GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION OF NEW ENGLAND Newsletter March 1960 The February meeting was held at Waltham Field Station February 6, 1960. The educational program was as followsj 1. Joe Trapeano, Larchmont Engineering, Lexington, Mass. Joe gave a very interesting talk on Irrigation and Engineering service. 2. Robert Purcell, FairbanksMorse Pumps, he presented a very interesting and authoritative talk on pumps and problems relating to pumps. The Directors meeting was omitted aa a quorum was not present at time of such meeting. However, 28 hardy souls (members) were present for the business meeting and lunch. The New England G.C.S.A. was well represented at Texas as there were 31 in attendance. This conference was bigger and better than aver. Every year membership increases and exhibits are larger. Golf courses are expanding, more money is spent on golf and its facilities, it's about time the course received its proportionate share. Can our Association do anything in conjunction with the U.S.G.A. or M. G.A. by making available costs of operation, labor, reasons for sertain maintenance practices or any details which are of interest to all concerned? A publicity man will be present at our next meeting, he has been engaged by our Association for one year. The Boston Chamber of Commerce has contacted our Association in regards to holding the National Turf Conference & Show in Boston sometime in the middle "eO's". Would this be a good way for some much deserved publicity and also a chance to educate the golfing public? I would like to quote from a letter written by Dr. Gene Nutter, Executive Director of the G.C.S.A.A., Dr. Nutter writes: "The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America is the only organization devoted solely to the education and development of the Supt. and the golf turf industry. Membership is on an individual basis and includes golf superintendents, assistants and course workers, greens chairmen and club owners, commercial agronomists and turf consultants, industry representatives and any other persons interested in turf grass and the turf grass industry. Outstanding benefits of G.C.S.A.A. membership include the compelling magazine The Golf Course Reporter, the Annual International Turf Conference & Show, expanding insurance and retirement programs, and effective placement service, correspondence study and short courses and the satisfaction of contributing to scholarship and research in our own field. G.C.S.A.A. also offers valuable service to its 60 District Associations located over the continent. Many more unwritten benefits come from G.C.S.A.A. membership. So you can readily see that our membership in G.G. S.A.A. is now reflecting the benefits that all of the pioneers in its early stages of organization worked so hard to obtain. These benefits are not only available to regular members but may also be enjoyed by our Associate members. True, they would be put in a different classifica tion and would not have a National vote, but all of the other benefits would be theirs. Our own New England Association can only grow if our National Association grows So let us look to the future. Let us invite all our Associate members to make application for National membership." TIMELY TOPIC: It has been suggested by your editor that subject, "Fertilizer Programs" would be appropriate for this issue of the "Newsletter". I will list the tentative program drawn up for this coming year at the Surprenant Golf Course. We have based our program on records and results of the past three years. Application and material may vary in amount and time of application due to temperature, moisture and humidity. The greens are velvet bent, cut at least four times a week at 1/4 inch. applications are based on 1000 square feet. April May June June July July Aug. Aug. Sept. Sept. 10 10 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 21 -. -• -• -• -• 10 10 10 5 5 5 5 5 10 10 lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs 50% organic 8-6-•4 507o organic 8-6-•4 Milorganite Milorganite Milorganite Milorganite Milorganite Milorganite •» Milorganite 50% organic 8-6-4 .8 .8 .5 .25 .25 .25 .25 .25 .5 .8 4.6 All N N N N N N N N N N Total All greens will be top dressed twice a year, spring and fall, aerated once and limed in the fall as needed. Fungicides will be applied on a preventative schedule. On #9 green we have used 20-6-4 urea formaldehyde type fertilizer for the past two seasons and will do the same this year. Three pounds of N in the spring and three pounds of N in the fall has been the practice. Results have been good but we feel at least another season of observation is a must before a final evaluation can be made. The fairways were seeded to Kentucky blue, chewing fescue, creeping fescue, colonial bent and rye grass. Due to watered fairways and a 7/8 inch cut, the bent is taking over. Fairways are cut 2 or 3 times a week and watered when needed but seldom in an excess of one inch of water per week. All pounds of N are based on 1000 square feet. . May 1 June 1 July 1 Aug. 1 • Sept. 1 •- 8-6-4 50% organic Milorganite Milorganite Milorganite 8-6-4 50% organic - 370 400 400 400 370 lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs per per per per per acre acre acre acre acre .7 .5 .5 .5 .7 N N N N N 3 N The tees receive the same amount and same application of fertilizer as the fairways except the marion tees receive twice the amount of fertilizer at each application. Tees this year will be cut 5/S of an inch. It will be noted that we attempt to obtain a slow, steady growth by light but many applications of fertilizer. Bob Grant The heartfelt sympathy of our entire membership goes out to the relatives of5 George Volmer and Martin Green, who died last month. Our sympathy also to Richard Finnerty on the recent loss of his mother. The next meeting will be held at Waltham Field Station, March 7, 1960. Business Meeting 10:30 -. 12:00 Lunch 12:00 -• 1:00 Educational Program Speakers 1:00 ? Don't forget the Turf Conference at Amherst March 10-11. at the Hotel Northampton. Hope to see you all there. Rooms are available "If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest." - FRANKLIN The Assisting Editor - Dick Blake