JANUARY 1969

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THE ART AND SCIENCE OF GREENSKEEPING
by James W. Timmerman,
Agronomist
Eastern Region, USGA Green Section
Art is defined, first, as a skill acquired by experience, observation and study, and secondly, as the use of skill and imagination in the production of things of beauty. This is precisely
what makes greenskeeping an art, In greenskeeping today,
-much of the technology and practices employed are the result
of keen observation, thoughtful experimentation and diligent
study on the part of inquisitive superintendents which has culminated into a rich bank of experience. When this experience
is applied with skill and imagination it results in superbly conditioned and esthetically pleasing golf courses.
The science of greenskeeping has developed, to a large degree, from the practices of the past. The founders of scientific
greenskeeping were the practical men of yesterday. First came
the practice which was followed by the science. Today in the
20th century the art and science have been combined into the
age of scientific practice. In this age of science we see a great
deal of trial and error in practice before science can be applied.
Who or what is a scientist? He is one who experiments and
is sure of only one thing, that is, he does not know for certain.
This is so because we are working with biology or life and
here nothing is for certain. This is what makes this work so
interesting and challenging.
Should a superintendent be a scientist? Definitely yes! Some
persons think they don't need to experiment for themselves
since they feel they have the universities to do it for them. This
is a false belief. Each experiment is only absolutely true 'or
valid for that particular location, soil and environment on
which it was conducted.
Research at a university can lay down general principles,
but can never say definitely that a particular procedure is
absolutely right for any given place. Using these principles,
the superintendent can then experiment on a small scale to see
which is best for his conditions. The reasons that absolute
recommendations are not made is that no two golf courses,
greens, fairways or tees are exactly the same. Variations occur in soil drainage, soil types, nutrients and pH, type of grass,
environment and weather conditions. Only the general principles are the same everywhere.
One of the biggest needs today is for simple and straightforward experiments conducted by the superintendent. By
doing so, he will not only be aiding himself but the scientific
practice of greenskeeping.
Let us investigate the principles involved in a sound experiment. First, choose a limited area. Don't try to manage the
whole golf course as an experiment. Furthermore, choose an
area that is representative, one that most clearly depicts the
condition of the golf course. As an alternate choice a nursery
would be a good site.
Secondly, don't confound with more than one factor or
treatment. For example, test the effect of aeration alone rather
than aeration and spiking together.

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

Torn Currcsn Moves to The Country Club

When Tom graduated from Stockbridge at the University
of Massachusetts in 1957 it was a foregone conclusion he
would make it big. He was in charge of a course in Saginaw,
Mich, for three years before going to Oak Hill in 1960. Since
then he has brought Oak Hill into shape and it is recognized
as one of the section's leading layouts. Now he has taken
over the reins at "The Country Club," Brookline, Mass. Tom
says, "he likes a job with a challenge because that helps to keep
him on his toes."
Tom, his wife Nancy and their three children will be living
in Walpole.

Tom Curran, Secretary, reading the minutes at a
Directors' Meeting.
Next, always include a check or untreated plot in order to
determine any possible benefits or harmful effects.
Replicate each treatment, including check, at least two or
three times. The more the replications the less chance for error
and the more reliable the results. An experimental plot without replications does not provide a way to measure variability;
hence, there is no way to determine the degree of confidence
we have in any conclusions we might draw.
Finally, keep adequate and up-to-date records of the experiment. What is done, when it is done, climate etc. Upon completion of the experiment make proper comparisons based on
the data and your observations. A short summary should be
written up and kept on file for future use.
If these principles are followed, the superintendent can perform meaningful experimentation that is invaluable to him.
With all the information coming out of the numerous research
stations today, it is most essential that tests be conducted to
determine what recommendations are best suited for each particular golf course. By doing this the superintendent will be
aiding in the development of the scientific practice of greenskeeping.

o u r S e

. S n i p e r I n t e n d e n t s

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be January 6, 1969 at the Holiday
Inn, Newton, Mass. (exit 53 from Route 128).
Directors' Meeting
10:30 A.M.
Regular Meeting
11:15 A.M.
Lunch
12:30 P . M .
Educational Program
1:15 P . M .
Mr. LaPlante, U. S. Gypsum — Mr. Keuloghan, U. S. Limestone

Welcome to New Members

Regular Membership:
Steve Kristof — Charles River Country Club
Stanley Sablak — Amherst Golf Club
Associate Membership:
Glenn Achley — Westboro Country Club
Raymond King — Plymouth Country Club
Assistant Membership:
Kenneth Gendall — Chestnut Hill Country Club
Donald Hearne — Lexington Country Club
New Memberships to be voted on at January meeting:
Associate Membership:
Earl P. Grey
John E. Morse
138 Washington St.
154 N. Main St.
Reading, Mass.
S. Yarmouth, Mass.
Bellevue Golf Club
Bass River Golf Club

'BLESSED ARE THE DEDICATED7'
for they
"Blessed are the dedicated
shall inherit the earth."
Maybe it's sinful to fracture a biblical
decree. But the slight alteration is intended only as an underline in passing word
of the appointment of Bill Brennan as
superintendent at Weston's Pine Brook
Country Club.
Brennan, already on the job and enBill Brennan
chanting members with his ability and
personality, is the epitome of the dedicated young man who
serves as the ideal advertisement for his profession. Turf management and Bill Brennan have produced a perfect marriage,
a perfect blend.
"It's true," Bill explains. "I am in love with my profession.
Ever since I was a kid hanging around the Salem Country
Club looking for any available job, I've wanted to make golf
courses more enjoyable for others."
It was at Salem that Brennan was introduced to the life of
the superintendent and where he courted the soil as an assistant to John O'Connor. "John was a big help", Brennan reveals. "He gave me direction, instruction and the advice every
apprentice needs. I was with him for 13 years. I only hope
some of his knowledge rubbed off."
While working his way up the ladder at Salem, Brennan
took time to enter the Winter Turf School at the University
of Massachusetts. His dedication and interest showed through
in this particular endeavor, because he was elected president
of his graduating class. That was in 1962.
Eventually, Brennan answered the call of his own job. It
came from the Bear Hill Golf Club in Stoneham, a nine-holer
which was begging for the touch of trusted care. Bill stayed
at Bear Hill for five years and members there are still moaning the loss. During his command he put a complete new face
on the course, even directing his own crew in the installation
of an irrigation system.
" I was sure sorry to leave Bear Hill", Bill tells. "But I've

^ I s A o c i a t i o n -

"KING ARTHUR"
It was only fitting and downright complimentary that the
Wisconsin Golf Course Superintendents turned an eye to
the East for a colorful and welcome addition to their panel
for the third annual Golf Turf Symposium at the Hotel
Pfister — Milwaukee.
Selected for the two-day, December 11-12 session was
Arthur Anderson, retired super who once made all the dreams
of the poa annua curse nightmares when he swept it out at
Brae Burn.
Anderson is known as the king of the poa annua hunters
in these parts, so it was natural that the Wisconsin group
seek royalty in setting up its discussion leaders for the conference which was confined to an airing of the poa annua
problem.
King Arthur took part in one of the windup events, titled
"The Herbicides in Practice." The popular elder statesman
of the New England Association was joined by Edward Riley
of Philadelphia, Henry Elmer of Shawnee Mission, Kansas and
Sherwood_M-Qore_of Woodwayr_Conn. in a section of the session dealing with the management or control of the most
universally discussed and cussed of the turfgrass species.
The symposium was designed to provide a better understanding of poa annua. A large part of the program dealt
with pre-emergence control chemicals, along with the proper
application methods of such aids to control the pesty plant.
The speakers ranged from golf course superintendents to
university researchers to chemical development specialists. All,
according to the brochure, are outstanding in their field. So,
it's no small feather in King Arthur's crown to be selected for
listing among such imposing and knowledgeable experts in
turf management and development.
— Gerry Finn

always wanted to see what I could do along lines of the greater challenge. When the opportunity at Pine Brook came along,
I couldn't turn my back on it. And in the few short months
I've been on the job, I find myself completely satisfied with
the decision to pick up that challenge."
Everyone at Pine Brook has been nice to Brennan. There
was no pressing need for wholesale changes when Bill took
the job, but he and the Pine Brook people are realistic about
the future. "It always has to be the intention of the super to
make his course better than it is", Bill states. " I know there
are some things at Pine Brook which could use improvement.
It's my belief that I can bring them about."
Brennan also is a student in public relations. One of the
first things he did at Pine Brook was to establish grounds for
stronger communication between the golf professional and
superintendent. "Bob Crowley (Pine Brook pro) and I had
lunch together a few times", Bill says. "We have the same
goals in mind and similar responsibility to the membership.
I think the pro and super should promote a relationship, so
that they can discuss common problems. It benefits all concerned."
Away from the course Brennan is a proud family man. He
is married and tickles himself into beaming expressions when
he talks about son, Billy, Jr. who is 16 months old.
The affable Pine Brook super also has a special place in
his life for the New England Association and its aims. In
fact, he was instrumental in pushing his Bear Hills assistant,
Lawrence Salamon, to the top post there. "Now I'm going to
see to it that Larry comes into the national group and ours",
Bill tells. "I'm all for our organization."
Bill Brennan, then, certainly has inherited the earth. And it
couldn't happen to a more dedicated young man.
— Gerry Finn

Now that smogs have reached the tearful, coughing stage,
the urban golf course has become an even better neighbor.
For many years, a metropolitan golf course touched the back
line of my home property. It was a neighbor that burned no
leaves, puffed no sulphur from a cluster of chimneys, and left
me with at least one side of the house that was not exposed to
an interminable string of motor cars and their exhaust.
When the wind blew across that several hundred acres, the
air seemed as fresh as a zephyr from the ocean. Adding no pollutants, the golf course acreage supported a huge aerial cauldron
that stirred and diffused the accumulative gases that rode the
wind.
It is fortunate for us all that some men find it invigorating
to slam golf balls. This healthy preoccupation with the ancient
Scottish game has preserved thousands of green acres, mainly
near cities where their spaciousness can do the most good. City
parks have a way of disappearing, usually piece by piece —
sometimes as school sites, often under a ribbon of asphalt roadway. Farms wither as fertile land far away grows crops that
planes or refrigerator trucks can speed to city markets.
Golf courses have a way of going on in the face of adversity — at least until the economics of land finally makes continued holding untenable. For a club of diverse ownership,
even that final day of economic reckoning has a way of being
pushed farther and farther ahead. For men value golf, and golf
tends to attract the decision-makers in our metropolitan areas.
These are men who recognize that golf requires land and that
land which promotes human enjoyment and health has a worthwhile use.

Fortunately for the inhabitants of cities, golf courses must
be close to centers of human population in order to serve the
sportsmen who use them. As time passes and men continue to
grope with the problems of air pollution and human crowding,
the presence of these large blocks of land near cities will become
increasingly appreciated.
The fact that a golf course adds nothing to the air pollution burden is in itself a tremendously important asset. Already
we have reached the point where every little bit hurts. No one
actually knows when we will reach the proverbial straw on the
camel's load — but, we know, and others will come to see, that
golf courses will not add that straw. In fact, in many areas,
golf courses may be blowing that extra straw away from the
load.
Most golf superintendents undoubtedly are asking: "When
will he get around to giving grass its just due for the oxygen
that it contributes to the city air?"
Grass does, indeed, release oxygen into the atmosphere. It
also contributes a greenness that pleases the human eye. And a
stand of grass that lies over rolling acres — which describes the
average golf course — gives those who see it a feeling of freedom and expansiveness. Its open space gives the city-dweller an
escape from cramped quarters. Any of these services which a
golf course renders simply by being there are important to man
— at least so long as man continues to be a greater sum than
what he eats and what he breathes.
BILL

WAYNE

THE AIR IS DIRTIER THAN W E REALIZE.
Every day it cracks rubber, blisters and discolors
paint, corrodes steel, and eats away stone statues.
Annually it costs American farmers $500 million
in damage to crops and illness and death to livestock, and costs the country as a whole over $12
billion in property damage.
It is harder to prove that the fumes which rot
wire, wither leaves, and cause premature aging in
animals also harm people. Even for inversion
disasters like London's Black Fog of 1952 the
damage is expressed only in "excess deaths over
normal." (4,000 in five days and another 8,000
in the next few weeks). But here are a few facts
from the U. S. Public Health Service's long list:

'

ti
mt

, - -

•

:

AIR

The number of factory workers absent because of bad
colds rises and falls with the
levels of air pollution everywhere, even in J a p a n and
the Soviet TJnioii.
* Chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma get worse on
days of higher air pollution.
* The death rate of older people with heart ailments goes
up with any increase in the
amount of sulphur in the air.
* There are twice as many
deaths from lung cancer in
metropolitan areas as in
rural areas even after full
allowance is made for differences in smoking habits.
The same is true of emphysema, the fastest-growing
cause of death in this country.

As the chart shows, world-wide there are only
two important sources of air pollution — the burning of fuels containing sulphur (coal and petroleum, especially soft coal and cheap No. 6 heavy
fuel oil) and the automobile. Sometimes they
are classified as the stationary (open fires, chimneys, furnaces) and the moving. From the stationary we get traditional London-type smog with
its sulphur base; from the moving we get photochemical or Los Angeles-type smog with a carbon
monoxide base. And with both types the smog
we see and smell is only a fraction of the poison
in the air. At least four-fifths of all air pollution
is invisible, and most of it is odorless as well.
ACTION TO T A K E
Home-owners toe the mark in Los Angeles where
dump fires and burn-it-yourself trash and garbage
disposal is outlawed. New York has limited the
sulphur content of fuel burned in the city and is
now concentrating on upgrading apartment incinerators. In smoke-control areas of England only
coke, "smokeless" coal, gas or electric heat are
allowed. We could even cooperate with nature
by cutting down on fuel consumption, suggests

President Dixon of Antioch College, and forbid picture windows in cold climates.
Utilities must stop burning soft coal and heavy fuel
oil. Unfortunately, enough low-sulphur fuels do
not exist to substitute for the high-sulphur coal and
oil used at present. The safest future source of power for utilities is probably nuclear generators.
Miscellaneous industrial smoke can be cleaned up
by devices which trap, screen, wash, and filter
fumes and particles of dirt. Industries complain
about the cost, figured variously as from almost
break-even to an added 25 per cent. But as a matter of fact research has changed many pollutants
into profitable steam, cinder blocks and even agricultural sulphur which sells for $20 a ton.

Temperature inversions are a routine natural event. They are especially common in the
autumn but occur at all seasons and in all parts
of the country about one-fourth of the time.
Long ago the mountains in inversion-prone
Appalachia were named the Smokies because the
fumes exuded by their forests hung visibly over
them in the stagnant air.

And now, what about the worst air polluter of them
all — the automobile?
Built-in pollution-control devices do some good, but
their performance has been disappointing. So instead of devices, say experts in air conservation, we
should:
1. Speed up the flow of traffic through cities. The
faster an engine runs, the better its combustion.
With stop-and-go city driving cars pour into the air
four times the pollutants they emit while cruising at
40 m.p.h., with idling the multiple for some of the
deadlier fumes jumps to 20.
2. Develop efficient mass transportation systems.
This will cut down on the use of autos while it keeps
them out of the city. The fuel wastes produced will
be centralized and more easily controlled.
3. Develop the electric car, our best hope in the
long run. Today 120 million Americans — including most New Englanders -—• have a personal interest
in reducing polluted air, because that is what they
breathe. And unless prompt, effective action is taken to control it, predicts Morris Neiburger, professor of meteorology at U. C. L. A., "the atmosphere
will grow progressively more polluted until, a century from now, it is too toxic to permit human life."
W H E R E T H E POLLUTION COMES FROM
8%
HOUSEHOLD

Cooking, h e a t i n g h o u s e s a n d offices, b u r n i n g
t r a s h . E v e n t h e a n c i e n t R o m a n s c o m p l a i n e d of
" t h e h e a v y air of R o m e " a n d " t h e s t i n k of t h e
smoky chimneys thereof."

11%
POWER
PLANTS

T h e y u s e h i g h - s u l p h u r f u e l , t h e n e r e c t tall
smokestacks to shoot the sulphurous smoke high
in t h e a i r . S t a c k s 1,000 f e e t tall, a l m o s t t w i c e
as high as t h e W a s h i n g t o n Monument, are now
being b u i l t .

16%
INDUSTRIAL
PLANTS

Some b u r n f o s s i l f u e l s , s o m e p r o d u c e special
c o n t a m i n a n t s in t h e m a n u f a c t u r i n g process, and
m a n y do both. T y p i c a l a i r b o r n e p o l l u t a n t s a r e
arsenic f r o m paint m a n u f a c t u r e r s and hydrogen
sulphide, t h e f i r s t s t e p in t h e p r o d u c t i o n of s u l p h u r i c acid, f r o m p a p e r m i l l s .

65%
AUTOS
TRUCKS
BUSES

M o r e t h a n half t h e p o l l u t i o n in t h e a i r o v e r t h e
United States comes f r o m automobile exhausts.
I n t h e w i t c h ' s b r e w a r e l a r g e a m o u n t s of c a r b o n
m o n o x i d e , odorless, colorless, a n d a deadly
poison; benzpyrene, a cancer a g e n t ; nitrogen
dioxide w h i c h c a u s e s c h r o n i c c h a n g e s in t h e
l u n g s a n d is t h e only g a s p o l l u t a n t w i t h a color
( y e l l o w - b r o w n ) ; lead, a f a v o r i t e poison w i t h
old-fashioned m u r d e r e r s ; and other hazardous
f u m e s and particles produced by incompletely
burned and evaporating gasoline.
In L o s A n g e l e s a u t o f u m e s a c c o u n t f o r a b o u t
9 0 % of t h e t o t a l b e c a u s e all t h e o t h e r s o u r c e s
h a v e b e e n f o r c e d b y s t r i c t laws to clean up. I n
Boston and New York autos are responsible f o r
less t h a n half, and the m a j o r polluters are utilities, f a c t o r i e s a n d i n c i n e r a t o r s .

COOL CLEAR AIR
BLANKET of HOT AIR

SMOG
A F E W DEFINITIONS
A I R S H E D — a r e g i o n t h a t s h a r e s a c o m m o n air s u p p l y .
B e c a u s e of
t h e n a t u r e of a i r , a n a i r s h e d is n o t a p r e c i s e p h y s i c a l division like a
w a t e r s h e d . I t is m o r e of a political c o n v e n i e n c e f o r d e a l i n g w i t h a i r
problems t h a t cross municipal and s t a t e lines such as the New J e r s e y
f u m e s t h a t poison t h e a i r in N e w Y o r k C i t y .
FOSSIL F U E L S — coal, p e t r o l e u m , a n d n a t u r a l g a s .
Created eons ago
f r o m f o s s i l p l a n t s , t h e y h a v e r e m a i n e d b u r i e d in t h e g r o u n d , like m o n e y
in t h e b a n k , e v e r since. I n c o m p l e t e l y b u r n e d (as t h e y a l w a y s a r e ) , t h e y
p o u r s u l p h u r i n t o t h e air a s well a s s m a l l e r a m o u n t s of o t h e r p o l l u t a n t s .
Their sulphur content varies considerably.
I t is h i g h in oil f r o m
K u w a i t a n d W e s t T e x a s , f o r i n s t a n c e , low in oil f r o m L i b y a a n d E a s t
Texas, a n d lower s t i l l in n a t u r a l g a s ; low in g a s o l i n e , h i g h in c r u d e oil.
W i t h e v e r y b i g c i t y in t h e world c l a m o r i n g f o r " c l e a n t y p e s " of f o s s i l
f u e l t h e r e i s n ' t e n o u g h to go a r o u n d .
INVERSION —• a s t a g n a n t a i r c o n d i t i o n in w h i c h a l a y e r of h o t a i r s i t s
o n a l a y e r of cool a i r a n d k e e p s it f r o m r i s i n g .
W i t h no c h a n c e of
m o v i n g u p w a r d a n d no w i n d t o blow it s o m e w h e r e else, t h e daily a c c u m u l a t i o n of poison f r o m c a r e x h a u s t s , f a c t o r y c h i m n e y s , t o w n d u m p s ,
a n d o t h e r s o u r c e s is t r a p p e d a t g r o u n d level f o r us all to b r e a t h e .
PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG — t h e m o d e r n Los A n g e l e s m i x t u r e w h o s e m a i n
i n g r e d i e n t is c a r b o n m o n o x i d e .
T h i s s m o g is m a n u f a c t u r e d b y t h e
sun f r o m auto exhaust and other pollutants.
S u n s h i n e cooks t h e old
f a m i l i a r p o i s o n s a n d c o n v e r t s t h e m i n t o new, c o m p l i c a t e d , a n d still
mysterious substances.
P h o t o c h e m i c a l s m o g o c c u r s only in h e a v i l y m o t o r i z e d cities w h e r e t h e a i r is s t a g n a n t a n d t h e s u n is s t r o n g . I t is
uncommon on t h e e a s t coast.
SMOG ( T R A D I T I O N A L ) — s m o k y , s o o t y , s u l p h u r - l o a d e d air. T h e word
w a s coined to d e s c r i b e t h e f a m o u s L o n d o n b r e w of s m o k e p l u s f o g .
T h i s is t h e s m o g w e g e t in B o s t o n a n d N e w Y o r k , e x c e p t t h a t w i t h u s
s t a g n a n t a i r a n d cool t e m p e r a t u r e s u s u a l l y t a k e t h e place of f o g .
It
is also t h e s m o g w h i c h w h e n coupled w i t h a s u d d e n t e m p e r a t u r e i n v e r s i o n c a u s e s d i s a s t e r s like t h a t in D o n o r a , Pa., in 1948 w h e n a l m o s t
half t h e t o w n w a s s i c k e n c d a n d 26 died.

OUB*
DIRTV
AIR

CITY CLIMATE AND COUNTRY CLIMATE
Cities are warmer, drier, rainier, dustier, and foggier than the green countryside which surrounds
them.
The higher year-round temperatures in cities come
from heated buildings in the winter and the surface
of roofs and roads in the summer. So Chicago, for
example, is frost-free a month longer than t h e
cornfields a few miles away.
Dry air is the inevitable canopy of square miles of
waterproofed land. Buildings and paved streets
cover 50 per cent of even small cities; the surface of
Boston is said to be 90 per cent waterproof. When
rain falls, it runs off instead of soaking in.
Nor is much space in cities occupied by plants.
Plants transpire, that is, give off moisture. A large
shade tree transpires hundreds of gallons of water
a day. Cities have only a small fraction of the trees
and other plants needed to keep their atmosphere as
humid as that in the nearby country. And the plants
they do have are between 10 and 20 per cent smaller
than those grown in clean air.
Since city air is so dry, the ground underfoot is dry
tooT^ Every breeze stirs up the top dust and adds it to
the particles of soot and smoke pouring from factory
chimneys. At its best city air is 10 times as dusty as
country air, and sometimes it is 10,000 times as dusty.
Dust and other pollution reduces the amount and
quality of city sunlight. New York City gets 25
per cent less sun than its outer suburbs; in Chicago
the loss is 40 per cent.
The pollution in the skies above acts like a perpetual
cloud-making machine. Every droplet of rain or
fog begins with a solid particle for moisture to collect around. City sky is filled with suitable specks,
so cities get 10 per cent more rain than the surrounding country. They have an even greater excess of
fog. Within the last half century the number of
foggy days in Paris has jumped from 90 to 150 a
year. But on weekends and holidays, when industry
shuts down, city rain and fog slip towards the levels
of the nearby countryside.

2 VIEWS of BOSTON

T H E

G R E E N H O U S E

E F F E C T

You will probably hear more about the greenhouse
effect, sometimes called the hothouse effect, in the
future.
The "greenhouse" is the earth and its blanket of air.
The " e f f e c t " will berto warm up the atmosphere and
make Boston as balmy as Miami. This in turn will
eventually melt the polar ice, raise the level of the
oceans, and inundate every coastal city in the world.
And the catastrophe will be caused not by air pollution but by too much of a good thing — carbon dioxide — in the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide is the basic chemical of all plant life
including the fossil plants which time has changed
into coal and oil. When plants, fossil or otherwise,
are burned, carbon dioxide is released, and nowadays we are releasing it at the rate of billions of tons
a year. Scientists figure that about half of this is
absorbed by living trees and other green plants and
by the ocean. The other half stays in the atmosphere. They also figure that since the turn of the
century there has been a 10 per cent increase in the
amount of carbon dioxide in the air and that another
25 per cent will be added during the next few decades.
This would be harmless except for one peculiarity
of carbon dioxide: it absorbs infrared or heat rays.
So the accumulation is expected to act like a glass
roof. I t will let in the usual amount of heat from
the sun but allow less to escape back into space. I f
the greenhouse mechanism does indeed affect the old
heat balance between income and outgo, the worldwide climate will warm up. A few degrees of extra
heat will probably cause drastic changes in the location of belts of low rainfall. New England, for instance, might become semi-arid instead of well
watered, with a few more degrees and time enough
to let the polar ice melt, the level of the oceans will
be 100 feet higher than they are today.
The greenhouse effect, i f it comes, will be cumulative. Some scientists think that we have already embarked on an irreversible change. But most feel that
we won't know for another few decades — and that
a switch to nuclear power by the utilities will save
us in the end.

Maine Golf Course Superintendents Association
HmBBMBBI^HbW

Editor

DECEMBER MEETING
The December meeting was held on the 3rd at the Steer
House Inn in South Portland. After a business meeting and
lunch, a film on the 1968 Masters' Tournament was shown to
the enjoyment of the members.

ANNUAL MEETING
The annual meeting of the Association will be held on
Wednesday, March 19, at the Steer House Inn, Souih Portland.
(This date will also be the first day of the University of
Maine Turf Conference, about which a program will be given
in a future issue of the Newsletter).
President Davis appointed a nominating committee of Jim
Diorio, Camille Brochu and Norm Pease. The committee has
submitted the following names for nomination at the election
of officers for 1969.
President
Secretary-Treasurer
Southern Vice President
Central Vice President
Northern Vice President

Lloyd Ruby
Ernest Hawkes
Norman Pease
James Diorio
Harvey LaMontagne

The Directors have indicated a desire to change the Association year to coincide with the calendar. At the annual meeting a proposed change in the bylaws will be put to vote to
effect this change. Wording of this change will appear in the
next issue of the Newsletter.

1969 Schedule of Meetings
In keeping with the policy of scheduling meetings on the
first Tuesday of the month when practicable, the Directors
have announced the following tentative schedule of meetings
lor 1969.
January 7
March 19
May 6
June 3
July 8
August 5
September 9
October 7
November 4
December 2
Announcement and place of each meeting will appear in the
Newsletter preceding each meeting. The May-October meetings
will comprise the summer schedule and be held at golf courses.

— Dr. Burton

R. Anderson,

Route

5, Augusta,

Maine

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of the Association will be held on Tuesday, January 7, at the Steer House Inn restaurant. The business meeting will be at 11 A.M., followed at noon by a presentation "Trends In Modern Turf Sprinkler Systems" consisting of slides and script. Lunch will be at 1 P.M., dutch
treat and one menu.

As Maine golf course maintenance begins to get ready to
step into the modern age, a glaring weakness shows this time
of year. That the "modern age" is upon us is evidenced by the
increasing concern by golfers about the condition of their
courses and that they should be improved. A fundamental part
of any course improvement program is the establishment of a
year-round maintenance operation even though golf here is
seasonal, no longer than six months in northern Maine.
To achieve improvement a superintendent must undertake
proper application of fungicide to greens and possibly tees to
control snowmold, reduce the depth of snow cover on greens
through plowing as the need arises, break up ice layers as
ihey form on greens, break up ice floes and jams that might
form on fairways — these procedures to reduce risk of winter
injury to turf from ice cover — cover greens with suitable
materials such as topdressing, tight or open plastic sheets, or
hay and branches if needed to reduce probability of winter
injury through drying winter winds.
Other winter procedures would be security of property,
the shop, clubhouse and grounds, with such items as control
of snow on roofs of building, control of "winter sports" by
outsiders, directing traffic from skis, toboggans, sleds and
motor sleds away from greens or from the entire property.
Care of trees and shrubs plus clearing or thinning overgrown
woods areas is best done during winter also. Finally, a good
summer program requires a lot of specialized machinery, which
can best be serviced by the superintendent and his crew, and
winter is the only time available for general equpiment servicing, repair and overhaul.
On practically all golf courses in the state we find that there
is no winter program of work and that the superintendent and
crew are absent from the property. Because golf is seasonal,
so must be the superintendent and his crew, the reasoning goes.
This situation must change if courses are to become better
through inclusion of the procedures listed above (to say nothing of newer summer management techniques) plus the fact
that only a year-round schedule of employment for a superintendent and key men in his crew will attract and hold good
personnel to maintain a golf course to high standards. In
addition this means the construction of a real shop to replace
the usual shed without heat, water, toilets, floor or even
power ( ! ) .
To those enterprising superintendents who wish to bridge
the gap and begin to break the degrading image of a seasonal
employee by working in the shops alone during winter months,
the editor pleads in the strongest terms not to do this alone
because it is so unsafe. Stay out of winter duties until at least
one man of the crew can be employed as well.

Editor — George Hauschel,

Supt.

Rockingham

Country

Club, Newmarket,

N. H.

New Hampshire Golf Course Superintendents Association, Inc.

N E W L Y ELECTED OFFICERS
(Left to right, seated): Len Chace, Treasurer; ©gorge
Hauschel, President; Bob Hale, Vice-President; Dave
Marcotte, Secretary.
(Standing, left to right; Board of Directors): Ronald Palmer,
Lyle Cheney, William Barrett, John Barry, Bob Flanagan (Outgoing President), Charles Pullen

DECEMBER MEETING

Robert Flanagan (left) outgoing President presents the gavel
to newly-elected President G e o r g e Hauschel

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
It seems like only yesterday that we formed the New Hampshire Golf Course Superintendents' Association, but actually,
three years have passed. They have been three long, hard years
for all the officers, directors, and members who have worked
hard to bring our Association to what we are today.
Our gatherings at the Highway Hotel and at various clubs
throughout the years have brought a warm relationship between superintendents, salesmen, sod-growers, grounds superintendents, and others who belong to our group. I feel that
this is the kind of thing that will bind us together as superintendents and will eventually lead to more recognition of our
profession by the general public.
It is my 'wish for the next twelve months not to set our
goals too high, but at a level so that we can accomplish our new
projects and not be disappointed if some are not completed.
I extend a greeting to our Maine and New England Associations with which we share the Newsletter; if there is anything
that we can do to help, even in a small way, please call upon us.
I sincerely wish all our members and fellow-superintendents
a most happy Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year.
Sincerely,
George Hauschel
President

The annual meeting was held at the Highway Hotel in Concord on December 10, 1968, and the following were elected
to office:
President, George Hauschel, Rockingham Country Club,
Newmarket, N. H.
Vice-President, Robert Hale, Kingswood Country Club,
Wolfeboro, N. H.
Secretary, David Marcotte, Concord Country Club, Concord, N. H.
Treasurer, Leonard Chace, Charmingfare Links, Candia,
N. H.
Board of Directors:
Llyle Cheney, Bald Peak Colony Club, Melvin Village, N. H.
Charles Pullen, Nashua Country Club, Nashua, N. H.
William Barrett, Portsmouth Country Club, Portsmouth,
N. H.
John Barry, Abenaqui Golf Club, Rye, N. H.
Ronald Palmer, Kearsarge Valley Country Club, North
Sutton, N. H.
Professor Leroy Higgins of the Plant Science Dept. at UNH,
was our guest. Professor Higgins congratulated the two winners of the Leroy J . Higgins Golf Tournament held at the
Charmingfare Links in October of this year: Low Gross, Len
Chace of Charmingfare and Low Net, Norman Pease.
All committees will be appointed at the January meeting.

NEXT MEETING JANUARY- 14

The next meeting of the New Hampshire Golf Course Superintendents' Association will be held on January 14, 1969, at
the New Hampshire Highway Hotel, Concord, New Hampshire.
Coffee Hour — 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.
Topic 1: Drainage.
Topic 2 : Gasoline Engines.
Informal gathering at 2 : 3 0 p.m. in the Lounge, for
those who wish.

Len Ghaee (left) and Norman Pease (right) winners of
the Leroy J„ Higgins Tournament in October.

® F

"HE 'FITZ' THE BILL"

E N G L A N D ,

"THE CASE FOR CERTIFICATION"

Jim Fitzroy is one of those young lions of the modern age
who is a refreshing departure from the snarling rebels apparently bent on hogging the spotlight from the majority of
their otherwise enterprising generation.
"Fitz" is this year's winner of the Lawrence S. Dickinson
Memorial Scholarship, a sterling project of the New England
Association which heaps financial reward on a deserving student in turf grass management.
There is no doubt about the qualifications of Fitzroy, a 21year-old native of Hinsdale, Massachusetts who is undertaking
the four-year program at the University of Massachusetts.

(Second of a two-part series on the proposal to further
dignify
the profession of Golf Course Superintendent
by establishing
a program, of certification. Part one dealt with the reasons for
considering such a big step. Part tivo covers the
requirements
for certification along with comments on an
accompanying
Code of Ethics).
Now that there have been established grounds for certification, it remains to be seen how it can be attained without
overstepping the boundaries of practicality.
First, there must be a form of eligibility. Those seeking
certification must be presently employed as a golf course
superintendent and a Class A member of the national for the
past three years.
Requirements would be basfed on experience, education and
association activity . . . certainly a logical means of assessing
applicants.
A point system has been offered to include all three phases,
with minimums of 70 points in experience, 50 in education
and 15 in association activity.
The total for certification might be set at 200.
Experience, naturally, would weigh very heavy. In that vein
a table could be arranged with points earned according to the
size of the golf course. For example a spread of 10 points
would differentiate experience on courses of less than 18 holes,
18 holes and more than 18 holes. Then, a superintendent with
five years on the job would receive 50, 60 or 70 points . . .
in the previously proposed arrangement based on size of the
course.
Participation in golf course construction also would fall
under the experience category. And again the size of course
determines the point spread. Generally speaking, each regulation nine holes would earn 15 points.
The education setup would follow a similar pattern with
attendance, degrees etc. in college contributing to the total . . .
along with participation in national and regional turf conferences.
Association activity would reward the applicant on an incentive basis. The more interested would make larger gains.
Included in the overall picture is a strict, hold-the-line observance of a Code of Ethics which is another form of preserving the promoting the image of the profession.
These are presented as suggestions for behaviorial guidelines. The most common recommendations, outlined to maintain the good name of the golf superintendent and to preserve
the pride associated with the profession, concern methods of
seeking employment and conduct in the matter of product
endorsement. The employment aspect covers a number of
things but concentrates on over-the-table bargaining along with
steadfast custom of dealing only with qualified GCSAA members. In the product endorsement stage, it shall be unethical
for any association official — be he on the national or regional level — to use his office in product endorsement.
Presented above are the bare sketches of a program to determine just who shall be qualified to take on the label of
certification. Obviously, a more refined arrangement would be
necessary before the entire project becomes reality.
The series on certification has been offered as an absolute
introduction to its possibilities. It is in keeping with the continuing effort of the New England Association to keep alive
its members interest in furthering the common cause of all
bona fide superintendents . . . that of constantly improving
the status of the profession.
— Gerry Finn

Left — Phi! Cassidy, Scholarship Chairman, J i m Filzroy
and Dr. Joseph Troll.
Fitzroy made it to the December meeting for the presentation ceremonies, conducted by scholarship program chairman
Phil Cassidy. He impressed all with a matured approach to
his future and a solid hold of himself in expressing his appreciation for the honor.
There is every reason to believe that Fitzroy will be joining
the ranks of professionals in the turf management field. Jim
started to show interest during his vacation stints from
Wahconah High School. He spent those working at the Wahconah Country Club in Dalton and even found time to steal
away long enough to establish a 12-handicap as a golfer.
Athletics walk hand in hand with Fitzroy's assured outlook.
He was a rugged linebacker on Wahconah football teams,
played on the school basketball squad and made it to the
starting line on the golf team.
Professor Joe Troll was highly pleased with Fitzroy's selection. "He is one of our top boys at UMass", Joe revealed.
"Right now, he seems definitely interested in becoming a golf
course superintendent. What I like about him is that he has
his two feet on the ground and has the self-assurance to go
along with lofty ambitions. We're all sure he'll be top-grade
when he graduates and moves into the challenge of a superintendent's position."
Fitzroy, then, would appear to be a solid choice. He "Fitz"
the bill as scholarship material. The selection committee should
be commended.
— Gerry Finn
1969 BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE GCSA of NE
President — Anthony Caranci, Jr.
First Vice President — Richard Blake
Second Vice President — Robert Grant
Secretary — Thomas Curran
Treasurer — Lucien Duval
Trustee — Philip Cassidy
Trustee — Norman Mucciarone
Trustee — Robert Mucciarone
Finance Committee Chairman — Julius J. Aksten
Educational Committee — Edward Murphy
Golf Committee Chairman — Wayne Ripley
Newsletter Committee Chairman — Dean Robertson

See

N E W

m

W

i

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NM£TI£R-

PCea^e fiabuMife FRIENDS OF THE ASSOCIATION
A. C. Lawn, Inc.
P. 0 . Box 436
Wakefield, Mass.
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. 0 . Box 2130
Springfield,, Massachusetts
Baker Tractor Corp.
Ford Tractors
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Mass.
Philp C. Beal Associates, Inc.
Consulting Engineers
Irrigation and Recreational Facilities
P. O. Box 102
Hanover, Mass.
Corenco Corporation
Springfield Rendering Company
P. 0 . Box 379
Springfield, Massachusetts 01101
Gene Fitzpatrick
Certified Laboratories
12 Paradise Road
Ipswich, Mass.

George E. Cull
Terra-Green Soil Conditioner
Oil-Dri Corp. of America
112 Green Street
Abington, Mass.
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 Farp*
181 South Avenu c
Weston, Mass. r

Inc.

J. F. Aveni
LuSoil Soil Conditioner
Engelhard Minerals & Chemicals Corp.
25 Concord Avenue
Belmont, 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

Grounds Eqi_
383 Boylston Street
Newton Centre, Ma,

Ken Minasian
Scotts
6 Amelia Court
N. Providence, R. I.

Tom Irwin Co.
^
Bennett Hill Road
Rowley, Massachusetts (

Old Fox Agricultural Sales, Inc.
Jerry Spahr
44 Lexington Ave.
Magnolia, Mass.

Johns-Manville Sales Corp.
150 Causeway Street
Boston, Massachusetts

Richey & Clapper, Inc.
28 Rutledge Road
Natick, Massachusetts

Karandrew Turf Farms, Inc.
Sam Mitchell, Sales Representative
18 Old Randolph Street
Canton, Massachusetts

Sawtelle Brothers
Jet. Routes 128 and 62
Danvers, Massachusetts

The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Wethersfield, Connecticut

The Kenneth Barrie Company
375 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

Shepard Sod Company
Merion Blue Grass and Pencross Bent
200 Sullivan Avenue
South Windsor, Conn.

The Clapper Co.
1121 Washington Street
West Newton, Massachusetts

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

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

Geoffrey S. Cornish
Golf Course Architect
Fiddler's Green
Amherst, Massachusetts

Larchmont Irrigation Co.
Larcjhmont Lane
Lexington, Massachusetts

Wyandotte Chemical Co.
709 Salada Building
Boston, Massachusetts

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

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

Yerxa's,' Inc.
Gslf Course Equipment
7401 Broadway
Stfuth Portland, Maine