QJf (bourse Superintendents ocict OF NEW tion E N G L A N D NEWSLETTER President — N. J. S P E R A N D I O Concord Country Club Concord, M a s s . Phone EM 9-4723 August 1962 First V i c e - P r e s i d e n t — JOSEPH BUTLER United Shoe Country Club 3 Ridgewood Terrace Beverly, M a s s . Phone WA 2-1263 The August meeting was held August 5, 1962 at the Charles River Country Club, Newton, Mass. In spite of a record scorcher 80 Supts. turned out. Second Vice-President — RAYMOND BRIGHAM Rhode Island Country Club Phone CHerry 5-8255 52 North Lake Drive Barrington, R. I. The Clapper Company demonstrated the new Toro seven gang Roadmaster for use on roughs and the Toro Workmaster Golf Cart with dump body. Secretary — W I L L I A M A. A S H Allendale Country Club Phone WYman 3-8767 9 Patton Street North Dartmouth, M a s s . Most of the Supts, played golf, but those who didn't toured the golf course, inspected the maintenance equipment and discussed the golf carta and storage facilities for same. Treasurer — ARTHUR L. CODY Wollaston Golf Club Phone Supt. Office at club GRanite 2-3535 Home GRanite 2-7913 19 Ardell Street North Quincy, M a s s . The current weather situation was also discussed. In the Worcester area, July was the coldest since 1901 with a temperature of 49° July 6 then 87° the following Sunday for the highest reading. In Boston July was the coldest in 39 years, in Rhode Island the second coldest in the history of the local weather bureau, the coldest in Maine in 47 years. In Worcester rain fall was 1,81 inches below normal. Trustee — HOWARD FARRANT Pinebrook Country Club Phone OL 3-5296 Wheeler Lane Natick, M a s s . Trustee — MARIO FINIZIA Wanamoisett Country Club Phone GEneva 8-4045 50 Holleck Avenue Riverside, R. I. At the Business Meeting All Committee Chairmen present gave their reports. Trustee — M I C H A E L O'GRADY Country Club of New Bedford Phone WYman 2-9885 135 Hathaway Road North Dartmouth, M a s s . Finance Committee Chairman P H I L I P I. C A S S I D Y Weston Golf Club Phone HI 4-4127 45 Grosvenor Road Needham 92, M a s s . Correspondence from the National regarding a golf team to play at Palm Springs, California February 1963 was discussed. — National Conference 1964 to be held at Philadelphia, Educational Commitee Chairman — ROBERT GRANT Supernault National Country Club Phone EM 5-5538 Deershorn Road Lancaster, M a s s . Golf Committee Chairman — EDWARD J. MURPHY Lexington Country Club Phone WE 3-0286 25 Flagg Street Woburn, M a s s . Newsletter Committee Chairman RICHARD C. BLAKE Mt. Pleasant Country Club Phone CEdar 4-2209 138 Fletcher Street Whitinsville, M a s s . Past President — ALBERT L. ALLEN Kernwood Country Club Phone PI 4-7783 Kernwood Country Club Salem, M a s s . Memberahip in Golf Course Supts, Association of America is now 1884 members. Bob Grant and Dick Blake to act as Delegates on Policy Committee at National Conference. Theodore F, Robbins, Asst. Supt, Unicorn C, C,, Stoneham, Mass, was voted an As3t, member. — Applications for regular membership were received from; Stanley A, Brown - Supt, New Bedford Public Links, New Bedford,Mass. Thomas J, Scannell - Supt, Cranwell Golf Club, Lenox, Mass. Sept. 10, 1962 invited, come early be open for lunch 4 P.M. (Compliments Supt. Henry Holman, The Next Meeting - Lake Sunapee C«C,, New London, N.H,, Ladies and play golf upon arrival, the snack bar will All members are invited to a Cocktail Hour at of the host club) Dinner at 5:00 P.M. - Host Jr. the Editor - Dick Blake "Avoiding a wrong thing does not necessarily result in doing the right thing." Bernard Halane, Good Business. Rights and wrongs of golf course management are a commonplace discussion whenever turf-fellows get together. When problems arise for discussion at any of the superintendent or other meetings, there are always some on either side of the "argument". This is understandable because there are no conditions exactly alike and so there are some who will, and there are some who won't show identical results with any one practice. Spring and Fall are the times for experimenting with something new...and then only on a small area. Summer's no time for experimenting. Here are a few do'3 and dont's that practical men have learned will help reduce summer problems, (1) Don't overdo things in hot weather...as Prof. L. R. Dickinson, recipient of the second annual Green Section Award has always stressed, "The grass plant wants to live...give it a change to do so,.don't try to make it live." (2) Do not chance overstimulating the turf in the summer... greens especially should not be "forced"...keep nutrients applied on the low side, (3) Do not attempt to reduce the height of cut on greens in hot weather. (4) Do remove pings from greens. other problems that; pings keeps grasses clippings from tees and aprons,..just as you remove clipIt is possible to invite disease, insect, smothering, and weaken turfgrasses if clippings build up. Removal of cliphealthier. (5) Do be careful to avoid the bruising of aprons in hot, dry weather,.. especially when the turf is on the verge of wilting, (6) Do syringe and carefully water greens whether they are suffering from dry or wet wilt...we have had extremes in weather these past two years,,, '61 was extremely wet,,,while '62 to date has been extremely dry in most of the Eastern Seaboard. Far less injury has occurred to greens this dry year as compared to '61, The axiom that "Fewer problems arise when the superintendent can control the amount of water applied to greens" is again proven this year. (7) Do not attempt, to correct grain problems in greens in summer... this is best done in Spring and Fall, (8) Do not lose sight of the fact that hydratcd lime is a good material to combat disease, algae, and overly wet greeri3, Gypsum too is sometimes helpful with problems of excess water and heavy soils. (9) Do move cups frequently to minimize wear injury around cups. (10) Do not apply 2, 4-D or 2,4,5-T to cool season turf in summer. (11) Do not apply sodium arsenate to cool season turf in summer. (12) Do measure size, and be careful of rates _of all materials applied to greens. (13) Do not apply phenyl mercuric acetate herbicides (PMA) to Merion Bluegrass turf at any time, (14) Do not apply topdressing in July and August to bentgrass greens, (15) Do follow the Green Section article "Specifications for a Method of Putting Green Construction" if you plan to rebuild any green3 this Fall, (Reprints available upon request.) (16) Do not increase phosphorus readings in greens if Poa annua is a problem...keep phosphorus down so that lead arsenate will be more effective when applied. Light frequent treatments of lead arsenate applied during the summer season tends to discourage Poa annuas when Poa is most susceptible to discouragement, (17) Don't forget the iron sulphate for improving color and avoiding iron chlorosis in greens. Add some magnesium sulphate (Epsom Salts) to the iron sulphate once in a while when color is lacking.,, 1-ounce of each per 1000 sq. ft, in 3 gallons of water,,.applied when the grass leaves are dry gives immediate color improvement, (18) Do spike greens weekly in the summer season to penetrate the upper, compacted, fraction of the soil which is ever so slight but nevertheless very troublesome often-times, (19) Do be prepared to opray insecticides for sod webworm and chinch bug in August and September„e .more insect activity has been noticed this year due to the dryness of season„ (20) Do plan any renovation work early.,«get an early start so that seeded areas could progress well before the winter season approaches. Seed placed in. the ground between August 15 and September 15 will normally provide better results than seeding later, (21) Do be careful of mowing after rains wheii hot and humid.,.especially heavy rains,..when turf is in danger of wet wilt, it can be bruised just as easily as when dry wilt prevails, * * * * "Experience is a good teacher but a queer old s o u l , s h e gives the test first, THEN explains the lesson," Wesleyan Methodist - USGA -