4-9-17

The weather has been so nice and traffic is picking up at the muni.  There has been a steady flow of golfers coming and going each day.  The season passes and cart fees have been steady each day as well.  Things are looking good right now.

Our golf course came through the winter very nicely.  However, there is turf where ice damage occurred during the crazy winter months.  It will be interesting to see how these areas react to warm weather and rainfall.  We will most likely need to do a bit of overseeding in some spots.

The past week included assembling the pump house and charging the irrigation system.  I was able to water the greens very early Saturday morning.  One of the foot valves, in the pump house, has an issue that will be further investigated on Monday.  There are a few other small issues that need to be addressed but overall irrigation system is functioning well.

I attended the pre construction meeting with Barry DeLoss Construction and all other involved parties on April 4.  The retention pond, east of the golf course, will begin in mid May.  Some of this fill material will be stockpiled on the south end of the golf course.  We will use this material to construct the berms on holes #5 and #11.

DeLoss will be on site in the fall to complete the drainage, tile, and retention work around the golf course pond.  I will coordinate the time frame to be as least disruptive to our golfing patrons as possible.  I will keep you informed as I know more about this project.

Lastly, I am exploring the standing water area around #16 green and #17 tees.  There is a lot of old farm tile that flows through the Stoney Brook development and onto the golf course.

Years ago, I had Denny Stevenson on site to repair some damaged tile and add the drains by #17 tees.  Mark White has helped steer me in the right direction to try and remedy this situation the best possible way.  Currently, I am waiting to have Denny Stevenson visit the golf course to get his professional opinion.  My staff and I are willing to help with the labor portion of the project.

It has been another busy week at the golf course.  They continue to go by so fast.  I guess sometimes a person needs to slow things down a bit in order to enjoy everything around them.  Take some time today to enjoy everything you love in this world.  Have a great day!

4-2-17

The golf course traffic has picked up this weekend.  There was a lot of golf played yesterday and many individuals stopping into the clubhouse to pay their fees.  All of our rates and fees are posted on our website http://www.spencermunigolf.com.  Things are picking up and hopefully the weather remains friendly.

With the opening comes all the part time staff hired for the season.  There are quite a few part time staff that return year after year and I thank each of them for their hard work and commitment to the success of the golf course.  This season there are several new faces hired in the clubhouse.  I welcome each of them to the team!

The return of staff also means time to train each individual upon their arrival to work.  There are some new procedures this year, which takes a little adjustment.  Each employee is trained on the job description, day to day activities, safety issues, and expectations.  The goal is to provide a great golf experience to our customers in a safe work environment.

As the golfers stop in to pay their fees and fill out paperwork, it provides me with their information to update onto 2017 spreadsheets.  I track every type of seasonal fee on a Google spreadsheet along with contact information.  This is a timely process but it allows the golf course to keep contact information up to date.

Grounds work has consisted of mowing greens, repairing traps, changing cups, placing amenity items on the course, and finishing equipment maintenance.  It is such an exciting feeling to be out on the course preparing for the daily activity.

The extended forecast looks very nice.  This should keep the traffic level at a constant.  Training staff will continue this following week along with additional mowing practices.  The irrigation system will be charged for the season as well.