M A Y 1972

ourde
OF

J^uper in ten den ts
NEW

ENGLAND,

-dissociation
INC.

BEEFING UP
L a r r y Bunn is the educational chairman for the Golf Course
Superintendents Association of New England and he's overflowing with enthusiasm.
" M a y b e I should start with myself and give me a kick you
know where", he roars. " I mean what are we doing in this
field of education? Sure, we have p r o g r a m s , but I think we
can beef it up to be worthwhile."
Bunn gives the super-green chairman golf tournament as a
prime example of wasting a wonderful opportunity to make
progress in an area where" the footing has been testy. "What
usually happens in this tournament is that we do nothing more
than socialize", L a r r y claims. " I ' m not trying to say we can't
have a good time but we're missing the boat. There should
be an exchange of ideas taking place but there's none."
The thoughts here really m a k e sense. There isn't any need
to hide the fact that in some cases the relationship between
golf course superintendent and green chairman is strained
. . . even though the two might consent to hook up in golf
tournaments and cookouts.
" W h y couldn't we get to the site of the tournament an hour
or so earlier and take a tour of the p l a c e ? " Bunn offers. "Usually, this tournament is played on one of the better association
member courses. It might open the eyes of the visiting green
chairman . . . and maybe those of the visiting super. After
all, you learn every day of your life in some way or the other."
Green chairmen seem to be a special project with Bunn. " I t
has nothing to do with my personal likes or dislikes", he cautions. " B u t we have to be cognizant of the fact that our relationship with our chairmen is probably the most important
phase of the maintenance operation. Sometimes the relationship
becomes strained because of ignorance . . . on both sides.
Maybe at our tournament we could have some sort of seminar

NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the G C S A of N E will be May
the Oyster H a r b o r Country Club. Charles Gardner
arrangements for sandwiches before golf at 11 a. m.
be a regular meeting at 5 p. m. However, there will
evening meal served.
Sandwiches and golf
Directors meeting
Regular meeting

1, 1972 at
has made
There will
not be an

11:00 a . m .
4:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m.

Directions: Route 128 south to Route 3 to Route 6 (mid cape
h i g h w a y ) . T a k e exit 5 off Route 6 and follow signs to Oyster
Harbor.

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

E PROGRAM
where both sides give their views on how a golf course maintenance program should be a r r a n g e d . "
Bunn is keen on the idea of educating his fellow supers and
himself on the important avenue they must take in public relations. " I think we can do a better j o b getting our message
to more golf writers", he says. " I know we have the super-press
tournament and I'm all for it. But how many supers take the
time to get acquainted with their local golf writer? All he has
to do is pick up the phone and introduce himself. The rest
takes care of itself."
L a r r y blames part of the lack of recognition of the superintendent on the man, himself. " O n e of the biggest gripes I
hear is that golf writers often call up the pro at the beginning of the season to find out when the course will be open",
he continues. " B u t they don't know that we a r e the ones who
have the last word (with the green chairman) on that subject.
If there was some kind of communication established at the
beginning, this would never happen. We just can't sit still."
Bunn is convinced that progress is being m a d e along educational lines and his thoughts bear no reflection on those who
have served in the j o b of educational chairman in the past.
" I ' m just here with my own i d e a s " , he makes clear. " T h i s is
not a condemnation of what's gone on before. It's just a new
twist to what I consider a very important area of the association."
The N E G C S A , then, has to think of beefing up its educational
program. L a r r y Bunn is the boy who wants to make the wheels
move . . . and he'd like to start them rolling with suggestions
from association members. " I ' m sure there are members with
ideas that I haven't even thought o f " , he concludes. " I d e a s
that can help everyone in the long run. A n d I am open to
suggestion. That's the only way we can make g a i n s . "
— Gerry Finn

New applications: At the meeting.in M a y we will vote on
the following for membership to the association:
J a m e s A. Mahoney (associate)
Running Hills Country Club
Frye Island
S e b a g o Lake, Maine

William Gilson (regular)
Hickory Hill Golf Course
Methuen, Mass.

25 Y e a r Members! At the April meeting Dick Blake, CGCS,
presented 25 year national pins to Arthur Anderson and J a m e s
MacCormack. Both men are now retired. Bob Grant presented
a 25 year New England pin to J o e Butler.

(Gourde

Superintendents

-dissociation•

THOSE CRAZY COOTS
Take heart, golf course superintendents of New England.
Your plight is not one that others don't chase. If you think
things are bad and yours is the only conditioning job that has
its mostly downs . . . and ups, just listen to the woes a thousand miles to the south where pesty problems also reside on
two of the most famous courses in the land.
Those crazy coots, for instance. They're at it again on the
water-laced grounds of the Dunes Golf Club in Myrtle Beach.
And if it doesn't get too hot for them pretty soon, they might
just eat the fairways to death.
A coot, just in case you're not up on your bird watching, is
a duck. To be frank, he's an ugly duck. He wears a black
coat and a beepy voice signals the occasion when he thinks
he's in .trouble,
_,
..

ever get", he warned. " B u t there's nothing they can do about
it. I'm told that it just busts out every five years. It does affect
putting tremendously. You have no control of the ball when
you stroke it."
There are programs to eliminate poa but evidently they
either haven't been attempted or even have failed at Augusta
National. Anyway, two of the premier courses in the country
have their troubles . . . although the nature of them are
widespread. Those crazy coots at Myrtle Beach keep munching
away at the grass while the poa annua creeps into Augusta
National.
Next time you get a complaint, tell it like it is. Pests in any
form don't look at the name on the clubhouse before they decide to do their damage. It happens in the best of places.
— Gerry Finn

Dunes members hate the things. " I ' d like to take a gun and
clear them out of here", one golfer said as a flock of coots
decorated the famous 13th hole with the messy residue which
results from them using the fairway as a comfort station. "They
just drive me crazy. And we won't get rid of them until it gets
real hot. I think they spend the summer in Canada. I'm not
sure."

TIME THREAD
Eons come in layered cells
Wrapped in the covering of a seed
Spinning from its cone
Sometimes to fertile earth.
It is a thread sewn back
Across the cloth of time
To make the fabric of forever
Green.

Coots feast on any of the healthy grasses they can find. The
Dunes Club maintenance crew has to be especially careful that
they don't take their meals on the greens. Thus, a program has
been set up to protect them with a ring of chemicals that discourage the birds from moving onto the putting surfaces. It
doesn't harm them. It just sends them the other way.
"We can't use poison or we'll have the conservation people
down on our necks", a Dunes spokesman revealed. "This happens to be a bird sanctuary. The only way a coot can be killed
is if he's hit by an errant golf shot. That happens sometimes
because we have six water holes on the back nine."
The coots are the menace at the Dunes and over to the west
at even more famous Augusta National, site of the Masters
Tournament, the war is being waged against the sudden
emergence of poa annua on the greens.
The theory on poa annua on one of the most pampered golf
courses in the world is that the grass makes a visit to. Augusta
National every five years. It's like clockwork. This year the
scourge came at an inopportune time — the week when the
greats of golf worked for gold and glory in the Masters
Tournament.
Oddly enough the professional players found themselves
educating many golf writers on the poa annua invasion. George
Archer was especially talkative on the subject. Archer calls
poa annua a weed and he even knows how to spell it.
" I t " l l get out of there when it gets hot enough", Archer told
a group of scribes who were curious enough to ask for a briefing on the subject. " I know it's going to affect the scores. You
just hit a putt and away she goes. It's like rolling a ball down
a bad r u g . "
Paul Harney, the Pleasant Valley pro who was playing the
Masters after an absence of three years, also was tuned into
the situation. "These are the worst the Augusta greens will

ROBERT G R A N T
22 Patricia Road
Sudbury, Mass. 01776
Phone 443-2671
Brae Burn Country Club

First Vice President —
THOMAS CURRAN
153 Fisher Street
Walpole, Mass. 02081
Phone 668-7221
Club Affiliation
The Country Club

Second Vice President W A Y N E ZOPPO
48 Barberry Drive
Seeltonk, Mass.
Phone 399-7141
Club Affiliation
A g a w a m Hunt

Secretary —
RONALD KIRKMAN
25 Green Street
Needham, Mass. 02192
Phone 444-8412
Club Affiliation
Needham Golf C l u b

— William W. Mattix,

Sr.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
As President of the New England Golf Course Superintendents Association and with the approval of the board of directors I have appointed the following committee chairmen
and committee members to prepare for the National Convention which we will host in January 1973. Additional committees will be appointed in the near future.
Conference Host Association Chairman
Bob Grant
Committee — Tom Curran
Ladies Program Chairman
Leon St. Pierre
Gommittee — Dean Robertson, Barbara Clapper
Education Display and Exhibit Committee Chairman
Nary Sperandio
Publicity Committee Chairman
Committee — Gerry Finn, Don Hearn

Burt Fredrick

Ways and Means Committee Co-Chairmen
Lou Duval, Phil Cassidy
Educational Program Service Committee Co-Chairmen
John O'Connell, Charles Gardner
Host Association Booth Committee Co-Chairmen
Ron Kirkman, Norman Mucciarone
Entertainment Committee Co-Chairmen
Wayne Zoppo, J o e Rybka, Tony Caranci
If there is anyone who would like to serve on a committee
please contact me, Robert Grant, President GCSA of N E .

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

MAX MIERZWA
106 Crestwood Street
Chicopee, Mass. 01020
Phone 594-4996
Club Affiliation
Chicopee C o j n t r y Club

NORMAN MUCCIARONE
101 A l b a n Road
Waban, Mass. 02168
Phone 332-3056
Club Affiliation
W o o d l a n d Golf Club

BERT F R E D E R I C K
4 5 Stoney Brook Road
Nabnaset, Mass.
Phone 453-1231
Vesper Country C l u b

Finance Chairman —
NARY SPERANDIO
Concord, Mass. 01742
Phone 369-4723
Club Affiliation
Concord Country Club

OF

SOUND OFF

M M

*

W I L L I A M E. K N O O P , Univ. of New Hampshire
You have echoed our thoughts on this serious matter, Bill, so
all we can say is "welcome to the club."
" I am a little curious about the tight security placed on
information in regards to new technical attempts to improve
construction of greens, tees and other aids to preparing a better
golf course.
T 'Any upgrading
of a system whereby the golf course is
upgraded in looks and condition and whereby the golf course
superintendent's j o b is made that much less difficult should
be shouted from the highest hill.
" I ' m told the U S G A issues some sort of specifications along
these lines, but so f a r I haven't been made aware of it changing
them so as to incorporate the new and worthwhile improvements.
" D o e s the U S G A know of these new methods itself or does
it intend to keep the old standards as part of the official specifications f o r e v e r ? "
C H A R L E S C U R T I S , Charleston, S. C.

Golf Chairman —

juliusaksten

Educational Chairman —

Larry bunn

•

Newsletter Chairman —

deanrobertson

*

It would be interesting to see a country club president flipping a coin to decide what fungicide to use on a damaged
green, eh Ronald?
*

*

R O S S G O O D R I C H , Churchill, Tenn.
Don't fret, Ross. M a y b e tomorrow they'll ask you to change
the cup three times a day, so they can think they own a 27hole course!

[That

wraps it up for another session with the reader. You,
too, can be a part of Sound O f f . There must be something on
your mind. Let's hear it from you
and often.)

Past President —

richardc.blake

Information contained

X
I
L I
TreSly,
in
Whole
l „l „o n
„
a s i Lt h_ e t r u

St. Mark's Golf Club

Biue Hill Country Club

Chestnut Hill Country Club

Mt. Pleasant Country Club

ciate

c"° A«°.ti™

*

" I have tried to explain that this practice is rather foolish.
The biggest drawback is that we wouldn't know when to change
the cup or which player was playing his 'first' or 'second' nine.
"Don't you think this is going too far in way of members'
demands?"

21 I Sewall Street
Bcyistor. Mass 01505
Pr.one 865-2737

a«mi«!

*

" I am a superintendent for a nine-hole course which gets a
tremendous amount of play and therefore suffers the stronger
possibility of becoming worn out and tired.
" M y members have been pretty patient with me and I have
no gripe there. They, too, must realize that a selected area of
turf can take just so much play before it starts to wilt under
the pressure of constant beating.
" T h e y have ruffled my feathers a bit, though, in one area.
And it has reached the point of being ridiculous as I see it.
They have the idea that I should have my crew out changing
cups on the greens twice a day so that they will have the feeling of playing a 'different' hole' when they play the course the
second time around.

24 Riverview Drive
Newbury, Mass. 01950
Phone 462-4540

ciub

*

R O N A L D D. H A R T , Bayshore, N . J .

145 Dedham Street
Canton, Mass.
Phone 828-0467

ci.b AKii.f™

•

of them is a
methods must
puts its stamp
they will be

" I looked over the situation of some golf course operations
and wondered what would happen if the golf course superintendents all over the country suddenly decided to band together and call a strike if their conditions were not improved.
" A s a member of a country club I can't imagine the consequences should the strike be called at a time when the hand
of an expert is needed to ward off the effects of adverse weather,
the threat of a visit by a dreaded turf disease or a quick death
to one of our greens.
" T o be frank, I was petrified by the mere suggestion that
such a situation could arise and intend to bring this matter
(although it is just a case of mind wandering on my part)
to our board of governors and see if we at the club are doing
our best to avoid its possibility."

6 Main Street
Southboro. Mass. 01772
Phone 485-8885

ciub Affiliation

I N C .

" A funny thing occurred to me the other night as I was
watching television and news of the baseball strike was highlighted.

*

" I would like to make a few comments regarding Mr. Finn's
'A New Hurdle' in your March Newsletter.
" F i r s t , _ I must generally agree with his position that reexamination for certification may not necessarily be needed.
I don't think the superintendent's situation is at all like that
of a medical association and should not be compared. I feel
that asking a certified superintendent to be re-examined is
much like asking a person with a higher degree to be re-examined every so often to prove his worth. This, too, would be
hard to sell.
" P e r h a p s a system requiring a certified superintendent to
attend so many national, regional or local educational seminars
or conferences of his choice each year would get the job done.
A point system could-be developed to measure his participations.
Also, credit should be given for participation in local associations.
" T h e second area I wanted to comment on is that of the
certification test procedure. I feel a test should be considered
an educational tool just as the study material is used. A test
does not mean too much if you never know which answer was
wrong or why it was wrong. When sections are failed, the superintendent doesn't know and so far can't find out his weak
areas.
" I have suggested to Dr. Alexander that the corrected test
be returned to the person giving the test so that it may be reviewed with the superintendent. Weak areas could then be
strengthened before re-examination. The original test could
be returned to Dr. Alexander. I am most willing to help a
superintendent in any way I can."

E N G L A N D ,

Upgrading of specifications or the updating
long and tedious process, Mr. Curtis. A n y new
be examined and re-examined before the U S G A
of approval on them. If they are worthwhile,
accorded due recognition in time.

(Here it is time once more for the reader to become writer
and spread his gospel to the fairway flock. This is Sound Off
and all of you are invited to take part. Just jot down a thought,
view or complaint on any phase of golf and send it to Newsletter Mail Box, 24 Riverview Drive, Newbury, Mass. 01950.
The Newsletter reserves the right to comment on all published
letters.)
*

NEW

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FRIENDS O F THE

Agrico Chemical Company
R. D. Sibley. Jr., Representative
375 Power Rd.
Pawtucket, Rhode Island 02860

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

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

Fisk, Alden Ford Tractor Sales
Rear 900 Providence Highway
Dedham, Mass. 02026

Allen's Seed Store, Inc.
South County Trail Rt. No. 2
Slocum, Rhode Island
Charles Allen, Jr., Rep.

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

Bacher Corp., Lawn and Snow Equipment
876 Boston Rd. (Rt. 3A)
Billerica, Mass. 01866

Ron Gagne — Scotts Golf Course Div.
Kendall Park, Phone 617/285-7466
Norton, Mass. 02766

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

Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc.
(Canterbury, New Hampshire)
(Sales Office) 1265 Mass. Ave.
Lexington, Mass. 02173 Tel. 861-1111

The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Richard McGahan, Rep.
Wethersl'ield, Conn.

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

Corenco Corporation
525 Woburn Street
Tewksbury, Mass. 01876
William Ferris
*The Clapper Co.
1121 Washington St.
West Newton, Mass.

Holliston Sand Cn^nuany,
Lowland Street,
Sand for Golf Bum

T

ic.
iss. 01746
raps

Irrigation and Equi^
Ripply Co.
P. O. Box 9, 66 Ern„ Avenue
Milford, Conn. 06460
Telephone (203) 874-1096

Geoffrey S. Cornish & William G. Robinson
Golf Course Architects
Fiddlers Green, Amherst, Mass. 01002

*Tom Irwin, Inc.
11B A Street
Burlington, Mass.

George E. Cull
Terra-Green Soil Conditioner
112 Green St., Abington, Mass.

Ivarandrew Turf Farms, Inc.
Sam Mitchell, Sales Representative
15 Longmeadow Drive, Canton, Mass.

C. S. Curran
T. R. C. Products, Oils and Greases
7 Linden St., Framingham, Mass.

The Kenneth Barrie Company
Irrigation
375 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Mass.

Eastern Industrial Handling Co., Inc.
Norwood, Massachusetts
Westcoaster Turf and Golf Carts

Larchmont Irrigation Co.
Larchmont Ln., Lexington, Mass.

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

Mallinckrodt Chemical Works
Second and Mallinckrodt Streets
St. Louis, Mo. 63160

ASSOCIATION
Magovern Company, Inc.
Lawn Acre Road
Windsor Lock, Conn.
D. L. Maher Co.
Water Supply Contractors
P. O. Box 274, Woburn, Mass.
New England Sealcoating Co., Inc.
Astroturf, Tennis Courts, Pavement
Sealcoating — Hingham Industrial Center
Hingham, Mass. Tel. 749-3236
Old Fox Chemical Inc.
Fertilizers — Seeds — Turf Chemicals
66 Valley Street
East Providence, Rhode Island 02914
Sil Paulini, Inc.
6' Manor Avenue
Natick, Mass. 01760
Richey & Clapper, Inc.
28 Rutledge Road
Natick, Mass. 01760
-TrencheT & Equipment Leasing, Inc.
Ditch Witch Trenchers
38 Fairview St., Agawam, Ma. 01001
Phone 413-781-4600
*Sawtelle Brothers
Jet. Routes 128 and 62
Danvers, Mass.
Shepard Sod Company
Merion Blue Grass and Pencross Bent
200 Sullivan Ave., So. Windsor, Conn.
Tiico Products Co.
Division of the Upjohn Company
Kalamazoo, Michigan
White Turf Engineering
5 Sumner Drive, Winchendon, Ma. 01475
617-297-0941
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

.^vrkvr)
5 t E a 1
i',4175 I

FIRST C L A S S
DEAN ROBERTSON
^
Newsletter Committee Chairman
2 4 Riverview Drive
Newbury, Massachusetts 0 1 9 5 0

Phone 462-4540

C l u b Affiliation
Chestnut Hill C o u n t r y C l u b
L E O N V. ST. P I E R R E
Business M a n a g e r
GERRY FINN
Contributing Editor