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
Spencer Municipal Golf Course 