OCTOBER, 1966 (Gourde ourde OF Superintendents N E W —^IdAociation E N G L A N D F O R T Y - T W O Y E A R S O L D — a n d young enough to reach for higher achievements in turf grass management a n d professional stature. President— L E O N V . ST. P I E R R E L o n g m e a d o w C o u n t r y Club 51 Fenwood Road Longmeadow 6, Mass. P h o n e LO 7 - 5 5 6 2 First Vice-President— A N T H O N Y C A R A N C I JR. L e d g e m o n t C o u n t r y Club 2 2 Hillview Drive North P r o v i d e n c e 4, R. I. Phone PA 3 - 1 6 8 8 Second Vice-President— R I C H A R D C. B L A K E M t . P l e a s a n t C o u n t r y Club 2 1 1 S e w a l l Street Boylston, M a s s . Phone 8 6 9 - 2 7 3 7 Secretary— THOMAS CURRAN O a k Hill C o u n t r y C l u b 3 7 P a r k e r Street Fitchburg, M a s s . P h o n e Dl 2 - 9 1 9 8 Treasurer— LUCIEN DUVAL C h e s t n u t Hill C o u n t r y Club 9 Rose Lane F r a m i n g h a m Center, M a s s . Phone 8 7 2 - 0 0 0 6 Trustee— N. J. S P E R A N D I O Concord C o u n t r y C l u b Concord, M a s s . Phone E M 9-4723 Trustee— JOSEPH BUTLER United S h o e C o u n t r y Club 3 R i d g e w o o d Terrace Beverly, M a s s . Phone W A 2-1263 Trustee— WILLIAM ASH 9 P a t t o n Street No. Dartmouth, M a s s . Phone W Y 3 - 8 7 6 7 Finance Committee C h a i r m a n WILLIAM ASH 9 P a t t o n Street No. D a r t m o u t h , M a s s . Phone W Y 3 - 8 7 6 7 Educational Committee C h a i r m a n — ROBERT GRANT B r a e B u r n C o u n t r y Club 2 2 Patricia R o a d Sudbury, Mass. Phone 4 4 3 - 2 6 7 1 Golf Committee C h a i r m a n — E D W A R D J. M U R P H Y L e x i n g t o n C o u n t r y Club 194 Oxbow Road Wayland, Mass. Phone 3 5 8 - 7 4 1 0 Newsletter Committee C h a i r m a n — M A N U E L N. F R A N C I S B e l m o n t C o u n t r y Club 3 8 7 Davis Road Bedford, M a s s . Phone 275-8830 QJf G ourde S)uperin ten den td OCTOBER MEETING The October meeting was held at the Brae Burn Country Club. A scroll was sent by the Association to Homer Darling for his many years of service to the Association as President and Newsletter editor. The John Shanahan Memorial tournament was played and the results are: Bill Ezinicki and Guy Tedesco, New Seabury Ray Lajoie and John Almonte, Worcester Bill Gilbert and Mel Wendel, Wannamoisett 71-68 80-68 71-69 This is only the second time since the start of the tournament that a tie has occurred. There will be a playoff at a latter date between the two top teams to determine the winner. NEXT MEETING The next meeting is at the Kittansett Country Club November 7th. Remember — go to the Colonial Coach on Route 6 in Marion for the business meeting and lunch. The business meeting will start at 11:00. Check the September issue for directions. PERSONAL NOTES Dave Barry is confined to Cape Cod Hospital with a heart condition. Mike O'Grady is doing fine after his recent operation. Congratulations to Ted and Mary Murphy on the arrival of a baby girl. CHRISTMAS PARTY Preparations are underway Tor the second annual Christmas party. It will be held on December 15th. Entertainment and a delicious meal—all for the price of $15.00 per couple. Tickets will be sold at the Kittansett meeting. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE CHASRMEl - AS WE FSN0 THEM Once again, it is election time for many of our Club Board of Governors. One of these Board members is the Chairman of the Green Committee. ~^A5ociation I am taking the following message from the Bulletin of the United States Golf Association Green Section, dated December 1927 Vol. 7 #12, taken verbatim. "A greens chairman once told me he did not consider a good greenkeeper an essential part of a golf course. 'We use any cheap help for that job. He doesn't have to use his head. We see that he gets The Bulletin regularly, and he simply follows that.' "And that fellow is a successful business man! I suppose when he needs a new chief engineer for his big factory he simply goes out and gets any cheap laborer for the job. Then he probably gives him a few copies of "The Bulletin of the Wheels and Boiler Section of the United States Factory Association" and tells him to go to it. Oh,-yes! -Ask-me another! "One newly appointed chairman apologized for the condition of the course (it looked in fine shape to me) and explained, I have not been in charge many months, and since my appointment I have been kept too busy with my business to properly fulfill my obligations as head of this important committee. Then he explained his theories of turf culture which he hoped to have put into practice. "For the future welfare of the course, may that fellow's business cares increase, may he go on a long journey, have malaria, hay fever, rheumatism, and the gout until a new official is appointed. "One chairman of the greens committee (let's see, wasn't there more than one?) frankly admitted he knew nothing about grass and, furthermore, had no time to learn anything about it. Fortunately for the club (and this is what made him stand out as an exceptional chairman of his class), he did not try to force his ignorant will on the greenkeeper and the club management. "Another chairman of that mtxeh-abused committee explained, 'I regard my function as chiefly advisory. I have a greenkeeper with years of practical experience who possesses one of the most valuable assets in any job; an open mind. My professional training was of a scientific nature, and I am therefore able to follow any scientific developments readily. My greenkeeper brings any such problem to me, I take any problem of a practical nature to him. We try to develop this teamwork system everywhere on the course.' Their philosophy and savoir-faire can go a long way in producing a first-class golf course. His course certainly proclaimed the wisdom in that scheme, for everywhere one could see evidences of an effort to "get together" — even to the grass around the divots." This was a problem forty years ago, as it still is today, on a few golf establishments. Therefore, Fortunately, forty years later, the ChairmanSuperintendent relationship is one of team co- OF operation, backing each other up, and, this is as it should be. But, unfortunately, even today, there still exists a few chairmen like the above mentioned, pompous individuals. Leon V. St. P i e r r e , President NIOHT MOWiNO I am pleased to see James Reidy's article in the September NEWSLETTER. This is a serious and important subject and will effect the planning and test the management skills of the Superintendents. It should be studied from both sides, considered and debated so none will be caught without plans if the club officials ask that it be tried. Many of the clubs, not only in this area, but nation-wide are operating on the narrow fringe of break-even or loss basis. Many have exploited the bar to its limit and now we see the rental of golf cars producing a substantial income for the clubs which own and rent these to the players. There are but two answers when income does not meet outgo. 1) is raise the income, 2) lower the operation costs. We know number 2 is out in most places as members are clammering for better courses and that means more expense, so the one evident answer is to increase income. Many members feel their present dues are at their own economic level so this is a doubtful source. That leaves but one open door, in the immediate offing, and that is more rounds of golf by more members or players. You can say the course is overcrowded today. It it? Have you allowed for the additional earlier starters, the late players, and those who are slowed down during the daylight by reason of equipment or men interfering with play. Increase your membership. In industry mechanical equipment is kept in use as many hours as possible but on clubs it could be more equipment with lesser use per day, week, or season, if the work is to be done while players are on the course, or longer use of less equipment if the work can be done at night. There are now available multiple tractor gang mowers hydraulically operated. Two of these will maintain the fairways and roughs with little player interference. There is in the immediate offing a new seven unit type multiple gang outfit, three of which can just about be purchased for the cost of one present seven gang tractor outfit. This should be a boon to the superintendent who wants to get all N E W E N G L A N D 18 fairways mowed before noon on any given week day but for night mowing less number of outfits could be used. By the same token there is now on experimental plots triple gang power putting green mower outfits. Three on daylight mowing or two on night mowing will greatly reduce mowing costs. The plus dividend will be; more good men can be had for a three-four hour night shift, even moonlighters if necessary. A l l equipment is available during the day for a full time mechanic to check it over, make adjustments and thus increase the life of each machine and lower maintenance costs. The time is net too far distent when 100% of the clubs will have their own fully equipped and staffed service departments. If the costs of'down' time today are added this saving might support a shop. Many dealers with whom I have discussed this 'night mowing' plan are against it as they can see less equipment sales — others feel this will upgrade the types of equipment purchased and the savings can be used for additional labor/time saving equipment. Who knows but we might see some enterprising young group set up a contract mowing business and do golf course fairways and greens mowing on a fee basis and at night. These are but a few of the ideas pro and con that might be introduced in your discussions. R e member those superintendents, sincere and dedicated men, who said 'golf cars, never, unless over my dead body', and they have golf cars today. It takes hard facts not heated opinions to win arguments and arrive at sound decisions. These can cut to the cere of jrour professional duties and r e sponsibilities , so prepare now to defeat or get on board when the band wagon stops at your door. Keep up your defense but learn to roll with the punch for it might determine servival. Time, standards, policies and people change. We must be prepared to meet all changes. Orville Clapper The so-called "Great Society" is that strange society under which wives as well as husbands must work to support their families and to pay their taxes so thai the Government can spend billions of dollars to support families that don't work at all. NM.M CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OUR FRIENDS Abbott S p r a y and F a r m E q u i p m e n t C o . Waltham Street Lexington, Massachusetts Larchmont Irrigation Co. Larchmont Lane Lexington, Massachusetts The C l a p p e r C o . 1121 W a s h i n g t o n S t r e e t West Newton, Massachusetts J. F . A v e n i Lu S o i l - S o i l C o n d i t i o n e r Minerals & Chemicals Philipp C o r p . 25 C o n c o r d A v e n u e Belmont, Massachusetts G e o f f r e y S. C o r n i s h Golf C o u r s e A r c h i t e c t Fiddler's Green A m h e r s t , Massachusetts Fuel Activator Chemical Corp. C. F . Barbour - Regional Directo] 4300 P r u d e n t i a l T o w e r Boston, Massachusetts "Grounds Equipment" Co . , The . 383 B o y l s t o n S t r e e t Newton Centre, Massachusetts T h e Hubbard H a l l C h e m i c a l C o . P . O . Box 790 W a t e r b u r y , Connecticut T h e C h a r l e s C . H a r t Seed C o . W e t h e r s f i e l d , Connecticut I r r i g a t i o n Consultants I n c . 25 1 H a r v a r d S t r e e t Brookline, Massachusetts Tom Irwin Co. Bennet H i l l R o a d Rowley, Massachusetts J o h n s - M a n v i l l e Sales C o r p . 150 C a u s e w a y S t r e e t Boston, Massachusetts Karandrew Turf F a r m s , Inc. Sam M i t c h e l l , S a l e s R e p r e sentativ 18 Old Randolph S t r e e t Canton, M a s s a c h u s e t t s New England Engine & P a r t s C o . The P a c e r D i s t r i b u t o r 884 C o m m o n w e a l t h A v e n u e B o s t o n , M a s s a c h u s e t t s Q2215 Sawtelle Brothers J e t . R o u t e s 128 and 62 Dartv 3 r.s^,_M a s sachus-elisu M r . F . J. L u k a s i k Stauffer Chemical Co. 3 80 M a d i s o n A v e n u e New Y o r k , New Y o r k 10017 Stanley S. Philipkoski. Sales R e p r e s e n t a t i v e Stauffer Chemical Co. 3 80 M a d i s o n A v e n u e New Y o r k , New Y o r k 10017 Turf Equipment Co. 28 Rut l e d g e R o a d Natick, Massachusetts Philip A . Wogan Golf C o u r s e A r c h i t e c t 21 Budleigh A v e n u e B e v e r l y , Massachusetts Wyandotte Chemical C o r p . 709 Salada Building Boston, Massachusetts G a f f n y E n t e r p r i s e s , Inc. Irrigation Specialists North Main Street Middleton, Massachusetts Inc.