Volume June, 1993 2No. 2 President's Message Irrigation System Installed... Retrospect John F. Streeter, CGCS CAGCS President By Gary Bryant Golf Course Superintendent Manchester Country Club Summertime is here, the fish are jumpin’, and the cotton is growing high. I am sure by now we are all into the grueling routines of the 7-day per week hours which is how we earn our money. Even with everybody's busy sched­ ules, it is nice to see the tremendous participation at our monthly meetings. Both the May and June meetings were well attended with both totalling over 90 golfers/participants. As many of you know, our policies with our meetings are varied from what our association used to do. We have gotten away from the rigid busi­ ness meetings/educational sessions for the summer meetings, and the Board felt that the time for educational semi­ nars and business meetings are for the fall and winter. I hope all of you have been enjoying the casual format of our monthly meetings and are taking advantage of your fellow comrades in attendance by mingling and getting to know them and talking about common problems and/or solutions to problems which (continued on page 2) Several years ago, Manchester Coun­ try Club decided to install a new irriga­ tion system. Since the old system was close to thirty years old and a constant source of both aggravation and a drain on labor resources, I was asked to investigate the feasability of the instal­ lation of said system. Lessons learned during this process: Talk to other superintendents Make sure you ask one key question. "If you had it to do over again, what would you change?" You will be amazed at the answers that you will receive. Hire a consultant!designer If you have the distributor design the system for you, you may as well give them a blank check and start digging. Remember your "comfort" zone. If you are not comfortable and confident in the equipment/controllers, don’t buy them just to try to save the club money. Neither the club nor the dis­ tributor is going to repair these items on a Sunday morning when it is going to be 90° before the day is over. Committee involvement Remember the image on a pack of Camel cigarettes? A horse designed by a committee. You do need the backing of the Board of Governors and the Greens Committee, but you don’t need committee members asking other courses about their irrigation systems because they do not have the knowl­ edge to ask the right questions. Distributor involvement Ascertain whether the distributor can work well with the consultant/ designer. If the distributor decides to bypass the superintendent and to go to the club directly, find another distribu­ tor. Equipment knowledge Try to find out whether you can handle minor repairs yourself. You are going to be unable to get help during long, holiday weekends. Dis­ tributors and contractors no longer can afford the luxury of an abundance of (continued on page 3) President's Message (continued from page 1) each other to move forward and be suc­ cessful in this wonderful business that we have chosen as our profession. As many of you may be aware, CAGCS has imposed some new guide­ lines for registering and making reserv a tio n s fo r monthly m eet­ ings. Some of you who have at­ tended the May and June meetings T x im W and did not make a reservation with us, you paid a post entry fee. Those of you who ' made a reservation for the meeting ICE OF BENTGRASSES and did not attend ¡m m m m were billed. ’ Providence • Pennlinks These policies are 3 -Way Fairway Blend in effect now and will stay in ef­ ¿UMWiUi fect. Pallets or Big Rolls We all under­ Washing Service Available stand that there MIlUiMM are crises that High Fine Fescue Mix arise on the day of the meeting or the Versatile Blue-Fescue-Rye Mix night before the Low-Cut Blue-Rye Available meeting. All one needs to do to Farm Inspection W elcomed avoid being billed we are all experiencing in our busi­ ness each day. Sharing knowledge about our industry is one of the most portant facets that our association has to offer. I think of our group as a fra­ ternity, brothers and sisters helping ( 800) 243-7582 CAGCS P re s id e n t JOHN F. STREETER, CGCS Woodbridge Country Club Vice President PETER R. PIERSON Pequabuck Golf Club S e c re ta ry PHILIP NEATON Black Hall Club T re a s u re r JOHN MOTYCKA Skungamaug River Golf Club Im m e d ia te Past President STEVEN RACKLIFFE, CGCS Willimantic Country Club 1 for a "no show" is to make a telephone call to our CAGCS office (387-0810). We will accept cancellations right up to the last minute of the meeting and, therefore, you can avoid being billed for a "no show". The reasons for these enforcements is simply that we are committed to a guaranteed number to the club which is hosting the meeting. This and That... I hope to see all of you at the July 20th meeting at Madison Country Club which has always been a special treat, and I, for one, am looking for­ ward to that day. The Scholarship & Research Tourna­ ment will be held on October 5th at the Mill River Country Club, Wayne C. Urban, superintendent. The Educational Committee is in the process of soliciting clubs for 1994 sites. If you are interested in hosting a monthly meeting, please contact Michael Wallace, CGCS, Educational Committee Chairperson, or you can call the CAGCS office for more details. Board of Directors Public Relations & Co-Chair S & R Committee ROBERT A. CHAH FOUR,CGCS Shennecossett Golf Course Co-Chair S & R Committee HEATHER GARVIN Santon Public Golf Course E d u c atio n MICHAEL WALLACE, CGCS Hop Meadow Country Club M em bership JOHN NAPIERACZ, CGCS Stanley Golf Course G olf THOMAS WATROBA Suffield Country Club P P U C PETER R. PIERSON Pequabuck Golf Club Social & W elfare BRIAN SKELLY Old Lyme Country Club Comm ercial Rep. to Board PETER HULL Turf Products Corp. C o n n e c tic u t C lip p in g s is an official publication of the Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents. Newsletter Committee John F. Streeter, CGCS, Editor Art deAtienza Joseph J. Stahl, III Editorial Contributions Gary Bryant James Connolly Joseph J. Stahl, III "If you had it to do over again, what would you change?" Gary Bryant's Retrospect, continued from page 1. A EGYPT Sterilized FARMS Top Dressing WHITE MARSH, MD (410) 335-3700 1-800-899-S01L (7445) EGYPT FARMS EXCLUSIVE! service people, so plan on making minor repairs yourself. Murphy's Law Whatever can go wrong will go wrong. The first day on the job, the contractor trenched three irrigation lines, putting me out of business for two days. Be fully prepared for aggra­ vation from the contractor, subcontrac­ tors and members. A complete system being installed on an established course is a major undertaking and problems will arrive that are no one’s fault. Remember, communication is the key; however, many people will hear only what they want to hear, so prepare yourself. Contractor I was amazed how many contractors wanted to install this system. Most were discounted because of no experi­ ence or expertise, but you will receive a lot of calls from people that you never knew existed. The designer/ consultant will help you select a reput­ able contractor, and even with the best available, it will not be easy. What would I change? I would make changes in the specifi­ cations as far as some things, but gen­ erally the project went fairly well. Talk to a lot of fellow superintendents around the country, not just friends. I was amazed how many superintendents in Florida would give you their time talking about irrigation systems. Cover all your bases in the planning stages, and it will prepare you for this project. Was it worth it? Lord, yes. Our system is computer controlled, easy to use and repair, and has made a big dif­ ference in the golf course. To summarize, hire a qualified con­ sultan t/designer. With the kind of monies that are involved with a project this size, it is asinine to try to be your own engineer. Talk to other superintendents. Be honest and up front with your ques­ tions, and you will receive the same kind of answers. Don't forget your "comfort" zone. After all is said and done, it is your system to operate and repair. Dont' let anybody sell you anything that you are not comfortable with. Remember, your backside is the one on the line. It is almost guaranteed that "Murphy's Law" will smack you in the mouth several times during this project. Be patient and after all is said and done, you will be rewarded with a first class irrigation system. Hope you all have a good season! All top dressing ingrediems are thorough­ ly 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 homoge­ nous mixture that will not separate during handling and spreading. Egypt Farms top dressing is formulated especially for your area to specifications recommended by leading universities and testing laboratories. • Computerized blending of soil mix­ tures for a superior growing medium. • Custom on-site soil blending and testing with a portable computerized blender to meet your specifications. • Bunker Sands • Mulch • Canadian Sphagnum Peat Distributed by: T h e T e rre C o . M e tro -M ilo rg a n ite , Inc. (201)473-3393 (914)666-3171 PARTAC GOLF COURSE TOP-DRESSING PLUS GREEN & TEE CONSTRUCTION MIXES, WHITE TRAP SANDS, CART PATH & DIVOT REPAIR MIXES U.S. GOLF HOLE TARGETS {WHITE OR OPTIC YELLOW/ W h a t’s In sid e ? Irrigation System Installed "If you had it to do over again, what would you change?"..................................... Suggestions on Green S p e e d ................................. Scoreboard .................................................................. USGA Turf Advisory Service .............................. AND MUCH MORE! DISTRIBUTED IN CT BY: JAMES CARRIERE & SONS 914 937-5476 914 937-2136 - - VALLEY FARMS SUPPLY 203 651-8555 800 247-2326 - - WHEN THE GROWING GETS TOUGH THE TURF KEEPS GROWING! Suggestions on Green Speed For a HEALTHY ADVANTAGE over SEASONAL PROBLEMS WE OFFER a WINNING LINE UP: By Jim Connolly Emerald Isle, Ltd. Pana Sea Plus Pana Sea • Sand-Aid Lebanon TURF PRODUCTS • • • • • • FERTILIZERS TOP DRESSINGS BIOSTIMULANTS SEED PESTICIDES GOLF COURSE ACCESSORIES Rick Apgar Scott Apgar Joe Stahl Metro Milorganite Inc. DEPEND ON US FOR FOUR SEASON SOLUTIONS (914) 666-3171 Fax (914) 666-9183 365 Adams Street, Bedford Hills, NY 10507 ATLANTIC IRRIGATION SPECIALTIES INC. Representing: RAIN BIRD GOLF Syncroflo Pumping Stations ADS DRAINAGE 620 Commerce Street Thornwood, N.Y. 10594 1-800-878-TURF 70 Research Drive Stamford, CT 06906 (800) 886-4774 USGA Green Section One of the best statements on green speed can be found in the 1973 Manu­ al for Championship Preparation by the USGA. "The greens should not be rolled or cut to the point where a ball could gain speed in putting down all but the severest slopes.” Furthermore, "a player should be able to stop the ball at the hole." The ball should come to rest within 2' to 3' of the hole when putting from above the hole. There are rare occa­ sions where this may not be the case perhaps on a green where the obvious strategy is to keep the ball below the hole, and only a miss-hit shot would end up above the hole. These guidelines should be followed when setting cutting height and green speed. The speed should be set to rep­ resent the average of all 18 holes. If there is only one severely sloped green, the speed would not be set to this green. However, 5 or more greens with slopes and undulations would have a definite impact on over­ all cutting height/green speed. I recently visted a golf course built in 1921 that has an average green size of less than 5,000 sq. ft. and more than 9 of the greens could be consid­ ered "undulating". Many areas of the greens are not used for hole locations when cutting heights go below 5/32". When greens are cut so short that flagstick locations are lost, you are essen­ tially robbing the golfer of a good part of the game. This is a shame. Large, flat, expansive greens are most prone to lower cutting heights simply because of their design. Many golfers that complain about slow greens, especially on large greens, lack a quality in their game known as authority of stroke. John Jacobs, famous British instructor and former Walker Cup coach, describes this fault in golfers: "We tend to wave it, coax it, steer it, drag it, jab it, twitch it ... anything but hit. it!" John Jacobs. Praçtiçai G.Qlf On this type of green, the emphasis should be upon smoothness because the distance of ball travel may be longer. Imperfections along the line of putt will make it difficult to predict ball direction and roll. Enter this season with these thoughts in mind and begin to manage the putting surfaces appropriately. Go out on the course with the Green Committee and go through the above steps. Examine each green and see if there are hole locations that have been sacrificed to the "Speed God". Get them back. The superintendent greatly influenc­ es the game as a direct result of main­ tenance. He/she is responsible for preparing the course and making deci­ sions that are best for the game. The USGA Green Section Turf Ad­ visory Service (TAS) is designed to assist golf courses in maintenance programs that bring out the best in a golf course. A visit to your course opens a forum for discussion and creates an atmosphere of open com­ munication. I encourage you to sup­ port the USGA Green Section by sub­ scribing to the TAS this year. The Farms Country Club Paul A. Sabino, Superintendent Hosts May Meeting The winter was long, cold and stormy. The snow lasted right into spring... so much so that our first scheduled outing at Frank Lamphier’s Aspetuck Valley Country Club had to be canceled due to all of the moisture. But that is all behind us, and we all en­ joyed our golf outing at Paul Sabino’s The Farms Country Club. The Farms Country Club was de­ signed by Geoffrey Cornish and was built in the early sixties. The course was built on heavy clay soils, with plenty of rock, and the greens are of the pushed-up variety. In addition to the golf course, there are tennis courts and a swimming pool. Paul Sabino started working at The Farms under the direction of Stanley Sablak on a part-time basis. Paul learned very quickly that he really en­ joyed this kind of living and work. With the support and encouragement of Stanley, Paul received the Troll Dick­ erson Scholarship to attend the Univ. of Massachusetts. Receiving the Lear Honorary Scholastic Society Award (3.75 or better grade point average) on graduation, Paul returned to The Farms as Stanley's assistant. In the fall of 1990, Stanley decided to move on and left the job of superintendent in the very capable hands of Paul. One of the First projects Paul tackled was the 11th green. Historically a problem green, Paul installed a drain­ age system, cleared away some trees, Bunion 2" and Greensmowers The Premier Choice Of Golf Course Maintenance Pro's. — and deep tined the green to change it into one of the best and driest on the course. Con­ tinuing on to build the 13th la­ dies' tee and working on the #7 bunkers, he has been able to show the membership what he is capable of. The membership is very pleased with the results and have increased Paul's bud­ get over the years. One of Paul's secrets is to al­ ways pay attention to aesthetics by planting flowering shrubs and paying special attention to flower beds... another was to reorganize his labor staff. By doing this, he was able to find increased hours to keep up with all projects... and, of course, the constant upgrading of equipment. Somehow, Paul has found time to run for the Board of Governors at the Summerhill Condos where he and his wife, Nancie, live. Nancie has been ex­ tremely supportive of Paul's career for which he is most greatful. They are ex­ pecting their first child in early Septem­ ber. We all wish him the best of luck with his career and new family. Joe Stahl Metro Milorganite, Inc Golf course m aintenance professionals know how important their manicured greens are to the reputation of their club and municipal courses. That's why you'll find more Bunton greensmowers cutting greens today than any other mower on the market. It's the premier choice of golf course professionals. FE A T U R E S : • Powered rotary brush and thatcher attachments for grain control and healthy turf. • Dual powered drive rollers for straight cuts. • Non-floating head design for true cutting heights. For more details, see your Bunton dealer W E S C O , IN C . Tractors & Equipm ent 27 Broad Street, Norwalk, Conn. 06851 Ph: 203 847-2496 Fax: 203 846-3401 12- 24 Flight Low Gross Scott Ramsay Dick Cook L. Jaskowski 86 Low Net Tom Fletcher Charlie Rustici Matt Howland rin n e r s 82 85 66 70 71 0 - 1 1 Flight Fertilizers, Seeds and Chemicals for Golf, Turf and Agriculture LEW VARGA Agriturf, Inc. 59 Dwight Street, Hatfield, MA 01038 413-247-5687 • 1-800-346-5048 Home Phone 413-586-4667 Low Gross Peter Pierson 76 Mark Gostkowski 77 Low Net Dave Wallace Les Kennedy, Jr. L. Fazzino B. Colburn Tom Watroba 25 - 36 Flight Low Gross AlLaprise 91 Low Net 70 70 71 73 73 Dave Basconi M. Goslin Jon Case 63 69 71 USG A RINSER ^ " I Greens Greens! p. Turf Advisory Service tU M U & li I ,A - n I 5 * 10*3 12*2.6 Plus Chelated Iron rtlMKafcn RINSER RINSER Greens Greens I Greens 5.2*10 10#2*6 Hus Chelated Iron 8 * 2*8 , They’re known by the greens they keep. Lush, beautiful greens and tee boxes are well-known to superintendents who use Ringer Greens Products. With five finelygranulated formulations available, you can match our fertilizer to your needs throughout the seasons. Each formulation releases the precise amount of nitrogen needed to eliminate burning and green-up greens evenly The remaining nitrogen is reserved for slower release to encourage consistent growth. Try Ringer Greens Products. Your greens will be in good company Contact your local distributor or Ringer’s Golf & Commercial Turf Division at 9959 Valley View Road, Minneapolis, MN 55344, (612) 941-4180. Ringer offers a complete line of fertilizers for greens, fairways and general turf applications. Superintendents deserve praise Following Tom Watroba, Suffield CC, hosting the PGA Section's open­ ing event, the following are com­ ments which appeard in the Journal Inquirer, written by John Nowobilski, PGA pro at Tallwood CC: "As tough as it has been for us golf­ ers to play, let alone score, due to the weather conditions, imagine what the golf course superintendents are going through. Nevertheless, their incredible knowl­ edge and cautiousness (some of you might think it's over cautiousness) will pay off. I know many of you are going crazy waiting to get out to play and, as I write, some courses are still not fully operational, with carts, Continues to Grow The USGA Turf Advisory Service (TAS) continues to grow in number of golf courses visited each year in New England. One hundred thirty golf courses subscribed to TAS in 1992, up from 118 the previous year. This is encouraging considering the economic climate. The majority of the subscri­ bers are private courses, but the num­ ber of public golf courses participating in TAS continues to grow. The growth among the public courses is due in part to the special offer of a fullday visit at one-half cost. As you know, the USGA Green Sec­ tion exists as a service to golf courses and could not exist without their sup­ port. In fact, the Green Section oper­ ates at a deficit in order to keep the ser­ vice affordable to all golf courses, pri­ vate or public. A lot takes place during a TAS visit, and the amount of information ex­ changed can be extensive. This sharing of knowledge and information is, in my opinion, one of the greatest bene­ fits of a USGA visit. Someone once told me that no one is too big to get some advice, even brain surgeons ask their associates for advice. I encourage you to use this service to your advantage and consider participat­ ing this year in the USGA Green Sec­ tion TAS. Information can be obtained by calling (203) 456-4537 in Connecti­ cut or (908) 234-2300 in New Jersey. greens, practice areas, etc. But remember one thing: Your superintendent wants you to enjoy the course you play, so listen to him or her. Superintendents have your best interest at heart during some tough times. I must take space and time to com­ mend superintendent, Tom Watroba, for the superb job he and his talented staff did to get the course in playable condition." CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION OF GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS DATE EVENT LOCATION HOST July 20 CAGCS Monthly Meeting Madison Country Club Michael Chrzanowski July 31 Oldies But Goodies Cruise New England Cruise Lines Haddam, CT CAGCS August TBA CAGCS Annual Picnic To be Announced CAGCS Sept. 14 CAGCS Monthly Meeting Black Hall Club Old Lyme, CT Philip Neaton October 5 CAGCS Annual S & R Tournament Mill River Country Club Stratford, CT Wayne C. Urban October 18 CAGCS Monthly Meeting Wethersfield Country Club Wethersfield, CT Alfred Bachand November 9 CAGCS Annual Meeting Rolling Greens Golf Club Rocky Hill, CT Jonathan Case Anderson Turf Irrigation, Inc. 5 Cronk Rd., P. O. Box 7036 Plainville, CT 06062 Jesse J. Anderson, Jr. (203)747-9911 The Chas. C. Hart Seed Co. Wethersfield, CT 06129-0169 Roy Sibley ~ Roger Barrett Ron Holcomb ~ Bob Kennedy (203) 529-2537 & (800) 326-HART Shawnmark Industries, Inc. Specialty Products & Service Warwick, RI 02888 Matt Howland (24 hours a day) (401) 295-1673 Atlantic Irrigation Specialties/ Supplies 70 Research Drive Stamford, CT 06906 Tim Pogue (800) 886-4774 Lesco, Inc. P. O. Box 16915 Rocky River, OH 44116 Mike Donahue (800) 321-5325 Terre Company of NJ, Inc. 206 Delawanna Ave., P. O. Box 1000 Clifton, NJ 07014 Byron Johnson, Jr. (203) 748-5069 B & P Turf Farm, Inc. 1022 Palisado Avenue Windsor, CT 06095 Peter-Celina O'Meara (203) 683-0158 Lofts Seed Company 68 White Cedar Drive Madison, CT 06443 Paul Bednarczyk (203) 421-4641 & (800) 526-3890 Toelles Road Sand & Gravel Co. Wallingford, CT 06492 Golf Course Sands & Mixes Hal Kraus - Bruce Imbt (203) 561-2442 Cadwell & Jones, Inc. P. O. Box G, Buckland Station Manchester, CT 06040 John Schuller (203) 643-0644 Al LaPrise (401) 438-5000 Metro Milorganite, Inc. 365 Adams Street Bedford Hills, NY 10507 Joe Stahl ~ Scott Apgar (914)666-3171 Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Inc. W. Suffield, CT & Richmond, RI Bentgrass ~ Fescue ~ Bluegrass ~ Rye Skip Deubel (800) 243-7582 The Cardinals, Inc. P. O. Box 520, 166 River Road Unionville, CT 06085 John Callahan (203) 673-3699 Nor-Am Chemical Co. 3509 Silverside Road Wilmington, DE 19803 David J. Sylvester (203) 828-8905 Turf Products Corporation 157 Moody Rd., P. O. Box 1200 Enfield, CT 06083 John Ferry ~ Mark Loper (203) 763-3581 James Carriere & Sons, Inc. 7 Cottage St., Port Chester, NY Trap Sand - Partac Topdressing Bill Carriere (914) 937-2136 Northeast Golf Course Const. 3277 North Main Street Waterbury, CT 06704 Complete Golf Course Renovation (203) 755-4690 Turf Specialty, Inc. 15 Londonderry Road, Suite 3 Londonderry, NH 03053-3388 Dave Schermerhom (603) 437-0008 D & S Fioratine Products, Trion Lifts Precision Small Engine Co., Flymo Dave Basconi (203) 250-TURF P. I. E. Supply Company 243 Woodmont Rd., P. O. Box 3049 Milford, CT 06460 Art deAtienza ~ J. Anderson (203) 878-0658 Westchester Turf Supply, Inc. P. O. Box 198 Lincolndale, NY 10540 Bob Lippman (914) 248-7476 FAX (914) 248-6862 Eastern Land Management, Inc. 113 Canal Street Shelton, CT 06484 Bruce T. Moore, Sr. (203)924-7272 & (800)926-GREEN Partac Golf Course Topdressing Great Meadows, NJ 07838 (800) 247-2326 (908) 637-4191 Bill Carriere (914) 937-2136 Joe Bidwell (203) 651-8555 White Contractors Golf Course Construction & Renovation Old Greenwich, CT 06870 James E. Morris, Jr. (203) 637-5251 Egypt Farms, Inc. Golf Green Topdressing (800) 899-7645 (Soil) The Terre Co. (201) 473-3393 Metro Milorganite (914) 666-3171 Pro-Lawn Products, Inc. 102 Conklin Road Stafford Springs, CT 06076 Mike Dukette (203) 684-6242 Winding Brook Turf Farm, Inc. 240 Griswold Road Wethersfield, CT 06109 Donald Grant (203) 529-6869 & (800) 243-0232 Glenmore Landscape Service 98 Hack Green Road Pound Ridge, NY 10576 Glenn S. Moore (914) 764-4348 The Reichert Company P. O. Box 273 Riverside, CT 06878 Frank X. Reichert (203) 637-2958 Golf Cart Services, Inc. P.O. Box 327, 275 Wells Street Greenfield, MA 01302 Jim Bernier ~ Dick Kaupin (413) 772-0955 O. M. Scott & Sons Company 14111 Scottslawn Road Marysville, OH 43041 Steve DiVito (203) 723-5190 CAGCS Thanks these Patrons for Their Continued Support of our Association