FYI 12-20-19

12/20/19

Golf Maintenance FYI

·         David Dore-Smith will be the Manager on duty this weekend. I will be taking some time off next week to enjoy some time with my father, John, who is visiting from Australia, for the next two weeks.

·         On behalf of the golf maintenance department, I would like to say thank you to all the members that contributed to the employee Christmas Fund. Our staff were so thankful and appreciative of your generosity. It truly makes Copperleaf such a special place to work when you feel appreciated by your employer. Thank you so much.

·         Unfortunately, I have been noticing some Bermudagrass Mite activity, particularly in the rough. The turf grass is becoming thin in these areas and has a straw-like appearance. Although not as prevalent as last season, the damage is still noticeable. We will be treating the affected areas with the appropriate products over the coming weeks to prevent further damage.

·         All Common Grounds were mowed and edged this week in preparation for the Christmas Holiday next week.

·         All bunkers were edged this week to maintain a defined edge and improved appearance.

·         We have been adding some additional pine straw throughout the golf course from our own stockpile and will continue to do so into the New Year to complete the application. Hole s 1, 2 , 11 and 12 still need to be completed.

·         A small leak has been identified in the BSU waterline in the wall of the bathroom on Hole 14. The concrete will have to be chiseled out behind the building to locate the leak and attempt to make a repair. We plan to undertake this arduous task next week.

·         We continue to have many of our staff enjoying their remaining vacation days over the next 2 weeks. In fact, we have 7 staff members away enjoying time with their families. With turf growth slowing down substantially, it is a good time of year for our staff to take a much-deserved break.

·         Overall, the golf course remains in very good condition. We have received some welcome rain over the past week that not only helps the health of the turf grass but also helps raise the water level of the lakes. Please note that we are expecting some additional rain on Sunday and into Monday so please plan accordingly.

·         The golf course maintenance staff wish the members of Copperleaf a wonderful Christmas and hope that you will be enjoying the day with family and friends.

FYI 12-13-19

12/13/19

Golf Maintenance FYI

·         David Forrey will be the Manager on duty this weekend

·         The greens were verticut on Monday morning to improve the turf health and to improve green speeds. They were then top-dressed and spiked on Thursday during the blocked tee times. Unfortunately, we received 4/10’s of an inch of rain that prevented us from completing Holes 16 and 17 completely. On these two greens, there was some clumping of sand that was not brushed in and rolled leaving a difficult time for those golfers that played later in the afternoon to putt accurately. I apologize for the conditions on these two greens and the inconvenience it caused.

·         All greens perimeters were edged this week to help prevent intrusion on to the putting surface from the Celebration bermudagrass. The edging also helps to define the greens perimeters and to assist with our mowers early in the morning to clearly know where the boundary is.

·         There was an issue with the greens fertilizer application last week that has caused some visual discoloration. One of the holes in the hopper that drops the fertilizer onto the spreader was blocked causing an uneven application. Once identified, additional fertilizer was applied in the missed areas and I expect to see a uniform appearance within a few days. The one positive out of this issue is that it proves that the fertilizer we are using is working effectively. I assure you that it is simply a visual issue and not one that is going to affect putting.

Some discoloration seen here on Hole 2 putting green

·         We have completed the remediation of soil erosion areas throughout the course. A combination of new soil, riprap and new plants have been used to help prevent future erosion from occurring.

·         We have been adding some additional pine straw throughout the golf course from our own stockpile and will continue to do so into the New Year to complete the application.

·         We continue to have many of our staff enjoying their remaining vacation days over the next 3 weeks. With turf growth slowing down substantially, it is a good time of year for our staff to take a much-deserved break.

·         Thank you to David Forrey for working to clean up the nursery area at Golf Maintenance. The area was quite unsightly with left over debris from the building project. We will be adding sprinklers and turf to the area at the beginning of the year to improve appearances.

·         I added some Poinsettia’s purchased at Costco to the front entrance of the Clubhouse door on Monday. The plants provide a nice addition to the Clubhouse entry.

A warm and festive appearance greets you as you enter the Club

·         Our employees enjoyed a wonderful night at Palmira this week to celebrate their hard work during the year. It was great to see them dressed up out of uniform and with their significant other. Thank you for this great event.

·         The two Osprey have been busy this week which is exciting to see. I am hopeful we will see some eggs being laid in the coming weeks.

Dinner for two?? The Osprey are enjoying some fresh fish

·         There was a water leak on Carraway Lakes Drive this week caused by tree roots girdling the BSU air relief valve. BSU was quick to respond and repair the pipe.

There was a spectacular sunrise on Friday, December 13 at the Practice Area

FYI 12/6/19

12/6/19

Golf Maintenance FYI

·         Tina Fry will be the Manager on duty this weekend and will have everything ready for the Men’s 1 PM Shotgun on Saturday.

·         The greens had a granular fertilizer containing both Nitrogen and Potassium applied to them on Tuesday to keep them healthy and growing as we enter the cooler months and increased golfer traffic. The greens are in very good condition and are receiving many compliments from members and guests.

·         All Fairways were sprayed with a liquid fertilizer and natural fungicide, a mineral oil, on Monday to help promote new growth and recovery from cart traffic.

Hole 10 – December 4, 2019

·         All shrubs around the Clubhouse and Common Grounds were fertilized with a controlled release fertilizer during the week. This application will help promote flowering and new growth over the coming months.

·         We have been continuing with soil erosion areas throughout the course. A combination of new soil, riprap and new plants have been used to help prevent future erosion from occurring.

·         All fire hydrants have been refurbished throughout the Community. This included paint removal, new nuts, bolts and washers and a fresh coat of paint. Compliments to Bonita Springs Utilities for their excellent work – it truly makes a difference as you drive around the property.

·         The pine straw has been applied to the golf course during the week and looks great. A few areas remain to be completed at the beginning of the new year.

·         The decorative bridges were pressure washed and cleaned during the week. I personally completed one of the bridges as my staff were a little concerned on how it was to be done. Compliments to Emanuel Vega for his assistance in getting in the boat and to Doug Garcia and Lena Tovar for helping from the shore.

Pressure washing Hole 4 Bridge

·         It is exciting to see some extra activity in the Osprey nest over the past couple of days. Fingers crossed that these two “love” birds procreate, and we can watch the nesting process.

Our Osprey, a female on the left has found a companion, a male, on the right

·         A vehicle hit a cart crossing sign on Thursday night and has not yet reported the incident. Debris collected from the site indicates that it was a 2015 to 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe or Chevrolet Suburban. I will order a new sign in early January 2020.

The damaged sign found early Friday morning

·         There are going to be many of our staff enjoying their remaining vacation days over the next 4 weeks. With turf growth slowing down substantially, it is a good time of year for our staff to take a much-deserved break.

·         I was able to provide a donated outdoor table and chairs to the staff working at the poolside café during the week. They will be able to use these to have their lunch and have a place to sit down out of view from the Members. The staff were very appreciative.

·         Overall, the golf course remains in good condition. There is some cooler weather forecast for the coming week which will have a negative effect on our warm season grass. I encourage all members to respect the golf course by filling divots, repairing ball marks, keeping 4 wheels on the path around Tees and Greens and driving in the Fairways and not the rough. With your help, the turf will remain in great condition for all to enjoy.

The sunrise to the left of Hole 9 December 4, 2019

FYI 11/29/19

11/29/19

Golf Maintenance FYI

·         David Forrey is the manager on duty this weekend.

·         The golf course was fertilized with a granular product last Thursday to help maintain the color and health of the turf.

·         All Tees were sprayed with a liquid fertilizer and natural fungicide today, Friday, to help with their recovery from the disease we experienced several weeks ago. Fairways will be sprayed on Monday.

·         All greens were fertilized with a granular potassium product on Tuesday after the morning shotgun. The potassium helps with plant strength and minimizes drought stress. Our greens are in excellent condition and have been receiving many compliments. I appreciate the efforts of our mechanic, Roman Gomez, for his extra attention in keeping the mowers adjusted and sharp daily.

·         Our Tee and Approach mowers have had smooth rollers installed on them, replacing the grooved rollers used during the growing months. The smooth rollers help protect the turf especially where the mowers turn and can potentially dig in. In January our fairway mowers will have smooth rollers installed on them.

·         We have been concentrating on detailing the golf course with trimming, edging and cleaning. Everything from flagsticks to Out-Of-Bounds stakes and Street signs have been sprayed and wiped down. As the saying goes; “The difference is in the details!”

·         Thank you to Tina Fry for her suggestion on cleaning the white Out-Of-Bounds stakes that were showing signs of Algae forming on them.

·         Thank you to Ricardo Gomez for repairing an erosion area near the Blue Tee on Hole 16. The soil had washed away creating a dangerous and unsightly area. The soil was pulled back and riprap installed to prevent future issues.

·         Thank you to Carlos Martinez for trimming Palm Trees throughout the course to provide more sunlight to the turf under them. All Palm trees are scheduled to be trimmed in July next year.

·         There are going to be many of our staff enjoying their remaining vacation days over the next 5 weeks. With turf growth slowing down substantially, it is a good time of year for our staff to take a much-deserved break.

·         Overall, the golf course remains in good condition. There is some cooler weather forecast for the coming week which will have a negative effect on our warm season grass. I encourage all members to respect the golf course by filling divots, repairing ball marks, keeping 4 wheels on the path around Tees and Greens and driving in the Fairways and not the rough. With your help, the turf will remain in great condition for all to enjoy.