April 2023 GCM Update

The CMGA Men's Invitational was a tremendous success this year, and capped off a wonderful season of golf at Copperleaf. As the temperatures continue to increase and the rains begin to fall, we shift our turfgrass focus from general maintenence to cultural practices. This includes verticutting, topdressing, aerification and all of the beneficial practices that provide us with fantastic year-round playing conditions. The rate of growth tremendously increases this time of the year, not only on the golf course turfgrass, but landscape material as well. This requires a shorter interval of time between mowings and trimmings, greatly increasing our work intensity. 

#18 Green on the final day of the CMGA Men's Invitational

The Men's Invitational concluded with a highly competitive shootout on #18

Prior to April 12th, we had accumulated a grand total of 0.23 inches of rain for 2023 - well below average. The lakes were extremely low and the golf course was in desperate need of rainfall. Between April 12th and April 17th we were fortunate enough to receive a total of 2 inches of rainfall which saturated the soil profile and provided us with a nice flush. The turfgrass on the golf course now has a much more uniform appearance and the lakes have filled up with enough water to get us through the rainy season. 

We are currently in the process of identifying tee markers to use for our yellow, forward tees. You may notice some different options on holes #1, #2, and #3 as we gather feedback and ultimately decide on the best long-term solution to effectively identify this teeing ground. 

As mentioned in the March update, we are currently in the process of completing our recertification for our Aubudon Cooperative Sanctuary designation. This process includes case studies, backup documentation, application logs, scouting reports and other ways to demonstrate our high standard of environmental stewardship at Copperleaf. We have recently completed the installation of our butterfly garden, which is located between holes #3 and #4, to the right of the bridge before #4 tee. We filled this area with a variety of pollinating plants such as milkweed, lantana, sage, firespike, firebush, sweet almond, powderpuff, passion vine, blue daze, tibochina, hibiscus and jasmine. The butterfly population has already increased in this area, and we are hopeful that this area provides a suitable habitat for years to come. 

Butterfly Garden located between #3 Green and #4 Tee

Next week, we will be adding pinestraw to key areas around greens and tees. This application is scheduled every spring and will enhance aesthetics in addition to providing erosion and weed control. 

Lastly, I wanted to share an infographic developed by the USGA and GCSAA to serve as a reminder to always do your best to leave the golf course in better shape than you found it. The Golf Course Maintenance team works very hard to provide high quality playing conditions, and we greatly appreciate your help in practicing proper course etiquette.

As always, feel free to email any questions or comments to parkerf@copperleafgc.com.

Please enjoy a few photos below that were taken over the past month!