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