Golf Board 2-2-2026
It was a very busy 2025 golf season with over 31,000 rounds of golf being played at The Muni. It was the busiest season we have experienced. It was also a very busy season for the clubhouse and maintenance staff. Our clubhouse seasonal staff worked 3294 hours and our maintenance team clocked 6766 hours for the season. We are very fortunate to have a great group of employees year after year that take a lot of pride in the golf course and their work.
The early part of the season started off with winter turf damage for about the third year in a row. This was a very time consuming process that lasted all the way through July until the greens were back to 100% and in great condition. The season ended with a lot of hours on the landscaping renovation and tree removal for the maintenance staff. Clubhouse was busy on a daily basis with open golf, leagues, and events all season.
2026 Rates and Fees
These are the fees that have been discussed by the golf board the past two months and will take effect for the 2026 golf season. Once the city council approves these rates they will be updated on the website to reflect the change.
Rules and Policies
I have met with the golf board and updated the clubhouse and grounds rules and policies. These were reviewed by the city manager and have been sent to the city attorney for review. Any necessary adjustments will be made and the golf board will have the opportunity to approve them before taking effect.
Budget and Capital Improvement Plan
The 2026/27 Budget and CIP have both been submitted to the city manager and finance officer for consideration. Staff will meet over the next week to discuss both of these proposals.
Equipment and Rental Carts
During the off season each piece of equipment in our inventory is serviced and all repairs are completed. Hydraulic and engine oil filters are also replaced during the servicing process. The majority of all equipment has been completed outside of a few small minor repairs.
Our greens, fairway, and collar mowers are all reel type mowers. Each one of these has been sharpened and the height of cut has been set for the start of the 2026 golf season. I still need to sharpen the rotary type mower blades. These blades are changed every couple of weeks to ensure a high quality of cut. Each blade is sharpened and balanced so it spins true on the mower deck. These blades will be sharpened in the next week.
Tree Removal
Staff worked late into the fall to remove as many trees as possible. The final total was 75 trees removed during the 2025 golf season. This brings the total to approximately 225 over the past three years. There are only about one half dozen tree stumps still remaining for removal. Also, we have about the same number of small trees that are currently on the ground and need to be hauled to the tree site. The majority of the tree stumps removed have been cleaned up with black soil and grass seed added prior to the ground freezing for the winter months. We have approximately 30 left to clean up and add soil and seed.
There are six large tree stumps that were too big for the city equipment to remove. I have spoken to a contractor and these will be removed sometime during the off season. There are two amur maple stumps in the old landscaping area behind #18 green, two amur maple stumps in the old landscaping west of #1 green, and a couple of large ash stumps on the north end of the golf course.
Landscaping Renovation
Staff was able to finish all of the prep work on each one of the landscaping areas by our tee boxes except the blue tees on #5. We still need to finish the waterfall behind #10 green, the gazebo area on #10, and the areas by the practice green. These will be completed early in the spring in preparation for new plant materials.
Crystal O’Clair has volunteered her time to assist with the new plant material arrangements for each one of these areas. I have submitted this list to Bob Fullhart, Parks and Recreation Director, to put out to bid. It is estimated these plant materials will cost approximately $4500. We currently have a group of volunteers willing to help with the planting of these in the Spring.
Irrigation Pond
Late this fall we removed the majority of the dead cattails from the irrigation pond. There are still some areas that need to be removed yet this winter. The starchy root systems remain alive underground and will start to sprout shoots once again in the Spring. I will be treating some of these areas to get the cattails under better control for the upcoming season. They have become very thick in certain areas which reduces the line of flight for golfers on holes #5 and #12.
Cattails act as natural filters, absorbing excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from the water, which helps improve water quality and clarity. The dense and extensive root systems help stabilize shorelines, which reduces soil erosion caused by water flow and wind. Like other aquatic plants, they release oxygen into the water and provide shade, which helps maintain a healthy aquatic environment and regulate water temperature during summer months.
Clubhouse Events
The clubhouse hosted an event for KICD during the month of December. We also hosted an event for SPD and Hy Vee during the month of January. Tuesday evening we will be hosting another event, this time for the Spencer Young Professionals trivia night.
It’s great to be able to offer our services to people that don’t play golf and have not been to our facility on a regular basis. We look forward to all of our golf events as well as non golf events during 2026.
Safety Policy
I have completed an updated safety manual for the maintenance and clubhouse staff for the 2026 golf season. This manual will become part of the hiring process at the beginning of each season. It’s more site specific and will provide us with a better outline of working golf course policies.
Donor Board (Friends of The Muni)
Cindy Tigges has been working on the concept for the new donor board in the clubhouse. Cindy and I are meeting with Shawn Morton on Tuesday morning to discuss the layout further. We are going to focus on donations for trees and plant materials and volunteering for projects at the golf course. There will also be a small group of members that will help participate by giving us some feedback on the process. We will share more information once we have a final concept to share with the golf board.
This concludes my update for the month of January at The Muni. Please reach out if there are any questions or there is a need for further information on a topic.
Brian C Mohr
Director of Golf Operations
City of Spencer
101 W 5th Street
Spencer Municipal Golf Course
Spencer, Iowa 51301
712-260-5370
