CONN. ALSO WINS
G.C.S.A.A. TEAM TITLE
Ian. 17 & 18 1973
Port R oyal Inn & G olf C lub
Hilton Head I sland, S. C.

1973 has started out as the Conn.
Assn.’s year. First of all, Charlie Bas­
kin was elected to the Vice Presidency
of the G.C.S.A.A. at the annual con­
ference in Boston, Mass. Then it was
off to the post conference golf tourna­
ment on Hilton Head Island.
John Campbell of St. Andrews,
Scotland, (remember, that’s where all
this started) presented the G.C.S.A.A.
L tournament committee with the Scottish
Greenskeepers Cup, to be used as the
r perpetual team trophy at the annual
tournament. This trophy dates back to
f 1910. This most beautiful trophy will
( be suitably engraved and displayed at
the National Headquarters office.
I
The Conn. Assn. Team of Ed Bedus,
Dick Cook, Pierre Coste, and Frank
Lamphier had the privilege of placing
the Conn. Assn, name 1st. on this new
trophy. They beat out a strong team
from the Carolinas Assn. In 3rd. was
the Mid-Atlantic Assn. Down by 3
L shots after the 1st. round of play, our
team put on a most determined effort
the 2nd. day to arrive home victorious.
In the individual competition, the de­
fending champ, Bob Martino of Vienna,
Va. was again the winner, this time in
a sudden death playoff. It took Bob
2 extra holes to defeat Frank Lamphier
of our Assn. This was Bob’s 3rd win
in 4 years, having also won in Houston
in ’70 and Tallahasse in ’72. Our con­
gratulations to this fine competitor.
Ed Bedus and Dick Cook also fin­
ished high up in the individual com­
petition, Ed having a 4th. place net
finish and Dick tied for 3rd. in the
gross category.
A special tribute should also go out
(Continued on Page 4)

THE GRASS CATCHER
by Bob Osterman
Congratulations to Charlie Baskin
on his election to the Vice-Presidency
of the GCSAA. Charlie is Supt. at the
Country Club of Waterbury. He has
held that position since 1962, prior
to which he was Assistant Supt.
His education includes a B. S. de­
gree in civil engineering from the Uni­
versity of Missouri School of Mines
and Metallurgy, where he also did
graduate work in soils. He also at­
tended the turf management and land­
scapes design school at Rutgers Uni­
versity.
He is currently the past president
of the Conn. CCSA and a honorary
member of the Conn. PGA. He has
been a member of the GCSAA since
1961. He was elected to a two year
term as director of the GCSAA in 1971
and was appointed Secretary-Treasurer
in 1972.
He is also serving a two year term
on the Waterbury Board of Education.

TURF MANAGEMENT
by John R. Hall,
Turf Specialist
A rsenic T oxicity

Anyone who has not returned his
postcard that was sent to him two

The use of calcium and lead arsenate
for Poa annua control has been a com­
mon practice in the Mid-Atlantic re­
gion for many years. There have been
more successful attempts at Poa annua
control with arsenic than there have
been failures, however, this year it
seems that more superintendents than
ever before had arsenic-related prob­
lems.
The physiological mechanism of ar­
senic toxicity in the plant involves the
substitution of an arsenic molecule for
phosphorus. After this substitution has
taken place, plants lose the ability
to produce Adenosine Triphosphate
(ATP) at normal rates. ATP produc­
tion is necessary in order for the plant
to maintain normal energy relations.
The arsenic substitution and eventual
loss of energy storing capability, leads
to the eventual depression of plant
growth functions. The affected plants
utilize stored energy to make up for the
loss of their energy-making capability
brought about by arsenic substitution
for phosphorus. This continuous use of
reserves leads to the weakening of the
plant to a point where it cannot live
through normal daily stresses.
Our understanding of arsenic reac­
tions in the plant has been much bet­
ter than our understanding of how it
reacts in the soil. Recent work by Doc­
tors Axley, Woolson, Kearney and Freeborg (1,4,5,6,7,), have added consid­
erably to our understanding of the fac­
tors that influence arsenic toxicity.
Many factors need to be considered in
determining the toxicity of arsenic to
the plant; among the most important
are concentrations of reactive Iron
(Fe), Aluminum (A l), and Calcium

(Continued on Page 4)

(Continued on Page 3)

If one was asked to describe our
association, it would sound like a ma­
jo r football team who ended up in
last place due to injuries.
Fred Bachand is hobbling around
on crutches due to a ruptured Achilles’
tendon.
Bob Tosh is recovering from major
back surgery.
Ed Anderson spent a short time in
the hospital, and all is well with Ed
now.
Jim MacDonald came down with
a good case of the London Flu during
the Boston Conf. Jim recuperated in
Florida for a few weeks with his wife
Jan.

—

CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION
OF GOLF COURSE
SUPERINTENDENTS
President ......................
Robert Viera
Vice President ............ Frank Lamphier
Secretary .................... David Stimson
Treasurer ................ James MacDonald
B oard

of

D irectors

Roger Barrett
John Lynch
Fred Bachand
Bob Osterman
Karnig Ovian
Robert Tosh
Charles Baskin
The object of this association is to
promote research, education and an ex­
change of practical experiences in the
field of turf grass culture so that the
increased knowledge will lead to more
economic and efficient management of
golf courses and related turf areas.
The CONN. CLIPPINGS is an offi­
cial publication of the Connecticut As­
sociation of Golf Course Superinten­
dents.
Robert W. Osterman, Editor
937 Black Rock Turnpike
Easton, Conn. 06612

GOLF COURSE
SUPERINTENDENTS ASS#N.
OF AMERICA
The Golf Course Superintendents As­
sociation of America announced that
Anaheim has been selected as the site
for the organization’s 45th Interna­
tional Turf grass Conference and Show,
which will be held February 10-15,
1974, at the Anaheim Convention Cen­
ter. GCSAA’s last appearance in the
Los Angeles area was in Long Beach
in 1956. It also met in San Diego in
1963.
“The Conference this year has been
the best ever both in terms of our
meaningful educational program and
the broad and extensive display of
equipment and products at our show”,
stated newly elected GCSAA president
Clifford A. Wagoner, who is superin­
tendent of Del Rio Golf & Country
Club, Modesto, California. “Record
crowds are attending the current Con­
ference. We expect to exceed thes rcords in 1974 .”
The Association over which Mr.
Wagoner presides has a 3,800 world­
wide membership. Headquartered in
Des Plaines, Illinois, GCSAA serves as
the clearinghouse of information in
the production and maintenance of the
world’s finest golf turf.

2

GOLF COURSE
SUPERINTENDENTS ASS'N.
OF AMERICA
FACT SHEET
Membership — The Golf Course Su­
perintendents Association of America
is an international organization with
ever 3,800 members in the United
States, Canada and other countries.
Local Chapters — Total of 9 1 ; 61
affiliated, 2 associated and 28 un­
classified.
History — Organized on September
13, 1926, as the National Association
of Greenskeepers of America ; name
changed to Greenskeeping Superinten­
dents Association in 19 38; became the
Golf Course Superintendents Associa­
tion of America in 1951.
Objectives — dedicated to better turf
and better golf, specifically:
1. To promote research and the in­
terchange of scientific and practi­
cal knowledge relating to the care
of golf courses and turfgrass op­
erations.
2. To emphasize more efficient and
economical golf course operations
and increase prestige for GCSAA
and its individual members as well
as the profession of golf course
superintendency,
which
encom­
passes the production, maintenance
and improvement of turfgrass.
3. To encourage cooperation with
other associations and organiza­
tions whose interests parallel or
complement those of GCSAA and
to stress justice, benevolence and
education to and for its members.
• INTERNATIONAL TURFGRASS
CONFERENCE AND SHOW sponsored
annually by the GCSAA; recognized
as the most important and outstanding
annual forum of the turfgrass industry.
Special emphasis placed on golf turf
development and its allied fields. The
Equipment Show, a show within a
show, enables manufacturers and sup­
pliers to exhibit the latest products de­
signed for golf course maintenance.
First meeting held in Chicago in March
1927.
• S C H O L A R S H I P AND RE­
SEARCH FUND separately incorpora­
ted in 1956 to fulfill a recognized ob­
ligation to the future of golf through
financial assistance to qualified and
deserving students seeking careers in
golf turf. Research grants are directed
toward original research and to fu r­
ther expand knowledge of turf and
turf management practices. Nearly
$250,000 has been distributed to
worthy students and original research
since the fund’s inception. In 1972-73
a total of $23,450 was awarded to 53

scholarship recipients and nine research
grants were made totaling $13,17 0
• THE GOLF SUPERINTENDENT,
GCSAA’s official magazine (published
10 times annually) is specifically
written and edited for the superinten­
dent.
• CERTIFICATION
provides
a
yardstick by which the capabilities
and qualifications of superintendents
can be measured and establishes de­
fined levels at which he is expected to
perform.
The Golf Superintendent’s Job —
Primary objective: to promote effi­
cient, economical and up-to-date maintenance on golf courses. Duties: keep­
ing tees, fairways, greens and landscaping in tip top shape; purchase,
storage and inventory of equipment
and supplies; hiring, training and direnting personnel; keeping records on
expenditures, weather and material application; preparation and administra­
tion of annual budget for his department; making reports on planning and
progress to green committee; working
with other committees and department
heads; and progressive education by
participating in GCSAA chapter activities, reading turf and golf publications,
and attending Turf Conferences.
National Headquarters — 3158 Des
Plaines Avenue, Des Plaines, Illinois
60018 — Telephone: (312) 824-6147.

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COUNTRY CLUB MEMBERSHIP
COST DEDUCTIBLE TO
CORPORATION

A new revenue ruling illustrates
that in appropriate circumstances a
corporation may deduct the cost of pur­
chasing country club membership for
its employees.
The corporation in question pur­
chased memberships from a country *
club located in the city in which it
does business. The facilities of the club
included dining room, golf course and
swimming pool. Memberships were
issued to the corporation under a n :
agreement pursuant to which the cor­
poration agreed to pay the annual mem­
bership dues for a specified period of
years. The membership was limited to ‘
the use of the dining facilities.
Under the arrangement, the country
club dining facilities were regularly [
used by designated employees of the
corporation only for the purpose of *
entertaining prospective customers, ne­
gotiating business transactions and fo r'
the corporation’s holiday and retire *
merit parties.
The Service ruled that the amount1
paid by the corporation for the mem-|
berships constituted deductible busi-j
ness expenses. REV. RUL. 72-373.

—

TURF MANAGEMENT
(Continued from Page 1)

(Ca) in the soil. Other related factors
are soil texture, soil moisture, pH,
phosphorus availibility, and soil tem­
perature.
The amount of Fe, Al, and Ca in the
soil solution affects arsenic toxicity be­
cause these elements are active in tieing
up applied arsenic, if equal amounts
of all three elements were present in the
soil solution, Fe would tie up the most
arsenic and Ca would tie up the least.
The arsenic released in solution from
pure tricalcium arsenate would be one
million times greater than the arsenic
released in a solution from pure iron
arsenate (5) ; Therefore, it is quite
likely that higher amounts of arsenic
would be necessary in soils where high
reactive iron concentrations exist. Woolson, et al (7) indicate that Aluminum
arsenate (Al( H 2As04) 3) is 62% as
toxic, Calcium arsenate (Ca(H2As04)
2) is 54% as toxic, and Iron arsenate
(Fe(H 2As04) 3) is 13% as toxic as
Sodium arsenate (N a(H 2As04) ). This
means that the arsenate forms in the
soil vary in toxicity. Superintendents
utilizing arsenate in Poa annua eradi­
cation must content with different con­
centrations of Fe, Al and Ca in their
soils. This indeed makes the annual use
of arsenate a difficult complex venture.
Soil texture affects arsenic toxicity
because the amount of sand, silt and
clay in a soil indirectly determine the
amount of applied arsenic that will be
tied up by the soil. We know that for
satisfactory control of Poa annua,
more arsenic is required on clay soils
than in sandy soils (2). The most likely
explanation for this relates to the fact
that sandy soils are generally lower in
reactive Fe than clay soils (5). There­
fore, the application of equal amounts
of arsenic to a sandy soil and a clay
soil results in more arsenic in the soil
solution of the sandy soil. More arsenic
in the soil solution means higher ar­
senic toxicity to the plant.
Soil moisture becomes important
under conditions where it causes physi­
cal movement of surface-applied par­
ticles to low areas. The movement of
applied arsenate to low areas often
leads to toxic arsenic concentrations
which kill both the undesirable Poa
annua and the desirable bentgrass. A
far more serious consequence of exces­
sive soil moisture are the anerobic con­
ditions that could bring about the re­
duction
of
the
arsenate
radical
(H2As04) to the arsenite radical
(A s02). The arsenite radical is 100
to 1000 times more toxic to the plant
than is the arsenate radical (3).
Soil acidity (which is expressed as

3

—

pH) affects arsenate toxicity through
its effect on the reactive concentrations
of Fe, Al, and Ca. If we raise the pH
of a soil from 5.0 to 6.5, iron and
aluminum availability in the soil gen­
erally decreases. If reactive lime is defi­
cient in this soil, the arsenate fixing
capacity of the soil will have been re­
duced by this pH change. This means
that amounts of arsenic safely applied
before this pH change occurred could
now cause increased toxicity because of
the lower amounts of reactive Fe and
Al present. The overall effect of soil
acidity on arsenate toxicity is difficult
to determine because consideration for
the simultaneous effect of variable con­
centrations of Fe, Al, and Calcium
would have to be made.
Phosphorus (P) availability in the
soil affects arsenic toxicity because it,
and the amount of arsenic applied, af­
fect the final ratio of phosphorus to
arsenic (P/As) in the grass plant. This
ratio of P/As at the uptake sites on
the plant roots will determine the final
probability of arsenic substitution for
phosphorus. If the arsenic is high or
the P/As ratio is low at these sites,
then it is likely that more arsenic than
phosphorus will be taken up by the
plant, leading to the eventual death of
the plant. The addition of phosphorus
to soils exhibiting arsenic toxicity has
not always decreased arsenic toxicity.
The addition of phosphorus to arsenic­
laden sandy soils low in reactive iron
has actually increased arsenic toxicity,
however, in soils where reactive Fe con­
centrations are high, phosphorus addi­
tions generally decrease arsenic toxi­
city (4).
Soil temperature affects arsenic toxi­
city through its affect on arsenic avail­
ability. Higher soil temperatures in­
crease the rapidity of arsenic fixation
( 1), and therefore one might expect
applied arsenic on cool soils to remain
in the soil solution for a longer period
of time than an equivalent quantity
applied to a warm soil. The true in­
terpretation of the soil temperature ef­
fect is complexed by the fact that at
higher temperatures, less arsenic is re­
quired to achieve a 50% growth re­
duction of Poa annua (1).
As you can see, a complete under­
standing of the factors affecting ar­
senate toxicity is difficulty. There are
other factors, such as organic matter,
and light intensity, that might affect
arsenic toxicity. Superintendents con­
templating the use of arsenicals for
Poa annua control should be well
aware of these complexities.

GOLFER'S GOLD IN CONN.
This area is fast becoming the Gold
Coast of the professional golfing world.
For years the Westchester Classic has
offered one of the largest bonanzas on
the tour. Its $250,000 prize money puts
it in second place among all the events
on the PGA circuit.
Now the Greater Hartford Open
(GHO) has gone big time and fattened
its purse from $135,000 to $200,000.
The astronomical increase can be
credited to the' new sponsor, Sammy
Davis Jr. who is a member of the High­
way Safty Foundation.
Both will use the GHO as a publicity
vehicle.
The tourney will henceforth be
known as the Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater
Hartford Open. As a result of the in­
creased pot and the Davis connection,
the GHO should reap several benefits.
Many of the big names in the PGA
world made a habit of skipping the
competition at the Wethersfield Coun­
try Club because its Labor Day date
caught them at the end of the season
when the prize money offered did not
seem as attractive as a weekend of rest.
Now the GHO with the seventh
largest purse on the tour will be too
inviting for the Palmers and Nicklauses
to pass up. Their presence and Davis’
cavorting should make the tournament
a natural for network television.
With the Westchester, the GHO, and
the women’s Heritage Village Open in
Southbury only a pitch shot away, lo­
cal fans will have as good an oppor­
tunity as anyone in the country to see
golf at its finest.
All this goes to prove is the Golf
Course Superintendent’s in Conn, must
be doing something right.

CAGCS ANNUAL DUES
Annual dues statements were sent
out after our annual meeting in No­
vember. As of now, there are many
members who have not paid their dues
yet.
It is clearly stated on our by-laws
that dues are payable March 1st. Any
member who has not paid his dues
after 30 days from due date, may be
suspended from his association with­
out further notice.
All dues are made payable to the
Conn. Association of Golf Course Su­
perintendent’s and sent to Mr. James
MacDonald, 420 Hartford Tpke., Ham­
den, Conn.

—

CAGCS MEETING SCHEDULE
May 8, 1973 T uesday

Lyman Meadow G. C.
Golf 10 :3 0 A.M. to 12 Noon
Business Meeting 5 :0 0 P.M.
Dinner 6:3 0 P.M.
Host: George Groton
Speaker: “SHRUBS ft FLOWERS
ON GOLF COURSES”
Harry Meusel, Supt. Yale G. C.
Tee off time for golf will be from
10 :3 0 A.M. to 12 Noon rather than
1 1 :0 0 A.M. to 1:0 0 P.M. The board of
directors will have a meeting one week
before the monthly meeting, allowing
the open business meeting to be held
at 5 :0 0 P.M., rather than 6:0 0 P.M.

THE GRASSCATCHER
by Bob Osterman
(Continued from Page 1)

months ago by our secretary, Dave
Stimson, requesting correct address in­
formation, please do so immediately
so we can have our new directory
printed. If you have lost your card,
please contact Dave.
During the Boston Conference, I
attended the Newsletter Editor’s Meet­
ing and learned that the O. J. Nore Li­
brary at Michigan University will keep
on file in binders, any chapter news­
letters sent to them. I have sent to the
library a copy of every issue of “Conn.
Clippings” since it first came out in
1968. Anyone wishing information
from these newsletters contact:
D r . R ichard C hapman

4

—

CHECK FIRST AID FACILITIES

CONN. ALSO WINS
G.C.S.A.A. TEAM TITLE

It amounts to a black mark on an
OSHA checklist if you haven’t. The
Occupational Safety and Health Ad­
ministration says that if your place of
business is not “in near proximity” to
a hospital, clinic or infirm ary, you
are required to have a First-Aid kit
approved by a consulting physician
and an employee who is trained to ren­
der first aid. A member of your work
force who has received special first
aid instruction will qualify for the lat­
ter requirement.

(Continued from Page 1)

to Lloyd MacKenzie, the host Supt.,
Steve Huggins, the host pro, and both
of their staffs. Along with Lloyds wife
who handled the ladies program, they
combined to make this most successful
G.C.S.A.A. tournament to date. Start
making plans now to compete at Ana­
heim, Calif, next year. We promise
you won’t be disappointed.

THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE
SUPPORT OF THE CONN. CLIPPINGS:
ALFCO ROKEBY CO., INC.
12 11 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, Mass.
Frank Downey, CAGCS member
(413) 596-3009

TOM IRWIN CO.
113 A Sireet
Burlington, Mass.
John P. Callahan, CAGCS member
677-7054

OLD FOX CHEMICAL COMPANY
P. O. Box 62
Pleasant Valley, Conn.
John Grant, CAGCS member
749-8339

THE CHAS. C. HART COMPANY
304 Main Street
Wethersfield, Conn.
Robert Kennedy, CAGCS member
529-2537

WILLIAM DEST
William Dest, CAGCS member
Stolens - C-l, Arlington
C-19, Congressional
246-6279

IRRIGATION AND EQUIPMENT
SUPPLY CO.
Milford, Conn.
Richard Hosking, CAGCS member
874-1096

0 . M. SCOTT & SONS
Proturf. Div.
Marysville. Ohio
Al Arison, CAGCS member
336-9890

VALLEY FARMS TURF NURSERY
Box 81
Avon, Conn.
Joe Bidwell, CAGCS member
658-6886

Director of Libraries
c/o O. J. Nore Library
Michigan University
East Lansing, Michigan 48823

SOMERS TURF SUPPLIES
Orange, Conn.
Bill Somers, CAGCS member
795-4320

FIRST CLASS

CONN. CLIPPINGS
Robert Osterman, editor
937 B lack R ock Turnpike
Easton C onn. 0 6 6 12

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