Good Morning,
The majority of the snow cover at The Muni has disappeared. Any remaining snow should disappear over the next few days as temperatures rise into the 40’s and nighttime lows are in the upper 20’s. Fortunately the moisture from all of the melting snow went into the ground since frost levels have been minimal.
Snow cover is definitely a positive during the Winter off season months. It provides an insulation barrier protecting the turfgrass from the harsh winds and colder temperatures. The biggest threat for winter turf damage comes in the months that lie ahead. There is currently plenty of moisture in the upper levels of the soil profile which will help protect the crown of the plant from potential winter desiccation.
Warmer temperatures and no snow cover create an anxiousness for playing golf this time of year. Please stay off the golf course and respect that it is closed until the opening date in a few months. One person can create a lot of damage just by walking on a golf green when the top inch of the soil profile thaws during these warmer periods. This will create sunken footprints on the green that will not easily recover without additional maintenance. These tracks are from a couple of years ago and a gentle reminder:
#8 Green footprinting 12-23-24.jpg
The golf course off season consists of a lot of maintenance work on equipment in preparation for the next golf season. At The Muni we have developed a preventative maintenance program that helps lessen the amount of equipment repairs each season. Each week I continue to go through individual pieces of equipment to ensure they are ready to go for the season. This past week I continued to work on that program.
Timely maintenance practices are a huge part of our daily work schedules at the golf course. We have golfers hitting the golf course before 7:00 AM most every day and that makes it difficult to get everything completed in a timely manner so it has little effect on the golfers. Having the proper equipment and enough equipment operators are key to making the process a success.
This past week I went through our 2002 Toro 328-D six foot mower. This piece of equipment was replaced in our inventory a few years ago and has had quite a few repair issues. I finally completed all the repairs to this machine and it will be back in operation for the 2026 golf season. Chip, our shop kitty, tries to be as helpful as possible during this process.
Why would we use a piece of equipment that is 24 years old and way past life expectancy? There are a lot of maintenance areas that we mow with our six foot outfront mower. Around sand traps, landscaping areas, waterways, under and around trees, OB stakes, property surrounds, etc. Sometimes we need to get these areas addressed in a short time frame and having an additional piece of equipment will help accomplish that process.
We also have a 2012 Toro 4000-D 11 foot rough mower with almost 5400 hours on it that we still use during busy times of the season. There are multiple pieces of turf equipment past their life expectancy that we use from time to time when we have maintenance deadlines to meet. The reason this equipment is still in operation is because staff has been very proactive on maintenance programs over the years.
I had planned on completing the golf course inventory this past week but I did not get through everything. The process will be completed early next week. I will also be working on updating the golf course safety guidelines.
The new budget preliminary numbers have been submitted and will be reviewed and discussed with city staff. The Golf Board will be meeting in February to approve a slight rate increase for season passes. These increases will be $5 for juniors, $10 for young adults, $15 dollars for singles, $20 for couples, and $25 for families. You can still make online payments at the 2025 pricing until the month of February.
The Holiday season has passed and we are starting a brand new 2026 that hopefully finds everyone well. It’s a time of year when resolutions are made and everyone remains hopeful for positive changes. One of the easiest things we can do is to simply be nice to one another. That’s a great foundation for what will hopefully be an amazing year!
Director of Golf Operations
City of Spencer
101 W 5th Street
Spencer Municipal Golf Course
Spencer, Iowa 51301
712-260-5370
