Good Morning,
This past week the morning temperatures almost felt like the months of Fall. It was a welcome change from the high temperatures but also short lived. This week we jump back to near triple digits for a couple of days along with a lot of 90 degree days. These temperatures make it very difficult to keep the turfgrass in a healthy state. It also quickly shows the areas where we continue to have irrigation issues.
Several greens have experienced turf damage from the irrigation issues earlier this summer. Overall, the greens recovered quite nicely after all of the hand watering and wetting agent applications. There are some areas that will need to be overseeded later in the month of August. Number seven green on the NW corner is probably the worst of these areas. There are also a lot of areas on some of the collars that will need repair as well.
One of the small positives with high temperatures and drought conditions is the non irrigated areas go dormant in a hurry. This ends up being less mowing time and labor hours maintaining these areas. It can also allow your tee shot to roll for an extra 50 yards if you land in the right spot. It also shows you right where any irrigation issues develop in only a couple of days.
I continue to work on the irrigation system each day. There are several valves that still need the diaphragm replaced. These diaphragms get debris trapped inside of them which doesn’t allow the valve to close all the way and water continues to push past the valve and leave a puddle of water next to the irrigation head. Number 17 and 18 fairways both have a couple of these areas. I hope to have them fixed this coming week.
This upcoming week I will continue spraying clover and other broadleaf weeds around the golf course. Spraying conditions are ideal if the wind is minimal, skies are sunny, and temperatures are below 85 degrees. I will start early in the morning hours and work as long as I can to cover as many acres as possible each day.
The month of August brings a lot of changes to the golf course. Quite a bit of our staff returns to their teaching positions, we have a lot of golf events scheduled, our golf leagues have a handful of weeks remaining, and the days keep getting shorter. Currently we are advertising for additional employees for the clubhouse. Words cannot express how awesome our staff members have done inside and outside this season. Thank you!
Early July I sprayed the tees, fairways, and green surrounds to control the grub population on the golf course. The skunks and raccoons can destroy a lot of turf overnight digging for grubs. The insecticide application should limit the areas where we see damage heading into the month of August.
Yesterday we hosted the annual Greater Smiley Open with 104 golfers participating. The event had a lot more golfers than expected which caused open golf to be delayed until 3:00 PM. It was a very busy day with a lot of smiles. This coming week we have the Phil Oviatt Memorial on Saturday and the Unified Golf Event on Sunday.
Enjoy the remainder of the weekend. Please contact me with questions or comments. I’m always happy to provide additional information if necessary.
Brian C Mohr
Director of Golf Operations
City of Spencer
101 W 5th Street
Spencer Municipal Golf Course
Spencer, Iowa 51301
712-260-5370
Spencer Municipal Golf Course 