5-29-2022

Good Morning,

The temperatures continue to go up and back down with extreme changes.  The wind continues to be a constant almost on a daily basis.  We had a solid frost last Sunday morning, followed by a light frost Monday morning, a couple days of rain, and finishing the week in the 90’s.  The temperature changes have been a little stressful on the bentgrass greens but they are starting to come around and look healthier.  Mother Nature delivering some rainfall would be the best medicine.

Irrigation problems continued late Sunday night.  I started the system and had a main line break by #16 green.  This caused a lot of standing water and the majority of the soil was washed away.  I was able to get the repairs completed early in the week and had the system up and running later in the week.  I will continue to run the irrigation through the weekend unless we get a lot of rain.  Below is a photo of the blown line:

 #16 irrigation 5-22-22.jpg

 #16 irrigation 5-23-22.jpg

There were several more issues last night during the scheduled programs.  The front right green irrigation head was filled with debris and would not rotate so the sand trap is filled with water.  Another head on #5 fairway was filled with debris and not rotating.  Lastly, a main line near #4 green is cracked and leaking water into #5 fairway.  The first two issues were repaired and I’m currently working on the main line repair.

The open winter was problematic for the irrigation system.  We have a 23 year old block type system where all of our control valves are in valve boxes between the main line and the lateral line for each station.  This year we had a lot of moisture in the valve boxes causing a lot of problems for bleeder valves and pvc pipe.  When we have snow present during the winter it helps insulate the valve boxes and we don’t see as many issues in the spring.  Hopefully everything is quickly repaired and the system will be dependable.

The Clay County Federated Garden Club spent quite a bit of time bringing some of our landscaping areas back to life.  Golf Board member Deb Jostand helped make this possible.  A very special thank you to each of the individuals who took time out of their schedule to help us out at the golf course.    

 Clay County Federated Garden Club.jpg

 Deb J landscape.jpg

 CCF Garden Club.jpg

Staff has been very busy trying to keep up with all the maintenance practices.  The golf course is in pretty decent shape right now outside of the dandelion population.  I’m hoping the weather cooperates and I am able to spend quite a bit of time on the sprayer this coming week.

We have several new clubhouse staff members starting or have started very recently.  I have been spending quite a bit of time working shifts in the clubhouse as well as helping new staff.  Add on irrigation issues and windy weather conditions and there has not been time to spray for weeds.  The herbicide applications will hopefully start this coming week and we can get rid of the dandelions.

I want to wish a very happy Memorial Day to everyone.  Taking some time to remember and reflect will be a big part of my weekend.  Thank you to all those who have served or are currently serving our country.  I tip my hat to each one of you and thank you for my freedom.  Enjoy 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

5-22-2022

Good Morning,

The past week continued to be ruled by Mother Nature.  On Thursday we hit 94 degrees followed by 34 degrees this morning.  The turfgrass continues to go through temperature shifts making it difficult for bentgrass greens to adjust.  Greens were fertilized Friday morning with a granular 18-9-18 which will assist with root development and provide adequate nutrients to assist the health of the plant.  Our Providence bentgrass greens should start looking “green” later this coming week.

 5-22-22 frost (2).jpg

The irrigation system has continued to keep us on our toes each day.  We have replaced over three dozen broken bleeder valves and now started repairing damaged pipes.  When irrigation damage is on the lateral side it is easier to repair.  The valve remains shut and the line is not under pressure.  A lot of hand digging, bailing water, followed by replacement pipe remedies the situation.  

 #5F13 lateral leak.jpg

When the problem is on the main line side of the valve it creates a whole new monster.  The system needs to be shut down and the area of the course is limited by shutting down large isolation valves or just draining the main lines.  Regardless, pumping a lot of water out of the area is time consuming and messy.  This line cracked on the main line north of #16 green.  It was a mess but we finished the repair process yesterday and are ready for irrigation tonight.

 #17T1 leak (2).jpg

 #17T1 leak.jpg

We have a large population of dandelions all over the golf course.  Controlling broadleaf weeds is high on the priority list at The Muni.  Please be patient during this process.  Conditions need to be less than 10 mph winds and no chance of precipitation in order to spray.  Also, there is only one certified applicator at the golf course.  It will take time but the 165 acres of golf course turf will eventually be treated.

Staff has been very busy with day to day clubhouse operations, mowing practices, as well as dealing with all the other issues.  A lot of hard work by the grounds crew has kept the golf course looking great.  The clubhouse staff is always on top of their game welcoming golfers each day.  I very much appreciate their hard work and the amount of pride these employees show day to day.  Thank you!

This coming week spraying greens, herbicide applications, treating ponds, and normal daily maintenance will be on the agenda.  If you have questions please contact me and I can provide further information.  Enjoy the remainder of the weekend.  Congratulations to the 2022 graduates and their families!  Best of luck on the next step!

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

5-15-2022

Good Morning,

Wow! Mother Nature never ceases to amaze us.  So far in the past three week temperatures have ranged from a low of 21 to a high of 97.  One thing that seems to be a constant is high winds.  It looks like this morning will be great golf weather with plenty of sunshine, minimal winds, and nice temperatures.  This afternoon is forecasting thunderstorms.  

It’s hard to believe the trees continue to have branches falling as strong as the winds have been since November.  We cleaned up branches Friday morning and completed this process this morning.  We will continue to monitor branches on a daily basis, especially in areas where our trees are near neighboring homes.

The golf course is starting to “green up” and turf is finally starting to grow.  Staff was busy with regular mowing practices each day.  The rough is growing rapidly and kept us busy getting it all trimmed before the weekend.  Fairways have started to come to life as well.  The greens are still a little bit off color due to the late spring start.  It’s been a very slow start to the year.

This coming week we will be fertilizing our greens and tees.  These applications will be a granular application to provide the turf plant with the necessary nutrients to develop root growth before the summer months.  Fungicide and wetting agents will also be sprayed on the greens to control disease and aid in water penetration.  

Pre-emergent for crabgrass control will be applied in our fairways and on our tee boxes. This application is well behind normal scheduling due to the cold soil temperatures during the month of April into May.  There will also be a herbicide applied to control the presence of broadleaf weeds.

With the warmer temperatures we are starting to see dandelions popping up around the golf course and in our yards.  Once I have completed the spraying on greens and applying the pre-emergent on the fairways, I will start treating weeds.  I generally spray the golf course ground along neighboring property owners then work my way inward on the golf course. 

Please remember we need sunny skies, minimal wind, and no rain in the forecast to spray for weed control.  I am also the only certified applicator at the golf course.  It generally takes approximately 30 hours to cover the entire golf course for broadleaf weed control.  These applications are very high on the “to do” list and will be completed as soon as possible.  

The irrigation system has caused us a lot of issues so far in 2022.  The colder temperatures delayed the opening of the system and also caused a lot of damage to the bleeder valves on top of our valves.  We finally finished repairing these issues and were able to operate the system Friday night.  Irrigation started at 9:00 PM and was completed at 8:00 AM Saturday.  

We experienced a few issues that need to be repaired but overall it was nothing major.  Overall the system worked well and it was great to add some irrigation to the golf course.  It’s such a calming feeling to hear the irrigation run into the early morning hours.

 irrigation 5-14-22.jpg

Below are a couple pictures of a broken lateral and damaged irrigation head:

 lateral line damage 5-14-22.jpg

 rotor damage 5-14-22.jpg

We have several graduation receptions over the next couple of weeks.  These events will be on the south side of the golf course.  The first party is today from 10-1.  Please try and use the north and east entrances when possible during this time.  

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend.  Happy graduation to all members of the class of ’22 and their families.  What a great accomplishment for all of you young adults!  

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

5-8-2022

Good Morning,

The temperatures have started to get closer to normal along with much needed precipitation the past seven days.  The golf course has really started to “green up” and we are mowing a little more frequently.  Conditions are still well behind normal but the soil temperature is rising and the grass is starting to grow.  

We mowed greens and collars several times plus mowed fairways for the first time this past week.  Staff was also out mowing rough around the tees and greens.  Every morning there is a noticeable change in the color of the golf course.  Things will really start to pick up next week when we hit the 80’s and possibly 90’s.

 April then May ’22.jpg

I attempted the irrigation spring startup mid week but continued to have damaged bleeder valves causing problems.  The bleeder valve is a stem that can be unscrewed to allow water flow through the valve without turning on the valve.  The cold temperatures cause the plastic top to become weak and snap off eliminating the ability to shut off the valve.  Below is a picture of the bleeder valve stem:

 bleeder valve needle.jpg

Most of our men’s golf leagues have begun for the 2022 golf season.  Temperatures were still in the mid 50’s and the wind was a little chilly but golfers were able to complete their matches.  Next week our ladies will start the Tuesday morning and evening league play.  We still have nine holes available for open golf during league play.

On Friday, we had a rescheduled Earth Day project completed with Symrise formerly known as IsoNova.  Andrew Sturgell, plant manager, and his staff donated six new trees and helped us plant them between holes #5 and #13.  After the tree planting we went back and cleaned the ditch along the frontage road from Walmart to the Asher blacktop.

 Symrise Tree Planting.jpg

Lastly, I would like to thank all of the Mothers who are the foundation of our families.  I’m fortunate to have some great women (daughters, mother, and mother in law) in my life whom I look at with a lot of pride.  I also know a lot of great mothers I see on a daily basis.  Thank you to each and every one of you and for all you do each day to make us all better!  Take a moment to honor these special women with a hug or a loving thank you to those looking down on us from above.  Enjoy the remainder of your 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

5-1-2022

Good Morning,

It’s been another week of below normal temperatures but fortunately we received some much needed rainfall late in the week.  Measurements at the golf course were .75″.  It didn’t take long for the ground to soak it all in and go straight to the turf.

The soil temperature has been so low the grass is still not growing.  We have mowed tees, the greens, and collars several times but nothing else.  Fairway mowing was attempted but none of the grass was growing enough to cut.  The rainfall and warmer temperatures will help.

I have not been able to open the irrigation system yet due to the cold soil temperatures and below freezing temperatures this past week.  We started filling the system but too many bleeder valves were breaking.  I will start the irrigation system early this coming week.  

One of our projects was to repair the ceiling damage in the sun room.  There were a lot of golf ball holes from people using the golf simulator.  Even with protective netting in place golf balls still made it through to the ceiling.  We patched all the holes, sanded the areas down, and applied several coats of paint.  

 sun room ceiling.jpg

I hope you enjoy the remainder of the weekend.  Please contact me with any comments, questions, or concerns so they can be addressed in a timely manner.  I will see the golf board and city council at the respective meetings tomorrow evening.

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