhold and Ron Heglin play golf at courses from Copper Canyon in Buckeye, to Pebblebrook, Grandview, Deer Valley, Echo Mesa and Desert Trails in Sun City West.

They live in Sun City Grand but don't list any of that community's four courses among their preferred places to play, saying course conditions are well below par.

"I've golfed at Copper Canyon. I've golfed at Sun City West," Huxhold said, noting the course conditions are better, and "they seem to know a little bit more than our team does.

"The problem is that (our team) always (has) excuses. The weather - it's too hot ... it's too cold, too much water. They just don't seem to get it right where a lot of the other golf courses tend to get it right. To go on a golf course and to pay your fees and membership, you expect to get good conditions."

Heglin, too, said he has found conditions at courses such as Pebblebrook and Grandview superior to Sun City Grand. "The tee boxes, fairways and greens all were in very good condition," he said.

More and more golfers from Sun City Grand are fleeing to nearby communities as a result of poor course conditions.

At a special meeting in August, more than 100 residents and golfers turned out to express their growing discontent with the course conditions at Cimarron, Desert Spings and Granite Falls North and South. Many golfers told the board they prefer other courses to their own community.

The phenomenon is something the Recreation Centers of Sun City West officials are keen to exploit.

The governing board voted Thursday to increase daily winter rates for non-resident golfers by $4 for 18-holes and $2 for 9 holes. The price hike is warranted because the quality of the courses, said Scott Simpson, RCSCW golf operations manager.

"Our courses continue to be in first-class condition and are a very attractive option for (guest) golfers," he said.

Sun City West officials said Thursday they plan to market golf rates to Controlled Neighborhood Play golfers in 16 neighboring age-restricted communities in hopes of garnering even more customers.

While guest rounds have increased in Sun City West, Sun City Grand officials have taken action to improve the quality of the courses.

Grand's community association governing board approved $120,000 at a special meeting last month for top-dressing on the courses, a process by which sand is spread into aerification holes to provide a better environment for seeding.

Jeff Hochman, director of golf operations in Sun City Grand, has been sending golf updates throughout September to keep residents apprised of the top-dressing process, which he said is improving course conditions.

In his latest post on Friday, Hochman said the process has been completed on the Desert Springs Course and will begin this week for Cimarron, a course residents said needed the most work.

"This was our first year that we had top-dressed the fairways, and the process is going rather well," he said.

Grand golfers, while admittedly frustrated, expressed optimism that the latest course of action is working.

"Our courses have improved greatly since early summer," resident John Olson said. "I've played all four of our courses over the last four to five weeks and there has been significant improvement on all of them."

Huxhold agreed that the top-dressing process is getting results.

"I think they're on the right program now," he said, adding that he believes the advertised three- to five- year time frame for the return of excellent conditions.

Bob Duea, a Grand resident who golfs three times a week, said he returned from a vacation to find courses in better shape in the last week.

"I played this course (Wednesday), and I was amazed how much they've gotten it back," he said.

Meanwhile, in Sun City, declining golf play at the Recreation Centers eight courses has prompted officials to raise fees to pay for higher operating costs.

The board of directors voted unanimously Thursday in favor of a rate hike that will raise daily green fees 4 percent and the annual golf pass/permit fees 6 percent.

RCSC spokesman Tim Gallen said the decline in golfers is likely a result of residents getting older and becoming less active.

Compounding the problem, he said, is the ever-increasing price of fuel, fertilizer, sand, seed and payroll and benefits for golf staff.

Though the Recreation Centers of Sun City has seen its member rounds decline over the past few years, Gallen said there is no way to tell why Sun City courses are losing golfers.

"We don't have a record of that information if it is happening, and in fact we have no way of tracking that," he said.

Grand golf updates may be obtained on the community Web site at www.grandinfo.com.

Erin Turner may be reached at 623-876-2522 or eturner@yourwestvalley.com.