NORTHEASTERN TURFLETTER Vol. I No* 5 December 195^ THINGS TO DO IN WINTER While it is generally true that the golf course labor problem in the North- east has improved some this past year, it has by no means reached the point where the Superintendent and the Green Committee can relax and "breathe easy" about this situation. Competition for good workers in the highly-industralized states of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut has always been keen, with industry usually winning out because of the more attractive "bait" that it has to offer. One of these incentives is the prospect of year-round employment. It is through this medium that the golf courses are able to keep their key men from year to year. The number of men retained depends largely on budget limitations — some clubs can retain the full crew while others manage to keep only a nucleus of workers. Some of the important jobs that such a crew might do over the winter are the following: 1. Paint and repair all machinery and equipment. Paint and repair benches, ball washers, shelter houses, tee markers, flag poles, etc. 2. Repair roads, paths and bridges. 3. Prepare topsoil (mix and sterilize). k. Install drainage lines where needed and blueprint them for permanent record. 5. Clean out tile lines, drainage ditches and brooks. Clean out heavy brush areas around the course that generally slow Clean up rocks, stumps and other obstructions to golfers as well up play during the season. as maintenance equipment. 6. Remove trees that hamper the movement of the rough mowing units; that restrict air drainage about greens; that fell during "Hazel," "Edna," and "Carol." 7- Prune and trim trees around the course — especially around greens in pocketed areas and shaded trees. 8. Rebuild poorly constructed greens. 9. Build or enlarge on barn and shop facilities. 10. Enlarge tees and do any other construction work that couldn't be done during the golfing season. 11. Fill in "useless" traps — traps that nobody gets into except the maintenance crew. Some Reminders for the Superintendent 1. Reread service manuals that accompanied new (and old) equipment. 2. Take inventory and order necessary replacement parts that are important to have on hand. 3. Carefully study records for the past year and streamline where possible. I4. Set up service charts for each piece of machinery; also deprecia- tion table to replace machinery when its life expectancy period is over. 5. Set up a timetable for deliveries of fertilizer, fungicide, herbi- cides and other materials for next season. Order enough fertilizerIJ 6. Attend as many turf conferences as possible over the winter. 7. Catch up on reading of turf publications. AN IDEA TO PRESERVE WOODEN BRIDGES Superintendent Frank Votta and Green Committee Chairman William Kruse, of the Essex County Country Club, West Orange, N. J., preserve planks in their long wooden bridges by the use of coal belting strips. This belting has a rubber consistency; it comes in long strips approximately 18 inches wide. The coal belting strips are laid over the planks to guard them against spike injury and damage from the elements. They also carpet the bridge, making it easier and safer to walk over. * * According to Messrs. Votta and Kruse. the belting is not costly even though it is received in very good condition. It is used in mining coal, and after so many a foot). hours of service it is discarded or sold very reasonably (approximately Though the belting has outlived its usefulness in the coal mines, it sees years of hard service at Essex County. WINTER CONFERENCES Over the winter season several important conferences are scheduled that should be of interest to Green Committee Chairmen and Superintendents in the Northeastern Region. Many nationally recognized turf men will be present to participate. An important part of the overall turfgrass picture will be presented and discussed at these meetings. The golf season may be slow or closed for many at this time, but the season for learning is ever with us. With so many nationally known experts present it's a good bet that each person in attendance will bring home some new thoughts or ideas to put to work on his individual course. Usually these ideas mean savings for the club in question ~ hope to see you there, faithfully at work for your club. 1952 January 16-212 February 7 - 8: 26th National Turfgrass Conference and Show, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, Hotel Jefferson, St. Louis, Mo. Agar M. Brown, Secretary. Turf Conference, Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents, Lord Baltimore Hotel, Baltimore, Md. E. N. Cory. February 7-H* One Week Turf Conference, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N. J. Ralph E. Engel. February 1^-17: Perm State Turf Conference, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa. H. B. Musser. February 21-2*4: Cornell Turf Conference, Ithaca, N. Y. John F. Cornman. We might add that a good conference is a strong conference -- one that is well represented by members of the many local organizations. This is true of the National and State conferences. Plan to attend to insure success of these con- ferences; and how about bringing your assistant? AN AGELESS MESSAGE The following quotation from the back cover of the November 1928 issue of The Bulletin of the United States Golf Association Green Section is one that we thought most timely: "Dear Santa Claus: "Please leave at our club 18 greens that will be proof against wear and tear, diseases, bugs, unreasonable members. ... "Please leave at Tom Smith's home one durable, soft rubber putter which may be cast violently on the ground without injuring the turf on our greens when he misses his putt. "Please leave at Ed. Jop.es' house one digging fork and a spade in order that he may have something to dig with in his back yard to satis- fy his craving for digging and^thus relieve the strain on our tees. "Please leave some message of inspiration with the Royal and Ancient which will encourage them to adopt a new cup with a diameter of at least 10 feet so that in the future it may be feasible, if there are any missed putts, to blame them on the player rather than on the green committee. "Please leave your message of good will firmly fixed in the ... hearts of our club members and make it last for many months and make it possible for members of our committee to actually enjoy a visit to the club within a month after we have found it necessary to close the course to play for a single day. "If you will do all this, dear Santa, you need not visit our houses. We'll take care of the kids this time. "Humbly yours, THE GREEN COMMITTEE. "