^ j o f f (Gourde

Superintendents

dsociatlon
OF

NEW

ENGLAND
NEWSLETTER

President —
N. J. SPERANDIO
Concord Country Club
Concord, Mass.
Phone EM 9-4723

M a y 1962

First Vice-President—
JOSEPH BUTLER
United Shoe Country Club
3 Ridgewood Terrace
Beverly, Mass.
Phone WA 2-1263

The first outdoor m e e t i n g of the year was held M a y 7 , 1962
at the Concord C o u n t r y C l u b , C o n c o r d , M a s s . Host Supt. Narry
S p e r a n d i o , w e l c o m e d and showed all his n e w maintenance b u i l d i n g .

Second Vice-President —
RAYMOND BRIGHAM
Rhode Island Country Club
Phone CHerry 5-8255
52 North Lake Drive
Barrington, R. I.

The m e e t i n g opened with an equipment d e m o n s t r a t i o n . F r a n k
M a r a i n , representing Sawtelle B r o t h e r s , showed the n e w Mete~Rm a t i c top-dressing m a c h i n e and the Cushman H a u l s t e r .

Secretary —
WILLIAM A. ASH
Allendale Country Club
Phone WYman 3-8767
9 Patton Street
North Dartmouth, Mass.

Ford Tractors Division Ford Motor C o . , demonstrated the
LCG ford tractor and the F o r d Frail M o w e r .

Treasurer —
ARTHUR L. CODY
Wollaston Golf Club
Phone Supt. Office at club
GRanite 2-3535
Home GRanite 2-7913
19 Ardell Street
North Quincy, Mass.
Trustee —
HOWARD FARRANT
Pinebrook Country Club
Phone OL 3-5296
Wheeler Lane
Natick, Mass.
Trustee —
MARIO F1NIZIA
Wanamoisett Country Club
Phone GEneva 8-4045
50 Holleck Avenue
Riverside, R. I,
Trustee —
MICHAEL O'GRADY
Country Club of New Bedford
Phone WYman 2-9885
135 Hathaway Road
North Dartmouth, Mass.
Finance Committee Chairman —
PHILIP I. CASSIDY
Weston Golf Club
Phone HI 4-4127
45 Grosvenor Road
Needham 92, Mass.
Educational Commitee Chairman —
ROBERT GRANT
Supernault National Country Club
Phone EM 5-5538
Deershorn Road
Lancaster, Mass.
Golf Committee Chairman —
EDWARD J. MURPHY
Lexington Country Club
Phone WE 3-0286
25 Flagg Street
Woburn, Mass.
Newsletter Committee Chairman —
RICHARD C. BLAKE
Mt. Pleasant Country Club
Phone CEdar 4-2209
138 Fletcher Street
Whitinsville, Mass.
Past President —
ALBERT L. ALLEN
Kernwood Country Club
Phone PI 4-7783
Kernwood Country Club
Salem, Mass.

Harold Smith & Chuck Doherty Representing the Clapper C o .
showed the Ryan Landscape L i n e , Toro Greensmower and the International Cub C a d e t .
Arthur Anderson and Orville Clapper demonstrated the Lobee
sprayer and a large coverage type spray n o z z l e .
At a short business m e e t i n g W i l l i a m C„ Donavan S u p t ,
Nehoden Golf C l u b , W e l l e s l e y College was voted an associate
member.
Golf Tournament Results
18 holes low net

9 hole low gross

Norman M u c c o r a n i
Buster Brown
Bill Carter

Floyd Wiget
Dick Blake

64
77
77
ft

?v

45
38

ft

Congratulations to M r . & M r s , Harold Smith on the recent birth
of a d a u g h t e r .
W A N T E D : -Used Toro Greensraower, series 4 . Anyone having them
for s a l e , please contact Bruce S i l v e n , Warwick C . C . , W a r w i c k
N e c k , Rhode Island,,

June 4 , 1962

Next Meeting
Ledgemont C o u n t r y C l u b , S e e k o n k , M a s s .

Joint New E n g l a n d & Rhode Island S u p t s .
Chairmen i n v i t e d .

-

All Greens

Business M e e t i n g 11:00 A . M .
Lunch
12:00
Speaker 1:00
Guest Speaker - D r . Jesse D e F r a n c e , Agronomist
0 . M , Scott P r o d u c t s ,
Golf after - Please register for t o u r n a m e n t .
The Editor - Dick Blake

WESTERN TURFLETTER
Bill Bengeyfield - W e s t e r n Director
TOP DRESSING PUTTING GREENS:
O L D F A S H I O N E D OR NOT?
In the early days of greenlceeping (and possession of 'professional s e c r e t s ' ) ,
top-dressing greens was a h a r d and fast r u l e . E v e r y few weeks the ritual was
carried o u t . But w i t h the tick of the clock and swing of the p e n d u l u m , the practice
w a s largely discontinued during and after W o r l d W a r II as good top-dressing material
became hard to find and labor c o s t l y . O n l y in the past few years have the faults of
both extremes (i.e. too m u c h v s , too little top-dressing) been e x p o s e d and
a p p r e c i a t e d . Now a new era is u p o n us: one of an adequate and sensible topdressing program: proven of importance to anyone desiring championship putting
surfaces.
W h y Top Dress?
T o p - d r e s s i n g , or the spreading of a prepared soil m i x t u r e over a g r e e n ,
has a great m a n y advantages for today's golfer and course s u p e r i n t e n d e n t . Not
only does it help create true putting s u r f a c e s , but also provides fresh m a t e r i a l
for the growth of new grass stems a n d r u n n e r s . A t i g h t e r , denser turf is
produced with finer t e x t u r e . It also contributes to thatch control and often
improves the "holding qualities" of a g r e e n . A 1 R a d k o , U S G A Eastern Green Section
Director reports that top-dressing greens just prior to the winter season
helps in preventing desiccation and winter i n j u r y . D r . M a r v i n F e r g u s o n ,
Mid-Continent Director predicts m o r e top-dres3ing w i l l be needed during the next
decade as h e a v y play c o n t i n u e s . Old and new greens alike will benefit from this
practice.
The First Step?
W h o will deny that unsuitable top-dressing m a t e r i a l s and incorrect m e t h o d s
of application w e r e to blame for m a n y of our putting green troubles in the past?
A n d these same m a l p r a c t i c e s are being continued today on m a n y courses!
Soil
L a y e r s , different soil t y p e s , burying turf m a t s , smothering and weed infestation
still take p l a c e . W e must be alert to these problems and guard against t h e m .
One of the great difficulties encountered by superintendents today is in
'standardizing', their top-dressing m a t e r i a l . It is hard to locate good top
soil in m a n y areas and even harder to find the same type of soil year after
y e a r . All too often the result is a top-dressing preparation m a d e from whatever m a t e r i a l s h a p p e n to be on hand or available at the m o m e n t . This type of
program is m o r e likely to lead to future trouble than it is to future p r o g r e s s .
— R e c o g n i z i n g this d i f f i c u l t y , m a n y superintendents avoid top-dressing greens
e n t i r e l y and yet they realise they are m i s s i n g out on a most important and
valuable management p r a c t i c e . Is there an answer to this dilemma? W e believe
s o , but it is not an "easy" o n e .
In any form of a g r i c u l t u r e , there is no substitute for long range p l a n n i n g .
It seems t h e r e f o r e , that the first step in a top-dressing program is to
determine w h a t type of soil m i x t u r e •will be available and best for top-dressing
under your conditions for the foreseeable f u t u r e . If the present soil in
greens has a history of success (good d r a i n a g e , deep r o o t i n g , m i n i m u m of compact i o n , e t c . ) the top-dressing material should be of the same general n a t u r e , if
a v a i l a b l e , -- On the other h a n d , if it is not available or if the greens are tight

and compact r e a d i l y , then long range planning becomes of even greater i m p o r t a n c e .
In this c a s e , a physical soil analysis (as described in the USGA reprint "Specifications for a M e t h o d of Putting Green C o n s t r u c t i o n " ) should be m a d e of those
m a t e r i a l s ( s o i l , sand and organic m a t t e r ) that are and will be available to you
at a cost w i t h i n budget m e a n s . The analysis w i l l tell you what soil m i x t u r e is
best and this then becomes the permanent m i x t u r e for all future top-dressings
and c o n s t r u c t i o n .
"But w h a t if we cannot find a permanent source of soil for the m i x t u r e ? " is
the next q u e s t i o n . The o n l y solution here seems to be in stockpiling sufficient
soil (at time of initial p u r c h a s e ) for as m a n y years as the present budget w i l l
a l l o w . Continuous effort should be m a d e to find similar soil for future use and the
budget m i g h t be so set up that quantities of such soil m a y be purchased as it
becomes a v a i l a b l e .
Once the top-dressing m i x t u r e is d e t e r m i n e d , a long range intensified
aeration program m u s t also be s c h e d u l e d . A m i n i m u m of three to five years of
increased aeration and top-dressing of old greens w i l l be necessary to b r i n g
about an improved condition in the soil p r o f i l e , at least to the depth of the
aeration s p o o n s . (See "Techniques" below ) . Frequent aeration also has m e r i t
in that it w i l l prevent the burying of thatch or m a t l a y e r s .
H o w luch ---» H o w Often?
Although there are always e x c e p t i o n s , it seems that a sound standard maintenance practice should include a m i n i m u m of two putting green top-dressings
a n n u a l l y . Perhaps an optimum schedule w o u l d include three or four a n n u a l l y ,
spaced throughout the active growing s e a s o n . Of course top-dressing during the
heat of the summer is u s u a l l y a v o i d e d . Aeration (and removal of soil c o r e s ) along
w i t h vertical m o w i n g just prior to each dressing has m e r i t and is w i d e l y p r a c t i c e d .
(See "Techniques" b e l o w ) .
A g a i n , the exact amount of top-dressing per application will vary according
to each s i t u a t i o n . H o w e v e r , for the average 4,500 s q . f t , green a m o d e r a t e
dressing w i l l require from 1 to \\ cubic y a r d s . If the aeration h o l e s are
approximately 2-inches a p a r t , from \\ to 2 - c u b i c yards w i l l probably be n e c e s s a r y .
Techniques F o r Methods of Application
U n f o r t u n a t e l y , the techniques of proper top-dressing are sometimes o v e r l o o k e d
or f o r g o t t e n . But they cannot be overstressed!
1.

Greens should be fertilized approximately one w e e k to ten days before
top-uressing and a e r a t i o n .

2.

Top-dressing m a t e r i a l should be well screened and reasonable dry at
application t i m e . The putting green surface should also be d r y .

3.

Even distribution of the top-dressing matei'ial is e s s e n t i a l .
Some type of m e c h a n i c a l spreader seems best as the art of evenly
spreading soil b y hand with
a shovel has been l o s t .

4.

The use of boards or the b a c k of rakes w i l l m o v e the top-dressing
m o r e u n i f o r m l y over the s u r f a c e , (or into aeration h o l e s ) and better
than drag or link m a t s .

5.

The "boarding" (or " m a t t i n g " ) operation should be done very slowly and
in several d i r e c t i o n s . If the w o r k is done r a p i d l y (as is u s u a l l y the
case t o d a y ) , the soil is not m o v e d properly (it flies about or bubbles
over the m a t or b o a r d ) and does not m o v e into the m i n o r depressions of
the putting green s u r f a c e . A rushed job is not a professional job!

Preparation of Top-Dressing Material
Just as it takes time to m a k e good w i n e , so it does to m a k e a good soil!
The nearly forgotten practice of composting soils for top-dressing is finding
renewed favor t o d a y . There are an ever increasing number of capable superintendents who w i l l be preparing 1963 } s top-dressing m a t e r i a l this w i n t e r .
It
w i l l be in storage for over a year and a f r i a b l e , h o m o g e n e o u s , w e e d free soil
w i l l result because of this type of planning and o r g a n i s a t i o n .
Soil sterilization for w e e d control — advocated as e a r l y as 1932 b y D r ,
John Montei.th of the Green Section — is now gaining favor throughout the
c o u n t r y . The next W e s t e r n Turfletter w i l l deal with soil sterilization techniques and m a t e r i a l s in d e t a i l .
W h e n preparing top-dressing m a t e r i a l , every effort should be m a d e to m i x
the s o i l , sand and organic m a t t e r t h o r o u g h l y . In f a c t , it m a y be 'turned'
occasionally w h i l e in storage to b r i n g about a better " s o i l " . ---After
the
m i x has been m a d e , a check of pH and soluble salt levels should be conducted
and adjustments carried out if n e c e s s a r y ,

IN SUMMARY
There are m a n y things one m i g h t say for or against t o p - d r e s s i n g . It m a y
be expensive and labor costs m a y be h i g h . It does r e q u i r e advanced planning
and o r g a n i z a t i o n . But the strange and unbeatable fact is that - as of thi3
m o m e n t - no substitute has yet been found for it in the production of high
quality golfing t u r f . And today's golfer expects — y e s , demands just that!
(Our Collaborator - Jack G o r a l e y ,
Editor)