SEPTEMBER

ourie jS^uperintendents ^y^AAociation
OF

NEW

E N G L A N D ,

INC.

1972

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

WHEN THE MAN-POWER GOES OFF
This is the time of year when the golf course superintendent
experiences labor pains.

"But if you see what is happening, they usually pay for it in
the end."

In fact, one super made a funny about it when he revealed
(and without a crack of a smile on his face), " I usually lose
my help about the day before Labor Day."

Preaching this kind of sawdust has actually hurt a few
clubs. At one establishment management took a firm stand on
holding a wage line that never existed. The help took off to
leave the club without a single employe. What happened? New
help was hired and at rates far exceeding what the original
workers were seeking!

Yes, this is September and brings on a recall to the books
which sends many a strapping lad off the golf course and
back to the classroom. It happens every year at summer's end,
but it always come as a shock to the super . . . even though
he's prepared for it.
"This is when 1 probably need more help than at any other
time of the season", another super offered. " I would like to
hire people from the regular labor market but they won't
touch this work . . . and the pay that goes with it."
When play starts to fall off and the super gets a little breathing room around the course, he likes to take advantage of the
opening. " I have a lot of projects that can be launched only
during the fall", he tells. "You don't go rebuilding greens in
the middle of summer. It's not practical. But when the college
kids pick up and leave, I'm left with a very large headache."
The college crew probably has saved the golf course from
the strong possibility of a labor crisis. Most of the college boys
want to work during their vacations and welcome the physical
challenge of the golf course. On the other hand, the pay scale
isn't attractive enough to lure members of the regular labor
market there.
One superintendent blames the country club for holding the
so-called. 5 % wage hike line when it isn't applicable to the
golf course. "They have tried to put one over on us", he opined.

Back in the land of the super, the situation is acute —
festered by the mass exodus of the student. " I hate to say
this", a superintendent from out of the New England section
said. "But they don't even pay time and a half at my course.
They expect a guy to go out at three in the morning to start
cutting greens for one of their big tournaments and then work
his regular day at straight time. It's sickening."
Oddly enough, the economical slowdown of the country has
been a blessing to some courses. Raw labor jobs have been
taken over by people who wouldn't ordinarily do that type of
work (semi-retirees and the like). But even now the threat of
a shrinking market lives.
"Our help looks down the street and sees what the construction guy is getting", another super barks. "Some day they
might get up and walk out on me if I can't give them comparable wages. And I know I won't be able to. I say that if
the country club wants to play the big shot, it must pay the
big shot price."
And so the labor pains linger. And there doesn't seem to be
any relief in sight.
— Gerry Finn

MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Do you ever get the feeling that you are the only one who
gives a damn about your golf course? I get this feeling almost
every time I impose restrictions on play, Every Country Club
has its sharfe of soap box orators. Does this sound familiar:
"How come we can't use carts; they're using them at So & So
Country Club and we drain better than they do. The golf
course is in good shape but you won't let us use it, and what
are you saving the course for, the season's almost o v e r ? "
During the month of June in which all of us had over a
foot of rain we heard this type statement many times. As always we are in an impossible situation, whatever decision is
made is unpopular with certain people. You are criticized
when you close and when you open, when you restrict carts
and when you don't. This was the first year I've heard people
say, "why did he let carts go today, he isn't using his authority
properly." Regardless of what restrictions are needed, this is

a Superintendent's Decision and he should have written into
his contract or have some written authority from the Board
stating this. I don't believe a superintendent can be held responsible for course conditions if he doesn't have the right to
restrict play. Any Green's Chairman who takes this responsibility on himself has got to be crazy. He has his own business
to run; if he ran out to the course every time it rained, he
would be bankrupt. I've seen many a good superintendent
leave the business because that authority has been wrestled
away from him. We are all in this business because we enjoy
it, we certainly are not in it for the money.
I hope you have enjoyed the spring of 1972 more than I
have.
George B. Thompson, Pres., Mid-Atlantic Association of
Golf Course Superintendents.
Reprinted from Mid-Atlantic News Letter, August 1972

ourse

uperin ten den Id

~^ldAociation-

SIZING UP THE BUDGET

NEXT M E E T I N G

If you are a country club member and aware of the financial
bugs that set your dues on a riotous course, perhaps you have
a wrong slant on the makeup and character of your superintendent's budget. In some cases you probably think the figure
outrageous. And when compared with that of surrounding
clubs, you might even want to launch an investigation.
In the first place, "the golf and grounds budget" or the well
the super goes to in order to keep the course spic and span,
has so many intangibles even he has to go through an occasional mental drill to see if he has it straight.
For instance, don't go frothing off at the mouth over the
enormous size of the budget, because there are some hidden
beauties in there which tend to balloon it.
Payroll figures often are startling, but in many budgets the
salary of the pro is included and sometimes even that of the
assistant pro. And there are the payroll charges. Put those all
together and you may think that the super is running his
own welfare department, when in reality he is not.
Next in the little known outlay of the super are the costs
for maintenance of house grounds, buildings, tennis courts and
the like which include such bargains as heat, light and power.
In budgets where lighting for paddle tennis courts, for example, are included, that sport alone can sweeten the pot.
You also may be surprised to know that the super takes out
of his budget the costs for the club joining the USGA, MGA,
CIA (or whatever) and often the luxury of a pro being sent
to a tournament comes out of the super's pocket . . . so to
speak.
This is only the beginning. Tack on the logical costs . . .
including a lofty sum for depreciation of equipment . . . and
you start to get a clear picture of where your dues buck is
going.
Then, too, you must take into consideration the physical
makeup and age of the course where yo'u play. This is most
important in sizing up the budget of one club against another.
Geography, type of construction and time of construction
have much to do with the cost of conditioning a course. Does
your course have a lot of trees? If so, look at them long and
enjoy the scenery in the height of summer. In the end the
total cost, for leaf control and the care and replacement of trees
could run as high as $15,000. Down the street they may not
have Trees. Consequently, that budget looks thin compared to,
your super's spending spree.
Older courses again must yield to the times. Many of these
have elevated greens with severe bankings. All cutting here
falls under the heading of hand labor — very expensive and
time-consuming. Also to be considered are the care of water
hazards and traps. They make for a better golf course but also
for higher upkeep costs.
Soil type is another intangible. Medium loam perhaps is the
ideal situation, but if there's heavy clay out there many problems can arise. Problems, as you know, equal expense.
So, the next time you're bowled over by the size of that
budget, don't be. It takes a lot of money to make the green
grass grow green and to keep the leaves blowing with the wind.
In fact, when you size it up, it's a bargain. It says here.
— Gerry Finn

The next G.C.S.A. of New England meeting will be September 18, 1972 at the Thorny Lea Golf Club, Brockton, Massachusetts. The super in charge of this fine layout is Joe Rybka
and he has been there for the past seven years. Prior to that
Joe spent six years at Basin Harbor G. C. in Vergennes, Vermont and was the assistant at St. Andrews at Hastings on the
Hudson in New York for three years.

ROBERT G R A N T
22 Patricia Road
Sudbury, Mass. 01776
Phone 443-2671
Club Affiliation
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
Seekonk, Mass.
Phone 399-7141
Club Affiliation
A g a w a m Hunt

BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Directions to Thorny L e a : Rt. 128 to Rt. 24 south to Rt. 27
towards Brockton. Turn right on Pleasant St. (Kentucky
Chicken) and right on West street to King's Dept. Take right
on Torres Street to the Club.
Nominating Committee
10:30 a . m .
Directors' Meeting
11:00 a . m .
Regular Meeting
11:45 a . m .
Luncheon
12:45 p . m .
Golf after Lunch
New application to be voted on at the September meeting:
Frank Murphy, Halifax C. C.
390 Plymouth St.
Halifax, Mass.
At the last meeting President Grant appointed a Nominating Committee and it consists of: R. Blake, chairman, D. Barber, B. Frederick, T. Caranci and D. Cowan. They will meet
-before—the directars'„jmeeting_at_ Thorny Lea on September
18, 1972.
President Grant also appointed an Advisory Committee to
the National and it consists of Don Hearn and Larry Dunn.
The winner of the Golf Super Championship at Hyannisport was Bob St. Thomas with a low gross> of 73. Low net went
to A1 Auger with a 68.

Super-Press Tourney
The date of the October meeting is October 2, 1972 at the
Ledgemont Country Club in Seekonk, Massachusetts. Gentlemen, this is the annual Super-Press Tournament, so let's line
up our partners to play golf on this eventful day. It is the
duty of every member to have a member of the press or the
news media with him on October 2, 1972 at Ledgemont.

:

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

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 Country Club

NORMAN MUCCIARONE
101 Alban Road
W a b a n , 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
45 Stoney Brook Road
Nabnaset, Mass.
Phone 453-1231
Club Affiliation
Vesper Country C l u b

inance Chairman

—

NARYSPERANDIO
Concord, Mass. 01742
Phone 369-4723
Club Affiliation
C o n c o r d Country Club

O F
SOUND

*

*

*

*

"I'm a superintendent at a club I don't care to reveal, but
I have a funny story which can be told as long as nobody
knows where it came from.
"Anyway, it has to do with doctor certificates for those
people who insist that they must have a golf cart every time
they play golf. And after talking to a doctor friend of mine,
who also must remain nameless, the whole thing becomes a
joke.
" H e told me that he writes out certificates by the dozen and
most of them are phony. 'If I don't do it, they just go down
the street to some other doctor and get one', he said. So I'm
here now to tell you that those certificates are from hunger."
Name Withheld
Club Withheld
! wonder if you could get that same doctor to examine me.
I hurt my back at work the other day and . . .
*

«

*

*

'There hasn't been a day this summer that my wife and I
haven't been out to the golf course when we weren't attacked
and eaten alive by all kinds of insects.
" I think that this is a disgrace. To think that I pay all kinds
of good money to join an exclusive country club and wind
up in the middle of the round, swatting bugs and scratching
my head off.
"This ridiculous situation even could lead me to the divorce
court. The other day a mosquito landed on my wife's leg (the
upper part) and I slapped it so hard my hit made a bigger
welt than the bite. Now she says she might divorce me. And
all because we were bugged."
CLARENCE CARLIN
Caution, Kan.
The p!ain facts of pest control are that the ban of DDT
has hurt, but if mosquitoes are caught in the larva stage they
can be controlled. Oh yes, who is the mosquito testifying for
in the divorce case?
«•

*

*

*

"I'm here to tell you that there's a new look in vandalism
on golf courses and it doesn't have anything to do with stealing flags.
"The latest craze is to break into equipment buildings, steal
golf carts and turn figure eights on the greens. This has happened at my course twice this year (I think one time it was
the night of our local high school graduation.)
"Of course, the persons who do this type of damage are
simply thrill seekers who don't have anything better to do.

Golf Chairman —

JULIUSAKSTEN
6 Main Street
Southboro, Mass. 01772

cirAffiSn885

St. Mark's Golf Club

Educational Chairman —

LARRY BUNN

145 Dedham Street
Canton, Mass.

STaSo?67

Blue Hill Country Club

Newsletter Chairman —

DEAN ROBERTSON

STAIIS^

ciub"Mixtion37

Chestnut Hill Country Club

*

*

*

*

*

*

"The fallacy of the tri-plex mower has to be put into print.
" I have one at our club and in the long run I think it has
been the source of more headache than the good I first thought
it was supposed to bring.
"Using it on my banked greens is virtually impossible.
There has been scalping to mention one thing. However, even
on the bigger and flatter greens continued use has resulted in
compaction and caused me to spend more money and time
trying to get the green back to the point where it will hold
an approach shot.
"Am I alone in this feeling or have others experienced i t ? "
NAME WITHHELD
CLUB WITHHELD
This is a good open floor question for our membership. Because of the situation, better that they "sound off" about
your headache.
(For once we leave you on a sober note. But keep those cards
and letters coming. We're ahvays here with the letter opener.)
JOB OPEN
Philip Cassidy of the Weston Golf Club is retiring as of
the first of the year and the club is now accepting applications
with a complete resume. Application and resume should be
sent to each of the following committee men listed below. The
course is an 18-hole course and the superintendent is responsible for general maintenance, also the house grounds, thirtyfive golf carts, clay tennis courts, and paddle tennis courts.
Send resumes to the following: Mr. Donald Patnode, 75 Sherburn Circle, Weston, Mass. and to Mr. Nate Ricker, Weston
Golf Club, Weston, Mass.

RICHARDC.BLAKE

211 Sewall Street
Boylston, Mass. 01505

I N C .

" I want to compliment the superintendent at our golf course
for the splendid way he has brought beauty onto the grounds,
and I'm not referring to those cute little hedges and Japanese
yews around the clubhouse.
" I am referring to the time and energy he takes each fall
to plant flower bulbs on certain sections of the course. I realize he's going out of his way to do this and all of us girls
are indeed grateful for the effort.
"In the spring when these flowers burst into bloom, they
make for a far better sight to us than a green without ball
marks or a tee that doesn't have a lick of crab grass in it.
"Anyway, I think our super is 'super' for this gesture."
RACHEL HORNSBY
Woodstock, Vt.
If you and the rest of the girls can get your husbands to like
flowers, we won't have to worry about those ball marks on the
green!

Past President —

24 Riverview Drive
Newbury. Mass. 01950

E N G L A N D ,

I know that our laws are not in keeping with this crime but
what laws are in keeping with any crime nowadays? I don't
know what I can do."
JERRY SANDERS
Knox, S. C.
Your only hope is that one of these darlings steals a cart,
has it roll over on him and scares him to death. Even then, it
would be too good for him.

OFF!!!!

[Here it is, that time ivhen our readers take pen in hand
and start to thrust their message to the golf world. This is
Sound Off and it is for anyone ivho has thoughts on any subject pertaining to golf. It can be a compliment or a kick in
the pants. We accept anything from anyone. But we do reserve the right to comment on each letter published. So, get
with it and get ivith us. Send your comments to Newsletter
Mail Box, 24 Riverview Drive, Newbury, Mass. 01950).

N E W

Mt. Pleasant Country Club

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P t v z t e

j t e b u M i j e

FRIENDS

OF

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
Baker Tractor Corp., Ford Tractors
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Massachusetts
The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Richard McGahan, Rep.
Wethersfield, Conn.
Ttorenco Corporation
525 Woburn Street
Tewksbury, Mass. 01876
William Ferris
*The Clapper Co.
1121 Washington St.
West Newton, Mass.
* Geoffrey S. Cornish & William G. Robinson
Golf Course Architects
Fiddlers Green, Amherst, Mass. 01002

Ron Gagne — Scotts Golf Course Div.
Kendall Park, Phone 617/285-7466
Norton, Mass. 02766
Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc.
(Canterbury, New Hampshire)
(Sales Office) 1265 Mass. Ave.
Lexington, Mass. 02173 Tel. 861-1111
Grounds Equipment Co., Inc.
383 Boylston St., Newton Cen., Mass.
JIollis-toiL Sand Company, Inc.
Lowland Street, Holliston, Mass. 01746
Sand for Golf Bunkers and Traps
Irrigation and Equipment Supply Co.
P. O. Box 9, 66 Erna Avenue
Milford, Conn. 06460
Telephone (203) 874-1096
*Tom Irwin, Inc.
11B A Street
Burlington, Mass.
Karandrew 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.

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

Larchmont Irrigation Co.
Larchmont Ln., Lexington, Mass.
Mallinckrodt Chemical Works
Second and Mallinckrodt Streets
St. Louis, Mo. 63160

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

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

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

A S S O C I A T I O N

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
Trencher & 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
Merlon Blue Grass and Pencross Bent
200 Sullivan Ave., So. Windsor, Conn.
Tuco 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

CLASS

Newsletter Committee Chairman
24 Rivervlew Drive
Newbury, Massachusetts 01950
Phone 462-4540
C l u b Affiliation
Chestnut Hill Country C l u b
L E O N V. ST. P I E R R E
Business M a n a g e r
SERRY FINN
Contributing Editor