FYI 6/28/19

6/28/19

Golf Maintenance FYI

·         The heat index continues to rise with constant “feel like” temperatures approaching 110 degrees. There have been regular heat advisory warnings issued by the County and so we have been protective of our staff due to the physical nature of their work. Our equipment is also under extreme pressure during the high heat. Many thanks to our Mechanic, Roman Gomez, for his efforts in keeping our equipment running daily.

·         We have not received any measurable rain for over 2 weeks now. The heat coupled with the lack of rain is having negative impacts on the overall appearance of the turf grass in certain areas. Brown, discolored turf areas can be seen in certain areas throughout the course. Wetting agents that improve water efficacy have been applied to these areas to aide in turf health.

·         Our dry conditions were made worse when our irrigation computer quit working last Friday causing no irrigation to occur that night. Both David Forrey and I had to water the course manually with our handheld radios on Saturday, Sunday and Monday night before a replacement computer was delivered on Tuesday. Compliments to David Forrey for his efforts during this challenging time.

·         With over 30,000 rounds of golf being played at Copperleaf this year I am looking forward to closing the course on July 8 to complete the necessary cultural practices to alleviate compaction. This soil compaction is not allowing water to penetrate deep into the soil and creates a shallow root system. With our current high temperatures, the grass easily dries out during the day and becomes stressed before the next irrigation cycle begins at night.

·         There are certain areas throughout the course where the turf has been “burned” by golf cart tires in the afternoon heat. The tires crush the cells in the leaf blade and cause the turf to dieback. I would encourage all golfers to be aware of where they are driving and to stay away from dry, stressed turf.

Tire marks burnt into the turf on Hole 3

·         Compliments to the golf maintenance staff for preparing the course for the local Junior Golfers on Wednesday. It was another hot day with the golfers required to walk the course. Our own Braden Miller played extremely well and was near the top of his flight.

·         All greens were verticut and top-dressed with sand and fertilized with potassium this week. The potassium will help with the extreme weather conditions as it improves turf strength against drought and heat. The sand top-dressing will help to dilute organic material in the soil and provide a firm surface. Compliments to Tina Fry for pushing a 70-pound fertilizer spreader across our greens on Wednesday afternoon during some truly excessive heat and humidity. She truly is an amazing individual and I can’t be more thankful for her efforts!

·         All Tees and Fairways were sprayed with a liquid fertilizer this week in preparation for the July 4 event next week and to strengthen the turf.

A photo of Hole 12 Fairway and Green complex taken this morning

·         Without question, we need rain. One thing is certain though, the rain will be coming soon. Lets just hope it is between 6 PM and 6 AM so that we can continue to get our work done on the course during the day.

·         A reminder that the course will be closed for major cultural practices starting Monday July 8 and re-open Monday July 29. Please plan your vacations accordingly 😊

FYI 6/21/2019

6/21/19

Golf Maintenance FYI

·         The golf course continues to look good and receive positive comments from both our Members and Reciprocal players.

·         The heat index continues to rise with constant “feel like” temperatures approaching 108 degrees. The strenuous work performed by our staff is greatly appreciated.

·         We continue to trim plant material throughout the golf course with Holes 1 and 2 nearing completion. Some plants are pruned quite heavily to remove dead and woody material which then promotes new, succulent growth.

·         We did experience some rain during the week which kept the course wet in some areas. Thank you to Tina Fry for placing directional signs and stakes throughout the course to prevent cart path restrictions.

·         Compliments to the golf maintenance staff for preparing the course for the local Assistant Golf Professionals on Thursday. Our very own AJ Pasqual shot an impressive 68 from the Blue Tees. Well done AJ!

·         All greens were verticut this week to remove excess growth and improve ball speed. Greens will be top-dressed with sand and fertilized with potassium next week. The potassium will help with the extreme weather conditions as it improves turf strength against drought and heat. The sand top-dressing will help to dilute organic material in the soil and provide a firm surface.

·         Washouts along some of the lake banks and rock walls have been filled in this week and will continue into next week.

·         The 3-Day Trees Florida conference was excellent. I was able to learn many new ideas that can be implemented here at Copperleaf including Palm tree health, structural tree trimming and improved cultural practices for our shrubs.

·         Overall, everything is going very well. Our turf health continues to improve from the Curfew application and there is some nice definition between the fairways and rough.

·         A reminder that the course will be closed for major cultural practices starting Monday July 8 and re-open Monday July 29. Please plan your vacations accordingly 😊

FYI 6/14/19

6/14/19

Golf Maintenance FYI

·         Not to sound like a broken record but it was yet another hot week at Copperleaf. The "feel like" temperature on most days was over 108 degrees. Compliments to my staff for working long hours on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to get our tasks done.

·         A special thanks to Clare and Ed Donahue and Lora and Ike Eikelberner for providing our staff with some Gatorade this week to quench their thirst and replace lost electrolytes.

·         Another special thank-you to Len Godfrey for providing pizza for the staff on Wednesday. It was greatly appreciated by all the staff.

·         The damage to the turf from the Curfew application continues to heal quickly. I have been very impressed with the recovery and the overall improved appearance of the course.

·         All Tees, Approaches and Fairways were circle cut this week. Circle cutting eliminates thatch and grain and provides an improved appearance by allowing the ball to sit up, rather than down, into the turf. It also allows for an improved aftercut appearance from our mowers.

Circle Cutting Hole 6

Aftercut appearance Hole 3

·         All greens were verticut this week to improve ball speed and reduce thatch and grain. Verticutting involves thinning out the turf grass and helps with smoothing the playing surface. This process generates a lot of grass clippings due to its aggressive nature.

Verticutting Hole 1 Green

The verticut cut lines are visible until being mowed. Our current Height of cut is 0.100.

·         All Roughs were sprayed with a growth regulator this week to reduce grass clippings and provide consistent playing conditions.

·         David Forrey and I attended an advanced irrigation class this week. It was a great class that refreshed our memories and provided some new ideas to improve the efficiency of our irrigation system.

·         I will be attending a 3-day Trees Florida conference next week. I will be attending classes each day and securing CEU’s to maintain my Certified Arborist license.

·         We experienced 1.2 inches of rain last night. The rain was absorbed quickly and there were no restrictions this morning. Thanks to Tina Fry for setting up the golf course ready for play.

·         Overall, everything is going very well. The rain last night was a welcome relief to help with some developing dry areas on the course.

FYI 6/7/19

6/7/19

Golf Maintenance FYI

·         It was yet another hot week without rain. Feel like temperatures over 104 degrees made our labor-intensive work quite challenging this week. Compliments to my staff for continuing to work hard and complete our tasks.

·         A special thanks to Char Swob and Helga Reynolds for providing our staff with some Gatorade to quench their thirst and replace lost electrolytes. It is greatly appreciated.

·         The Curfew application on Tuesday was a success with 60 acres of turf being treated. As mentioned at every opportunity, the scarring of the turf after the application is less than desirable; however, within a short period of time the “burnt” lines will disappear. The machines caused some damage where they hit buried rocks, however, there was less damage than I had anticipated.

·         I met with our electrician on Wednesday where he confirmed that splicing into the irrigation system power supply will work to power the proposed decorative clock. The approximate cost is $2,500 to run the wires and appropriate components from Hole 18 red Tee to the practice area. The electrical connection will only be able to provide power for the Clock and no other future considerations.

·         The Clubhouse, Tennis Courts and Hole 13 landscaping was trimmed this week. Compliments to Flavio Lopez for his tireless work trimming all day in the heat and humidity.

·         All bunkers were edged this week.

·         We started trimming the Hong Kong Orchids throughout the property this week. One member was so impressed with the work he has offered to provide pizza to our staff on Wednesday!

·         Greens were fertilized this week with a 19-0-15 fertilizer blend to maintain health.

·         All fairways were sprayed with liquid fertilizer on Monday to maintain health and encourage recovery from the Curfew application.

·         Roughs will be sprayed with a growth regulator next week to reduce grass clippings and provide consistent playing conditions.

·         We hope to complete the installation of new sprinklers along the fence of Hole 6 this coming week. New plants will then be installed in open areas.

·         50 new Cabbage Palms were installed on Wednesday and Thursday including Holes 4, 6, 7, 18 and between 16 and 17. An outside contractor performed the work.

·         David Forrey and I will be attending advanced training for our Irrigation System Software on Thursday and Friday next week. The class is being held at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples.

·         I will be attending a 3-day Trees Florida conference on June 20-22. I will be attending classes each day and securing CEU’s to maintain my Certified Arborist license.

·         We did experience some rain early this morning, which was much needed, but the timing was frustrating. Our staff got wet as they were preparing the course and we had to stop mowing fairways and rough. I will be mowing fairways this afternoon to catch up.

·         Overall, everything seems to be going well. The lines in the turf from the Curfew provide an unsatisfactory look and I look forward to a full recovery.

FYI 5/31/19

5/31/19

Golf Maintenance FYI

·         It has been another hot week outside. In fact, Monday was one of the highest temperatures for May on record with a “feel like” heat index of 104 degrees. We have been making sure our staff are well hydrated throughout the day.

·         The hot weather, coupled with no rain, are both highlighting the deficiencies of our irrigation system. Dry spots are becoming more prevalent where water coverage is inadequate. However, overall, the golf course remains in very good condition and continues to receive compliments from both members and reciprocal players. On average, we have been watering over 800,000 gallons of water per day.

·         Tina Fry applied wetting agent to all the dry areas this week to help the irrigation water penetrate into the soil. As the soil dries out it can become hydrophobic causing water to not penetrate. The wetting agent helps break water tension – like adding soap to your dish water – and allows the water to enter the soil profile and improving turf conditions. Over 12 acres were sprayed throughout the golf course. 

The dew pattern on Hole 1 after the Wetting Agent Application

·         The Memorial Day golf event was a success with golfers appreciating the American Flags both on the flag sticks and the inserts of the cups. We will do this again on July 4 and September 11.

·         Pine straw has been installed along the fence between golf maintenance and Sago Point to complete the landscaping project. It is a vast improvement from what the area looked like previously.

·         I am still waiting to confirm the electrical options for the clock. I am hopeful that we can tie into the electricity used to power the irrigation controllers on the golf course. I will be meeting with an electrician this week to confirm. If this is possible, it will be a significant savings compared to adding a new electrical service.

·         Curfew will be applied to the golf course on Tuesday of this coming week. Signs will be installed at all access points for the golf course educating residents to keep off the course for 24 hours. As a reminder, the Curfew will help control the parasitic Nematodes that feed on the turf roots impacting turf quality. Sprinklers will be running all day on Tuesday to keep the soil moist and to help with recovery from the machines.

·         During the application, our staff will be trimming around the clubhouse, tennis courts and common grounds to keep them off the course.

·         Bunkers began to be edged this week and will be completed next week during the course closure.

·         Greens will be fertilized with a blend of both nitrogen and potassium next week.

·         We hope to complete the installation of new sprinklers along the fence of Hole 6 this coming week. New plants will then be installed in open areas.

·         Over 40 new Cabbage Palms will be installed on Wednesday next week including Holes 4, 6, 7, 18 and between 16 and 17. An outside contractor will perform the work.

·         The South Florida Water Management irrigation permit was renewed this week and will be in effect for 20 years. As a reminder, now that we have our own permit, we are saving the Club over $80,000 per year.

·         Unfortunately, we did have to put one of cats, Garfield, down last week. He had developed Glaucoma in one eye, was in pain and did not have a good prognosis. Thanks to Tina Fry for all her help in looking after Garfield. He will be missed :(

·         I have secured another Florida Golf Course Best Management Practices education event for August at our clubhouse. This has become an annual event for local Superintendents to become certified in Golf Course BMP’s. David Forrey, Tina and I are all certified.

·         I attended a board meeting for the Environmental Research and Education Foundation on Friday of which I am a board member. As previously mentioned, many local governments are adding additional fertilizer restrictions to the State 4-month blackout period of June 1 to September 30. Thankfully, Lee County has not made any changes; however, Alachua County (Gainesville area) has just placed an 8 month ban on all Nitrogen and Phosphorous applications. The City of Naples is meeting on June 11 to increase their blackout period and implement a limit of 4 lbs. total nitrogen application for the year regardless of turf species. So far golf courses and professional sports fields are exempt, however, it does affect our Common Grounds. Unfortunately, peer reviewed science and professional recommendations are being ignored in favor of emotion.

·         Overall, the golf course continues to be in very good condition and our staff are working very well together. The Wednesday closures are extremely beneficial to our productivity.

FYI 5/24/19

5/24/19

Golf Maintenance FYI

·         It has been another busy week at Golf Maintenance.

·         All fairways were raked, and circle cut on Wednesday.

·         All greens were double verticut on Tuesday.

·         All greens were top-dressed with sand, aerified with small tines, dragged and then fertilized with potassium on Wednesday.

·         Typical dry areas on our greens which require daily hand watering were treated with an organic fertilizer; Humus, that will aide with moisture retention. This will ultimately improve turf conditions and eliminate, or at least reduce, the arduous task of hand-watering.

·         Roughs were mowed two times this week and the turf is now becoming more accustom to the 1.25-inch height.

·         All fairways were sprayed with a liquid fertilizer and growth regulator on Monday. The fertilizer strengthens the plant and the growth regulator minimizes grass clippings. We utilize Growing Degree Days (GDD) to determine when the next application is due. Different turf grasses and different heights of cut determine when to re-apply the growth regulator. A computer program is used to calculate the GDD and when to next apply. We utilize both soil and tissue samples to determine what fertilizers are needed so that we are providing exactly what the plant needs. Attached are examples of the lab reports received last week from 9 Green.

·         Celebration sod was installed along the edge of Hole 14 tee complex to aide in drainage.

·         St. Augustine sod was installed around the pump station to repair damage caused when the large generator was stored there.

·         Plants have been installed along the maintenance fence line and Sago Point. Pine straw will be completed on Tuesday to finally complete this project.

·         Garden beds started to be edged and treated with a herbicide to provide a crisp definition between the turf and pine straw.

·         Bunkers will begin to be edged next week.

·         Soil behind our rock walls were negatively impacted after the heavy rain events 2-weeks ago. The rain created sink holes and washouts. It will be a time-consuming task to dig behind the rocks and install new erosion material, backfill, compact and re-sod. We plan to undertake the repairs to the practice area rock wall during the course closure in July.

·         The clock meeting went well on Monday and I am now waiting on proposals for the electrical connection to finalize pricing. The rendering of the clock looks wonderful and it will be a great addition to the Club.

·         I enjoyed a tour of the golf course with Traci this morning and it was nice to showcase what golf maintenance has been doing.

·         Thanks to Heather Becht for coordinating the Health Benefits program for golf maintenance staff this week.

·         We are hosting local golf course mechanics and Superintendents at our new facility on Tuesday, May 28. People are interested in seeing the new building and to learn the successful process we undertook. A local vendor is sponsoring the event and is providing BBQ from Rib City for attendees.

·         Overall, everything continues to be very good and we remain extremely busy both on the golf course and common grounds.

FYI 5/17/19

5/17/19

Golf Maintenance FYI

·         3.6 inches of rain fell on Thursday last week. The golf course handled the water, but the bunkers did not fair well at all. We spent 6 hours Friday morning repairing the front 9 bunkers.

·         3 inches of rain fell on Friday night. Again, the course handled the water very well; however, all bunkers were severely washed out again. With a limited weekend crew, we were only able to repair 3 holes on Saturday and 4 holes on Sunday.

·         Bunkers were deemed “GUR” on Monday due to their condition. We had all available crew members fixing bunkers and they were completed at 3 PM. These washouts confirm the discussion regarding replenishing our bunker sand earlier than first scheduled.

·         It has been a challenge maintaining satisfactory green speeds over the past week due to the heat, humidity and rain. Greens were double verticut and top-dressed on Wednesday last week however, the excessive rain on Thursday and Friday caused a surge in growth. Greens were double cut with sharp reels on Tuesday and again on Wednesday to increase ball speed. They are all in very good condition. All greens will be top-dressed and aerified with small tines next week.

·         Fairways and Approaches have been re-shaped and are starting to show some impressive definition. Some areas were scalped down to the new height while other areas have been left to grow taller.

·         Roughs have been lowered from 1.5 inches to 1.25 inches. Where the turf was “puffy”, typically in out of play areas, it has been scalped to the new height. The 1.25-inch height provides a very consistent playing surface and greatly eliminates the “cauliflower” appearance. We have applied a growth regulator to the rough this week to help control excessive growth, eliminate the scalping and reduce clippings. The GPS sprayer that was purchased last year has been invaluable to accurately apply the product.

·         We are scheduled for the Curfew application on June 4. Dick Hockman and I visited a local golf course as they were applying the Curfew to observe the impact to the turf. Overall, the application is not as aggressive as I have seen in the past; however, I am certain there will be some turf damage due to buried rocks and debris and where the implements lift out of the soil. The course will be closed June 4, 5 and 6.

·         We continue detail work around the maintenance building including completing the conference table, landscaping, connecting the air compressor and installing a water heater in the Chemical Room.

·         We continue work on improving the irrigation along the concrete fence of Hole 6. All sprinklers are being raised to the top of the fence and attached to the posts. This will greatly improve irrigation coverage and allow for new plants to be installed.

·         All golf course sprinkler heads are now being edged monthly. This helps with visibility during cultural practices. We will continue to edge them throughout the summer.

·         We have been improving the landscaping between golf maintenance and Sago Pointe and anticipate completing this task next week with the final plants being delivered Tuesday.

·         Greens perimeters were edged this week.

·         All cart paths were edged this week.

·         Tees were de-compacted this week utilizing solid tines.

·         Fairways have had their height lowered from 0.5 inches to 0.45 inches and were circle cut this week. They will be raked and circle cut again next week.

·         Collars around the greens were verticut this week to reduce thatch and improve playability.

·         I am still observing Mite damage throughout the course and will continue to spot treat these areas. Thankfully the grass is out competing the mite damage in most areas due to the surge in turf growth.

·         We are continuing to battle weeds in the landscape beds. The weather conditions are perfect for weed growth and the recent rain events not only postpone herbicide applications but also, due to the need to repair bunkers and washouts, our staff that usually spray for weeds have been utilized elsewhere.

·         Overall, everything continues to be very good and we remain extremely busy both on the golf course and common grounds.

·         I took my staff to Buffalo Chips for lunch on Thursday to thank them for their hard work. The Copperleaf White Tee Group provided the funds for lunch which was greatly appreciated.

FYI 5/10/19

5/10/19
Golf Maintenance FYI

• All greens were double verticut, top-dressed with sand and fertilized on Wednesday.
• Greens will be top-dressed and aerified next week on Wednesday utilizing the same small tines used during the season.
• The golf course turf was fertilized on Wednesday.
• David Forrey will be working this weekend.
• Cart paths will begin to be edged this coming week.
• We have started lowering the height of the rough from 1.5 inches to 1.25 inches. This practice eliminated the “puffiness” of the turf and provides a clean even surface. It will take several weeks for the turf to acclimate to the new height.
• We are planning to host local golf course mechanics and Superintendents at our new facility on Tuesday, May 28. A lot of people are interested in seeing the new building and to learn the successful process we undertook. I am hopeful I can coordinate some food from our kitchen for the event and will work with Traci and Chef Paul on the details. I am hopeful for 25 to 30 people to attend.
• Thanks to David Forrey for re-connecting the air compressor and completing the air lines to the main building and chemical room. He is now working on installing the hot water heater in the Chemical Building and moving the shelves and products back in.
• Compliments to my team today! We received 3.6 inches of rain yesterday evening in a very short period. Thankfully the golf course absorbed the rain and we were without restrictions today; however, the bunkers weren’t so lucky. 10 staff members spent 6 hours today pushing sand back and removing sediment and were only able to complete the front 9 holes. The back 9 will be completed tomorrow. There is more rain forecast for tonight and is becoming more consistent in the extended forecast. It would appear the rainy season may have started early this year.

FYI 5/3/19

5/3/19

Golf Maintenance FYI

·         Trimming of all plant material continues throughout the golf course this week.

·         All fairways and Approaches have been re-shaped where necessary. Some fairways have been lengthened toward the tee and some have either been widened or narrowed to improve the overall appearance. It will take several weeks for the grass to acclimate to the new height.

·         Tina will be working Saturday and I will be working on Sunday this weekend.

·         All fairways were raked, and circle cut this week to improve turf quality. The raking removes thatch and overlaying turf while the circle cutting cuts off the excess leaf tissue. We will continue to perform this practice throughout the summer months.

·         All sprinkler heads were edged this week and will be completed each month throughout the summer.

·         Work continues on improving the landscape along the southern maintenance area fence. This will help the residents of Sago Pointe by blocking the chain-link fence and providing a cleaner appearance. This project will be completed this week.

·         We will continue installing plant material throughout the golf course and common grounds over the summer months.

·         The entire golf course will be fertilized this week on Wednesday. This will be a controlled release fertilizer providing nutrition to the turf for the next 2 months.

·         Cart paths will begin to be edged this week.

·         I visited a local golf course with Dick Hockman this week to see the Curfew application in person. It was interesting to see the process and to provide some ideas. Everything will be in place for our own application on June 4.

·         We are planning to host local golf course mechanics and Superintendents at our new facility at the end of May. A lot of people are interested in seeing the new building and to learn the process we undertook. 

·         Overall, everything continues to be very good.