October, 1964

(Gourde

Superintendents

dissociation
OF

President—
JOSEPH BUTIER
United Shoe Country Club
3 Ridgewooci Terrace
Beverly, Mass.
Phone WA 2-1263
First Vice-President— •
L E O N V. ST. P I E R R E
Longmeadov. Country Club
51 Fenwood Road
Longmeadow 6, Mass.
Phone LO 7 5562
Second V i c e - P r e s i d e n t —
A N T H O N Y D. C A R A N C I , JR.
I.edgemont Country Club
22 H i l l v i e w Drive
North Providence 4, R . l ,
Phone PA 3 1688

Secretary—
JOHN C A L L A H A N .
Spring Valley Country Club
194 E d g e h i l l Road
Sharon, Mass.
Phone SU 4 6370
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—
A L B E R T L. A L L E N
Kernwood Country Club
Phone PI 4 7783
Kernwood Country Club
Salem, Mass

NEW

E N G L A N D

Trustee—
W I L L I A M ASH
Allendale Country Club
Phone WY 3 8767
9 Patton Street
No. Dartmouth, Mass
Trustee—
JOHN K E A L T Y
The Country Club
209 W. Plain Street
Cochituate, Mass.
Phone OL 3 1408
Finance Committee C h a i r m a n GEORGE R O M M E I L
Hyannisport Club
Phone SP 5-2419
169 Gosnold Street
Hyannis, Mass.

Educational Committee C h a i r m a n THOMAS C U R R A N
Oak Hill Country Club
Phone Dl 2 9198
37 Parker Street
Fitchburg, Mass.
Golf Committee C h a i r m a n —
EDWARD J. M U R P H Y
Lexington Country Club
194 Oxbow Road
Wayland, Mass.
Newsletter Committee Chairman
R I C H A R D C. B L A K E
Mt. Pleasant Country Club
Phone 869-2737
211 Sewall S t r e e t
Boylston, Mass.
Past President—
N. J. S P E R A N D I O
Concord Country Club
Concord, Mass.
Phone EM 9 4723

Qoff (Gourde Superin tenth n Is

33ocia lion -

September Meeting
The September meeting was held Sept. 14
at the Lake Sunapee C. C. , New London,
N. H. The excellent weather, scenery and
turkey dinner was enjoyed only by a few
Supts. who ventured North for the day. Probably the heavy rain warnings kept many at
home.
Host Supts. Henry Holman Jr. and Sr.
welcomed all and were most hospitable.
Henry Sr. delayed his fishing trip to Hudson
Bay to have lunch with old friends. We hope
all the "big ones" don't get away this year.
l e s i i f s a! Golf Tournament

1st low net
2nd low net
1st low gross
2nd low gross

Bill Carter
Ted Murphy
John Almonte
Norm Muccirone

77"
78

Busiigss Meeting

An application for Associate Membership
was received from: James J. Reidy, Supt.
Tatnuck C. C., 100 Airport Dr. , Worcester,
Mass.
Dr. Burton Anderson, Supt. Augusta C. C.,
Augusta, Maine was recently voted President
of the newly formed Maine G. C. S. A. President Joe Butler NEGCSA presented Dr. Anderson a gavel and conveyed the best wishes
of all Dr. Burt's friends from NEGCSA.
Orville Clapper, President, The Clapper
Co., was the key note speaker.
Congratulations are in order for Mr. &
Mrs. Ted Murphy on the recent birth of a
baby daughter.

Neif Meeting

Pro - Supt. Golf Tournament, October 19,
1964, Bra Burn C. C., Newton, Mass. Starting time for golf after 9:30 — One member of
team, either Pro or Supt., must be a member of PGA or GCSA of New England. Business meeting at 10:30 A. M.
Last outdoor meeting of the season:
Nov. 2, Blue Rock C. C.
Host Supt. Charlie Gardner
Business Meeting 11:00
Sandwiches available for lunch
Directions: Mid Cape Highway to exit 8
towards So. Yarmouth, take first left after
the Regional H. S., straight and follow signs.
Your attendance at the business meetings
would be appreciated. Please complete survey form at your earliest convenience.

1

.

Superintendents Creci
Country Club h
A year ago this month, Leon V. St. Pierre
was contacted by Mr. Charles Godin, President of Adams Nursery, in Westfield, Massachusetts, and a member of the Board of
Trustees at the Exposition, in regards to
having a Golf Course Exhibit, in the Massachusetts Building.
Mr. Charles McNamara, the Commissioner of Agriculture, had expressed a desire to have such an exhibit. At this point
the Superintendents were on the spot to accept this tremendous challenge or forever
hold their peace.
The challenge was taken up by the Golf
Course Superintendents of New England,
Board of Directors, and Leon V. St. Pierre
was appointed Chairman of the Exhibit Committee. Mr. St. Pierre in turn appointed the
following _men _to serve_on his committee:
Herb Berg, Dick Blake/Tom Cur ran, and
Lou Duval.
These men generously gave one work
week of their time, during the height of their
golf season.
The exhibit represented a typical New
England golf course with a 35 foot mural in
the background, and a 15 foot mural on the
right corner wall. In the foreground, a
short hole was represented, with an artificial tee, using a nylon brush on a rubber mat
for the golfers to tee off from; a Merion
Bluegrass fairway, running brook, and sand
trap directly in front of the green. Kernwood
Velvet bent was used for the green. It all
worked out better than our fondest expectations.
A special private showing was held on
Sunday, September 20, for all the New Eng-

r
O F

NEW

E N G L A N D

k Solutionft®<a Problem?

te tie Springmeiiow
r fie iipisitisn
land Governors. Four out of the six Governors present, took part in the show by hitting
several balls up onto the green.
The Commissioner of Agriculture from
New Hampshire got a hole-in-one.
A total of 25 Superintendents came down
to West Springfield to man the exhibit and
act as public relation "Ambassadors" for
the Association. When they were not hitting
balls on the green, they were busy answering questions.
The majority of the public thought that
the Kernwood Velvet bent on the green was
artificial, and even after they had touched
it, they left with a trace of doubt in their
minds.
Many people were puzzled on the functions
of a Golf Course Superintendent and how he
manages on a course. This is a principle
reason why It is so very important for us to
get before the public eye and get the message across to them.
The Exhibit was classified a success by
the Director of Exhibits, Mr. Steve Hamilton, and we were informally invited to return next year, using a different format.
Approximately 500, 000 persons attended
the Exposition during the 9 day period, and
a great many of these thousands visited the
Massachusetts Building, and our Exhibit.
Our sincere thanks to an aggressive committee and all the members of our Association, who believe that we can do a worthwhile project, by giving of their time to
carry out an important assignment.
Respectfully submitted,
Leon V. St. Pierre

The following is a report that I sent to
my Chairman explaining the situation that
exists on the fairways. I found this type of
report to be accepted easier than sending a
letter explaining the problem. In many conditions I believe it easier to state a question
and then follow it with answers. Most of the
statements are simplified and are easier for
the average member to understand.
They have agreed to start a program of
fairway renovation and I am hopeful that in
the future I will have better fairways at the
Club. This is the text of the report:
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The condition that exists on the fairways
is caused by a combination of factors that
have affected the Annual Bluegrass (Poa Annual). Annual Bluegrass is an undesired
variety of grass if fine turf grass conditions
are required. Several of the older clubs
throughout the area have undergone or will
have to undergo programs of fairway renovation. It is not an easy problem to correct
but with the proper method of renovation
followed by competent cultural practices a
corrective solution can be reached.
Now I will list those factors that will have
to be considered.
I. Why is Annual Bluegrass undesirable ?
1. It has a low tolerance to high heat
and humidity because of its Shallow
root growth and cool weather growth
characteristics.
2. It is very susceptable to disease
such as Fusarium which is mainly the
cause for it dying out this year. Fusarium is becoming more prevalent
each year and as of yet there isn't a
chemical to retard it properly.
3. Because of its low tolerance it acts
as a host to fungus which often results
in afflicting the finer Bent grasses
with disease.
4. If it is subjected to extreme cold
and ice conditions it desicates as was
the condition at Belmont in many fairway areas after the winter of 1962-63.
II. Why the abundance of Annual Bluegrass on older courses?
1. Before the introduction of fairway
watering systems there was a predominance of drought resisting grasses
such as Fescues and Kentucky Blues.
With the use of a fairway system the
Fescues and Kentucky Bluegrasses
died off and were replaced by Annual
Bluegrass. In those areas where the
Bent grasses were sufficient a fine

mium
turf condition was developed but as in.
most of the fairways areas there was
insufficient varieties of Bent grasses
to be developed.
2. Maintenance practices such as fertilization and watering programs affect
Annual Bluegrass's rate of growth.
3. Conditions incurred by todays increase in golf (compaction) and also
the low clipping height of turf required
by golf today also encourages Poa.
III. How can the fairways be improved?
1. Those areas that have a predominance of Bent grasses can be treated
with chemicals that will alleviate the
Poa and encourage the Bent grasses
to fill in. I have done this in areas
-where there has been conditions to
warrant it and have had good results.
2. Those areas that are totally all
Annual Bluegrass will have to be:
a. Killed with a chemical.
b. The dead turf that is left will
have to be sliced with a vertical
cultivator and then reseeded.
c. A continued program of chemical treatment will have to be followed to prevent the insurgence of
Annual Bluegrass.
IV. What does this mean to the golfer?
1. Those areas that are reseeded will
have to be played free lift and preferred lies. It generally takes 5- months
of growing weather tg&g&tetiSge sufficient turf to be played without preferred
lies.
2. There might be an occassional
area that might have to be reseeded.

C^ourAe Superintendents
tion
R I C H A R D C. B L A K E
Mt. P l e a s a n t Country C l u b
Phone 869-2737
211 S e w a l l S t r e e t
Boylston, Mass.

V. What if the fairways are left as they
are?
1. Because of Annual Bluegrasses
ability to seed heavily it will generally
fill itself in during the fall and spring.
2. Barring summers with detrimental
growth for Poa the fairways will return to their average condition. If
subsequent years persist as this year
a poor turf condition will again occur.
VI. What equipment and material will be
needed to do the job?
1. Materials:
Scorching Chemicals
Seed
Fertilizer
Pre-emergent chemicals
2. Equipment:
It will be necessary to buy a tractor
with a 3-point hitch and power takeoff to run the machinery necessary
for vertical slicing of the turf. The
operation would take approximately
4 - 5 weeks to complete and the
tractor would be used for follow-up
operations of reseeding. It also
would provide us with a grading
tractor for construction work on
the course.
Tractor
Rogers Slicing Machine
2 sets of Blades
Equipment
Material
The above mentioned equipment and
material would be necessary to do
the renovation of the fairways.
Manny Francis Jr.
Supt. Belmont C. C.