CHIPS & PUTTS OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION www.ptga.org Founded in 1936 VOL. 20 NO. 7 September 2014 Mountain Laurel Golf Club John Walton, GCS When you get a chance, visit the lovely Mountain Laurel Golf Club in White Haven. If you’ve never played Mt. Laurel, you’re in for a treat. This Jeffery Cornish designed course was built in 1968, and playing at 6,888 yards from the tips it has everything a course needs to challenge your game. The sprawling course features a fully irrigated 3 acres of bent/poa greens, 2 acres of bent/poa tees, and 28 acres of rye/poa fairways. The signature 10th hole features an island green followed by an island tee for #11. Mt. Laurel has seen many different owners and management over the years (including its original association with Mt. Laurel Resort and the Hershey Corporation), but it’s been the most re- cent ownership that has invested in some great upgrades and improvements to the property. In the last 6 years they’ve built a new pro shop, gutted and totally remade the restaurant (complete with a covered patio area), built a new maintenance building, and constructed numerous rock walls throughout the golf course. Continued on page 3 Page 2 President's Message..... Officers & Directors 2014 PRESIDENT Greg Boring, Country Club of Scranton 570-587-4046 VICE PRESIDENT Gino Marchetti, Glen Oak CC 570-586-5791 TREASURER Patrick Healey, Scranton Canoe Club 570-378-2249 SECRETARY Chris Moran, Honesdale CC 570-253-9094 DIRECTORS Steven Chirip, Grass Roots, Inc. 973-418-3468 Corey Pries, Pocono Manor GC 570-994-8270 Ronald Garrison, Fox Hill C.C. 570-655-1065 Jerry Decker, Elkview C.C. 570-282-3080 __________________________ CHIPS & PUTTS STAFF Editor’s Notes….. EDITOR Brian Bachman, Genesis Turfgrass, Inc. 484-661-6105 bbachman@genesisturfgrassinc.com Managing Editor Melinda Wisnosky 570-388-2167 What a great summer we’ve had for golf so far. The mmel500@aol.com weather has remained quite temperate, and with the excep- PAST PRESIDENT tion of some dry periods, we couldn’t ask for more. Ray Waddell 570-903-9571 For those who missed the clambake at Water Gap you missed a beautiful day for golf and some outstanding food!! If anyone has any articles or items they’d like to include in the newsletter, please feel free to pass them on to me. Brian Bachman PTGA Office 309 Terrace Avenue 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 Through all of these changes one thing has remained constant and that is the presence of long time superintendent John Walton. John has been at the course since 1980 and has been superin- tendent since 1991. His seasonal staff of 10-13 employees and his year round mechanic Joe have this Pocono course in great shape. A lifelong native of the White Haven area, John has been married for 22 years. His two daugh- ters have given him 2 grandsons and a granddaughter to enjoy. Page 4 Congratulations to this year’s scholarship winner Michael Handley Pictured are: Front row: John Downer, Michael Handley, Greg Boring, Gino Marchetti Back Row: Pat Healey,Jerry Decker, Steve Chirip, Brian Bachman Michael Handley was awarded this year’s Patterson Scholarship during the August meeting at Water Gap C.C. The Scholarship is awarded each year to a candidate who has met the specific criteria of our scholarship require- ments. Page 5 Where have all the golfers gone? ByAimee Picchi, MONEYWATCH, May 23, 2014 Just a decade ago, it looked like the golf industry had hit a hole-in-one. Interest in the game was surging, and consumers snapped up equipment and booked tee times. These days, though, the sport is caught in the rough. Golf is losing more players than it's gaining, as 4.1 million people left the sport in 2013, outpacing the 3.7 million who picked it up last year. With an overall decline in the number of players, that's caus- ing a ripple effect in the golfing world: Sales of clubs and other equipment are plunging, while some courses are pulling up their tees and calling it a day. "The main issues that cause people to leave the game and not to try the game are the same. They boil down to time, cost and difficulty," said Steve Mona, the chief executive of the World Golf Foun- dation. Golf reached what Mona calls its "high water mark" in 2005, when the sport had 30 million partici- pants playing 550 million rounds of golf. Last year, that had shrunk to 25 million participants and 465 million rounds. The recession had an impact, as well as tough winter and spring weather the past two years, Mona noted. But the industry is also aware that it needs to overcome some perception issues about the sport's expense, the length of a game and the time it takes to master golf, he added. To tackle those perceptions, some courses are introducing variations on the game, such as "foot golf," which uses soccer balls instead of golf balls, and the industry is reaching out to under- represented groups, such as women, minorities and the Millennial generation, Mona added. "The core group who loves golf will stick with it, but we're worried about those people who have not taken to it totally," said Trillium Sellers, a pro golfer who is a member of the PGA and is working on the golf association's task force for player development. "They are in that make-or-break state, where they might try it, but if they don't like it, they won't come back again." With fewer people opting to play, that's hurting retailers and courses alike. Take Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS), which on Tuesday said its golfing division had weighed down quarterly results, with same-store sales at its Golf Galaxy outposts slipping by 10.4 percent. Shares of Dick's Sporting Goods fell 13 percent the following day. "We don't feel we found that bottom yet in the golf sales number," chief executive Ed Stack said on a conference call with analysts. "We now expect this trend to continue for the balance of the year." Across the country, golf courses are calling it quits. More courses closed than opened in the U.S. last year: While 14 18-hole courses were christened in 2013, a whopping 157 closed. The majority of those closures were public courses. Continued on page 6 Page 6 Continued from page 5 What's causing golfers to put away their clubs? The sport's high costs are one issue, given even a low-ball price tag pegs the cost at about $700 in course fees, apparel and equipment. At the same time, consumers are increasingly strapped for money, including those middle- and upper-middle-class consumers who are most likely to visit a golf course. Median per capita income for American households has barely budged since 1989 in inflation-adjusted dollars. Women golfers are another problem spot for the sport because they're more likely to join but al- so more likely to quit, Sellers noted. Over the past five years, the number of women and junior golfers has declined 23 percent and 35 percent, respectively, according to a report she pre- pared for the Club Managers Association of America. "The perception is that A, golf is an old white man's sport, and B, it's very hard to learn," she said. "Golf courses and golf clubs are realizing that it's not about him anymore. It's about the wife, be- cause she's usually the one making the final decision about where the money is spent." One benefit to the downturn? It's a buyer's market for equipment, Mona noted, adding, "You can find pretty good deals. If you shop smartly, you can consume golf pretty reasonably." © 2014 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. Page 7 August Meeting Results Water Gap Country Club 1st Place—Match of Cards Skins Chris Boyle, Bob Boyle, Ian Kunesch, Jeff Smolha Bob Boyle #11 Mark Brown #8 2nd Place Bob Brown, Mark Brown Mike Harris Closest to Pin #4 Longest Drive Chris Boyle Mike Harris Closest to the Pin #12 Mike from Pocono Manor 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). September Photo of the Month Just the tip of the iceberg! You never know what’s lurking just under the sur- face when a small project turns into a much bigger one. Compliments of Patrick Healey at Scranton Ca- noe Club. 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 Please Note! Oct 6 PTGA Golf Meeting If you have changed your mailing Great Bear CC address in the past year, please email Melinda with your updated information. Nov 18-20 PSU Turf Conference Also, please make sure you, your club, company accounting department, etc., Dec 9-11 New Jersey Green Expo has the correct mailing Atlantic City address for the Pocono Turfgrass Association office. Due to the 911 System the address changed. The post office will soon be returning to sender any mail Unfortunately, the meeting at Mountain Laurel containing the old address. Golf Club had to be cancelled. We hope to see everyone next month at Great Bear C.C. 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 POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 309 TERRACE AVENUE HARDING, PA 18643 NAME & ADDRESS PHONE/FAX 570-388-2167 WEBSITE: ptga.org ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED.