CHIPS & PUTTS OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE Founded in POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 1936 VOL. 14, NO. 6 September 2008 Frosty Valley Country Club Tom Height, GCS September 29, 2008 Tom Height and Frosty Valley Country Club will host the PTGA for the monthly meeting in Sep- tember. Frosty Valley is a premier club in the Susquehanna Valley. The club was incorporated in 1959 with 18 holes completed and ready for golf in 1962. David Gordon was the architect for the club. David Gordon a graduate of Penn State Uni- versity with a degree in Agronomy, is the son of William Gordon. William Gordon worked closely with Donald Ross, Willie Park Jr., and Devereux Emmet before starting his own firm in 1941. Then in 1950 after building courses for Donald Ross and others, he began designing and building course under the Corporation of William F. Gordon Co.; then in 1953 David joined the firm. Courses in PA done by the Gordons include the Weyhill Course at Saucon Valley, as well as the Grace Course at Saucon Valley. Other clubs designed include Edgewood in the Pines, Wedgewood, Hershey’s Mill, Mahoning Valley CC, Locust Valley CC and Bethlehem Muni,. Other clubs where remodeling or expansion work was by the Gordon’s include Lancaster CC, Saucon Valley (old Course), Seaview GC, Brookside CC, Gulph Mills, Lehigh, Manufactures, and Buck Hill, as well as many others. Frosty Valley, a Par 72 layout, plays 6716 yards from the Blue Tees with a course rating of 72.2 and a slope rating of 129. The course has an automatic irrigation system, installed in 1993. Re- cently bunkers were added to holes. Also a major renovation was done to the fairway on the 9th Hole. During February of this year, a new double row Toro irrigation system was installed in house. Tom and the crew will be beginning a bunker renovation program this fall and continu- ing through completion in 2012. A new tee on the Par 5 11th is being added which will lengthen the hole by some 35 yards. Tom is a 2002 Penn State graduate and has been at the Club since February of 2005. Prior to Frosty Valley Tom’s stops were Augusta National as both an intern and an assistant from 2002 to 2004 and also as an assistant for Ron Garrison at Fox Hill G.C. from 2004 through 2005. Tom has been operating this year without an assistant - something he is hoping to rectify for the upcom- ing season. Page 2 President’s Message....… Officers & Directors 2008 I would like to thank Ray Waddell for hosting this year’s Clam Bake at Elmhurst C.C. 100 golfers turned out for one the of the best attended meetings in a long time. Not only did we have a large turnout, but we also had 36 tee sponsors. That is the largest number of sponsors that I can remember. Thank you to all the individuals and organizations that purchased a tee sign for your contributions. PRESIDENT Darrin Larkin, Panorama Golf Course 570-222-9260 Congratulations also goes to Ray for hosting his first Nationwide Tournament the week after the clam bake. The course was in great VICE PRESIDENT Rick Anglemyer, Water Gap CC shape for both events. 570-424-6391 TREASURER Just a reminder, September’s meeting is at Frosty Valley and John Downer, Elkview C.C. October’s meeting is at Wyoming Valley. See you there. 570-840-0078 SECRETARY Ray Wadell, Elmhurst CC 570-842-4705 Darrin Larkin DIRECTORS Steven Chirip, Grass Roots, Inc. 973-418-3468 Matthew Brown, Philadelphia Turf 215-340-5401 Greg Boring, Glen Oak C.C. 570-586-5791 Patrick Knelly, Sugarloaf Golf Club 570-384-4724 Editor’s Notes….. Thomas Height, Frosty Valley C.C. 570-275-4266 __________________________ First let me apologize to the Association, members and sponsors CHIPS & PUTTS STAFF for the delays in getting out newsletters. I failed in my duties as editor EDITOR to juggle both the newsletter and my new position with Green Valley Jim Gurzler, Green Valley Landscaping 570-466-6416 Landscaping. Second, I would like to thank Melinda and the B.O.D. jim@gurzler.com for picking up my slack and getting the newsletter and meeting an- Managing Editor nouncements out during my faux pa. Melinda Wisnosky 570-388-2167 I have heard that we had many great meetings with many excel- Editorial Committee lent talks. Glad to hear that the season has been going well on Darrin Larkin Matt Brown those fronts. Past President Duane Schell, Blue Ridge Trail G. C. I had the opportunity to attend the TES night at PNC field. Thanks 570-868-8113 to Matt Brown and Tom Drayer for making that night, along with the djschell@epix.net one in August, available to the PTGA. I know that everyone I spoke with enjoyed the evening. See Page 6 for some photos from the first event. Anyway, thanks for the tolerance and Darrin beware the harass- ing phone calls and emails will begin for presidents messages It is no longer safe to be the president. (Insert Jaws theme here ;<) ) 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, without special permission, as long as the true context is maintained. We would appreciate a credit line. Page 3 Field Trip the USGA Golf House in Far Hills, New Jersey September 23, 2008 John Downer and Elkview Country Club are planning a trip to the USGA Golf House in New Jersey. The trip will include the Golf House, the new Arnold Palmer Museum, and the Tech Center with Iron Byron. Contact John Downer at j_s_downer@comcast.net or call 570-840-0078. There will also be a sign up sheet at Elmhurst CC. If the interest is great, we are hoping to charter a bus with lunch on the go and a nice dinner upon return. Scheduled to open in September is a putting course using replica clubs and balls, so hopefully this will be open at that time as well. Museum Hours Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. Admission Adults — $7 USGA Members — $5 Group Rate (10 and over) — $5 Children (13-17 years) — $3.50 Children 12 and under — Free Bus Fee TBD Page 4 Page 5 Nationwide Tour Comes to Elmhurst Reprinted from the Sunday Times ELMHURST TWP. — It’s a question that might make some superintendents bristle. Not Ray Waddell. The man who spent the past three months readying Elmhurst Country Club for this week’s Nationwide Tour event doesn’t seem to mind the pos- sibility of a player going low in the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic. “Anybody can come out on any day and shoot a 59,” Waddell said. “And that may happen, but it’s not going to embarrass me if it happens. These guys are good. “That’s very exciting for the fans. It’s not going to upset me if we see guys shooting low scores. But, I don’t think it’s going to be a guy shooting it four days in a row so we have some ridiculously low score for the tournament.” He’s doing what he, and the PGA Tour, can do, to make sure that doesn’t happen to the Donald Ross design. “We’re doing what we can to protect the golf course,” Waddell said. “We mowed the rough high. I’d like to bring the greens speed up a little bit to make it a little more challenging, but the PGA feels with the undulation in our greens, they don’t want them too fast so it’s not crazy.” The rough has been grown to four inches, and it will be mowed from green to tee, making for more difficult lies. “We’re cut- ting the rough at four inches, but when you get that height, you’re not cutting a lot of grass,” Waddell explained. “A lot of it ends up laying over, so it will probably be six inches or more. We’re trying to stand the grass up so we can get it cut.” It’s not easy. The grass is matted and tangled, so the efforts to cut it at 3½ inches on Monday and let it go after that will be a challenge. Just like everything else for Waddell, who got a late jump preparing the golf course for such an event. “We got kind of late notice about this,” he said of the decision in May to host. “Usually you are preparing a year, or years, ahead of time, and we only had a few months. “It‘s been a lot easier than I thought it would be. The Tour is constantly involved in the greens speed and to make sure they are where they want them. They wanted them actually slower than what I expected, 10.5 to 11 (on the Stimpmeter). We are where we want to be, because there is a lot less effort involved to get them there. We just have to maintain what we’re do- ing.” To do that, a force of 50 to 60 volunteers from area clubs will be coming to help for tournament week, and equipment has been donated by Toro, Jacobsen, Baroness and John Deere to keep things spic and span. Not that Waddell needs much help there. He and his staff have been getting rave reviews. “Fantastic,’ PGA Tour advance rules official Tom Hearn said. “This place has exceeded our expectations, our hopes. Every- body’s got a little bit of apprehension coming here. The players do, the officials do, the members have apprehension. But by the end of this week, all that will be gone. It looks awesome.” Being a superintendent can mean having a resume ready after one bad growing season. So far, Waddell’s four years have brought Elmhurst back to the ranks of the area’s best. “I don’t really like a lot of praise,” Waddell said. “I’m kind of embarrassed by it. But I’m certainly glad that the membership is happy. I’m very proud of what we’ve done here. “These professionals play all over the world and they see great conditions. What I want to do is give them what they expect and what they are used to. I’m thrilled that we are able to do that at this club. I think four years ago, it wouldn’t have even been a thought. To bring it to the level where it’s acceptable to the professionals, it’s very gratifying.” Contact the writer: mmyers@timesshamrock.com 2008 PTGA Scholarship Winners Brandon Wisnosky ( interning @ Glen Oak) & Corey Stranzl (interning @ Saucon Valley). Congratulations! Page 6 Thanks to Turf Equipment Supply, Matt Brown and Tom Drayer for a great night of fun at PNC Field in Moosic, PA Page 7 Thanks to Ray Waddell and Elmhurst Country Club for making our Annual Clambake another great success. Thanks also to all our Sponsors! Grass Roots Blue Ridge Peat Farms Genesis Seeton Turf Warehouse PSC Mitchell Products Synatek "The Turf Solutions People" Floratine Central Clay Products Inc. Cleary Chemical Panorama Golf Course Golf Cart Services and EZ-GO BASF Turf and Ornamental Aquatrols Helena Chemical Plant Food Green Valley Landscaping Sports Turf Irrigation Aer-Core, Inc. John Deere Golf Syngenta Fisher and Son Andre and Son, Inc. Turf Equipment and Supply Golf Cars Inc. Golf Car Specialties Lawn and Golf Finch Services Harrell's Turf Specialty ADS Advanced Drainage Systems Lebanon Chemical Atlantic Irrigation Schlegel Golf Course Design Onsite Portable Toilets Bayer Environmental Sciences Egypt Farms Ron Garrison/Fox Hill C.C. Bernhard & Co. to send 10 GCSAA Class A members to England… FREE! Enter today to win a free trip to England and see how it’s done on the other side of the pond! For the third year running, Bernhard and Com- pany, manufacturers of Express Dual and Angle- master grinders, is sending 10 GCSAA Class A members to the British & International Golf Green- keepers Association’s (BIGGA) Turf Management Exhibition (BTME), January, 18 - 22, 2009 in Harro- gate, England. Winners will have the opportunity to attend the conference and exhibition, participate in educa- tion seminars, network with greenkeepers from the UK and Europe, and visit golf courses in England. Register online at: http://www.bernhard.co.uk/gcsaa- registration.0.html or call (888) 474-6348. Deadline for applications is November 14th, 2008. Bernhard and Company will notify the winners by December 5th, 2008. 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 Lesco Brent Wood 570.499.1441 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 710.933.5801 Turf Equip. & Supply George Skawski 610.554.9366 Matt Brown 484-357-6312 EQUIPMENT PLANT PROTECTANTS Aer-Core, Inc. Dennis DeSanctis 610.608.3181 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 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Turf Equip. & Supply Matt Brown 484.357.6312 Genesis Turfgrass Jim MacLaren 570-443-7154 George Skawski 610.554.9366 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Harrell’s Josh Kopera 201.213.8693 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Lesco Brent Wood 570.499.1441 FERTILIZER PBI/Gordon Corp. John Patten 609.970.1546 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 SynaTek Mike Zellner 484.357.9197 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Syngenta Lee A. Kozsey 610.861.8174 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Genesis Turfgrass Jim MacLaren 570-443-7154 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Harrell’s Josh Kopera 201.213.8693 SEED & SOD Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 SynaTek Mike Zellner 484.357.9197 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 East Coast Sod & Seed Kevin Driscoll 609.760.4099 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Genesis Turfgrass Jim MacLaren 570-443-7154 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 GREEN AND TEE SUPPLIES Harrell’s Josh Kopera 201.213.8693 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Rich Gdovin 570-278-1131 SynaTek Mike Zellner 484.357.9197 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Lesco Brent Wood 570.499.1441 TOPDRESSING / SOIL AMENDMENTS SynaTek Mike Zellner 484.357.9197 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Blue Ridge Peat Farms Gene Evans 570.443.9596 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Genesis Turfgrass Jim MacLaren 570-443-7154 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Harrell’s Josh Kopera 201.213.8693 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Partac Peat Corp. Jim Kelsey 800.247.2326 SynaTek Mike Zellner 484.357.9197 Support our Sponsors - They support us! POCONO ROUNDUP PTGA MEETING SCHEDULE Good Luck to Brian Bachman, Former superinten- dent at Riverview Country Club. Brian has taken a position with Genesis products. September 29th Frosty Valley CC Reminder October 13th Wyoming Valley CC All certified applicators should have received their re- newal notice for their license by now. Upon sending in your payment and you get your license back DON"T “Penn State Field Days was well represented by the throw away the entire card your license came on. It PTGA. Hands Down the largest group for an area contains you ID # and code to find out your credits attending.” Quote by John Downer (by the way, on-line at PaPlants. Just a Reminder!!! Happy Birthday, John) Our sympathies to the members and the families of 5th Annual GCSANJ Crystal Conference Rick Anglemyer on the loss of his father, Greg Kozar on Hamburg, NJ November 11-13, 2008 the loss of his mother, and Greg Boring on the loss of his grandmother. Our prayers to all those families af- NJTA Turfgrass Conference and Show fected. Atlantic City, NJ December 9-11, 2008 Newsworthy: Eastern PA Turfgrass Conference and Show Syngenta and JDL rekindle their relationship beginning Valley Forge, PA January 6-9, 2009 in October for the upcoming EOP season! Exceeding POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION R.R. 1, BOX 219 your expectations. POSTAGE HARDING, PA 18643 Every day. One hundred and thirty dedicate d peo ple with the NAME & ADDRESS best parts, pro d- ucts and service for the green in- dustry Turf Equipment and Supply Phone: 215-345-7200 Fax: 215-345-8132 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED. Web: www.turf-equipm ent.com