Good Morning,
Weather patterns have been brutal over the past couple of weeks. High temperatures, high humidity, and no precipitation create a difficult environment for grass growth. The irrigation system and our well have been working overtime to apply as much water as possible to the grounds. Staff has also been busy with hand watering and daily maintenance practices. Their hard work and dedication have the golf course in excellent shape for all golfers to enjoy.
This week, the maintenance staff finished adding new sand to our final sand traps. We have addressed every bunker on the golf course. The new sand is very fluffy and will take some time to settle. Currently, the golf ball does not always roll out of the landing area, resulting in a “fried egg” lie. Over time the sand will firm up and the golf ball will roll out to a normal golf lie. We will still add some sand to problematic areas as the golf season progresses.
I completed all of the insecticide applications for control of grubs. The tees, fairways, green surrounds, and sand trap surrounds were all treated. I have not been able to treat much of the golf course rough due to a lack of forecasted precipitation. These applications require irrigation follow up to move the chemical into the upper soil profile. This treatment will help limit grub development over the next few weeks. Without treatment, we see an abundance of grubs, which results in turf damage from skunks and other animals digging up the grass to reach them.
Our computer software experienced technical issues which created an error message and allowed multiple tee time bookings for the same time slot. I worked with Peak Software to resolve this issue and everything functioned properly after a couple of days of issues. Tee times are required to golf at The Muni. We accept online tee times as well as phone calls to the clubhouse for availability. We try to accommodate walk-ins, but it is not always possible when the golf course is so busy.
This coming week, staff will continue daily maintenance practices. Due to the extreme temperatures, we will continue to focus on hand watering and running additional irrigation cycles. It’s very important to prevent the turfgrass from becoming “crispy.”
Enjoy the remainder of the weekend. Please remember to hydrate and monitor weather conditions when you are outdoors. Please reach out with any questions or if you need further information regarding 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