MARCH, 1 9 7 ! ourie OF Superintendents NEW ^dissociation E N G L A N D , 1971 7URF CONFERENCE "Better Surf ffirougfi Research and Siiucafion" S p o n s o r s 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. INC. KSARCH 3, 4, 5, 1871 FRIDAY, MARCH 5 - Morning - H S G H P O I N T MOTOR I N N GOLF COURSE SESSION C H I C O P E E FALLS, MASS. ( E x i t 6 — M a s s . Turnpike) H a l ! of Fame C h a i r m a n : Robert Grant, Superintendent Sponsored by Massachusetts Cooperative Extension Service Massachusetts Turf and Lawn Grass Council Golf Course Superintendents A s s o c i a t i o n of New England Brae Burn C o u n t r y C l u b Panel: Maintenance of G o l f C o u r s e Equipment - — Morning — 11:00 Registration - Afternoon 10:30 10:15 D r . W i l l i a m J. M e l l e n Experiment 11:00 Station 11:45 11:30 in D r . W i l l i a m E. S o p p e r P e n n s y l v a n i a State U n i v e r s i t y Lunch — Afternoon — 2:45 GOLF C O U R S E MANAGEMENT M i c h a e l Mattwell Irrigation E n g i n e e r 1:30 Present U n s o l v e d and New problems D e v e l o p i n g in the F i e l d - A l e x a n d e r M. R a d k o , D i r e c t o r U S G A Green Section, Eastern Region 2:15 The C o m i n g of the C o n g l o m e r a t e D i r e c t o r of G o l f C o u r s e s - Edmund B. A u l t , G o l f C o u r s e A r c h i t e c t Break Break 3:00 I n s t a l l a t i o n of a Complete Water Source and Automatic S y s t e m - R i c h a r d C . B l a k e , Superintendent Mt. P l e a s a n t C o u n t r y C l u b 3:45 3:00 3:15 A q u a t i c Weed C o n t r o l - John Gallagher A m c h e m P r o d u c t s , Inc. 4:00 B u i l d i n g a Rapport between the Superintendent and the P r o f e s s i o n a l H o w S C S C a n H e l p G o l f C o u r s e Management - Christopher Moustakis State R e s o u r c e C o n s e r v a t i o n i s t 4:30 M a s s a c h u s e t t s Turf and L a w n G r a s s C o u n c i l - - Membership Meeting W i l l i a m Smith, Pro Concordviile Golf Club - Evening — •corn A B C - Evening - Free - A good time to look up o i d friends. 7:00 Banquet E S P in A c t i o n — Russ Burgess West Point Products b y H a h n Q u e s t i o n Period Adjourn Turf S p e c i a l i s t irrigation Integrated with Pumping S y s t e m s Ray Christopherson - A l l e n H. M o r g a n Massachusetts Audubon Society E f f e c t s of Turf G r a s s e s a n d T r e e s N e u t r a l i z i n g W a s t e Water Importance of Water Management D r . Fred G r a u 11:00 D r . H a i m B. G u n n e r The P e s t i c i d e s D i l e m m a - Emotion v s . Science - A s s o c i a t e D e a n and A s s o c i a t e D i r e c t o r - J a m e s R. M a l o n e y - Toro Manufacturing Corporation U n i v e r s i t y of M a s s a c h u s e t t s Welcome 2:00 Charles Curry s - R y a n Equipment C o m p a n y The Shrinking Environment - Massachusetts Agricultural J a c o b s e n Manufacturing Company POLLUTION 9:30 Blue R o c k G o l f C l u b - 10:00 C h a i r m a n : L u c i e n D u v a l , Superintendent Manchester, New Hampshire Country Club - C h a i r m a n : J o h n O ' C o n n e l l , Superintendent 1:15 - H a l l of Fame H a i l of Fame - Morning F. W i l l i a m H a z i e - GOLF COURSE SESSION Lobby GENERAL SESSION 1:00 9:30 THURSDAY, MARCH 4 WEDNESDAY. MARCH 3 - ourSe ^Superintendents NEXT MEETING The next meeting of the GCSA of N E will be April 5, 1971 at the Holiday Inn, Newton, Massachusetts. The speaker will be Paul Hogencamp of Dupont and his topic will be "What's Ahead." This should be a very interesting talk and all should plan to attend. 1 DON'T THINK THE FILLING OF A FElV MARSHES IS TOO HIGH A PRISE TO R6.Y FOR P R O G R E S S . . . " 1971 COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS Membership — Robert Grant (Chairman), Thomas Curran, Wayne Zoppo. Finance — Nary Sperandio (Chairman), Lucien Duval, Tom Schofield. Educational — Albert Auger (Chairman), Donald Hearne, John O'Connell, David Barber, John Dolan. Golf Committee — Julius Aksten (Chairman). Committee to be picked by chairman. Newsletter — Dean Robertson (Chairman), Leon St. Pierre, Business Manager, Gerry Finn, Contributing Editor. Welfare — Arthur Anderson (Chairman), Charles Gardner, John Hudvka, Joseph Rybka, Tony Kruehus, Gene Doolcy, Merndert " R e d " Shullz. Employment — Norman Mucciarone (Chairman), Ron Kirkman, Brian Cowan, A1 Martin. Publicity — Roy Macintosh, David Vibber, Max Mierzua, John Hudyka, Robert Sill, Turf Research — Charles Gardner (Chairman), Ken Turner, Dr, Joseph Troll, Larry Bann, Bert Fredericks. Scholarship — Leon St. Pierre (Chairman), Anthony Caranci, Jr., Dr. Joseph Troll, Robert Grant, Richard Blake and Lucien Duval, Treasurer. Parliamentarian — Anthony Caranci, J r . By Laws Committee — Robert Grant (Chairman), S a m Mitchell, Phil Cassidy, Dean Robertson, Manny Francis, Jr., Wayne Zoppo. Host Committee G C S A A ®— (Pre Planning) Thomas Curran (Chairman), John O'Connell, Robert Grant, Leon St. Pierre. President — R I C H A R D C. BLAKE 211 Sewall Street Boylston, Mass. 01505 Phone 869-2737 Club Affiliatic M t . Pleasant Country C l u b ocicition • First Vice President — Second Vice President — 'ROBERT G R A N T THOMAS CURRAN 22 Patricia Road 153 Fisher Street Sudbury, Mass. 01776 Walpole, Mass. 02081 Phone 443-2671 Phone 668-7221 .Club Affilii Club Affiliation Brae Burn Country C l u b The Country C l u b "Good Show, Joe" Each year Joe Troll, the mastermind behind the University of Massachusetts Fine Turf Conference, gets a mind to presenting something different. "You gotta have a gimmick", Joe advises as he steps off his plan to attract record thron'gs to the Highpoint Motor Inn in Chicopee. And Usually that gimmick drives the crowds wild. "We have a sweetheart", Troll talks about the 1971 version of his popular event which starts a three-day run Mar. 3. "Someone once told me you have to get controversial, so this year we are." What J o e is highlighting as the lure to the golf course super is the appearance of a golf architect. That in itself wouldn't cut much ice with the congregation. However, Edmund B. Ault — the man in question — is bringing along with him a pesky subject, one which he entitles "Coming of the Conglomerate Director of Golf Courses." The meat is there then. It focuses on the feasibility of having an overall director of the country club, a man who calls the shot from the dining room, pro shop and fairway. Superintendents have cringed at such a suggestion for years. Now they'll be able to see what it's all about when Ault makes his presentation on Mar. 4. "That's not all we have", Troll offers. "The program is spiced with a number of different and timely topics. We think, as always, that the 1971 conference will be the best 55 ever. The show starts Mar. 3 with a full afternoon of discussion and roundup of water management, perhaps the most bandied about subject on the golf course today. Dr. Fred Grau, former Penn State and U S G A Green Section star, will handle the microphone and will pipe out such verse as to cover sources of water, its part in soil conservation and usage. This should draw every superintendent who has been confronted with the do's and don't of irrigation. The second day will center on pollution. Some of the speakers include Dr. Haim Gunner of UMass who will spin some gems on "our shrinking environment", as well as Alan H. Morgan, Dr. William Sopper, A1 Radko, John Gallagher and Mr. Ault. In addition to these masters of the spoken word another approach to an old but worthy subject — the rapport between the superintendent and the golf professional — will be given h-y William-Smith-who-just happens^-to- fee a golf pro. On the other side of the fence . . . or away-from-golf picture of the conference . . . there will be presented pros, cons and other tidbits concerning care of grass tennis courts, an update on the use of pesticides, a review of the job of working over the grounds at the nation's capital and a broad aspect of maintenance. Another first will be on Friday's agenda. Troll has lined up four manufacturers' representatives to direct a thorough airing of "the maintenance of golf course equipment." Before that interesting segment the social part of the show will flourish with the conference banquet on Mar. 4. Once again Troll thinks he has appeal in his banquet speaker. He is Russ Burgess who will give the group something to think about in his " E S P in Action" theme. From top to bottom, then, the Fine Turf Conference figures to be another blockbuster. " I t is truly good show", Troll exclaims. From the sounds of the program, it couldn't be anything less. — Gerry Finn Secretary — Treasurer — W A Y N E ZOPPO LUCIEN DUVAL 48 Barberry Drive R.F. No. 5 Gault Road Seekonk, Mass. Bedford, N. H . 03105 Phone 399-7141 Phone 472-3454 Club Affilii Club Affiliation Aqa> i Hunt Club Manchester Country Club Trustee — RONALD KIRKMAN 25 Green Street Needham, Mass. 02192 Phone 444-8412 Club Affiliat Needham Golf Club Trustee — Trustee — ROBERT M U C C I A R O N E NORMAN MUCCIARONE 465 Summer Street 101 Alban Road Westwood, Mass. 02090 W a b a n , Mass. 02168 Phone 329-9682 Phone 332-3056 Club Affiliation Club Affiliation Dedham Country and Polo Club W o o d l a n d Country Club Finance Chairman — NARY SPERANDIO Concord, Mass. 01742 Phone 369-4723 Club Affiliation Concord Country Club our&e Superintendents 4ddociation• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE All committee chairmen, listed elsewhere in Newsletter, should be prepared to make a factual progress report of their committee functions on 30 days advance notice from the President. A written report should be presented at the annual meeting. Some years ago, one of the top organizational men in the U. S . said, in addressing a national conference of business men and professional men, that his success in association work could be attributed to " A good busy man for a j o b . " In elaborating on the subject, he said that in his service work and his church too much responsibility had gravitated into the hands of too few people. " T h e old timers" had unwittingly taken over and the new members were not being given opportunity to serve. As president my duty is to motivate —- to guide and encourage participation in our professional association — to provide leadership. Y o u will notice " o l d timers" on committees and new members. We give the new man a chance and a responsible job right away. Please don't let me down. All committees should check their job assignments. If you have a question, ask. If you know someone who wants to serve on a special committee, have a meeting at his course. Let's hear about it — in advance. This is Y O U R A S S O C I A T I O N . Let's all get in the act where the action is for 1971. Dick Blake S O U N D O F F (cont'd) " M a y b e this falls under the heading of telling tales out of school, but I am upset about a certain form of gossip which seems to be popping up in more than one maintenance building. " M y pet peeve in this case is the mouthy salesman who takes it upon himself to court m y help whenever he calls on my course and I'm not around. " W h a t happens in this case is a pure case of character assassination. Salesmen, probably with nothing else to do, usually get on the subject of benefits, salaries, etc. with the help and in the end bring about a comparison of same with other courses they've visited. "Obviously, I resent this situation and assume that every other super in the same boat would like to see this cease. So, whoever you are, take notice. Keep your information to yourself. Y o u r j o b is to sell your product, not the job situation of the course down the r o a d ! " CHARLIE THIEKOS Hazardville, Conn. You have a legitimate gripe, Charlie. W h y don't you cut off that culprit with the big mouth? (So ends another version of the reader rights everything in golf. Don't stop now, youre going strong. Just keep your cards and letters coming. All are welcome.) G C S A A President Dick Blake and his wife Elaine at the reception given in his honor at the Brown Palace in Denver, Colorado during the National Convention. TROLLING WITH JOE' O u r 19 7 0 - 7 1 w i n t e r t e m p e r a t u r e s h a v e b e e n e x t r e m e l y low. W i l l the Poa a n n u a in o u r g o l f g r e e n s be k i l l e d by p r o l o n g e d low temperatures ? Pba annua can be severely damaged by low temperatures especially if sub surface and/or surface drainage in your green is poor. H o w e v e r , injury most often occurs in March during alternating periods of thawing and freezing. ft>a annua is again susceptible to this type of injury when spring thaw occurs usually in A p r i l . M e r c u r y f u n g i c i d e s a r e u s e d to c o n t r o l t u r f g r a s s H a v e t h e y b a n n e d t h e i r use in M a s s a c h u s e t t s ? diseases. N o t as yet, but mercury and its possible effect on the Massachusetts environment is being investigated. Research findings show samples taken from shellfish beds and underlying ocean sediment show no high levels of mercury. Mercury content_found was not above the considersd_ safe level of 0 . 5 ppm in either the fish or sediment. These samples were taken from areas adjacent to golf courses which have been applying mercury fungicides to the turf. B e c a u s e o f the e c o n o m y s l o w d o w n my b u d g e t effected. W h a t c a n I d o to o f f s e t t h i s ? has been This is truly an unfortunate situation and we certainly don't want to take anything from the golf course that affects the game of golf or the beauty that can be found on the course. The most costly maintenance item is labor and much of it can be saved if one wants to carry out the minimum essentials on a golf course. Labor can be cut if you reduce the grooming requirements. Cut down on raking sand traps; forget trimming around trees and along roadways; don't prune trees; mow roughs less and don't define them too well and cut out the use of flowers. The above jobs are time consuming and costly and do not appear in the budget a n y w a y . Certainly grooming is necessary but what can you do on a limited budget! Dr. Joseph Troll Professor of Agrostology University of Massachusetts OF NEW E N G L A N D , INC. SOUND OFF!!!! (It's time for readers to take over with their ideas on golf and maybe their likes and dislikes about certain aspects of the game. Whatever the subject, Sound Off always has its ears open for suggestions and complaints. So, let us hear from you on any phase of golf. Just put your thoughts down on a piece of paper, slap it into an envelope arid send everything along to Mail Box, 24 Riverview Drive, Newbury, Mass. 01950. The Newsletter reserves the right to comment on all letters published.) " T h i s is in the form of a congratulatory note to whoever is responsible for changing the M G A D a y from the H a r v a r d Club to the much more practical Mariott in Newton. "While I always appreciated the K i n g Arthur atmosphere of the H a r v a r d Club, I really couldn't make much sense out whatever was being presented. To be truthful, the acoustics were awful. "What's more, I feel it is much more convenient to get away from the big parking problem of Boston and allow people to take in M G A Day without having their cars towed away. There also is the central location of the Mariott. "All in all, it is a very good move. Again, thanks to the H a r v a r d Club, but the Mariott's a much better place to be on M G A D a y . " PETE CERUTI Ludlow, Mass. Do you think the Patriots think the same way about leaving Harvard Stadium, Pete? " I would like to drop in my oar in pushing the foresight of the golf superintendent. " N o w a d a y s it seems to be the 'in' thing to get on the side of the ecology and environmental push. And the funny thing about this is the fact that the golf superintendent has been doing it long before it became part of the mainstream. " T h e superintendent always has fought for the so-called balance of nature. And along the way he has encountered much opposition in the form of green chairmen, politicians and the like who were unaware at the time of the harmful effects of wanton destruction of mother nature. " I t seems to me that the superintendent be praised for such a stand and that the rest of the world follow his lead. This awareness of pollution and other environmental setbacks is not an overnight thing with the superintendent. It would seem that he has been in vogue all the time rather than succumbing to what is considered to be in vogue. " S o , three cheers for the super. And three cheers for my husband who happens to be a superintendent." MRS. ARTHUR FELLOWS Littleton, Vermont Mr, and Mrs. Charles Doherty and Mr. and Clapper of the Clapper Co., Newton, Mass. Mrs. Sam MGA DAY ON THE MOVE The annual Massachusetts Golf Association's " M G A D a y " will be coming at the golfing populace Mar. 6, and will be presented at a new site — the Mariott in Auburndale, Mass. Chairman Richard Crosby — with the help of N E G C S A representative Bob Grant — has an interesting program lined up for the Green Section of the affair. The one-hour session will open with N E G C S A president Dick Blake speaking on the benefits of superintendent associations to the country club. Blake will be followed by the knowledgeable A3 Radko of the U S G A who will present a timely topic — ecology and the golf course. Rounding out the trio is Eberhard Steiniger, the popular super at world famous Pine Valley golf course. Appropriately enough, the subject here will be turf management at Pine Valley. The new location for M G A Day is ideal f o r everyone involved. Centrally located at the intersection of the Massachusetts Turnpike and Route* 128, the Mariott is designed to draw much larger audiences than those who frequented the old site — the Harvard Club. Right now it looks like an outpouring of some 400 will make it to M G A Day. — Gerry Finn We'ii drink to that one, Mrs. Fellows, Now, just make sure Arthur uses no-lead gas in his equipment and we'll make it unanimous. * Golf Chairman — JULIUS AKSTEN 6 Main Street Southboro, Mass. 01772 Phone 485-8885 Club Affiliation St. Mark's Golf Club •» * * ( " S o u n d Off" continued on insert) Educational Chairman — ALBERT A U G E R 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 Mr. Frank K. Marean, Chet Sawtelle, Jr., and Joel McKoan of Sawtelle Brothers, Danvers, Mass. 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 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. "Piecue Agrico Chemical Company R. D. Sibley, Jr., Representative 375 Power Rd. Pawtucket, Rhode Island 02860 Agway Commercial Sales Richard Williams 66 James St., W. Newton, Mass. Phone 244-5309 Alfco Rokeby Co., Inc. Fertilizers and Chemical Specialties P. 0 . Box 267, Marietta, Ohio Baker 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 Turf Specialist *The Clapper Co. 1121 Washington St. West Newton, Mass. * Geoffrey S. Cornish Golf Course Architect Fiddler's Green, Amherst, 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 Grease" 7 Linden St., Framingham, Mass. FRIENDS OF THE ASSOCIATION Fairway Equipment, Inc. Sales —- Service — Rentals 35 Walnut St., Reading, Mass. Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp. 380 Union St. West Springfield, Mass. 01089 Farm Bureau Association 158 Lexington St., Waltham, Mass. 02154 Fred Heyliger, Representative Thomas F. Grummell, Representative Larchmont Irrigation Co. Larchmont Ln., Lexington, Mass. Fisk, Alden Ford Tractor Sales Rear 900 Providence Highway Dedham, Mass. 02026 Manuel Francis and Son, Inc. Turf Nurseries 624 Webster St., Marshfield, Mass. Ron Gagne — Scotts Golf Course Div. 45 Mechanic St., Apt. 1A Foxboro, Mass. 02035 Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc. 181 South Ave., W~ton Mass. 02197 Grounds Equip 383 Boylston Si .Vfass. Tuco Products Co. Division of the Upjohn Company Kalamazoo, Michigan Magovern Company, Inc. Lawn Acre Road Windsor Lock, Conn. D. L. Maher Co. Water Supply Contractors P. O. Box 274, Woburn, Mass. Old Fox Chemical Inc. Fertilizers. — Seeds —• Turf Chemicals 66 V a l l e y Street East Providence, Rhode Island 02914 Sil Paulini, Inc. 6 Manor Avenue Natick, Mass. 01760 Holliston Sand Conipai, J r _ Lowland Street, Holliston, Mass. 01746 Sand for Golf Bunkers and Traps Richey & Clapper, Inc. 28 Rutledge Road Natick, Mass. 01760 *Tom Irwin Co. Bennett Hill Road Rowley, Mass. *Sawtelle Brothers Jet. Routes 128 and 62 Danvers, Mass. Johns-Manville Sales Corp, 150 Causeway St., Boston, Mass. Shepard Sod Company Merion Blue Grass and Pencross Bent 200 Sullivan Ave., So. Windsor, Conn. Karandrew Turf Farms, Inc. Sam Mitchell, Sales Representative 15 Longmeadow Drive, Canton, Mass. The Kenneth Barrie Company Irrigation 375 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Mass. Philip A. Wogan Golf Course Architect 21 Budleigh Ave., Beverly, Mass. Wyandotte Chemical Co. 709 Salada Bldg., Boston, Mass. * Contributors to the Lawrence S. Dickinson Scholarship Fund Newsletter C o m m i t t e e Chairman 2 4 Riverview Drive Newbury, Massachusetts 01950 Phone 462-4540 C l u b Affiliation C h e s t n u t Hill C o u n t r y C l u b L E O N V. ST. PIERRE Business M a n a g e r GERRY FINN C o n t r i b u t i n g Editor