Good Morning,
The past week looked just about the same as every view around Spencer. White and windy, preceded by a bunch of rainfall. Snowfall is wonderful because it acts as an insulation blanket for the turfgrass. The rain can be great unless it freezes and sits atop the turf all winter long. It can end up suffocating the turfgrass. Ice is definitely a difficult thing to understand in the turf world.
I am participating in a winter turfgrass study through the University of Minnesota and several other institutions I listed in a previous update. This study participants are from all over the United States and even in Europe. Every Sunday I take a picture of four locations on the practice green and report the weather conditions during the past week. This data is collected every week until the start of the golf season.
Additionally, I have installed a node on the practice green to record data on soil temperature, soil moisture, carbon dioxide, oxygen, light quantity, relative humidity, etc. from three sensors underground. The sensors were buried at 6″, 3″, and 1″ depths to record the data throughout the winter. Each node consists of a box that sits on the green, and then sensors are A small solar panel is mounted next to the node to supply power.
turf survey equipment 11-23-22.jpg
Our node stopped working at the beginning of December. I have worked with multiple people trying to restart this node and return it to the original settings. They sent me a new node on Thursday. I will need to swap the two nodes in order to get the information back available online. I will be able to see the data on a daily basis through an online database. It should prove to be very educational.
I completed the inventory records of the maintenance facility and clubhouse. The equipment inventory is listed under inland marine which allows us to replace the equipment, in case of a fire etc., at replacement cost instead of the estimated value of each piece. The rest of the shop’s small assets and clubhouse inventory are recorded at original cost and estimated value.
The Muni is still honoring 2022 pricing through the end of the year. If our online credit card payment option is not resolved by then we might extend the time frame. You will also be eligible for the Virtual Season Pass Drive if your season pass or green fee punch card are purchased before April 15. The 2023 rates are all listed on our website so you are able to see the small increases.
2023 Virtual Membership Drive (2).jpg
2023 Virtual Membership Drive.jpg
This coming week I will continue to work on the reel and bedknife sharpening program. I have been working on the reel sharpening for several weeks and hope to be finished before Christmas.
There are several online classes I will be attending to receive continued education hours in accordance with my Class A status with the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America.
I will also be finishing the 2023/24 proposed budget for the golf course. After the budget proposal has been submitted then we will work on submitting our Capital Improvement Plans.
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 