APRIL, 1969

ourde
OF

S u p e r i n t e n d e n t s
NEW

ENGLAND,

— ^ A i o c l u t i o n
INC

Sponsors and administrators of the Lawrence S.
Dickinson Scholarship Fund — Awarded yearly
to deserving Turf Management Students.

Campbell Presents GCSA of New England
Old Relic
Shown left to right: Anthony Caranci, President of the
G C S A of New England accepting from John K . Campbell, links
supervisor of St. Andrews, one of T o m Morris' old handmade
clubs which dates back well over one hundred years. John
Spodnik, president of G C S A of America is shown admiring
old Tom's relic.

EXCHANGE OF FRIENDSHIP SHIELD
A Friendship Shield from the G C S A of New England to the
Scottish Golf Greenkeepers Association was presented at the
Annual Fine Turf Conference, at the Highpoint Motor Inn,
recently by Anthony Caranci, president, to John K . Campbell,
links supervisor at St. Andrews, Scotland.

FRIENDS FOREVER MORE
This is fast becoming the wide world of golf course superintendents. It obviously takes no great mind to vision days
ahead when airborne vehicles shall be busy establishing
shuttling service between countries and continents. We might
even go island hopping f o r our monthly New England Association meetings. It is, indeed, a small world.
With this evidence before us, it is only natural that golf
course superintendents get together in a display of mutual
respect and recognition. This is how the Friendship Shield
came about.
The Shield is just that, an official-lettered championshipcarved wooden headstone which has been presented to the
Scottish Greenskeepers Association from the Golf Course
Superintendents Association of New England. It shall wing
its way back to safe keeping with John Campbell, links supervisor at St. Andrews.
The act of friendship wasn't just one-way. In return
Campbell gave to the New England boys a very f a m o u s piece

of golf history. It is an original club head, made by the
equally revered Tom Morris and is over one hundred years
old.
Leon St. Pierre, our man of a thousand and one ideas, lit
the lamp under this one. Leon proposed the exchange of gifts
and it grew into this particular condition which will make
the moment a treasure for both sides of the profession.
The club head shall be mounted on a shield and plans are
to enter it in a golfing competition of the New England group.
Tournament chairman Wayne Ripley is in discussion with
several members as to what particular event will set aside this
Friendship Shield for its champion. There is some thought
that it might be presented for one-year's display to the individual titilist of the association.
In turn, the Scots shall contest for their shield in some
form of tournament. Thus, the two worlds of the U . S . and
Scottish supers are brought closer together. The idea was
super, Leon.
— Gerry Finn

ourde

S u p e r i n t e n d e n t d

COLONIZATION OF CHSCOPEE
For a moment there — in the hush of an enchanted audience at Chicopee's Highpoint Motor Inn — you would have
thought the British had recaptured their once-prized Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The occasion was the Fine Turf Conference. The commander of the one-man British army was a baldish bloke with a
message from that patron saint of golf — St. Andrews. John
Campbell, the links supervisor there, certainly had shaken
hands with expectation. His was a captive audience, made so
by his charm, knowledge and warm presentation of both.
Campbell must be held responsible for the trying times of
conference director J o e Troll. "We had a hectic session", Joe
smiled when the last visitor climbed into his sedan and whisked
down the long driveway at the Highpoint. " I t was wonderful,
every moment of it. The crowd was the largest in history . . .
735. Our program must have appealed to all in the field."
That program sure did. However, much of the blame for
the outpouring has to focus on the appearance of Campbell.
His position as the ruler of golf's holy land — St. Andrew's,
was the first bit of lure the conference had. And he followed
it up by turning out to be the magnanimous personality one
would expect for such a magnanimous job.
This was John's first trip to the United States. " I must say
even the thought of coming over here was thrill enough", he
commented. " B u t when I arrived and joined in on your speedy
pace, it was only the smallest inkling of how enjoyable my
stay would be. I can't say enough about my feelings for the
way I was received. You people must be congratulated. By
the time I leave, I'll probably feel like a native."
Campbell, who admits to touching 50 years on the birthday timetable, has been the links supervisor at St. Andrews
for the past nine years. His title is special. He is the only
turf manager in Scotland to wear it. This fact separates him
from the crowd. In addition, he is a man who knows his profession. He can sit down and recite the whereabouts of every
blade of grass on each of the four courses at St. Andrews over
which he has charge.
The technical aspects of his assignment at St. Andrews are
too numerous to probe in so short a piece as this. All that
can be said in that respect is Campbell has been around the
block. He uses all phases of conditioning to make things shine
at golf's international shrine. "Maybe some of the old methods might shock modern addicts"; he declared. ""However,
I am a firm believer in the sound method. If it looks a little
outdated, I still use it. But to each his own. I am not infallible."
Campbell used the Fine Turf Conference as the runway for
a brisk 12-day leave from the supervision of a 30-man staff
at St. Andrews. From Chicopee he motored to Montreal for
the Canadian conference and then was due to whisk back to
Boston for MGA Day.
"This pace is amazing", he added as he headed for some
Canadian capers. "The trip has been such a pleasure for me.
I am one of those people who love to learn. Every new person
I meet is an addition to my quest for knowledge. I'm so grateful you people wanted me here."
There could be chapter after chapter written about Campbell. He is a book in himself. A five-year prisoner of war . . .
nationally-known cartoonist for a British magazine . . . efficient golfer of eight-stroke handicap . . . beaming family
man with a son who could become an outstanding player.
You get the idea. In a word, we are ever so grateful he decided to colonize us again . . . even if it was for so short
a time.
— Gerry Finn

s ^ S d o c i a t i o n -

LIFE MEMBERSHIP

Ed Phinney, superintendent at the Acoaxet Club, Westport
Harbor, Mass. has been notified by the Board of Governors
of his club that he and his family were elected to a life family
membership at the club. Congratulations to Ed. Ed was one
of the eight who attended the first winter school at U. of Mass.
in 1927.
Below is a picture of the first Winter School.

(Back row, 1 to r: Ed Phinney, Roy Elder, Charles Gale, John
Clinton, William Hannigan. Front row, 1 to r : James Farmer,
Molly Heald, John Mahan and Arthur Anderson. To our
knowledge only Phinney and Anderson are still living.

SPRING -

A TIME TO ASSESS DRAINAGE

By A. Robert Mazur,
Agronomist
USGA. Green Section, Eastern
Region
As spring approaches, the thoughts of every superintendent
turn toward the grooming of his course.
The normal situation in the Northeast during the spring is
the presence of plethoric amounts of moisture from rain as
well as melting snows. This situation not only slows the soil
warming process, thus delaying the growth of the grass, but
also prohibits normal maintenance operations. Wet soils footprint, rut and bog down equipment. This is the visible damage.
The compaction or invisible damage that results has a far more
detrimental and lasting effect on the turf.
In addition, we are aware of the fact that poorly drained
soil promotes-shallow-rooted plants, increases the incidence
of disease and attributes to "scald-out" during the summer.
The result is a turf that just won't stand up under stress!
Drainage can be improved by ( 1 ) increasing the surface
drainage.; (2) installing tile drains or slit trenches, or (3) by
modifying the physical conditions of the soil.
(1) Grass waterways and open drains are particularly
effective in controlling the " r u n o f f " or excess amounts of
, surface water.
(2) Tile drains can be used to intercept and eliminate problems involved with seepage or underground water. It is also
often used to improve the natural line of drainage, particularly on heavy soils.
Slit trenches are made of materials that conduct water faster
than surrounding soil to a lower strata in the soil profile. The
importance of this type of drain is the economy and ease of
installation.
(3) Modifying existing soil to correct poor soil structure
and eliminate any impervious soil layers is costly and time
consuming. For this reason this is only possible on limited
areas of the course, such as greens and in some cases tees.
There is no better time to assess your drainage problems
than in the spring when they are most evident.

our&e

• S u p e r i n t e n d e n t s ;

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be April 7, 1969, at the Holiday
Inn, Grove Street, Newton, Mass.
Directors' Meeting
10:30 a . m .
Regular Meeting
11:15 p.m.
Dinner
12:15 p . m .
Educational P r o g r a m
1 : 1 5 p. m.
Ted Murphy has promised an exciting p r o g r a m this month.
Dr. Paul Sortoretto, President of the Cleary Co. will be here
to talk on, what else! " D i s e a s e Control." Also, Spencer Thompson of the Monsanto Company will talk about AstroTurf and
its relations to the golf course.
New application to be voted on at the next meeting:
John Kelleher
Wellesley C. C.
Wellesley, Mass.

^ A f d d o c i a i i o n •

GCSA OF LONG ISLAND PRESENT

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of Long Island
presented to Dr. Joseph Troll a check for $600.00 to the
Lawrence S. Dickinson Scholarship Fund. Shown left to right:
Dr. Joseph Troll, associate professor of U M a s s Fine Turf Department giving check to Philip Cassidy, chairman of the
Scholarship Fund. Joseph Moisa, president of the Long Island
Association was not present for the picture.

WHY NOT ST. ANDREWS?

Did someone say, "let's pitch the national convention tent
in Hawaii for the 1971 w i n t e r f e s t ? "
What are we . . . " T h e pineapple growers association of
America?"
Not to put the slam-bang on Hawaii, but it does seem rather
absurd to talk of incongruous, faraway places when we have
a natural setting for future gathering of the national group.
The call has come from golf's holy land — tradition-packed
St. Andrews. It is only in the stage of a strong possibility, but
certainly something to think about.
During his charged-up stay at the recent Fine Turf Conference, St. Andrews links supervisor, John Campbell, appeared highly thrilled by the idea of the G C S A A visiting his
stomping grounds for its highlight of the season.
Campbell could make no commitments but bubbled with
enthusiasm over the wee possibility of such an undertaking.
" T h e r e certainly could be worked out some organizational
p l a n " , he told. " H o u s i n g would be one problem to be wrestled with. However, we could set up a central station at one
of the larger cities in Scotland and operate from there. In
that way your members could have an opportunity to visit
some of our other f a m o u s courses."
The New England Association, always on the move in an
attempt to promote worthwhile ventures, stands behind the
proposal and throws it out to the national in that form.
President Tony Caranci expressed the same enthusiasm
Campbell displayed when the suggestion was made. " W e have
an opportunity to really make our convention an artistic success with this attempt to set up the St. Andrews trip", Caranci
offered. " I ' m sure the national can appreciate the magnitude
of such a possibility. We are 100 percent behind it. We
wonder what the other sections think about it. Maybe we
should ask the national to poll them. At any rate, it shouldn't
die in the conversational stages. The national shouldn't let
it die."
•— Gerry Finn

KEEP THE BALL ROLLING

That ship-to-shore grin Phil Cassidy is wearing these days
was plastered on his features by a couple of healthy booster
shots to the Lawrence S. Dickinson Scholarship Fund.
Phil, who heads this favorite project of the New England
Association, suddenly realizes that the thing is catching fire.
" W e are putting all our guns to use this y e a r " , he burst.
" T h e r e is no better way to make our time and money do the
job than to prepare the road for those who will follow us in
turf management."
That brief endorsement of the fund followed a lump donation of six hundred dollars by the Long Island Association of
Golf Course Superintendents. Making the presentation was
that group's president, Joseph Moisa who noted that L o n g
Island supers hoped to make it an annual affair . . . and
maybe push for an increase in the size of the grant.
" W e have many Massachusetts men working on the Island",
Moisa said. " W e are very much interested in the Turf Management School at the University of Mass. So, what better
way could we express this interest? I only hope we can continue to build the pot, so to s p e a k . "
Following that bundle of a stake in the future f o r some
worthy student at UMass, the fund received another lift. This
came in the form of a $500 gift from golf course architect
Geoffrey S. Cornish. He, too, is very much caught up in the
future of the profession.
The combination of these two wonderful investments in the
turf world's better tomorrows was only the beginning . . . or
what Cassidy would hope to be the launching of a wholesale
response to the fund.
The Long Island act served as the first superintendents'
group, outside of New England, to contribute to the fund.
" W e raised the money during our Christmas raffle", Moisa
revealed. " M a y b e it's a little late for a Christmas gift to the
fund, but I'm sure you'll forgive our lack of timing. We hope
to make a habit of it. I would like to see it grow and grow
until you can afford to sponsor a fairway full of students."
— Gerry Finn
Vesper CC, No. 12 Fairway, March 14, 1969= Snow removal
operations have become a yearly maintenance practice at
Vesper with commendable results.

o u r & e

* u p e r i n t e n d e n t 5

M.G.A. DAY AT THE HARVARD CLUB

It seems that this will be the year of great numbers. There
was record attendance at the G.C.S.A.A. Turf Conference in
Miami, (over 3,500) and a new record was set at the Fine
Turf Conference in Chicopee, ( 7 3 5 ) and now this year at the
H a r v a r d Club there were 390 club officials, managers, pros,
and superintendents in attendance. The Greens P r o g r a m was
the best ever! Not only that, but the room was filled with
eager listeners. Gerry Howes, M G A Green Section Chairman
was the Moderator and did an expert job leading the way for
the topic: " P o a Annua Problems on New England Golf Course s . " Alexander M. Radko, National Director of the U S G A
Green Section was the first speaker, followed by Leon V. St.
Pierre, Superintendent at the Longmeadow Country Club, who
gave a talk and showed slides of his progress with the eradication of Poa. The final speaker was Dr. Kenneth McEwen,
Green Chairman, Longmeadow Country Club. Dr. McEwen told
of the problems with the board and the members concerning
the inconvenience of the playing conditions when Leon started this five year program. At the conclusion he said that the
members are happy with the results and they are pleased
that this p r o g r a m was launched.

t i o n •

HOLE POSITIONS
By JOHN
Links Supervisor,

CAMPBELL
St.
Andrews

Many golf courses as a rule have an area on each of their
greens where the hole is usually placed whenever the club has
a medal competition. These positions being chosen because
they make the holes interesting by bringing into play any
bunkers or other hazards, natural or artificial surrounding the
green.
Moving the holes to the medal positions on the morning of
the competition is generally left to the discretion of the greenkeeper who has to take into account the condition of the turf
— worn patches on the green or any unusual accumulation of
casual water which would necessitate' the hole being placed
elsewhere. But under ordinary circumstances the normal spots
would be used. In this connection it is helpful if the greenkeeper is a golfer, or at least has a reasonable understanding of
the game.
Having such vast and undulating greens on the Old Course
here at St. Andrews, it is important to have a method of finding the traditional positions for the medal holes and detailed
instructions are given to assist the greenkeeper to locate these
places.
Wherever possible crossbearings on natural objects have
been given and the intersection of these lines give the centre
of a circle some two yards in diameter within which the medai
hole is located.
These have been supplemented by measurements from fixed
objects on or near the green (hydrants, edges of bunkers, etc.)
F o r example the following directions are given for locating
the position of the 11th hoje — at the intersection of the following bearings:
( a ) Town Church spire to Dundee Law.
( b ) Shelter on the Eden Course near 8th tee to centre of
small bunker at back of 7th green.
The hole to be at least 25 feet from nearest edge of
Strath bunker.

L fo r — Leon V. St. Pierre, Alexander M. Radko, Dr. Kenneth
McEwen and Gerald Howes
Robert Trent Jones was the
slides of interesting holes from
told of golf in the early days
gether to make the first ball. He
in the world.

guest speaker and he showed
all over the world. Jones also
when feathers were rolled tohas designed over 300 courses

The experienced greenkeeper .who regularly cuts the holes
tries to preserve the medal positions for these special occasions
by moving them frequently over as wide an area of the putting
surface as possible, which will help to spread the wear and
tear and add a wide variety of interest for the everyday golfer.
F o r important golf events such as the British Open Championship which lasts for several days, the pin positions on all
the greens for each day are carefully considered before the
event takes place, and, during the course of the Championship
the holes are cut as pre-arranged within the area of the traditional medal positions.
It has become the practice to paint the inside of the hole
cups white to make them stand out better and catch the player's eye while putting. Most of the important golf tournaments are now televised and it is also an aid to the cameraman
mounted high on his tower, the hole is easier picked out by the
zoom lens of the camera and allows T.V. viewers to follow the
game more closely.

L to r — Robert Trent Jones, Henry F. Wischusen, President,
MGA and John K. Campbell, Supervisor of Links at St.
Andrews, Scotland

Not all courses are of championship standard, neither are
golfers, and this is all the more reason why the vast majority
of greenkeepers should interest their Conveners in the siting
of the holes for medal occasions. It is worthwhile to decide the
two yard area within which each hole will be placed, taking
into account the hazards of the average player getting down in
a couple of putts. Siting of holes in impossible positions should
be discounted.

New Hampshire Golf Course Superintendents Association, Inc.
Editor — John J. Barry, Supt. Abenaqui

Country

Club, Kye, N. H.

STRICTLY FOR THE BIRDS

Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 15 at the
Concord Highway Hotel in Concord, New Hampshire. The
format will be as follows:
9 : 3 0 A. M.
B o a r d of Directors Meeting
10:00 A . M .
Coffee Hour
1 1 : 0 0 A. M.
Business Meeting
12:15 P . M .
Lunch
1:30 P . M .
Educational P r o g r a m
Immediately following the educational program there will
be an informal gathering in the lounge.

Demonstration
George Hauschel, Superintendent of the Rockingham Country Club, has extended an invitation for those who wish, to a
demonstration of the Tree Monkey. The machine is designed
to prune trees to a height of 25 feet. This will take place at
the Rockingham Country Club, on Route 108 in Newmarket,
N. H. at 1 0 : 0 0 o'clock on Saturday, April 5.

Applications to Be VOTED on Next MONTH
Robert Paul Laroche
6100 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, Md.
Bob has applied for an associate membership as he is the
assistant superintendent at the Chevy Chase Club.
Gerard Cameron
Lovejoy Road, Andover, Mass.
Gerry has been the superintendent of the Indian R i d g e
Country Club in Andover for one year. He has made application for an associate membership.

Educational Program
The educational p r o g r a m for March was conducted by both
Manuel Francis, Sr. and Manuel Francis, J r . Man. J r . gave a
talk and showed slides on the construction of the new holes
at the Belmont Country Club. Manuel Sr. spoke of his experiences in Mexico and also his procedures for fairway renovation, which also coincided with slides. Both talks were very
well presented and very much appreciated.

FART TWO
By William J. Barrett
Supt. Portsmouth
Country
Club
It is time for an evaluation of the mosquito control method
undertaken here at Portsmouth Country Club. As stated in
my first article, purple martin houses were erected here at
Portsmouth Country Club in late 1967.
Purple martin scouts were spotted on the course the last
week of April. However, the martins passed us by and settled
in different communities. It is a known fact that the martins
usually take two years to settle in the new houses. S o we hopefully expect to see them inhabit our houses this year.
On May 1, 1968, 9 out of 10 houses became occupied by
tree swallows who are in the martin family. As it turned out,
by the time these swallows left on August 15th, their value to
us more than offset the original cost of the martin houses.
They proved to be large eaters of flying insects on our course,
particularly during the early morning hours and at dusk.
Not long after they arrived the members began commenting
on the scarcity of mosquitos and other insects around the
course. As a matter of fact, where we normally sprayed the
course two and three times a season, we only had to spray
once last season. S o m e of this can be attributed to the relatively dry summer which helped cut down on the breeding
places for mosquitos. Aside from their practical use to us,
they add to the aesthetic value of any course.
At the close of the 1969 season we will publish the results
of our second season in dealing with the purple martins and
swallows. At that time, we hope to be able to report once
again, that our mosquitos are "strictly for the b i r d s . "

Turf Conference

The New Hampshire Golf Course Superintendents Association was very well represented at the conference. As in past
years Dr. Joseph Troll and his staff did an excellent j o b in
running the proceedings and in obtaniing the speakers. I am
not alone in saying that anyone who did not attend, and could
have, did an injustice to both themselves and their clubs. It
is also felt that the respective clubs should accept the Superintendents financial obligations for the conference.

Scholarship Committee
At the next meeting the final format of the Scholarship Fund
will be presented to the membership, for their approval.

Research and Education
President George Hauschel appointed a committee to talk
with representatives of the University of New Hampshire concerning the future of Turf Education and Research in New
Hampshire, as there has been doubt, of late, as to which direction they were heading.
The committee consists of the following:
Charles Pullen
Bill Cross
Dave Marcotte
Bob Flanagan
George Hauschel
E d Upham, County Agent

SEATED AT HEAD TABLE, MARCH MEETING
Left to right: Manuel Francis, Sr., Charles Pullen, Manuel
Francis, Jr., Bob Flanagan, George Hauschel (President), Bob
Hale, Brother John Flick, John Barry.

Maine Golf Course Superintendents Association

What the USGA Wants in An Open Course
By JOSEPH C. DEY, JR.
Executive Director, United States Golf
Association
The ideal Open course, in the estimation of the USGA, is
one that provides a test of championship skill without being
tricky or unfair. Emphasis is placed on accuracy, not only in
the green area but fi?>m the tee onward.
The rough should be of a depth and cut that rewards good
shots and requires testing recoveries from poor shots. No
specific height of grass is required since this is dependent on
the density and toughness of turf in the rough. Treatment of
rough around each green depends upon the character of the
green, its size and difficulty of the approach.
These heights and widths of cut represent average treatment
for the Open, but are not hard and fast:
Height
Width
Fairway ^
l/2 to % in. 30 to 40 yds.
Collar off fairway
2 in.
4 to 6 ft.
Rough
4 to 5 in.
Green
.......,.,
3 / 1 6 in.
Collar off green
l/ 2 to % in. 30 to 36 ins.
Light rough off collar
2 in.
2 to 6 ft.
Rouffh
4 to 5 in.
Here are the USGA's requirements for tees, fairways,
greens and bunkers:
Tees: Firm, dry turf is essential to stance. The teeing areas
should be cut at approximately the same height as fairways.
Fairways: Should be maintained with minimum quantities of water to provide firm turf. Hard and soft spots should
be avoided. Fluffiness, which can be minimized by combing
and brushing, is undesirable because it tends to produce a
"floater" ball. Cut should be made with the purpose of providing dense, firm turf with no clover, weeds or grass blades.
Greens-. Cut may be as high as one-fourth inch where
greens are severely undulating to prevent possible movement
of the ball on a slope when the player takes his stance. Daily
mowing is required for several weeks prior to and during the
Open. Greens should be fast, not slippery. Irrigation should
be uniform and only sufficient to maintain growth and color.
Firmness is a must. Matted, fluffy turf should be corrected by
combing, brushing and topdressing well in advance of the
competition. Greens should not hold easily for a poorly played
approach shot, but shots played with good backspin should
hold reasonably well.
In locating cups, the first consideration is to what will give
fair results. The two- or three-foot radius within the cup
should be reasonably level. In no case should a cup be located in a tricky spot or on a sharp slope where a ball can gather
speed (a player above the hole should be able to putt boldly
for i t ) .
Bunkers: A coarse grade of sand is preferable. If fresh sand
is put in a trap this should come a month before the Championship so that it becomes well settled. The U S G A doesn't
permit use of a rake that puts large furrows in the sand.
To assist in uniform application of the Rules of Golf, the
U S G A seeks to meticulously define out of bounds, limits of
water hazards and ground under repair.

Pesticides; A 12-Step Code
Courtesy

Texas

Agricultural

Progress

1. A L W A Y S read the label before using sprays or dusts. Note
warnings and cautions each time before opening the container.
2. Keep sprays and dusts out of the reach of children, pets
and irresponsible people. They should be stored outside
of the home, away from food and feed, and under lock
and key.
3. A L W A Y S store sprays and dusts in original containers
and keep them tightly closed.
4. N E V E R smoke while spraying or dusting.
5. Avoid inhaling sprays or dusts. When directed on the
label, wear protective clothing and masks.
6. Do not spill sprays or dusts on the skin or clothing. If
they are spilled, remove contaminated clothing'IMMEDIA T E L Y and wash thoroughly.
7. Wash hands and face and change to clean clothing after
spraying or dusting. Also wash clothing each day before
reuse.
•
8. Cover food and water containers when treating around
livestock or pet areas.'Do riot contaminate fish ponds.
9. Use separate equipment for applying hormone-type herbicides in order to avoid accidental injury to susceptible
plants.
10. ALWAYS dispose of empty containers so that they pose
no hazard to humans, animals or valuable plants.
11. Observe label directions and cautions to keep residues on
edible portions of plants within the limits permitted by
law.
12. If symptoms of illness occur during or shortly after spraying or dusting, call a physician or get the patient to a hospital immediately,

GOLFER DAMAGE TO WINTER GREENS

Question: Is there an effective means of determining how
much damage golfers can do to greens in wet or cold weather?
(Missouri)
Answer: Quite a lot has been written regarding this problem
and numerous talks have been given at turf conferences; the
following quite well summarizes this information:
1. Do not play when the soil is saturated with water or overwet. This means that shoes actually sink through the soil
or carts leave ruts. Not too often does this condition prevail.
2. This is of paramount importance: Do not walk on grass
when a "white frost" is visible. When this is done, ice
crystals in the cell vacuole will cause cell wall rupturing
and death to the plant.
3. Never allow traffic on soil, especially putting greens, when
all but the upper one or two inches of the soil is frozen.
This can cause permanent damage to turf, as well as develop rough, bumpy putting conditions:
From USGA ' Green Section
Record

NEW
A FOUR-BALL FABLE

INC.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
It is interesting to note that the cost of operating country
clubs is rising faster than club revenue, according to a survey
of 75 country clubs, by the national accounting firm of Harris,
Keer, Forster and Company.
The firm diagnosed the economic health of these country
clubs based on data from clubs with fiscal years ending through
May 31, 1968. Country clubs improved their gross revenue and
dues by 3.9 per cent, operating cost and expenses rose 4.8
per cent. The m a j o r expense was payroll, requiring 80.6 per
cent of their operating revenue to meet these costs.
The 1967-1968 golf course maintenance costs average
$4,329.00 per hole for the 75 country clubs. A year ago the
cost per hole averaged $4,131.00. This is a 4.8 per cent increase
over last year.
With the acute labor problem existing on our golf courses
today, with the economy and inflation constantly rising, the
country club must look forward to still higher increases in
payroll.
Anthony B. Caranci, J r .
President

Smith, MacDonald, R o b b and Speirs,
Golfed together forty years,
Summer, winter, rain or shine — ,
On the tee at half past nine.
One Saturday, with woe and dole,
At the road beside the seventeenth hole,
A sad procession slowly passed,
For one at least it was the last.
Three of the cronies reached the green,
But where was R o b b ? — Why, he was seen,
With cap in hand beside the fence,
Bowed down by Death's Omnipotence . . .
Placing his cap upon his head,
Robb laid his second shot stone dead,
When up spoke one of his three pals,
" W e do not wait for funerals."
Then Robb explained with slight delay, —
His wife was being interred that day,
He could not let th'occasion pass,
Without some tribute to the lass.
Who was, for fifty years his wife —
She gave him a full, happy life —
Epitaph said " O l d Robb was seen,
Smiting his drive to the eighteenth green."

E N G L A N D ,

GOLF AT ST. ANDREWS

ACGR.

Shown Checking St. Andrew's Old Course
John Campbell, links supervisor of famed St. Andrews
golf course in Scotland, and principals of UMass Fine Turf
Conference were guests of Longmeadow Country Club at a
reception recently. Seen checking the layout of St. Andrews
Old Course are left to right, Dr. Joseph Troll, conference
director, Harlow Ide, Longmeadow CC president, Leon V.
St. Pierre, course superintendent at Longmeadow, John C.
Spodnik, president of Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, and Campbell.

There are Four Golf Courses at St. Andrews. All belong to
the Town. This means that, apart from the modest green fee,
anyone can play on them. Y o u do not need an introduction
•nor belong to any other club.
The four Courses a r e :
Charges
Mon. to Fri. Saturday
Sunday
The Old Course (Amer. money)
$1.60 $2.40
closed
the oldest golf course
in the world)
12s. 6d. £ 1
closed
New Course
$0.80 $1.00
$1.20
6s. Od. 8s. 6d. 10s. Od.
Eden Course
$0.80 $1.00
$1.20
6s. Od. 8s. 6d. 10s. Od.
Jubilee Course
$0.40 $0.40
$1.20
3s. Od. 3s. Od. 10s. Od.
Period Tickets (excluding S u n d a y s ) are available in the New,
Eden, and Jubilee Courses, but N O T on the Old Course.
Weekly Ticket
$2.90
£ 1 . 5s. Od.
Fortnightly Ticket
$4.40
£ 2 . 0s. Od.
Block reservations can be made on all courses except the Jubilee by secretaries, etc. of clubs or organizations. Individual
bookings are N O T possible. A reservation fee as well as the
green fee is payable to the starter as follows:
Old Course
2s. Od. per Player
$0.25 per Player
New and Eden
Is. Od. per Player
$0.12 per Player
Reservations can be made through the starter or the Town
Clerk. During the summer months it is necessary to run a
Ballot f o r starting times on the Old Course. N a m e s should be
given to the Starter the day before you wish to play. Ballot
results are displayed at 5 p. m. for the following day at Starter's Box and the Information Centre. During August the hours
between 10 a. m. and 11 a. m. and 2 to 3 p. m. and during
September between 9 : 1 6 and 1 0 : 4 8 a . m . and 1 : 2 8 and 3
p. m. are reserved for R & A Golf Club members except on
Thursday and Saturday.
Golf Clubs can be hired from shops near the Old Course, at
approximately £ 1 ($2.40) per day.
Information Centre
St. Andrews.

fratiotUfe

Alfco Rokeby Co., Inc.
Fertilizers and Chemical Specialties
P. O. Box 267, Marietta, Ohio

President —
Anthony Caranci, Jr.
22 Hillview Drive
No. Providence, R. I. 02900
Phone 723-1688
Club Affiliation
tedgemont Country Club

Secretary

First Vice-President —

Astroturf Recreational Surfaces
Monsanto Company
R. Spencer Thompson
P. 0 . Box 2130, Springfield, Mass.
Baker Tractor Corp.
Ford Tractors
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Mass.

—

THOMAS CURRAN
153 Fisher Street
Walpote, Mass. 02081
Phone 668-722 f
Club Affiliation
The Country Club

RICHARD C. BIAKE
211 Sewall Street
Boviston, Mass. 01505
Phone 869-2737
Club Affiliation
Mt. Pleasant Country Club

The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Wethersfield, Conn.

Treasurer —

Second Vice-President —

LUCIEN DUVAL
R.F.D. No. 5. Gault Rd.
Bedford. N. H. 03105
Phone 472-3454

ROBERT GRANT
22 Patricia Road
Sudbury, Mass. 01776
Phone 443-2671
Club Affiliation
Brae Burn Country Club

Cleb Affiliation
Manchester Country Club

Educational Committee

Trustee —

—

EDWARD J. MURPHY
194 Oxbow Road
Woylond, Mass. 01778
Phone 358-7410
Oub Affiliation
Lexington Country Club

NORMAN MUCCIARONE
101 Alban Road
Wabon, Moss. 02168
Phone 332-3056
Club Affiliation
Woodland Country Club

Trustee —

Golf Committee Chairman •

ROBERT MUCCIARONE
465 Summer Street
Westwood, Massachusetts 02090.
Phone 329-9682
Club Affiliation
Dedham Country and Polo Club

WAYNE RIPLEY
216 South Street
Wrentham, Mass.
Phone 384-3142
Club Affiliation
Walpote Country Club

Newsletter Committee Chairman -

Trustee —

DEAN ROBERTSON
24 Riverview Drive
Newbury, Mass. 01950
Phone 462-4540
Cltib Affiliation
Chestnut Hill Country Club

PHILIP CASSIDY
45 Grosvenor Road
Needhara, Mass. 02192
Phone 444-4127
Club Affiliation
Weston Golf Club

Past President

Finance Committee Chairman —
JULIUS AKSTEN
6 Main Street
Southbor®. Mass, 01772
Phone 485-8885
Club Affiliation
St. Mark's Golf Club

Business
DEAN

FRIENDS

—

LEON V. ST. PIERRE
Si Fenwood Road
St •
eridov- Mass. 01106
Phone 567-5562
Club Affiliation
Longmeedow Country Club

Manager

ROBERTSON

Newsletter Committee Chairman
24 Riverview Drive
Newbury, Massachusetts 01950
Phone 462-4540
C l u b Affiliation
Chestnut Hill Country C l u b

The Clapper Co.
1121 Washington St.
West Newton, Mass.
Geoffrey S. Cornish
Golf Course Architect
Fiddler's Green, Amherst,

O F THE

ASSOCIATION

Johns-Manville Sales Corp.
150 Causeway St., Boston, Mass.
Karandrew Turf Farms, Inc.
Sam Mitchell, Sales Representative
18 Old Randolph St.
Canton, Mass.
The Kenneth Barrie Company
Irrigation
375 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Mass.
Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp.
380 Union St.
West Springfield, Mass. 01089
Larchmont Irrigation Co.
Larchmont Ln., Lexington, Mass.
Bob Lippman
Tuco Products Company
Division of the Upjohn Company
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Mass.

Fuel Activator Chemical Corp.
C. F. Barbour — Regional Director
43000 Prudential Tower
Boston, Mass.
E. Cull
reen Soil Conditioner
Corp. of America
;en St., Abington, Mass.
C. S. Curran
T. R. C. Products, Oils and Greases
Finest Lubricants for Golf Course
Equipment
7 Linden St., Framingham, Mass.
Fairway Equipment, Inc.
Sales — Service — Rentals
35 Walnut St., Reading, Mass.
Fisk, Alden Ford
Tractor Sales, Inc.
Rear 900 Providence Highway
Dedham, Mass. 02026
Manuel Francis and Son, Inc.
Turf Nurseries
624 Webster St., Marshfield, Mass.

Magovern Company, Inc.
Lawn Acre Road
Windsor Lock, Conn.
D. L. Maher Co.
Water Supply Contractors
Testwells — Gravel packed wells
Byron Jackson Pumps
P. O. Box 274, Woburn, Mass.
Ken Minasian
Scotts
312 Marlborough St.
Boston, Mass. 02116
Old Fox Agricultural Sales, Inc.
Jerry Spahr
44 Lexington Ave., Magnolia, Mass.
Richey & Clapper, Inc.
28 Rutledge Rd., Natick, Mass.
Sawtelle Brothers
Jet. Routes 128 and 62
Danvers, Mass.
Shepard Sod Company
Merion Blue Grass and Pencross Bent
200 Sullivan Avenue
South Windsor, Conn.

Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc.
181 South Ave., Weston, Mass. 02197

Philip A. Wogan
Golf Course Architect
21 Budleigh Ave., Beverly, Mass.

Grounds Equipment Co., Inc.
383 Boylston St., Newton Cen., Mass.

Wyandotte Chemical Co.
709 Salada Bldg., Boston, Mass.

Tom Irwin Co.
Bennett Hill Road
Rowley, Mass.

Yerxa's. Inc,
Golf Course Equipment
740 Broadway, S. Portland, Me.