The Muni Update
The Muni Update
Jun 15, 2025
Good Morning,
The condition of our golf greens is slowly improving now that the weather has straightened out with some quality growing conditions. We went from a devastating flood in June of 2024 then straight into drought conditions through the fall. We entered the winter months with very little soil moisture other than what was provided through irrigation practices.
We recorded less than six inches of snowfall for the winter which left the greens exposed to the elements. As much as we all hate snow during the off season, it does provide a great insulation blanket to the bentgrass greens. In a perfect world we would get a foot of snow at the start of winter, it would sit there the entire off season, and it would not snow again. Wishfully thinking I guess.
This past winter I applied water to the greens a couple of times by using our sprayer to add some moisture to the crown of the turfgrass to offer some protection from the wind and cold temperatures. Spring did not give us very favorable conditions either. Way too cold of nighttime temperatures and not so warm days were again problematic.
The grass is thin on quite a few of the greens but it has improved a great deal in the past few weeks. We have started to plug some of the larger areas to eliminate more severe bare spots. We are also applying foliar fertilizers every 14 days to provide plenty of nutrients to the turf. Hand topdressing areas have also been on the agenda. It will be a slow process but eventually the greens will fill in to normal conditions. You can never win the battle with Mother Nature.
Staff has been taking the beverage cart out on the course more often than just golf leagues. We are also letting golfers know they can call the clubhouse to place an order for the course. Staff will also be monitoring the number of golfers in a group while they are going around the course. The beverage cart will not be on the golf course continuously during the day but they are making several trips around the golf course.
The maintenance staff has been working very diligently to keep the golf course in great shape on a daily basis. Outside of some of the damaged areas on greens, the golf course is in very nice condition. I appreciate the dedication and pride each one of the staff members put into their job each day.
Clubhouse staff has been doing a great job accommodating our golfers each and every day. We are trying to make it a point to thank them for playing golf at The Muni and greet everyone in a positive manner. Our new staff members are fitting in very nicely with our group of veteran employees. Everyone is working very well together and also takes a lot of pride in the golf course.
Everyone on the staff, myself included, know the golf course is not our personal golf course but everyone treats it as if it was their own. We are very fortunate to have so many fabulous staff members working for the City of Spencer at The Muni.
Some of our upcoming projects include:
- start the landscaping renovation project
- spot spray herbicide around trees, bushes, etc
- continue to plug and topdress damaged green areas
- edge sand traps
- finish painting the tee signs
- remove dead ash and other trees
Happy Father's Day from all of us at The Muni! Enjoy the remainder of the Flagfest weekend and maybe squeeze in a little bit of golf today. It has been a great couple of days with all the activities for the public to attend. There have also been a lot of golfers out enjoying the sunshine at the golf course.
Brian C Mohr
Director of Golf Operations
City of Spencer
101 W 5th Street
Spencer Municipal Golf Course
Spencer, Iowa 51301
712-260-5370