Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Course Closure Update #1

Due to the Corona Virus, the Copperleaf Board of Directors unanimously voted to close the golf course for play on Wednesday, March 25. The Board will be meeting routinely to determine a date to re-open the golf course and other Club amenities.

The course closure has enabled golf course maintenance to commence its usual summer cultural practices now and instead, will remain open for play in July, when the course was scheduled to be closed for 3-weeks. Other scheduled course closings will be reviewed including the Wednesday closings, scheduled to start in May and end in September and the 3-day course closure scheduled for September. The Board of Directors and General Manager, Traci Bichalski, are committed to getting our members back out onto the golf course and utilizing the clubhouse and recreational facilities as soon as possible once the Corona Virus concerns have subsided.

Following is a summary of golf maintenance activities that have occurred since the closure:

Wednesday 3/25/20

  • Rough mowers had their height lowered to 1.5 inches
  • The entire golf course was mowed (Tees, Approaches, Fairways and Roughs)
  • Greens were verticut in 2 directions in preparation for aerification on Thursday
  • All cart signs and stakes were removed from the golf course
  • All cups were removed from putting greens and filled with sand
  • Equipment was prepared for the cultural practices
Carlos Vega Double Verticutting Greens

Silvestre Flores Blowing Debris off Greens


Thursday 3/26/20
  • Greens were mowed
  • Greens Perimeters were edged
  • Greens were verticut again to reduce thatch and thin the turf ahead of the aerifiers
  • All greens were aerified with 5/8's tines and all plugs picked up and removed
  • Sprinkler heads were edged throughout the entire golf course
  • Garden Beds were edged to stop encroachment of bermudagrass into the pine straw
  • Rough continued to be mowed
  • Equipment was prepared for the cultural practices
Friday 3/27/20
  • Tees, Collars and Approaches were mowed
  • Greens were topdressed with sand
  • Greens were fertilized with an organic fertilizer - Naturesafe
  • Greens were brushed to move the sand and fertilizer into the aerification holes
  • Greens were rolled to smooth the putting surface
  • Rough continued to be mowed
  • Fairways were mowed
  • Weeds were sprayed with a herbicide in the garden beds
  • Goose Grass, a weed, was pulled from Fairways
  • Tennis and Bocce courts were raked to maintain their surface and eliminate algae build up
  • Trimming commenced on Firebush, Thryallis, Jasmine and Silver Buttonwoods
  • We continue to catch Moles on the golf course!
Greens aerified and holes filled with sand

 Mole damage Hole 12 Green walk up

This Mole will not be bothering me anymore!


Saturday 3-28-20
  • Hourly employees are working 40 hours per week - 6:30 to 3 PM each weekday to eliminate overtime. Know work on the golf course today.
  • Our mechanics worked for a few hours preparing equipment for Monday morning
  • Tina Fry inspected the golf course and irrigation requirements in the morning
  • Front 9 Fairway and Approach perimeters were marked with paint to define the mow lines prior to verticutting on Monday
Hole 9 - Saturday 3-28-20

Sunday 3-29-20

  • Tina Fry inspected the golf course and irrigation requirements in the morning
  • Back 9 Fairway and Approach perimeters were marked with paint to define the mow lines prior to verticutting on Monday
Hole 16 - Sunday 3-29-20

Monday 3-30-20
  • Collars of all Greens were fraze mowed to eliminate "sand damming". The turf is scalped with a machine to reduce raised areas that prevent heavy rainfall exiting the playing surface and to also improve the transition from the approach to the putting surface.
  • Tees, Collars and Approaches were mowed
  • Fairways were mowed
  • Rough continues to be mowed
  • All Tees were aerified with 7/8's tines, brushed, blown and vacuumed
  • Verticutting of Fairways commenced
  • Fairway debris was blown into wind rows and vacuumed
  • Golf course plant trimming continued
  • Greens were topdressed with sand to fill remaining aerification holes
  • Greens were brushed and rolled
  • Deep solid tining of fairways commenced with 3/4" tines penetrating the soil 6 inches deep. This relieves compaction and improved turf health.
 Tina Fry and Ricardo Gomez Fraze Mowing Collars

Hole 3 Collar Fraze Mowed

Flavio Lopez Aerifying Tees

Raul Sanchez Verticutting Fwys

Verticut Debris on Hole 3

Jose Membreno Blowing debris to be vacuumed

Tuesday 3-31-20
  • Trimming plants continued on the golf course 
  • Deep solid tining of fairways continued. This is a very slow process with only 3 or 4 fairways completed in one day - Thank you Julio!
  • Rough continued to be mowed
  • Verticutting of Fairways continued
  • Front 9 Approaches were aerified with 7/8's tines
  • Front 9 Approaches were brushed, blown and vacuumed
  • Circle cutting of Fairways started on Hole 1, 2 and 3
Hole 8 Approach - Aerified

 
Hole 11 Approach being aerified bt Lena Tovar

Hole 14 Fairway 3-31-20

It certainly has been an extremely busy week and I can't thank my staff enough for their efforts and willingness to get all of these tasks completed. It has been great to see so many of our members enjoying the golf course after our work has been completed for the day. Please remember to be careful as there is often times spilled sand and debris on the course that is yet to be cleaned up. Also, for the bikers, please remember to stop at the stop signs as you cross the roads going from one Hole to the next. I look forward to providing updates on our cultural practices and progress.

DDS

3 comments:

  1. can you suggest anything we can do about moles on our property? Do you know does Lowes or someone sell traps like the ones you use?

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  2. David,
    Hats off to you and your team! It’s impressive to see all the hard work that goes into making our course so beautiful.
    Walking the course path in the evening and on weekends is a much welcomed activity. Have to say I am more receptive to the course’s beauty when I’m not focused on directing that silly white ball.
    Thank you again!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unbelievable all the work that you and your team perform! Love seeing the work being done. It makes me feel like I am not alone in this rather difficult situation. God bless you and all your staff! Job well done!!!!!

    ReplyDelete