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FEBRUARY 1978

GRASS CATCHER
The annual Christmas Party, held at the
Wethersfield Country Club, proved to be a
most enjoyable evening and a fun time for
all. The women, as always, were very
pleased with the evening’s gifts. Baskets of
cheer, donated by many of the Commercial
members, were raffled off and were sure to
be enjoyed by the fortunate winners. A
most sincere thanks to Fred Bachand, Ken
Kelliher, and the entire staff at the club for
a job well done.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Immediate Past President Robert Tosh
passing the gavel to C AG C S’s new Presi­
dent Robert Os terman.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Conference Proceedings will be available
upon request to all GCSAA members,
regardless of whether or not they attended
the conference, shortly after the con­
ference. Request order forms are available
in the January issue of The G olf
Superintendent on page 70. Order deadline
is March 1. Additional copies may be re­
quested at S3.00 per issue. Non-members
may request copies at $10.00 per issue.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Bruce Cadenelli, Chairman of the Educa­
tion Committee reports that clubs are being
lined up for the coming year. The commit­
tee is presently lining up speakers for these
continued on page 2

Volume 11 No. 1

FEB 21 W
Special Meeting Repo^CHIMN STATE UNIVtHSITV
The special meeting called to vote on by­
law changes proposed by the Organiza­
tional Study Committee was held January
10, 1978 at My Dad’s Steakhouse in
Meriden. Twenty-nine voting members
were present. During the course of the
afternoon the by-law changes regarding the
objective of the association, requirements
for Class A status, the right of Class B
members to vote, mandatory attendance at
two meetings for prospective members were
passed. Also approved was the change from
three directors to seven, the abolition of the
directors as the welfare committee, and the
newly worded descriptions for Class C and
D members. Tabled or defeated were the
three items that would have given more
specific responsibility to the president

Those present also reviewed the recom­
mendations that did not require by-law
changes. Discussion was held and a show of
hands asked for on several items. All issues
received favorable response except for the
suggestion that would have decreased the
number of general business meetings from
seven to two. Those who spoke felt that a
more rigid time schedule at meetings would
help to shorten the day of regular meetings
and would prefer that general meetings be
continued as in the past.
Steve Cadenelli

President’s Message

an educational program aimed to reach all
members of our association.

Next year CAGCS will be celebrating it’s
50th year as an association. Fifty years of
continuous progress and we are still moving
ahead. At our monthly meeting on January
10th, several by-law changes were passed
and some were defeated. It was really great
to see and hear member participation in this
meeting. All too often recommendations
are made and the membership vote these
changes in without even asking why. It was
a tough way to start the year as President,
but I think it was a good way and I would
like to see this continue. Dialogue is a great
tool, and you can build so much with good
tools.
We now have all our committee
assignments. Some thirty-five members
have been asked and accepted to serve on
committees. Many of these committees
have been hard at work these past months
building a good program for the coming
year. I would like to see more members par­
ticipate in our monthly meetings. The
Education Committee is getting a cross sec­
tion of clubs for these meetings, along with

Along with education, we have been im­
proving our image, by presenting ourselves
in a professional way. It has been a written
rule for some years that when attending a
meeting at a golf or country club, a coat
and tie must be worn. Because the quote
“ FASHION WORLD’’, unquote, decided
to relax the fashions of the last few years,
there has been a definite decline in the dress
code of the members attending our
meetings. One of the reasons I am sure is
that we have taken in a great deal of new
members and this has never been explained
to them. Many clubs still require a sport
coat and tie for dinner and I believe as
guests of such a club, we should honor their
requests. Let’s all look like the profes­
sionals that we are and wear the proper at­
tire when visiting these clubs.

regardip^Uwj^pgointment of members to
standing committees. These items will be
reviewed by the Study Committee and
presented in an amended form.

Let’s have a good turnout at our March
14th meeting at “ MY DAD’S’’ Steak
House in Meriden.
Robert W. Osterman, CGCS
President, CAGCS

Connecticut Association
Of Golf Course
Superintendents
Officers
President..................Robert Osterman
The Golf Club
at Aspetuck
Office 203-261-2544
Home 203-261-0526
Vice-President..........Stephen Cadenelli
Country Club
of New Canaan
Office 203-966-2145
Home 203-966-0223
Sec-Treasurer..........David Stimson
Tumble Brook C.C.
Office 203-243-0150
Home 203-289-6979
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Bob McCarthy
Fred Bachand
Ken Kelliher
A1 A rison,Associate Director
Robert Tosh, Immediate Past President
The object o f this association is to pro­
mote research, education and an exchange
o f practical experiences in the field o f turf
grass culture so that the increased
knowledge will lead to more economic and
efficient management o f golf courses and
related turf areas.
The CONN. CLIPPINGS is an official
publication o f the Connecticut Association
o f G olf Course Superintendents, Inc.
Stephen G. Cadenelli, Editor
127 Country Club Road
New Canaan, CT 06840

Grass Catcher
continued from page 1
meetings and would appreciate any input
from the members as to what topics they
would be most interested in. The following
clubs lined up to date:
April....................... Shorehaven Golf Club
(joint meeting with the MGS A)
May....................... Pautipaug Country Club
J u n e ............................................
Open
Ju ly ....................................................... Open
A ugust.................................................. Open
September. . . . Crestbrook Park Golf Club
October............... RaceBrook Country Club
November....................Farms Country Club
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Dick Cook, superintendent at the Black
Hall Club, reports that three additional cart
paths have been built this past fall. Also,
approximately eighty tons of lime has been
spread on the fairways and roughs this
winter. The watering capacity of the eighth
and seventeenth fairways has also been in­
creased by the addition of more sprinkler
heads.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
At the present time, just as this is being
written, the drive to elect Bob Osterman to
the GCSAA Board of Directors is in full
swing. Frank Lamphier, who is also the
voting delegate for CAGCS, has been hard

Editorial
The January meeting called to vote on
the proposed by-law changes vividly il­
lustrates that CAGCS is a viable organiza­
tion, capable of sound adjustments to its
structure and more importantly, however,
illustrated that the members of CAGCS
possess the ability and willingness to ad­
dress the critical problems that are sure to
face their industry in the years to come.
The fine turf industry as we know it to­
day faces stiff challenges in the decade to
come. Critical shortages in oil-based pro­
ducts, chemicals, fertilizers, and water will
occur. More stringent government regula­
tions regarding chemicals and equipment
safety are already upon us. Inflation and
the tremendously increased costs for club
operations will tax the ingenuity of turf
managers to their fullest extent. These con­
ditions will demand that those people will­
ing to face such challenges be capable of
change and adjustment. Associations such
as CAGCS will be forced to work together
to influence government action, to in­
fluence the huge corporations that dictate
to the consumer, and finally, to illustrate to
club memberships that a well trained, up to
date, professional turf manager is the one
person who can meet the challenges of the
future. Poorly trained grass cutters with lit­
tle initiative will not measure up.
Change is not always for the best; but
change will occur. It is best to accept this
premise and make change work for you.
Steve Cadenelli
at work writing letters and making phone
calls spreading the good word about Bob
and what the members of CAGCS feel
Bob can add to the national. It is this
writer’s greatest hope that Bob is elected so
that he can add some new impetus to an
organization that badly needs new blood.
Steve Cadenelli

1978 Committee assignments ari
as follows:
Membership

Ken Kelliher - Chairman
Ron Holcomb
Tom Gresh
Education

Bruce Cadenelli - Chairman
Bob Viera
A1 Arison
Sherwood Moore
Bert Furgess
Social

Fred Bachand - Chairman
John Mulhearn
John Ferry
Charles York
Tom Gresh
Mark Johnson
A1 Hawkins
Scholarship & Research

Bob McCarthy - Chairman
Dick Hosking
Bob Viera
Bob Phipps
Armand LeSage
Dave Roule
Bruce Cadenelli
Organizational Study Committee

Steve Cadenelli - Chairman
Charles Baskin
Dick Hosking
Bob Phipps
Charles York
John Lynch
Bill Dest
Please contact anyone on these committees
if you have questions or suggestions re­
garding their work.

A Salesman’s One Woeful Day!
A White January Starches The Road Into An Icy Bale,
Along The Ever-Winding Bend Of The Antique Rail,
And Drapes The Sleeveless-Trees In A Silvery-Veil,As The Wheels Point Skyward Against A Sea Of Glare,
In A Stubborn Whirl To Reach The Barn — On-A-Prayer;
But The Barn’s Hollow, With Nary A Trifling Whisper,
Impelling A Cold-Stillness To Grip A Dispirited Ring;
The Day Fails To Hear The Missing Dog’s Eerie Whimper,Or Even A Mere Flapping Of A Pigeon’s Wing,
To Awaken The Ghostly Silence In The Wind;
Only The Tempo Of Tinsel Pelting The Shingle Remain,And Smothers The Imprinted Tire-Trail Of Its Stain;
As The Salesman “ Barn-Lingers” In A Patient Cling,In The Midst Of Machinery Which Lie In A Reposed Sling;
The Car Drenched With A Cake of Lathered-Flake,Ignited - Now Squealing Crazily From A Cautious Brake;
Viewing Acres Of Sleeping-Fairways Along The Way;
Disappears Under A Restless Sky — Turned Gray.
— Frank Paladino

Bator Accepts
Oak Hill Position
Dick Bator, CGCS, superintendent at the
Country Club of Pittsfield, Massachusetts,
and formerly at the Mill River Country
Club has recently accepted the position of
Golf Course Superintendent at the Oak Hill
Country Club in Rochester, New York.
Bator had been at Pittsfield since 1971 and
had spent two years at Mill River. He has
been a member of CAGCS until just
recently.
The Oak Hill club is blessed with a rich
tradition as well as an exciting future. It has
hosted many national tournaments among
them the 1956 and 1958 U.S. Open cham­
pionships. It will also be the site of the 1980
PGA Championship. Oak Hill is a 36 hole
lay-out with approximately 850 members.
Congratulations Dick and best of luck in
your new endeavor!

Future Happenings
FEBRUARY 12 - 17, 1978
GCSAA 49th International Turfgrass Conference and Show
San Antonio Convention Center
San Antonio, Texas
★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★

FEBRUARY 28, MARCH 1 & 2
University of Massachusetts Annual Fine Turf Conference
& Industrial Show
Springfield Civic Center
Springfield, Massachusetts
Plan to attend this well-run and informative event!
★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★

MARCH 14 Monthly Meeting
My Dad’s Steakhouse
Meriden, Ct.
L et’s have a large turn-out fo r the first meeting o f the new season.
It will be a great time to catch up on the past winter’s happenings.

SAND TOPDRESSING OF GREENS
ARE YOU AN ACTIVE
MEMBER?
Are you an active member —
The kind that would be missed?
Or are you just contented
That your name is on the list?
Do you attend the meetings
And mingle with the flocks?
Or do you stay at home
To criticize and knock?
Do you ever go to visit
A member who is sick?
Or leave the work to just a few,
And talk about the clique.
Do you take an active part
To help the work along?
Or are you satisfied
To only just belong?
Think this over members,
You know right from wrong!
Are you an active member,
Or do you just belong?
— Carolinas Newsletter; Vol. 13 #6

Scholarship Applications
Available
Bob McCarthy, Chairman of the S & R
Committee, has announced that scholar­
ship applications are now available for the
1978-1979 school year. Those interested in
applying for scholarship must request the
proper forms from Bob in writing. Deadline
for applying for these scholarships is June
1. To obtain the application form write:
Mr. Robert McCarthy
Box 511-B Lakes Road
Bethlehem, CT 06751

Editor's note: The following information
has been compiled by the Scott's Proturf
Organization and is passed on to us by A l
Arison. Thank You.
Recently, many golf course superin­
tendents have been hearing the accolades
being given the sand topdressing
maintenance procedure. The following
criteria and benefits are derived from the
experience of several superintendents in the
Milwaukee, Wisconsin area.
Sand topdressing criteria:

1. Select low calcium sand in the -1.0 mm
to +0.05 mm range (-#18 +#200
screen). Excess calcium can react with
acid from fertilizers and create a gum­
my, somewhat impermeable lime layer.
Generally, best results have been achieved using a high percentage (80%)

Thanks!
The following contributed greatly to the
success of the Christmas Party through
their contributions to the basket of cheer
which was raffled off. All proceeds went to
the S & R Fund. Many thanks!!

A1 Arison
John Callahan
Fran Downey
John Grant
Bob Kennedy
Bob Lippman
Tom Porter
Ed Sanson
Dick Smith
Bill Somers
Curt Stimson
John Wistrand
Fred Zeytoozian

O.M. Scott & Sons Co.
Tom Irwin Co.
Lakeshore Equipment
& Supply
Old Fox Chemical Co.
Hart Seed Co.
Westchester Turf Supply
Alpine Tree Care
Cloro Spray Co.
I & E Supply Co.
Somers Turf Supply
Magovern Co.
Metro Milorgranite
Turf Products Co.

medium sized sand with 10% coarse and
10% fine rounding out the mix.
2. In first year of program aerify in spring
and fall, pull off plugs, and drag in 0.1”
of sand each time. Between these two
aerifications drag in .05” of sand ap­
proximately every two weeks. There will
be about a 0.5” buildup the first year.
Following years apply approximately
0.05” every 3 weeks through growing
season.
3. No abrasion on grass blades from traffic
when application depths kept at .05” (or
0.1 when aerifying). Amount of applica­
tions and timing may vary from course
to course due to climatic as well as traf­
fic conditions.
4. To put down .05” of material on the
greens you need 400 lb s./1000 ft.2 or .16
yds. 3/1000 ft.2.
5. Once a sand top dressing program has
been started, it must be carried on
religiously. Quitting this program and
going back to a sand-silt-organic top­
dressing for example, may cause layering
— a definite problem.
6. Bent seed may be added to topdressing
to help compete with and fill in for Poa
Annua.
Benefits from this program:

a. Eventual lessening (if not complete
eradication) of any aerification process.
b. Eliminates thatch and need for frequent
verticutting.
c. Non-grainy, thicker turf, on which the
ball rolls faster but also “ bites” after ap­
proach shots. Most of these results will
not be seen until end of the first season.
d. Poa annua seems to go out due to less
aerification needed and greater competi­
tion from bent.
e. Less fungicide needed (probably due to
lessening of thatch).

The Following Companies Are Contributing To The Support Of The Conn. Clippings:
ALPINE TREE CARE, INC.
P.O. Box 1034
New Canaan, Ct. 06840

Thomas Porter, CAGCS member
(203) 323-7245

I & E SUPPLY INC.
66 Erna Ave.
P.O. Box 9
Milford, CT 06460

Richard W. Smith, CAGCS member
Richard W. Hosking,
CAGCS member

OTTAWA SILICA COMPANY
CONN. DIVISION
Mystic White Trap Sand
154 Lantern Hill Rd.
Ledyard, CT 06339

TUCO DIVISION
OF UPJOHN CO.

David J. Sylvester,
CAGCS member

(203) 536-2618

47 Main St.
East Berlin, CT 06023
(203) 828-3790

PURPLE KINGS FARM
Custom Greens Dressing
Northwest Hill Road
Williamstown, MA 01267

VALLEY FARMS NURSERY
& SUPPLY, INC.
133 Hopmeadow St. (Route 10)
Simsbury, CT 06070

Ralph Mason, CAGCS member

Joe Bidwell, CAGCS member

(413) 458-4646

(203) 651-8555

LARCHMONT ENGINEERING
& IRRIGATION, INC.
Larchmont Lane
Lexington, MA 02173

THE REICHERT COMPANY
Oilzum Motor Oils & Lubricants
P.O. Box 273
Riverside, CT 06878

WESTCHESTER TURF
SUPPLY, INC.
P.O. Box 198
Lincolndale, NY 10540

JAMES CARRIERE
6 SONS, INC.
USGA Sand & Topsoil
7 Cottage St.
Port Chester, N.Y. 10573
(914) 937-5479

Stephen P. Butler, CAGCS member

Frank Reichert

Bob Lippman, CAGCS member

(617) 862-2550

(203) 661-1816

(914) 937-6523, office
(914) 248-5790, home

THE MAGOVERN CO.
Windsor Locks, CT 06096

Curtis Stimson, CAGCS member
Carl Wallace, CAGCS member

SOMERS TURF SUPPLIES
P.O. Box 294
Devon, CT 06460

Bill Somers, CAGCS member

CHAS. C. HART COMPANY
304 Main St.
Wethersfield, CT 06109

WHITE TURF, INC.
5 Summer Drive
Winchendon, MA 01475

(203) 623-2508

(203) 878-2108

Norman F. Bartlett

Robert Kennedy, CAGCS member
Mark toper, CAGCS member

METRO MILORGRANITE, INC.
P.O. Box 267
Hawthorne, NY 10532

TOM IRWIN, INC.
1IB A Street
Burlington, MA 01803

(203) 529-2537

John Wistrand, CAGCS member

John Callahan, CAGCS member

(914) 769-7600

(203) 677-7054
(617) 273-0143

ANDERSON-WARNER
ENGINEERING CO., INC.
Turf Irrigation
164 Nod Road
Avon, CT 06001

Jesse Anderson, CAGCS member
(203) 677-0225
ANDREW WILSON, INC.
1170 Route 22
Mountainside, N.J. 07092

Brian Makar
(201) 654-5800

CLORO-SPRAY
Div. of Henry E. Sanson
& Sons, Inc.
475 Beaver Street
Bristol, PA 19007

E.J. Sanson, CAGCS member
Frank Paladino
(212) 338-2153

Jim Sinkowski

(203) 878-0658
LAKESHORE EQUIPMENT
& SUPPLY CO.
300 South Able Road
Elyria, Ohio 44035
1-800-321-5951

(617) 297-0941

OLD FOX CHEMICAL CO.
Hazardville, CT 06082

John Grant, CAGCS member
P.O. Box 62
Pleasant Valley, CT 06063
(203) 379-3579

TURF PRODUCTS
CORPORATION
1496 John Fitch Blvd.
South Windsor, CT 06074

Roy Sibley, CAGCS member
Gary Bryant, CAGCS member
Ed Lane

FERN CLO GOLF CAR CO.
5 Shelter Rock Road
Danbury, CT 06810

O.M. SCOTT & SONS
Proturf Division
Marysville, OH 43040

John Ferenchak

A l Arison, CAGCS member

Rober Morhardt
Jim Smith

(203) 744-7757

(203) 336-9890

(203) 838-3790

Conn. Clippings

ALBERT ZIKORUS
Golf Course Architect
Member ASGCA
Do Little Drive
Bethany, CT 06525
(203) 393-2635

(203) 289-3471

First Class

Stephen G. Cadenelli, E ditor
127 C ountry Club Road
New C anaan, Ct. 06840

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C O M PAN IES