chips %puns OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE Founded in POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 1936 TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION VOL. 3, NO. 2 APRIL 1997 Aco w em m w h You could be described as the “Bill Gates of the turf industry”. In many ways you had the insight perezuccomeit.... or fortitude to bring the “info-world” to this President, TurfNet Associates industry. Any thoughts on that? While that is flattering, Bill Gates and I will always You are providing a valuable service to G.C. be separated by a series of multiple zeros and Superintendents. What prompted you to provide commas in the “net worth” column! It’s also ironic an information service to the Golf Course to be classified in that sense, as I don’t consider Industry? myself a geek or computer nerd. My degree is in Horticulture, not computers. I bought my first I was on the supply side of the industry for twelve computer less than five years ago (on the verge of years (with both Toro and Jacobsen distributors), and middle age), and taught myself how to use it. saw tremendous changes take place over that period The initial concept of TurfNet was not specifically of time. Not only were there more products from computer-related. I knew I wanted to integrate an more suppliers, but the equipment was also online component into TurfNet at some point, but becoming increasingly complex from a technology wasn’t happy with the software that was available at standpoint. Ten years ago, if you were to buy a the time. There were several online bulletin boards triplex greensmower you would have two choices, A operated by superintnedents then, including Turfbyte Greensking IV or a Greensmaster 300. Today, you in Kansas, Metbyte in the regional NYC area, and can probably choose from close to thirty models and TurfTalk in Chicago. They all used the same configuratuions, from four major suppliers. I also software, which was just black text on a white saw many purchasing decisions being made for the background. They were functional to a point, but wrong reasons, which indicated to me a lack of boring and very difficult to use - if you didn’t know substantive knowledge about the products. And I what to type in next, you couldn’t get to square one! saw some people paying more than they should for I’m sure many superintendents tried them, as 1 did, the products they were buying — so I thought some and found them so frustrating they just shut them off information along those lines would be valuable to and walked away. I saw no sense in merely the new breed of superintendent who doesn’t really replicating what they offered. care who took him to lunch last. I wanted graphical, Windows based, intuitive, My initial thought was to develop a service which point-and-click and a little bit of fun thrown in, as would help everyone do their jobs better and work a well. I found the software I was looking for about a little smarter. I started with an idea to develop a pool year later, and launched TurfNet Online in June of of information, experiences and opinions regarding 1995 (after about six weeks of the steepest learning the turf equipment you use, and thought a newsletter curve of my life). Much has changed since then, would be a fun thing to do to keep our service in front with the advent of the Web. I always thought it was of you during the year. Thinking back, I could never a challenge to keep up with new products and recall reading an article about turf equipment in one technologies in the golf course business, but trying to of the mainstream trade magazines that was written stay abreast of the computer world, and then weaving by someone who had the least idea of what they were them together is almost daunting at times! talking about. For whatever reason, I have been Insight? Foresight? Fortitude? Yes, I suppose there blessed with a gift for the written word, and saw an was a bit of each in conceptualizing and launching opportunity to use that talent in an industry I really TurfNet The concept was ahead of its time, no enjoyed. doubt, but the industry is catching up. When I lost my job just after Christmas, 1993,1 had nothing to lose but to give it a shot. Six weeks later I launched TurfNet, and it has broadened in scope Continued on page 7 considerably since then. OFFICERS P r e s i d e n t ’sMessage... & DIRECTORS It’s been a very mild winter this past our Board members to complete this season. It has proved to be a very process. Great job, men, on M illing productive one for most of us. At my these requirements. TURFGRASS 1997 club, the mild weather allowed us to The PTGA Executive Secretary ASSOCIATION continue course improvements position has been filled with the throughout the winter months. appointment of Mrs. Melinda PRESIDENT Your Association Board of Directors Wisnosky. Melinda currently is also Ron Garrison, CGCS has also continued to improve the the backbone to Scott Schukraff s very Glen Oak Country Club Association in many ways these last successful Huntsville staff. few months. The first of many to Congratulations to Melinda! ! We are VICE PRESIDENT follow social events was staged this confident that the addition of Melinda Jack Bird past March at Shadowbrook Resort in to our Association will insure the The Hideout, Inc. Tunkhannock. An excellent evening continual growth of our great was put together to both honor Past Association. SECRETARY/TREASURER Presidents of our Association and to get I will continually remind you Mike Vella together socially with our members and throughout my Presidency that this their spouses for an evening of good Association is only as good as the food, good fun and good fellowship. members of which it is comprised. We PAST PRESIDENT Boy, can Jeff Peters dance!! The night need to hear all feedback, positive as Jeff Peters, CGCS reminded many of us how fortunate we well as the negative, in order for us to Valley Country Club are to have a strong partner / spouse provide you with new and improved who can support us through our very association support and service. The DIRECTORS challenging profession. Thanks must PTGA is being looked at as one of the Kelly Kressler also be extended to Jeff Lansdowne, model local chapters in our state. This Southmoore Golf Course CGCS for assisting to set up this great is due to the fact that the PTGA Board evening. of Directors, both past and present, Stephen Stranzl The Board has met all necesary have taken all feedback from the Green Acres Golf Course requirements to complete the GCSAA membership body and along with re-affiliation agreement. Many hours membership participation to revise and Jim MacLaren of work has been devoted by most of of improve all Association business. Turf Specialty, Inc. Ronald C. Garrison, CGCS Thomas Wilchak Bethlehem Golf Club Scott Schukraft Huntsville Golf Club From The Editor's Desk CHIPS & PUTTS STAFF I could see from the gleam in his eye that it had been a good conference and show EDITOR for Peter McCormick. Las Vegas had been good to him. Actually I think I saw him Scott A. Schukraft shortly after he had been paid the greatest compliment he received since launching this 147 Hayfleld Road thing called TurfNet several years earlier. As I remember it, it went something like Shavertown, PA 18708 this. An industry leader, a fellow who has been around for a long time, mentioned that 717-675-3800 TurfNet has the potential to impact this industry more so than any innovation that has Fax: 717-675-0564 come along in the last twenty years. Wow! I often thought that but was never quite E-Mail: sasgolf@epix.net able to put it into words. Peter and I have been talking about this interview for well EDITORIAL COMMITTEE over a year now and it has finally become a reality. I urge you to take the time to read Jim MacLaren it. It was exciting for me to conduct the interview, all electronically I might add, and Mark McCormick I sincerely believe the message is one worth remembering. Jeff Peters, CGCS George Skawski The editorial committee has been hard at work over the past several months. We Jonathan Suitch hope you are enjoying all the improvements to our Association publication. As always Paul Weiss comments, good or bad, to further enhance Chips and Putts are welcome. Managing Editor, Melinda Wisnosky IRRIGATION SYSTEM out of the ground in a matter of minutes! STA R T-U P...... Following these procedures may help: Open drain valves and air release It won’t be long before many of us will assemblies and fill your system with your begin thinking about irrigation. Offered jockey pump only. below are a few tips for a properly Try to maintain a fill rate that will not planned and well executed system start­ exceed 2 feet per second. up procedure that will save you time, An 18 hole system holds from 20,000- money, turf, and hairlines. 60,000 gallons of water. Expect filling It is recommended that you decide on a time to be betwen 4 and 8 hours and Raffle tickets are now on sale. Each target date for your system to be fully don’t fill overnight. Allow at least 1 board member has been issued tickets to operational. Once you have picked an whole day to fill the system. distribute to PTGA members. If you do “F.O.D.” (Fully Operational Date), begin Use the main isolation valve to keep not receive tickets soon, you may contact working backwards on your calendar, some back pressure on the pump. any member of the board. There will be allotting time for each of the following After your system is filled and a donation of $5.00 per ticket. steps: pressurized, keep a watchful eye on it. A I would like to take this opportunity to short cycling or hot running pump could thank those clubs participating in this STEP 1 - INSPECTION point to a leak. year’s raffle for their support. It is our Allow 7-10 days for locating, getting hope that the membership will show their CONTROLLERS: Check for 1lOv power parts and repairing a mainline leak. support and sell every ticket. The at each field satellite, vandal damage, drawing will be held at our monthly nesting animals, frost heaves to footings STEP 3 - TEST THE SYSTEM meeting on June 10 at Woodloch Springs (possibility of damaged wires), and Country Club. snowmobile damage. Have grounds Once you are confident that pump station The winning ticket will receive a round meged at central and all satellite and mainline pipe are intact, begin of golf for 4, including green fees and locations to meet manufacturer running test irrigation cycles to check the carts, at one of the following courses: specifications. It is also a good time to remaining components of the system. check solenoids at each satellite station Begin with your greens and check: 1. Glen Oak Country Club by checking ohms resistance. controller operation, valve operation, Clarks Summit, PA Allow 1-2 days for inspection, 5-7 days head rotation and distribution, and lateral 2. Old Homestead Golf Club for replacement parts and 2-3 days for piping integrity. New Tripoli, PA repair. 3. Locust Valley Golf Club A reasonable starting date of one month Coopersburg, PA PUMPHOUSE: Check for required prior to F.O.D. should put you in the ball 4. Southmoore Golf Course incoming power supply, vandal damage, park. Bath, PA ice damage to control valves and pump 5. Hickory Valley Golf Club casings, and nesting animals. TO SUMMARIZE: Gilbertsville, PA Allow 1 day for inspection, 5-7 days 6. Green Acres Golf Club for replacement parts, and an additional STEP 1 - INSPECT: Controllers, Bemville, PA 5-7 days if your local utility has to be Pumphouse, General Components 7. Country Club of the Poconos contacted. Marshalls Creek, PA STEP 2 - PRESSURIZE SYSTEM: Fill 8. Wyoming Valley Country Club GENERAL COMPONENTS: Check for system SLOWLY, Check mainlines. Wilkes-Barre, PA raised heads, broken valve box lids, and 9. The Hideout Golf Club damaged exposed piping. STEP 3 - TEST THE SYSTEM: Check Lake Ariel, PA Allow 2-3 days for inspection, 5-7 days component operation. Check lateral 10. Bethlehem Golf Club for parts and 2-3 days for repairs. lines. Run a test program. Bethlehem, PA STEP 2 - PRESSURIZE THE Now that your system F.O.D. has arrived Note: Winning ticket holders will be SYSTEM and you’re fully prepared, you can stop subject to individual club rules, dress praying to the rain gods and start codes, availability of tee times, conduct, Begin to fill your system. The key word enjoying the sun, along with the rest of etc. is S-L-O-W-L-Y. Water entering an the world. empty system meets little resistance and STEVE STRANZL.... Thanks to George Skawski from Philadelphia Scholarship & Research Chairman can easily achieve velocities of nearly Toro and Paul Roche from S. V. Moffett, Co. three times that of a filled system. Your for providing this information. carefully winterized system can be blown News release Sterilized Top Dressing especially formulated for your area to specifications recommended by ieading universities and testing laboratories. EXCLUSIVE WITH EGYPT FARMS: All materials are thoroughly mixed and sterilized by Galf Digest Pall Laudes Superintendents. . . . . HUNTSVILLE GOLF CLUB RATED indirect heat in our special process. The sand particles The results of an opinion poll conducted are actually coated with a mixture of top soil and peat #23 AMONG AMERICA’S TOP 100 humus for completely homogenous mixture that will not by Golf Digest and published in its BEST MODERN COURSES... seperate during handling and spreading. January 1997 issue clearly reinforce the Huntsville Golf Club in Lehman was COMPUTERIZED BLENDING of soil for a superior growing importance of the golf course medium. recently ranked as the #23 Best Modem superintendent of a golf facility. Details: CUSTOM ON-SITE SOIL BLENDING AND TESTING with a Golf Course in America by Golfweek and portable computerized blender. Questions ranged from the lighthearted, G reen and Tee construction materials and mixes conforming its sister publication, G olf & Travel to your specifications a re also available. such as which pro golfer you’d like to These magazines recently published the have at your side if a fight breaks out in annual listing of the 1997 Top 100 Best MHMand |Kir CX CROWN HI a bar, to the more serious, about banning •Bunker Sand »Sphagnum Peat Classical Courses and the Top 100 Best • Lime and Gypsum smoking in the grillrooms and Modem Courses in America. • Natural Wallstones F iiT e r r a i clubhouses. Most Notable: The According to the rating, “modem answers to the questions, “Who is the courses” include those built after 1960, RUFFIN most important person at your club or MICRO N UTRIE NTS w o o c la c e which encompasses about half of all golf IAKOSCA« A ORNAJtfMlAi. FERTILIZER course?” provide insight into golfers’ courses in the United States. The rating understanding of the roles and was conducted by a national panel of 121 R & R responsibilities of golf course personnel. Country Club] GUARANTEED HBVACHKjn PAKTS raters of diverse playing skills under the leadership of noted golf writer Bradley S. Course Superintendent 48% Klein, and is based solely on the Club Pro 25% architectural quality of the holes. Factors Club Manager 14% considered include integrity of routing, Milonganite Beverage Cart or design distinctiveness, putting and A ,% y rr A u Halfway House Person 11% ■E ü v n chipping contours, and strategic CONSTRUCTION PROOOCTS INC Handicap Chairman 1% flexibility of the course layout. Other TerroBond TerraFlow Club Champion 1% e4 pt E g y p t Farms WNTERGBMEN standards of measurement included the ARM*> P O Box 223 White Marsh. M D 2 1 1 6 2 complementarity of the course with its (410) 3 3 5-3700 • (800) 899 -7 6 4 5 Source: Golf Digest, January 1997 natural and cultural surrounds, the unobtrusiveness of cart paths, housing and surrounding structures, compatibility of landscaping, overall land plan, and NATIONWIDE PERMIT 26.... course conditioning. The final judging factor is GolfweeEs The Army Corps of Engineers has taken i “walk in the park test”, which judges action to phase out Nationwide Permit whether the time spent outdoors on the 26, a general wetlands permit used to course was “enjoyable, worthwhile, grant approval for projects affecting less than ten acres of wetlands. The permit Congratulations to Robert S. Brown memorable and enlightening.” will now only apply to projects affecting who has been chosen to receive the Rated at #23, Huntsville Golf Club is less than three acres of wetlands, and the Patterson Scholarship Award this year. the only golf course in Northeastern move is predicted to greatly hinder the This award consists of a $500.00 Pennsylvania to be included in this progress of small development projects. scholarship and an honorary exclusive listing of America’s Best Top The change is expected to create a huge membership in the Pocono Turfgrass 100 Modem Courses. backlog in the individual permit review Association for the calendar year. process. Inside EPA reports there is LOWER YOUR MOWING HEIGHTS AND RAISE YOUR STANDARDS already widespread support on Capitol WITH bartitia. Hill for expanding the nationwide permit JO H N M. BODOCK program to cover more activities, rather than scaling it back. Observers predict a Lawn and Golf Supply Co., Inc. “long and bloody battle” ahead between S p e c i a l i s t s In e q u i p m e n t a n o s u p p l i e s Now a Kentucky Bluegrassfor Close Cut Sport Fields and G olf Courses. industry and the environmentalists who F o r M a in t e n a n c e o f t u r f □BARENBRUG N O R T H E A S T want to do away with nationwide permits entirely. PHONE: (610) 933-5801 FAX: (800) 362-5650 (610)933-8890 647 N UTT RO. P O. BOX 447 PHOENIXVILLE. PA 194«0 OGDENSBURG, NJ PITTSBURGH, PA DIVISION: (800)435-5296 (412)321-1272 Reprinted with permission from GCSAA’s Briefax P*? s EMPLOYMENT ALLIED NEWS JUST A REMINDER OPPORTUNITIES After July 1, the PTGA will be mandated The Allied Golf Course Superintendents by the GCSAA re-affiliation agreement Huntsville Golf Club, Lehman, PA Association of Pennsylvania would like (2nd Assistant G.C. Superintendent) to require membership in both to thank the following companies, along organizations, PTGA and GCSAA. Prior with their representatives, for their to this date, dual membership is not 18 Hole private club, 2-4 year degree financial support of the hospitality suite preferred, competitive salary and benefit required to become a member of the at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Pocono Turfgrass Association. If you are package. Willingness to learn and a Show in Las Vegas. We ask that you desire to excel a must. S/R to Scott A. interested please contact membership please support them in return. chairman, Kelly Kressler, or any Board Schukraft, Huntsville Golf Club, 147 Hayfield Road, Shavertown, PA 18708- Member for an application. AgrEvo 9748. Agrotech 2000 Allegheny Lawn & Golf Supply Andre & Son, Inc. OFFICE (800) 3 3 8 -1 4 6 6 HOME (610) 3 8 1-2504 Turf and Ornamental Specialist A T Sales Associates, LTD FAX (71 7 ) 6 4 6 -5 8 4 0 Best Sand Corp. Lesco. Independent leading supplier to Blaukovitch Golf Course Design PAR-MAR CARS, INC. USED GOLF CARS & TURF EQUIPMENT the green industry has immediate Blue Ridge Peat Farms TURF SUPPLIES ALASKA STOKER STOVE DEALER openings for salespeople to handle large CIBA turf accounts in the Northeast. Eagle Irrigation 1 KUKENBEAKER ROAD P.O. BOX 6 8 Requirements: B.A. or 3-5 years related Eastern Irrigation & Pump Co. MARK B. BIERY LONG POND, PA 1 8 3 3 4 experience in agronomy or horticulture. Farm & Golf Course Supply Must be willing to travel. Specialist will Fisher & Son Co. develop agronomic programs for golf Flowtronex PSI course superintendents, golf course E.H. Griffith construction companies, municipal Golf Cars Inc. 1 purchasing and military golf courses. Golf Car Supply L E G A C Y ”* G o l f I r r i g a t i o n Health, dental, 401(k), automobile. FAX Krigger & Co. resume or call Chuck Bergamo. FAX: Lawn & Golf Supply (609) 691-7760 Phone: (609) 692-0001. Mid-Atlantic Equipment Y o u r L in k t o L e g a c y Pennink Arrimour Inc. Philadelphia Turf Company G o lf C o u r s e Pocono Turf Supply Sarver Irrigation Ir r ig a tio n S y s te m s AgrEvo The Scotts Company Shearon Environmental Sleepy Hollow Turf Management Co. Sporting Valley Sod Shaun M. Barry Senior Sales Representative Stull Equipment Company Green Industry AgrEvo USA Company Sweeny Seed Company 1133 Route 127 Somerset, N) 08873 Telephone: (908) 846-8173 Fax: (908) 846-8113 Tanto Construction & Supply Company (cm m RÁ¡ÑÁ¡Dj barrys ©wilmde.hcc.com Three Rivers Tractors & Equipment Walker Supply Zeneca Professional Products O F F IC E a H O M E PH O N E TO P DRESSING W H IT E h a v e n 7 1 7 - 4 4 3 - 9 3 9 « BUNKER SAND I N F I E L D MIX CERTIFIED & CULTIVATED Call Century today HUMILL for an on-site consultation. B LU E RID GE PEAT FARM S, IN C . W HITE HAVEN, PA. 18661-96 74 POTTING SO IL so il m ix es GENE EVANS, O W N E R P r o f e ssio n a l E n g in e e r 800- 347-4272 1337 MEETING NOTES MEETING SITES —TY \e - = = = = = OVERSEEDING AND DRESSING MACHINE SAVE TIME - SAVE SEED - SAVE MONEY PTGA golfing in March? APRIL 22,1997 with Central Penn Silver Creek Country Club It is the first time I can recall having a Hellertown, PA golf outing in March. Twenty-five Tony Grieco, CGCS, Host Supt. golfers went out on a chilly, breezy day. Did I say chilly? It was downright cold, MAY 20,1997 not to mention windy. But we managed. The scores showed some of us put our Woodland Hills Country Club Hellertown, PA clubs away at the end of the season last year, while others somehow stayed in James Vedomsky, Jr., Host Supt. touch with the game. I must have put my JUNE 10,1997 clubs away about mid-season. Woodloch Springs Country Club Following are the flight winners: Honesdale, PA Mark Eisele, Host Superintendent The PROSEED Overseeding & Topdressing Ma­ Third Flight: chine is recognized as the most efficient and time 3rd - Steve Stranzl saving machine available for introducing new grass JULY 11, 1997 2nd - Ron Lee seed into existing turf areas. Edgewood in the Pines 1st- Gene Huelster The PROSEED produces between 1000/1200 holes Drums, PA per square yard, then accurately delivers a measured Second Flight: Anthony Barletta, Host Supt. amount of topdressing on top of the seed and holes. 3rd - Jim Carville - 95 The PROSEED finally gently incorporates the seed 2nd - Kelly Kressler - 92 and topdressing into the holes with the hydraulic AUGUST 18,1997 - PTGA Clambake 1st - Rick Pany - 92 brush. There is a rear drag brush which is spring Blue Ridge Country Club First Flight: loaded to complete the operation....The surface is Palmerton, PA 3rd - Jonathan Suitch - 82 left ready to play. Paul Weiss, Host Superintendent For more information or demo please call: 2nd - Bill Rahling - 81 1st - Tony Grieco - 80 SEPT. 16,1997 with Philadelphia AER-CORE, Inc. Guest speaker, Peter McCormick of Paupack Hills Golf and Country Club TurfNet Associates, gave an excellent Greentown, PA 1 800 823-7267 - - talk and demonstration on the usage of Mark Monahan, CGCS, Host Supt. computers in today’s golf industry. Buying/selling equipment, employment, OCTOBER 7, 1997 conversation, what’s new and available PTC Valentine Tournament for turf management are just some of the Huntsville Golf Club The Scotts Company reasons to use a computer. Our thanks to Lehman, PA a n d Subsidiaries ProTurf. Pete. Scott A. Schukraft, Host Supt. Fran Berdine Tom Wilchak, our host, had greens Executive Technical Representative rolled, topdressed, and fairways cut. OCTOBER 1977 The O.M. Scott & Sons Company Professional Business Group Pin placement - this is the PTGA - not the Split Rock Country Club 199 Warn Avenue 0 Pine Bush NY 12566 PGA! Thanks, Tom, for a great day and Lake Harmony, PA pr«MonRKycMP> Telephone: 914/361-4105 all the extras you provided. Scott Seidel, Host Superintendent Jack Bird, G olf Chairman • Layout and Design • Typesetting I t ’s e v e r y p l a y e r ’ s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . . . • Mac/IBM desktop publishing interface • Laser color separations ¿¡ss**,, • Scitex® electronic photo retouching Repair ball marks Replace or fill divots m m 31 New Hill Street, P.0 Box 507 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18703-0507 • Full electronic prepress services • Foil stamping, embossing Rake bunkers s! u ! # 717-822-8181 • Complete bindery including FAX: 717-823-3579 saddlestitch and perfect binding A message fro m your g o lf course superintendent a n d GCSAA After a slow start TurfNet seems to be way, which has given us the freedom to It will become less of a “hands-on- catching on and gathering momentum. address issues the mainstream trade press sport,” if you will. Managing golf course won’t touch. And the guys like that. turf has become so complex over the last Slow is a relative term. Yes, compared There’s no sugarcoating and no BS — we several years that it requires you to to the advent of the Web, TurfNet’s call them as we see them. But we always leverage every avenue you have to help launch was slow. However, with just a try to tell both sides of a story, letting you do your job properly— and that newsletter and an idea to compile some accuracy, fairness, common sense and includes information. The typical reports, I was able to sign up 250 clubs in good taste be our guides. That is also a problem-solving scenario of the past the first year. When you think about it, reason why we have to charge what we includes playing telephone tag for a few 250 golf courses is a lot of golf courses, do. days with two or three of your local particularly when superintendents for the buddies. Technology now allows you to most part were not used to paying for Do you still get a lot of price pick the brains of hundreds of other publications or other information (much resistance? superintendents, turf researchers or less a service that charges $295 a year!). manufacturers in a matter of minutes. If Just finishing up our third year, we now Sure, but a bit less than at first. It is a that reduces a learning curve or have about 700 members across the continuing challenge to get people to eliminates a few hoops to jump through, country, into Canada, and as far away as look past a $295 bill to see what they get you can solve the problem faster and get Brunei in the South Pacific. out of it, not what it costs up front. on to the next one. With any organization or project, there When someone tells me TurfNet is too Technology will allow (and require) the is a critical mass at which it starts to grow expensive, I ask them whether they think superintendent to become more of a true on itself, becoming self-sustaining. I see Kris Spence at Greensboro Country Club manager (in the hands-off sense), our critical mass at the 1000 member in North Carolina thinks it’s too delegating to and empowering his staff to level, which we hope to reach by the end expensive.... after he sold his old make decisions and implement them. We of this year. A friend of mine at Toro irrigation components—which were one are on the verge of dramatic advances in told me recently, “ The first 1000 guys step from the dumpster - for a total of the application of technology to the golf you get will be the hardest thing you ever $10,000! Show me a company on the course industry, including GPS ( Global do in your life.... but the second, third NY Stock Exchange that I can invest Positioning Systems) and GIS and fourth thousands will come relatively $300 in and get a $10,000 return, and (Geographic Information Systems). easy.” I hope he’s right! I’ll sell my home to get in on that deal! These will interact not only with Realistically, I believe we can get 20- Naturally that won’t happen every year, irrigation application and scheduling, but 25% of the superintendents across the but so what! He has paid for the service also pesticide application, nutrient country involved - which translates into for the next 30 years! And his is not an management, course construction a member base of somewhere around isolated instance— this has happened to projects, and equipment and personnel 3000 within the next 5 years. a lesser extent for many others. management. It is difficult to grasp the extent to which this industry will change Being a relatively new concept for You say “we” occasionally. How big is over the next several years - but it will be everyone, what do people seem to like your company? huge. best about TurfNet? I started the business, and my brother What do you see as the future? Where We offer somewhat of a smorgasbord Bob joined me about a year and a half do you go with it from here? of services, and different ones jump out ago. He lives in Charlotte, NC., and at different guys. Some love the operates out of there... sort of a That is a tough one. One of the great newsletter, others really get into the “southern division”. I basically do all things about a small company is that the online service. Some guys have the grunt work (the newsletter, online chain of command is short. We can liquidated or bought used equipment that service, website and research reports), basically do what we want to do, and take has saved them their membership fee and Bob sells it. We have one of these it where you guys want it to go. many times over. Others have fine - “virtual corporations” that does most of Responsiveness is key. We will most tuned new equipment purchase prices, or our business electronically - another likely be changing software platforms in avoided making a purchasing mistake example of using technology to allow the next six months, to something with a using our database of product two guys to do what it would have taken tighter integration with the Web. I don’t information. By hook or crook, the great four or five several years ago. It’s just know exactly what that will be— chances majority find value in it and come back us. are it probably doesn’t even exist today! for more. A weather component would be nice, as If I had to point to one thing that really How do you feel the age of computing well. separates TurfNet from everything else, and the info-world will change the There is power in numbers, as well, so it would be our non-commercial status. I way superintendents manage their our continuining growth will open up decided at the outset that we would not golf courses? further opportunities. Stay tuned!! take advertising or sponsorship in any Pa# 2 POCONO ROUNDUP Also on the move, Doug Whitcraft is the new Superintendent at Apple Mountain Golf Course in New Jersey. Welcome back to NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE POCONO the Superintendent ranks Doug.... and Jason Brandt, an TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION Assistant to Mel Leaver at Brookside Country Club is the new Golf Course Superintendent at Berwick Golf Club. Welcome to Speaking for Superintendents from around the area, many are the area Jason. We look forward to having you as a member of looking forward to an early spring. By all accounts it has been a the PTGA.... Scott McConnell, an Assistant to Mark Eisele at fairly mild winter. The presence of and damage from snow mold Woodloch Springs is now the construction Superintendent at seems to be significantly less than last year at this time. The worst Wild Pines in Pocono Pines, PA.... and Mike Maher, formerly snow mold we have seen, in years, is in the back yard of our own the Superintendent at Mount Airy Lodge is now the Golf Course James MacLaren. Must have been the overdose of that “glorious” Superintendent at the Robert Trent Jones Tamiment Resort. fertilizer. Watch for exciting things to happen!! A green Masters golf jacket was among illegal bribes Pennsylvania On the construction front, Alberdeen Acres in Mountaintop is Representative Joseph McDade was accused of accepting from the under new ownership and has been re-named Blue Ridge Trail. defense industry. McDade, a 17-term Republican, claimed that The additional nine holes are currently under construction. Joe failing to report the gifts was an honest mistake. He was recently Tribelpiece is the Golf Course Superintendent.... Sand Springs acquitted of all wrongdoing. is also adding nine new holes. They are presently under construction under the direct supervision of superintendent Good Luck to Jim MacLaren in his new position at Turf Specialty James Kohler. Inc. of Londonderry, NH. Turf Specialty’s parent company is Eco- Soils. Jim wants to be involved with a company that has a more In Sympathy.... “hands on” approach to doing business in supplying the customer Our sincere condolences are extended to family of Michael needs. Jim’s telephone, fax and pager numbers have remained the Petrilak, owners of Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Carbondale, on same. the death of his son, Michael, and also to the family of Bill Templeton who recently passed away. POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 2430 MILWAUKEE ROAD POSTAGE CLARK SUMMIT, PA 18411 TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION NAME & ADDRESS ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED.