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Spencer golf
dates back to 1904 or earlier, when a handful of young men marked off
a course in the area where the gates of the Clay County Fair now
stand. The course consisted of tin cans buried in the ground for cups,
and was in a pasture area with sheep doing the mowing. Players would
use the sheep as a lie (point of reference) after hitting their ball,
and would sometimes lose it after the sheep moved on! This "Kil-Care
Golf Club" was used more or less for four years. Spencer golfers found
plenty of support in 1919 when they proposed a Golf and Country Club
as a recreational center, which eventually resulted in the
incorporation of Spencer Golf and Country Club in June, 1919. A
horse-drawn mower was shipped to Spencer from an eastern factory for
lawn care.
Grandview Golf Course, located on Highway 71 on 4th Avenue SW opened
in 1974 using temporary greens. Grass greens were completed for the
1975 season. On February 17, 1975, a petition of approximately 700
signatures was submitted to the Spencer City Council requesting the
consideration to purchase or build a Municipal Golf Course. The
petition included interest in approximately 177 memberships for
various season passes. In 1976, the City purchased the Grandview Golf
Course, and it was renamed Spencer Municipal Golf Course. The course
was initially operated under the Park Board, until the first Golf
Course Board was formed in November, 1984. The course grew
considerably over the years with a peak membership of 406 season
passes, with 23,000 golfers signing in annually.
The Spencer
Municipal Golf Course went under a renovation and addition in 1999.
Close to 82 acres of land was purchased for the expansion to an 18
hole golf course. The golf course reopened in 2001 as a brand new 18
hole municipal facility. The course measures 6809 yards from the rear
black tees and 5218 yards from the forward red tees. USGA Course
Ratings and Slope Ratings are 72 and 126 respectively. The greens are
Providence Bentgrass. Tees and Fairways consist of low mow
bluegrasses. The course features 34 sand traps, greenside mounding,
and several water hazards making your golfing experience even more
attractive.
Other amenities include an extremely large practice putting green, a
practice chipping green (with practice sand bunker), and a very large
grass driving range with several target greens. The golf shop offers
golf equipment and apparel at discount prices. It also features a full
line of refreshments and food items.
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