CONNECTICUT
ASSOCIATION OF
GOLF COURSE » H
SUPERINTENDENTS^—

s e m A i- s
OCT 16 1973

OCTOBER 1973

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

As I write this message I realize
that this will be my last communica­
tion of the sort to you as President
of the Conn. Association of Golf
Course Superintendents.
as my term of office draws to a
close, I want to thank each member
for the opportunity of serving our as­
sociation. I believe very strongly in
the association, its members, its prin­
ciples and its goals. The CAGCS has
been a good strong organization that
has always moved forward. Sometimes
r slowly, but always steadily, never
falling back.
We have now approximately one
' hundred and fifty members. I am sure
if most of us looked around our own
! area we could find an assistant or
I superintendent who is just looking
to join the association but just hasn’t
done so for some reason or Another.
This is your organization, and the only
way it can grow is by each of you
helping by talking our association up
to everyone you meet.
This past year has seen many
changes that have directly affected the
I association. The board of directors
meet the week before each monthly
I meeting and have a longer time to
i discuss and review many aspects of
[ our association, improving it just a
I little more each month. We haVe just
( held our first annual field day. It was
I an overwhelming success and I feel
V something along this line should be
[ done every year. Our business meetI ings are being attended by a much
I greater majority than in previous
I years getting a wider rafnge of dis^ cussion and ideas to work with. For
I those of you who are not happy with
“ the way certain committees have
handled their jobs, I suggest you con­
tact the new president when elected,
Continued on Page 4

THE DIFFICULT SEASON OF 1973

WINTER DORMACY
AND DESICCATION

by Alexander H . Radko,
W. G. Buchanan and S. J. Zontek
USGA Green Section, Eastern Region
Ever heard of Murphy’s Law? It
says in part, “if anything can go
wrong, it w ill!” Murphy’s Law ap­
plied to 1973 weather so far as the
fine turfgrasses this year were con­
cerned. Everything that could have
gone wrong, did. . .and golf courses
suffered excesses in turf loss on fair­
ways, collars and aprons principally.
First came the very wet spring
weather. . .skies were continuously
overcast. . .and rains came often and
heavily. Soils could accommodate lit­
tle more water from the previous two
years of heavy rain but new record
rains came nevertheless. So long as
the cool weather held, the weaknesses
caused by these excesses did not show.
It was when we first experienced clear,
hot, sunny days followed by extended
periods of high humidity that the bot­
tom began to drop out. Without ques­
tion, the year to this mid-August date
has been one of the most difficult
periods that superintendents have ex­
perienced in many years.
Then the extended periods without
sunshine in spring caused the fine
turfgrasses to grow weak and spindly
. . .they were extremely tender, they
were soft. . .they were not as good
for golf as they normally are in
spring. . . they did not exhibit firm
growth at any time in spring. The
week of July 4th ca'me with several
consecutive bright, sunny days. . .the
first strong sunlight that grasses
were subjected to up to that point. . .
it proved too much. . .it was tanta­
mount to keeping a man in solitary
confinement for three months in a
cold, dark and damp cellar. . .then

Knowing how grasses grow is es­
sential for all turfgrass managers.
Equally important, however, is to
know something about how turfgra'sses “rest” (dormancy). As the
winter months approach, day length,
light intensity, and temperatures (both
day and night) decrease, causing
many physiological changes in turf­
grasses.
The first effect of these changes is
a reduction in growth. Higher tem­
peratures than those occuring in late
autumn are required for the optimum
functioning of metabolic processes re­
sponsible for rapid growth. Nitrogen
metabolism slows, resulting in de­
creased protein synthesis. Carbohy­
drates accumulate in storage tissue
(rhizomes, stolons, crowns) because
the metabolic demand for carbon is
reduced (less growth and lower res­
piration). as long as chlorophyll re­
mains in the leaf, photosynthesis will
continue even after temperatures be­
come quite cool. The majority of the
carbon dioxide fixed in late autumn is
translocated as carbohydrate to stor­
age tissues.
Once temperatures are cold enough
to cause leaf chlorophyll degradation,
photosynthesis is drastically curtailed
and new foliar growth is almost non­
existent. The leaf canopy of turf areas
becomes a mottled green to light
brown color ahd dormancy prevails.
Late autumn is also the time when
root sloughage begins. As much as
80% of the root system of turf grasses
is lost over the winter. The crown
area, however, is very much alive and
at the mercy of the elements. Because
the grass is alive it transpires, re­
spires, and at time fixes small

Continued on Page 2

Continued on Page 2

-

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. C LIPPIN G S is an o ffi­
cial publication of the Connecticut As­
sociation of Golf Course Superinten­
dents.
Robert W.

Osterman, Editor

937 Black Rock Turnpike
Easton, Conn. 06612

NOMINATING COMMITTEE
PRESENTS SLATE
The nominating committee consist­
ing of John Perry, Chairman, Bob
Tosh and Bob Silva, has presented a
slate of officers and directors to be
recommended to the membership of
the Conn. Association of Golf Course
Superintendents.
The recommendations are as fol­
lows:
President ............... Frank Lamphier
Vice-President ................... Bob Tosh
Secretary .................. Bob Osterman
Treasurer ................ Jim MacDonald
Director (3 year term) .. Ed Anderson
Committee Chairman (recommenda­
tions to the president only)
Education .................. Fred Bachand
Golf ......... Dave Roule & John Perry
Public Relations ...... Bob Chalifour
Welfare ........................... Bob Viera
Past President ............... Bob Viera
Staying on to complete their three
year terms as directors are Karnig
Ovian and John Lynch.
This slate will be voted on at our
annual meeting, Wednesday Novem­
ber 7, 1973 at Pine Valley Country
Club, Southington, Conn. This will be
luncheon meeting with our elections
and businessmeeting at 11:00 A.M.
lunch 12:30 P.M. with golf optional
after lunch.

2

—

THE DIFFICULT SEASON OF 1973
Continued from

Page 1

suddenly exposing him to the blaz­
ing desert sun. . .this is the torture
treatment and this is exactly what our
grasses were subjected to and they
weakened quickly. . .there was no peri­
od of adjustment.
This condition, coupled with rec­
ord rainfalls, compounded the prob­
lem. It set the stage for wilt, scald
and diseases of every kind. It created
new, and aggravated old drainage
problems. . .water began to show in
areas where it never was a problem
before. It also caused a lot of mechani­
cal injury. . .grasses had to be cut
despite conditions that favored scalp­
ing, bruising, rutting. . .etc. There
were times when more water trailed
mowers than grass clippings. . .it was
bad, yes, but the grasses had to be
mowed! Fairways otherwise would
have looked like roughs and greens
would have looked like fairways if
left unmowed over weekends. The dif­
ficult part of it all was that every de­
cision of whether to mow (Fridays
especially) was critical. If you guessed
wrong just once, wilt readily set-in
. . .and weak grasses don’t quickly
recover from wilt in the July-August
heat.
The lesson learned is that per­
manent grasses held up best during
all this adversity. . .they went out
where they drowned-out. No gra'ss will
survive long periods of flooding in
summer.
Blotches
of
permanent
grasses stood out like islands. . .the
Poa annua died in most areas or was
severely set back all around the bentgrass and bluegrass clones. Poa annua
was held in some cases by constant
watering and syringing. . .golfers
played
through
water
sprays
almost all of July and August where
Poa annua predominated. Courses
where permanent grasses predominate
in fairways were watered much less
and were hardly ever syringed. From
the golfing standpoint, firm fairways
play superior to spongy, wet fairways.
It’s years like this that makes one
wish that Poa annua never existed. . .
superintendents and golfers wish they
never heard of watered fairways. . .
and superintendents and workers pray
that they never have to install an­
other drain ever again!
To date 1973 has been a torturous
year for grasses. . .it is safe to pre­
dict that its praises will never be in­
toned in a ballad. . .it wasn’t a very
good year!

W INTER DORMACY
AND DESICCATION

Continued from Page 7
amounts of CO’2 and consequently re­
quires water. The inability of grasses
to satisfy their water requirement re­
sults in a wilting phenomenon known
to a turf grass manager as “desicca­
tion” .
Desiccation is probably the fore­
cause of winter injury from the
Great Plains to the Atlantic seaboard
and is is not restricted to cool sea­
son grasses. Desiccation occurs when
the water supply is diminished to the
point where the plant is unable to
absorb water to replenish that trans­
pired. Several winter days of snow
cover, low humidity, and wind will en­
hance the possibility of desiccation.
Evaporation losses from the soil
coupled with losses by transpiration
place unattainable demands for water ;
on an already crippled root system.
Often much of the soil water is frozen *
and unavailable for absorption. This ,
further reduces the time for severe
desiccation to occur.
Winters with plenty of snow cover I
seldom result in desiccation damage
except for exposed areas where snow;
is blown alway. Most winters, however, >
have bare ground periods when the
potential for desiccation is high.
Many techniques are used for the
prevention of desiccation with varying j
degrees of success. Organic and in­
organic mulches, burlap, polyethylene
sheeting, porous plastics covers, or *
erection of snow fence to increase the
amount of snow accumulation, have1
all been used to alleviate desiccation. [
Hauling of water to greens, if irri- j
gation cannot be turned on, is an ex- <
pensive and inconvenient solution, but
necessary to save desiccating turf. The
very best control is to apply water!
through irrigation lines if possible
and drain the lines the same day.
Snow mold generally is more of a
problem when snow fence is used, and
preventive fungicide applications are
more essential. Covers are bulky and
difficult to secure to the turf and
condensation often occurs on sunny,
wat*m winter
days.
Temperatures
under various covers occasionally are
elevated high enough to induce growth
of Poa annua. Screen materials or
porous plastic covers do allow air'
movement and reduce fluctuations and
are superior to solid taVpaulins.
Although desiccation does not occur (
every winter, turf managers should
be alert to the environmental condi '
tions conducive for its appearance.
Turf professionals must cultivate the
(Continued on page 3)

—

WINTER DORMACY
AND DESICCATION
(Continued from Page 2)

ability to recognize conditions favor­
able for desiccation and take the
proper precautions to minimize its
effect. During snow free winter peri­
ods the crown area of turfgrasses
should be periodically checked for
turgidity. Desicating turf appears very
dry, is brittle to the touch, and is
easily pulled from the soil. Examina­
tion of the upper 11/2 - 2” of soil
should also be made periodically, par­
ticularly during windy weather, as
soil moisture can decline very rapidly
during low humidity days (10-20%
relative humidity) which occur during
the winter months.
Much continuous effort is expended
for excellent turf during the growing
season, and there is no reason for
those efforts to go down the drain by
losing grass to winter desiccation. Pro­
viding for the needs of dormant turf
is every bit as important as the at­
tention it receives during the growing
sea'son. Grass needs your attention 12
months of the year. Are you there?
(Reprinted from the “Keynoter” a
publication of the Penn. Turfgrass
Council, Inc.)

NATIONAL GOLF FOUNDATION
LAUNCHES "OPERATION
GOLF UPDATE"
“Operation — GOLF UPDATE” will
be the most comprehensive effort ever
made to compile all available signifi­
cant information about golf a'nd golf­
ers in the United States, according to
Don A. Rossi, Executive Director of
the National Golf Foundation, which
will spearhead the survey of more
than 11,000 golf courses.
Rossi explained that golf course rec­
ords maintained by the Foundation,
and dating back to its origin in 1936,
are no longer valid since many golf
courses have changed in the interim —
in ownership, in size, in type of opera­
tion and in the facilities offered. He
said many new trends in golf course
planning, construction and operation
have emerged in recent years which
cannot be sadistically measured by the
Foundation’s present records. He
added:
“To function effectively in meeting
the growing demand for help in the
development of every type of golf
facility we must bring our unique
storehouse of golf information up to
date.”
Rossi said the “ GOLF UPDATE”
questionnaire has been especially de­
signed for quick and easy fill-out, and

3

—

features humorous cartoons to make
it fun to complete. It is arranged for
computer analysis, for quick ‘readout’
of information. He said:
“ One very important area of infor­
mation requested is whether the golf
operation employs a golf professional,
a course superintendent or a manager
— any one of these, or all, or acombination of any two of these. The
answers to these questions could in­
dicate a need for additional trained
specialists for these departments.”
Rossi added that the final ‘readout’
of the survey will not only furnish
additional important information for
the Foundation in helping existing
golf operations with problems as well
as assisting in the development of
new golf courses; it will also indicate
future directions for Foundation lit­
erature and consultant services.
The National Golf Foundation, a:
non-profit organization dedicated to
the development of more golfing op­
portunity for Americans through its
facility and activity development pro­
grams, is headquartered in Chicago’s
Merchandise Mart.

IRRIGATION DRAINAGE TIME
by Douglas A. Bruce, P. E.
Vice President,
Miller Sprinkling Systems
It’s the time of year again to think
about protecting your irrigation sys­
tem against the damaging freezes of
winter.
Frost damage to an irrigation sys­
tem occurs from the following causes
and in the following order of fre­
quency:
1. Low temperature at periods of light
or no snow cover.
2. Poor drainage procedure — drain
entire system poorly.
3. Incomplete drainage — forgot to
drain part of system.
4. Water standing on the ground sur­
face above an open drain valve or
sprinkler head.
5. Contraction of piping and ground
heave due to temperature change.
“Blowing out” of irrigation systems
with an air compressor has gained
in popularity in the last five years.
Coupled with good procedure, blowing
can minimize most of the above
causes.
The following sequence for drain­
age should be followed in order and
tailored to your particular installation:
1. Several days o ra week before ac­
tual draining:
A. Locate irrigation drawing.
B. Turn off water supply.

C. Open drains that flow directly
into tile lines, creeks, or ponds.
D. Insert sprinklers at the high and
low points to allow air to re­
place the water as the low head
drains.
2. Connect suitably sized air compres­
sor near the source of water.
(Note) A piping system of 3” and
less can be blown quickly with
1-125 cfm compressor. Piping sys­
tems 4” -8” can be blown faster with
less chance for error with a 2-125
cfm compressors.
3. Beginning at the pumphouse, open
each sprinkler outlet until you get
Iair and no water, then close, on
one branch of the main line and
follow it to the dead end. Do the
same on each branch of the main
line until you have air and no
water coming from each outlet.
Note Several men “leap frogging”
with golf carts makes this quite
fast.
Be sure to allow compressor to
build up pressure so the water will
be moved with a large volume of
air.
4. Repeat step 3 to check drainage.
5. Starting again at the pumphouse
and working toward the end of
|each lateral, check the drain valves
slightly to be sure air and no
water escapes. Close the drain, wait
a minute, and repeat. Water may
have collected at the low points.
(Note Drains and standing surface
water usually occur at low points
in the terrain. Closed drains will
prevent the surface water from
entering the pipe line through the
drain valve, along with stones from
the drainage sump, and eliminate
the drain closing chore during
spring turnon.
The basic piping system is now
drained and special attention is needed
to properly drain the pumphouse. One
small slip at this state of drainage
could be very expensive.
6. Pumphouse drainage:
A. Starting at the discharge line
in the pumphouse wall, trace
the flow of water in the piping
through gate valves and check
valves
and
open
necessary
drains.
B. Drain pump volutes by removing
the bottom plug or opening
drainage cock.
C. Remove or drain suction drop
pipe.
D. Remove water from pressure re­
ducing valve covers by blowing
out or loosening cover bolts.
Continued on Page 4

—

IRRIGATION DRAINAGE TIME
Continued from Page 3

E. Turn pump motors off and pro­
tect windings against possible
rodent nesting.
F. Drain water
from
pressure
gauges, switches, tank sight
glasses, tank air chargers, and
other special items subject to
freeze in the pumphouse.
7. Program automatic valves to oper­
ate once a day for 5 minutes to
Iprevent the solenoid plunger from
sticking and reduce the moisture
in the solenoid coil and automatic
controller contacts.
Before going out and renting an air
compressor and blowing your system,
take several hours with your blue
print and the above procedure. Write
down in sequence the steps you plan
to take when you start actual drain-

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Continued from

Page 1

to hear your ideas and perhaps give
you a seat on the committee in ques­
tion.
I would like to say thank you to
each and every member of this asso­
ciation for the trust and confidence
you gave me by allowing me to serve
as your president for two years. I
would like to say thanks to everyone
who was asked to serve in some ca­
pacity of committee work for your
tireless efforts and hard work you put
forth. I urge ea'ch of you to continue
this good work during the coming
year and assure our new officers that
their programs and ideas may be car­
ried forward to help this association
continue its growth and service to its
members.
R. Viera

4

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age. The steps can be listed by think­
ing of yourself as entering the pipe­
line at the source of water ahd your
job is to push the water out on top
of the ground as you move through
the pipe. What routes will you have to
follow to push all of the water out
the dead end of every line? What will
you do when you come to a branch tee
that feeds another fairway or splits
and goes both ways at the front of a
green? When do you get to the end
of the line when the system is looped?
The same routes you took entering the
pipes at the source to get to the dead
ends must be followed by the wall of
air you will put into the system when

blowing out.
Frost damage repairs have got to
rate near the top of the bad job list.
In addition, they occur at a critical
time of year from a manpower stand­
point, and can cause several weeks of
anguish if the dirt is not properly
flushed after the repair is made. Now
is the time to think about any neces­
sary pump ^and sprinkler repair re­
quired for next year’s operation. Get
the necessary parts on order a'nd make
the repairs conveniently in the winter
rather than wait for the spring rush.
Good luck in your drainage this
fall. The old adage “you make your
own luck” was never truer.

THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE
SUPPORT OF THE CONN. CLIPPINGS:
ALFCO R O K E B Y CO., INC.
1211 Stony H ill Road
Wilbraham, Mass.

TO M IR W IN CO.
113 A Street
Burlington, Mass.

Frank Downey, CAGCS member

John P. Callahan, CAGCS member

(413) 596-3009

677-7054

OLD FO X CH E M IC AL C O M P A N Y
P. 0. Box 62
Pleasant Valley, Conn.

TH E CHAS. C. H A R T C O M P A N Y
304 Main Street
Wethersfield, Conn.

John Grant, CAGCS member

Robert Kennedy, CAGCS member

749-8339
W IL L IA M DEST

529-2537
IR R IG A T IO N A N D
S U P P L Y CO.
Milford, Conn.

William Best, CAGCS member
Stolens - C-l, Arlington
C-19, Congressional
246-6279
O. M. SCOTT & SONS
Proturf. Div.
Marysville. Ohio

Al Arison, CAGCS member
336-9890
V A L L E Y FARM S T U R F N U R S E R Y
Box 81
Avon, Conn.

E Q U IP M E N T

Richard Hosking, CAGCS member
874-1096
SOMERS T U R F S U PPLIE S
Orange, Conn.

Bill Somers, CAGCS member
795-4320
C LO R O -SPR AY C O R PO R A TIO N
475 Beaver Street
Bristol, Penn. 19007

Joe Bidwell, CAGCS member

Edward J. Sanson, CAGCS member
Frank Paladino, LIAGCS member

658-6886

215-426-7723

FIRST CLASS

CONN. CLIPPINGS
Robert Osterman, editor
937 Black R ock T urnpike
Easton Conn . 06612

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