October 2019 GCSANE Presidents Message Here’s to another year in the golf season books. This year proved to be a great one for golf and growing turf in New England, but it does not make up for the extremely poor growing conditions of 2018. The dry and temperate weather has been in place for the entire month of September and the beginning of October. Turf plants are growing roots and cultural work and construction is well underway. As Superintendents, we all continue to work hard into the fall, preparing for 2020 and the unknown that will come our way. As I am coming down the stretch as GCSANE President, I am thankful for the time I have devoted to our profession and association over the past ten years. Although my term is ending in January, I will continue to stay active and give back, as it is the most reward- ing thing I have done in my professional life. If you are looking to learn more about our industry and peers, looking to build a network and looking to advance, you should volun- teer and get involved in some way, it is up to you. The winter meeting schedule will provide some great networking and learning opportuni- ties. I hope to catch up with many of you in December, at the Warrior Ice Arena meeting as well as at our Annual Meeting in January at The Renaissance Hotel at Gillette. All the best and enjoy the fall, Dave Johnson, GCSANE President GCSANE BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT David W. Johnson The Country Club 191 Clyde Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 617-456-3972 Email: Djohnson.wgc@gmail.com VICE PRESIDENT Peter J. Rappoccio, CGCS Concord Country Club 246 ORNAC, Concord, MA 01742 978-371-1089 Fax: 978-369-7231 Email: gcs@concordcc.org SECRETARY/TREASURER Brian Skinner, CGCS, CPO Bellevue Golf Club PO Box 760661, Melrose, MA 02176 781-248-0216 Email: brianskinner@bellevuegolfclub.com DIRECTOR, SCHOLARSHIP & BENEVOLENCE David Stowe, CGCS Newton Commonwealth Golf Club 212 Kenrick Street, Newton, MA 02458 617-789-4631 Email: Newtonmaint@aol.com DIRECTOR Eric Richardson Essex County Club 153 School Street, Manchester, MA 01944 978-500-2094 Email: erichardson@essexcc.org DIRECTOR, AFFILIATE Keith Tortorella Country Club Enterprises 2D Express Drive, Wareham, MA 02571 508-982-4820 Email: ktortorella@ccegolfcars.com DIRECTOR Bob Dembek Lexington Golf Club 55 Hill Street, Lexington, MA 02420 978-870-8669 Email: lexgc@rcn.com DIRECTOR Ryan Emerich Vesper Country Club 185 Pawtucket Boulevard, Tyngsboro, MA 01879 717-575-1332 Email: remerich@vespercc.com PAST PRESIDENT Michael Luccini, CGCS Franklin Country Club 672 E. Central Street, Franklin, MA 02038 508-528-6110 Fax: 508-528-1885 Email: Mluccini@franklincc.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Donald E. Hearn, CGCS 300 Arnold Palmer Blvd., Norton, MA 02766 774-430-9040 Email: donhearn@gcsane.org NEWSLETTER EDITOR Greg Cormier Tom Irwin, Inc. 11A Street, Burlington, MA 01803 978-846-1133 Email: gregcormier@tomirwin.com GCSANE Headquarters 300 Arnold Palmer Blvd., Norton, MA 02766 Tel: (774) 430-9040 Web Site: www.gcsane.org Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and/or person quoted, and June not represent the position of GCSANE. Information contained in this publication June be used freely, in whole or in part, without special permission as long as the true context is maintained. We would appreciate a credit line. 2 The Newsletter Thoughts From Your Executive Director by Don Hearn from left: Kyle Franey, Connor Kuehl, Derek Mara, David Rice from Left: Ben Pacific, Pat Simmons, Chris Hurley, Paul Thibeault from left: Craig Sullivan, Eric McCrate, James Tyler David Miethe from left: Chad Brown, Henry Guglietti, Andrew Travers, Anthony Cina from left: Craig Olson, Cory Villano, Jamie Kohn, Scott Lynch from left: Dan Richards, Sean Murray, Ryan Boudreau, Alex Foster 3 October 2019 Thoughts From Your Executive Director continued It was a beautiful day with golf played on a magnificently conditioned course when Assistants played their annual event at the Cohasset Golf Club. The course, managed under the direction of Superintendent Glen Misiaszek and Assistant Superintendent Mike Leahy, was in superb condition and the weather couldn’t have been better. Everyone had a good time at the event. Thanks to the sponsors of the event - Harrell’s, Helena Agri- Enterprises, Syngenta and Tom Irwin, Inc. for their generous support. Finch Services/John Deere Golf and Northeast Golf and Turf donated prizes for the raffle and a closest-to-the-hole contest. The format was a team scramble. Low Team Gross Mike Leahy, Cohasset Golf Club Alex Wallace, Cohasset Golf Club Joe D’Ambrosia, Cohasset Golf Club Tim Crane, Marlborough Country Club Low team Net Bradley Gale, The Country Club Justin Trodella, The Country Club Aidan O’Sullivan, The Country Club Matt Deluca, The Country Club Closest to the Hole #2 Connor Kuehl, Kernwood Country Club, #6 Mark Sheridan, Lexington Golf Club, #12 Pat Simmons, Nashawtuc Country Club, #15 Joe D’Ambrosia, Cohasset Golf Club from left: Tim Crane, Mike Leahy, Alex Wallace, Joseph D’Ambrosia from left: Bradley Gale, Justin Trodella, Aidan O’Sullivan, Matt Deluca from left: Bryce Fountain, Tim Cosgrove, Keith Daury, Mark Sheridan 4 The Newsletter Your Golf Irrigation Specialist Tanto Irrigation has proudly provided the Golf Industry with Irrigation Services for over 50 years. Let us know how we can serve Please Contact: William Bartels (914) 447-8872 Or Paul L. Guillaro (914) 262-7324 5 October 2019 6 The Newsletter Thoughts From Your Executive Director continued From left: Tim Crane, Rene Vadeboncouer, Beth O’Kelly, Greg Farland This year’s NEPGA Pro-Superintendent Invitational was played at Marlborough Country Club. Ken Crimmings is the Superintendent and, as always, had the course in tip top condition. The teams from Strawberry Valley Golf Course and Marlborough Country Club tied for first place honors. Tim Crane and Greg Farland represented Marlborough. Rene Vadeboncouer and Beth O’Kelly represented Strawberry Valley. As an aside, Beth O’Kelly is the daughter of Mel O’Kelly who was the long time superintendent at Marshfield Country Club before his retirement to Life Member status of the Association. From left: David Rice, Andy Ingham, Pete Jacobson, Joe Piana (holding the trophy), Ryan Emerich, Alex Martin, Mike Nagle The New England Superintendent Championship was played at the Boothbay Harbor Country Club in Boothbay, Maine. The host superintendent at Boothbay is GCSA of New England member Rob Wyllie. Rob and his team had the course in excellent condition and the GCSA of New England team won this year’s championship! The 2020 championship will be hosted by the GCSA of New England. The Maine GCSA made all feel welcome and had the event well organized. Our thanks to Maine GCSA president Rick Lewis and his committee for putting together the details that help make this an event that all look forward to playing. The team standings: 1st New England 2nd Connecticut 3rd Rhode Island 4th New Hampshire 5th Vermont 6th Maine 7th Cape Cod excellent condition. Nick Marrone is the Director of Golf and serves as the General Manager. Cara handles accounting and many other duties at the club. Mike is the superintendent at the family’s other course, Kettle Brook, in Paxton, MA. The family was generous with what they offered and couldn’t have been more accommodating. All who played or supported this event with sponsorships and donations are thanked for their support. They fund scholarships for members’ children and aid to those in need of a helping hand during hard times. From left: The Marrone’s - Anthony (Matt’s son), Nick, Cara, Andrew (Matt’s son), Matt, Pamela (Donnie’s wife), Mike. This year’s Scholarship and Benevolence Tournament was held September 30, at Wachusett Country Club. We were hosted for the sixth time by the Marrone family. The day was beautiful with a course to match. Matt Marrone is the superintendent at Wachusett and had the course in This year’s memorial honoree was Donald J. “Donnie†Marrone. The family of Donnie accepted an engraved crystal vase to recognize his contributions to our Association and the Scholarship and Benevolence Fund. A donation from the Marrone family was made to Dave Johnson, GCSA of New England President. Dave had worked for the Marrone family when breaking into the profession. His sister passed away earlier this year after a battle with cancer and Matt Marrone announced that a $5000.00 donation was being made in memory of Dave’s sister. We thank the Marrone family for their support of the Scholarship and Research fund and their generous contributions to its success. The New England team placed second in the Met Team Championship held at Morris County Golf Club. I’ll have more about the event in the November issue. 7 October 2019 GCSAA Update by Kevin Doyle Whether good or bad, we find ourselves working in a relation- ship business. Many of us didn’t sign up for the career with the knowledge that we would need to manage turf with the same vigor as personal interactions, but alas, here we are. I don’t want to focus on turf, or even people — one of my favorite topics. I want to ask how you balance the one thing that we all rely on whether you are a superintendent or in sales. We all depend on the sport of golf, and it depends on us. The industry has seen a building boom, the Tiger craze, and the economic regression followed by course closures. Hundreds of Massachusetts facilities and thousands of employees were taken on that same ride, whether we wanted to or not. Member expectations seemed to have missed any regression or corrections. As the turf speed limit continues to get pushed and demand for perfection continues to ramp up, pressure continues to escalate on all of us. Technological advances in products and devices that fostered new groundbreaking solutions that previously helped achieve the desired conditions while saving time, money, or labor, are now simply achieving the new normal. With the industry continuing to dictate the cornerstone of our lives in a manner we simply can’t seem to impact no matter what we do, how do you balance golf? Do you put in your time and maximize your effort on the job and leave it all behind when you “punch out,†if that is possible? Do you golf often, watch golf on televi- sion, and take vacations to play in far off lands? There is no correct way to balance, and I have no intention of pontificating on how you should approach golf. We all develop an approach and hope- fully manage the impact it has on us in a positive way, and often changes in our personal lives can affect change on our approach. What I want to touch on is a word you just read and probably glossed over quickly: “positive.†Above were challenges in our daily lives that are dictated to us, many beyond our control. There are many more negative items that can be added that we in the indus- try have no control over. Can a focus on some of the positives in our golf world help overcome some of the challenges? Are rounds up this year? With added revenue might come a new piece of equipment, approval for a beneficial project, additional dollars to the labor budget; items that can help ease the burden on the work aspect of golf. Did your staff complete a successful season; help you deliver a good product to your membership or customers? It is now cultural practices season, meaning the grind of another season is over. As you assess the impact of 2019, what positives came from it that you can build on in 2020? Have you had the chance to play golf? An enjoyable round of golf with friends or colleagues can be a wonderful reminder of what makes the game so great. We depend on the positive impacts the sport has on all of our players to survive as an industry. Taking the time to play yourself should find its way on your to do list, even if it is a rare occasion. The golf industry might seem like it has all the momentum, a freight train that dictates all. Our little individual piece of that industry may simply be a railroad tie connecting the rails and responsible for moving the industry forward. With every positive step we make personally, and impact our facility adds, can change the outlook for the entire industry. Collectively, we can impact the direction of the freight train our golf industry has become for the better. All aboard! GCSAA Resources and Deadlines you Get Cool Stuff from your Association Already Registration opens for 2020 Golf Industry Show in Orlando GCSAA and presenting partners, the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA) and American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), will offer a dynamic, progressive week of unparalleled networking opportunities and hands-on access to golf course and facility management solutions for golf industry professionals. Redeem your GCSAA gift certificates for GIS costs GCSAA is offering show attendees the opportunity to reduce the cost of participating in the show by allowing GCSAA gift certifi- cates to be redeemed for flight and hotel expense. Redeem GCSAA gift certificates 8 The Newsletter Upcoming Webinars Oct. 24 @ 10 a.m. GCSAA Government Affairs Regulatory Briefing - 2019 Overtime Pay Rule and Federal/State Minimum Wage Update Kerri S. Reisdorff Oct. 30 @ 10 a.m. What About Wetting Agents? Doug Karcher, Ph.D. Oct. 31 @ 10 a.m. Maximize Spring Quality of Your Bermudagrass Putting Greens presented by Syngenta Lane Tredway, Ph.D. Nov. 6 @ 9 a.m. Cómo construir un equipo más fuerte utilizando el golf como una estrategia Jorge Croda, CGCS Nov. 19 @ 10 a.m. Water Management BMPs J. Bryan Unruh, Ph.D. Dec. 5 @ 10 a.m. How to Set Yourself Apart in the Golf Industry - The Art of Self Promotion Darren Davis, CGCS Dec. 12 @ 10 a.m. Best Management Practices for the Turf Care Center Gary Bogdanski Again, if I can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact me. Kevin Doyle GCSAA Field Staff kdoyle@gcsaa.org Follow me on Twitter @GCSAA_NE Northeast Golf & Turf Supply a division of Northeast Nursery, Inc. - Est. 1982 Exclusive Distributor for Rain Bird Golf MA, NH, VT, ME and RI • Granular Fertilizers • Specialty Nutrients PRODUCT CATEGORIES • Control Products • Soil Conditioners • Turfgrass Seed • Golf Course Accessories NORTHEAST TURF & IRRIGATION SUPPLY Dennis Port, MA NORTHEAST CONTRACTOR CENTER Peabody, MA NORTHEAST TURF & IRRIGATION SUPPLY Londonderry, NH Learn more about our products and services at: www.northeastnursery.com 9 October 2019 THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS AND DONORS WHO HELPED MAKE THE 2019 SCHOLARSHIP AND BENEVOLENCE TOURNAMENT A SUCCESS PREMIER SPONSOR Tom Irwin, Inc. DIAMOND SPONSOR Harrell’s PLATINUM SPONSORS New England Specialty Soils Read Custom Soils GOLD SPONSORS BASF Country Club Enterprises SILVER SPONSORS Bayer Finch Services / John Deere Golf Syngenta BRONZE SPONSORS Agresource, Inc. Atlantic Golf and Turf Hart’s Turf Pro Helena Agri-Enterprises Mass Golf SODCO Tuckahoe Turf Farms 10 The Newsletter DONORS An Anonymous Superintendent and His Wife Tom Ackley – Retired Superintendent Greg Cormier – Tom Irwin, Inc. Ken Crimmings – Marlborough Country Club Steve Curry – Foothills Turf Jim Fitzroy – Fairway Photos Richard Hahn - Mass Golf Course Rating Team Bob Healey – Irrigation Management Services Dave Johnson – The Country Club Marlborough Country Club New England Golf Course Owners Association David Stowe - Newton Commonwealth Golf Course Keith Tortorella – Country Club Enterprises The companies and donors listed above have generously donated their financial support to help make the Scholarship and Benevolence Trust an entity that can support scholarships for members’ children and grandchildren and help support those in time of need. To all of them we offer a hearty thank you. 2019 Scholarship Recipients Samuel Stowe, son of David Stowe, CGCS, Superintendent at Newton Commonwealth Golf Course. Samuel received the Thomas Schofield Memorial Scholarship. Kaitlin McLeod, daughter of Scott McLeod, Sales Representative for Tuckahoe Turf Farms. Kaitlin received the David Comee Memorial Award. Others who received awards: Christopher Casey, son of Mark Casey, Sales Representative at Finch Services/John Deere Golf. Ashley Cromack, daughter of Brian Cromack, Superintendent at Quidnessett Country Club. Cara Cummins, daughter of Drew Cummins, Sales Representative at Nutrien Solutions. Matthew D’Errico, son of Don D’Errico, Superintendent at KOHR Golf. Lindsey Graham, daughter of Rich Gagnon, Superintendent at Meadow Brook Golf Club. Olivia Juneau, daughter of Brian Juneau, Sales Representative at Turf Enhancement Enterprises. 11 October 2019 The Growing Challenges Facing Golf Superintendents By Ron Whitten This article is being presented with the permission of Golf Digest and Ron Whitten, Senior Editor, Architecture, Golf Digest. By any measure, Dave Wilber is an expert in turfgrass. He started working on golf courses when he was 15. At 21, he became a super- intendent in Denver. At 24, he took a job in Northern California and instituted one of the first fully organic golf-course maintenance programs in the country at Lake Wildwood Country Club, a quiet second-home community at the base of Donner Pass. That was in 1990, half a decade before sustainable golf became an industry trend. As a leader of the movement, Wilber began advising other superin- tendents, and in 1993 he left Lake Wildwood to work full time as a turfgrass consultant. He was quickly in demand and became an early presence on the Internet, first as a blogger, later as a colum- nist, most recently with podcasts. Big, bulky and bearded, Wilber, now 53, is passionate about his profession. He calls himself the Turfgrass Zealot and has a stock speech about his successes. “As an independent consultant,†he says, “I’ve built golf courses on six continents, I’ve played golf on seven continents, I’ve worked in over 80 countries, I worked on more than 45 of the world’s top-100 golf courses in some advisory capacity.†Those courses include Friar’s Head in New York, Kingsbarns in Scotland and Barnbougle Dunes in Australia. Wilber is the last person you would think would try to take his life. Yet behind his gregarious façade was self-loathing. He feared not a failure, but success—as more clubs beckoned him to solve their problems, the more time he’d be away from home, slapping on his master showman smile each day, retreating each evening to the iso- lation of a crummy motel room. He was convinced that he wasn’t worthy of anything—not acclaim, not friendship, not love. sion or something worse is still considered taboo in this occupa- tion, just as it is in many other lines of work. Wilber admits his candor about his suicide attempt, which he revealed two years ago on the website Turfnet, might cost him his career. But he no longer cares. He believes it’s essential to bring these issues to the forefront because it might save someone. “When I started writing about my struggles on Turfnet,†he says, “I got an inbox full of responses from golf-course superintendents— like 60 emails—mostly supportive. One said, ‘Don’t tell anybody, but I’ve dealt with depression, too.’ Another told me, ‘I wanted to kill myself, too.’ It was mind-numbing. “We need to get this out in the open. Real people have real struggles, and they shouldn’t have to beat themselves to death for what they are or aren’t at work.†A worst-case scenario in the industry has long been, Lose Your Greens, Lose Your Job. The concern of Wilber, as well as others going public with their mental illness, is a far more horrifying pos- sibility: Lose Your Greens, Take Your Life. Sobering Numbers The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention estimates that suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States. In 2017, the foundation estimates 47,173 Americans died by suicide, and there were 1.4 million attempts, though the numbers might well be under-reported. In the past decade, there have been reports of superintendents ending their lives, most of them unconfirmed because loved ones wished to keep the information private. Perhaps the most promi- nent name associated with that fate is Stan George, the highly regarded, even beloved, superintendent of Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan. In his 30 years at Prairie Dunes, George had prepared the course for many prominent tournaments, includ- ing the 2002 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2006 U.S. Senior Open. So in 2015, Wilber picked up a 90-day prescription, a beta-blocker for his heart rate, opened the bottle and swallowed its contents. “I was thinking it would shut off my heart,†Wilber says. “All it did was make me super sick. I dozed off, then woke up vomiting it all up. I’m thinking, God, I’m such a f—up I can’t even off myself. I can’t even get that job done.†Wilber drove himself to a local emergency room, seeking help. It wasn’t the first time he’d made such a drive. Wilber is not the only one in the turfgrass business dealing with such an issue. Maintaining a golf course is a high-risk occupation and can put one’s physical well-being, personal relationships and mental health at risk. But revealing struggles with anxiety, depres- At George’s funeral in 2013, friends and acquaintances quietly but openly discussed the generally accepted conclusion that his death was a suicide, the official record being sealed. No one saw it com- ing. One friend thought George had found bliss in a cabin he had built about 20 miles from the golf course, a place where he could get away from the job. But that’s where his body was found. Heady Highs to Incredible Lows At 31, Kasey Kauff was head superintendent of the Highlands Course at Atlanta Athletic Club and prepared its state-of-the-art turfgrasses for the 2011 PGA Championship. The course was so flawless that Golf Digest proclaimed it the standard by which tour- nament golf in the Deep South would be judged. After a short stint in Orlando, in 2014 Kauff moved to Dallas, 12 The Newsletter where he grew in the turf at the new Trinity Forest Golf Club, then prepared it for the PGA Tour’s AT&T Byron Nelson the past two years. There, tour players faced a new strain of zoysia grass named for the club, which Kauff had tightly shaved everywhere to be firm, dry and springy. For his efforts, Golf Digest awarded the club its annual Green Star environmental award in 2018. But Kauff considered himself a failure at his personal life. He bounced from incredible highs to days where he refused to leave the house, or even get out of bed. His inability to cope with his depression and anxiety led to a failed marriage and then a failed re- lationship. He refused to seek counseling at first, then was reluctant to confront his problems in counseling. His depression became so deep that he began thinking about how he might kill himself. The idea became so realistic, and so frightening, that Kauff took his shotgun, which he used for duck hunting, and put it in a storage locker, then stored the shotgun shells at another location. Do not keep them together, he remembers thinking. It’s too enticing. Dealing with Stress Jason Haines, 34, the superintendent at Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia, has felt the stress and anxiety of his profession for as long as he has been in the business. For him, it’s a particu- larly seasonal phenomenon. For six months of the year, the weather is cool and rainy, and stress is low. But every July and August, when the temperature and humidity rise to critical levels, placing his greens in jeopardy, his anxiety also rises. “It’s something I’ve always battled,†Haines says. “The more dif- ficult the conditions are on the golf course, the harder you have to work, and more often than not, the worse the course looks. There’s no positive feedback. You’re grinding away, and the course looks like crap.†“That time of year everyone is pretty high-strung—even golfers,†Haines says. “But hitting into the group ahead? What’s with that? You come out on the golf course on the busiest weekend of the year and you expect to play a three-hour round? That’s not realistic. “That was the one time I let my emotions get the best of me. I learned from it.†Panic Attacks Miranda Robinson, 34, goes by the nickname of Moe, a nickname her two brothers gave her in her youth, and by the turf-related variation of Mow on social media. She has been in the course- maintenance business since 2005. “I brought my anxiety with me when I joined the industry,†she says, “although I didn’t recognize in the beginning how stressful the job would be.†The history that Robinson recites is enough to give anyone pause. She says she grew up with an alcoholic father. One brother was epileptic, and she coached him through many seizures. Eventually he became addicted to drugs. With support from her family, both are now in recovery. “I’ve always been the extrovert, the person everyone relied on,†she says. “I still am. I tend to take on everyone’s feelings, and I didn’t fully realize how much it was affecting me.†Then one of Robinson’s close friends, Trish, a high school valedic- torian, prom queen and president of the athletic union, died from cancer at 20. “She was the most incredible person I’d ever met,†Robinson says. “She was destined to do the best things in life, and suddenly she was gone. The pressure of the job came to a head one weekend a decade ago, when he was superintendent at nearby Pender Harbor Golf Course. Haines was on a backhoe, digging a trench to fix an irrigation break in the middle of a fairway about 100 yards off a tee box. He’d just let one group of golfers play through when another golfer appeared on the tee and hit a ball over him and into the group ahead. Then a second golfer teed off, and the ball hit the backhoe, just inches from Haines’ head. Haines screamed at the golfer, jumped off the machine and charged at him. He ran the golfer off the course and into the parking lot, cursing at him to never come back. He actually made the guy cry. “At the time, I had no idea why I completely lost it,†Haines says. “I didn’t hit him, but it was close. It was an overreaction, for sure. I shouldn’t have screamed at him. But I still would have asked him to leave. 13 October 2019 “My whole life came crashing down on me. I was working nights at a General Motors assembly plant. I found out that my boyfriend had cheated on me with some girl, so we broke up. Then one day, my arms went numb and I couldn’t breathe. I thought I was having a heart attack and dying. I went to a hospital, and they told me I’d suffered a panic attack. That was the first time I’d ever heard of that.†She went to a family doctor, who gave her an antidepressant. She took it for two months but suffered more panic attacks, so she quit the medication, deciding to research what caused such sensations and how to battle them. At the same time, she quit her General Motors job, which she hated, despite its $32-per-hour wage, and joined a couple of girlfriends working for $8 an hour on the sum- mer maintenance crew at Oliver’s Nest Golf Club near Toronto. “I thought it would be something to distract my brain,†she says. “I love being outside, being in nature. It really helped me at first. Then as I took on more management roles, I started to realize how much it was playing a part in my anxiety.†She’d taken a full-time job at the course and rapidly moved up from staff member to assistant superintendent to head superinten- dent. In 2016, she became the superintendent at Summerlea Golf Club in Port Perry, Ontario. “It’s an 18-hole executive course, a mom-and-pop place where I could be comfortable and not worry about my anxiety,†Robinson says. “The owner was younger than me and female. I went into my interview saying, ‘I have an anxiety disorder, and some days I’ll just need to either leave or not come in for a couple of hours, just to keep myself sane.’ And she was like, ‘Yep, I totally appreciate that.’ So she hired me, and it was perfect.†Still, life has a way of sometimes tossing a brick into the most spotless of windshields. One day, Robinson was asked to check on an acquaintance who hadn’t answered the phone. She found the person unconscious in a bathroom, the result of swallowing a bottle of pills. Robinson made sure the person coughed up all the pills and urged an emergency-room visit. Robinson also had a friend who had developed ALS. She’d visit him periodically, trying to stay upbeat for his sake, each time sob- bing uncontrollably on the drive home. She experienced more panic attacks, and after a bad break-up with her live-in boyfriend, she quit her job and moved as far away as she could, to British Columbia, taking an assistant superintendent’s position at Cordova Bay Golf Club. But her anxiety followed her. “It’s been more than 15 years,†she says, “and I’m just now getting a grasp on how to navigate through life with this.†Support Group What these four people have in common, besides their dedica- tion to the craft and their struggles with mental-health issues, is that they know one another. In the past two years, they have met and corresponded, summoning the courage to talk about intimate details and listening attentively to the others. They’ve formed an informal support group that’s willing to include and embrace oth- ers in the turfgrass industry who might be struggling in silence. These four are quick to point out that their profession is not unique. Stress, anxiety and depression can be far greater among those who routinely deal in life-and-death situations: police of- ficers, firefighters, airline pilots, air-traffic controllers, surgeons. But it’s not a contest about which job description is the most hazardous to one’s health. These four are focused on the turfgrass industry because they know from experience the unique tribulations that accompany their profession. Every course superintendent, whether at a high-end private club or a low-budget nine-hole layout, faces expectations from the clien- tele that are often unreasonable. It can be like having 200 bosses. Superintendents try their best to meet or exceed expectations, but they can’t control the weather, and there are no universal antidotes. Each golf course is unique, and variables can confound the task of growing grass. It’s all solvable, but it depends on time, money and workers, three things nearly every superintendent lacks in some degree. There’s no denying that the inherent pressures of the occupation can add to the inner struggles. If the demands become overwhelm- ing, why not find a less-stressful occupation? “Because this is what I love to do,†Kauff says. “I’ve never done anything else. It’s what I’m good at.†Good Stress Versus Bad Stress Joseph LeFevre (pronounced la-fay) has a master’s in clinical psychology, and for the past 20 years he has practiced marriage and family therapy in San Jose. During that time, he has counseled hundreds on issues of stress, anxiety and depression, including some in the golf industry, and recently addressed a regional confer- ence of superintendents on stress management. Stress, LeFevre told them, is a normal part of human existence. It helps us grow and achieve. Some stress is good, because it teaches us how to develop coping skills. Starting a new job, getting mar- ried and buying a house are examples of good stress. But bad stress can lead to anxiety or depression. LeFevre defines anxiety as an exaggerated response to something that is troubling or unknown. Anxiety can range from panic attacks, which are normally a tem- porary condition, to severe anxiety disorders. Depression is a bit different. LeFevre defines depression as a deepening response of sadness or hopelessness, often brought on by something troubling or unknown. It, too, has many classifications of severity, with the worst form usually associated with morbidity. “There can be neurochemistry at work in both,†LeFevre says. “Our neurochemistry helps us rebound if we’re experiencing a high or a low. But if the neurotransmitters in our brain aren’t sufficient, we lose that healthy balance. The neurotransmitters can be ad- justed by medication, exercise, diet, rest or a combination of those.†But it’s not all biological, he says. Two people can have the same diet, exercise routine and amount of sleep and still experience 14 The Newsletter 15 October 2019 totally different moods. This is where the stress of an occupation comes into play. At one end, LeFevre says, are a tiny number of people who thrive on extreme stress, as if it’s a constant adrenaline rush. At the other extreme are a tiny number who can’t deal with stress at all and sometimes become suicidal. In between are the vast majority, who tolerate the stress of their work, or struggle with it, but learn to adapt. A few in the center might consider quitting their jobs to relieve the stress, but they would rarely think of quitting their lives. As for golf-course superintendents, LeFevre says, stress reduction can be as easy as lowering expectations. “Excellence is a worthy, achievable goal,†he says. “Perfection is unattainable.†A similar message has been expressed by Paul MacCormack in his blog, The Mindful Superintendent. MacCormack, 45, is super- intendent and general manager of Fox Meadows Golf Course in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. His friend Jason Haines considers him the pioneer of mental-health awareness among superintendents. MacCormack has written his blog for the website Turfnet since late 2012. He bases many of his observations on his experiences, the 14-hour workdays that put his marriage in jeopardy, the burnout that caused him to leave the business for six months, the job offer he accepted only after promising his wife that things would be different. He credits his self-awareness to a book his wife gave him, After The Ecstasy, The Laundry, by Jack Kornfield, a longtime proponent of Buddhist mindfulness. MacCormack is now training with Kornfield to become a certified mindfulness instructor. “l’ve learned better ways to manage my stress,†MacCormack says. “My life is now better, and work is easier. I do far less now than I’ve ever done in my career, but I’m way better at what I do. Because I zero in on what needs to be done, and I don’t fret about the stuff that we’ll get to when we get to it.†In 2018, inspired by MacCormack’s blog, Haines filmed a 20-min- ute video titled, Why Am I So Stressed? Within a day of posting it, he says, he received more than 100 messages from superinten- dents who told him they were feeling the same way. But he also got trolled. One respondent wrote in part, “Jason Haines is a snowflake superintendent. All snowflakes easily melt under the scrutiny of science, reason and sanity.†Haines was offended. “It’s a slur implying we’re delicate and weak,†he says. “What’s so bad about having emotions and sharing them?†His friend Wilber was also offended and came to his defense, tweeting, “Snowflake was a word the Nazis used to describe the Jews they were going to ‘melt’ in the ovens. You might want to think about a better choice of words. I doubt you’d speak this way to any of us if we were at the same table.†When Kasey Kauff revealed his mental-health issues on Twitter in late 2018, one respondent told him to “Put your big-boy pant- 16 The Newsletter ies on.†Another said Kauff was simply “facing a case of the Blue Mondays,†though Kauff says club members have been very supportive. Internalizing stress, anxiety or depression is never healthy, LeFevre says. Yet in most businesses today, there exists a culture of denial, especially among men, who refuse to expose their inner selves. “It’s a matter of identity,†LeFevre says. “We tie our self-worth with our occupation. That becomes our identity, and we can’t deal with the possibility of losing our identity. “It’s ingrained in our society. When we meet someone new, we never ask, ‘What do you do in your spare time?’ We always ask, ‘What do you do for a living?’ †Calling Haines a snowflake? In his spare time, Jason serves as a team leader on a 30-man search-and-rescue team in British Columbia. In July 2018, his team roped down a 300-foot cliff to rescue five climbers who’d become stuck halfway up. After Haines and his team completed that task, they were rushed to the scene of an airplane crash, where they retrieved three survivors. For the past two years, MacCormack has jointly presented, with his friend Chris Tritabaugh, superintendent at Hazeltine National in Minnesota, a Mindful Superintendent seminar at the Golf Industry Show, the annual conference and trade fair conducted by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). In 2019, the seminar was one of the few sessions that was sold out in advance, with a crowd in excess of the room capacity of 150. For the 2020 show, MacCormack proposed a session that would feature Haines, Wilber, Kauff and Robinson. The GCSAA turned down the proposal. “They told me they really liked the idea, but they had a few li- ability questions,†MacCormack says. “They felt if somebody in the audience really posed a difficult question on suicide, it would be more helpful to have a professional therapist on the panel to help field a question like that, because none of us are experts on the stuff. To tell you the truth, they’re totally right.†But Kauff and Wilber were frustrated by the decision. Kauff wrote on his Twitter feed, “Maybe others would realize they aren’t alone and feel courage to seek help. You can live with this and be success- ful. That would be the message.†Wilbur tweeted, “I am indeed an expert on my own life. And that’s what I was asked to share.†Shelia Finney, a former course superintendent now in her third year as GCSAA’s senior director of member programs, says the organization is dedicated to addressing the mental well-being of its membership. Finney says there will be five seminars at the 2020 Golf Industry Show devoted to various aspects of mental health, including MacCormack’s Mindful Superintendent. The others are tentatively titled Better Thoughts for Better Living, Emotional Intelligence for the Turf Professional, Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout, and Demons of Greenkeeping. Finney adds that a popular free education session, Lightning-round Learning, designed to cover many topics and engage audience par- ticipation, will feature a round on suicide prevention led by Lori A. Hoffner, a longtime suicide-intervention specialist from Denver. “I applaud them,†MacCormack says. “If something said during this short talk illuminates something and saves a life, then it’s worth every penny.†MacCormack says he intends to again submit his proposed panel discussion for the 2021 conference, including a professional therapist. ‘Nothing Time’ Each person dealing with mental-health issues must develop his or her own coping mechanisms, ideally in consultation with a profes- sional, LeFevre says. Robinson says she no longer sees a therapist but sets aside definite time for herself. “I call it my Nothing Time,†she says. “It’s time when I do nothing at all, like just sitting in the yard and staring at the clouds. Or it’s time when Nothing Else Matters, except what I’m doing. I might be doing something artistic that day. Or I might climb a hill and stand at the summit. Or go on a long car ride to a place I’ve never been before. “The point is, it’s time for myself, to have my personal thoughts and be at peace. That’s the time I regenerate my mental health.†Jason Haines says he has learned to relax and meditate. His search- and-rescue training has helped, because it includes professional counseling. He is also more cognizant of anticipating problems to take preventive measures, with regard to his golf course and his health. “I know August is the time of year when I’m going to feel stressed,†he says. “Last August, I knew it was coming, so I set aside some family time. It wasn’t perfect, but last August was the best I’ve felt in any August in years. I like to think what I’m doing is working.†Dave Wilber, who has experienced nearly 30 years of depression, several panic attacks, a divorce, suicidal thoughts and two suicide attempts, figures that he’ll likely be on antidepressants for the rest of his life. He sees a therapist twice a month, tries to meditate daily and has simplified his life. “My days of 245 nights a year on the road are over,†he says. “In the digital age, we can video things back and forth. I can attend greens-committee meetings via Skype. I can review irrigation data remotely.†Kasey Kauff also takes an antidepressant and participates in yoga therapy. “It’s intensive,†he says. “We’ll talk for 40 minutes about any anx- ious feelings I might have. Then we’ll apply yoga principles, breath- ing techniques, to ground myself, to resolve issues for myself. “Most of my anxieties are ridiculous these days,†Kauff says. “I’m a huge Dave Matthews fan, and I recently traveled to Wisconsin 17 October 2019 to attend a concert. When I got to the hotel room, I kept debating whether I should go to the concert or stay in the room. Should I go? No, don’t go! No, go! No, don’t do it! I finally forced myself to get up and go to the show, and I had a great time. But that’s the sort of thing I face.†On his right wrist, Kauff has tattoos of three stars, because, he says, he’s a dreamer. They’re deliberately misaligned because he feels imperfections are beautiful. Last December, Kauff added another tattoo among the stars. It’s a semicolon, symbolizing solidarity against suicide. The tattoo symbol was popularized by Amy Bleuel, who founded a suicide-prevention organization in Wisconsin and called it Project Semicolon because, as she told People magazine in 2015, “In literature, a semicolon is used when an author chooses not to end a sentence.†Bleuel died in 2017 at 31, a suspected suicide. 18 The Newsletter STRICTLY BUSINESS by Pat Jones So why is this happening now? We asked Rand Jerris, the senior managing director of public services, and here’s what he said: “Earlier this year, the USGA presented a strictly voluntary retirement incentive to more than 60 employees across the organization who were part of a pension plan that was offered to employees who joined the USGA prior to 2008. We made a decision to freeze the pension plan based on participation numbers. We opted to provide each person in the plan who was over the age of 55 a one-time option to receive additional years of eligi- bility and other benefits (such as continued healthcare) if they chose to retire early. Among those eligible, 49 accepted the offer — 11 of whom worked for the USGA Green Section.†It’s seemingly all about money and a pension plan that got hammered by the recession. Half the companies in America have had the same problem. As that famed management guru Michael Corleone once said, “It’s not personal. It’s strictly business.†Unfortunately, there is a very personal side to all of this. I bet virtually all of you reading this know at least one of the eight Green Section veterans who have accepted the retirement of- fer. Some of you, like me, know all of them: Dave Oatis … Jim Skorulski … Patrick O’Brien … Pat Gross … Larry Gilhuly … Bob Vavrek … Dr. Mike Kenna … Dr. Kimberly Erusha. Three admin employees also accepted retirements: Shelly Foy, Denise Covell and Karen White. Let that sink in for a minute. As a friend pointed out on Twitter, those individuals represent col- lectively 325 years of top-level experience. To paraphrase the late Ross Perot, that giant suck- ing sound you hear is three cen- turies of wisdom being removed from the Green Section. But beyond experience, the USGA is jettisoning a far more valuable golf industry asset. In fact, it’s the most valuable com- modity in our entire commu- nity: relationships. Each of these folks has hun- dreds of decades-long relation- ships with club leaders, superin- tendents, academics, architects, builders and even media who are critical to the USGA’s mis- sion. While I understand that it’s only business, I also tend to think the folks in charge at Golf House don’t fully realize what they are giving up in order to fix the pension plan and move on with the evolution of the Green Section. So, things change and we move on. But this time can we all do one thing that we don’t normal- ly do when there’s some kind of seismic corporate shuffle? Can we all just say thanks to these folks? Call them. Write them a thank-you note. Buy them a drink. Take them to dinner. Log on to Twitter or Facebook and express your gratitude. Let them know that you genuinely appreciate all they’ve done for us. Or you could write them a column like this and just say “thank you.†Pat Jones is the editor-at-large of Golf Course Industry. He can be reached at pjones@gie.net. 19 In just the past five years, our industry has seen some huge corporate changes. Mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, upsizing and even a few companies that exited the golf market entirely. While it’s never fun for the people involved in that kind of turmoil, we tend to call it “business as usual†and not bat an eye. Some other company will come along and serve those needs, right? But when another large organization in golf announced recently it was reducing its headcount through voluntary retirement incen- tives, it raised a lot of eyebrows. Why would the venerable United States Golf Association need to cut its staff just a few years after announcing a ginormous TV deal with Fox? Why do the cuts seem to hit hardest within the already diminished Green Section, where 11 senior folks were offered and accepted early retirements? Allow me a few observations ... The Green Section’s mission had already been evolving over the past decade from dispensing agronomic expertise to superinten- dents to helping clubs with business, labor and communications challenges. Why? Quite simply, most private club superintendents don’t need the turfgrass consulting services that were the original driving force behind the Green Section. Turfgrass science is now everywhere thanks to universities, industry, private consultants and Twitter. Consequently, the number of clubs willing to pay the an- nual fee for consulting also shrank. We’re also seeing the USGA take much the same route as universi- ties — providing education and extension via social and digital media as the resources required to do face-to-face events and visits dry up. Adam Moeller and his team are doing an outstanding job of creating and disseminating focused, timely information via the weekly Green Section Record e-newsletter and an amazing catalog of short videos designed to educate golfers about the realities of agronomy. Originally printed in the October issue of GCI Magazine October 2019 Divot Drift WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Evan Embrey, Assistant Superintendent, The Woodlands Club Jim Skorulski, USGA retired, Honorary Member (was for- merly an ex officio member as the regional agronomist for the USGA’s Green Section) Back Issues! Past issues of the NEWSLETTER are available using this link: http://bit.ly/GCSANEnewsletters. As in the past, The Newsletter continues to invite Affiliate members to submit a press release about new personnel, new products or a company bio. We will print each and every release free of charge. This is a great way to advertise for free. Who said nothing in this world is free? Free advertising to better your company, wow what an offer. GCSANE Offers Website Banner advertising at www.gcsane.org The price is $500 for one year which will be re-occurring annually from your first billing unless otherwise specified. For more information, please contact Don Hearn at 774-430-9040 or donhearn@gcsane.org OUR PASSION IS YOUR SUCCESS With Tom Irwin, you’re not alone. Harris Schnare | 800-582-5959 | harris@tomirwin.com 20 The Newsletter 21 October 2019 Please patronize these Friends of the Association Agresource, Inc. 110 Boxford Rd. Rowley, MA 01969 Agresource Inc. is a proud manufacturer and distributor of quality compost, soil, and sand throughout the northeast for over 30 years. Agresport, a division of Agresource focused on materials and services specifically for the golf and sports fields market working together to enhance and maintain your unique properties Dave Harding office: (978) 388-5110 cell: (978) 904-1203 Mike Carignan 978-270-9132 mcarignan@agresourceinc.com www.agresourceinc.com Atlantic Golf & Turf 9 Industrial Boulevard Turners Falls, MA 01376 Specializing in agronomy through the distribution of fertilizer, seed & chemicals throughout New England. Chris Cowan (413) 530-5040 Paul Jamrog (401) 524-3322 Scott Mackintosh CPAg (774) 551-6083 www.atlanticgolfandturf.com A-OK Turf Equipment Inc. 1357 Main St. Coventry, RI 02816-8435 Lastec, Tycrop, Blec, Wiedenmann, Therrien, Graden, Sweep & Fill, Baroness, & used equipment. Mike Cornicelli (401) 826-2584 www.pavewithasi.com Barenbrug USA Suppliers of supercharged bentgrasses now with Aquatrols, Turf Blue HGT, Regenerating perennial rye (RPG), and Turfsaver RTF, the only rhizomatous tall fescue on the market. Harley Ingham jingham@barusa.com BASF Turf & Ornamental 169 Kings Hwy Hancock, NH 03449 “We don’t make the turf. We make it better.†Pete Jacobson (919) 530-9062 peter.jacobson@basf.com Charles C. Hart Seed Co., Inc. 304 Main St. Wethersfield, CT 06109 Authorized distributor for Bayer, Syngenta, Grigg Brothers foliar fertilizers, & Aquatrols. Specializing in custom seed blends. Robin Hayes (508) 237-2642 BACKED by BAYER Building on an already solid foundation of proven products to help you succeed. Country Club Enterprises PO Box 670, 29 Tobey Rd. W. Wareham, MA 02676 Brian Giblin (508) 439-9809 brian.giblin@bayer.com www.backedbybayer.com Beals & Thomas, Inc. 144 Turnpike Road Southborough, MA 01772 32 Court Street Plymouth, MA 02360 Civil Engineers–Landscape Architects–Land Surveyors–Planners–Environmental Specialists Sarah Stearns 508-366-0560 sstearns@bealsandthomas.com Beals & Thomas specializes in golf course site design services including irrigation pond analysis & design, drainage & utility improvements, permitting, hydrogeologic evaluations, construction administration, boundary & topographic surveys, master planning & project design. The Cardinals, Inc. 166 River Rd., PO Box 520 Unionville, CT 06085 Golf course & landscape supplies. John Callahan (860) 916-3947 Dennis Friel (617) 755-6558 Cavicchio Greenhouses, Inc. 110 Codjer Lane Sudbury, MA 01776 Annuals, perennials, garden mums, ground covers, loam, & mulch. Darren Young (978) 443-7177 Club Car golf cars, Carryall utility vehicles. Keith Tortorella (508) 982-4820 Mike Giles (978) 454-5472 Cub Cadet / MTD Products Cub Cadet’s innovative products utilize advanced technologies to enable turf managers to achieve consistently excellent turf conditions, reduce operational costs and improve overall turf health. From robotic greens mowers to all-electric pitch mowers, explore how Cub Cadet is “Unlocking Possible†and setting the standard for turf that delivers: www.cubcadetturf.com DAF Services, Inc. 20 Lawnacre Rd. Windsor Locks, CT 06096 Custom pumping solutions. Custom pump controls. Complete pump service. Serving all of New England. Dick Young (860) 623-5207 Dependable Petroleum Service One Roberts Road Plymouth, MA 02360 UST / AST facility maintenance, installation & compliance testing. Bruce Garrett / Francis Turner (508) 747-6238 bgarrett@dependablecompany.com www.dependablecompany.com 22 The Newsletter Finch Services, Inc. Finch Services is your premier John Deere Golf Distributor in the Northeast. Irrigation Management & Services 21 Lakeview Ave. Natick, MA 01760 Wesley Weyant (978) 758-8671 Bill Rockwell (508) 789-5293 Mark Casey (617) 447-4076 Call or visit our website at www.finchinc.com Five Star Golf Cars & Utility Vehicles 174 Main Street Buzzards Bay, MA 02532 Irrigation consultation, design, & system evaluation. Bob Healey, ASIC, CID (508) 653-0625 Ken Jones Tire, Inc. 71-73 Chandler St. Worcester, MA 01613 Distributor of tires for lawn & garden, trucks, cars, industrial equipment, & golf cars. E-Z GO Golf Cars, Cushman Utility Vehicles Gerry Jones (508) 755-5255 Andrew Ingham (617) 780-5482 Andrew@fivestargolfcars.com MA Territory Harrell’s LLC 19 Technology Drive Auburn, MA 01501 Turf & Ornamental supplies. Chuck Bramhall (508) 400-0600 Jim Cohen (978) 337-0222 Mike Kroian (401) 265-5353 Mike Nagle (508) 380-1668 Jim Favreau (978) 227-2758 Helena Chemical Company 101 Elm Street Hatfield, MA 01038 National distributors of all your turf chemicals & fertilizers. Extensive line of Helena Branded wetting agents, foliars, micro nutrients & adjuvants. Louis Bettencourt, CGCS (978) 580-8166 Chris Leonard (339) 793-3705 www.helenachemical.com International Golf Construction Co. 5 Purcell Rd. Arlington, MA 02474 Golf course construction. Antonios Paganis (781) 648-2351 (508) 428-3022 Larchmont Engineering & Irrigation 11 Larchmont Lane Lexington, MA 02420 Offering a full range of inventory for irrigation drainage, pumps, fountains & landscape lighting products & services for all of your residential & commercial needs. (781) 862-2550 Susan Tropeano Lazaro’s Golf Course Supplies & Accessories dba Hammond Paint & Chemical Co., Inc. 738 Main St., Suite 223 Waltham, MA 02154 Complete line for all your of golf course supplies. Par Aide, Standard, Eagle One, turf & ornamentals, aquatics, turf marking paint, safety items, adjuvants. Joe Lazaro–cell: (617) 285-8670 Fax: (781) 647-0787 Email: jlazaro698@aol.com www.lazarogolfcoursesupplies.com Maher Services 71 Concord Street N. Reading, MA 01864 Well drilling, pump service & well maintenance Peter Maher cell: (781) 953-8167 or (978) 664-WELL (9355) Fax (978) 664-9356 www.maherserv.com Mayer Tree Service Providing a wide range of tree care from Plant Health Care to tree removal. Mobile wood waste grinding services. Stump grinding. Land clearing. Loam and mulch delivery. Tree pruning to enhance shot value and playability. Richard Grant (978) 500-8849 rich@mayertree.com MAS Golf Course Construction 60 Lumber St. Hopkinton, MA 01748 Fulfilling all your renovation and construction needs. Matthew Staffieri (508) 243-2443 matt@masgolfconstruction www.masgolfconstruction.com McNulty Construction Corp. P. O. Box 3218 Framingham, MA 01705 Asphalt paving of cart paths, walkways, parking areas; imprinted asphalt. John McNulty (508) 879-8875 MTE, Inc. – Turf Equipment Solutions 115 Franklin Street Extension Derry, NH 03038 New England’s source for equipment: New & pre-owned mowers, tractors, & maintenance items from: Jacobsen, Turfco, Smithco, Ventrac, Redexim, Neary Grinders, Ryan, Buffalo Turbine, Mahindra, Gravely, Standard, Par-Aide & others. Sales, Parts, & Service all brands. Derry Shop: (603) 404-2286 Rob Nolek: (617) 990-2427 Eastern MA Jess Hamilton: (603) 500-3936 NH Sean Smith: (207) 385-6684 ME Bob Barrow: (401) 537-8597 RI Alan Hubbard: (413) 355-0603 23 October 2019 Please patronize these Friends of the Association Mungeam Cornish Golf Design, Inc. 195 SW Main Street Douglas, MA 01516 Golf course architects Office: (508) 476-5630 Cell: (508) 873-0103 Email: info@mcgolfdesign.com Contact: Mark A. Mungeam, ASGCA www.mcgolfdesign.com New England Specialty Soils 435 Lancaster Street Leominster, MA 01453 1mm. Top Dressing Sand, High Density Bunker Sand, Rootzone Mixes, Tee Blends, Divot Mixes, Bridging Stone, Cart Path Mix, Infield Mixes, Inorganic Amendments, SLOPE LOCK Soil. Bob Doran (978) 230-2244 John Toomey (978) 660-0175 Lauren Baldarelli (978) 860-5469 www.nesoils.com New England Turf Farm, Inc. P.O. Box 777 West Kingston, RI 02892 Many types of tallgrasses and bentgrass available for golf courses, sports turf and landscapers. Expert installation available. Office: (800) 451-2900 Ernie Ketchum (508) 364-4428 erniesod@comcast.net Mike Brown (508) 272-1827 www.newenglandturf.com NMP Golf Construction Corp. 25 Bishop Ave. Ste. A-2, Williston, VT 05495 Golf course construction Mario Poirier (888) 707-0787 Northeast Golf & Turf Supply 6 Dearborn Road Peabody, MA 01960 Complete line of Golf Course, Landscape & Lawn Care Construction & Maintenance Supplies Tom Rowell (978) 317-0673 Jeff Brown (508) 868-8495 Dan Ricker (978) 317-7320 North Shore Hydroseeding 49 North Putnam St. Danvers, MA 01923 Hydroseeding & erosion control services. Brian King (978) 762-8737 www.nshydro.com Nutrien Solutions Suppliers of Chemicals, Fertilizer, & Grass Seed (978) 685-3300 Nick Burchard (401) 601-7213 Drew Cummins (401) 952-4219 www.nutrien.com On-Course Golf Inc., Design/Build 16 Maple Street Acton, MA 01720 Golf Course Craftsmen. We serve all your remodeling and renovation needs. You can trust your project with us! We make you look good! Sean Hanley (978) 337-6661 www.on-coursegolf.com Precision Laboratories 1428 S. Shields Drive Waukegan, IL 60083 Specialized chemistries that enhance plants, seeds, soil and water. Greg Bennett 978-877-3772 www.precisionlab.com Prime Source 3208 Peach Street Erie, PA 16508 National, full line distributor of turf, ornamental & specialty products. Exclusive distributor of Prime Source branded pesticides & specialty products. Mike Blatt, Northeast Territory Manager (814) 440-7658 Putnam Pipe Corp. Hopkinton & Taunton, MA Read Custom Soils 5 Pond Park Road, Suite 1 Hingham, MA 02043 Consistent sand for the next twenty years. Top dressing sands, root zone blends, high density bunker sand,“early green†black sand, divot & cart path mixes. Mark Pendergrast (617) 686-5590 Garrett Whitney (617) 697-4247 Ed Downing (508) 440-1833 www.readcustomsoils.com SiteOne Landscape Supply, LLC 7 Lincoln Road Foxboro, MA 02035 Offerringh our customers the most complete line of products, service & expertise in the industry. Ron Tumiski (508) 697-2757 Sodco Inc. PO Box 2 Slocum, Rl 02877 1-800-341-6900 Black Beauty, Tall Fescue, Green & Fairway Height Bent, Short Cut Black Beauty, Short Cut Blue, 90-10 Fine Fescue Installation options available Contact: Pat Hogan, Alicia Pearson Southwest Putting Greens of Boston P.O. Box 827 Westford, MA 01886 Synthetic turf, tee lines, practice greens, outdoor & indoor practice facilities. Douglas Preston (978) 250-5996 Syngenta Professional Products P.O. Box 1775 Wells, ME 04090 John Bresnahan (413) 333-9914 Melissa Hyner Gugliotti (860) 221-5712 Target Specialty Products 165 Grove Street, Suite 70 Franklin, MA 02038 Distributor of water, sewer, drain and stormwater pipe & fittings. Erosion & sediment control products. Free delivery & 24-hour service. Supplier of fertilizer, chemicals & grass seed. Jim Pritchard, Territory Manager 401-862-1098 Glenn Larrabee 774-670-8880 David Putnam 508-435-3090 24 The Newsletter Tartan Farms, LLC P.O. Box 983 West Kingston, RI 02892 Dave Wallace (401) 641-0306 Tanto Irrigation 5 N. Payne street Elmsford, NY 10532 Golf Irrigation specialists. Proudly providing the Golf Industry with irrigation services for over 50 Years. Bill Bartels 914-347-5151 tantoirrigation.com Tom Irwin Inc. 13 A Street Burlington, MA 01803 (800) 582-5959 We bring you a network of professionals and innovative solutions dedicated to your success. With Tom Irwin, you’re not alone. Tree Tech, Inc. 6 Springbrook Rd Foxboro, MA 02035 Foxboro, Wellesley, Fall River Full service tree service specializing in zero impact tree removal, stump grinding, tree pruning & tree risk assessments by our team of Certified Arborists. Andy Felix (508) 543-5644 Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Inc. PO Box 167 Wood River Junction, Rl 02894 Tuckahoe Turf grows some of the finest sod in the Northeast. We grow Kentucky Bluegrass, Fine Fescue, Tall Fescue, and Blue/Fescue blends. We also have several bentgrass varieties at both tee and green height. Please call for details. Scott McLeod (401) 230-2631 Peter DeBrusk (603) 819-9700 800-556-6985 TurfCloud powered by GreenSight 12 Channel Street, Ste 605 Boston, MA 02210 VGM Club We proudly support the GCSA of New England Call your VGM Club team at 800-363-5480 Whether its autonomous drone service to keep your turf dialed in or a digital platform to keep your data on point, TurfCloud has you covered! Local Representative: Jim Murray jim.murray@vgm.com (203) 952-8252 Jason VanBuskirk VP Sales & Marketing (774) 244-2630 jvb@greensightag.com drift.me/jvb www.turfcloud.com @greensight @TurfCloud Turf Enhancement Enterprises Featuring Floratine products, JRM tines and bed knives and Greenleaf Turbo Drop air induction spray nozzles. Tom Fox 508-450-9254 Brian Juneau 781-738-3201 Turf Products 157 Moody Rd. Enfield, CT 06082 Toro Equipment & Irrigation– Serving the industry since 1970 800-243-4355 Bill Conley Nat Binns (332) 351-5189 Tim Berge (860) 490-2787, Andy Melone (508) 561-0364 www.turfproductscorp.com Valley Green 14 Copper Beech Drive Kingston, MA 02364 Phone: (413) 533-0726 Fax: (413) 533-0792 “Wholesale distributor of turf products†Doug Dondero (508) 944-3262 Jon Targett (978) 855-0932 Joe Trosky (860) 508-9875 www.vcmclub.com Winding Brook Turf Farm Wethersfield, CT and Lyman, ME 240 Griswold Road Wethersfield, CT 06109 Kathy Arcari (401) 639-5462 karcari@windingbrookturf.net www.windingbrookturf.com WinField United 29 Gilmore Drive–Unit C Sutton, MA 01590 Using industry-leading insights to provide you with the products that help you win. Time Hanrahan (978) 815-9810 Winterberry Irrigation Pump service, installation and sales. Irrigation installation, service, repairs, and sales. Wire tracking, GPS mapping, grounding testing, start-up, and winterization. Matt Faherty 860-681-8982 mfaherty@winterberrylandscape.com Visit www.winterberryirrigation.com WSP USA Offices throughout New England Hydro-geologists and Engineers Rob Good 203-929-8555 rob.good@wsp.com www.wsp.com/en-US/sectors/hydrogeology Water supply investigation, development. engineering, and permitting; including groundwater, surface water, ponds and pumping systems. 25 October 2019 Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England The Newsletter–Rate Schedule THE NEWSLETTER DISPLAY ADVERTISING ORDER FORM Company Name: Address: Contact Name: Issues (List month and total number): Amount of Check: Phone: Email: (Made payable to “GCSANEâ€) Member Rates: Monthly Rate 4 Times Per Yr. (Save 5%) 6 Times Per Yr. (Save 10%) 8 Times Per Yr. (Save 10%) Annual Rate (Save 15%)   â  1/4 page (vertical; 3.75†wide x 5†deep) â  $ 90.00 â  $ 342.00 â  $ 486.00 â  $ 648.00 â  $ 918.00   â  1/2 page (horizontal; 7.5†wide x 5†deep) â  $150.00 â  $ 570.00 â  $ 810.00 â  $1080.00 â  $1530.00   â  Full Page (vertical; 7.5†wide x 10†deep) â  $200.00 â  $ 760.00 â  $1080.00 â  $1440.00 â  $2040.00 Non-Member Rates: *All payments must be received in full before the ad appears in The Newsletter.   â  1/4 page (vertical; 3.75†wide x 5†deep) â  $120.00 â  $456.00 â  $648.00 â  $ 864.00 â  $1224.00   â  1/2 page (horizontal; 7.5†wide x 5†deep) â  $180.00 â  $684.00 â  $972.00 â  $1296.00 â  $1836.00   â  Full Page (vertical; 7.5†wide x 10†deep) â  $240.00 â  $912.00 â  $1296.00 â  $1728.00 â  $2448.00 * Deadline for ads: The first of the month for that month’s issue. Ad Preparation Specifications: File Specifications for Ads Supplied in Digital Format: Files should be created at 300dpi at the correct size for that ad. Formats preferred are JPG and PDF. Full color is available with all ads. Please send ads to Don Hearn at the email address below. Send all Newsletter ads to: Don Hearn, CGCS 300 Arnold Palmer Blvd., Norton, MA 02766 Email: donhearn@gcsane.org 26