GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION OF NEW ENGLAND July 1960 The June meeting was held at Pinebrook Country Club, We3ton, Mass., June 6 , 1960. This was our annual Chairman - Supt. meeting. The program started with an interesting demonstration of mowing equipment, and a small scale automatic water system was also displayed. Al Radko U.S.G.A. spoke briefly at lunch regards weather and turf conditions to date 1960. Golf was enjoyed by many after lunch, the results are as follows: Superintendent Tournament 1st 1st 2nd 3rd Gross net net net - Malcolm Wendell, M r . Brady - 71 J . Dolan, Bartlett - 62 T . Silverman, Sam Mitchell, Jr. - 65 F . Mahoney, L . Brown - 68 Individual Tournament 1st Gross - F . Sandowski - 80 1st net - L . Algieri - 78 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEXT MEETING, JULY 11, 1960 - TATNUCK COUNTRY CLUB, WORCESTER, MASS. Lunch will be served at 12:30. Your h o s t , John Latvis, requests cards be returned at your earliest convenience. To reach Tatnuck, C.C., as you come into Worcester take Pleasant Street to Tatnuck or Whitacker Square, from Tatnuck Square take the second left off Pleasant Street. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Watch Temperature Not Calendar Supts. are urged to watch daily weather temperatures rather than their calendars, PAX Company research experts announced. Bernard R . Ellison, director of research for the firm, reported that, due to an unusually late spring season in most areas of the nation, most garden projects should be delayed correspondingly. This is especially true in pre-emergence crab grass control. - 2 Research surveys had indicated that crab grass usually germinates at least two weeks after lilac reaches full bloom, or about the same time as the common mock orange, or Philadelphias, is in bloom. The PAX Company official explained that PAX Crab grass and Soil Pest Control can be applied with guaranteed effectiveness anyttoe previous to the crab grass germination date. ititititititititititititiiitititititifititititi: New Record in Course Building Says Golf Foundation Head Pres. Joe Graffis of National Golf Foundation reported at the Foundation's annual meeting at the Yale Club, New York City, April 22nd, that the past six months had established a new half-year record in course building. In the period construction had started on 97 standard courses and 20 enlargements of existing courses. There now are 301 courses and 84 additions in some stage of construction. Interest continues to grow in Par 3 courses, with construction starting on 22 more since last fall. The Foundation president's report pointed out that in the past 10 years there had been an increase of 19.2 per cent in U . S . population, 21.6 percent increase in number of courses and 32.5 per cent increase in the number of golfers. it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it ARE YOU KIND TO YOUR GOLF COURSE? By D r . Marvin H . Ferguson It is a rare golfer who realizes how greatly he punishes the golf course as he plays. He thinks more often of how much the course punishes him. An Arizona superintendent amde the following observation recently. "If I began punching holes with a crowbar in one of the palm trees on the clubhouse lawn, m y members would want to lynch m e . However, those members don't realize that as they walk over the grass plants each day, they break them and tear them injuring the plants much more seriously than it is possible for m e to injure a palm tree with a crowbar. Wear and tear from the play of the game is expected on a golf course. No superintendent expects to find a green without ball marks after a heavy day of play. There are, however, "great sins of golfers" whrh make the superintendent and the green committee chairman unhappy, damages the course, causes extra expense and adds to the work load. Most of these "sins" are the result of thoughtlessness. Few are deliberate injuries. Some of them and their consequences are mentioned here: 1. SOFT DRINK BOTTLES, GLASSES OR PAPER CUPA ARE LEFT LYING ABOUT. The least consequence of this action is that the superintendent must use costly labor to police the area. If some bottles or glasses are missed, the result is broken glass on the golf course and perhaps a damaged mowing unit. - 2. 3 - CLIMBING OUT OF BUNKERS OM THE HIGH SIDE. This offense does not occur often because it is simply easier to walk out on the low side but there are persons who believe the axiom that "a straight line is the shortest distance " and the consequence is the breaking off of the lip of a sandtrap. 3. FAILURE TO REPLACE DIVOTS. In many parts of the country the replacing of divots is overrated. Replaced divots seldom grow. However the replacing of the turf which is cut away by the club prevents the drying out of the portions of the plant beneath the divot and healing is not retarded by desiccation. More important, the replaced turf keeps the next player's ball from rolling into the divot. 4. FAILURE TO REPAIR BALL MARKS. This sin does more damage to the following golfer than to the course. However, their repair is time consuming. It is a job that must be done before the putting green can be mowed. If not, the turf that is pushed up by the force of the ball is removed by the mower. 5. SCUFFING OF TURF BY DRAGGING FEET OR TWISTING ON THE GREENS. To a superintendent who is proud of the appearance of his greens there is nothing more irritating than to find marks on the putting surface left by a golfer who failed to pick up hi3 feet or who used "body English". 6. LEANING ON A PUTTER. Obviously, such a practice depresses a spot in the putting surface, and if there are enough such spots, the superintendent will soon be asked w h y he let the greens get in such deplorable condition. 7. USING A PUTTER TO "HOOK" OR "SCOOP" THE BALL OUT OF THE CUP. This trick saves stooping to retrieve the ball. It isn't easy to do and it takes a considerable amount of practice to become proficient at flipping the ball. Unfortunately in the course of developing one's skill, many a lip of a hole is broken or damaged. 8. JABBING THE PUTTING SURFACE WITH THE FLAGSTICK OR REPLACING IT CARELESSLY. Usually this damage is not deliberate. on the part of the handler. 9. It simply results from indifference LOSING TEMPER AND CUTTING A DIVOT FROM THE PUTTING SURFACE WITH A PUTTER Fortunately, this ia a rare act. If there is one unforgivable sin on the golf course, this is it. Every golfer ought to be above this kind of action. Certainly he must damage himself more than the golf course when he allows himself to get so far out of hand. 10. THE CARELESS USE OF CARTS Carts should always be kept off putting greens, out of hazards, out of wet spots, and off steep side hills. Carts are capable of damaging the golf course seriously when used improperly but they may be no more damaging than maintenance equipment if they are used with care.