APRIL, 1988 Volume 22, No. 1 Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION OF GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS President Robert Chalifour, CGCS Vice President Michael Chrzanowski Secretary Thomas Watroba Treasurer Michael Wallace, CGCS Immediate Past President Greg Wojick, CGCS Directors and Committee Chairpersons Research & Scholarship John Napieracz, CGCS Public Relations Robert Osterman, CGCS Golf/Education David Stimpson, CGCS Michael Reeb, CGCS Membership/PPUC Steve Rackliffe Newsletter John F. Streeter, CGCS Representative to the Board Michael Dukette Connecticut Clippings is an offical publication of The Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents Newsletter Staff John F. Streeter, CGCS, Editor Peter Lewis, Local Copy Greg Bradley, Advertising Mike Dukette, Technical Copy A Word From The Editor Along with the new season that is quickly approaching, so does a new look to our Newsletter. The somewhat slower winter months have afforded me and the new Clippings staff to implement some changes to our Newsletter. The first, most obvious change, is in the cover. At a mod­ est expense, we employed the services of a graphic artist to put together some ideas for a more attractive cover. After much of "back to the drawing board syndrome", we finally decided on the cover that you see pictured in this issue. We feel that this cosmetic change will be a refreshing addition to the Newsletter. Cosmetic changes are not all that will be implemented for this year. Also in this issue is the first of many articles featuring one of our fellow colleages. This month's article features Bob Johnson of Wampanaug (page 2), and his some­ times painstaking project of rebuilding five greens at one time within a two-month period. Thank's to Bob for his cooperation with this article and to Peter Lewis for the fine interview, and the follow-up story that he has provided. In order to continue this type of article, we will need to so­ licit you for a contribution. So, if you don't call us, we will be calling you. I am sure that many of you have had some experiences from which we could all learn. We will be wel­ coming comments from all of you who have so much to say, but nowhere to say it. 1988 has also brought a few dilemas with it. For one, the premier event on the CAGCS calendar has not yet found a host. That's right. The Annual Invitational Tourney, as of this writing, has not been scheduled due to the fact that no one has been able to provide a facility to hold the event. Although I am somewhat of a newcomer to this state, I have been under the impression that hosting this event was a honor and privilege that many clubs would like to be a part of. I would think with the vast aray of golf courses through­ out this state, there must be someone who could rescue this perennial event. If there is such a person out there who could help, please contact Dave Stimpson, Mike Reeb or any other board member for more information. Connecticut Golf House, have you heard of it? This is a new venture which has been pursued by both the Conn. P.G.A. and the Conn. State Golf Association. This new ven­ ture which these two associations have veered into involves the purchase of an office building in the Rocky Hill section of the state which will serve as a headquarters for all of the state's golf associations. CAGCS has been offered to rent office space in this building which could be used for such activites as board and committee meetings, and also provide a central office from which we can more efficiently and effec­ tively run our organization. Another side of this move would enable us to establish more and better communications between our association and the state associations, which in turn would help us as superintendents gain the respect and recognition that we truly deserve within the golf community. John F. Streeter, CGCS, Editor A ,rWamp" of a Job an interview with Robert Johnson, CGCS Wampanoug Country Club Bob Johnston, age 42, is married and has two children. Before arriving at Wamponoag Country Club in West Hart­ ford, Connecticut, four years ago, he was the Superintendent at Hampden Country Club in Hampden, Massachusetts, for ten years. Previous to that, Bob was the Superintendent at Winnesuket Country Club, South Bellingham, Massachu­ setts, for five years. Wamponoag Country Club had a serious problem with some of their greens for years. The problems were numerous - poor drainage, inconsistency in growing mediums (from green to green, and also within a green), very heavy soils, and restricted cup placements - to name a few. These naturally lead to inconsistent putting surfaces with thinning out being the major problem, along with poor drainage. The project of rebuilding these greens, especially no. 5, had been discussed for years. With Bob on the scene and his Greens Chairman, Jack Bracken (who Bob says was the real driving force), the task had finally taken shape and was approved. The original plan was to reconstruct nos. 4, 5 and 14 greens in the Fall of 1986. With the contractor, Walt Varney of Fairway Landscaping, on site, the decision was changed to include nos. 7 and 16 greens which had been originally sched­ uled for 1987. The reason was to save money, but more importantly, to avoid the turmoil of temporary greens twice for an extended period of time. Brian Silva was chosen as the architect for the project Construction began September 16,1986, and the five greens were seeded by the first week of ISfovember. The rate was 21bs. per thousand square feet of Penncross Creeping Bentgrass. Naturally, the catch was less than anticipated, due to the timing but a green fuzz was present. All the greens were covered with Remay for the winter. With the help of the covers, by Spring there was a definite improvement in the growth. No. 7 green suffered a sizeable washout over the winter which did present a minor setback. This was regraded and overseeded in the Spring. Fertilizer amounts for the year of 1987 totalled 16 lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Fertilizers were either a starter or various Scott's products rotated. This amounted to almost l#/week. There was no dormant feed in 1986. Bob decided he would dormant feed in 1987 with 2 lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Brian Silva was not only the architect, but also consulted on the initiation of the grow in stages of the bentgrass. Bob expressed both his confidence and satisfaction in working with Brian and felt that he and his chairman had developed a good rapport, which was essential in communicating to the membership, the detrimental affect of opening the greens too soon. As the first mowings began, the heights were set at 1/2" on the walk-behind mowers. They were gradually lowered to 7/32" which is where they are presently. Bob's goal is to reach 5/32" in the Spring of 1988. Triplexes will then be used with turf grooming attachments. The membership seemed to be well informed, and Bob felt very little pressure for opening. The large investment of money and time being the obvious factors, along with Brian's public relations helped in this area. The greens were opened on August 1st for weekends only. The membership (and the grounds crew) had survived over five months of temporary greens. The greens were used fulltime after September 1st. The cost of the project, including contractor, sod, seed, irri­ gation, etc., was approximately $180,000. Each green had basicly retained its original size and shape, with the only differences being in grade changes which resulted in improved drainge and more area for cup placments. In ending, Bob remarked on his new USGA spec greens", "They take care of themselves. I irrigate them for 20 minutes once a week, and in dry spells they may need a second applica­ tion. We have done littde syringing thus far and I look forward to the day when all 18 are the same." Usually when one takes on a project of this magnitude, there are always many people who have contributed to the success in some way. Bob expressed his many thanks to his capable assistant, Bob Quigley, who has been at Wampanoug for 35 years and to his crew members for thier support and loyalty throughout this project Also to Ron Kirkman of Needham Country Club, Neeedham Mass., who stayed in close contact with Bob and shared his experiences of building 3 new sand greens just a year before. The Wampanoug Country Club, under the proffesional guid­ ance of Bob Johnson has seemed to have been successful in their endavor and we wish them the best of luck in the coming year. Our hats are off to you! Peter Lewis, Clippings Staff IPag® 2 Rhode island's Dr. Jackson Identifies Cause of Summer Patch f Researchers at Rhode Island University have identified the causal agent of summer patch disease in Kentucky bluegrass turf. Previously identified as Phialophora gramin- icola by Richard Smiley, Ph.D., the pathogen is now known to be a species of Magnaporthe. P. graminicola is a common inhabitant of Kentucky bluegrass roots, but it is not an aggressive pathogen. Research on this topic was headed by Noel Jackson, Ph.D., and Peter LandschooL Smi­ ley, now working at the Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center in Pendleton, Ore., agrees with Jackson and Landschoot. "It's a remarkable piece of work,” says Smi­ ley. "it's a further clarification. I had identi­ fied the existence of a fungus." This is the latest in a series of theories ex­ pounded in the last 20 years on the causes of a group of turf diseases known as fusarium blight (or fusarium blight syndrome). Turf patholigists have long debated the causal agents of the disease. The debate is significant because both the identity and the cause of a disease are crucial to its control. "This explains many of the peculiarities we are obtaining with standard control recommen­ dations," Jackson explains. Houston Couch, Ph.D. of VPI-SU, who did most of the initial work on fusarium, says that there are as many as 17 different diseases with similar symptoms. He has asked some fungicide manufacturers to specify which of the diseases their products control, and to change labels accordingly. IPmg® 3 Kennedy and Carlone Capture GCSAA Two-Ball in Houston Les Kennedy, Jr. and John Carlone combined for a flawless four under par 68 and won the annual GCSAA two-ball tournament at The Woodlands TPC in Houston, Texas. Kennedy and Carlone had the perfect two-ball combination. By firing four birdies, making no bogies, and only parring the same hole twice, the duo edged out a fine 69 posted by Gary Smither of Sarsota, Fla. and Glen Klauk of Delray Beach, Fla. The Woodlands TPC course, site of the annual PGA Houston Open, is a true test of golf with total yardage hovering around 7,200. Hats off to two of Connecticut's finest for a great showing. The tourney was held in conjunction with the Annual GCSAA Conference - January 31st through February 9th. Scholarship Requests Due Any person who is interested in a CAGCS scholarship application must do so by April 15. All requests must be in written form and sent to John Napieracz, CGCS Chairman S&R Committee at 71 Highridge Road New Britan, CT. 06053. A Thanks From Harvey Lenon To the membership of CAGCS: I would at this time, like to thank everyone for their concern for my well being throughout my past ordeal. I am very grateful for all your support. Hang in there Harvey, we are all behind you Are We Using The Best Grasses? by C.R. Skogley, Professor University of Rhode Island The Rhode Island State Agricultural School and Agricultural Experiment Station were established in 1888. That makes this year a special birthday. The Agricultural School was promoted to college status and renamed the Rhode Island College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts in 1892. University status was granted in 1951. The first reference to turfgrass research at the experiment station was in 1890, and we are still at it 98 years later. In reviewing some of the early studies and the conclusions drawn in earlier days, I sometimes wonder why were haven't taken more advantage of sage advice handed down by our predecessors. We often hear that "there is nothing new under the sun". Many times we don't have, or take, the time to review history to determine how much we already know. It may be easier to initiate new research to help find answers than to review literature. I mention all this history to make a point. We, as turf grass managers, are in constant quandary as to what are the best turfgrass species or mixtures to use for our various purposes - be it fairways, greens, athletic fields or lawns. We are fortunate to have even better varieties of grasses to work with today, but we should remember - we have the same species today that we had 100 years ago. And here is the point - Every species has its own optimum growing condi­ tions. If we are to easily and successfully establish and maintain a stand of grass, we should try to approach the optimum growth requirements of that grass. Grass growth is influenced by soil tex­ ture, fertility, pH, moisture availability, cutting height and so on. Each species responds differently to individual and combined environmental factors. A turfgrass study initiated at the RI Agri­ cultural Experiment Station in 1905 and continued through 1916 turned up some interesting results. When the researchers summarized their findings, they wrote the following: "On general principles, Perennial grasses will be permanent to the extent that these specific require­ ments are fulfilled either naturally or artificially. A knowledge of these requirements is essential for the best measure of success with any particu­ lar kind of grass. Owing to the great variations in the optimum requirements of different kinds of grasses, it is difficult to maintain a set of conditions which will promote equally the growth of different grasses in a mixture and thus prevent certain of the grasses from predomi­ nating over the others. The nature of a permanent herbage is therefore rarely determined by the seed mixture". That sage advice was presented more than 60 years ago; yet, we still wonder why Poa annua encroaches in our greens and fairways! It is possi­ ble that we are providing ideal growing conditions for Poa and have ignored the conditions favoring bent- grasses. I believe also that we haven't been utilizing the grasses best adapted to our New England soils and climate on our tees and fair­ ways. We can utilize many grasses for these purposes successfully, but we may need to alter management, and this can be expensive if we are to succeed. In our current society, when there are many concerns (justifiable or otherwise) about heavy use of ferti­ lizers and pesticides, increasing costs of these materials, expending limited natural resources, water availability and expense, and cost of labor, it would appear that changes are in order. Perhaps it is time to give serious thought to grass species requirements, and take advantage of those that will meet our needs with the least input. Our current research programs are geared to help you make better decisions in those regards. EGYPT FARMS- Sterilized Top Dressing 301-335-3700 EGYPT FARMS EXCLUSIVE! All top dressing ingredients are thoroughly mixed and sterilized by indirect heat in our special process. The sand particles are actually coated with a mixture of top soil and peat humus for a completely homogenous mixture that will not separate during handling and spreading. Egypt Farms top dressing is formulated especially for your area to specifications recommended by the United States Golf Association, Texas A&M, Penn State, North Carolina State, and the University of Maryland. Many years of research and testing by these leading universities have produced a soil mixture for superior growth; to maintain the best balance of percolation; to resist compaction; for good aeration; and for the retention of usable water and nutrients in the growing medium. Green and tee construction materials & mixes con­ forming to U.S.G.A. specs are also available. Distributed by: Metro-Milorganite, Inc. (914) 769-7600 The Terre Co. (201)473-3393 Wagner Seed Co., Inc. (516)293-6312 PARTAC TOP-DRESSING GOLF COURSE AMERICA'S PREMIUM TOP-DRESSING HEAT TREATED AVAILABLE IN BULK OR BAGS 1-800-247-2326 DISTRIBUTED IN WESTCHESTER & FAIRFIELD BY: J & B TRUCKING JAMES CARRIERE & SONS 914-937-5479 ELSEWHERE IN CONN. BY: AGWAY/PROLAWN PRODUCTS STEVE KOTOWICZ 203-792-3032 VALLEY FARMS NURSERY JOE BIDWELL 203-651-8555 IPng® § New Banner Means Superior, Long Lasting Control Of Brown Patch And Dollar Spot. Because Banner is systemic, you get long lasting (2 to 4 weeks) control of both brown patch and dollar spot. Control that won’t wash off like protectants in heavy rain or irrigation. Banner’s low, 1-2 oz./1000 sq. ft. rate means you have less to handle and apply. And compared to other systemics, Banner gives superior con­ trol of brown patch. This broad spectrum product also controls anthracnose, rust, red thread, powdery mildew, and stripe smut. WjX Longer lasting than the protectant fungicides on dollar spot, more elective than other system- ** ics on brown patch. Put x Banner in your rotation this year. 7 Available From Spring Promotion Old Fox, Inc. 249 Shaker Rd. Enfield, CT 06082 Each 4 gallon case order receive one quart free Subdue Buy 2 cases receive a free Banner sweater Mike Dukette (203) 749-8339 Business (203) 684-9426 Home GCSAA Elects Officers at 1 Houston Conference John A. Segui, CGCS, Berwyn, PA, was elected President of the Golf Course Superin­ tendents Association of America (GCSAA) during the Association's 59th International Golf Course Conference and Show held in Houston, Texas, on February 1-8. Segui succeeds Donald E. Heam, CGCS, Weston, MA, who, as immediate past president, will continue to serve for a year as a Director. Segui has been golf course superintendent at the Waynesborough Country Club for 18 years. He has been a golf course superintendent for 27 years and celebrates his silver (25th) anni- versay as a GCSAA member this year. He has served GCSAA as Vice President, Director and Secretary/Treasurer. "In the many years that I have been associated with this great profession, I have observed many changes," Segui said. "The working relationship of GCSAA with the allied associations in improving golf, the growth in membership, and the services provided by GCSAA to that ever-increasing membership mean so much to the improvement and the quality of the game. I am honored to be able to play a role in the overall picture by serving as President of GCSAA." Dennis D. Lyon, CGCS, City of Aurora Parks Department in Colorado, was elected Vice President Re-elected as a Director and appointed Secretary/Treasurer was Gerald L. Faubel, CGCS, Saginaw CC in Michigan. Also re-elected as a Director was William R. Roberts, CGCS, Golf Course/Grounds Manager for SentryWorld (Sentry Insurance), Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Elected as a Director for the first time was Joseph G. Baidy, CGCS, Acacia CC, Lyndhurst, Ohio. Kenneth A. Sakai, CGCS, Sunnyvale GC in California, was appointed to serve Lyon's one year unexpired term as a Director. Stephen G. Cadenelli, CGCS, Metedeconk GC, Manasquan, NJ, and Randy Nichols, CGCS, Cherokee Town & CC, Dunwoody, GA, continue serving terms as Directors. Officers serve one-year terms, and Directors are elected to two-year terms. The GCSAA is an international organization of more than 7,500 members. Its headquarters is in Lawrence, Kansas. GCSAA and PGA Take First Small Step Toward Becoming Allies The Golf Course Superintendents' Association of America (GCSAA) and the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) are embarking on a new effort to encourage golfers to "follow through". "After You Follow Through, Don't Forget To Follow Through" is the theme of a campaign designed to remind golfers to repair hallmarks, rake bunkers and replace divots. The campaign is being launched with the publi­ cation of a 17 x 22" four-color poster featuring golf professional Tom Watson. "Every member of each organization will receive the poster in the coming weeks," said John A. Segui, CGCS, President of GCSAA. "That's more than 25,000 posters throughout the country." Jim Awtrey, Executive Director of the PGA, said: "Today's golfer must understand his responsibility to help maintain the conditions on the course. Simple things like replacing divots can make a great difference in the overall appearance of a course, in the cost of its maintenance and ultimately in the cost of the game to the golfer." PGA President J. R. Carpenter said: "We're pleased to participate in this joint effort between our two organizations. Both organizations have the best interest of the game at heart." The poster campaign will be supported by four-color ads that will appear in various golf publications. "This is the first of what I feel will be many joint projects involving our two organizations and directed at today's golfing public," said John M. Schilling, Executive Director of GCSAA. "We're very appreciative to Tom Watson for contributing his time to this campaign as well." Lamphier Honored at GCSAA Golf Tourney Once again Frank Lamphier of Weston, Connecticut is in the news. At the Annual GCSAA Golf Championships banquet, Frank was recogonized by his peers for the 20 years of dedicated service as the key promoter and coordinator of GCSAAs' Annual Golf Tournament In recognition for his hours of volunteer work and his dedication to the asso­ ciation, GCSAA this year honored Lamphier with a lifetime regitration for the tournament and a commemorative set of custom made golf clubs. This years championships are the 38th since the tournament's inception 50 years ago. The event has been self-supporting since the beginning, and the en­ try fee is based on actual cost of administration. This years tourney winner was Dave Powell of Charlotte, N.C. Powell's two day total of 146 out distanced more than the 470 participants in the national championship event held over 4 courses in Houston, Texas. As far as the Connecticut contingent was concerend, it seemed that many of the boys were a bit puzzled out on the links. Better luck next year. Next years tourney is scheduled for Palm Springs, Calif, in early Feb. 1989. So make plans to attend now. IPag® <5 The Clippings CALENDAR DATE April 19 May 10 June 6 July 12 Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents EVENT Blind Draw for Partners Gross & Net LOCATION Black Hall Golf Club Old Lyme, CT 1st Round CAGCS Championship 1st Round Met Area Team Qualifying Manchester C.C. Manchaster, CT Manager/Superintendent Open to A11 Members Golf Club of Farmington Farmington, CT HOST Philip Neaton Gary Bryant Peter Lewis 2nd Round CAGCS Championship President's Cup/Gross 2nd Round Met Area Team Qualifying Wethersfield Country Club Wethersfield, CT Alfred Bachand August 8 Annual CAGCS Picnic Madison Country Club Mike Chrzanowski September 15 Memorial Tournament Parson's Trophy - Gross McLaughlin Trophy - Net October 4 Scholarship & Research Scramble/Net October 5 Met Area Team Championship October 17 Superintendent/Assistant Pequapuck Golf Club Pequapuck, CT Peter Pierson Glastonbury Hills Glastonbury, CT Middle Bay Long Island, NY Tunxis Plantation Farmington, CT Roger Barrett John Carlone Charles Babcock November Annual Meeting Nine Hole Scramble Birchwood Country Club Westport, CT Edward Consolati Allen Lawnmower/Ransomes 197 Main Street Agawam, MA 01001 Albert McLean (413)786-8111 Alpine Tree Care, Inc. West Hartford, CT (203-249-1776) Rolf Brandt, Manager Darien (203-655-8008) Kent Pierce, Manager Anderson Turf Irrigation, Inc. P. O. Box 7036, 2 Cronk Road Plainville, CT 06062 Jesse J. Anderson, Jr. (203)747-9911 Breudan Corp, of Connecticut John Deere Golf Equipment 25 West Road Bolton, CT 06040 Scott Lowe (203)647-1774 The Cardinals, Inc. 166 River Road Unionville, CT 06085 John Callahan (203)673-3699 James Carriere & Sons, Inc. Port Chester, NY Trap Sand - Partac Topdiessing Bill Carriere (914) 937-2136 Chas. C. Hart Seed Co. Wethersfield, CT 06109 Robert Kennedy Roy Sibley (203) 529-2537 Country Club Cars of New England, Inc. 10 Shoreham Road East Windsor, CT 06088 Dick Kaupin - Dick Mather (203)623-3871 East Haven Landscape Products 10 Mill Street East Haven, CT 06512 Bud Escola (203) 467-6260 Egypt Farms, Inc. Golf Course Topdressing White Marsh, MD 21162 John Strickland (301)335-3700 Fairway Landscapers, Inc. Green & Tee Construction 475 Foote Road South Glastonbury, CT 06073 Walter Vami (203) 633-1273 Glenmore Landscape Service RR3, Box 199, Hackgreen Road Pound Ridge, NY 10576 Glenn S. Moore (914)764-4348 I & E Supply, Inc. 66 Ema Avenue Milford, CT 06460 Tom Smith - Paul Roche (203) 878-0658 Imperial Nurseries Horticultural Distribution Center 713 Pigeon Hill Road Windsor, CT 06095 John Perrotti, Jr. (203)688-0598 Lesco, Inc. 20005 Lake Road Rocky River, Ohio 44116 Mike Donahue (800)321-5325 Larchmont Engineering & Irrigation Co., Inc. Box 66, Larchmont Lane Lexington, MA 02173 Steve Butler (617)862-2550 The Magovern Company Windsor Locks, CT 06096 Carl Wallace - Peter Moran (203) 623-2508 - Windsor Locks (203) 348-8211 - Stamford Mantek 12 Bradley Street Branford, CT 06405 Bob Reinhold (203)481-4321 Metro Milorganite P. O. Box 267 Hawthorne, NY 10532 John Wistrand (914)347-4222 O. M. Scott & Sons Proturf Division Marysville, OH 43041 Al Arison (203)336-9890 Old Fox Chemical, Inc. 249 Shaker Road Enfield, CT 06082 Mike Dukette (203)749-8339 Partac Topdressing Kelsey Paik Great Meadows, NJ 07838 Bill Carriere (914) 937-5479 Steve Kotowicz (203) 792-3032 Pro-Lawn Products, Inc. 30 Nashville Road Bethel, CT 06801 Steve Kotowicz (203)792-3032 Purple Kings Farm 6 John Street Williamstown, MA 01267 Ralph C. Mason (413)458-3184 (413)458-4646 The Reichert Company Automotive Lubricant Distributor P. O. Box 273 Riverside, CT 06878 Frank Reichert (203) 637-2958 Ro-Brand Products, Inc. Automotive & Industrial Fasteners 319 Cooke Street Plainville, CT 06062 (203)747-1621 Somers Turf Supplies P. O. Box 2294 Devon, CT 06460 Bill Somers (203) 878-2108 Terre Co. 206 Delawanna Avenue Clifton, NJ 07014 Byron Johnson, Jr. (203)748-5069 (201) 473-3393 Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Inc. Wamertown Road West Suffield, CT Skip Deubel (203) 668-1226 Turf Products Corporation 1496 John Fitch Boulevard South Windsor, CT 06074 Mark Loper - John Ferry (203) 528-9508 Turf Specialty, Inc. 60 Merrimack Street Hooksett, NH 03106 Dave Schermeihom (603)485-7866 U A B Products Box 116 East Glastonbury, CT 06025 Henry Lesinski (203) 659-1217 Valley Farms Nursery & Supply Sod - Turf Supplies 133 Hopmeadow Street Simsbury, CT 06070 Joseph D. Bidwell (203) 651-8555 Winding Brook Turf Farm, Inc. 240 Griswold Road Wethersfield, CT 06109 Donald Grant (203) 529-6869 CAGCS Thanks the Above Patrons for Their Continued Support of our Association.