DECEMBER, 1970

(Sourie Superintendent
O f

N E W

E N G L A N D ,

Slôâociation
I N C

Sponsors a n d administrators of the Lawrence S.
Dickinson Scholarship Fund — A w a r d e d yearly
to deserving Turf M a n a g e m e n t Students.

NEXT MEETING
The Annual Meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, Grove
Street, Newton, Massachusetts on December 7, 1970. It is
very important that all members attend this meeting. W h y ? ?
V o t i n g ! ! The nominating committee has submitted its list
of people to be voted on to serve for the coming year. They
are as follows:
President
Richard Blake
1st Vice President
Robert Grant, Joseph Butler
2nd Vice President
Tom Curran, Nary Sperandio
Secretary
Wayne Zoppo
Treasurer
Lucien Duval
Trustee 3 Years .... Norman Mucciarone, Charles Gardner
Finance Chairman
Nary Sperandio
Golf Chairman
Julius Aksten
Educational Chairman
Albert Auger
Newsletter Chairman
Dean Robertson
Survey — The results of our survey will be discussed and
turned over to the membership if you so vote. Have you
turned in yours? Tom Curran and Tom Schofield have worked
hard to come up with some very interesting results.
Scholarship Report — Chairman Phil Cassidy reported that
Kenneth T. Andersen will receive the Lawrence S. Dickinson

Mr. and Mrs. William Drake, Framingham Mass. and
Lucas, Jr., of the Garden City Club, Long Island.

Me!

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England headed a tour to England, Scotland and Ireland with
the help of the Penn Travel Agency and Leon V. St.Pierre
of the Longmeadow Country Club, Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Fourteen from the United States and Canada made the
venture and all reported an excellent time. After sightseeing
in London, and attending the Drury Lane theater at night,
witnessing " T h e Great Waltz", they left for Scotland and
an overnight at the Old Course Hotel at St. Andrews. At St.
Andrews they played golf and at night had a banquet sponsored by the Ransomes Company. Leaving Scotland they
went to Dublin and on to Limerick and then to Killarney.
They ended the trip with a magnificent Mediaeval Banquet.

Scholarship for 1971. Ken is a senior at Stockbridge and will
be at the next meeting to receive his scholarship.
December 7, 1970 meeting schedule, Holiday Inn, Newton
Mass.
Board of Directors Annual Meeting
10:45 a.m.
Membership Meeting
11:15 a.m.
Break for Lunch
12:00 p.m.
Regular Membership Annual Meeting
1:00 p.m.
NEW M E M B E R S
Larry Bunn
Larry Anshewitz
Milton Hoosic
Easton C. C.
15 Mechanic St. Apt. 3C
32 Alder
Foxboro, Massachusetts
Attleboro, Mass.
Membership List — We are very sorry to report that Robert Mucciarone was omitted from the membership list. He is
a regular member and in good standing. His address is 4 6 5
Summer St., Dedham, Massachusetts, Dedham Polo and
Country Club. Phone 329-9682, 3 2 6 - 7 8 6 0
Dues — The Finance committee has recommended a $5.00
dues increase this year. It is your duty to be at the annual
meeting to support the increase.

Phil Cassidy, Weston C . C. Mrs. Edwin Godwin, Mrs. Leon
St.Pierre, i d Godwin, C. C. of Birmingham, Alabama and
Bob Fuller, Penn Travel Agency. Back row: Leon St.Pierre,
Longmeadow C . C . Missing from photo, M r . John Cleary
of the Cleary Co.

Representing Canada: Don
G . C . S . A . A . Director Keith
Pierre,. Longmeadow C. C .

Bassett, Dave Moote, National
Nisbet, Bob Moote, Leon St.

ouròe

^Superintendents

Sssodation

OUR I M A G E . . .
In many circles they still call us greenskeepers.
"But it's not that all-out discouraging", piped one member
of the New England Association recently. " A t least, there's
an awareness of our presence. I can remember the day when
most people thought the golf course was left to the sun and
the rain."
This is a rather conservative look at the progress made
by the golf course superintendent in the past five years. Before that typical turnabout time in our image, it generally
was conceded that the super was considered in the class of the
long, lost soul.
Look around you and there's evidence of a distinct gain
in our goal to place the superintendent on the same level as
the club pro and the club manager. That is a large order, to
be sure. As a matter of fact, some people once considered it
an impossibility. The odds were against I he super. And why?
For one thing, the super lacked the advantage of having
personal contact with the majority of the country club membership. " I used to be amazed at the number of people who
didn't know just who I was", one superintendent revealed.
" I used to bump into members on the golf course and they
looked at me as though I were just another hired hand."
That feeling . . . from both the super and member . . .
has changed and drastically in recent seasons. The sudden
emergence of the members' interest in the condition of the
golf course and how it comes about is one big reason why the
super is being recognized. Actually, the publicity given to
the problems of putting a course on its feet after a severe
physical setback has been a blessing in disguise for the super.
" I f our course went along being in Grade-A shape year after
year", said one groomer of the greens, "our members would

I N REVIEW

never come to realize it takes more than sun and rain to give
them top playing conditions."
This call to the membership, so to speak, looms as the one
glaring weapon the superintendent has utilized in making
golfers come to the point where they speak of him in revered
terms.
" I ' l l give you the tipoff", a brash super reported to this
corner at the beginning of the 1970 season. "Our course was
sold in the winter months and almost at once I thought I
might have to he thinking of finding another job. But the
new owners fooled me. As a matter of pointing out how
much the superintendent's job is rated, it turned out that I
was the first employe to be hired. I think that the whole image
of our group was determined in this example of what the
member of a club considers a vital part of the; operation.",
There are other encouraging signs to prove that the super
has emerged from the bottom of the pile of fertilizer and
come into his own as an integral part of the country club
setup. In the past there was always a shake of the head from
the super when T V commentaries praised the professional for
the condition of a certain golf course. But not so now. In
case you haven't tuned in these days, let it be known that the
super's name is high on the list of credits.
This, then, is an enjoyable review of what has transpired
in a few short years. Let no one make you think on the contrary. You are a member of a budding and well-respected
profession. You need not sink to the old image of a bloke
carrying a hose around his neck . . . on his way to water
the next green. The golf course superintendent is on top.
Now, it is up to him to see that he stays there.
—

Gerry Finn

S O U N D OFF . . .
The season has set, more or less, but the Golf Course
Superintendents Association of New England is still in the
thick of things.
What thick means is that an important annual meeting
is upon us . . . meaning it could be a time for extra added
interest among members.
For this reason all members, planning to attend the
December meeting, are requested to bring along scorecards
from their respective golf courses. This is being arranged
to set off an interchange of scorecards among association
members.
In order to make this a success, anyone planning to
attend the December meeting, is asked to bring at least
6 0 scorecards of his home course with him. In that way,
an equitable exchange of cards will be, made.

President —
First Vice President —
Second Vice President —
R I C H A R D C . BLAKE
'ROBERT G R A N T
T H O M A S CURRAN
21 I Sewall Street
22 Patricia Road
153 Fisher Street
Boylston, Mass. 01505
Sudbury, Mass. 01776
Walpole, Mass. 02081
Phone 869-2737
Phone 443-2671
Phone 668-7221
Club Affiliation
.Club Affiliation
Club Affiliation
M t . Pleasant Country Club
Brae Burn Country Club
The Country Club

Secretary —
W A Y N E ZOPPO
48 Barberry Drive
Seekonk, Mass.
Phone 399-7141
Club Affiliation
Agawam Hunt Club

(Here we go again. It's that time ivhen everyone
who's
anyone interested in the ivorld of golf tells the Newsletter
just
how it is with him or her
whatever the gender may be.
Sound Off is a unique feature of our publication.
It
explores
the views and outlooks of our readership.
All letters are welcome, be they for or against. So, get with the action and put
a little verve in your pencil. Send your comments to Newsletter Mail Box 24 Rivervieiv
Drive, Newbury,
Mass.
01950.
The Newsletter
reserves the right to comment
on all letters
published)
*

*

*

«

" I am just about at the end of my rope. Naturally, here in
the rather touchy area of the East, there is always the feeling
that the golf course superintendent puts out the red flag
before he should. In other words, you better look twice before you lock up.
"At my course we have a very enthusiastic group of golfers.
They play day to day in the summertime and think that we
can keep the course at summertime condition-level right on
through December.

LUCIEN DUVAL
R.F. No. 5 Gault Road
Bedford. N. H. 03105
Phone 472-3454
Club Affiliation
Manchester Country Club

Trustee —
RONALD KIRKMAN
25 Green Street
Needham, Mass. 02192
Phone 444-8412
Club Affiliation
Needham G o l f Club

ROBERT M U C C I A R O N E
465 Summer Street
Westwood, Mass. 02090
Phone 329-9682
Club Affiliation
Dedham Country and Polo Club

Trustee —
NORMAN MUCCIARONE
101 Alban Road
Waban, Mass. 02168
Phone 332-3056
Club Affiliation
Woodland Country Club

Finance Chairman —
N A R Y SPERANDIO
Concord, Mass. 01742
Phone 369-4723
Club Affiliation
Concord Country Club

Maine Golf Course Superintendents Association
Editor — Norman Pease, Sunt., Purpoodock

DECEMBER MEETING
T h e December meeting of the Maine G C S A will be held at
the Portland Country Club on the first. Host superintendent
is Lloyd Ruby. This is our annual meeting so let's have a
good turnout. An up-to-date copy of the by-laws will be available at the meeting.
T h e nominating committee returned the following slate to
be voted o n :
President
Ernest Hawkes
Roger Lowell

Vice-President
Sec.-Treas

Harold

Hathaway

Dec.
Meeting

1

Club, Cape Elizabeth,

Maine

T h e revised printing of the book Turfgrass
Science,
first
released Nov., 1969, is off the press and is ready for distribution according to A. A. Hanson, Editor. T h e first printing of 2 , 8 0 0 copies went fast. Now, with some corrections and
changes made, the book once again is ready for turfgrass
students, turfgrass superintendents and managers, and anyone else who wants the. latest authentic book on turfgrass.
T h e price still is $ 1 0 to American Society of Agronomy
members; $ 1 2 . 5 0 to non-members. Orders may be placed
directly with
American Society of Agronomy
6 7 7 Sego Street
Madison, Wisconsin

53711

11 0 0
12 0 0

Lunch
Education

.. ..

1:00

1 00

NOVEMBER MEETING
T h e November meeting was held at the Dutch Elm Golf
Course in Arundel. Roger Lowell was the host superintendent.
Roger has the course in real good shape. W e wish to thank
Lucien Bourque for his hospitality.
A general discussion was held on the problems of the association and what to do for a newsletter. Golf was enjoyed by
most in attendance.
T h e following were appointed to look into costs for a newsletter:
Dave Huff
Roger Lowell
Harold Hathaway
This will be the last month we will be
New England Newsletter. W e hope that
months to have our own newsletter. Until
will be notified by card of the monthly

associated with the
within a couple of
one comes out you
meetings.

POLLUTION
It's easy enough to be pleasant
When the water you're drinking is pure
But the guy worthwhile
Is the guy that can smile
When he has to drink out of a sewer!
B y Bill

Redmond

Have You Sprayed Your Greens
for Snow Mold ! ? !

New Hampshire Golf Course Superintendents Association, Inc.
Editor

— John J. Barry, Supt.

MEETING NOTES
Phillips E x e t e r Academy was the setting for our November
Meeting. Host for the day was Bill Cross, Superintendent of
Buildings and Grounds. After a delicious meal at the Exeter
Inn, Bill took us on a tour of the athletic facilities and grounds
at the academy.
Thanks again Bill for a fine day.
December's meeting will be held at the New England Center
for Continuing Education, "University of New Hampshire at
Durham. This being our annual meeting, I don't have to stress
the importance of your attendance. Voting for officers and
directors will take place as well as determining future policies.

Abenaqui

Country

Club, Rye,

List of Candidates

President
Ronald

V i c e President

Palmer

Len Chace

Don B y e

Charlie Pullen
Pat

Secretary
Bob

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m. - 11:00

a.m.

Directors'

Lou
Meeting

Coffee Hour

11:00 a.m. - 12:00

Business Meeting

12:00

Lunch

-

1:15

1:15

Business

Meeting

D a t e : Wednesday, December 9
P l a c e : New England Center, University of New Hampshire

NEW MEMBERS
T h e Association would like to welcome Al Martel and William Tenney. Al is the Assistant Superintendent at the Whippoor-will Country Club in Hudson and has been accepted as
an associate member. Bill has joined us as an Associate
member.
T w o applications were read at the November meeting and
will he voted on in December. T h e y are as follows:
Henry D. P a l m e r
Maple L e a f Golf Club
North Sutton, N. H.
Superintendent
Regular Membership
Carl L . Sargent, I I I
Landscape Consultant
3 1 3 Portsmouth St.
Concord, N. H.
Inactive Membership

LaChance

Treasurer

Flanagan

George
Allen

Hauschel
Hale

Directors

EVENTS

H,

T h e following list of candidates f o r officers and directors
was presented to the membership from the Nominating Committee: A n y candidate f o r office who is not elected can be
voted on as a Director.

David Clement
SCHEDULE OF

N.

Duval

Ero

Wirta

Ford Leach

Jerry

Cameron

Lyle Chenney

Norm

Pease

Going to Denver!

O F

"However, I am in the midst of telling members we are
at the end of the regular season. This means that we can't
allow anyone to play our regular greens which we have closed
and that all players will be forced to use our temporary
greens. Am I right in this or should I back up and let the
members wreck our greens?"
FORD CROCKER
Hard Turn, S. C.
This is a familiar problem in the New England area, buf a
very unusual happening down your way. Our advice is to
stick to your guns and tell members that foresight beats
hindsight about one hundred ways to one.
*

*

*

*

"Regarding the article 'Where Have All the Ethics G o n e ? ? '
I thought the comments concerning the country clubs' ethical
behavior towards the superintendent to be of value. On the
other hand, the implication of unethical behavior on the part
of superintendents who applied for an unadvertised position
leaves me angered.
"Since Mr. Finn is not a superintendent, he must have
received this information from a superintendent. If this is the
case, then the information has contributed to the violation
of the code of ethics. Why doesn't someone point out who the
guilty party is and take corrective action? Why wasn't the
former superintendent supported by his association? Instead
of 'Where Have All The Ethics G o n e ? ? ' it's 'Where Has
All the Backbone G o n e ? ? ' "
BOB FLANAGAN
Dover, N. H.
Your letter is typical of one-sided reaction. Where Mr.
Finn got his information has nothing to do with the basic
issue . . . that ethics are a twofold proposition. If they are
not practiced by both parties, in the end both parties suffer.
*

*

*

*

"Here I am again and I'm fuming. The cry here is the same
old cry . . . that I'm playing on a golf course where the
people in charge don't seem to care whether the players find
their golf balls or not. In other words, I'm pleading the case
of the golfer who must track his way through leaves in
order to find his ball on the fairway!

N E W

E

N

G

L

A

N

D

,

I N C .

"When, oh when, should I close my course!
"Pardon me, men, but I'm right at that point in the postseason where I really don't know how I should handle this
kind of hairy situation.
" M y green chairman has put everything into my hands
. . . a fact that makes me feel I might be asking too much
of management here at my club. After all, in the past the
decision was never up to me. The membership took a look
at the climate and everything else and they made the decision. Now these birds are coming to me as though I had
some kind of magic power.
"What
tive date
them up.
you help

I would like to know is how can I set up a distincto let my members know this is the time to hang
Somehow I feel I'm being put on the spot. Can
me?"
SAM SWISTAN
Seabury, Maine

Let's be frank, Sam. You're in the catbird seat. Don't
falter. You know what the course can and cannot do when
winter's around the corner. The members have faith in you.
Do you have faith in yourself?
*

»

*

"We thought some of your golf course superintendents
might be interested in a most unique hole now under construction at Juniper Hill. A new tee for the par three 17th
is approaching the point where seeding may take place in
about a week. The tee will be over 75 yards in length, allowing the distance to be varied from 150 yards to 225 yards.
" A new green is being shaped, up to the right over a
newly created water hazard, affording the bold golfer a shot
from 100 yards to 190 yards over nothing but water.
" T h e new tee and green should be playable by the midseason of 1971, with a two-hole choice of play. We refer to
it as a 'his and her' hole, where the bold play across the
water and others from the longer tee to the old green where
no water but huge sand traps come into play.
Our reproduction service couldn't give us the true picture
of the hole. But, from a weakling's standpoint, here's one
poor soul who'll play this hole from the women's tee.

•

*

•

"Certainly, there must be a way that golfers can play the
game in the middle of autumn while not having to worry
whether or not their next shot will be lost in a sea of leaves.
I don't think I'm asking too much of my course to see to it
that our fairways are in the shape where balls are not lost
in the middle of play."
DAN J E N K I N S
Westfield, Mass.

(That brings us right to the end of another session with our
readers,
the most refreshing
part of the Newsletter.
Keep
your comments and questions coming. This column is for our
readers, so let's hear from• you.)

Your course, once again, is under the influence of smalltime economizing. All that's needed is a leaf-blower which
rids the course of this pesky nuisance. See your green chairman.

Superintendent, Ould Newbury Golf Club, 9-hole golf course.
Excellent working facilities. Apply to Mr. Ben Pearson, Green
Chairman, Ould Newbury Golf Club, Route 1, Newbury,
Massachusetts 01950

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

Educational Chairman —
ALBERT AUGER
6 A Fort Hill Street
Hingham, Mass. 021 13
Phone 749-2272
Club Affiliation
South Shore Country Club

Newsletter Chairman —
DEAN ROBERTSON
24 Riverview Drive
Newbury. Mass. 01950
Club Affiliation
Chestnut Hill Country Club

JOB

Past President —
A N T H O N Y C A R A N C I , JR.
22 Hillview Drive
No. Providence, R. I. 02900
Phone 723-1688
Club Affiliation
Ledgemont Country Club

OPEN

Information contained in this publication may be used
freely, in whole or in part, without special permission as
long as the true context is maintained. W e would appreciate a credit line.

Please fuzbio*tt$e
Agrico Chemical Company
R. D. Sibley, Jr., Representative
375 Power Rd.
Pawtucket, Rhode Island 02860
Agway Commercial Sales
Richard Williams
66 J a m e s St., W . Newton, Mass.
Phone 244-5309
Alleo Rokeby Co., Inc.
Fertilizers and Chemical Specialties
P . 0 . B o x 267, Marietta, Ohio
B a k e r Tractor Corp., Ford Tractors
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Massachusetts
The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Wethersfield, Conn.
Corenco Corporation
Tewksbury, Mass. 01876
J . E . Nordholm T u r f Specialist
* T h e Clapper Co.
1121 Washington St.
West Newton, Mass.
* Geoffrey S . Cornish
Golf Course Architect
Fiddler's Green, Amherst,

FRIENDS OF THE ASSOCIATION

Fairway Equipment, Inc.
Sales •—• Service — Rentals
35 Walnut St., Reading, Mass.

Tuco Products Co.
Division of the Upjohn
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Farm Bureau Association
158 Lexington St., Waltham, Mass. 02154
Fred Heyliger, Representative

Magovern Company, Inc.
Lawn A c r e Road
Windsor Lock, Conn.

Manuel Francis and Son, Inc.
Turf Nurseries
624 Webster St., Marshfield, Mass.

D. L. M a k e r Co.
W a t e r Supply Contractors
P. O. B o x 274, Woburn, Mass.

Ron Gagne — Scotts Golf Course Div.
45 Mechanic St., Apt. 1A
Foxboro, Mass. 02035

Old F o x Chemical Inc.
Fertilizers — Seeds — T u r f Chemicals
66 Valley Street
East Providence, Rhode Island 02914

Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc.
181 South Ave., Weston, Mass. 02197
Grounds Equipment Co., - I n c .
383 Boylston St., Newton Cen., Mass.

George E . Cull
Terra-Green Soil Conditioner
112 Green St., Abington, Mass.
Arthur Curran
Rock Driller Supply Equipment, Inc.
20 E . Glenwood Ave.
Hyde Park, Mass. 02136
C. S. Curran
T . R. C. Products, Oils and Greases
7 Linden St., Framingham, Mass.

Sil Paulini, Inc.
6 Manor Avenue
Natick, Mass. 01760
Richey & Clapper, Inc.
28 Rutledge Road
Natick, Mass. 01760

* T o m Irwin Co.
Bennett Hill Road
Rowley, Mass.
Johns-Manville Sales
150 Causeway St., Bi

Mass.

Company

I.

Karandrew Turf F a r n
Sam Mitchell, Sales L
ve
15 Longmeadow Drive, ^nmtönT^Mass.

*Sawtelle Brothers
J e t . Routes 128 and 62
Danvers, Mass.
Shepard Sod Company
Merion Blue Grass and Pencross Bent
200 Sullivan Ave., So. Windsor, Conn.

The Kenneth Barrie Company
Irrigation
375 Centre St., J a m a i c a Plain, Mass.

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

Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp.
380 Union St.
West Springfield, Mass. 01089

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

Larchmont Irrigation Co.
Larchmont Ln., Lexington,

Mass.

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

Mass.

Me.

* Contributors to the Lawrence S. Dickinson Scholarship Fund

24 Riverview Drive
Newbury, Massachusetts 01950
Phone 462-4540
Club Affiliation
Chestnut H i l l Country Club
LEON V. ST. PIERRE
Business Manager
GERRY F I N N
Contributing Editor

'1