Good Morning,
This past week staff continued to work on the grounds in preparation for the start of the 2026 golf season. The first step was cleaning off all of the greens. Almost every golf green had many small sticks and other debris on it. Plus, there were quite a few small branches spread across the remainder of the golf course.
#6 Tees Looking East 3-9-26.jpeg
We filled most of our tree stump areas with black soil and leveled them. The next step will be to add sod or grass seed. The remaining areas will be addressed this upcoming Wednesday. All tree stumps need repair before the golf course opens for the season due to safety concerns.
I updated our tree inventory with GPS locations for the entire golf property. This inventory included all new trees and trees removed since 2018. It was an eye-opening experience to see just how many trees we have lost over the past eight years.
This Spring we will add 30 new deciduous trees to the golf course through a grant with the Park Department. These new trees will be planted in holes #3, #6, #7, and the tee surrounds on #11. This Fall we will also add 30 more trees to the golf course through another grant.
The Golf Board is currently finalizing the addition of a donor board near the north entrance of the clubhouse. The purpose of this project is to help raise funds for future tree and landscaping plant materials on the golf course. We hope to finalize this project in the next few weeks.
I also tour the golf course daily to monitor conditions as the season approaches. The golf greens look much better than I anticipated. Quite a bit of green grass is visible around the crown of the bentgrass. The rest of the golf course looks to be in very nice shape even though it is covered in snow right now.
Anticipating colder temperatures, we changed the cups on Thursday. Frost levels dropped significantly after the previous rainfalls. The majority of the greens were clear of frost in the top 12-15 inches.
Warm temperatures are back in the forecast starting on Wednesday. Later this week, we will be able to bring out the flagsticks and start the golf season. My current plan is to open the golf course on Thursday for the 2026 golf season. The official update will be posted on our Facebook page when the exact date is determined.
Our annual Membership Drive is currently under way. This promotion will run through April 12 when six names will be drawn for $50 gift certificates to The Muni. Anyone who purchased their season pass before this date is eligible for the drawing. I encourage our golfers to pay their fees online before the opening date. The golf course will be very busy, once we open, and online payment will help the flow of traffic in the clubhouse.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and get those golf clubs cleaned up and ready to go. We look forward to seeing each of you for another great season at The Muni!
Brian C Mohr
Director of Golf Operations
City of Spencer
101 W 5th Street
Spencer Municipal Golf Course
Spencer, Iowa 51301
712-260-5370