CHIPS & PUTTS OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE Founded in POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 1936 www.ptga.org VOL 13, NO. 4 June 2007 Shawnee Inn and Resort Shawnee on the Delaware, PA Steve Taggert, Director of Golf and Grounds Management Lance Heil, Golf Course Superintendent July brings us to Shawnee Inn And Golf Resort for our monthly meeting. Shawnee Inn and Resort, an A. W. Tillinghast classic built in 1910 and 1911, has a storied history. CC Worthington was the owner of the property that built the course originally called "The Buckwood Inn”. Some of you may remember Worthington tractor as a golf course staple; those still using blitzers may even have a Worthington steel wheel somewhere on that 5 gang. Mr. Worthington sold the course to Fred Waring, a famous entertainer of the ‘30’s and '40’s, who brought many no­ table celebrities to the Inn for golf and performances for the guests. Mr. Waring is also involved in equipment used by superintendents as he is credited with developing the first blender. A quick look at the photos in the halls of the Inn, and you can be sure the staff of the Inn was happy to see a machine to help make drinks for the celebs that were known to have a few during Fred’s tenure as owner of the Inn. Tillinghast built this course which quickly gained notoriety and was referred to as the "Gem of the East” The course has played host to the Shawnee open which is currently a Philadelphia PGA Sectional event. This event could be the longest running event in the United States as it started in 1912 and has continued almost without interruption. Those who have won this event are J.J. Mc Dermott, Walter Hagen, Fred Mc Leod, Johnny Farrell, William Mac Farlane, and Lawson Little, all gentlemen who have won the US Open. Shawnee has played host to other notable events as well, such as the 1938 PGA Champion­ ship. The championship was won by Paul Runyan, who beat out Sam Snead for the title. Snead, at the time, was Shawnee’s resident golf Professional. The NCAA championship (Continued on page 3) President’s Message....... Officers & Directors 2007 See you next month! PRESIDENT Duane Schell, Blue Ridge Trail G. C. 570-868-8113 djschell@epix.net Duane Schell VICE PRESIDENT Darrin Larkin, Panorama Golf Course 570-222-9260 TREASURER John Downer, Elkview C.C. 570-840-0078 j_s_downer@juno.com SECRETARY Jeff Koch, Glenmaura National C.C. 570-457-8733 SERGEANT AT ARMS Steven Chirip, Grass Roots, Inc. 973-418-3468 DIRECTORS Ray Wadell, Elmhurst CC 570-842-4705 Rick Anglemyer, Water Gap CC 570-424-6391 Matthew Brown, Philadelphia Turf 215-340-5401 Editor CHIPS & PUTTS STAFF EDITOR Jim Gurzler Well another month has come and gone, and it seems summer is 570-249-1450 jim@gurzler.com here for good now. Look forward to the 15th of August for a night at the ballpark with friends. See the schedule inside for more info. Managing Editor Melinda Wisnosky Editorial Committee Elkview played host to our group in June and 50 souls experienced a wonderful golf course, a great day and fantastic food. Shawnee Jeff Koch will play host to our July meeting and it looks as though this year we Matt Brown will actually be able to play the course. (typed with crossed fingers) Past President Eric Reed, Valley C.C. 570-788-4277 The mail has been light folks. Keep the info coming so that the Barley5@ptd.net newsletter is overfull. That will be my groveling for articles for this month. Expect more next month if artwork, pictures, articles or even ideas for what info you would like to see in our newsletter don’t start showing up in my inbox. Submissions are graciously appreciated. This month our newsletter has the information on scholarships and how to apply for them. The deadline has been extended. See the article on Page 6 for more information. PTGA Office R.R. 1, Box 219 Harding, PA 18643 Phone/Fax: 570-388-2167 Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of Jim Gurzler 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, Continued from page 1 was played here in 1967 on the course where we will be playing. This tournament was won by Hale Irwin. Steve Taggert took the position of Golf Course Superintendent in 1995 just prior to a horrible flood in January of 1996. Three years later, Lance Heil came aboard as Steve’s assistant and held that position until last year when Steve was elevated to the position of Director of Golf and Lance was elevated to Golf Course Superintendent. Matt Siptroth and Brian Hall, Assistant Superintendents, and Keith Walter, Equipment Manager, round out the manage­ ment team at the Shawnee maintenance facility. Shawnee is staffed by 20 summer employees during the season and 6 during the off season. In addition to Finn, the goose dog, Shawnee is host to 3 new avian offspring of the resident Bald Eagle couple. The family of eagles on the island should give Steve “brownie points” toward his current work with Audubon Coop­ erative Sanctuary certification. In addition to the golf course, extensive practice areas are maintained by the staff. The Tillinghast Academy opened in 2003 and was completed in 2004. In 2005, lights were added to the executive course so that league play may occur on the academy and driving range during the evening hours. The construction of the Tillinghast Acad­ emy was completed in-house using plans of drawn by A.W. Tillinghast himself. Our speaker this month will be Lance Heil. Lance will be speaking on the topics of flood damage, clean up, turf maintenance requirement to restore damage to the course. Lance has been through major floods over the past three years and will be speaking on these topics from personal experience. Thanks to Grass Roots and Seeton Turf Warehouse for sponsoring this months meeting. Hope to see all you there for our two man better ball tournament. Phone: 215-345-7200 Fax: 215-345-8132 Web: www.phillyturf.com PHILADELPHIA TURF COMPANY The Bunker Dilemma Provided by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Nearly everyone who plays golf knows that bunkers are supposed to be hazards. That's how the Rules of Golf, define them-"A bunker is a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground, often a hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed or replaced with sand or the like." For golfers, the object should be to avoid them. But for golf course superintendents, the subject of bunker maintenance is often a subject that falls under the cate­ gory of “Hazardous Duty.” In fact, that's the title of a seminar offered by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. Taught by Robert M. Randquist, GCSAA board member and Certified Golf Course Superintendent at Boca Rio Golf Club in Boca Raton , Fla., the course helps GCSAA superintendents understand the complex and often contentious subject. According to Randquist, the difficulty of bunker maintenance begins with the fact that both golfers and golf course superintendents exhibit a wide variation in how they look at bunkers. At one extreme you hear, “A bunker is a hazard, I shouldn’t have hit the ball here.” Or, “Golf is like life, it’s not sup­ posed to be fair.” At the other extreme there are those who think, “I can’t believe how unfair this bunker is. Even the best golfer in the world couldn’t get on the green from here.” With such a wide range of opinions and expectations about bunkers place in the game, and how they should be maintained, Randquist says it’s vitally important that golf course superintendents, green committees, private owners, supervisors and tournament governing bodies discuss the issue. Arriving at a consensus regarding playing conditions for the course’s bunkers is important, but it is equally important that they determine if the golf facility has the finan­ cial ability to provide those conditions on a regular basis. The kinds of questions that must be answered include: Should a golfer ever have a buried lie in a bunker? Should a golf ball always roll back to the flat portion of the bunker? Is it possible to define the difference between a “fair” bunker and an unfair one? How often should golfers be able to get the ball out of a greenside bunker and into the hole in two shots? How often should golfers be able to hit a shot from a fairway bunker onto the green? Should a golfer ever have to play a shot from underneath or against the lip of a bunker? Should the sand surface be smooth or furrowed? Do the bunkers provide equal hazard to low and high handicap players? The answers to these questions make it possible for the golf course superintendent to define the expected difficulty of the course’s bunkers, establish a plan for bunker maintenance that will deliver that level of difficulty and develop a budget for that level of maintenance. (Continued on page 7) JIM GURZLER JIMG@ SALES REPRESENTATIVE SEETONTURF.COM East Coast SOD & SEED SEETON TURF Kevin Driscoll • Warehouse, LLC • 3983 MANN RD 609 760 4099 CEL 856 769 9555 OFFICE 609 561 5384 FAX CELL: (570) 249-1450 HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PA 596 Pointers Auburn Road Pilesgrove NJ 08098 OFFICE/FAX:(570) 788-2061 19006 Chips & Putts PATRON SPONSORS AERIFICATION AND OVERSEEDING IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Atlantic Irrigation Joe Jaskot 973.445.9418 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Philadelphia Turf Co. George Skawski 610.554.9366 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 710.933.5801 Matt Brown 484-357-6312 PLANT PROTECTANTS EQUIPMENT Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Rich Gdovin 570-278-1131 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 Philadelphia Turf Co. Matt Brown 484.357.6312 Harrell’s Turf Specialty Jim MacLaren 570.443.7154 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 PBI/Gordon Corp. John Patten 609.970.1546 Seeton Turf Jim Gurzler 570.249.1450 SynaTek Craig Lambert 201.874.7383 FERTILIZER Syngenta Lee A. Kozsey 610.861.8174 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 SEED & SOD Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Harrell’s Turf Specialty Jim MacLaren 570.443.7154 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 East Coast Sod & Seed Kevin Driscoll 609.760.4099 SynaTek Craig Lambert 201.874.7383 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Harrell’s Turf Specialty Jim MacLaren 570.443.7154 GREEN AND TEE SUPPLIES SynaTek Craig Lambert 201.874.7383 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Rich Gdovin 570-278-1131 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 TOPDRESSING / SOIL AMENDMENTS Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 SynaTek Craig Lambert 201.874.7383 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Blue Ridge Peat Farms Gene Evans 570.443.9596 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 Harrell’s Turf Specialty Jim MacLaren 570.443.7154 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Seeton Turf Jim Gurzler 570.249.1450 SynaTek Craig Lambert 201.874.7383 Support our Sponsors - They support us! Meeting Results from Elkview Fifty golfers found their way to Elkview for our June meeting. Thanks to John Downer, Matt Fronzak and the Elk­ view staff for a wonderful day. Our speaker was William Pencek of the Wyoming County Cooperative Extension. He spoke on the benefits of bare root tree planting and the care and removal of trees at Elkview. The topic was great, and Bill explained that all the county extension agents are available to assist those in the green industry. Results from our colored ball tournament were far better than last year when only 1 group completed the round with their ball intact. This year 9 groups completed their rounds with the ball still in there possession. The winning group was the team of Bobby Brown, George Skawski, and Jeff Hugaboom with an 81. The results of the low gross were as follows: First place Jim, Gary, Gary Phillips Jr. and Lou Dix; in second place was the team of Jason Brown, Pat Moran, Mark Brown, and Tony Kenia. The skins were won on the only eagle that Mr. Bobby Brown had on the 17th hole and netted him a handsome sum of greenbacks. The skill prizes were won by Chris Butler, Closet to the Pin on the 9th hole with a shot that ended up 4’ 2 1/2" from the cup. (sponsored by Grass Roots). Long Drive was on the 10th hole and Gary Phillips Jr. won that with a respect­ able drive that landed well down the fairway. (sponsored by Seeton Turf Warehouse). Fifty/Fifty winners were Scott Kozar and John Vojick. Thanks again to John Downer, Russell Hauenstein and the crew of Elkview for providing a great day. Thanks to Andy Dumas for hosting our April Meeting Join PTC and the PTGA at the Yankee Game August 21. Limited to first 100 people. Members and immediate family only please Contact Matt Brown at 484-357-6312. Game time - 7 PM, PNC Field, Moosic. Grass Roots. Inc. P.O. Box 336 LESCO® Sales Representative 570.499.1441 Cell grass roots Mount Freedom, NJ 07970 7562 Penn Drive #160 Allentown, PA 1000 Springbrook Avenue Moosic, PA 4 Middlebury Blvd. 18106-9010 18507-1832 Suite 7 610.336.4953 570.451.7450 Randolph. NJ 07869 294 N 1 st Street 4217 Fritch Drive Steve Chirip (973)418-3468, Mobile Stroudsburg, PA Bethlehem, PA (570)839-3399, PA Office 18360-2517 18020-9413 Technical Sales Rep. (973)252-6634, NJ Office 570.421.4847 610.866.6665 (973)252-6630, NJ Fax www.lesco.com 196*49*4837 Nextel Service ♦ Technical Support ♦ Quality Products Pocono Turfgrass Association 2007 Scholarships The Patterson Scholarship for Turfgrass Related Studies The Pocono Turfgrass Association is now accepting scholarship applications for the Patterson Scholarship. The dead­ line for application is August 31,2007. The following is a list of guidelines for all individuals interested in applying for the scholarship: 1. Applicant must be in his or her final year of study or a recent graduate of a two- or four-year turf related pro­ gram. 2. The applicant must be a member of the Pocono Turfgrass Association, employed by a member of PTGA, or an immediate family member of a member of PTGA. 3. The applicant must submit, in writing, why he or she would like to be considered for the scholarship. The es­ say should include what he or she feels their contribution to the turfgrass field will be. 4. Applicants must include a letter of endorsement from their PTGA relation with their application. The Pocono Turfgrass Association Scholarship for Non-Turf Related Studies The Pocono Turfgrass Association is now accepting applications for a non-turfgrass related field of study scholarship. The deadline for application is August 31,2007. The following is a list of guidelines for all individuals interested in ap­ plying for the scholarship: 1. Applicant must be in his or her final year of study or a recent graduate of a two- or four-year non-turf related program. 2. The applicant must be a member of the Pocono Turfgrass Association, employed by a member of PTGA, or an immediate family member of a member of PTGA. 3. The applicant must submit, in writing, why he or she would like to be considered for the scholarship. The es­ say should include information pertaining to field of study, educational achievement, and future goals with respect to utilization of his or her education. 4. Applicants must include a letter of endorsement from their PTGA relation with their application. Applications should be submitted to: Ray Waddell Scholarship Committee Chairman Elmhurst Country Club 319 Gardner Road Moscow, PA 18444 Office & Home Phone Top Dressing LAWN AND GOLF SUPPLY CO., INC. White Haven 570-443-9596 Bunker Sand Chris Butler Fax 570-443-9590 Infield Mix Sales Representative 647 Nutt Rd., PO Box 447 Blue Ridge Peat Farms, Inc. Phoenixville, PA 19460-0447 White Haven, PA 18661-9674 Cell: 610-657-6923 610-933-5801 Ext. 201 Fax: 610-933-8890 Potting Soil Gene Evans, Owner Soil Mixes Professional Engineer Continued from Page 4 GCSAA golf course superintendents are accustomed to creating these kinds of plans, and balancing the desires of golfers with the available labor and equipment assets. But golfers are often unaware of how many factors affect the condition of bunkers. Randquist says the primary factors influencing the decisions golf course superintendents make regarding bunker maintenance include: type and depth of sand in bunkers; raking, grooming and edging methods; and, of course, bunker maintenance costs and budget. The technical aspects of sand selection include everything from particle size and particle shape to crusting poten­ tial, infiltration rate, color, and even measuring firmness with a penetrometer. Management of all these factors to produce the desired bunker playing conditions is primarily the superintendent’s responsibility. So, too, are the decisions about raking and grooming methods. Over the years, these have ranged from almost no grooming in the earliest days of the game, to the infamous furrowing rakes employed at Oakmont Country Club, to the modern power bunker rakes that can dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to rake a bunker. But if golfers want the kind of bunker conditions they see on television at championship venues they need to under­ stand that getting there comes with a substantial cost. That kind of maintenance demands a commitment of manpower that most courses simply aren’t able to muster. Although there are many factors that influence the cost of bunker maintenance, Randquist says that many golf fa­ cilities commit as much as 15 to 25 percent of their golf course labor hours to bunker maintenance. In preparation for a golf championship, it is not uncommon to have a bunker maintenance crew of 10 to 20 people working full time for two to three weeks prior to and during the event. Achieving “tournament" conditions may in­ clude packing the sand, adjusting depths, removing debris and stones, controlling moisture content, adding amendments to the sand, and hand raking—all of which are extremely labor intensive. If a golf course sets a standard of providing those conditions on an every-day basis, labor costs for bunker mainte­ nance alone can be $300,000 to $350,000 a year. For golf courses with annual maintenance budgets under $1 mil­ lion such a commitment is obviously out of the question. Randquist says that golfers are often surprised to learn how much strain bunkers can put on a golf course mainte­ nance budget, but once they are aware of the balance between labor costs and bunker playing conditions they alter their expectations. Despite a trend in recent years to maintain bunkers in a manner that provides a relatively low degree of difficulty, bunkers are still hazards. When golfers express a desire to have them be less of a hazard, they need to understand that achieving that standard comes with a significant cost. Lee A. Kozsey SynaTek Territory Manager www.synateksolutions.com Turf, Ornamental & Aquatics syngenta Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. The TurfSolutions People 3710 Amherst Court Bethlehem, PA 18020 Craig Lambert Tel 610-861-8174 Technical Sales Representative 261 Schoolhouse Road * Suite 4 Fax 610-882-9358 Souderton, PA 18964-2416 Mobile 215-796-0409 Main Office: 888-408-5433 www.syngentaprofessionalproducts.com lee.kozsey@syngenta.com Home Office: 973-663-3368 Cell; 201-874-7383 * Fax; 973-6634734 clambert@synateksoluttôns.com For further assistance, contact our Customer Resource Center at: 866-Syngenta (866-796-4368) POCONO ROUNDUP PTGA MEETING SCHEDULE Tuesday July 24 Shawnee Inn and Resort NEWS AND VIEWS Monday August 27 Woodloch Springs FROM THE POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION Tuesday Sept. 25 Woodstone Golf Club TBD October Blue Ridge Trail Our deepest sympathies go out to the Jepko family on the passing of Steve Jepko. Steve was the owner Field Days: of Three Ponds Golf Course in Elysburg until selling the course to Knobel’s this spring. Penn State University Joe Valentine Research Center August 9th and 10th University Park, PA Rutgers University Hort. Farm II July 31,2007 New Brunswick, NJ Unique POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION R.R. 1, BOX 219 HARDING, PA 18643 Solutions Grassy & Broadleaf Weed Control-Fast For your local Gordon’s* Distributor visit: pbigordon.com or call John Patten at 609-970-1546 pbi/GORdonCORPORATION ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED. An Employee Owned Company Always Read and Follow Directions 00242