The Muni Update
Sep 22, 2024

Good Morning,
On Monday morning we brushed our greens in the same format as we've done the past couple of years. The greens were double mowed following the brushing of the greens. We collected grass clippings from #18 green after the first mowing and after the second mowing.
On Wednesday morning we brushed our greens with an additional brush added to the machine. The greens were double mowed following the brushing of the greens. We mowed #18 green three times and collected the clippings after each mowing. We also compared the first mowing with two brushes to the first mowing with one brush attachment on the machine.
Brushing the golf course greens has helped us provide a more consistent putting surface for our golfers. Removing this excess plant tissue has improved turfgrass plant health, aided water absorption into the soil, and created a true putting surface for ball roll. I have also seen a significant decrease in fungicide treatments during the season.
The tee signs have remained at the top of our priority list. There are 24 granite signs located on the blue tees for each hole, red tees on par five holes, the practice green, and the course layout. We have completed the cleaning and painting of twelve of these signs. This upcoming week we hope to get about six more completed.
Early in the week the greens were sprayed with a foliar fertilizer and an insecticide to control the presence of cutworms on the greens. Birds start to dig into the greens to find the cutworms and create a mess. Early recognition and treatment controls the problem. The foliar fertilizer application is quickly absorbed by the leaf tissue of the plant. The golf course greens have a very nice color right now and are putting very nicely for our golfers.
Last week we fertilized fairways and tees with a granular product which has a polymer coating. This fertilizer is slowly released in the soil and is taken up through the roots of the turfgrass plant. This week we completed another fertilizer application on fairways #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #12, #13, and #14. These fairways require more nutrients than the rest of the fairways on the north end of the golf course. Overall the fairways have a great color right now and are in nice playing condition.
We have completed all of the plugging and sodding of areas on the golf course greens. There have been over 300 plugs and quite a few rolls of sod moved from the practice green to areas of the greens on holes #2, #5, #6, #9, #10, #11, #16, and #18. Hand topdressing is a continuous process to help these areas return to 100%. They are also irrigated for short periods of time throughout the day to keep the sod moist.
This upcoming week staff will be focusing on fertilizer applications on the greens and the fairway cut around the greens. We will also be working on irrigation repairs, painting tee signs, and repairing damaged areas in the fairways from flooding.
Please reach out with questions or the need for additional information. Enjoy the remainder of the weekend. I will send next week's update on Friday afternoon because I will be out of the office on the weekend.
Brian C Mohr
Director of Golf Operations
City of Spencer
101 W 5th Street
Spencer Municipal Golf Course
Spencer, Iowa 51301
712-260-5370