AUGUST 1973

ourie
OF

J uperin ten dentd
NEW

E N G L A N D ,

s^idociation
INC

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

THE BIG HEAT
B o y . . . was it hot (and it could be y e t ) . B u t that set of
sultry days back there last month knocked man, beast and
plant life for a cockeyed loop which could m a r k the golf season of ' 7 3 a notable bust.
Most of us look upon high temperatures and soaring humidity as a sadistic slayer of mankind. Yet, uncomfortable as it
may have seemed to the man in the choking apartment or the
worker on the steaming lathe, the brunt of the weather's effect
was borne by the plant.
" L o o k at it this w a y " , one superintendent offered. " Y o u ' r e
a human being living in a cave for, say, two weeks. T h e conditions there are most livable . . . cool temperatures and low
humidity. Then, all of a sudden, you emerge from this veritable
Garden of Eden. A 95-degree sun hits you and it is accompanied by a high and oppressive humidity. W h a t would you
d o ? More than likely, you would wilt under the unbearable
conditions."
That's what the plant was exposed to during the big heat
of J u n e and July. W h a t happened was disastrous. " W e had
dry wilt one day and wet wilt the n e x t " , the same super observed. " F o r in addition to the scorching heat there were
thunderstorms of the unbelievable type. Some places felt the
assault of three inches of rain within one hour. This, coupled
with the sporadic high temperatures, caused the plant to yield
without a fight."
Unlike man, the plant is defenseless. " I t must depend on
what we can do to counteract the elements", the super continued. " A n d at the basis of it all lies nature. T h e r e is just so
much outside agencies can contribute to the living powers of
the plant. Once nature decides that she will unleash h e r wrath
on things, there is nothing anyone can do about i t . "
W h a t it boils down to is the ability to cope with the vagaries
of nature. T h e superintendent must be able to take advantage
of nature when the opportunity arises. If the balance of sunlight and rainfall happens to occur at the time when it is needed, he has to exploit this situation to its richest returns; the
fact ever present that as helpful as nature might appear at

one stage, the m o r e harmful it can be at the next.
How, then, can the superintendent challenge the might of
n a t u r e ? Well, f o r one thing, he can take precautionary measures. " T h e r e is this kind of unfounded success status that
many country club members assume", a super advises. " F o r
some reason, they believe that 'playing the ball down or as
it lies' is the hallmark of a super-honed golf course. And in
many cases they insist that no preferred lies be taken . . .
even when the plant is being drained of its sit-up properties."
A note of caution seems appropriate here. When wilt of
any kind is prevalent, golfers should play preferred lies. " T h i s
is so important", the super insists. " W i t h the plant taking on
the appearance of a bowl of marshmallow fluff, it is sheer
lunacy to have golfers digging through the plant to get at the
ball. Invariably, they will take divots the size of their h a t s ;
whereas they would lessen this probability considerably if
they move the ball up where they can see i t . "
Discipline also should be the order of the day in cutting both
the greens-tees area and the fairways when wilt is moving
onto the scene. " W e can easily alter our cutting methods",
the super states. " I n s t e a d of mowing the greens every day,
we can push the schedule back to every other day. T h e same
applies with the fairways. W h a t we are hoping to do here
is avoid contact with* the plant. Mowers can damage the plant
just as much as anything."
Other safeguards against the wilt — caused b y a combination of oppressive heat and excessive rainfall — include extra
care in the driving of golf carts, putting out on the greens
instead of tramping back and forth over them in staggered
putting and a general awareness by all of the f e a r that
the plant is a precious thing to be pampered instead of
pummeled.
T h e heat is something over which man has no control. However, he can temper his behavior in times when the heat acts
as a catalyst f o r the death and destruction of a golf course.
Nature is not something to be conquered. It is something to
be tolerated.
— Gerry F i n n

NEXT MEETING

at 7 p. m. sharp. Dinner, golf and tournament will b e $ 1 5 . 0 0 .
T h e r e will be a G C S A of N. E . meeting at 5 p. m. at the
Crestview Club House for all N . E . members.
Directions: Mass. P i k e to Route 2 9 1 , exit 6, this will bring
you to 9 1 by Springfield. T a k e the Agawam E x i t 3 and go
over the South E n d Bridge. At the end of the bridge bear
right, go half way around the traffic circle, take Route 5 7
West, 2 miles to the Bradley Field E x i t ( R t e . 7 5 ) . Follow
Route 7 5 2 . 5 miles to Gas L a n d Station on the left. Y o u turn
right onto Shoemaker Lane, Crestview is 1/2 mile on the left.

T h e next meeting of the G C S A of
N. E . will be Thursday, August 9, 1 9 7 3
at the Crestview Country Club, Agawam, Mass. T h i s will b e a j o i n t meeting with the New England, Connecticut
and the Northeast Golf Course Superintendent Associations. Dave Clement
is the very capable super in charge of
Dave Clement
the Crestview layout. Golf can be played any time after 8 : 3 0
a. m . No tee time between 1 2 and 1 p. m. I f you want a starting time or a golf cart, call F r a n k Kringle in the P r o Shop at
1-413-786-0917.
Cocktails will be served at

6 p. m. and dinner will be

Tournament results at Ferncroft from the J u l y meeting:
Super Champion -— Bill Carter
77
Super Senior Champion •— P h i l Cassidy
83

ourSe

Superintendents

THE NEW WORLD OF SHORTAGES

Real . . . fabricated . . . contrived . . . or imagined, there
definitely are signs of power shortages in this brave new world
of ours. And, as over-reacted as it may sound, the superintendent has to come to a point in his planning to combat the
situation.
Pray tell, the country club member will do a loop-de-loop
when he reads this and possibly could call for a saliva test
on his individual superintendent; but the maintenance of golf
courses may have to come under reassessment.
The current gas shortage may not be for real, but one has
to take a second look at it when gas stations are closing down
because they have nothing to sell while others institute a rationing schedule. Whatever the reason for such drastic conditions, the fact remains that the superintendent has to plan
for the worst.
With much of his equipment gas-powered, the super might
very well have to cut down on the use of same. He could resort to bringing the course back to its natural state, something, which obviously will incur the disfavor of _the golfer
who has become accustomed to playing on a manicured playground.
" I f the shortages continue to mount as they have in recent
months, I don't know how I can keep to my present mowing
schedule", a superintendent offers. " I am about to suggest to
my chairman that we restrict our mowing to the heart of the
fairways on a regular basis and catch up with the rest of them
as my supply of power dictates."
This could be a blessing in disguise, especially for the purists
of the superintendent fraternity who have advocated for years
that the natural state of the golf course should be preserved
rather than altered to suit the condition demands of the golfer.
" I t might wind up that we will go back to the British method of course maintenance", the super warns. "Over there, and

~y4s$ocicition
I'm talking about the golf courses where major tournaments
are played, roughs are treated as such. In almost every instance the rough is allowed to grow as it wishes. In that way
it becomes the hazard it was intended to be."
One of the no-nos among members in regard to a cutdown of what has become a golf course luxury is the proposal
that certain restrictions be placed on the use of the golf cart.
In recent years the golf cart has taken over as the sole means
of transporting golfer and clubs through the 18-hole round.
"There is a distinct possibility that our sources of energy
in the carts (gas and electric) will be limited so as to create
a crisis in the use of them", the super remarks. "There is no
way a country club can make the power companies believe
that it should be allowed to provide limitless power for its
carts while the housewife at home is required to cut down on
the use of her appliances."
The same goes for fuel to operate mowers and other equipment. Since the game of golf falls under the category of recreation and not in the more demanding category of a necessity,
it makea_little-seiisp to vision, greens^-fairways-and. roughs-being
cut on a regular basis while home lawns and farm lands go
begging for the power to maintain them.
A definite possibility arises, then, that the golf course could
be changing its appearance in the not too distant future. Power
shortages may end at the drop of a hat or they could continue
along an acute path that could make it necessary for supers
to change their ways. Whatever the future brings, the golf
course comes under the effect of what the power plants, oil
companies and the like have in store for their consumers. By
this time next season you could be playing in knee-high rough
and putting over angora-haired greens. It may sound absurd
but it's a distinct possibility . . . so don't say we didn't tell
you so.
— Gerry Finn

Difficult Yeors For Growing Fine Turfgrcssses
By Joseph Troll, Professor, Department of Plant and Soil
Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts

Some areas in New England in 1972 were affected by heavy
rainfall but to date, July 1973, almost all of New England has
received excessive amounts of precipitation and periods of
extremely high temperatures.
Prolonged wet weather places a great deal of stress on the
grass plant. It causes shallow rooting, very succulent top
growth and provides favorable conditions for germination,
growth and infection of turfgrasses by disease causing fungi.
. - When periods of very high air temperatures follow large
amounts of rain, a further stress is placed on the shallowrooted plant. Most often this additional stress, termed scald,
results in death of turf.
On site observations of fairway, tee and greens, turf on
several golf courses in Western and mid-Western Massachusetts showed that they are experiencing the above problems.
In addition, a number of injured turf samples from courses
located in different areas of Massachusetts and other New
England States have been diagnosed as having been caused
by similar agents.
In retrospect, what we have found is as follows:
(1) Prolonged excessive moisture has induced shallow rooting.
(2) Excessive moisture followed by periods of high temperature caused scalding of turf. Scald was found in fairways
and especially on collars and edges of greens where the turn-,
ing of mowers can bruise turf and further aggravate the
situation.
(3) Excess moisture and favorable temperatures on the already weakened turf resulting in disease caused by Helminthosporium, Leaf Spot; Sclerotenia, Dollar Spot; Rhizoctonia,
President —
ROBERT G R A N T
22 Patricia Road
Sudbury, Mass. 01776
Phone 443-2671
Ciub Affiliation
Brae 8urn Country Ciub

First Vice President THOMAS CURRAN
Fox Chase Road
South Sutton, N. H. 03273
Club Affiliation
Eastman Golf Course

Second Vice President —
W A Y N E ZOPPO
48 Barberry Drive
Seekonk, Mass. 0277
Phone 399-7141
club Affiliation
Agawam Hunt

Secretary —
R O N A L D KIRKMAN, C G C S
25 Green Street
Needham, Mass. 02192
Phone 444-8412
Club Affiliation
Needham Golf Club

Brown Patch; Fusarium, Blight; and even Pythium, Grease
Spot. Each of the above diseases is related to a certain range
of temperatures and moisture.
(4) There is a possibility that parasitic nematodes have further debilitated an already weakened plant.
What can be done to offset these problems? If any of the
above diseases are anticipated, follow a preventive or curative
fungicide program. Spray the appropriate fungicide for the
control of a specific fungus. Raise the height of cut if possible.
Because of shallow roots brought about by increased rainfall do not water unless needed. Water when the plants begin
to wilt or syringe — whichever is necessary. Do not fertilize
turf areas that don't require it and never fertilize water succulent turf with nitrogen. If you must fertilize, particularly
greens, use a natural organic or ureaform material and then
apply only small amounts. The use of a salt fertilizer may
further aggravate your problem. High amounts of nitrogen
applied to water succulent turf can increase scald and disease.
Very little, if anything, can be done to increase root depth
at this time of the year, especially when soil temperatures
are high. Depending on the grass specie root systems exhibita seasonal period of growth and death. However, most cool
season grass species initiated root growth during the cooler
fall and spring seasons when soil temperatures are 50°F and
below. Because of this fact it is suggested that you aerify
and fertilize in the fall or spring. It is further suggested that
you experiment on one-half of your fairways with winter
fertilization. Fertilize prior to the freezing of the soil. Encourage root growth and penetration when the plant is initiating
its root growth. Above all, let us hope that the elements for
growing, healthy turf are with us next year.

Treasurer —
L U C I E N DUVAL
R.F. No. 5 Gault Road
Bedford, N. H. 03105
Phone 472-3454
Club Affillatl:
Manchester Country Club

Trustee —
NORMAN MUCCIARONE
• 101 Alban Road
Waban, Mass. 02168
Phone 332-3056
Club Affilii
Woodland Golf Club

Trustee: —
BERT FREDERICK
45 Stoney Brook Road
Nabnaset, Mass. 01861
Phone 453-1231
Club Affiliation
Vesper Country Club

Trustee —
MAX MIERZWA
106 Crestwood Street
Chicopee, Mass. 01020
Phone 594-4996
Club Affiliation
Chicopee Country Club

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

O F

S O U N D OFF!!!!
(It's that time once again to hand the mighty pen to the
reader and let him swipe with it where he will. This is Sound
O f f , the special feature of our monthly memo which gives you,
the people, the chance to talk back, praise or plain comment
concerning any golf subject. The ground rules are simple.
All contributors are asked to sign their letters and same will
be withheld upon request. Letters should be sent to Newsletter
Mail Bag, 25 Riverview Drive, Newbury, Mass. 01950. The
Newsletter reserves the right to comment on all published
letters.)
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"With the weather the way it has been for most of the summer, here in the Northeast, I think it a sensible idea that the
golf course superintendent think seriously of taking a course
in meteorology.
" I don't mean that you people should get into the business
of predicting the weather. There are enough of those weather
seers around to keep us guessing the rest of our lives. On the
contrary, the course just might contribute to the superintendent's knowledge of what to expect from certain weather patterns, air flows, etc.
" A t our golf course, more than ever, the weather this summer has been the dominating factor in determining the condition of it. Perhaps a basic acquaintance with meteorology
might help the superintendent to better prepare for certain
weather conditions. I'm sure there are short-term courses
offered at many universities."
SAM SCHULMAN
Bayshore, L. I.
Good thought, Sam. The super has to live with the weather
anyway . . . so why not get on speaking terms with it?
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" T h i s is a complaint and a touchy subject added on. That's
why I am asking you to withhold my name and club.
" M y gripe (and that's putting it mildly) erupts from an
experience with a salesman who apparently thinks more of
making a sale than keeping his valued customers.
" I t has to do with some chemicals I purchased and subsequently used in a mixture with others. The result was complete disaster. I had several brown spots appear on my greens
and am at my wit's end trying to repair the damage as our
club's big tournament approaches.
" I say it is not enough for the label on the can or box to
state, 'do not use with most chemicals.' The instructions
should be specific. Generalizing makes the situation a game of
hit or miss; and in our case we don't have the time or patience"
to play games in the middle of the busiest season of the year.
" T h i s should serve as a warning to my fellow superintendents. Make sure who you're dealing with and don't be bulldozed into a sale by fast talk and tall tales. I believe a salesman has an obligation to the buyer and this should continue
right through the use of the product."
NAME WITHHELD
Club Withheld
This guy reminds me of a used car salesman I used to know.
That's "used to know." He'll never hit me with another lemon!
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"While nature sometimes can be beautiful, I am convinced
that it is a form of beast . . . to be feared by all.
" F o r example, most talk about the weather is on the negative side. Oh, on occasion during the summer, people will
remark that it's a beautiful day with the sun shining, et.
al. But let that sun stay out for three or four days and the

Golf Chairman —

.

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

r

Educational Chairman —
LARRY B U N N
145 Dedham Street
Canton. Mass. 0202 i
Phone 828-0467
a

B - s Hi

Country Club

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

Past President —
R I C H A R D C . BLAKE, C G C S
2 I I Sewall Street
Boylston, Mass. 01505
Phone 869-2737
CI lib Affiliation
Mt. Pleasant Country Club

N E W

E N G L A N D ,

I N C .

sweetness turns to sour with people complaining that 'it's too
darn hot' or whatever way they choose to express themselves.
" T h e winter is even worse. If you're not a skier, the snowstorms come at you like some type of nuclear fallout. How
often have you heard someone get ecstatic when he looks out
the window in the morning and is welcomed b y the presence
of a blizzard?
"Here in New England we do have two seasons of the year
when it is possible for the population to have more good than
bad things to say about the weather. This would be the fall
and spring.
And, while writing this, I wonder how the superintendent reacts to my theory. He, like the farmer, often is caught in the
furor of what nature plans for his particular day. I'd have to
say that he thinks of her as a beast also."
THAD C R O C K E R
Birches, Vt.
A fickle beast to be sure, Thad.
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" T h e idea of the next meeting of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England really is one of the best
we've had in some time . . . the combined session with the
Northeast and Connecticut groups.
" S i n c e the affair will be at my club, I am taking this opportunity to invite one and all to Crestview for what I think will
be a most enjoyable and rewarding day.
" I am looking forward to sharing experiences and thoughts
with other members of our region. I think that exchange of
ideas could be one of the most effective forms of education
a superintendent can bring to his job and with the unusual
conditions of this year, that exchange might very well be
instrumental in personal success.
"Therefore, once again I am happy to be a part of this
program where attendance makes for a better super. Please
have a good time, enjoy the course and the company."
DAVE CLEMENT
Crestview Country Club
Can't think of a better answer than to advise . . . "y'awl
come . . . ya hear?"
«
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" I wondered if it would be appropriate to ask through the
Newsletter if anyone was offered the sale of a Sod Cutter No.
37077 which was picked up on May 25th from our Shop by
someone named Roger Moore, who apparently must have
worked at a golf course because he knew the trade name, all
the specifications, the size that he wanted, including the size
of blades, etc. We were paid by a check that bounced and
there is no such person living at the address which was on his
driver's license. If anyone in the organization did purchase
the above Sod Cutter, either through Moore or any other
source of supply, it would be interesting to have that information. If anyone recognized the name as having worked on a
golf course, we would be interested in knowing because frankly
the only possible users would be a golf club or a professional
landscaper. It also might alert someone that might have one
offered to them for sale.
Chester Sawtelle
S A W T E L L E B R O T H E R S , INC.
Good Luck, Chet. W e hope that this does some good for
you!
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[And that's our cue to get on out of here. Keep those cards
and letters coming to the Newsletter Mail Bag. You make this
column what it is and we need more of you for continued
success.)

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.

Pieade fiat>KMtfe FRIEMDS OF THE ASSOCIATION
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

R. F. Morse & Son, Inc.
Cranberry Highway
West Wareham, Mass. 02576
Tel. 617-295-1553

Alfco Rokeby Co., Inc.
Fertilizers and Chemical Specialties
P. 0 . Box 267, Marietta, Ohio

Ron Gagne - Scotts Golf Course Div.
5 Kendall Park, Norton, Mass.
617-285-7446

New England Sealcoating Co., Inc.
Tennis Court Const, and Maintenance
Sealcoating — Hingham Industrial Center
Hingham, Mass. Tel. 749-3236

Baker Tractor Corp., Ford Tractors
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Massachusetts
The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Richard McGahan, Rep.
Wethersfield, Conn.
Corenco Corporation
525 Woburn Street
Tewksbury, Mass. 01876
G. D. Kimmey
1-800-222-7976 — 1-800-225-7955
*The Clapper Co.
1121 WasHinYtorTSt.
West Newton, Mass.

Grounds Equipment Co., Inc.
383 Boylston St., Newton Cen., Mass.
Holliston Sand Company, Inc.
Lowland Street, Holliston, Mass. 01746
Sand for Golf Bunkers and Traps
Irrigation & Equipment Supply Co.
P. O. Box 147 Route 1
Walpole, Mass. 02081
Tel. 617-668-7814

Tnc.

Sam Mitchell, Sales Represent
15 Longmeadow Drive, Canton,

"'Geoffrey S. Cornish & William G. Robinson The Kenneth Barrie Company
Irrigation
Golf Course Architects
375 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Mass.
Fiddlers Green, Amherst, Mass. 01002
George E. Cull
Terra-Green Soil Conditioner
112 Green St., Abington, Mass.
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

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

Old Fox Chemical Inc.
Fertilizers — Seeds —• Turf Chemicals
66 Valley Street
East Providence, Rhode Island 02914

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.

Trencher & Equipment Leasing, Inc.
Ditch Witch Trenchers
38 Fairview St., Agawam, Mass. 01001
Phone 413-781-4600
*Sawtelle Brothers
Jet. Routes 128 and 62
Danvers, Mass.
Shepard Sod Campany
Merion Blue Grass and Pencross Bent
200 Sullivan Ave., So. Windsor, Conn.
Tuco Products Co.
Division of the Upjohn Company
Kalamazoo, Michigan

E-Z-Go Golf Car, Division Textron, Inc.
Sales - Service - Rentals
Route 28, Pocasset, Massachusetts 02559
Call Ed McGuire collect 617/563-2234

D. L. Maher Co.
Water Supply Contractors
P. O. Box 274, Woburn, Mass.

White Turf Engineering
5 Sumner Drive, Winchendon, Mass. 01475
617-297-0941

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

Malter International
Mr. Howard A. Vincent, Representative
Longmeadow, Massachusetts 01106

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

* Contributors to the Lawrence S. Dickinson Scholarship Fund

;enhower-usa

Newsletter C o m m i t t e e Chairr.-.an
24 Riverview 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
GERRY FINN
Contributing Editor