ISSUE 3: 2019 / VOLUME 51 Contents Survey Results 8 Todd Raisch shares the GCSANJ Employee Survey Results. DEPARTMENTS 03 President's Message 06 Member News Upgrading on a Budget 15 Foundation News 18 Leo Barber of Paraparaumu 22 15 Questions Golf Club in New Zealand 34 Photo Pages shares his unique tale of his irrigation upgrade. GCSAA NEWS 26 Insight from our Field Representative, Kevin Doyle. 38 ON THE COVER The Ask The Ridge At Back Brook How are you spending the Alan Bean, Superintendent off-season? THE GREENERSIDE | 1 Our Contributors Editor in Chief : Todd Raisch, CGCS Graphics Editor: Lance Rogers, CGCS Design & Layout Editor: Maureen Sharples Photography Editor: Shaun Barry Contributing Writers: Leo Barber, Shaun Barry, Cecilia Diaz, Darrell Marcinek , Maureen Sharples, Kevin Doyle Officers: Russell Harris, President Jeremy Hreben, CGCS, Vice President Joe Kinlin, Treasurer Michael Tardogno, Secretary Gary Arlio, Past President Directors: District I- Todd Raisch, CGCS District II- Jamie Devers District III- Tom Higgins District IV- Steve Juhring At-Large: Jennifer Torres Tyson Karcher Fred Parcells Lance Rogers, CGCS Commercial Representatives Brian Gjelsvik & Rob Johnson Rutgers Liaisons Dr. Bruce Clarke & Dr. James Murphy Executive Director Maureen Sharples GCSANJ Newsletter is published four times a year. © 2019 THE GREENERSIDE Opinions expressed in this Newsletter are the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily express the opinions or policies of the GCSANJ Board and its membership. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. THE GREENERSIDE | 2 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Russell Harris, Chapter President Galloping Hill Golf Course 21 THANK YOU As I sit at my desk sorting out all my EOP purchases, it surprisingly dawned on me that this would be my 12th and final President's message. I can hardly believe how fast the last three years as President of GCSANJ has gone! I am truly humbled and honored to have served this great organization in this capacity. We as a board, as ever-changing as it was at times, have accomplished a great deal these last three years. Change will always occur, for better or worse, but I believe the ones we have made will prove to be for the better GCSANJ and its future. I can not begin to properly thank all the people that have helped and guided me through what has been an unbelievable eight years serving on the Board of Directors of GCSANJ. The number of friendships I have made and career mentors I have met makes every minute of it truly worth it. I can only hope that I have made similar impressions on people during my tenure. As we move forward as an association, I hope our members will embrace whatever new leadership is behind me because with new people comes fresh thoughts and ideas, growth, and an even brighter future for GCSANJ. My three years at the helm is a small blip on the radar of the history of this association. There is a rich history of the past and an even brighter future ahead. So, for one last time, thank you for allowing me to serve you as President, it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. Sincerely, RUSSELL HARRIS Chapter President THE GREENERSIDE | 3 FROM YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Maureen Sharples 21 THE LAST 60 Let’s take a moment and trackback to January 2019. Many of us made resolutions with hopes and promises of making an impactful change. Maybe you wanted to embrace a new management style, grow your relationship with your members, or dedicate more time to your family. Well, now that we are in the last 60 days of the year and this DECADE, what did you achieve? Did you make progress 36 or reach your personal or professional goal? Can you confidently put your stamp on this year? We often make promises to ourselves that we don’t keep. If you had an employee who rarely completed their daily tasks, would they still have a job? If you had a friend you canceled or never Let's Connect called back, would you keep reaching out to them? We typically 48 don’t tolerate that behavior from others, so why is it okay to do it to yourself? It’s essential to keep the promises we make to ourselves; it builds self-confidence and trust in our abilities. 973-812-0710 It may be discouraging to think about, but in actuality, there is still time! I have listened to quite a few podcasts talking about the importance of finishing strong and transferring your focus on the last few months of the year instead of focusing on the “fresh start” of the new year. The fresh start of the new year makes us believe msharples@gcsanj.org that we are starting from scratch, which is not the case. Odds are you made progress, but you’re just not there yet. The “Last 60” idea is to take these last few weeks to gain more momentum and use November and December to remember your goals. Create a @GCSANJ1926 list of actionable yet small steps to get there. I challenge you all to go back during November and December and finish the “Last 60” strong! You’ll be ahead of the game for the new year, and most importantly, you’ll have a stronger relationship with facebook.com/gcsanj yourself! MAUREEN SHARPLES Executive Director, GCSANJ THE GREENERSIDE | 4 MEMBER NEWS THE GREENERSIDE | 5 MEMBER NEWS WOMEN IN GOLF SUMMIT GCSANJ proudly had five members selected to attend the first ever Women in Golf Summit sponsored by Bayer. Tammy Stephens, golf course superintendent at Warrenbrook Golf Course (Somerset County Parks), Jill Seymour, golf course superintendent for Monmouth County Parks System, Jennifer Torres, golf course superintendent at West Lake Golf & Country Club, Jennifer Schneider, sales representative for Harrell’s, and Elizabeth Holmes, assistant superintendent at Metuchen Golf & Country Club. The event took place in Cary, North Carolina September 18-20, 2019. They were chosen after submitting a detailed application highlighting their Tammy Stephens, golf course achievements, accolades and work history. superintendent at Warrenbrook Golf Course (Somerset County Parks) According to Bayer, women in golf course turf management account for a small percentage of the industry, so creating a space and finding time to connect and share experiences is important. With that in mind, the Women in Golf event was created to help foster this community of dedicated, passionate women. Throughout this 2-day event attendees had the opportunity to take part in networking, round table discussions and presentations on leadership from a variety of diverse leaders. There were also educational workshops that focus on personal and professional development and agronomics. MOVERS AND SHAKERS Nick LeViere formerly of Canoe Brook Country Club, has accepted the position of Old Course superintendent at Trump National Bedminster. Jennifer Torres is the new superintendent at West Lake Golf and Country Club in Jackson, NJ. Steve Bradley is the Sales Director at Storr Tractor, following Ken Indyk's retirement. THE GREENERSIDE | 6 GCSANJ VOLUNTEERS AT THE NORTHERN TRUST August 6th -11th Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City hosted the 2019 Northern Trust. Golf course superintendent Greg James and his team recruited approximately 130 volunteers and interns from all over the world including Switzerland, England and Ireland. Many GCSANJ members volunteered their time for the event as well. Brian Gjelsvik of Noble Turf planned and coordinated all the hospitality and housing for the volunteers. Even though they battled some tough weather at the start, the tournament was a great success. Congratulations to Greg and his team! THE GREENERSIDE | 7 SURVEY GCSANJ EMPLOYEE SURVEY RESULTS By Todd Raisch, CGCS GCSANJ recently polled A & B members in an online survey about their staffs and, in particular, their assistant superintendents. We had 71 responses. 59.1% were from private clubs, 31.8% from public courses and 9.1% from semi-private facilities. While the full results have only been distributed to those that participated in the survey, a few of the aggregated results are worth sharing with the entire membership. The last few years has been a difficult climate for finding qualified assistants. Several courses are down an assistant and 15.5% are completely without one. Competition between courses has been fierce as well with 25.3% having lost at least one assistant to another course for more money. Disillusioned by the frequent hours and difficult lifestyle amongst other reasons, almost a third of the courses surveyed have had an assistant leave the industry in the last two years. Perhaps the fact that 57.8% of NJ assistants work more than 50 hours per week is a factor. THE GREENERSIDE | 8 As turf graduates become increasingly rare, affecting the assistant ranks, 69% percent of courses have begun to “train up” regular staff members to do jobs normally associated with assistants. With the minimum wage set to raise by $1/hour per year through 2024 ($11/hr on January 1st), superintendents were asked how they planned to handle existing staff who make more than the current minimum wage. Nearly 40% said they would continue with their normal pay scale while 9.9% indicated they will pay $1.00 or more per hour going forward in each of the coming years. THE GREENERSIDE | 9 Finally, we asked how many hours the average greens staff employee works per week. 76% work between 42 and 48 hours per week. THE GREENERSIDE | 10 THE GREENERSIDE | 11 THE GREENERSIDE |12 Passaic County Launches Rutgers Cooperative Extension Teaching and High Tunnel Demonstration Site By Cecilia Diaz, Agriculture Associate, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Passaic County Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Passaic County The high tunnel was built and installed at the inaugurated a new teaching and demonstration site Preakness Valley Golf Course by Parks Department consisting of a high tunnel located at the Preakness employees under the supervision of GCSANJ Valley Golf Course. The installation of this structure members Darryl Sparta Director of Parks and golf will allow Rutgers Master Gardeners, youth, and course superintendents Vincent Spano and Doug others to learn about horticultural and agricultural Vogel. A number of parks department employees techniques. A high tunnel is a fairly simple, assisted in making this project possible: Daniel inexpensive greenhouse-like structure consisting of Alvarez was in charge of installing the irrigation an enclosed metal pipe framing covered with system, Julio De La Cruz and Frank Viglione were the greenhouse-grade plastic that provides the official carpenters in charge of all the wood work, and opportunity to extend the growing season by John Burrafato and his crew were in charge of the growing earlier into the spring and later into the fall, masonry. The staff of Rutgers Cooperative Extension while protecting crops from excessive rain, wind, of Passaic County is greatly appreciative of all their sun, cold, and in many cases from wildlife damage. efforts. This urban project will play an important role in the Prior to the grand opening, a 4-H youth group, along training curriculum of the Rutgers Master Gardener with recent graduates of the Rutgers Master Gardener Program of Passaic County by providing an program, and RCE staff, hosted the first planting appropriate space for hands-on learning. event at the high tunnel on June 28. The event gave 4-H youth the opportunity to learn more about planting vegetables, building a trellis to support plants, as well as planting a pollinator garden. It also gave the Master Gardener graduates the opportunity to practice horticultural skills while mentoring the youth on the gardening techniques. (l-r): RCE Family & Community Health Sciences Educator Sara Elnakib, golf course superintendent Vincent Spano, director of Parks Dept. Darryl Sparta, manager of the Hudson, Essex and Passaic County Soil Conservation District Glen Van Olden, RCE county agent Amy Rowe, chair of the Dept. of Agriculture and Natural Resources Nick Polanin, Freeholder Terry Duffy, director of Cooperative Extension Brian Schilling, RCE agriculture associate Cecilia Diaz, county administrator Anthony DeNova and supervisor of the Hudson ,Essex and Passaic County Soil Conservation District Jerry Flach. THE GREENERSIDE | 13 WAYNE REMO (862) 209-8243 CHAD MATHIEU (914) 539-5675 SHAWN REYNOLDS (401) 486-9133 FRANK JACHEO (732) 489-1442 THE GREENERSIDE | 14 2nd Annual GCSANJ Foundation Hudson By Doug Vogel Golf Farm CourseClay shoot Superintendent, Preakness Valley Golf Course BY SHAUN BARRY It is the second year that GCSANJ Foundation hosted a fundraiser at the renowned and picturesque Hudson Farm in Andover, NJ. If somehow you missed hearing about this meeting, Hudson Farm is a world-class hunting club for hunters and hobbyists to learn how to handle firearms and hone their skills. Their professionals and instructors assist in military and police training while also handling novices like our group consisting of beginners that have never fired a weapon. We had 40 attendees participate in the sporting clay shoot. Our success range in 2019 saw last year’s winner only hitting 48 out of 50 pigeons. He hit 49 out of 50 in 2018. We had a new shooter hit only 5 out of his 50. Despite the difference in the Fisher Ad level of competency, I believe everyone truly We had 15 superintendents/assistants, and 19 enjoyed this experience. They got to do something affiliates participate with the balance of the field different with the help of an experienced guide being guests. Jamie Devers (34) was top offering support on every shot. superintendent, Pat O’Brien (36) was top assistant, Rob Johnson (37) was third overall, and Last year Michael Campbell brought his two sons the top affiliate. Doug Sutphen (48) and William with him. Mike was thrilled to do something non- Perrine (43) were guests from the Groff Tractor golf with his sons, and the boys truly enjoyed the team and were first and second overall. After event. Unfortunately, Colin wasn’t feeling well, so everyone had completed their ten stations, they he had to cancel, but Ethan competed, and he did all returned to enjoy a Pig Roast Dinner. very well. He was almost in the middle of the According to my tastebuds, this pig was cooked to shooters and only four behind his dad. Ethan was perfection. My only disappointment was that I the real winner, as he was chosen to light the hadn’t brought a “doggie bag” to take some home ceremonial cannon while we all diligently covered for me. I mean for my dog. our ears! THE GREENERSIDE | 15 The Foundation doesn’t try and make this a big fundraiser. We make some money, but being able PIG ROAST SPONSORS: to offer a unique experience to our members is the best reason. Hopefully, Les Carpenter stays Finch Services / VGM Club involved because he not only suggested we Grass Roots Turf Products consider doing this last year, he also is our primary contact with the club. It is because of his great relationship with the owner and club members that EQUIPMENT SPONSOR: have inspired them to make donations. Last year, Storr Tractor the club’s owner Mr. Kellogg, wrote us a check from his Foundation, and this year Marc A. Hembrough sent us a personal check. They may not know much BEVERAGE SPONSOR: about our Foundation, but they know Les and his Turco Golf passion for our foundation. We are considering ways to increase the field in STATION SPONSORS: future years. To do that, we will need additional GCSANJ, BASF, sponsors because we supplement the cost of each shooter. Doing so will ensure that members can Bayer, Braen Supply, continue to afford to attend the event. Those Corteva Agriscience, additional sponsors will need to be affiliates who Fisher & Son, FMC, Harrell’s, currently aren’t sponsors. When you review the list below, you will see company names that are always LaBar Golf Renovations, stepping up to help. They deserve our sincere NJ Green Industry Council, thanks. Noble Turf, Plant Food Co, Syngenta, Textron Golf THE GREENERSIDE | 16 THE GREENERSIDE | 17 TAKING ONE SMALL STEP UPGRADING AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM ON A BUDGET BY LEO BARBER By Doug Vogel Golf Course Superintendent, Preakness Valley Golf Course Editor’s Note: For those of you who attended the NJ Green Expo in 2017 you might remember guest speaker Leo Barber delivering multiple talks. Any of those attending who met Leo are for sure saying, “how could we forget?” Leo is the general manager and superintendent at Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club, a world Top 100 golf club in Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand. He is one-of-a-kind and made many friends that week as well as in two tournament volunteer efforts at the 2014 and 2018 Northern Trusts. Leo was named honorary member of the Association in 2016 and has agreed to serve as a regular columnist for the next few issues. He is a talented writer, who has submitted to The Greenerside in the past. In this issue, Leo describes the bare bones approach, he, his team and the membership have successfully taken to upgrade their irrigation system. Golf was first played over the sand dunes of Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand in 1929 when a group of enthusiasts gathered and created a rudimentary 9-hole course. In 1937, the course was purchased as part of a greater scheme of subdivision and extended to 18 holes. In pursuit of a course that was capable of hosting the country’s most significant golfing events, former Australian Open winner and renowned golf course architect Alex Russell of Royal Melbourne fame having designed its East Course and supervised Mackenzie’s West, was employed to A failed join across the 3rd fairway mainline which requires a $600 coupler and many hours of labour to repair. With little Fisher Ad substantially redesign the course and in 1949 the to no isolation, this breakage “took down” the entire system. Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club was incorporated. Work was undertaken on constructing the new course which included the installation of a galvanized pipe system that supplied water to tap boxes beside each green where hoses were then used to apply irrigation to the turf. In 1976 a “new system” was installed utilizing PVC and polyethylene pipe with greens fully automated and single lines extended down fairways with quick couplers and manually inserted bayonets. It had A typical join failure of a Fairway lateral pipe. The weld which remained that way until we recently commenced a is 40 years old has simply split. There can be up to 50 joins on long-awaited upgrade and you can imagine the each fairway vulnerable. struggles of not only maintaining healthy turf with such an archaic system, but the intensive labour required to simply run a nightly cycle all with a ground staff of just five! THE GREENERSIDE | 18 A new system had been priced at about $450,000 USD which unfortunately was a giant leap and beyond the means of our modestly resourced club. So, any opportunity to upgrade was deemed unattainable and we simply continued to battle away with the bayonets and the regular failures that with limited isolation valves, could take our entire system out with just one untimely break. Schemes to raise funds never successfully took off given the club’s focus on the reduction of a debt that The system required a large amount of manual control was taken on in the early 2000’s for the upgrade of and labour with all the fairways being irrigated by above the…you guessed it…clubhouse! The solution we ground sprinklers which are shifted cyclically in season did settle on was to approach it in terms of a series (daily). of small steps - break the upgrade into manageable chunks, stage the works, source the generic materials direct from suppliers and undertake the majority of the installation ourselves using our own labour with the assistance of voluntary help from the membership. We also separated the greens and tees from the rest of the project as these were fully functioning, albeit with block control and not critical for immediate replacement. This reduced the price tag massively to almost half of the initially quoted costs and gave us a realistic option to commence this long overdue upgrade of a critical piece of course infrastructure. The system “through the green” inadequately covered the necessary areas and poorly distributed the water – pictured above is an example with the white line This winter just gone we have completed our fourth depicting the effective coverage. Areas outside of these stage and although it’s still a small light, we are zones are poor and struggling for grass cover. beginning to see the end of the tunnel with just four fairways left to complete. Most of the mainlines have been installed and all except one tee and one green are now connected to new pipe and have brand new cabling with a PC based central control system. It should be realistic to complete the whole project within the next two winters. In terms of how the upgrade has been achieved in a practical sense, we pay a specialized irrigation contractor to set out the design and undertake the trenching. One of our senior guys runs the install up Areas just outside the fairways but in the critical “playing front under the guidance of the contractor and then zones, dried off and were largely devoid of grass. This I acted a little more superintendent than general made for poor playability and presented badly. manager in my dual role to run the dedicated crew of member volunteers doing the backfilling, THE GREENERSIDE | 19 consolidation and final turfing. It gives me piece of mind that critical things like ensuring quality control of the install, depth of pipe and a flush turf finish is achieved and ensures that the pool of volunteers are organized and motivated and the benefit from their involvement is not wasted. For our members it has given them a unique insight into the detail of achieving such a project and most importantly it has created a greater sense of community and an opportunity to connect with staff Fairways narrowed to meet the irrigated width. This makes for that they would otherwise see as perhaps just a unnatural straight edged fairways which are at odds with our labour unit. It has been very positive both ways with sweeping natural landforms. staff also learning more about their members and members gaining an insight and a respect for the work staff do and learning a little more about their lives outside of work. The system to date, although in its infancy has improved the turf quality, given us greater reliability and has achieved labour savings which in turn we have redirected towards other areas of daily maintenance. Every journey regardless of distance starts with just one small step. Sometimes the end looks too far away and perhaps if we focused on taking just that next step, we might find the task of getting to the finish a much more A photoshopped impression of new fairway shapes with expanded irrigation. The increased width is more aesthetically pleasing and manageable prospect. That’s how we allows for greater strategy with areas of short grass becoming approached this project anyway and what started options for angle of attack or safety. out as an impossible dream has almost become a reality. Fisher Ad Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club members and crew members. THE GREENERSIDE | 20 15 QUESTIONS WITH INTERVIEW ANDREW HOJNOWSKI By Todd Raisch, CGCS Andrew Hojnowski recently sat down with The Greenerside to discuss his career, family, and Neshanic Valley. 1. Tell us a little about where you are from? I grew up in a small town in South Jersey called Mt. Ephraim. I spent my summers living and working at the Jersey shore, and I now live in Frenchtown, NJ. 2. How long have you worked at Neshanic Valley Golf Club? I started working at Neshanic Valley in 2007, and I’ve been here ever since. 3. What change would you most like to see to your operation or Neshanic? We have made many changes to the operation during my time here, most of them geared towards reducing labor without losing quality on the course. Each year we try to reduce the size of our bent grass fairways and convert the areas to rough height bluegrass. We also have several bunkers slated to be filled in and sodded to reduce maintenance costs. This year we added a 6. Tell us about your family. GPS controlled sprayer to our fleet, and I hope to add Eleven years ago, I met my beautiful wife, Karla, and another one in the next year. I would also like to add a we have been married for two years. We have a 13- Promethium job board to our break room with the year-old yellow lab named Fletcher, who still loves to ability to make adjustments from the field. come to the golf course, greet the golfers on the weekends and run around the golf course. 4. What is your favorite aspect of working on a golf course? Being able to work outdoors is my favorite aspect of 7. Why did you become a superintendent? working on a golf course. Every day is different, which I have always been an outdoor enthusiast and could makes the job challenging and also rewarding when never imagine working behind a desk. When I was 15 you make the right decisions. years old, I started working in the maintenance department at Cape May National Golf Course. The 5. What are your interests outside of work? superintendent took me under his wing and When I’m not working, I spend most of my free time introduced to me a career that I did not know existed. I hunting and fishing. I also enjoy traveling to new places knew from that first job that golf maintenance was with my wife and spending time visiting our families what I wanted to do for a living. who don’t live in the area. THE GREENERSIDE | 22 8. What are the unique aspects of Neshanic's course? Neshanic Valley has three 9-hole championship courses and a 9-hole executive course, a double-ended driving range, and an extensive practice facility. This creates some major challenges with scheduling as the three 9s are utilized differently every day, depending on the demand. On weekends two of the three courses begin play at 6 AM. We also have some interesting historical features on the course, including two large Dutch-style barns from the early 1800's and a cemetery on the property with gravestones that date back to the mid-1700’s. 9. What are your biggest on course challenges at Neshanic Valley? The biggest challenge that I’ve faced since taking over 12. How has a high-end municipal experience here is learning the agronomic subtleties of the course. differed from your previous private course Such as, what area dries out first, where is a hot spot for experience? ABW, etc. The more that I’ve been on property the more I Going from an assistant position at an 18-hole private learn, so I’ve been walking the course a lot and I’m starting club to overseeing a 36-hole high-end public course to get a good grasp of the land. was quite challenging, and I wasn’t sure what to expect at first. Some of the differences that come to mind are 10. What does a typical summer day look like for you as a being able to take more time off and trust my staff to superintendent? keep things under control and allowing them to take A typical day for me usually starts around 4 AM. I like to time off as well, even during the golf season. Overtime allow enough time to prepare myself for whatever at Neshanic is minimal vs. the private clubs I’ve worked challenges Mother Nature has in store for us and to be in at where 80-hour weeks and working from dawn till the office before the crew arrives around 5:15 AM. I’m dusk wasn’t uncommon. Stress levels are also much very hands-on, so I try to help in any way I can on the lower, and we are more critical of ourselves than the course throughout the day, whether its course setup, golfers are here. One of my favorite things is hearing mowing, or hand watering greens. I still enjoy the physical the compliments that our golfers give to the aspects of the job. I also have plenty of office work and maintenance staff. It really motivates them. When I meetings to fill in the gaps before heading home for the worked in the private sector, it was very rare for day. members to compliment the maintenance staff on the course. 11. Neshanic Valley is in phase 2 of a bunker renovation. Tell us about that. 13. What is the most difficult part of your job? Last fall, we began a 3-phase project to renovate nine I’d have to say managing and motivating the holes of bunkers each year. Better Billy Bunker was maintenance staff is one of the hardest things about chosen for the project, and we are very happy with the the job. Like most superintendents, I had to learn this results after the first year. I’ve been fixing bunker through trial and error and by observing former washouts for 25 years, and it amazes me to see how well superintendents that I’ve worked under. It’s not these bunkers perform after heavy rainfall and how little something that is taught in turf school. time we spend maintaining them compared to the soil- based bunkers. THE GREENERSIDE | 23 14. What challenges do you face maintaining the California greens at NV? Our biggest challenge with the greens here is moisture control. The course is wide open which is great for turf health, but the California greens dry out quickly and can be tough to keep up with on hot summer days. Soil temperatures are also a problem because the greens soil temps fluctuate quickly with the air temperature making it tough to get aeration holes to fill in at times. 15. List four things we don't know about you? 1. I’ve worked at seven golf courses. 2. I drove a moped to work until I was old enough to get a driver’s license. 3. I am a licensed charter boat captain. 4. I hate spiders. THE GREENERSIDE |24 GCSAA YOUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOLF BY KEVIN DOYLE, GCSAA NORTHEAST FIELD REPRESENTATIVE Whether good or bad, we find ourselves working in a With the industry continuing to dictate the cornerstone relationship business. Many of us didn’t sign up for the of our lives in a manner we simply can’t seem to impact no career with the knowledge that we would need to matter what we do, how do you balance golf? Do you put manage turf with the same vigor as personal interactions, in your time and maximize your effort on the job and but alas, here we are. I don’t want to focus on turf, or leave it all behind when you “punch out,” if that is even people — one of my favorite topics. I want to ask possible? Do you golf often, watch golf on television, and how you balance the one thing that we all rely on take vacations to play in far off lands? There is no correct whether you are a superintendent or in sales. We all way to balance, and I have no intention of pontificating on depend on the sport of golf, and it depends on us. how you should approach golf. We all develop an The industry has seen a building boom, the Tiger craze, approach and hopefully manage the impact it has on us in and the economic regression followed by course a positive way, and often changes in our personal lives closures. Hundreds of New Jersey facilities and can affect change on our approach. thousands of employees were taken on that same ride, whether we wanted to or not. What I want to touch on is a word you just read and probably glossed over quickly: “positive.” Above were Member expectations seemed to have missed any challenges in our daily lives that are dictated to us, many regression or corrections. As the turf speed limit beyond our control. There are many more negative items continues to get pushed and demand for perfection that can be added that we in the industry have no control continues to ramp up, pressure continues to escalate on over. Can a focus on some of the positives in our golf all of us. Technological advances in products and devices world help overcome some of the challenges? that fostered new groundbreaking solutions that previously helped achieve the desired conditions while Are rounds up this year? With added revenue might come saving time, money, or labor, are now simply achieving a new piece of equipment, approval for a beneficial the new normal. project, additional dollars to the labor budget; items that can help ease the burden on the work aspect of golf. THE GREENERSIDE | 26 Did your staff complete a successful season; help you The golf industry might seem like it has all the deliver a good product to your membership or momentum, a freight train that dictates all. Our little customers? It is now cultural practices season, individual piece of that industry may simply be a meaning the grind of another season is over. railroad tie connecting the rails and responsible for 21 moving the industry forward. With every positive step As you assess the impact of 2019, what positives came we make personally, and impact our facility adds, can from it that you can build on in 2020? Have you had the change the outlook for the entire industry. Collectively, chance to play golf? An enjoyable round of golf with we can impact the direction of the freight train our golf friends or colleagues can be a wonderful reminder of industry has become for the better. All aboard! what makes the game so great. We depend on the Again, if I can be of any assistance, please feel free to positive impacts the sport has on all of our players to survive as an industry. Taking the time to play yourself contact me. 36 should find its way on your to do list, even if it is a rare Kevin Doyle occasion. GCSAA Field Staff kdoyle@gcsaa.org THE GREENERSIDE |27 UPCOMING GCSAA WEBINARS RESOURCES AND DEADLINES November 19th @ 10 a.m. REGISTRATION OPENS FOR 2020 Water Management BMPs GOLF INDUSTRY SHOW IN ORLANDO -J. Bryan Unruh, Ph.D. GCSAA and presenting partners, the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA) and American Society of December 5th @ 10 a.m. Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), will offer a dynamic, How to Set Yourself Apart in progressive week of unparalleled networking opportunities and hands-on access to golf course and facility management the Golf Industry - The Art of solutions for golf industry professionals. Self Promotion -Darren Davis, CGCS REDEEM YOUR GCSAA GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR GIS COSTS! December 12th @ 10 a.m. GCSAA is offering show attendees the opportunity to Best Management Practices for reduce the cost of participating in the show by allowing the Turf Care Center GCSAA gift certificates to be redeemed for flight and hotel -Gary Bogdanski expense. THE GREENERSIDE |28 THE GREENERSIDE |29 GCSANJ MEMBERS VOLUNTEER ACROSS THE POND Bill Murray & Dave Mishkin's Great Adventure! By Shaun Barry On June 28, 2019, Bill Murray and Dave Mishkin left The Irish Open is part of The European Tour, so the Philadelphia Airport heading to Ireland not to return quality of the field would be outstanding. Irishman Paul until July 16, 2019. That may not be unusual for most McGinley was a former player and Captain of winning people, but Bill and Dave are not most people. They European Ryder Cup teams, and he became the face are golf course superintendents working for the of this Open. He had lobbied for Lahinch to host this Monmouth County Park System. Bill works at Pine event, and he reached out to the players asking for Brook GC, and Dave works at Howell Park GC. their commitment. The combination of his asking and Superintendents have been known to visit Ireland the second-largest purse on the European Tour made many times but not in the middle of the summer. How it an easy sell. and why did they choose this destination and time of the year? Bill, inspired that “his” course was going to be the center of attention on the world stage, immediately This adventure started back in 1995 when Bill became decided that he needed to be part of the support team. a Lifetime Overseas Member at Lahinch GC. He had Dave Mishkin has traveled to Ireland many times with fallen completely under the spell of Ireland and Bill and has also fallen in love with Ireland and Lahinch. The best pint of Guinness in the world and a Lahinch. They also decided to stay one more week so redhead or two may also have had something to do they could head up to Royal Portrush and help with his love affair. Graeme Beatt the week before “The Open.” The “boys” really wanted to do this, so on January 3, 2019, Lahinch Golf Club was started in 1892, and it was they requested these dates for their vacations, and known for hosting the South of Ireland Golf their requests were granted. Tournament, which is one of the four main Men’s Amateur Tournaments in Ireland. In 2018 the club was asked to host The Irish Open for the first time. THE GREENERSIDE | 30 At Lahinch, the crew couldn’t believe a member would actually work on the course. Brian McDonough is the head superintendent at The Old Course, and Paudie Grealish is the head superintendent at The Castle Course. Brian and Paudie have known Bill and Dave for years, and they knew the “boys” weren’t afraid to work. They were up at 3:15 am and at the course at 4:00 am every day. They were given the job of stimping the greens and checking for firmness and moisture. They did their job so well that the European Tour’s professional who was also doing this was assigned another task. Their day finished between 9:30 pm and 10:00 pm. The days were long, but they still found the time and energy to head downtown for a pint or two. The schedule at Royal Portrush was much more relaxed because it was the week before the tournament. The staff arrived at 6:00 am and the day would end around 4:00 pm. Bill and Dave did whatever was needed. The first couple days, they were cutting out weeds on approaches, greens, and tees. The next days, they were joined by interns from former and future “Open” courses as they did the same thing on fairways. The final days found them repairing ball marks on the greens, and then they added fescue seed to the repair followed by green sand so there would be no brown visible for the television audience to see. This adventure required lots of planning, hard work, and expense, but it truly was a chance of a lifetime. They had helped both courses be the best they could be, and their new friendships and memories will never fade. I am also sure that the Irish guys will always remember the two superintendents that they called “The Crazy Americans.” Bill and Dave are home now, but I am sure they are planning a return to Ireland sometime in the near future. If Ireland is in your future, reach out to them because I know they love to discuss their adopted second home. THE GREENERSIDE | 31 THE GOLDEN CUP CUTTER AWARD CELEBRATES 25 YEARS By Shaun Barry In 1995 many of the superintendents in Sussex County It was a great relaxing day. We played nine holes, decided to start a scramble tournament that would successfully avoiding the thunderstorms that kept include any of the local clubs that wanted to play. Dave popping up. The course was in great shape, and we Brubaker hosted the first event. He also was one of the had a delicious meal followed by a very talented band original organizers along with Eric Carlson and Dave closing out the evening. Dave wanted everyone to Mayer. The event was created to foster camaraderie enjoy the day, and we did. Thanks, Dave! between the local clubs and is still going strong in its 25th year. Each club brings one or two foursomes solely made up of staff members. It was an idea that caught on quickly. For the next 23 years, Rich Fodor hosted the tournament at Walkill GC. It was a great choice, and people loved gathering at this nine-hole course that arguably has the smallest green in the state. This year the tournament returned to Great Gorge GC, with Wild Turkey GC defeating Black Bear GC on a match of cards. There were 12 courses represented, and several affiliates got to play the third nine for fun. The 2019 event saw Rich Fodor and his son Zack (who works at High Point GC. ) enjoy the day. Chris Boyle celebrated the 30th anniversary of his start in the industry, which began at Great Gorge GC. Chris didn’t bring a team, but he was happy to pose for a few photos with his son Nick who is wrapping up his second summer working at Great Gorge GC. THE GREENERSIDE | 32 GCSANJ FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS The GCSANJ Foundation awarded $16,000 in scholarships to 12 applicants. The applicants ranged from recent high 2019 Scholarship Recipients school graduates to graduate school students. Many of the applicants earned a high GPA in challenging courses; they Emily Gray are leaders in their school or community and have Isabella Candeloro committed to and excelled in extracurricular activities and Kristen Dorman sports. Their academic careers and integrity are Richard Krok impressive, and their parents should be proud of their Faith Vogel accomplishments. Michael Candeloro Victoria Kunesch Rolf Eric Strobel Kayla Campbell Olivia Munn Abigayle Alexander Tyler Disbrow Faith Vogel Kayla Campbell Emily Gray Richard Krok Kirsten Dorman THE GREENERSIDE | 33 RUTGERS TURFGRASS RESEARCH FIELD DAY Dr. Bruce Clarke Josh Kopera, Darrell Marcinek, Dr. Phillip Vines Ryan Avery, Tom Pepe, Nick Alley, Rich Sweeney Dave Schell and Dr. Matt Elmore Frank Jacheo and Shawn Reynolds Bill Murray, Mark Kuhns, Keith Bennett THE GREENERSIDE | 34 DISTRICT 3 CIVIL WAR STANTON RIDGE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB Alan Bean and Dennis DeSanctis Jr. Pat Dolan, Lee Kozsey, Lorne Collin, Corey Angelo Ron Johnson & Rob Arnts Matt Castagna and Shaun Kennedy Dan Kilpatrick, Nick Alley, Ken Anson, Nate Spence Past & Present Staff of Stanton Ridge! THE GREENERSIDE | 35 DISTRICT 4 RYDER CUP SEAVIEW HOTEL AND GOLF CLUB John Carpinelli and Tom Grimac Brad Simpkins, Lance Rogers, Ken Mathis Jeff Haas and his daughter Savanna Victor Frederico and Mike Linkewich Mike Williams and Jeremy Hreben Trey Profili, Mike Bair, and Scott Hulse THE GREENERSIDE | 36 GCSANJ FOUNDATION SPORTING CLAY SHOOT HUDSON FARM, ANDOVER NJ Paul Ramina, Mark Kuhns, Rob Johnson, Frank Tichenor Nick Alley, Keith Bennett, Jim Cadott, Ken Anson Dan Kilpatrick, Curt Moore, Phil Page, Rick Krok, Lou Bosco, Jeff Clark, Steve Bradley Rob Wagner, Les Carpenter Nick Roberto, Jamie Devers, Jeff Weld, Mike Paluzzi Josh Kopera, Brian Bontemps, Jason Osterhoudt, Craig Lambert THE GREENERSIDE | 37 we asked, you answered "What are your plans for the off-season? " "I recently tried altering my own clothes so I am hoping to learn how to sew better over the winter. And I'm hoping to bake more again this holiday season." -Elizabeth Holmes, Metuchen Golf & Country Club "Off season is more like tradeshow season for me. There is increased travel for Expo, National, and the New England show, as well as many of the smaller regional events that I attend, but I am looking forward to a few days in Disney with my family before National this year. In between all of that, just working on some projects around the house and enjoying a bit of time off to go skiing with the family." -Brian Bontemps, Noble Turf "This off season I am looking forward to some R&R. I’ll be hitting the slopes with family, friends, and colleagues to recharge the batteries. Of course, I’ll also be keeping current by attending the Green Expo, GIS, and Spring Education Day." -Tim Meyer, Beacon Hill Country Club THE GREENERSIDE | 38 "Watch my girls play basketball, enjoy some family time, and make time to hit the slopes." -Fred Parcells, Shackamaxon Country Club "My plan for the off-season is to take some much needed time off! I plan on heading down to Florida to do some fishing, spend plenty of time skiing in Vermont, and take a trip out west." -Pat Dolan, Copper Hill Country Club "From a Hamilton Farm perspective, the off season brings substantial tree work, drainage and course construction projects, along with making sure the turf and equipment are ready for the 2020 season. We also reevaluate our operations and cultural practices to see if we need to make any adjustments for the upcoming season. From a personal perspective, I plan to take a little time away and recharge the batteries. In fact this winter I am getting married, so I have hopes of giving my soon to be wife a little more time with me." -Jason Harrison, Hamilton Farm Golf Club THE GREENERSIDE | 39 GCSANJ PATRON DIRECTORY A.G. ENTERPRISES DOUBLE ‘D’ TURF, LLC E-Z-GO TEXTRON Staff Uniforms Turfgrass Aeration Specialist Nick Roberto Rick Gordon Dennis DeSanctis, Sr. E-Z-GO, Cushman, Jacobsen Ph: 201.488.1276 Dennis DeSanctis, Jr. Ph: 845.637.7641 Fx: 201.575.4140 Drill & Fill, TurfPride, JRM Tines T 845.637.7641 merrick160@aol.com 86 Bergen Mills Road agenterprisesonline.com Monroe Twp, NJ 08831 FINCH SERVICES Ph: 732.241.7378 John Deere Authorized Dealer BASF dennis@doubledturf.com Phil Page Plant Protection & Plant Health Products, dennisjr@doubledturf.com ppage@finchinc.com Lexicon, Xzemplar, Honor, Insignia Cell: 609.498.4031 David Schell DRYJECT NEW JERSEY Curt Moore Ph: 410.800.8762 Dennis Granahan cmoore@finchinc.com david.schell@basf.com 7 Seagull Lane Cell:215.280.7367 Paul Ramina Lincroft, NJ 07738 419 Industrial Drive Ph: 908.413.2944 Ph: 917.617.8827 North Wales, PA paul.ramina@basf.com dryjectnj@comcast.net FISHER & SON COMPANY BAYER EARTHWORKS Distributor of Golf & Turf Plant Health Products Carbon based fertilizers Products,Fertilizer, Seed Jeffrey Weld Jack Higgins Rob Johnson Pesticides Ph: 484 894-0242 110 Summit Drive, 2 T.W. Alexander Drive hwww.earthworksturf.com Exton PA 19341 Research Triangle Park, NC jack@soilfirst.com Ph: 800.262.2127 Ph: 914.419.9384 Cell: 215.475.7998 Fx: 877.492.1897 EAST COAST SOD & SEED rjohnson@fisherandson.com jeff.weld@bayer.com Sod & Seed Supplier,Bent Grass, Bluegrass, Tall Fescue, and Fine FOLEY INC BLACK LAGOON POND Fescue Sod CAT Equipment Dealer MANAGEMENT Kevin Driscoll Sales and Rentals Pond/Lake Management Ph: 609.760.4099 Cindy Snow Michael Blaner kdriscoll@eastcoastsod.com csnow@foleyinc.com Algae/Invasive Plants Control, Office: (732) 885-3154 Fountain & Diffused Aeration Systems EWING IRRIGATION & LANDSCAPE 855 Centennial Avenue 56 US Highway 130 South SUPPLY Piscataway, NJ 08854 Bordentown, NJ 08620 Irrigation & Turf Products Ph: 1.888.243.0891 Rain Bird Golf Distributor GRASS ROOTS, INC. Fx: 609.585.0525 Fred Rapp Golf Course Maintenance Supplies info@blacklagoon.us frapp@ewingirrigation.com Ken Kubik: 973.418.7035 Ph: 848.225.4618 Keith Kubik: 973.418.7034 DOWNES TREE SERVICE CO. Jim Miner Jay McKenna: 973.418.7036 Tree Services, Mulch & Top Soil, jminer@ewingirrigation.com Office: 973.252.6634 Containers,Trimming & Removal Ph: 908.674.1145 Kevin Downes 65 Royal Avenue Hawthorne, NJ 07506 Ph: 973.238.9800 info@downes.pro THE GREENERSIDE | 40 GCSANJ PATRON DIRECTORY HARRELL’S LLC PLANT FOOD COMPANY SYNATEK Josh Kopera “The Liquid Fertilizer Experts” Shaun Kennedy Cell:201.213.8693 Dick Neufeld: 973.945.6318 737 Hagey Center Drive, Unit A jkopera@harrells.com Tom Weinert: 914.262.0111 Souderton, PA 18964 Jen Schneider Tom Pepe: 609.751.1372 Ph: 8662.266.9288 Cell:732.828.0895 Biostimulants & Other Products Fx: (267) 203-1613 jschneider@harrells.com for Premium Turfgrass skennedy@synateksolutions.com harrells.com www.plantfoodco.com Ph: 800.282.8007 SYNGENTA SITEONE LANDSCAPE SUPPLY Manufacturer, Plant Protectants HELENA Providing the Products & Lee Kozsey People…Products…Knowledge Expertise That You Need & Trust Cell: 215.796.0409 Tim Gerzabek Frank Jacheo: 732.489.1442 Lee.kozsey@syngenta.com Cell: 609.221.9240 fjacheo@siteone.com Brian Goudey GerzabekT@helenaagri.com Wayne P. Remo: 862.209.8243 Cell: 518-764-2412 www.helenaagri.com wremo@siteone.com Brian.Goudey@Syngenta.com Shawn Reynolds: 401.486.9133 LABAR GOLF RENOVATIONS sreynolds@jsiteone.com TOTAL TURF GOLF SERVICES Golf Course Construction & Greg Hufner Renovations SOIL & WATER CONSULTING 1965 Byberry Road Richard S. LaBar Jr. Corey Angelo Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006 170 Mount Airy Road Consulting and Analysis for Your Ph: 215.426.0554 Suite A1 Turfgrass, Soils, and Water. gregh@totalturfservices.com Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 Ph: 848.225.5115 Ph: 908.502.5353 corey@soilandwaterconsulting.com VIC GERARD GOLF CARS Fx: 908.502.5296 CLUB CAR golf fleet and rich@labargolf.com STORR TRACTOR COMPANY Carryall utility vehicles Commercial Toro Turf & Irrigation Vince Giunco NOBLE TURF Equipment 281 Squankum Rd Brian Gjelsvik Blair Quin, Steve Bradley, Farmingdale, NJ 07727 25 Roland Avenue Rick Krok Ph: 732-938-4464 Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054 3191 Highway 22, Branchburg NJ vinceg@vggc.net Ph: 856.273.1402 Ph: 908.722.9830 briang@seetonturf.com Fx: 908.722.9847 WILFRED MACDONALD, INC. kindyk@storrtractor.com Turf Equipment NUFARM Bill Luthin Pesticides for the turf & ornamentals STEPHEN KAY GOLF COURSE Glenn Gallion Michael Molchan ARCHITECT Mike Pelrine 25 Roland Avenue Stephen Kay 10 Maple Avenue, Unit 303 Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054 665 Saint Andrews Drive Pine Brook, NJ 07058 Ph: 610-653-7983 Egg Harbor City NJ 08215 Ph: 888. 831 0891 michael.molchan@nufarm.com Ph: 609.703.3300 Fx: 973.487.1333 stephenkgolf@aol.com sales@wilfredmacdonald.com THE GREENERSIDE | 41