S uperintendent/A ssistant C hampionship: P equabuck G olf C lub N ovember 8, 2005
GROSS: 1st 71
Mike McDermott - Eric DeStefano
Twin Hills Country Club
NET: 1st 62
John Garcia - James Costanzo
The Patterson Club
2nd 63
Ward Weischet - Tim Gerzabek
New London Country Club
3rd 72
Mike Chrzanowski - David Ryan
Madison Country Club
CAGCS Better Ball of 2
GROSS: 1st 71
John Callahan - Sean Moran

The Cardinals - SODCO, Inc.
NET: 1st 61
Heather Garvin - Dennis Petruzzelli
Chas. C. Hart Seed
'¿ 4 A
Metro Turf Specialties
** f)
2nd 61
U
Shawn Donovan - Bob Goglia
Turf Products Corp. - Syngenta
3rd 64
Alexander Adaskaveg - Robert Silva
Rockledge CC
Closest to the Pin
#4 - 20' - Heather Garvin,
Chas. C. Hart Seed
#16 -10' - Kevin Jaracy, Pequabuck GC

Closest to the Line
#5 - Tim Quirk - Turf Products Corp.
Longest Drive #9.
Ed Downing, A.A. Will Materials Corp.
Longest Putt
j
#10 - John Motycka, Skungamaug River GC
< 6 ^ 5 4 4 - Kevin Collins - Washington Club
Congratulations to Ward Weischet, CGCS,
New London Country Club, who won the
President's Cup with a gross score of 72.
Congratulations to Bob Goglia, Syngenta,
who won the McLaughlin Trophy with a net
score of 65.

' 1

Ward Weischet
President's Cup winner

Gross winners with a score o f 71
Mike McDermott & Eric DeStefano

Bob Goglia
McLaughlin Trophy winner

Net winners with a score of 62
John Garcia & James Costanzo

t\
«

m

CAGCS Welcomes the Board of Directors
Pictured L-R Wayne Urban, Chris Mauro, Kimberly Heyl, Keith Angilly, John Garcia, Peter Gorman, Donald Beck, Sean Flynn,
Bruce Morse, Kevin Balocca, Timothy Quirk. Not pictured Mark Mansur, Paul Bonini, appointed to replace John Ruzsbatzky

D ecem ber 2005
m a im im m •

1

D ana G arvin
Dana Garvin was born in Hartford on November 6, 1961, and was
rasided on Hawk's Nest Beach, in Old Lyme. Garvin graduated from
Old Lyme High School in 1979, attended the Wentworth Institute of
Technology in Boston, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in
electrical engineering from the University of Hartford. He was the former
Assistant Superintendent/Mechanic at Canton GC. He is survived by
his wife, Heather Lowell Garvin, his father and stepmother, Gordon
"Jiggs" Garvin aand Elise "Resse" Garvin, of Old Lyme, mother Joyce
Bentley of Cromwell, his siblings Beth Garvin, Neal Garvin and Lisa
Garvin, and his stepsister, Susan "Binky" King.

Memorial contributions in Garvin's name may be made to the Hawk's Nest
Beach Jetty Preservation Fund do Steve Rosenfield, 28 West End Drive Old
Lyme 06371.

,

,

A quatrols S cholarship E ssay C ontest
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • a *
Aquatrols is pleased to announce the Third Annual Scholarship Essay
Contest.
The contest is open to children of turf management professionals who
will be attending an accredited college or university during the 200607 academic year. Entrants will compete for a first place scholarship of
$2,000 and a runner-up scholarship of $1,000. Full instructions, rules
and eligibility requirements are posted on the Aquatrols website www.
aquatrols.com or contact info@aquatrols.com Phone 800-257-7797

Les Kennedy dressed in period attire for
the 75th anniversary tournament o f the
Rhode Island Association o f Golf Course
Superintendents, held at Sakonnet Golf
Club. All golfers played with hickory
shaft clubs and gutta balls. And by the
way there were no golf cars. Les is to
be congratulated again this year as he
outdid everyone in raising money for the
CAGCS Scholarship & Research Fund.
The Clippings committee would also
like to thank you for your donation o f a
Cannon digital camera.

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eleg ate

R eport

Once again, I am presenting the Chapter
Delegate meeting information as posted
in the Chapter relations extranet section
of GCSAA website. We will maintain
a full copy of the meeting outcomes in
the main office. If anyone is interested in
this or last year's copy of the outcomes
and does not have access to the internet,
please contact the main office and we
will be happy to mail out a hard copy.
The outcomes are quite long (around 30
pages) and provide much more detail.
Meeting discussions centered on the
following topics:
• Marketing GCSAA Class A and
certified members
Director
Robert
M.
Randquist,
CGCS, presented the next step in the
association's implementation of the
Professional Development Initiative
- executing a marketing plan for the
various membership classes. With the
differentiation of membership classes
created by PDI, the association will
seek to position GCSAA members
differently from non-members, Class
A members apart from Superintendent
Members, and certified members in
a manner distinct from non-certified
members. The goal of such a marketing

campaign is to communicate the value
to the marketplace, which will result
in a stronger position (financially,
organizationally, and professionally) for
GCSAA members.
• Member dues pricing structure
in a follow-up from the 2004 delegates
meeting, Secretary/Treasurer Ricky D.
Heine, CGCS, provided research and led
discussion on a programmed dues pricing
structure. Rather than levying increases
periodically (approximately every five
years) and by significant percentages (on
average of 15 - 20 percent), the proposed
concept is to implement a regular
increase that is tied to the consumer price
index. Past feedback has supported such
a model because it is easier to budget
for members/facilities and could stem
membership drops due to large periodic
increases. This concept has already
received support from various GCSAA
committees. The delegates approved
continued discussion on this topic.
• Membership growth and retention
Staff also unveiled a membership growth
and retention program that aims to
reverse a trend of declining membership
over the past three years. After reaching
a high of 22,000-plus members in
2002, membership today stands at
approximately 20,500. Increasing the
GCSAA membership ranks is important

for numerous reasons. Primarily, added
dues revenue allows the association to
provide more programs and services
to members. As important, a growing
membership gives GCSAA a stronger
position in the marketplace and thus able
to advocate on behalf of its members more
effectively. Key to the strategy are focusing
on additional and timelier touches
with members that speak to value; and
communicating with employers of nonGCSAA members as to the importance of
access to association resources for their
staffs and facilities.
• Promoting diversity
In addition
to strengthening the
membership in terms of pure numbers,
the association also announced a new
strategy to accomplish the same goal by
becoming a more inclusive organization.
Rafael Barajas, CGCS and a member of
the GCSAA Diversity Task Group, shared
how organizations that do not embrace a
diversity of people and ideas will not grow
and will lose stature in the marketplace.
Noting that GCSAA's efforts to become
more inclusive would be long term; Barajas
said the first step was an awareness of the
importance of the issue and an evaluation
of where the organization stood today. He
said that such a strategy would also have
a positive impact on the growth of the
game by offering access to those who may
not have had such in the past.

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December 2005

Connecticut Clippings

mÊKÊÊÊÊÊm ■ i i i miitw mm — n w
• Future of the profession
Delegates engaged in small group
discussions about trends impacting the
game of golf, golf facilities and the golf
course management profession over the
next 15 years. The delegates' feedback,
along with input from six GCSAA
committees and / or task groups will help
the board challenge its vision for the
future.
• Updates
Additional presentations were made
to bring the delegates up-to-date on
the
chapter affiliation
agreement,
the
association's
environmental
programming efforts and a data collection
effort for member courses to commence
in 2006.
On July 28, the 2005 Nominating
Committee met via conference call and
ratified the slate of candidates for the
2006 GCSAA Board of Directors. They
are as follows:

—

Page 4
m» *

■
For Vice-President:
Ricky D. Heine, CGCS, The Golf Club
Star Ranch, Austin, Texas

For Secretary¡Treasurer:
David S. Downing II, CGCS The Pearl
Golf Links and Ocean Isle Beach Golf
Course, Sunset Beach, North Carolina
Mark D. Kuhns, CGCS, Baltusrol Golf
Club, Springfield, New Jersey

CAGCS B oard of D irectors
President - Keith A. Angilly
Vice President - Christian P. Mauro
Secretary - Kimberly J. Heyl
Treasurer - John Garcia
Past President - Wayne C. Urban

For Director:
Gregg A. Blew, CGCS, Wellshire Golf
Club, Denver, Colorado
Gary K. Carls, CGCS,
Sunnyvale/
Sunken Gardens Golf Course, Sunnyvale,
California
Patrick R. Finlen, CGCS, The Olympic
Club, San Francisco, California
John C. Miller, CGCS, The Golf Club at
Yankee Trace, Centerville, Ohio
Sanford G. Queen, CGCS, Overland Park
Golf Club, Overland Park, Kansas
Should anyone like to discuss any or all
of these candidates, please call me any
time.

For President:
Sean A. Hoolehan, CGCS, Wildhorse
Resort and Casino, Pendleton Oregon

i iirn n i * t m n —

C ommittee C hairpersons

Education - Mark B. Mansur
Golf - Sean Flynn
Membership - Bruce Morse
Scholarship & Research
Paul Bonini, CGCS
Social & Welfare - Donald Beck
Government Relations
Kevin C. Balocca
Commercial Rep to Board
Timothy J. Qurik
Class C Rep to the Board Peter Gorman

Respectfully submitted,
Keith Angilly

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track record on golf course projects which include irrigation
and potable water-supply development, water diversion and
environmental permitting, construction and site engineering.

• Water-Supply Development
• Irrigation Supply and
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• Pond Design
• W ater-Quality Studies and
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• Drainage & Stormwater
Management
• Impact Analysis
• Second Opinion and Expert
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• GIS W ater Resource
Management
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• Permitting
• Construction Oversight
• Environmental Assessment
and Remediation

Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Inc.
Professional Ground-Water and Environmental Engineering Services
Contact: Rob Good • (203) 452-3100 x244
www.lbgweb.com

A Tradition o f Excellence since 1944

ËmétÊÊM

im r is

w kum m n

t£m
S cholarship & R esearch
T ournament R esults
C linton C ountry C lub
O ctober 3, 2005

GROSS:
1st
55
Tom DeVaux, Hunter GC
Kevin DeVaux, Stanley GC
Michael Chrzanowski, Madison CC
David Ryan, Madison CC
2nd
57
John Gallagher, Race Brook CC
Peter Bly, Brooklawn CC
Lawrence Dodge, Oak Lane CC
Mark Powers
NET:
1st
52.2
Patrick Cragin, Waterbury CC
Walter Wozniak, Waterbury CC'
Chris Mauro, Highfield CC
Joe Hennegan
2nd
52.5
Matt Howland, Shawnmark Ind.
Mike Tanner
Mike Cody
Dan St.Laurent
3rd
53.3
Ron Smith, Sports Club Mgt., Inc.
Glenn Perry, Rolling Hills CC
Glen Dube, Oak Hills Park GC
Chad Esposito, Highland GC
4th
53.6
John Callahan, Cardinals, Inc.
Greg Bradley, Farmington Woods CC
Tom Watroba, Suffield CC
John Fleming, Water Specialists, LLC
Longest Drive
#9 - 299 yds.
Eric Hulland, Troon Golf Lake of Isles
Closest to the Pin #6
27" - John Fleming, Water Specialists
4'4" - Mike Coty
Closest to the pin #17
4'6" - Chris Mauro, Highfield CC

A nnual M eeting G olf R esults
B irchwood C ountry C lub
N ovember 1, 2005

GROSS:
1st
32
match of cards
Donald Beck, Fisher's Island Club
Ronald Beck, Fisher's Island Club
Ben Eggleton, Fisher's Island Club
John Garcia, The Patterson Club

NET:
1st
28.3
Chris Mauro, Highfield CC

Mark Osborn, Steven Willand, Inc.
Scott Ramsay, The Course at Yale
Dan Rackliffe, Longshore Club Park
2nd
28.6
Brian Pope, Turf Products Corp.
John Motycka, Skungamaug River
Kevin Jaracy, Pequabuck GC
Richard Cook
3rd
28.7
Les Kennedy, The Blind Brook Club
Tim O'Neill, CC of Darien
Glenn Perry, Rolling Hills CC
Bruce Morse, Norwich GC
4th
29.1
Keith Angilly, Mill River CC
Mike Decker, Clinton CC
Skip Deubel, Tuckahoe Turf Farms
Brian Sepot, Longshore Club Park
Closest to the Pin #4
7' 11" - Peter Grace, H. Smith Richardson
Closest to the Pin #7
16'4" - Jim Stafstrom, Club Car, Inc.
Longest Drive #5
Chris Mauro, Highfield CC
Longest Drive #9
Chris Mauro, Highfield CC
Longest Putt
18'8" - Skip Deubel, Tuckahoe Turf
Farms

C ongratulations to our new L ife
M embers and our 2005 P in R ecipients

The following have been members of
our Association for 30 years and are our
new "Life Members".
Edward Consolati; Class A,
Birchwood Country Club
Eric Johnson; Class A,
Pine Valley Golf Course
Michael McDermott; Class A,
Twin Hills Country Club
James Medeiros, CGCS; Class A,
Wannamoisett Country Club
John Motycka, Class A,
Skungamaug River Golf Club
Roy Sibley; Class Commercial,
Chas. C. Hart Seed Co.
Herbert Watson; Class A,
Hartford Golf Club
Receiving 25 year pins:
William Carriere; Class Commercial,
James Carriere & Sons, Inc.
Michael Chrzanowski; Class A,
Madison Country Club
Byron Johnson, Jr.; Class Commercial,
Terre Co. of NJ
Brian Pope; Class Commercial,

Turf Products Corp.
David E. Vibber; Class A,
Ellington Ridge Country Club
Thomas Watroba; Class A,
Suffield Country Club
Receiving 20 year pins:
John Callahan; Class Commercial,
The Cardinals, Inc.
Michael Donahue; Class Commercial,
R.F. Morse & Son, Inc.
Michael Dukette, Class Commercial,
Bayer Environmental Science
Tracey Holliday; Class A,
Sterling Farms Golf Course
Kenneth Modzelesky; Class A,
Oakridge Golf Club
Ward Weischet, CGCS; Class A
New London Country Club
Receiving 15 year pins:
Paul Bednarczyk; Class Commercial,
Chas. C. Hart Seed Co.
Michael Decker; Class A,
Clinton Country Club
Frederick Diefenbach; Class C
Tumble Brook Country Club
Matthew Howland; Class Commercial,
Shawnmark Industries, Inc.
William Kamerer; Class C,
Grassmere Country Club
John LaBrie; Class A,
The Tradition at Windsor
Timothy O'Neill, CGCS; class A
Country Club of Darien
Paul Sabino; Class A,
The Farms Country Club
Joseph Stahl, III; Class Commercial,
Harrell's Turf Specialty
Greg Stent; Class A,
Wampanoag Country Club
Michael Sullivan; Class A,
E. Gaynor Brennan Municipal GC
James Wierzbicki; Class Commercial,
Harrell's Turf Specialty
Receiving 10 year pins:
Anthony Baviello, CGCS; Class A
TJB Inc.
Chris Carney; Class Commercial
Commercial Residential Irrigation
Gary DeVaux; Class A,
Topstone Golf Course
Lawrence Dodge; Class A
Oak Lane Country Club
John Kelley, Jr.; Class A,
Portland Golf Course
Christiaan Kipp; Class A
Grassy Hill Country Club
Joseph Malay; Class A,
Hopbrook Golf Course
Larry Pakkala, CGCS; Class A
Woodway Country Club
Owen Regan; Class Commercial,
A T Sales Associates, Ltd.
John Ruzsbatzky, CGCS; Class A
Country Club of Farmington

New Members

Cedar Ridge GC and Katrina is the former
lab assistant to Dr's. Jackson and Mitowski
at URL Katrina is now teaching at the
University of Guelph.

Kenneth J. Ainsworth; Class C
Indian Hill Country Club

Condolences

Edward Downing;
Class Commercial
A. A. Will Materials Corp.

Condolences to the family of John Garcia
on the passing of his grandmother.

Tim Gerzabek; Class C
New London Country Club

To Henry and Judith Suchinski on the pass­
ing of their daughter

Eric Hulland; Class B
Troon Golf Lake of Isles

Convention & Exhibition Center
www.negrows.com
February 6-11, 2006 - Golf Industry Show,
Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta
Georgia, www.golfindustryshow.com
March 6-9 2006 - New England
Regional Turf Conference
www.nertf.org or www.turfshow.com

2005 Northeast
News Update

Well Wishes

Scott Neumann; Class B
Fairview Farms Golf Course

Get well wishes to Fred Bashand on his hip
replacement.

Timothy Olmstead; Class C
Stonington Country Club

Walter Lowell, PGA Pro and former golf
Course Superintendent at Canton GC is
doing well in recovery from a abdominal
aneurysm and is at Governors House for
rehabilitation. The address is 36 Firetown
Road, Simsbury, CT 06070.

Matthew J. Quinn; Class C
Indian Hill Country Club
Brandon R. Schick; Class A
Golf Club of Avon

Note

James E. Weiland, Jr.; Class A
Shorehaven Golf Club

Advertising Rate Schedule is available
for 2006. Please contact Mary Jo Kennedy
by phone at 888/ 561-7778 or by e-mail
cagcs@sbcglobal.net

John L. Williams;
Class Commercial
Total Tree Care, Inc.

Calendar

Congratulations
To Sean & Katerina Jordan on the birth
of their son, Vincent Aristides, born on
September 20th weighing in at 91bs. 5oz.

January 31-February 2, 2006 - New Eng­
land Grows, The New Boston

Sean is the former Superintendent at

860-747-9911
860-793-9067
FAX 860-793-2524

January 10, 2006 - CAGCS Winter Seminar
Hawthorne Inn. www.cagcs.com

By David Oatis, Director
Northeast Region Green Section
November 18, 2005
Goodbye to 2005! Few, if any, super­
intendents in the Northeast are sorry to put
the 2005 season to bed. It was a rough one
in which just about every weather extreme
was experienced. For much of the summer,
the high temperatures made it feel like the
equator had shifted 500 miles north! 2005
was characterized by winter damage, a
cold spring, extreme drought then heavy
rain, extraordinary disease pressure,
etc. More heavy rain occurred late in the
year, this time with enough volume to
produce tremendous flooding. Oh, and
did I mention the mild fall temperatures
that have not allowed the turf to harden
off properly yet? Is more winter damage in
our future?
Lessons Learned:
So what can be learned from such a difficult
year? Unfortunately, there were plenty of
hard lessons.
• In terms of water management, hope for
the best, but plan for the worst. If there is

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December 2005
mm mtm tm

-- vr

Connecticut Clippings

ri~ t ~i ~< >p w

— mr

any question as to whether your course
might need additional drainage work, it
does. The ability to get rid of water when
you have too much is essential to growing
good turf on a consistent basis. Irrigation
is important, but too much water usually
causes more problems than not having
enough.
• In tough years like 2005, the ramifications
of every decision are magnified. Call it right,
and the turf manager looks very sharp.
Call it wrong, (try to eke out a couple of
extra days between fungicide applications
or double cut and roll one too many times)
and the superintendent can look very bad.
No one makes the right calls all the time,
but managing on the conservative side
during tough stretches of weather only
makes good sense.
• This was a year to reduce mowing and
rolling frequency early on, raise cutting
heights, and reduce stress every way
possible.
• This was a year to syringe greens lightly
(very) and frequently (very)! It is boring
and tedious, but keeping a close eye on
the hose crew, making sure they didn't put
out too much water, meant the difference
between success and failure for many
superintendents.

Page 7

m,

year, and this is just another example of how important growing environments are.
Maximize light penetration throughout the entire year to give your turf the best chance
of performing well. The better the environment, the better the turf will perform!
The conference season is here and there is plenty of useful information to be picked up,
but don't forget to take time off and let the batteries recharge. With projects, that can
be difficult to do, but as a wise friend once reminded me, "no one on their death bed
ever regretted not spending more time at work!" Have a great Thanksgiving and don't
hesitate to call if we can be of service.

Ttie‘B oard
of “DirectorswoufcC
fiée to wish
ad members and theirfamities a
tiajrpy, fieatifiy and safe tiotidaxj season!

It is always important to manage pesticide
usage as carefully as possible. A friend
once told me that the most important thing
a superintendent can learn is "how NOT
to water." I thought it was a profound idea
and would also add "how NOT to spray".
Disease pressure was so high this year
that most courses exceeded their pesticide
budgets. However, remember that most
of today's pesticides are very selective in
what they control and in what they do not
control.

Pictured is the antique spreader that was in the Spring issue o f the Clippings. Although
not a mower, Jim Ricci o f the Reel Mower Preservation Museum in Haydenville MA
agreed to give it a home. Joe Kocet, superintendent at Newtown CC was responsible
for saving this piece o f history. Thank you Joe. This winter when you are cleaning out
your "junk" if you come across any relics o f historical value please consider a donation
to the Museum. Jim can be reached at jricci@reellawnmower.com or 30 North Farms
Rd. Haydenville, MA 01039-9724. Phone 413/268-7863.

The potential for resistance problems
has never been higher, so using the
tools we have available as judiciously
as possible, and with sound rotation, is
extremely important. The documented
case of Hyperodes weevil resistance to
the pyrethroids class of insecticides is of
particular concern. Whether it will become
a widespread problem is up for debate, but
the point is, excessive use of one class or
failing to rotate pesticide classes can render
many of our best materials useless in short
order. Spray when you have to, not when
you don't, and be sure to use them wisely.
A final word on trees:
The shortest day of the year, December 21,
is just a month away. Sun angles are very
different now compared with mid summer,
so take note as to which trees affect light
penetration to critical turf areas. Sunlight
now helps plants to harden properly and
reduces frost problems. A lack of winter
light can increase the chances of winter
injury. Even turf in reasonable growing
environments experienced problems this
**%&*&&warn v
A m

tir

Pictured is Heide Mizak, turf student at UCONN using the sod cutter that CAGCS
helped the Turf Group acquire. Steve Racliffe and Karl Guillard, along with other
staff members and students, want to thank CAGCS and all other contributors to their
Research Program.
K m M lM O i

m am

S u p e r in t e n d e n t s im p r o v e t h e
GAME BY SHARING THEIR KNOWLEDGE
AND EXPERIENCE WITH ASSISTANTS

,

By Peter Gorman Assistant Golf Course
Superintendent Blackball Club

,

Over the past few decades the demand for
superior playing conditions has driven
the movement for increased professional
development in the golf course manage­
ment industry. The skills required to be a
successful superintendent have expanded
from understanding basic agronomic
principles to include personnel manage­
ment, communication, computer skills,
politics, and public relations to name just
a few. Many clubs are looking for a well
rounded superintendent who has devel­
oped a basic understanding in all of these
areas, and excels in one or more depend­
ing on the specific needs of the club.
Most employers are looking for candi­
dates who fulfill minimum requirements
of formal education and well rounded
work experience. In most cases the edu­
cational background takes a back seat to
the golf clubs where the candidate has
gained his or her experience, especially
when considering assistant superinten­
dents. But what is it that makes the expe­
rience gained as an assistant at one club
more valuable than similar experience
gained at another?
The answer is the superintendent. One
of the most rewarding aspects of the golf
course superintendent's job is the role of
being a mentor to the assistant. There is
a special relationship that exists between
a mentor and an apprentice that often de­
velops into a lifelong friendship based on
mutual respect and admiration. The as­
sistant often enters the profession with a
basic understanding of agronomic princi­
ples, little if any management experience
and a surplus of raw ambition. It is the
superintendent who harnesses this ambi­
tion, guides the assistant through decision
making processes, and allows him /her to
learn from successes and failures. These
successes and failures will become the
experience that will guide them as they
develop their own programs and make
critical management decisions through­
out their career as a golf course superin­
tendent.
The mentoring process begins with pro­
viding a good example for others to follow.
Conducting business in a professional
manner and displaying effective leader­
ship and communication skills will estab­
lish standards that the assistants will be
expected to meet or exceed. This applies
to personnel management/development,
interaction with staff and club members,
personal appearance, and participation

in professional and community organiza­
tions. A good assistant will not only emu­
late a positive example, but will realize the
importance of setting a similar example for
the rest of the staff to follow.
Fostering ambition and encouraging de­
velopment are also important values that
superintendents pass on to their assistants.
Positive reinforcement for successful com­
pletion of special projects or continued ex­
cellence in routine operations will encour­
age individuals to look for opportunities
to improve their performance in all aspects
of their job. Dedication to this concept will
result in improved performance throughout
the maintenance department and the bene­
fits will be expressed in superior conditions
on the golf course.
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of mentor­
ing involves regular examination of perfor­
mance and development. Annual reviews
can be effective to a certain extent, but a
more efficient approach involves frequent
conversations regarding the assistant's lead­
ership, execution and completion of instruc­
tions, initiative, and completion of goals.
These discussions must be conducted in a
very candid manner that will provide the
opportunity to identify strengths and weak­
nesses that will ultimately challenge the
assistant to take responsibility for his/her
own professional development.
The role of the superintendent as a men­
tor has not only enhanced the golf course
management industry, but has improved
the game of golf itself. In a game that is full
of history and tradition, we should take a
moment to recognize one of the most im­
portant traditions started at St. Andrews,
as the earliest maintenance techniques were
passed from Allan Robertson to Old Tom
Morris and then to Donald Ross. This tra­
dition has continued through the years and
serves as the foundation for the growth of
the game that is enjoyed by millions of golf­
ers today.
CAGCS has conducted a survey of its Class
A and SM members regarding the role of the
superintendent as a mentor and the skills
they felt were important for assistants to de­
velop as they prepare to become golf course
superintendents. The superintendents that
participated in the survey ranged from 1 to
31 years experience. Half of the responses
came from superintendents with at least
20 years experience and the other half had
been superintendents less than 5 years. The
responses also represented a wide variety
of maintenance operations including some
of the most prestigious private clubs in the
state as well as daily fee and municipal
courses with limited resources. The survey
asked our members to provide their opinion
on a variety of topics related to professional
development and mentoring. The questions
hk&fti

are listed below followed by the most com­
mon responses in descending order.
As a superintendent, what do you think
makes one assistant superintendent posi­
tion better than another with respect to
career development and advancement?
a) Responsibility/Exposure to all aspects of
golf course management
b) Reputation of the golf club
c) Learning experience (both large and
small budget)
d) Superintendent's philosophy toward
mentoring
What do you do to attract quality candi­
dates to interview for your assistant super­
intendent position?
a) Offer excellent learning experience
b) Develop a good reputation as a mentor
c) Salary
d) Offer honest description of the position
so candidate can develop realistic expecta­
tions
What qualities and experience are you
looking for when considering a candidate
for your assistant position?
a) Technical experience - chemicals, irriga­
tion
b) Education
c) Leadership
d) Previous employment - stability
e) Preparation of resume / cover letter
What topics do you focus on during an in­
terview, and what type of information are
you looking for in the candidate's answers?
a) Attitude (by far the most common
response)
b) Technical knowledge
c) Communication skills
d) Loyalty/honesty
e) Understanding the game of golf and the
industry
What skills should an assistant superinten­
dent focus on when preparing for a career
as a golf course superintendent?
a) Communication
b) Agronomic principles
c) Personnel management
d) Club politics/membership relations
e) Organization and planning
f) Golf
What should assistants do to make them­
selves more attractive as a candidate when
applying for a superintendent position (i.e.
resume, interview/presentation prepara­
tion?)
a) Highlight work ethic and attitude
b) Develop an honest, well rounded re­
sume based on solid work experience
c) Professional appearance/presentation
d) Never promise anything you cannot
deliver

L o o k in g

fo r a

STOCKING STUFFER?
Give the 2006 UMass Garden Calendar
University of Massachusetts Extension
announces the availability of its ever
popular Garden Calendar for 2006.
The theme for the 2006 UMass Garden
Calendar is Garden Images.
Like many of you, we Extension
Educators love plants and love taking
pictures of plants, having constantly
used plant photos in most of our
educational efforts. We firmly believe
that "a picture says a thousand words"
and that it is easier and more enjoyable
for people to understand when pictures
accompany words. However, we are
not only horticultural professionals,
but also passionate gardeners with
combined gardening experience of
over 180 years. So, in a shift from our
usual themes, we thought we would
show you some of our favorite garden
images. Each image is accompanied by
a brief description to help understand
what plants or garden features excite
us. Information on garden pests
and management strategies are also
included in the daily gardening tips,
always a feature of the UMass Garden
Calendar. For more details, go to www.
umassgardencalendar.org.
As always, each month features
* An inspiring garden image.
* Daily gardening tips for Northeast
growing conditions, such as when to
plant peas and how to manage grubs.
* Daily sunrise and sunset times.
* Phases of the moon.
* 2006 regional Flower Show dates.
* Plenty of room for notes.
* Low gloss paper for easy writing.
To order send $11.00, payable to UMass,
to UMass Outreach Bookstore, Draper
Hall, 40 Campus Center Way, Amherst,
MA 01003-9244. Bulk orders of 10-50
copies are available at $7.00 each, while
orders of more than 50 copies cost $6.00
each plus shipping and handling. For
an order form and chart of shipping
charges, or to order online, go to
www.umassgardencalendar.org

GOOD NEWS SPREADS FAST. Simplot Partners Northeast is now Harrell's Turf
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So choose Rain Bird, relax, and renovate with confidence.

R a in ^ B ir d
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Call the location nearest you!

BISCO
Irrigation * Pumping • Landscape Lighting
60 Stergis Way
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800.225.8006
Toll-Free Fax
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80 Tnomas St.
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888.522.9182
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888.805.2269
Toll-R ee Fax
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I

gggl

The Presià^tS Mess*ge
thank Wayne Urban for his excellent
leadership during the last two years.
Special acknowlegement is due to
John Motycka and Jud Smith for
their many years of service to our
Association. Finally, I would like
to welcome new Board members
Bruce Morse, Don Beck and Tim
Quirk. They have graciously stepped
forward to serve and I am looking
forward to working with them.

Keith Angilly, President
It is an honor and a privilege to
be writing my first President's
message. Serving on the Board of
our fine Association has been very
rewarding and I am looking forward
to a productive year. I would like to
Connecticut Clippings is an
official publication of the
Connecticut Association of Golf
Course Superintendents
Newsletter Editor
Bob Chalifour, CGCS (Ret.)
Co-Editor
Heather Garvin
Newsletter Committee
David Basconi, John Garcia,
Edward Goodhouse, Ron
Holcomb,
Mike Mooney and Jud W. Smith

I hope to use this space to bring
forward
issues
affecting
our
profession. Of immediate importance
to some of our members is the
upcoming deadline for completion
of the requirements for Class A
recognition by the GCSAA. Those
of us in the three year renewal cycle
have until July 1, 2006 to complete
the requirements. If you have been
doing what most superintendents do
on a normal basis, i.e. take a seminar
or two a year, attend meetings and
maybe go out to the Golf Industry
Show, you will probably have
completed most of the requirements.
While it is not necessary to document
your progress online, it is certainly
very easy. Those of you who are
internet challenged should seek
out one of your neighbors who has
access to the internet. When I finally
sat down to figure this all out, I was
pleasantly surprised to find out that
I already met the requirements and
all that was left was to prove I had

pesticide license, which took all of
thirty seconds.
I sincerely hope that each and every
member and their family has a happy
and safe holiday season and I look
forward to seeing everyone at the
Winter Seminar!
Good luck,
Keith Angilly

' ’{'e p k e n

A .

fë p b e r h .

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

We offer Design/Uuild services or
ju s t design, what ever serves our
clients best.
• Golf course design,
• Golfcourseassessm ent
and enhancement programs.
• Grading & drainage.
• Ponds & water features.
• Planting design.
• Peck and patio design.
MEMBER SINCE 1997
CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION OF
GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS

1160 Say St. Springfield, MA01109
Phone 413-214-6990 Fx413-214-6909
email: Rob\andde9@ao\.com

Est. 1975

GOLF CART ASPHALT PAVING
The Clippings is open to all
commentary.
Please send your comments to:
Bob Chalifour, Newsletter
Editor,
39 First Street
Groton, CT 06340
f 1 iT

M

Low impact paving
FAHAN PAVING, LLC
Chris Fahan
Box 1181
Redding, CT 06875

(203) 938-3735

CT Lie# 00554746
m

m

Page 12

D ecem ber 2005
•i

*«

A-OK Turf Equipment
Articulator Dealer, Graden, TyCrop, Blec
Coventry, RI 02816
Michael D. Cornicelli
(401) 826-2584 - Fax (401) 826-3749
Allen's Seed, Inc.
693 South Country Trail
Exeter, RI 02822
A.1 La Prise
(401) 884-2097 - (800) 527-3898
Aquatrols Corp. of America
Innovative Products for Effective
Resource Management
Kevin P Collins, N.E. Territory Mgr.
(609) 841-2077
A. T. Sales Associates
Premium Sod for Golf Courses
Lincoln, RI 02865
Owen J. Regan
(401) 465-8066 - cell
Bartlett Tree Experts
66 Wooster Heights
Danbury, CT 06810
Matt Flanagan, Arborist/Rep.
(203) 744-1400 x 17
Bayer Environmental Science
311 Carriage Drive
Kensington, CT 06037
Dave Sylvester - (860) 828-8905
Serving all of Connecticut
BioSafe Systems
Manufacturers of ZeroTol
TerraCyte, OxyGROW & GreenClean
Glastonbury, CT
John Wynne (888) 273-3088
C.R.I.S., LLC
Golf Course Irrigation
P.O. Box 6194
Wolcott, CT 06716
Chris Carney (203) 879-2362
The Cardinals, Inc.
Complete Distributor of Golf Course
Accessories & Turf Maintenance Supplies
John Callahan
(860) 673-3699
Championship Turf Services
Precision Laser Leveling
Custom Aerification-Overseeding
Sisis Turf Equipment
Michael Flowers (800) 562-5860
The Chas. C. Hart Seed Co.
Wethersfield, CT I Roy Sibley,
Paul Bednarczyk, Heather Garvin
(860)529-2537 or (800)326-4278
Quality Since 1892
DHT Golf Services - Laser leveling of trees,
irrigation; installation, drainage, bunker, tee &
green construction - 8 Meadow Park Rd. Unit
#3, Plymouth, MA 02360
(508) 746-3222 - Fax (508) 746-3922
DGM Systems, 11c - Distributor of
Reelcraft Products, Hose, Cord & Cable
DGM Series Syringing System
www.dgmsystem.com
Dave (401) 647-0550 - Manny (401)524-8999

u m M m m rm jjm M m m m m m ssm a m
D & S - Floratine
All Your Needs for
Plant and Soil Strength
Dave Basconi
(203) 250 - TURF

Sawtelle Brothers, Inc.
Wallingford, CT - Lawrence, MA
Servicing New England since 1932
Mark Grenert, Larry Bun
(800) 999-8873 I www.Sawtellebros.com

Earth Works, Inc.
Custom Deep Aerification Service
West Wareham, MA 02576
Carl Wallace
(800) 815-1113

Shawnmark Industries, Inc.
Specialty Products & Service
Warwick, RI 02888
Matt Howland (24 hours a day)
(401) 295-1673 I www.shawnmark.com

Egypt Farms, Inc.
Sterilized Topdressing, Greensmix
Bagged Topdressing & Divot Mix
Dean Snyder
(800) 899-7645 FAX (410) 335-0164

Sodco, Inc.
P.O. Box 2 Slocum, RI 02877
Sean Moran
(800) 341-6900, Sodco.net

Glenmore Landscape Service
Glenn S. Moore
P.O. Box 890
South Salem, NY 10590
(914) 533-5554
Greenacres Company
Irrigation Contractor
Dave Pijnenburg
75 Codfish Hill Road, Bethel, CT 06801
(203) 748-0558
Harrell's Turf Specialty (HTS)
Jim Wierzbicki (860) 424-7250
Joe Stahl (203) 209-6951
Customer Service (800) 228-6656
James Carriere & Son, Inc.
Bill Carriere (914) 937-2136
Trap Sand Partac Top Dressing
Const Mixes
Decorative Stone
Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Inc.
Professional Ground-Water and
Environmental Engineering Services
Headquarted in Trumbull, CT
Rob Good (203) 452-3100

Steven Willand, Inc.
4 Production Drive
Brookfield, CT 06804
Mark Osborn - George Corgan
203-775-5757
Syngenta Professional Products
Bob Goglia
Ste#261,1131-0 Tolland Tpke.
Manchester, CT 06040
(860) 716-0315
Tee & Green Sod, Inc.
5/32 "bentgrass, 1/2 bluegrass sod
rough, tee and fairway sod; installation
Wayne Rice (401) 641-2972
Dave Wallace (401) 789-8177
Terre Co.
206 Delawanne Ave. Clifton NJ
(973) 473-3393 FAX (973) 473-4402
Byron Johnson
Home (203) 748-5069
Tom Iriwn, Inc.
Turf Management Products
Knowledge & Experience You Can Trust
Rob Larson
(508) 789-0059 - (800) 582-5959

LESCO, Inc.
Strongsville, Ohio 44136-1799
(800) 321-5325 FAX (800) 673-3030
Mike Conroy (860) 559-0340

Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Inc.
Golf Course Turfgrass
www. tuckahoeturf.com
Skip Deubel (860) 306-8883
Office: (800) 243-7582

Metro Turf Specialists
Danbury, CT 06810
Dennis/Scott T. / Ernie
(203) 748-GOLF Fax (203) 743-0458
Email: Metro@metroturfspecialists.com

Turf Products Corporation
157 Moody Rd., P.O. Box 1200
Enfield, CT 06083
John Ferry - Mark Loper
(800) 243-4355

Partac Golf Course Top-Dressing
(800) 247-2326 Fax (908) 637-8421
Bill Carriere (914) 937-2136
Joe Bidwell (860) 651-8555

Westchester Turf Supply, Inc.
"Serving the Golf Turf Profession"
Bob Lippman, Jr./Dave Lippman
(845) 621-5067 fax (845) 621-7180
email - westturf@rcn.com

R. F. Morse & Sons, Inc.
ParEx Fertilizer - Power Equipment West
Wareham, MA 02576
Carl Wallace - Brett Armstrong
Mike Donahue (508) 295-1553

Winding Brook Turf Farm
240 Griswold Rd.
Wethersfield, CT 06109
(860) 529-6869 (800) 243-0232