( j o l j - (Gourde
OF

liperintenclents
NEW

E N G L A N D ,

^dissociation
I N C .

Sponsors and administrators of the Lawrence S.
Dickinson Scholarship Fund — A w a r d e d yearly
deserving Turf Management Students.

to

SLOW P L A Y . . . WHO'S TO BLAME?
The golf architects of the United States have gone on record
being participants in the drive to stamp out slow golf play.
effect, they are saying that future design will lend itself
directing a foursome around a course in a reasonable length
time.
F. W. Hawtree, Great Britain's gift to the profession, concurs with the American pledge. But he also reminds one and
all that the architect . . . and the golf -course superintendent
. . . is not to blame for the tortoise-like pace of a weekend
Nassau match.
" I think we all know who started the whole thing of taking
all day to play a round", F. W. ( F r e d ) stated last month
while in this country to take part in the Massachusetts Turf
Conference. " T h e professionals began it all and it transferred
into the play of the amateur. Now everyone's doing it."
Hawtree appreciates the fact that professionals are making a
livelihood from playing golf and that extended concentration
is necessary to achieving an end. However, he believes they
are overdoing it. " T h e r e is far too much value placed on the
golf shot these days", he remarked. "Naturally, the professional's values are greater in that the tournament purses have
grown far out of proportion. They have so much to lose if
they are too hasty."
The amateur contribution, though, irks Hawtree. " T h e y
seem to be affected by this same frightful disease", he offered,
"and I don't see any reason why. What has happened here is
a mimic situation. The amateurs watch the pros on the television, taking their time and shooting fantastic scores. They
put two and two together and figure that the longer time they
take the better the shot turns out."
Hawtree explains that the "blind shot" in golf architect is
a fading phenomenon. " I t is going out in popularity", he
told. " I t only serves as a conversation piece for the club member anyway."
The affable Hawtree, who has been 35 years in the business
of creating playgrounds f o r golfers and who just passed his
1000th hole in design, is dead set against the long course
theory. "Length is only of publicity value", he said. " I n most
cases the designing of a long course is not practical. Architects sometimes feel that they are building a monument to
themselves and that the longer the course they design, the
more chance of immortality- for them. This is rot."
Hawtree claims that the lengthy course was something that
the architects of the world had to get out of their systems. " I
think we have realized that we can create something more
interesting within a reasonable amount of playing distance",
he added. " M y longest course runs around 6 8 0 0 yards. And
I wouldn't consider it one of my best."
Size of greens is another item which turns Hawtree on. " I
always like to see a large 18th green", he explained. " B u t it's
not a sign of successful architect to find 18 greens so large
that players take countless minutes trying to find the hole."
as
In
to
of

Here, too, Hawtree comes to the defense of the superintendent. Some slow play critics have the idea that the superintendent puts the holes in treacherous places, thus adding more
time to the putting game. " T h a t is untrue", Fred snapped.
" T h e superintendent wants to get the players off the greens
as quickly as possible. The longer they stay and tramp on them
the more
damage they do, so it's ridiculous to chide the
superintendent."
Hawtree, whose father (another F. W., by the way) founded
the British Greenkeepers' Association in 1912, thinks the golfing public has to be re-educated in the matter of slow play.
" T h e y must bring golf back to the level of it being a game",
he concluded. " W e (the architects and supers) will do our
part to speed it up. But it's up to the player to make it
effective."
•— Gerry Finn

Left t o right: Leon V. St. Pierre, Bob Grant, F. W . Hawtree
and Joseph Troll are discussing the recent turf conference
program at Springfield. All reports show this conference to
be the best one of all.

PARDON THE INCONVENIENCE!
The reason your Newsletter is late this month is that the
editor and his family just returned from a trip to the west
coast. While there we visited Disneyland and the Anaheim
Convention Center. The facilities look to be excellent for
next year's conference. Remember the dates are February
17-22, 1974. There are ample places to stay in the area and
the rates are reasonable.

'Golf

(Gourde

^Superintendents

^A%doclatiiion-

NO CHANGE . . . THE BEST CHANGE
F. W. (Call me Fred) Hawtree slipped across the Atlantic
recently for Dr. Troll's Massachusetts Turf Conference and
reports that the European market for gclf architects is thriving.
Hawtree spreads his wealth of talent. In addition to his
many successful golfing swarths through the English countryside, Hawtree has these credits in which low handicappers and
hackers can indulge: One course in Holland, two in Germany,
two in Belgium, four in Spain and eight in France.
" W e have some million pounds of work on hand back h o m e "
Fred revealed during an exclusive interview with the NEGCSA
Newsletter. " W e have four on our staff and they are kept quite
busy. I really would rather that we could give our endeavors
much more personal attention."
That would seem to be the key difference between the architectural outlooks on cither __sjde of the ocean. "Sometimes
progress is a damaging thing", Hawtree mused. "Everything
is done too fast these days. We really can't blame the architects, though. When golfers get together to think of building
a course, they want to put the show on the road, ,80 to speak.
The faster it's built the better. However, a lot of thought and
preparation has to go into the design of a golf course. We (the
architects) thus find ourselves in a peculiar position of having
to do a rush j o b . . . but that's the way it is."
Hawtree doesn't plan to expand his company, although he
has enough potential contracts to double his staff. " I think
you'll find that the bigger the company, the more impersonal

Contributing

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the job", Fred continued. " T h a t goes for any business. In golf
architecture, this is virtually criminal. A golf course reflects
the designer's personality and he should have enough time to
express that personality."
Another difference between the two schools of architectural
thought, according to Hawtree, is the amount of money available in the makeup of the designer's plans. " Y o u Americans
seem to pour enough funds to create your own topography",
he suggested. " W e don't have the means for such an approach.
Thus, you'll find that British courses lend themselves more to
the existing terrain than do those in the United States."
Hawtree warns against the dangers of architects designing
what he calls the "standard article." He has noted in his travels
that the assembly-line type of architecture has brought about
many courses lacking in individual character. "Once again the
time element probably affects this growing malady", Fred explained. "When you're working against deadlines, you don't
get much opportunity to concentrate on originality. So, the
result is rubber-stamp courses."
The veteran architect's fame has reached the United States
where he is currently involved in two courses. One is called
"Mount Mitchell Lands" in Burnsville, North Carolina where
his brainchild will be surrounded by hunting lodges and the
like. It really is a piece of wilderness development with the
nearest metropolitan city, Charlotte, located 110 miles away.
The other U. S. venture is the Kings Grant Country Club
in New Jersey. Hawtree describes his involvement as a nationalistic inspiration. " T h e name of the course comes from King
James, I I and the land is a plot granted by him many, many
years ago", Fred told. " I suppose they wanted to get more
authenticity into the project by enlisting a British architect.
But I'm very interesed in i t . "
Oddly enough, Hawtree sees the face of golf architecture
having very little lifting over the years. " I think the biggest
change in the profession is the fact there haven't been that
many changes", he concluded. "Courses built 4 0 years ago
still look as beautiful as ever. No change often is the best
change."
— Gerry Finn

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Artist's rendering depicts G C S A A ' s new Headquarters Building in Lawrence, Kansas. Architect's working drawings and
specifications have already been approved.
CONFERENCE A T T E N D A N C E

Daniel

1973
Boston
4,214
President —
ROBERT G R A N T
22 Patricia Road
Sudbury, Mass. 01776
Phone 443-267 i
Club Affiliation
Brae Burn Country Club

First Vice President —
Second Vice President —
THOMAS CURRAN
W A Y N E ZOPPO
48 Barberry Drive
Fox Chose Road
South Sutton, N. H. 03273
Seebnk, Mass. 02771
Club Affiliation
Phone 399-7141
Eastman G o l f Course
Club Affiliation
Agawam Hunt

Secretary —
Treasurer —
R O N A L D KIRKMAN, C G C S
LUCIEN DUVAL
25 Green Street
R.F. No. 5 Gault Road
Needham. Mass. 02192
Bedford. N. H. 03 105
Phone 444-8412
Phone 472-3454
Club Affiliation
Club Affilia-ior
Needham Golf Club
Manchester Country Club

1972
Cincinnati
4,058

Trustee —
Trustee —
NORMAN MUCCIARONE
BERT FREDERICK
101 Alban Road
45 Stoney Brook Road
Waban. Mass. 02168
Nabnaset, Mass. 01861
Phone 332-3056
Phone 453-1231
C!.,b Affiliation
Club Affiliation
Woodland Golf Club
Vesper Country Club

COMPARISON

1971
Denver
3,480
Trustee —
MAX MIERZWA
106 Crestwood Street
Chicopee, Mass. 01020
Phone 594-4996
club Affiliation
Chicopee Country Club

1970
Houston
3,620
Finance Chairman —
N A R Y SPERANDIO
Concord, Mass. 01742
Phone 369-4723
Club Affiliation
Concord Country Club

© F

(Once again the Newsletter opens its eyes and ears to the
reader jor Sound
Off. This is the section of our
publication
by the reader. It gives everyone the opportunity
to give his
views on any golf subject, whether it pertain to the superintendent's part in the sport or not. The only rule
governing
play is that contributors
sign their letters, including
address.
Names and addresses will be withheld upon request.
Comments
are always welcome
at Newsletter
Mail Bag, 24
Riverview
Drive, Newbury,
Mass. 01950. The Newsletter
reserves
the
right to comment on all letters
published).
" I have been out of it as far as the progress of the superintendent's certification program is concerned. All of a sudden,
it seems that the program is not receiving the amount of publicity it got when the first supers started to earn their certificates.
"Somehow, I can see the trend forming that certification is
only a fad and that its long range value is diminishing. Most
of the other supers in my area agree with me. The occasion
of a superintendent getting his 'degree' appears to have met
an 'I don't care . . . and so what' level.
"When the national first instituted the program, I was under
the impression that certification eventually would be a must
for all or most of the country's superintendents. In effect, it
was the one single measuring stick anyone had to determine
whether or not a superintendent was qualified for a certain job.
"Please tell me I'm wrong in assuming that the certification
program has gone the way of most 'new' ideas. I am planning
to take the test in the near future, but I want to be sure that
gaining my little piece of paper will be worth the effort."
NAME WITHHELD
Club Withheld
Don't throw in the sponge yet. Certification is both meaningful and worthwhile. W i t h the superintendent's market in the
position where it might become flooded, certification remains
one form of assuring a qualified super he has a strong shot at
any job.
*

*

*

*

Golf Chairman —
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

Educational Chairman —
LARRY BUNN
145 Dedham Street
Canton, Mass. 02021
Phone 828-0467
Club Affilialion
s Hill Country Club

*•

I N C .

This is not the single act of your super, Ted. Either your green
committee wants to beef up the course or cut down in maintenance of fairways. See your green chairman for the answer.
*

*

*

*

"Every time I pick up your Newsletter it has some opposing
views as to the use of golf carts. I, for one, am sick and tired
of all this fuss over a machine which has prolonged the golfing life of many a country club member.
"Why can't you people (the superintendent) realize that the
golf cart is now an integral part of the country club scene
and that it is here to stay? There is no sense grumbling about
something that has been accepted by virtually every golfing
club in the world.
"What I'm trying to tell you people is that you're kicking
a dead horse. The idea of doing away with the golf cart is
ridiculous. Why don't you just accept them and learn to live
with t h e m ? "
C. B. Brooks
Purchase, Ariz
Some things in life are just a sore spot forever, C. B. Golf
carts are the super's natural enemy. He's living with them
but just like a dog lives with a cat!

*

«
{That
' readers.
It's open
us have

*

Newsletter Chairman —
DEAN ROBERTSON
24 Riverview D-ive
Newbury, Mass. 01950
Phone 462-4540
Club Affiliation
Chestnut Hill Country Club

E N G L A N D ,

" I t seems to me that the fairways at my club have shrunk
in width during the past few years. There was a time, on
certain holes, that I could tee my ball up and not worry about
carrying into the rough. But times have changed.
"On several of our 'easier' driving holes, the fairway now
takes the appearance of a bowling alley and I'm forced to take
it easy off the tee. This does much to unsettle my game because the drive always has been the best part of my game.
" M y question concerning this sudden turn of course layout
is, 'who is to blame?' I have talked to several members of my
club and no one seems to know who authorized the slimming
down of the fairways and for what reason anyone would want
to do it in the first place. Is this the fault of our superintendent or is it a matter of changing club policy?"
T E D THURSTON
Canton, S. D.

S O U N D OFF ! ! ! !

"My friend and I have been engaged in an argument during
these long, dull nights of winter. The issue centers around the
responsibility of placing the pins during a local golf tournament. He claims that the particular superintendent is the one
to blame when a player comes to the green and finds that the
hole is cut in an impossible position.
"Evidently, he doesn't follow the game that closely. As long
as I can remember, in tournament play the superintendent
only follows the wishes of the tournament committee or chairman who determines just how difficult the course will play
by setting the pins, himself.
"One of us is wrong . . . but w h o ? "
CRAIG N E V E R S
Thompson, Conn.
Usually, in tournaments of stature, the superintendent only
follows the orders of those in charge. For instance, the Massachusetts Golf Association oversees the pin placement in its
events. In bigger golf tourneys, the PGA, USGA or whoever
also take the responsibility for determining where the hole
will be cut.

N E W

Past President —
R I C H A R D C. BLAKE, C G C S
21 I Sewall Street
Boylston, Mass. 01505
Phone 869-2737
Club Affiliation
M t . Pleasant Country Club

«-

*

puts the finishing touches on another session with our
Remember,
that this is your space in the
Newsletter.
to any and all comments,
so sit down today and let
them. Right or wrong, they will be
printed.)

To the I V Weather Man
Don't show me all your graphs and charts,
The highs and lows and pressure belts,
Those marks I see are Greek to me,
Though they make sense to someone else.
Your hieroglyphics, I'll confess,
Confuse and nettle me a lot —
Just tell me this — no more, no less:
It is going to rain or not?
—- Stephen Schlitzer
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.

P l e a s e f m t m n i f e FRIENDS OF THi ASSOCIATION
Agrico Chemical Company
R . D. Sibley, J r . , Representative
375 Power Rd.
P a w j u c k e t , Rhode Island 02860

F a i r w a y Equipment, I n c .
Sales — Service — R e n t a l s
35 W a l n u t St., Reading, Mass.

Magovern Company, I n c .
Lawn A c r e Road
Windsor L o c k , Conn.

Alfco R o k e b y Co., I n c .
Fertilizers and Chemical Specialties
P . O. B o x 267, M a r i e t t a , Ohio

F a r m B u r e a u Association
158 Lexington St., W a l t h a m , Mass. 0 2 1 5 4
F r e d Heyliger, Representative
Thomas F . Grummell, Representative

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

B a c h e r Corp., Lawn and Snow E q u i p m e n t
8 7 6 Boston Rd., ( R t . 3 A )
Billerica, Mass. 0 1 8 6 6

Fisk, Alden Ford T r a c t o r Sales
R e a r 900 Providence Highway
Dedham, Mass. 0 2 0 2 6

B a k e r T r a c t o r Corp., F o r d T r a c t o r s
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Massachusetts

M a n u e l F r a n c i s and Son, I n c .
T u r f Nurseries
624 W e b s t e r St., Marshfield, Mass.

T h e Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
R i c h a r d M c G a h a n , Rep.
Wethersfield, Conn.

Grounds Equipment Co., I n c .
3 8 3 Boylston St., Newton Cen., Mass.

~Corerrco Corporation
525 W o b u r n S t r e e t
Tewksbury, Mass. 0 1 8 7 6
G. D. K i m m e y
1-800-222-7976

* T h e Clapper Co.
1121 Washington St.
W e s t Newton, Mass.

Holliston Sand Comoany, I n c .
—Lowland-St
ivtTOi,
01746
Sand for G*
rs and T r a p s
Irrigation &- ^ ^ ^ . ^ n t Supply Co.
P. 0 . B o x 147 Route 1
Walpole, Mass. 02081
T e l . 617-668-7814

* T o m Irwin, I n c .
11B A Street
* Geoffrey S. Cornish & W i l l i a m G. Robinson Burlington, Mass.
Golf Course Architects
Karandrew T u r f F a r m s , I n c .
Fiddlers Green, Amherst, Mass. 0 1 0 0 2
S a m Mitchell, Sales Representative
15 Longmeadow Drive, Canton, Mass.
George E . Cull
T e r r a - G r e e n Soil Conditioner
112 Green St., Abington, Mass.
C. S . Curran
T . R. C. Products, Oils and Greases
7 Linden St., F r a m i n g h a m , Mass.
E-Z-Go Golf Car, Division T e x t r o n , I n c .
S a l e s - Service - R e n t a l s
Route 28, Pocasset, Massachusetts 0 2 5 5 9
Call E d M c G u i r e collect 617/563-2234

New England Sealcoating Co., I n c .
T e n n i s Court Const, and M a i n t e n a n c e
Sealcoating — Hingham Industrial Center
Hingham, Mass. T e l . 749-3236
Old F o x Chemical I n c .
Fertilizers — Seeds — T u r f Chemicals
66 Valley Street
East Providence, Rhode Island 02914
S i l Paulini, I n c .
6 M a n o r Avenue
Natick, Mass. 0 1 7 6 0
Richey &-Clapper,-Ine^
28 Rutledge Road
Natick, Mass. 0 1 7 6 0

—

T r e n c h e r & E q u i p m e n t Leasing, I n c .
Ditch W i t c h T r e n c h e r s
38 Fairview St., Agawam, Mass. 01001
P h o n e 413-781-4600
* S a w t e l l e Brothers
J e t . Routes 128 and 62
Danvers, Mass.
Shepard Sod Campany
Merion B l u e Grass and Pencross B e n t
200 Sullivan Ave., So. Windsor, Conn.

T h e K e n n e t h B a r r i e Company
Irrigation
3 7 5 Centre St., J a m a i c a Plain, Mass.

T u c o Products Co.
Division of the U p j o h n
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Larchmont Irrigation Co.
L a r c h m o n t Ln., Lexington, Mass.

W h i t e T u r f Engineering
5 Sumner Drive, Winchendon, Mass. 0 1 4 7 5
617-297-0941

Mallinckrodt Chemical W o r k s
Second and Mallinckrodt Streets
St. Louis, Mo. 63160

Company

Philip A. Wogan
% Golf Course A r c h i t e c t
' 21 Budleigh Ave. BeverlyJ Mass.

* Contributors to the Lawrence S. Dickinson Scholarship Fund

(joff (bourse
ourSe Superintendent s4HociaUon
OF MEW (II I UN
DEAN ROBERTSON
Newsletter C o m m i t t e e Chairman
24 Riverview Drive
Newbury, Massachusetts 01950
Phone 462-4540
C l u b Affiliation
Chestnut H i l l C o u n t r y C l u b
L E O N V. ST. PIERRE
Business Manager
GERRY F I N N
C o n t r i b u t i n g Editor