Good Morning,
This past week I attended the GCSA of South Dakota annual turf conference in Sioux Falls. This is one of the best turf conferences in the Upper Midwest. The speakers are always amazing and the event draws a high turnout of superintendents from South Dakota, Minnesota, and NW Iowa. Along with the educational opportunities, there is significant networking with great people. The event also offers a large trade show where attendees can look at new equipment options and visit with other golf related companies.
Precipitation is finally a reality instead of just a daydream. The Muni received 0.12 inches of rain Tuesday night, which significantly changed the golf course conditions. The greens looked great when I returned on Wednesday. On Friday morning, the rain gauge recorded another 0.25 inches, followed by 1.25 inches late in the evening. By 9:30 PM the irrigation pond had exceeded its capacity, and the waterways were filled with running water. The driving range also had a lot of standing water.
A lot of green grass is starting to show up around the plant’s crown. Everything looks much better than it did just a few days ago. The new sod around the landscaping renovation and other areas of the golf course is also starting to show a nice green hue. It’s a very good feeling to see the positive response from the golf course after the rainfall.
The driving range was closed on Saturday due to the standing water on the grounds. The driving range will open again this morning, allowing golfers to work on their game as we prepare for the 2026 golf season.
On Friday afternoon, the frost level was down 6-7 inches on a couple of greens that were checked. On Saturday morning, the frost level was between 6-12 inches on multiple greens that were checked. I will go out again this morning to check the frost level on the greens. We are getting close to being able to start cutting cups on the greens.
On Monday, the main focus will be cleaning up sticks and other debris off the greens and from around the rest of the golf course. We will also continue cleaning up the remaining two stump areas and hauling black soil to fill in the holes. It’s always an exciting time of the year because golf season is right around the corner.
We use Sportsman software for our clubhouse operations at The Muni. A cyberattack on their software caused the system to be down for nearly a week. None of their national customers could access the iCloud software. The good news is that there was no security breach involving anyone’s information. It’s kind of a stark reminder how reliant we are on an iCloud world.
Since our system was down for such an extended period of time, our 2025 rates will be available until the end of the business day today. The clubhouse and driving range are both open today. Online payments are also available by accessing your account.
Finally, I spent some time working with our website provider to get additional training on the administration side of our new website software. Most of our information, including 2026 rates and our rules and policies, has been updated on the website. We will also examine online waiver forms for rental carts and personal property at the golf course. Let your golfing friends know they can enter their email address, on the website, to recieve updates from The Muni.
Keep an eye on our Facebook page and your ears on the local radio for the announcement of our 2026 golf season opening date. It’s right around the corner. Enjoy the beautiful close to the weekend and swing by The Muni if you have some time!
Brian C Mohr
Director of Golf Operations
City of Spencer
101 W 5th Street
Spencer Municipal Golf Course
Spencer, Iowa 51301
712-260-5370