FEBRUARY, 1969

ourSe.Superintendents
OF

NEW

E N G L A N D ,

ociation

INC

Sponsors and administrators of the Lawrence S.
Dickinson Scholarship Fund — A w a r d e d yearly
to deserving Turf Management Students.

/t+tetuai (ZoKumUo-Pt i*t "TH&ami

J O H N J. SPODNIK

President of the G C S A A
G o l f Course Superintendent, Westfield Country
C l u b , Leroy, Ohio

Rev*
VW® -

'

Course Superintendents

^Association
NEXT MEETING

February 10, 1969, at the Holiday Inn
Newton, Mass. (exit 53 oft Route 1 2 8 )
Directors' Meeting
10:30 A.M.
Regular Meeting
11:15 A.M.
Dinner
12:30 P . M .
Educational Program
1:15 P . M .
Ted Murphy has promised a great program for this date.
Dr. Paul Sortoretto, President of the Cleary Co. will be the
guest speaker. He will talk on (what else?) "Disease Control."

PLACES TO GO!
Mass. Turf Conference, Chicopee, Mass.
March 5, 6, 7, 1969 at the High Point I n n
*

Getting ready for the Greatest Show on Turf!

Dean Robertson, Newsletter Editor and Leon V. St. Pierre,
Business Manager discuss plans for next Newsletter.

THE CAMPBELLS ARE COMING
It may sound worn-out and commercially flat, but when Dr.
Joseph Troll says this year's version of the University of Massachusetts Fine Turf Conference will be the biggest and best
ever, his words wear much credence.
The big show, which just happens to have the Golf Course
Superintendents of New England Association as one of its
co-sponsors, will make its splash March 5, 6, 7 at a new site
— the Highpoint Motor Inn, just off the Mass. Turnpike in
Chicopee.
Dr. Troll stands as a lesson in exuberance when he talks
about this year's center-ring attraction, the appearance of Mr.
John Campbell — links supervisor at St. Andrews. And that
isn't St. Andrews, Illinois.
Mr. Campbell plans to make the trip part of an extensive
tour of golf course facilities in the Northeast section of the
United States, as well as spots in Canada. He will be at the
UMass Conference for all three days and be in the spotlight
throughout, although more specifically when he conducts an
oral tour of his great and respected assignment of grooming
one of the most illustrious golf courses in the world.
The conference doesn't stop there with features. From the
USGA will come Jim Holmes and he promises to carry an
appropriate message from that prestigeous corner of the sport.
Another invited guest is the golf course superintendents'
national leader, John Spodnick — recently elected at the
Miami sojourn. He will have some words of wisdom for his
colleagues, as well as others from relating fields.
Dr. Troll, who peels off names so quickly he catches cham-

•

*

-

•

CANADIAN T U R F CONFERENCE
Sponsored by
the Canadian Golf
Superintendents Association
This conference is a swell opportunity to visit with our
friends from the north and also to meet some new turf managers. The Supers from Canada hope to see many of the
fellows from the New England area!
Dates:
March 10th, 11th and 12th, 1969.
Place:
Queen Elizabeth Hotel in downtown Montreal
Registration:
$20.00 for superintendents, U.S.G.A. member
clubs (includes cocktail hour and banquet)
Accommodation: Available at Queen Elizabeth Hotel
$19.00 double — $15.00 single
Hospitality Suite on evening prior to Conference
Refreshments free of charge.
Ladies Program — Free of charge on Monday and Tuesday,
March 10th and 11th.
Program
International speakers with Instant Translation in both French and English
Equipment show with over 25 exhibitors.
Hockey Tickets for Montreal Forum available upon request.
For further information, write to Canadian Golf Superintendents Association, 31 Diana Drive, Downsview, Ontario
pions of the stenographic union off guard, has lined up an
array of speakers. " I guess you could call them the wheels of
the business", he declares. "There really are so many that I
hate to have to mention them with fear I might leave out the
names of one or two. All I can say is that Charlie Murk and
I harc really gone out to the four corners of the turf world to
give the fellows an interesting and worthwhile three days."
Dr. Troll isn't much for limb-climbing in---scratching__out-—
a prospectus for extraordinary attractions. He is completely
wrapped up with the visit by Campbell but adds that he has
a sleeper on the program which could be a show stopper.
" I t concerns a very important aspect of the turf business", he
explains. "That's the problems of communication and public
relations. We think the people will enjoy the discussion along
these lines."
In the works also is an attempt to have new Massachusetts
governor, Francis Sargent, on hand for one of the sessions.
" W e are in contact with the governor at the moment", Dr.
Troll advises. " I understand he is very interested in the outdoors, conservation matters and the like. It would really put
some frosting on the thing if he should accept our invitation."
In past years the conference, which terminates the eightweek turf course at UMass, has. attracted crowds in the 500600 range. Dr. Troll is hopeful of breaking all existing
attendance records. He thinks he has the program to draw just
about as many people as the Highpoint facility can accommodate. Certainly, he's off on a whiz-bang start in proving to one
and all that this year's conference definitely will be the biggest
and best ever.
— Gerry Finn

New Hampshire Golf Course Superintendents Association, Inc.
M H H M M M H H U H I
Editor

The January meeting was held at the Highway Motel in
Concord. President George Hauschel appointed the following
as committee heads to serve for the coming year:
Newsletter

John Barry,
Bill Barrett

Research, Education and Golf

Charles Pullen,
Leonard Chace

Publicity

George Hauschel
Robert Hale

Scholarship

Robert Flanagan

Welfare

Harry Larson

Welcoming

Robert Flanagan

Meals

David Marcotte

Door Prize

Ronald Palmer
Norman Pease

The Educational Program was concerned with drainage.
Mr. Brad Batchelor of the soil conservation service, Strafford
County, gave an excellent speech.

FEBRUARY MEETING
The next meeting of the New Hampshire Golf Course Superintendents Association will be held on February 11, 1969, at
the New Hampshire Highway Hotel, Concord, New Hampshire.
For the educational program next month the association
will have a panel discussion.
10-11 a . m .

Directors' Meeting

10 a. m.

Regular Meeting

11 a. m.

Lunch

12:15 p.m.

Education Program

1:15 p.m.

Panel discussion
An informal gathering will be held in the lounge after the
panel discussion, for those who wish.
The panel discussion will deal primarily with contracts.
Your participation would add a great deal to this meeting.

"Designing
technological,
necessities, and
color, volume,

]• Barry,

Supt.

Abenaqui

Country

Club,

Rye, N. H.

Winter Recreation on The Golf Course

JANUARY MEETING

Coffee Hour

John

is an intricate
task. It is the integration
of
social and economic
requirements,
biological
the psychophysical
effects of materials,
shape,
and space: thinking in
relationships.
Moholy-Nagy

By JOHN

J.

BARRY

Today with increased interest in winter sports many clubs
in the northern part of the country are beginning to see the
advantages of winter recreation.
With increased interest in snowmobiles many members feel
the golf course is an ideal place to run their machines. I
personally am inclined to agree with them, if certain guide
lines are laid down and they are respected by the participants.
The installation of a skating rink would add greatly to the
winter facilities.
In order for the above facilities to be properly installed and
maintained, 1 would recommend the addition of at least one
man to the winter crew. I also feel that sufficient funds
should be appropriated for the increased activities. The additional personnel hired would also be able to help in the garage
in conditioning the equipment for the coming year, thus giving
the crew more time to work on the equipment, thereby doing
a better job, not to mention the work they could be doing
outside, such as pruning and clearing.
Preparations for the snowmobiles should be made late in
the fall when most of the golf has ceased. Greens and tees
should be clearly defined. In addition, I recommend directional signs and trails to keep the snowmobiles in the area set
aside for them.
Snowmobiles can be leased by the clubs and rented to its
clientele if it desires, or the clubs can just allow those members with their own equipment to use the facilities.
The preparation and maintenance of a skating rink is more
involved and time consuming. At the Abenaqui club we found
that two of our tennis courts were ideal in size and location.
Also the tennis pro shop would adequately serve as a dressing
room and a source of warmth.
The ice storm we had in the latter part of December made
an ideal base. Subsequent applications of water followed in
small doses, until about two inches of ice were obtained. Two
outdoor floodlights are used to light the rink.
If a dark surface is to be used, such as a parking lot, ,a
layer of polyethylene should be laid down to give the rink
a light color effect on which to apply your base.
When snow removal is required a snow blower can be used.
When the snow is removed two applications of water should
be placed on the court to smooth it.
Summarizing the above article, I don't believe that the
projects should be undertaken until the following have been
considered:
1
2
3
4

Membership Participation
Sufficient Funds
Skating Rink Location
Adequate Help for Maintenance

Maine Golf Course Superintendents Association
Editor

— Dr. Burton

R. Anderson,

Route

5, Augusta,

Maine

University of Maine
Mid-Winter Turf Conference
T E N T A T I V E T U R F PROGRAM MARCH 19-20, 1969
March 19 10 A. M. to 4 : 3 0 P. M.
March 2 0 9-12 A. M.
Steer House, So. Portland - Exit 7, Me. Turnpike,- So. Portland
James Lathan, Agronomist, Milwaukee Sewerage Comm.
Influence of Nitrogen Rates on Turf Quality and Disease
Resistance
Influence of Micro nutrients and salt index on turf
Dr. Richard Skogley, Univ. of Rhode Island
Controlling Annual Bluegrass Thru Management and Chemicals
New grass varieties for lawn and golf courses
Dr. Jesse DeFrance, 0 . M. Scott
As Spring Approaches — What Next?
James Timmerman, U. S. Golf Association, Greens Section
Bringing New Greens Into Play
A Look at Problems Around the Region
Charles Curry, Agronomist, Ryan Equipment Co.
Aerification, Vertical Mowing, and Topdressing Greens
Charles Baskin, Jr., Supt., Waterbury C. C.
What's Ahead In Labor Problems
Plotting and Mapping Your Golf Course
Robert Moore, Aquatrols Corp.
Using Wetting Agents In Turf
Paul Bohne, U. S. Rubber
Using Growth Regulators Around the Golf Course
Jason Cortill, Consulting Biologist
Aquatic Weed Control

January and February are the long quiet months for a
superintendent, who wonders, among other things, as he
watches the extraordinary events of the Apollo flight around
the moon, if just a little bit of such super technology will
eventually filter down into his humble life to enable him to
exert a bit more control over his environment to make his
days and work more productive and rewarding.

Attending the Florida Convention are Mr. and Mrs. Harold
Hathaway and Mr. and Mrs. Burton Anderson

Proposed Amendment to the By-Laws
to be presented at Annual Meeting for vote
Article 3 — Paragraph 1 — should be amended to read as
follows:
Any person or organization interested in or connected with
the Management of Turf and Lawn areas may, subject to
the approval of the Board of Directors, become a member
of this Association by agreeing to comply with the requirements of these By-Laws and by payment of the Membership Dues. Annual DUES, as set by the Directors, shall be
due and payable as of January 1st each year.
Article 4 — Fiscal Year should be amended to read as follows:
The Fiscal year shall commence on January 1st of each year
and shall end on December 31st.
Article 5 — Should be amended to read as follows:
The Annual Business Meeting shall be held in the month
of D E C E M B E R each year at such time and place as may be
designated by the Board of Directors. Special meetings of
the Members may be called at any time by the President, or by the Secretary at the request of three ( 3 ) members of the Board of Directors. A call for a Special Meeting
for
.-hall .-tatc llir TIMK.
PLACE — and REASON
the meeting. No business other than that referred to in the
Agenda for the SPECIAL MEETING shall be transacted.
In order that the above changes in the By-Laws may be properly considered and voted upon, it is necessary that at least
one-third (1/3) of the accredited membership (those whose
dues have been paid) be present to constitute a Quorum when
this matter is presented to the Membership for action.
Harold C. Hathaway
Chairman, By-Laws Committee

Snowstorms tend to prevent his attending winter association
meetings, as we just experienced; and a February meeting of
this Association will not be scheduled. Instead it is hoped that
members will attend the national and larger regional turf conferences that occur during this time of year.

In early February the editor will begin employment with the
state of Maine in work not related, to turf. He wishes the new
editor of the Maine page every success in continuing to build
up the quality and worth of the Newsletter.
Mr. and Mrs. John Davis at the registration booth in Miami.

J^to^ellot

Jl&wtence JS. tPiekinton Memotlal

"Ttudi

THE GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION
OF NEW ENGLAND, ADMINISTRATOR

We are aiming at a fund of $ 5 0 , 0 0 0 which will enable us to make several
scholarships available to worthy applicants from the fine turf

field.

It has been difficult to set up a schedule of expected donations from Superintendents, Alumni and Commercial interests. We have, however, from monies already
received arrived at the following anticipated donations:

From Commercial interests
From Superintendents, Alumni and others

$ 2 5 0 . 0 0 and up
100.00

(this can be made over a 4 year period by so designating
with the original contribution of $ 2 5 . 0 0 )
In line with a tax free status should the trust terminate for any reason all monies
will be turned over by the trust to the University of Massachusetts Fine Turf program.

Your support of this scholarship program will be greatly appreciated.

TRUSTEES:
Anthony B. C a r a n c i , J r .
Richard C . Blake
Dr. J o s e p h Troll
A r t h u r E. Anderson
Philip I. Cassidy, Chairman

The Clapper Company Party
in Miami

MECHANIZED MAYHEM
"Gentlemen, start your engines."
The warm-up pit at Indianapolis? Well it could be . . . but
not in the dead of winter. Instead, such is the call of the ringmaster as a new circus comes to town . . . that of the snowmobile rally. And, as far as the New England golf course
superintendents are concerned, there should be built tents for
them.
By itself the snowmobile isn't that violent. However, the
application of its whirling track of possible destruction has
made it another mechanical monster in the eyes of most
supers. They want no part of them on their golf courses. They
wish them well but on some other proving grounds.
Like anything else, snowmobiles aren't that much of a
nuisance under the proper methods of handling and operating the vehicle. True, not all snowmobiles leave their mark
on a golf course. However, natural abuse by owners and
riders have led the New England Association to believe snowmobiles should be outlawed on golf courses . . . especially'
the so-called rallies when the masses arrive.
"Absolutely", says one concerned super. "Snowmobiles cause
depressions in the turf. And in the spring the effects of the
vehicle show up under the guise of winter kill. This is more
evident in areas where the snow cover is light and the snowmobile actually cuts into the terrain."
It has become somewhat of a financial crutch with certain
course owners who turn over their grounds to snowmobile
groups in return for guaranteed business at the bar and in
the restaurant. Most of the time the drivers are given a freeway over the course. And they treat it as such, taking little
notice of bare spots and lean snow-hit areas in their reckless
treks to nowhere.
The New England Association points out that such practice
creates a two-fold disservice — both to the golfer and the
super of the assaulted course. The job of improving playing
conditions and maintaining a practical level of those conditions is complicated enough by the forces of Mother Nature
to invite further interference by man-made obstacles. Snowmobiles are here to stay. There's no stopping them. But their
mechanized mayhem should be restricted to the wide open
spaces. There's no place for them on the golf course.
— Gerry Finn

WINTER WONDERLAND ? ? ?
One of the unpleasantries of winter, intentional or not, is
the deceitful manner in which it can scar a golf course while
all along assuming the poetic appearance of a song writer's
wonderland.
The winter, now set upon us, has established a strange
pattern — rather, the timing of its behavior is out of tune
with past years. In most sections of New England, except for
the waist-high deposits of snow burying the great north country, the grind has been rain-snow-rain accompanied by a common curse of superintendentia — ice.
According to most reports, the hardest hit areas have
stretched a northwest line from the South Shore border of
Massachusetts all the way across the Commonwealth to the
New York state line.
Many courses have a complete cover of ice. They are in
extreme danger of suffering the ravages of suffocation. And
making the situation more perplexing are the layers of snowfall building up on the ice to make access to greens that more
difficult.
There is strong indication that those courses located in this
year's ice belt must adopt immediate measures to get oxygen
to the choking greens. It is a matter of promoting a defrosting
action, since it is almost impossible to chop through the frozen
cover. A totally organic fertilizer is suggested to bring about
at least some break in the thick roof keeping out the air.
The possibility suffocation already has set in on those courses where freezing rain and snow have played tag with each
other brings about the assumption that this winter will be a
most damaging one. It should be taken into consideration the
usually dangerous portion of the season is still yet to come.
Ordinarily, the freeze-thaw pattern of February and March is
the most feared accomplice of the otherwise esthetic picture
of winter.
So, with the weather having struck an untimely blow of
strangling many courses and promising to cause havoc in the
immediate times to come, it seems rather appropriate to question the feasibility of there ever being any such thing as a
winter wonderland.
— Gerry Finn

mmn
Pieade
Alfco Rokeby Co., Inc.
Fertilizers and Chemical Specialties
P . 0 . Box 267
Marietta, Ohio
Dr. Burton R. Anderson
Golf Course Architect
Turf and Golf Course Consultant
Route 5
Augusta, Maine
Astroturf Recreational Surfaces
Monsanto Company
R. Spencer Thompson
P. O. Box 2130
Springfield,, Massachusetts

FRIENDS OF THE ASSOCIATION
C. S. Curran
T. R. C. Products, Oils and Greases
Finest Lubricants for Golf Course
Equipment
7 Linden Street
Framingham, Mass.
Fairway Equipment, Inc.
35 Walnut Street
Reading, Mass.
Sales — Service — Rentals
Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc.
181 South Avenue
Weston, Mass. 02197

Baker Tractor Corp.
Ford Tractors
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Mass.

Grounds Equipment Co., Inc.
383 Boylston Street
Newton Centre, Massachusetts

Philp C. Beal Associates, Inc.
Consulting Engineers
Irrigation and Recreational Facilities
P. O. Box 102
Hanover, Mass.

Tom Irwin Co.
Bennett Hill Road
Rowley, Massachuse

Gene Fitzpatrick
Certified Laboratories
12 Paradise Road
Ipswich, Mass.
The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Wethersfield, Connecticut
The Clapper Co.
1121 Washington Street
West Newton, Massachusetts
Geoffrey S. Cornish
Golf Course Architect
Fiddler's Green
Amherst, Massachusetts

Johns-Manville Sales 'Q. . .
150 Causeway Street
Boston, Massachusetts
Karandrew Turf Farms, Inc.
Sam Mitchell, Sales Representative
18 Old Randolph Street
Canton, Massachusetts
The Kenneth Barrie Company
Irrigation People
375 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

Magovern Company, Inc.
Lawn Acre Road
Windsor Lock, Connecticut
D. L. Maher Co.
Water Supply Contractors
Testwells —• Gravel packed wells
Byron Jackson Pumps
P. O. Box 274
Woburn, Massachusetts
Melanson of Georgetown
Modern Steam and Pressure Cleaners
Modern Industrial Cleaning Chemicals
Georgetown, Massachusetts
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 Road
Natick, Massachusetts
Sawtelle Brothers
Jet. Routes 128 and 62
Danvers, Massachusetts
Shepard Sod Company
Merion Blue Grass and Pencross Bent
200 Sullivan Avenue
South Windsor, Conn.

Fuel Activator Chemical Corp.
C. F. Barbour — Regional Director
43000 Prudential Tower
Boston, Massachusetts

Kerr McGee Chemical Corporation
P. O. Box 790
Waterbury, Connecticut

Philip A. Wogan
Golf Course Architect
21 Budleigh Avenue
Beverly, Massachusetts

Larchmont Irrigation Co.
Larchmont Lane
Lexington, Massachusetts

Wyandotte Chemical Co.
709 Salada Building
Boston, Massachusetts

George E. Cull
Terra-Green Soil Conditioner
Oil-Dri Corp. of America
112 Green Street
Abington, Mass.

Bob Lippman
Tuco Products Company
Division of the Upjohn Company
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Yerxa's, Inc.
Golf Course Equipment
740 Broadway
South Portland, Maine

FIRST C L A S S