8/23/19
Golf
Maintenance FYI
· Where did the week go? It has been
yet another busy week on the golf course with the weather finally cooperating
to allow us to mow all turf grass and present the course to a high standard. In
fact, it feels that the weather has finally started to change with cooler
mornings and evenings.
· Greens were verticut, top-dressed,
brushed and fertilized this week. Verticutting and top-dressing with sand aides
in the elimination of grain, smooths the putting surface and firms the greens.
All of this provides a quality putting surface for our golfers.
· The new beverage stations were
installed this week at the bathrooms on Hole 4 and Hole 14. Unfortunately,
there was an issue with one of the new ice machines and we anticipate having
that issue resolved early next week. There are a few small details to finish
next week including touching up some paint, replacing the bathroom signs and
the addition of colorful flowers. Overall, it is a great improvement.
· Trimming continued on Holes 12 and 13
this week and we will continue on Holes 14 and 15 next week as we progress
throughout the course. The trimming removes woody material and allows for new
fresh growth to occur.
· Compliments to our mechanic, Roman
Gomez, for continuing to organize his office and a multitude of nuts, bolts,
washers and various parts that he uses to keep our equipment operating. His new
office, as part of the building renovation, has been improved with cabinets and
storage bins to allow him to keep everything in plain sight and improve
ordering and efficiency. It has been a tedious task but is now nearing
completion.
· Our tees were sprayed with a
combination of liquid fertilizers and a seaweed extract this week. The
liquified seaweed provides organic substances to our soil that has proven to be
extremely beneficial to root growth and ultimately improved turf health.
· All Fairways will be sprayed over the
coming days to continue to improve turf health and provide necessary nutrients.
It is critical to allow the turf to strengthen as much as possible during the
growing months so that it can withstand the cooler weather and increased golf
cart traffic that will soon be upon us.
· Please remember that the golf course
will be closed for 3 consecutive days – September 10, 11 and 12. These days
will be used to aerify the greens and granular fertilize the entire golf
course.
· The St. Augustine grass was treated
with an insecticide this week to control an outbreak of Chinch Bugs that are
damaging to the turf. It will take a week or two for the turf to fully recover
and regrow in some of the thin areas.
· The golf course superintendent Best
Management Practices training was a great success this week with over 40 local Superintendents
and Assistants attending the class. Our local Chapter leads the State in
certified applicators, and I am proud that Copperleaf supports this event by
providing a central location. Thank you to the Food and Beverage staff for
their efforts. It is greatly appreciated.
· This week I have requested that
Estero Fire replace any missing reflectors used to identify the fire hydrants
throughout the property. Likewise, I have requested Bonita Springs Utilities to
repaint the deteriorated fire hydrants throughout the Community as their current
condition is less than ideal. I am hopeful for a quick response from both
parties.
· You never know what you might see out
on the golf course every day, however, I came across this 'hazard' as I was
spraying the red hazard paint to the lake banks last week on Hole 18. Be
careful out there!