3-26-2023

Good Morning,

The past week I arrived home, from vacation, with a sense of excitement.  The days were getting closer to my predicted opening date of March 9.  I toured the golf course on Wednesday morning and was very pleased with the condition of the golf course.  So much snow had melted by the time I was back and the water was making its way off the golf course into our streams and ponds.  There was minimal ice standing on greens or low areas of the course.  

 3-22-23.jpg

Thursday morning I was surprised to awake to 3″ of new snow cover on the ground.  It looked like another round of the magical winter wonderland we have seen so much of the past five months.  By the end of the day most of the snow had melted and turned into additional moisture for the ground.  All of the moisture is truly a blessing with dry conditions these past two years. 

 3-23-23.jpg

It has been a long winter with snow cover since the middle of November.  Our first winter storm dropped 3″ of snow on November 14.  We eventually had freezing rain that remained under the snow all winter.  It was an extended time to have ice cover on the greens without having concerns of possible turf damage.  

The putting green surfaces look great.  There is plenty of moisture throughout the soil profile and the turf plants look very stress free at this time.  The grass looks to be ready for spring golf weather.  Hopefully the weather continues to show no extreme temperature fluctuations.  That type of weather could cause a lot of turf issues at this time of the year.  Warmer nights will continue to push the frost level lower in the soil profile.

I’m hopeful the golf course will be open for play in the next couple of weeks.  The weather patterns can change and conditions can go from optimal to setting us back in a matter of days.  Once the course becomes ready for cart traffic the driving range will be open soon followed by the golf course.  

The golf simulator has been rented several times this past week.  I plan to have a set schedule to have the machine available during the off season.  I will schedule more time for part time staff to work in the clubhouse so it doesn’t limit the availability.  

This coming week some of the part time staff will return to work as we finish preparations for the season to begin.  Painting of amenity items needs to be completed along with some final equipment set up practices.  There are also branches around the golf course that need to be cleaned up.  Waterways need to be cleaned of debris.  Several ash trees, infected with EAB, need to be removed from the golf course.  The clubhouse hours will be more flexible as well.

Lastly, don’t forget about the 2023 Virtual Membership Drive deadline of April 15.  Pay your fees by this date and you will be enrolled in a gift certificate drawing.  Everyone can use a gift certificate now and again.  Payments can be made online, at city hall, or in the clubhouse.

 2023 Virtual Membership Drive (2).jpg

Enjoy the remainder of your day.  If there are any questions or the need for further information please get in touch with me.

Brian C Mohr

Director of Golf Operations

City of Spencer

101 W 5th Street

Spencer Municipal Golf Course

Spencer, Iowa 51301

712-260-5370

www.spencermunigolf.com

3-19-2023

Good Morning,

I have been on vacation since Tuesday of this week.  I traveled to Tucson to volunteer at The Gallery Golf Club.  My father in law, Murray Hart, was a member at this golf course until the time of his passing in 2021.  He always volunteered at the PGA events held here in the 2000’s.  Tiffany and I were fortunate enough to be chosen to volunteer this week for the LIV golf league event.

Political views and stances will most likely play a huge part in where people stand with the development of the LIV golf league.  I don’t, in general, let politics affect the majority of my life decisions and I was personally honored to be chosen to follow in my father in law’s steps of volunteering at this beautiful golf course.

On Thursday morning everyone met in the maintenance facility at 4:00 am for the daily debriefing.  We started off raking debris from the island desert areas along the cart paths.  Once the sun was closer to popping up behind the mountains everyone started their mowers and headed to hole 18.   

 The Gallery clean up.jpg

Tiffany and I mowed the intermediate cut of rough on the golf course Thursday thru Sunday mornings.  About 6:10 each morning there was just enough sunlight to see where you were mowing and off we went.  Hole 18 was completed then everyone moved to hole 1 and continued in progression through 17.  We were gathered on 18 waiting patiently to start the process each morning.

 The Gallery waiting to start.jpg

The intermediate cut is also sometimes called the “first cut” of rough.  It is a single mower pass completed between the fairway cut and the primary rough.  At The Muni we use our 6″ outfront mower to complete this cut of rough.  It allows a smooth transition between the fairway and primary rough and gives the player a little better area of turf when they miss the fairway by a couple of feet.  

The cup changing process is quite intricate and time consuming when it’s a professional golf event.  A towel is laid on the green to eliminate any foot printing around the hole.  Multiple side views are taken once the cup cutter is started to ensure it is perfectly level.  Many golf balls are dropped and rolled around the area to visualize where a slightly missed shot will end up.  A lot of people provide a lot of information for something as simple as changing a cup in a time frame of about 20 minutes per hole.

 The Gallery changing cups.jpg

All sand traps are hand raked in the bottom of the trap and up the sides keeping perfect uniformity throughout the entire trap.  Motorized trap rakes are used to smooth the desert areas on each hole.  They never use anything but hand rakes on the course itself.

 The Gallery #17.jpg

Every hole has five separate tee boxes for players of all skill levels to enjoy the golf course.  Quite a few new tee boxes were constructed for the LIV event to lengthen the course to over 7500 yards playing to par of 71.  The 7th tee has a large Saguaro Cacti right off the side that has taken a lot of golf balls over the years.  Some are still embedded inside.

 The Gallery #7.jpg

The par three 8th hole is playing at 171 yards for the players this weekend.  I think it is a pretty neat looking view where you need to carry all of that yardage unless you want to be in a lot of trouble.

 The Gallery #8.jpg

About 9:45 each morning approximately 70 maintenance workers lined up and waited for a police escort down Dove Mountain Blvd back to the maintenance facility.  We went down the boulevard so there was no interference with the golfers and spectators and players around the clubhouse and practice facility.  Crazy enough, I ended up leading the pack on day two.

 The Gallery police escort.jpg

So, I share a lot of this information because it is so difficult to comprehend the amount of staffing it takes to operate this golf course at such a high level.  Additionally to the staff, all the volunteers that showed up to make every maintenance practice able to be completed every single day.  The entire course was maintained every single day.

When you come to play at The Muni or any other area golf course we are operating with a handful or two of maintenance employees on a controlled budget.  Everything that is done on a golf course takes time and costs money.  We try to provide our golfing community with a high quality, cost effective, and entertaining place to spend their recreational time.  

I’m getting ready to go back out and take one more trip around The Gallery mowing some intermediate rough, hopefully watch some great golf, and continue to visit with local and nationwide turf professionals trying to provide a great playing field for this event.  When I get back home my staff and I will continue to do the same thing for you!  

Check out the event on CWTV if you want to watch a few minutes and get a glimpse of the course.  Enjoy the remainder of the weekend and I will see you in a couple of days. 

Brian C Mohr

Director of Golf Operations

City of Spencer

101 W 5th Street

Spencer Municipal Golf Course

Spencer, Iowa 51301

712-260-5370

www.spencermunigolf.com

3-12-2023

Good Morning,

Weather conditions continue to remind us winter is not ready to change seasons in 2023.  On a positive note, we have a lot of snow that has melted off the golf course and the new 4″ of snow should not stick around very long.  All in all, the moisture is extremely beneficial to the golf course and our community.  Golf season will arrive very soon.

 3-12-2023.jpg

This past week I attended the South Dakota Turf Conference in Sioux Falls.  It was a great event with some of the best speakers in the nation.  I was able to have some great conversations with a lot of vendors and fellow golf course professionals.  My dad was also the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the GCSA of SD.  It was a very proud moment for myself and my dad.

 GCSA of SD award.jpg

I spent several hours with an irrigation specialist through the Toro Company.  We covered a lot of topics in regard to our irrigation needs at The Muni.  We plan to schedule an on site visit in April to further discuss the needs we face to get our irrigation system functioning efficiently.  

I also sat down with our Toro equipment salesman and discussed the difficulties we face with equipment purchases in this day and age.  I ordered a new rough unit and sprayer in the spring of 2022.  The rough unit is scheduled to arrive in late july 2023.  The sprayer is still now showing up on the delivery timeline.  It’s hard to comprehend how difficult it has become to purchase equipment no matter what the industry might be.  Crazy.

This upcoming week I will be going on vacation.  I will be available by cell phone or email as long as my phone has reception at the top of whatever mountain I’m climbing.  Enjoy the remainder of your weekend.

 No Snow.jpg

Brian C Mohr

Director of Golf Operations

City of Spencer

101 W 5th Street

Spencer Municipal Golf Course

Spencer, Iowa 51301

712-260-5370

www.spencermunigolf.com

3-5-2023

Good Morning,

The past week started off with .4″ of rainfall, lots of snow melting, and heavy surface drainage running throughout SW Spencer.  I very much appreciated everyone who reached out to me or city hall with concerns of flooding along 4th Ave SW and the Stoneybrook housing.  We were able to coordinate with Public Works to develop a game plan and proceed with controlling the situation very quickly.

Substantial winter snowfall leads to a lot of concerns once it starts melting.  When rainfall gets added to the equation it speeds the process up and creates a damming effect in all our waterways.  One of the biggest problem areas was all the snow pushed into the ditch along 4th Ave SW.  This created a giant cork that would not allow water to flow through the tiles and drains.  

 4th Ave SW (2) 2-27-23.jpg

 #15 tee drainage area 2-27-23.jpg

Three excavators were brought onto the property and the process of cleaning out the ditch was under way.  This allowed the tiles and surface drainage to flow freely through the area and standing water levels subsided.  It was a great job done by Public Works in an extremely timely manner.

 Snow Removal 2-27-23.jpg

 4th Ave SW 2-27-23.jpg

Warmer temperatures continue to lessen the amount of snowfall around the golf course.  This is always a very concerning time for me due to the heavy presence of ice throughout the grounds especially on the greens.  It’s so surprising as I look at pictures taken every three or four days to actually visualize the progress of the melting process through Mother Nature.

 #13 on 2-27-23.jpg

 #12 3-2-23.jpg

 PG on 3-4-23.jpg

 #18 on 3-4-23.jpg

I had golfers scheduled on the simulator Wednesday afternoon and Saturday night this past week.  For the future, I would like to set a schedule for clubhouse hours during the off season.  This will take some work to have part time staffing available to make this schedule work.  As for now I am trying to be available as much as possible for simulator reservations.

This upcoming week will be the completion of my Advanced EMT course through ILCC for the Spencer Fire Department.  It has been a very long course but so well worth every minute.  I was fortunate to be allowed to do clinical hours at Spencer Hospital the past several weeks.  Their staff was so amazing with offering advice and educating me.  I look forward to applying these skills within our community during times of need.

I will be attending the South Dakota Turf Conference for a couple of days.  This is another great opportunity to listen to some of the best speakers available in the turf industry and more importantly the networking opportunities are endless.  

I have moved the golf board meeting to Monday, March 13 since I will be gone to the conference on March 6, the regularly scheduled meeting time.  If we cannot get enough members together to make this meeting happen then I will send out an email update covering all agenda items and ask for individual feedback from the golf board.

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend.  Spring is inching closer day by day.  I’m still hopeful my opening date prediction of March 29 is possible.  If it doesn’t happen I will simply blame it on the weather!  Have a great day!

Brian C Mohr

Director of Golf Operations

City of Spencer

101 W 5th Street

Spencer Municipal Golf Course

Spencer, Iowa 51301

712-260-5370

www.spencermunigolf.com

2-26-2023

Good Morning,

Before I start to talk about the weather I want to touch on handicaps and choice of tee boxes.  Hopefully this will give everyone a better understanding of tee box selection and how your handicap is adjusted based on tee selection.

Below I have attached the tee information for The Muni.  The course is rated from all six tee choices for men.  It is also rated for three tee choices for ladies.  It shows the different slope ratings and how your handicap should be adjusted to which tees you play.  This is based on handicap index which nobody will have unless they have an official GHIN handicap.  

 Spencer Municipal Golf Course – CH Tables.pdf

This would be “for instance” to try and give you an example of how changing the choice of tees affects your handicap.  If your handicap index is 20.1 then you would play from the red tees with a 17 handicap for 18 holes.  If you played from the green tees your handicap would be 8.  If you played from the yellow tees your handicap would be 5.  Simply go to the tees of your choice, follow down to locate your handicap index, look to the right and you have your handicap for those tees.

My personal handicap index is 5.6.  I go to whichever set of tees I plan to play from that day and locate where 5.6 handicap index is listed.  Off to the right will tell me what my handicap is for the day from that set of tees.  If I played from the black tees my handicap would be 6.  If I played from the yellow tees my handicap would be +9.  I would have to shoot 78 from the black tees to meet my handicap.  I would have to shoot 63 from the green tees to meet my handicap.

I plan to meet with the golf leagues to help golfers understand it is ok to play from a set of tees forward of where they have played in the past.  Their current handicap can be adjusted to make sure the “strokes given” are still fair if they are in league or a match.  It will make it a lot more enjoyable for everyone!

We were fortunate to only receive a few inches of snow during this last blizzard forecast.  It’s definitely been a very long winter and we are all most likely feeling a little restless.  My records show recorded snowfall on 41 days since November 14.  It’s been a while since we had a normal NW Iowa winter like this one.

The off season is a time to work on equipment and start planning for the next season.  There are still a few small repairs to complete but I will need some assistance from the mechanics at the street division.  Even Caddie is getting restless and continues to follow me around the shop telling me how tired she is of being inside.  I think we all probably feel the same way.

 Shop Caddie.jpg

The forecast is calling for rainfall tonight and tomorrow with possible flooding.  We will be monitoring our waterways, drains, and tiles to make sure surface water is not getting out of control.  Please send me an email if you start to see problem areas developing in the next few days.

I’ve been enrolled in an AEMT class, two nights a week, through ILCC since the start of November.  I am currently a firefighter/EMT with our SFD and the AEMT certification will allow me to provide a higher level of patient care for our community.  It’s been a very valuable class that has helped me sharpen my current skill set while expanding into the next level.

Currently I’m spending clinical hours at the hospital gaining experience and education in these areas of AEMT.  I will still be at the hospital for a couple of days this coming week to gain more contact time with patients.  I hope to have everything wrapped up in the next couple of weeks.

We still continue to go through the hiring process to get all of our seasonal clubhouse and grounds maintenance employees ready for the 2023 golf season.  It doesn’t feel like it right now but spring will be here before we know it and everyone will be itching to get outside.  Completing the hiring steps early will ensure all our staff is ready to go when Mother Nature decides we can start taking tee times.

Please reach out with any questions or comments so they can be discussed or addressed in a timely manner.  Enjoy the sunshine today!

Brian C Mohr

Director of Golf Operations

City of Spencer

101 W 5th Street

Spencer Municipal Golf Course

Spencer, Iowa 51301

712-260-5370

www.spencermunigolf.com

2-19-2023

Good Morning,

This past week I attended the turfgrass conference in Des Moines.  The annual event gathers together turfgrass professionals ranging from golf course, athletic fields, and park and recreation to name a few.  There are education topics throughout the day but the most valuable part of the event is the networking.  There is no comparison to sharing ideas with other leaders in turf to find out new tricks to the trade.

This year the Iowa Golf Course Superintendents Association recognized my dad, Chuck Mohr, with the lifetime achievement award.  This award is given to an individual who has dedicated their life to this industry while making a significant impact on their peers and the profession.  My dad has spent close to 60 years sharing his passion for golf courses with others.  

There were quite a few golf course superintendents on hand whose professional lives have been affected by my dad.  It was a very proud moment for everyone involved.  Below is a picture of our family during the award ceremony:

 IGCSA 2-15-23.JPG

There was rainfall total of .75″ earlier in the week which caused a lot of snow to melt.  The tops of the greens and tees are now visible from a distance with a layer of ice on top.  This has caused a lot of surface drainage around the golf course.  The irrigation pond is already at capacity.  Further snow melting will cause overflow into the waterway.

 irrigation pond 2-17-23.jpg

The days when the temperatures drop well below freezing causes a lot of this standing water to freeze and create a heavy ice barrier on top of the turf.  These are the conditions that really need to be monitored.  The ice can cause damage if temperatures start to fluctuate up and down. Below are some pictures along the SE side of the golf course

 #13 approach 2-17-23.jpg

 to #6 green 2-17-23.jpg

 #13 fairway 2-17-23.jpg

Another big concern is the drains and tile outlets around the golf course.  These areas will continue to be monitored to keep the threat of flooding under control.  Heavy snow accumulation, surface drainage, and ice can wreak havoc on controlling the proper drainage from the golf course.  We will be working with Public Works and other city staff to stay on top of things.

I spent some time working on our website, www.spencermunigolf.com, to get some updates completed.  After quite a bit of technical support, our golfers are now able to pay for their fees online with a credit card.  I have also attached a link to our Quality Standards and Operations Manual.  There will be a few more improvements completed this coming week.

Golf season is inching closer to us as spring appears right around the corner.  I am currently hoping the weather cooperates and we can have the golf course open by the end of March.  Please pay for your 2023 fees and get registered for our 2023 Virtual Membership Drive.

 2023 Virtual Membership Drive.jpg

Enjoy the sunshine and warmer temperatures today.  Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like further information on a topic.

Brian C Mohr

Director of Golf Operations

City of Spencer

101 W 5th Street

Spencer Municipal Golf Course

Spencer, Iowa 51301

712-260-5370

www.spencermunigolf.com

2-12-2023

Good Morning,

There has been a lot of snow melting this past week.  The drains around the golf course have been checked and cleared of snow in order to allow the water to drain off the golf course.  I will continue to monitor the drains to make sure the water flow is not impeded.

The new budget for 2023/24 has been discussed and will now be moving to the finance committee for review before final approval by the city council.  The golf course budget is pretty much reflected off projected revenues and a past comparison of expenses.  There were not a lot of changes in the new budget.

We have discussed multiple times over the past years about the potential of a clubhouse manager position at the golf course.  After gathering information and thorough discussions it does not seem feasible to have a year round position.  There is no possible way to justify the position in the off season.  We have added some additional staff for the 2023 season and will continue to monitor the situation moving forward.

The clubhouse hosted an event on Saturday night.  This was the last scheduled event for the month of February.  There are a couple smaller meetings planned in the clubhouse for the month of March.  The golf simulator has also been reserved on a limited basis.

Part time staff is currently being contacted to return for the 2023 golf season.  As mentioned there will be some additions in the clubhouse and on the grounds to help us provide a quality golf experience for our customers.  We are currently in the hiring process in order to have all staff on board when the golf season arrives.

The temperatures look to be nice in the coming days.  Enjoy the sunshine and think golf!  It will be here soon.

Brian C Mohr

Director of Golf Operations

City of Spencer

101 W 5th Street

Spencer Municipal Golf Course

Spencer, Iowa 51301

712-260-5370

www.spencermunigolf.com

2-6-2023

Good Morning,

The temperatures are starting to warm up a little bit and that should create the start of snow melting.  The temperatures don’t look very extreme for the upcoming week so that should allow the moisture to move into the waterways and ponds on the golf course.  This will help control an increase in ice present on the golf course.  Gradual thawing is a safer process for the turfgrass since it limits the high amounts of standing water in areas.

This coming week I will be going around the golf course to make sure all of our drains and tile lines are open and free of excess snow cover.  These areas will be the main source of adequate water movement off the golf course.

In the past we have seen a lot of ice build up in the driving range and south end of the golf course when the snow melts at a rapid pace.  These conditions can add to the water backing up in this area.  Keeping our drains and tile lines clear will definitely help in the beginning.  Continuous monitoring so these areas can be cleared promptly will help moving forward.

Several years ago we had very similar winter snowfall totals and the concern was we wouldn’t see Spring until May.  It turned out that rainfall became the biggest concern resulting in a lot of rapid snow melting, heavy surface drainage, and nowhere for the water to go naturally.  This resulted in water levels 12″ in depth down 4th Avenue SW along with high water levels in the SW part of town.  

City staff worked in a very prompt and productive manner during that particular year and I am confident we will all be monitoring the conditions very closely the next couple of months.

I have been going through our tree inventory master plan to try and create a treatment plan for our ash trees in 2023.  The golf course has purchased the necessary equipment to treat the trees showing little or no effects of Emerald Ash Borer.  This treatment process will start once the trees develop their leaves and a visual inspection can be made to see if the tree is exhibiting thinning in the crown.  Having a cost estimate will be helpful when deciding for treatment or removal. 

I will be meeting early next week with city staff to discuss the proposed golf course budget for 2023/24.  The budget has some slight increases in our season passes, green fees, cart rentals, along with food and drinks.  This slight increase across several areas will allow us to continue to operate in a successful manner and absorb the constant rising expense prices.

Capital Improvement Items will also be discussed in the very near future.  Equipment items have been very difficult to plan for with the increase in pricing reaching 20% in comparison to only a couple of years ago.  Another difficulty is waiting 12-18 months for delivery of the piece of equipment.  I placed two equipment orders one year ago to try and compensate for the long delay time and have the equipment available sometime in 2023.  

A reminder, we are conducting the 2023 Membership Drive for The Muni with a deadline of April 15.  By purchasing your season pass or green fee punch card you will be eligible for gift certificates awarded to the winners of the drawing. You don’t need to be present to win.

 2023 Virtual Membership Drive.jpg

I had a couple of reservations for the golf simulator this past week.  I’m trying to accommodate as many as possible while still hosting scheduled events in the clubhouse.  There is an event next weekend in the clubhouse and a couple more for early March.

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend.  

Brian C Mohr

Director of Golf Operations

City of Spencer

101 W 5th Street

Spencer Municipal Golf Course

Spencer, Iowa 51301

712-260-5370

www.spencermunigolf.com

1-29-2023

Good Morning,

Last night we hosted the retirement party for Julie Brehmer after 39 1/2 years as a dispatcher for the City of Spencer at our communications center.  Julie has served our community by operating the 911 system and helping protect the safety and well being of everyone.  What a blessing and a big thank you to Julie for all the years of dedicated service.  We enjoyed hosting your event!

The snow continues to pile up week by week.  This has to be one of the highest recorded snowfall winters in a long time.  Currently there is close to 6″ minimum of snow on the golf course greens.  It is much deeper in some areas.  There is approximately half an inch of ice underneath the snow due to multiple numbers of rain events this winter.  The snow and ice are always good for insulation to the turf but they also leave a lot of unknowns as we inch closer to spring.

 Practice Green 1-23-23.jpg

The University of Minnesota, along with quite a few other partners, started a winter turfgrass study several years ago.  The depth of their study has grown annually to help collect data from all over the United States and a few sites in Europe.  Spencer Municipal Golf Course has participated in this study the past three off seasons.  

This year turf sensors were placed underground on the practice green to help record a lot of vital information to relate weather conditions with turfgrass damage during the winter months.  I am able to track the sensors online with data updated every 30 minutes.  It’s extremely interesting to follow and I’m very curious to see the data at the completion of the winter months.

 winter turf.jpg

 winter turf 2.jpg

Trying to understand the effect of ice and snow on turfgrass has always been a very difficult process.  Information always varies depending on where the research was completed.   A common theme used to be 90 days of ice coverage would lead to turfgrass damage on a putting green surface.  Ice cover with snow cover on top is often thought to cause less issues because of the lack of sunlight hitting the ice.

At The Muni the majority of ice damage to turfgrass has been attributed to ice and air temperature.  We have not experienced turf loss from extended ice coverage during the winter in the 29 years I have been at the golf course.  We have experienced turf loss when the snow has melted and and formed large puddles on the green followed by severe temperature drop creating ice.  

The winter months in Iowa are always a difficult pattern to try and determine what is going to happen to our turf when the springtime arrives.  It is filled with personal stress along with stress on the turfgrass.  However, we are unable to control the different variables Mother Nature throws at us any time of the year.  This turfgrass study will hopefully provide us with a little better understanding as turfgrass professionals move forward each season.

It’s been a very long winter already.  One positive is the moisture is definitely needed by everyone in our community.  Enjoy the remainder of the weekend and think SPRING!

 April then May ’22.jpg

Brian C Mohr

Director of Golf Operations

City of Spencer

101 W 5th Street

Spencer Municipal Golf Course

Spencer, Iowa 51301

712-260-5370

www.spencermunigolf.com

1-22-2023

Good Morning,

This past week I was on vacation but did return in time to host an event in the clubhouse yesterday.  I am glad I missed out on the snow and cold temperatures at least for a little bit of time.  I didn’t play any golf, but I did do a lot of hiking in the mountains which I always love so much.  I attached a few pictures of the last day of hiking if you want to see the scenery.

 Last Hike.jpg

 Last Hike 2.jpg

 Last Hike 3.jpg

 The Sunset.jpg

 The schedule for the upcoming week will be to discuss golf course budget items and also to work on the Capital Improvement Plan purchases.  The Capital Improvement Plan focuses on the 23/24 budget but also schedules consideration for the four years following.  

Some of these equipment purchases include turf equipment ordered last summer.  Since COVID hit everyone feels the effect of delayed ordering status for almost everything.  Turf equipment is no different with it being 12-18 months out at the time of ordering.  It makes it difficult to forecast what these costs will be moving forward.  In the past two years there has been about a 20% increase in most turf equipment.

I would like to thank Public Works, the street division, and Mark Lawson for assisting with snow removal and ice on the golf course parking lots and sidewalks.  They helped clear the snow and control the slippery surfaces for the safety of the people attending the event last night.  Thank you very much to you guys!

The snow cover is always a great security blanket for the turfgrass at the golf course.  It provides insulation to the turf and prevents winter turfgrass desiccation.  The past few years have been very stressful on the turfgrass with minimal precipitation during the season and little snowfall in the winter.  I think we can all agree we have had enough snowfall for this off season.  I’m ready for it to stop snowing.

I will continue to work on equipment repairs and planning 2023 weekly maintenance schedules for the upcoming season.  We will have a couple of new faces working on the grounds as well as in the clubhouse.  Spring is right around the corner even though the corner might seem a long way away.

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend and please contact me with any questions, comments, or further information on a topic. 

Brian C Mohr

Director of Golf Operations

City of Spencer

101 W 5th Street

Spencer Municipal Golf Course

Spencer, Iowa 51301

712-260-5370

www.spencermunigolf.com