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NEW ORLEANS OFFERS
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Exciting history, excellent dining,
fabulous night life and sight seeing ga­
lore will all present themselves to the
golf course superintendent, his wife and
guests in New Orleans, when they at­
tend the Golf Course Superintendents
Association of America’s 46th Annual
International Turf grass Conference and
show, February 16-21, 1975.
While an excellent education pro­
gram and turfgrass industry show will
be the primary reasons for attending the
annual Conference, there will also be
sufficient time to take in some of the
other attractions the city has to offer
its visitors.
Originally claimed as a French terri­
tory in 1682, it became a Spanish possession after 80 years, beginning in
1762. In 1801 the French once again
were granted title to the area and then
sold it to the United States in 1803 as
part of the $15,000,000 Louisiana Purchase. Becoming the Union’s 19th state
in 1812, General Andrew Jackson, in
the famous battle of New Orleans in
1815 finally secured the strategic port
city.
By 1840, the development of the
steamboat, and the cotton and tobacco
industries made New Orleans the sec­
ond wealthiest and fourth most populous city in the U.S. Because of its
port activities, it recovered from the
Civil War much more rapidly than
most of the Southern cities.
Today’s visitors to New Orleans will
find that much of the history presents
itself in ways other than just historic
markers, and even the markers, such
as Jackson Square, are quite notable.
Throughout the city, French, Span­
ish and Creole dining are highlights to
menus that also feature more standard
(Continued on Page 4)

CAREFUL PLANNING CAN
HELP YOU GET MORE OUT OF
EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS
Conferences, conventions, field days,
seminars, workshops, annual meetings
— regardless of what they are called,
periodic gatherings with an educational
purpose can result in new or refined
knowledge, providing the attendee goes
in with a plan.
Each year there are ample opportu­
nities to attend meetings and glean ad­
ditional information, from the local level
through state and regional, all the way
to national and international gather­
ings. In most instances, money for this
type of gathering is limited, so care
must be taken to see that the greatest
value is received for the money expen­
ded. In order to achieve such a pur­
pose, the following suggestions are
made:
1. F am iliarize Y ourself With S ch ed ­
ules. Learn what is coming up, where
it is going to be, who is going to be
there and what they will be covering.
Often times, magazines on the subject
will include a listing of up-Coming
events and a review of these publica­
tions will give you a good start on the
list of possibilities. Some meetings oc­
cur so regularly that personal know­
ledge can give you a general time frame
for such meetings, or acquaintances
may be able to recommend various
meetings which they have found valu­
able.
2. R equ est A dvance M aterials. Most
meetings are planned well in advance
and as a result, considerable informa­
tion is available to potential attendees.
Receipt of this information will allow
you a better opportunity to review the
organization and contents of a future
meeting.
3. Evaluate the Program . Once vou
have determined you will be attending

a meeting and have the materials in
hand, begin immediately to review and
evaluate the program. Try to determine
which of the offerings will be the great­
est value to you personally. Doing this
in advance of the meeting will permit
you to better plan your time and as a
result accomplish much, more.
4. R egister as E arly as P ossible. Ad­
vance registration will help you and
the sponsoring organization. You will
receive additional materials which can
be extremely useful, and the organiza­
tion can better determine the number
of attndees and make necessary arrange­
ments. In some Cases, advance regis­
trants can save money, but certainly
they will be expected at the meeting,
and materials will be prepared for
them. In addition, there will be less of
a delay upon your arrival at the meet­
ing registration area.
If pre-meeting registration is not
available, plan to arrive early and regis­
ter on-site as soon as possible. Turnaway attendance is unusual, but im­
portant materials may not be available
in sufficient quantities for late regis­
trants.
5. Follow Your M eeting Plan. At the
meeting, there may be last minute
changes that will draw you away from
some planned activity, but try to avoid
missing those meetings which you pre­
determined would be personally impor­
tant. If you learn some session is not
going to be what you expected, change
your plans accordingly, but don’t lose
time and information by procrastinat­
ing in the hallway.
6. M ingle and M eet Others. Answers
to the questions you have may not be
scheduled for the program, so the one
method of acquiring answers is to
meet attendees. Meeting and talking
(Continued on Page 2)

2

CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION
OF GOLF COURSE
SUPERINTENDENTS
P resident ....................... Frank Lamphier
V ice P resident .................. Robert Tosh
S ecretary ......................... Bob Osterman
T reasurer .................. Janies MacDonald
B oard o f D irectors
Robert Silva
Ronald Holcomb
Alfred Bachand
Karnig Ovian
Robert Chalifour
Edward Anderson
Richard Hoskings, A ssociate D irector
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. CLIPPIN GS is an offi­
cial publication of the Connecticut As­
sociation of Golf Course Superinten­
dents.
Robert W. Osterman, Editor
937 Black Rock Turnpike
Easton, Conn. 06612

EDUCATIONAL
(Continued from Page 1)

with new people will heighten your op­
portunities to larn.
7. A sk Questions at E very O pportu­
nity. There is no such thing as a “dumb
question,” and the only way you will
receive specific information concerning
your questions is to ask for it. Your
problems may be so unique that your
question has never arisen before, or it
may be so common that everyone is
suffering from it. In any event, seek
answers to your questions during ques­
tion and answer periods, or during
casual feelings.
8. S eek Out the Experts. At every
gathering you can safely assume that
someone will be present to answer your
questions or to provide you a source of
information. If you are uncertain who
you should go to, ask fellow attendees
for suggestions.
9. M ake N otes and G ather M aterials.
Regardless of how good you feel your
memory is, take notes and pick up every
possible handout. What appears to be
insignificant at the time may be speci­
fically what you need later. That bit of
information noted during the meeting
may come in handy later. This will also
facilitate easier follow-up if you need
additional information in the future.
While your memory may fail you, your
notes and materials probably won’t.
Attendance at meetings can be ex­
tremely valuable, or an extreme waste
of time. Normally, the results will de­
pend upon the “homework” completed
prior to leaving home and the attitude
of the attendee.

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TOP-DRESS GREENS AND
SEE THE DIFFERENCE
W illiam H. B engeyfield
Western Director USGA
G reen S ection
(F rom USGA G reen Section R ecord,
Jan u ary 1969)
In this age of science and technology,
where man’s knowledge is increasing
at a great rate, it is still difficult to im­
prove upon some things. Top-dressing
greens is one of them.
Last October, at the Northwest Turfgrass Conference, Dr. John Escritt, D i­
rector of the Sports Turf Research In­
stitute, Yorkshire, England, was telling
his audience of his observations of turf
management practices in the United
States:
“Americans,” he mused, “seem to
want to overdo everything. For ex­
ample, I feel you are overdoing putting
green fertilization. You are constantly
spraying fungicides and insecticides.
\ ou seem forever to be veri-cutting and
aerifying greens. But there is one im­
portant practice you should be doing
and are not doing at all: top-dressing
greens!”
Many agronomists in this country
will heartily agree. His point is valid.
Top-dressing is not easy. It may seem
worth every effort and the money if
your goal is championship putting turf.
It is one management tool your golf
course should use even though your
neighbors have been overlooking it for
the past three decades.
In the early days of greenkeeping,
the ritual of top-dressing was carried
out every few weeks. The old-timers
may not have known al the reasons
why, but they knew it worked. World
War II put an end to that. Shortages
of labor, equipment, and material prac­
tically eliminated the practice, and it
has never regained popularity. The ad­
vent of the mechanical aerifier in the
late 1940s further discouraged a return
to top-dressing. The soil cores, it was
believed, would do the job for us.
Only in recent years have the better
managed golf clubs returned to sound
top-drssing practices.
Why is top-dressing important? How
does it work? What are proper top­
dressing procedures? Are there really
major advantages for today’s golfer
and course superintendent in a top­
dressing problem ? There is much to
be said on the subject.
W hy T op-Dress A t A l l ?
Golf has expanded so rapidly in the
past 20 years that the technical advan­
tages of top-dressing have perhaps been
forgotten by the old, and never fully
appreciated by the new. Ask ten turf

managers, “why top-dress?” today and
at least nine will reply, “to smooth
the surface.” But the story has far
greater dimensions than this.
“ The p rin cip les beh in d top-dressing
origin ate d eep in the basic tenets o f
agriculture, an d anyone w ho m anages
fin e turf grass w ould d o well to learn
the real reasons fo r the p r a c t i c e s a y s
turf grass agron om ist B ob Wiley.
More than merely “to smooth the
surface,” the following amazing ad­
vantages also await the top-dressed
green: T ighter, F in er-T ex tu red T u r f :
By following proper top-dressing tech­
niques, the fresh soil material encour­
ages new growth of grass shoots and
stems. A dense, fine-bladed turf results.
Grain is C h e c k e d : Whether your greens
are bentgrass, bermudagrass, or Poa
annua, certain strains of any grass type
are going to be more vigorous, more
included to lay down than others. Top­
dressing encourages upright growth
and checks grain development in any
type of turf.
T hatch C on trol: With heavy fertilization, high or infrequent mowing, etc.,
aggressive grasses son form a spongy
layer known as thatch accumulation by
intermixing soil materials with plant ma­
terials. It encourages new microbiologi­
cal activity, which in turn breaks down
thatch and converts it into valuable soil
humus.
L ess D isease: Thatch is an ideal me­
dium for disease organisms and insect
activity. With thatch under control,
this problem is reduced.
B etter W ater an d F ertilizer In filtra­
tion : Because top-dressing checks ehavy
thatch accumulation by actually sepa­
rating the plant residues, tight turf
matting is prevented. The passages for
air, water, fertilizers, etc., are preserved
in the turf profile. Localized dry spot
problems are reduced, and better over­
all irrigation infiltration is achieved.
A lleviates C om paction : Top-dressed
greens have better “holding qualities”
for the golfer. The material physically
supports the grass plant and thereby
helps it absorb compacting forces. It
develops resiliency. On heavily played
greens, this point is of particular im­
portance.
P rotects A gainst W inter K ill: Years
of experience and research have shown
that greens top-dressed just prior to
the winter have fewer problems from
desiccation and winter injury. The
crown of the plant is protected from
the winter’s drying winds and wide tem­
perature swings.
T h ere’s a T echn iqu e to Top-D ressing:
The success of any top-dressing pro­
gram depends on how well it is carried

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> out. Poor top-dressing procedures are
worse than no top-dressing at all.
At the very beginning, the soil ma­
terial to be applied must be “standard­
ized,” that is, made of uniform quality
from one year to the next. Turfgrass
agronomist Charles G. Wilson put it
best when he said, “Each club should
require an act of Congress before any­
one is permitted to tamper with or
: alter the soil mixture decided upon, no
matter how well-meaning he may be.”
If the present soil in greens has a
' history of success (good drainage, deep
rooting, minimum compaction, etc.),
the top-dressing material should be of
the same general nature, if available.
\ On the other hand, if it is not avail­
able, or if greens do not have a good
f soil, than an additional effort is needed.
) In this situation, a physical soil analyt sis (see “USGA Green Section Specifi. cations for a Method of Putting Green
Construction” ) should be made of these
materials that are and will be available
at a cost within budget means. The
physical analysis will determine what
mixture of soil, sand, and organic matr ter is best for your program. This m ix­
ture then becomes TH E permanent mix' ture for all future top-dressings and
> construction.
The physical mixing of these com> ponents is less tedious than it once was.
Large quantities can be fairly rapidly
| mixed with today’s front-end loaders,
' power shredders, screens, and other
modern equipment. Time and labor
i costs have been enormously reduced.
Now two additional steps are needed
* before this “soil mixture” becomes
eligible for '‘top-dressing” status: steri* lization and composting. A weed-free
mixture can be obtained by several
* sterilization methods. Methyl bromide,
* calcium cyanamid, Vapam, steam, and
other techniques have been used.
Finally, there is but one factor that
can change a soil mixture into a topdressing soil: TIM E. It is too often
! overlooked.
Composting was known even to garj deners in the early 100s. It remains of
extreme value today. Top-dressing ma5 terial should be mixed or composted
for at least eight or ten months before
it is used on a green. The top-dressing
soil should be properly stored (soil
sheds are best and kept dry enough to
- insure free flow at application time.
L igut and E asy Does I t
The question of “how much top­
dressing and how often” is always good
for spirited debate. But with the ad­
vent of today’s power top-dressing ma­
chines, a program of light but fre­
quent applications is recommended, and
is important. For example, four dress­

—

3

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ings at 3/4 cubic yard each are far
more effective than two dressings at
1 1/2 cubic yards each. Certainly, a
top-dressing should never be so heavy
as to bury the grass plant. Depending
upon the size of the green and normal
circumstances, an optimum schedule
might be one of applying 1/2 to 3/4
cubic yards per 5,000 square feet of
green on four occasions spaced through­
out each growing season. The ‘light
but frequently ’approach allows each
dressing to silt into the turf, mingle
with the grass, and carry out its many
important funcions.
Because of the frequency required
and the great need for uniformity of ap­
plication, a power top-dressing machine
is an absolute necessity. It will more
than pay for itself in any serious top­
dressing effort. Hand spreading is of
a bygone era.
The use of flat boards, or the back
or rokes are needed for the “boarding”
operation. They move the top-dressing
more uniformly over the surface. The
boarding or matting operation must be
done very slowly, carefully and in sev­
eral directions. If it is done rapidly, it
does not move the new material uni­
formly over the turf. Uneven coverage
produces irregular surfaces, rather than
smooth surfaces.
A erification and V ertical Mowing?
Aerification and vertical mowing are
now considered practically synonomous
with top-dressing, but this need not
necessarily be the case. Certain aerifi­
cation will continue to be important for
most good putting green turf, but it
need not accompany every top-dressing.
In fact, two aerifications annually are
generally accepted as standard practice
today, unless a special problem exists.
Light or moderate vertical mowing
prior to top-dress (as well as regular
mowing) is desirable. However, it is
not mandatory. The absence of any of
these practices should not be used as an
excuse for not top dressing.

Is It W orth $500?
Is top-dressing worth the expense?
Many of this nation’s better golf course
superintendents and agronomists firm ­
ly believe it is. In fact, there is sub­
stantial evidence for believing that a
good top-dressing program can reduce
other costly maintenance practices. At
the same time, it will produce better
turf on beter greens.
Although costs vary, recent figures in
California place the total expenditure of
top-dressing 18 greens at $500 per ap­
plication. This is an average cost of
$4.50 per 1,000 square feet. Labor as
well as material costs are included in
the figure.

Fred Bachand has asked me to ask
the members to start thinking about
next year’s meeting places.
If you have not had a meeting at
your club yet, or have not had one for
a few years, why don’t you think about
having one next year.
If you feel you might like to have a
meeting at your course next year, con­
tact the Education Chairman after the
elections in November.

GCSAA SLATE 1975
The 1975 Nominating Committee met
at the Headquarters office on Septem­
ber 13-14, 1974.
The purpose of the meeting was to
place candidates on the slate for the
election at the 1975 Annual Member­
ship Meeting in New Orleans, La.
After very careful evaluation of each
prospective nominee’s background, char­
acter, reference and qualifications, it
was unanimously decided to place the
following candidates on the slate for
election at the 1975 Annual Member­
ship Meeting in New Orleans, La.
For President: Palmer Maples, Jr.
For Vice President: Richard W- Malpass, Theodore W. Woehrle.
For Directors (Three to be leceted) :
Michael Bavier, George W. Cleaver,
Louis D. Hains, Roger A. Larson, Gor­
don Witteveen.
By the 1975 GCSAA Nominating
Committee whose signatures appear be­
low: Keith Nisbet, Chairman; D W il­
liam Adams, Richard H. Eichner, Carl­
ton E. Gipson, John J. Perry CGCS.

PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE
As Chairman of the Public Relations
Committee, I would like to extend an in­
vitation to the membership to help us
formulate a program. Involvement by
many people from different parts of the
state will be needed for a successful
presentation.
With all the interest in conservation,
ecology, and recreation, it is important
for us to have an organized program
and people who would be willing to pre­
sent it.
Those of you wishing to join the
Public Relations Committee, please call
me by December
1974 so that I will
be able to set up a meeting date. Call
me at Shenencossett Golf Course at
445-0262 or my home at 445-4688.
B ob Chalifour
Chairm an

—

NEW ORLEANS
(Continued from Page 1)

fare. Page after page of fine establish­
ments could be written, but among the
more famous are Antoine’s, Brennan’s,
Commander’s Palace and Top of the
Mart, as well as the Cafe duMonde Cof­
fee Stand with its cafe au lait and
beignets (hot French donuts, sans
holes).
A real delight to most visitors are
that cast iron balconies found on many
of the buildings of the French Quarter.
This area was originally planned in
1718 by Sieru deBienville and his engi­
neers, in honor of the Regent of France,
Phillippe, Due d’Orleans. Although two
disastrous fires destroyed all but 20 per
cent of the city in 1788 and 1794, it was
rebuilt each time, and today its narrow,
winding, and interconnecting streets,
with the many specialty shops, still in­
trigue visitors.
As the birth place of jazz, New
Orleans abounds with all types of
nightly entertainers such as A1 Hirt,
Pete Fountain and others, who can be
found on the “entertainment street of
America,” Bourbon Street.
While it is difficult to separate his­
tory, dining and night life from sight
seeing in New Orleans, there are sev­
eral places which visitors should make
mandatory stops. In addition to the
French Quarter, Jackson Square, and
Bourbon Street, there is the magnificent
Longue-Vue Gardens Estate, the new
Superdome, many restored antebellum
homes, beautiful Lake Pontchartrain,
the Garden District, Audobon Park and
the campuses of Tulane and Loyola Uni­
versities.
New Orleans definitely measures up
as one of the finest conference cities in
th United States,

CONN. CLIPPINGS
Robert Osterman, editor
937 B lack R ock T urnpike
E aston Conn. 06612
< 4 ^ * 30

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THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE
SUPPORT OF THE CONN. CLIPPINGS:
THE BISH OP COMPANY —
AGRICO COUNTRY CLUB
Turf Care Products
Dan B rogan
14 Wiedeman Avenue
Clifton, New Jersey 07011
AGWAY COMMERCIAL SALES
Turf & Buildings Automation
Agway Inc. Eastern Division
R obert J . B arb er
Pub Circle
Hebron, Conn. 06248
(203) 646-3668
METRO M ILOGRANITE INC.
P.O. Box 267
Hawthorne, New York 10532
Jo h n W istrand
(914) 769-7600
SOM ERS TU R F SU P P L IE S
P.O. Box 294
Devon, Conn. 06460
B ill S om ers, CAGCS M em ber
THE CHAS. C. HART COMPANY
304 Main Street
Wethersfield, Conn.
R obert K ennedy, CAGCS M em ber
(203) 529-2537
VA LLEY FARMS TU R F N U RSERY
Box 81
Avon, Conn. 06001
J o e Bidw ell, CAGCS M em ber
(203) 658-6886
TOM IRW IN CO.
113 A Street
Burlington, Mass.
Joh n P. Callahan, CAGCS M em ber
Phone (203) 677-7054
NORTH EASTERN TU R F CORP.
730 Hop Meadow Street
P.O. Box 424
Simsbury, Conn. 06070
R ob ert Scully, CAGCS M em ber
(203) 658-0387

IRRIGA TIO N & EQUIPM EN T
SU P P L Y COMPANY
Milford, Conn.
R ich ard W. Sm ith, CAGCS M em ber
R ich ard W. H osking, CAGCS M em ber
(203 ) 874-1096
TH E MAGOVERN COMPANY
Windsor Locks, Conn.
L loy d Russell, CAGCS M em ber
Curtis Stim son, CAGCS M em ber
(203) 623-2508
255-2817
OLD FO X CHEMICAL COMPANY
Harzardville, Conn. 06082
Jo h n Grant, CAGCS M em ber
P.O. Box 62
Pleasent Valley, Conn. 06063
(203) 379-3579
LARCHMONT ENGINEERING &
IRRIGA TIO N INC.
Lexing&ton, Mass. 02173
Steve B utler, CAGCS M em ber
(617) 862-2550
O. M. SCOTT & SONS
Pro Turf Division
Marysville, Ohio
Al A rison, CAGCS M em ber
(203) 336-9890
ALFCO, INC.
Phone (614) 377-1394
P . O. Box 267
Marietta, Ohio 45750
F ran k Downey, CAGCS M em ber
(413) 596-3009
TH E POW ERHOUSE
Route 6 & Dingle Ridge Road
Brewster, N. Y. 10509
Russ L eC lair, CAGCS M em ber
(914) 279-7181
AMERICAN BIO -TU RF
P.O. Box 424, Glen Head
Long Isb?«<4 N Y.
Phone (516) 484-5930
Len M illoux, G eneral M anager

FIRST CLASS
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