CHIPS & PUTTS OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION www.ptga.org Founded in 1936 VOL. 20 NO. 6 August 2014 August Meeting Annual Business Meeting and Clambake Water Gap Country Club Host: Rick Anglemyer, GCS August brings us to another historic Poconos club in Water Gap Country Club. In 1922 the course was completed by Robert White, one of the founders of the PGA and also the first President of the Association. Until the early 1940’s, Water Gap C.C. was known as Wolf Hollow. From 1926 to 1928 Wolf Hollow hosted a nationally respected tournament known as the Eastern Open. It was dur- ing this time that some of golf’s greatest legends played on the course, including Gene Sarazen, Leo Diesel and Walter Hagen. In one of the last Eastern Open’s, Walter Hagen shocked the world of golf by taking nine strokes to get his ball into hole number 12 at Wolf Hollow. The hole, now number 4 at Water Gap Country Club, was nicknamed “Hagen’s Folly”. Wolf Hollow went bankrupt during World War II and was vacant for fifteen years. The golf course was divided and sold off in pieces. A local golf hero, Howard Knickman purchased all the parcels in 1957 and spent the next two years restoring the grounds. He changed the name to Water Gap Country Club and reopened the course. Recently, Water Gap has undergone another ownership change, being purchased in 2013 by a Philadelphia business man and his wife (who has close ties to the Club from her youth). They have undertaken some major changes in the hotel and restaurant, including room upgrades, and have Continued on Page 3 Page 2 President's Message..... Officers & Directors 2014 I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the honor of being president of this great Association. After the annual meeting in August, I will be Past President, and we PRESIDENT will have a new president. Although my time as president was Ray Waddell 570-903-9571 brief, it has been a privilege to serve, and I thank you. VICE PRESIDENT As most of you know, our Annual Meeting and Elections is scheduled in conjunction with the Clambake during the August TREASURER Greg Boring, Country Club of Scranton meeting at Water Gap Country Club. This meeting is always a 570-587-4046 great time, and we really would like as many members as SECRETARY possible to attend. Please make a special effort to join us. At Patrick Healey, Scranton Canoe Club 570-378-2249 the meeting we will be voting on the proposed bylaw changes. If you haven’t had an opportunity to look them over, they are DIRECTORS included in this newsletter. Steven Chirip, Grass Roots, Inc. 973-418-3468 Gino Marchetti, Glen Oak CC Again, thank you for the privilege of serving the 570-586-5791 Corey Pries, Pocono Manor GC Association, and I look forward to seeing all of you at the 570-994-8270 Clambake! Chris Moran, Honesdale CC 570-253-9094 __________________________ CHIPS & PUTTS STAFF Ray Waddell EDITOR Brian Bachman, Genesis Turfgrass, Inc. 484-661-6105 bbachman@genesisturfgrassinc.com Editor’s Notes….. Managing Editor Melinda Wisnosky 570-388-2167 mmel500@aol.com PAST PRESIDENT Happy August Everyone….the days are starting to get a John Downer, Saturated Solutions 4U little shorter, the weather has been pretty cooperative, and 570-840-0078 nearly everyone is in great shape. So far, the year is shaping up to be a good one. I hope everyone gets a chance to make it to Water Gap C.C. this month...not only will it be a great day of golf, but your attendance is critical to the success of the Association as it is our annual business meeting as well. Please keep the pictures coming….. PTGA Office 309 Terrace Avenue Brian Bachman Harding, PA 18643 Phone/Fax: 570-388-2167 Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and/or person quoted, and may not represent the position of PTGA. Information contained in this publication may be used freely, in whole or in part, without special permission, as long as the true context is maintained. We would appreciate a credit line. PagePage 3 3 Continued from Page 1 been featured on the TV show “Hotel Impossible” last fall. They’ve also updated the name to Histor- ic Wolf Hollow Golf Course at Water Gap C.C. to blend the old and new. Rick Anglemyer is the long time superintendent (and past president of the PTGA) at Water Gap. He has seen the course through many highs and lows. Rick started here in 1996, and after a brief hiatus in 2000-01, he returned as superintendent. During some of the ownership change, Rick also acted as the G.M. of the facility in 2012, providing stability and helping to guide the facility through some uncertainty. Rick is assisted by long term assistant Jeff Lesoine who has been with him for 14 years. Along with their 5 full time seasonal employees, Rick and Jeff manage this 160 acre property and consistently provide some of the quickest greens around. Recent improvements and renovations include tee box renovations last year and plans to build a pond on the property in the future. Please make it a point to come out to our biggest annual meeting to enjoy the golf, food, and company of your peers. See you there!! Page 4 In a recent CNN article, Golf Course Superintendent was listed as the 14th most stressful job in the Nation.  Median pay: $53,796  % who say their job is stressful: 82.2% From CNN Money: Golf course superintendents have one main job: supervise the groundskeepers and other maintenance workers to make sure the grounds are in perfect condi- tion. "Golfers are a pretty demanding bunch, which causes a lot of the stress," said Scott Hollister, a spokesman for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. When you have 500 members of a club, you may have 500 opinions on how the course should look and how it should play, he said. Some think the rough is too long, others not long enough. Keeping the grass healthy is the job's biggest challenge, according to Bob McClean, superintendent at the Indian Hills Country Club in Bowling Green, Ky. Sub-zero winter temperatures kill the Bermuda grass on the fairways and summer heat takes a toll on the greens. "There's pressure to keep the course in pristine condition," he said. McClean said he's well compensated for working a 40-hour week -- but most of the time he puts in 100 hours-plus. And while supervisors at top courses get paid well, supers at small municipal courses make a lot less, with an overall median of about $54,000. Page 5 Cloudy with a Chance of Dollar Spot: New model works on predicting dollar spot outbreaks Posted on Turfdiseases.org From a purely economic viewpoint, the rational golf course superintendent will spend only the minimum amount of money required to control disease on his or her golf course. Each additional dollar spent will not increase the level of control, hence those additional dollars are wasteful, hence those superintendents that spend above the minimum required for control are (economically) irrational. Before you get all defensive regarding how rational you are, note that nearly EVERY golf course superintendent is irrational with regards to fungicide applications. This is because of the uncertainty regarding WHEN disease will occur, and the desire of most superintendents to reduce that uncertainty by making more fungicide applications than are absolutely necessary. To increase the economic efficiency of turfgrass disease control, one needs an accurate prediction regarding when disease will occur so that fungicides can be ap- plied only when necessary. Turf pathologists have been trying to shed light on when disease will appear through the use of predictive modeling for decades. Predictive models have been developed with various levels of success for anthracnose, brown patch, and Pythium blight. As the primary bentgrass disease for much of the world and one that develops over a wide temperature range, dollar spot is seemingly ideal for predictive modeling. However, in the past most dollar spot models have been ineffective at accurately predicting disease outbreaks. Recently, a new dollar spot model has been developed that at least in early trials has more accurately predicted dollar spot outbreaks. Developed by Dr. Damon Smith (formerly at Oklahoma State University, now field crops pathologist at Wisconsin) and Dr. Jim Kerns (formerly at Wisconsin, now at North Carolina State), the Smith-Kerns model uses a complex algorithm that takes into account various environmental factors to develop a ‘probability’ that dollar spot Continued on Page 6 Page 6 Continued from Page 5 will occur on that given day. The model is relatively new and we’re still field-testing it, but so far the model has accurately determined the dollar spot outbreaks of 2014 at our research station in Madison. Following further field-testing this summer, we hope to expand the use of the model to more areas of the country in 2015. While the entire algorithm is complex, one interesting thing Dr. Smith and Dr. Kerns realized is that in the northern U.S., the primary factor driving dollar spot development was relative humid- ity. When the 5-day moving average of relative humidity was at 70% or higher the risk for dollar spot development was elevated, and when the 5-day moving average of relative humidity was at 75% or higher the risk for dollar spot was high. If you’re a superintendent in the northern half of the country looking to experiment with the model at your facility, consider only spraying for dollar spot once the 5-day moving average of relative humidity equals 70% or greater. This simplifica- tion of the model won’t work in the transition zone or the southern U.S. because the warmer tem- peratures suppressed dollar spot development despite high humidity, leading to over-predictions of disease. Please note that this model is still being tested in the field and alterations will likely be made to further increase accuracy in the future. But for now the model appears to be a promis- ing tool for any superintendent looking to make more timely fungicide applications targeting dol- lar spot. In the future, I even envision the day where we wake up, turn on the morning news and hear ‘High temperatures today should hit 75°F with a 20% chance for showers and 40% chance of dollar spot.’ At least the dollar spot part would be accurate. Page 7 Proposed changes to the By-Laws for the PTGA As required in the by-laws, any changes made by the board must be presented to the membership for review over a 3 month period and must then be voted on by the membership. What follows, while not an exciting read, are the proposed changes (highlighted in red) and the explanation for those changes. They will be presented in the newsletter for the next three months and will be voted on at the annual clambake meeting in August (which is our best attended event). Below is a link to the current by-laws on the PTGA website. Any questions or concerns can be directed to Ray Waddell, president, or any board member. http://www2.cybergolf.com/sites/images/1270/BYLAWS.pdf Class C - Assistant Golf Course Superintendent To qualify for Class C membership, an applicant shall be, at the time of application for membership, an Assistant to a Golf Course Superintendent, and shall be presently employed in such capacity. Class C Members shall have all the privileges of the Association, subject to the provisions of Article V, Section 1 hereof. Sentence moved to Article V, Section 2. Class D – Golf Course Employee To qualify for Class D membership, an applicant shall be any person of good character who at the time of application for membership is employed at a golf course (phrase omitted). Class D members shall have such privileges of the Association as the Board of Directors may specify by Standing Rules, except those of voting or holding office. SECTION 2 – QUALIFICATIONS AND TERMS OF OFFICE Class A, Class SM, Class C and Class AF members are eligible to serve as Directors of this Association. Assistant Superintendent (C) Members and Affiliate (AF) Members can hold positions on the Board of Directors as long as their numbers are in a minority to the Class A and Class SM Board Member summa- tion. The Directors of this Association shall hold office for a period of two (2) years and an election shall be held each year for those Director positions whose terms are to expire in order to maintain a total of ten (10) Directors. These will include the following named Officers who shall serve on the Board of Direc- tors: a President, a Vice President, a Secretary and a Treasurer who shall perform the duties hereinafter prescribed for each of such offices. The Board of Directors will also include one (1) Assistant Superin- tendent (C) Member who will serve as a “C Liaison” on the Board of Directors as voted on by the mem- bership. The Immediate Past President of the Association shall continue to serve as a Director until he is succeeded by the presiding president. The Officers of the Association, as hereinabove provided for, to- gether with the Directors as above constituted, shall constitute the Board of Directors of this Association. Each member of such Board of Directors shall be entitled to vote at the meetings thereof and a quorum necessary for the transaction of business shall be not less than a majority of said Board of Directors. The majority of a quorum must be made up of Class A and Class SM Board Members. In the event a Class A, Class SM or Class C member of the Board of Directors becomes unemployed, he/she has six (6) months to become employed again as a Class A, Class SM or Class C Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent before having to resign his/her seat on the Board of Directors. In the case of an Affiliate Member, a va- cancy shall occur, and a replacement found under the guidelines of Section 3 of this Article. Continued on Page 8 Page 8 Continued from Page 7 SECTION 4 - DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Board of Directors shall have general charge and management of the affairs of the Association. The Board of Directors shall, at each annual meeting, make a full report of its activities during the preceding fiscal year. A financial audit shall be completed within thirty (30) days of the end of each fiscal year and a reconciliation thereof shall be presented to the membership at the next annual meeting. SECTION 7 - DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY The Secretary shall be an officer of this Association and be present at all meetings of members of the Associa- tion and of the Board of Directors, and shall be responsible for and keep a record of all the transactions at the meetings in a book, belonging to the Association, kept for such purposes. The Secretary will maintain a record of election results and terms of office for all Directors of the Association and will within ninety (90) days of the Annual Meeting inform the Nominating Committee of any Directors whose terms are expiring. The Secre- tary shall read the minutes from the previous Association meeting and all appropriate correspondence of the Association. The Secretary shall ascertain that due and proper notice, as provided by the Bylaws, has been giv- en of all the meetings of the members of the Association and of the Board of Directors, and shall be the custo- dian of the corporate seal, and shall perform all other duties usually performed by the Secretary of a like corpo- ration and such other additional duties as may be required by the Board of Directors. The books of the Secre- tary shall be open at all times for inspection by the members of the Board of Directors. SECTION 8 - DUTIES OF THE TREASURER The Treasurer shall be responsible for all monies, bills, notes, bonds and similar property belonging to the As- sociation and the safekeeping of the same in the name of the Association. The Treasurer shall prepare an annu- al budget and submit it for approval to the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall keep such financial records and accounts as may be required of them by the Board of Directors and in accordance with standard accounting and bookkeeping procedures and shall make a monthly report of all Association transactions. The books of the Treasurer shall be open at all times for inspection by the members of the Board of Directors. ARTICLE VIII MEETINGS SECTION 1 The Board of Directors shall meet prior to monthly meeting preferably the same day as the monthly general meeting of the Association members. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called at any time by the President, providing the request is made fourteen (14) days in advance of such meeting. President’s request may be in writing or verbal communication. There must be a majority of members present at said meeting. A majority of members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at any Board of Directors meeting, provided that the majority of the quorum is made up of Class A and Class SM Directors. The general meeting of the Association’s members shall be held on the third Tuesday of the month, unless otherwise specified in advance. General meetings shall be held each and every third Tuesday, provided a quorum is indicated by the return attendance card provided by the Association Secretary. The Association’s annual meeting shall be held in the month of August on the third Tuesday as provided by Standing Rules or as designated by the Board of Directors. Any valid Association business may be conducted at this time. The annual election of Officers and Continued on Page 9 Page 9 Continued from Page 8 Directors will be held at this time with the Nominating Committee Chair acting as elections Director. The ballot of such elections shall be by secret written ballot and shall be provided for by the Association Secretary. A simple ma- jority vote shall be required to be elected. All standard and proper election procedures shall rule at all elections. A quorum at any annual or general Association meeting shall be fifteen (15) voting members. SECTION 2 - ANNUAL REPORT The Association Board of Directors, or specially appointed committee by the Board of Directors, shall prepare an annual chapter financial statement in accordance with general accepted accounting principles and a summary there- of shall be filed with the Golf Course Superintendent’s Association of America. The Association shall submit an annual report to GCSAA which shall contain an outline of Chapter activities for the year, current Bylaws, current Officers, a current membership roster, a certificate of good standing from the state the Association is incorporated in, a certificate of insurance, summary of the annual financial statement and a copy of the Association’s annual tax return. This report will be submitted to GCSAA within sixty (60) days following the Association’s annual meeting. SECTION 5 – INSURANCE The Association shall procure Insurance coverage for its operation, activities and conduct to include, but not lim- ited to, premises, operations, property, personal injury, special events, and Directors and Officers Liability. A Cer- tificate of Insurance shall be provided to the GCSAA with the annual report confirming that the minimum require- ments for General Liability and Directors and Officers coverage are met. Your Help and Input Is Needed! As you know, the Association has nine expectations for you as a Member. These can be found in the back of your Membership Direc- tory. One of those expectations is to attend monthly meetings, and another is to be willing to serve on committees and hold office as a director or officer. Please plan to attend this very important meeting. We will be elect- ing officers and voting on the Bylaws changes. Your attendance and participation is important. This is not only our Annual Meeting and Elections, it is also our Annual Clambake. Enjoy a day of golf, good food and camaraderie! Page 10 July Meeting Results Elkview Country Club 1st Place Skins Ron Garrison, John Polak, Adam Schoonover Chris Butler #8 2nd Place Jerry Decker #17 Russell Hauenstein, Jerry Decker Don Peters, Jeff MacAndrew Joe Kar #13 Jim Green #12 Closest to Pin Members #9 Lee Kozsey - 22’ Longest Drive #10 Adam Schoonover Closest to the Pin All #12 Jim Green - 2’3” Photo of the Month We all see interesting things every day….wildlife (like bald eagles and bears), strange turf problems (like a lightning strike), an employee who stayed out too late the night before, etc. So if you have a great photo, send it to me (bbachman@genesisturfgrassinc.com) and share it for everyone to enjoy (or laugh at). August Photo of the Month Via our meeting host for this month, Rick Anglemy- er and Water Gap C.C. Many superintendents in the Poconos get to see this from time to time. I was personally able to wit- ness this guy, as well. Chips & Putts PATRON SPONSORS AERIFICATION AND OVERSEEDING IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE Aer-Core Stephen Thompson 610-972-5933 John Deere Brent Wood 570.499.1441 William Mast 610.327.3390 Turf Equip. & Supply George Skawski 610.554.9366 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 Michael Longyhore 610.390.8827 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 710.933.5801 PLANT PROTECTANTS Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 EQUIPMENT Rich Gdovin 570-278-1131 Aer-Core Stephen Thompson 610-972-5933 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 William Mast 610.327.3390 Genesis Turfgrass Brian Bachman 484.661.6105 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 John Deere Brent Wood 570.499.1441 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Growth Products Craig Lambert 973-601-3303 Turf Equip. & Supply Michael Longyhore 610.390.8827 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 George Skawski 610.554.9366 Syngenta Lee A. Kozsey 610.861.8174 Finch Services Ted Zabrenski 484.614.6436 SEED & SOD Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 FERTILIZER Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 Finch Services Ted Zabrenski 484.614.6436 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Genesis Turfgrass Brian Bachman 484.661.6105 Genesis Turfgrass Brian Bachman 484.661.6105 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Growth Products Craig Lambert 973-601-3303 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 TOPDRESSING / SOIL AMENDMENTS Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 GREEN AND TEE SUPPLIES Blue Ridge Peat Farms Gene Evans 570.443.9596 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Rich Gdovin 570-278-1131 Genesis Turfgrass Brian Bachman 484.661.6105 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Genesis Turfgrass Brian Bachman 484.661.6105 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 John Deere Brent Wood 570.499.1441 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Support our Sponsors - They support us! PTGA SCHEDULE POCONO ROUNDUP Aug 6 PSU Field Days PLEASE NOTE! Aug 15 PTGA Annual Clambake and Meeting If you have changed your mailing Water Gap C.C. address in the past year, please email Melinda with your updated information. Sept 16 PTGA Golf Meeting Mt. Laurel Golf Club Also, please make sure you, your club, company, etc., has the correct mailing address for the Pocono Turfgrass Oct PTGA Golf Meeting Association office. Due to the 911 System Great Bear C.C. the address changed. Please note the address at the bottom right of this page. Thank you! POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION R.R. 1, BOX 219 POSTAGE HARDING, PA 18643 NAME & ADDRESS POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 309 TERRACE AVENUE HARDING, PA 18643 PHONE/FAX 570-388-2167 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED. WEBSITE: ptga.org