AUGUST 1974
ourie
OF

^Superintendents
N E W

E N G L A N D ,

^ l i i o c i a l i o n
I N C .

S p o n s o r s a n d a d m i n i s t r a t o r s of the L a w r e n c e S.
Dickinson Scholarship Fund — A w a r d e d yearly
to d e s e r v i n g Turf M a n a g e m e n t Students.

What D e g r e e of Difficulty
Country club golfers had themselves an unusual look at the
professional tour several weeks ago when the scores at the
United States Open strangely resembled those of a local kickers
handicap tournament. F o r some, it was a moment of triumph.
F o r others, it was a moment of sympathy.
The site was the West Course of the Winged Foot Golf Club, a
hellish spread of tightly cut fairways, tangle-foot grown rough
and guillotine-shaved greens. Ted Horton is the Winged Foot
superintendent. H e did his job as directed by the United States
Golf Association which operates the g a m e ' s most prestigeous
event. That group wanted a tough layout and Horton g a v e it to
them. The weather also cooperated. There wasn't a trace of rain
or breath of wind until the fourth and final day of play.
Many visitors thought the course a f a i r test. There w e r e many
remarks heard through the galleries. " T h a t ' s the w a y golf was
intended to be played and that's the w a y it should be at e v e r y
tournament", one w a g demanded in a stage whisper " I t ' s about
time these pros get to see a golf course the w a y w e see it. Why
should they be set up in a shooting gallery e v e r y week and put
those low 60 scores on the b o a r d ? "
This is where there seems to be division of the country club
set. The two sides are easily recognizable. On the one hand are
those who discovered special delight in seeing the pros spray
and pray. These are the members who are all for making their
course a respected field of battle. On the other hand are those
who sympathized with the pros at Winged Foot. They carry the
same message back to the home club. They are all for making
the g a m e m o r e enjoyable by inviting lower scores.
T h e r e is a certain amount of pride involved in the outlook of
the superintendent in this matter. Most supers v i e w their
courses as mirrors of their version of the ideal layout. And most
prefer to m a k e their course something m o r e than a pitch and
putt venture...although the final decision on degree of difficulty
is left in the hands of the membership.
The showcase set of country clubbers is truly in the c a m p of
the tough-guy layouts. T h e r e is a certain distinction between the
courses that are considered for championship events and those
clinging to the theory that a happy m e m b e r is a low-scoring
member. The tournament courses somehow earn public acclaim by their association with important competitions. In some
circles this is v i e w e d as the best type of publicity.
There have been o f f e r e d alternatives for golfers who are dead
set against putting teeth into their m e m b e r courses. Most of the
toughening up comes in the f o r m of narrowing the f a i r w a y s and
penalizing the player in length of rough cut according to the

NOTE Our 50th Anniversary Party will be at the Lantana
Inn, in Randolf, Mass. on Friday, Nov. 1,1974.
Details wiil be printed at a later date.

accuracy of the shot. T h e r e doesn't seem to be anything wrong
with this method when green committees take into consideration the mediocre and high handicap players by installing
a fourth level of teeing ground to go along with the ladies,
regular and championship areas.
The four-tee system appears to be the compromising m o v e in
an argument currently raging in many clubs. In this solution,
the golf course is at the m e r c y of the player's objectives...ego
could be another w o r d for it. If the player is of a mind to conquer
the course completely, all he need do is m o v e back to the
championship tees. If he is not interested in total submission, he
can trot ahead to whatever set of tees needed to keep him f r o m
turning the round into an interminable struggle.
One of the no-nos of the superintendent in the matter,
however, is the attempt to change the natural beauty of a course
in order to make the 18-hole trip around it easier. Filling in of
brooks, eliminating sand traps, moving tees so as to take water
hazards out of the line of play. All of these have to be considered
tampering of the lowest order.
D e g r e e of difficulty...what should it be? The answer: The
course should be able to be played as difficult as the individual
player wishes. The four-tee system provides the options. And in
the end, everyone will be happy
G e r r y Finn

Next Meeting
AUGUST

5,1974

F E R N C R O F T

couim cm
Director's Meeting 10:30
Regular Meeting 11:00
Buffet after golf
Directions - Route 128 North to Route 1.
G o North to Route 1 and 95 intersection.
Follow Route 1 for 100 yards then take
left at sign for Ferncroft Village.

o u r S e

. S u p e r i n t e n d e n t s

. . . ^ l i d o c i a t i o n •

In The Year 2000
R e a d y to let your imagination run a w a y with you?
All right, then, switch your l i f e to the year 2000 and let that
imagination work some wonders.
Y o u see yourself on the golf course. If you are a player, you
are about to begin another round. The tramline is ready for your
departure on an 18-hole tour. If everything is in working order, it
will take you exactly one hour and 16 minutes to play your
round. Your projected score is 82 1/3, since you have a seven
handicap and haven't played in 13 days. Because of that layoff,
too, you will lose one golf ball...on the 15th hole where you'll
shank your second into the water.
The predictions will be available in the pro shop. They are
assembled by use of an X-198 computer. Your golf pro feeds the
monster with ail the information on your game. "This "includes-"
the score of your most recent round, the gap between days of
play, your M O M rating for the day (Mind over M a t t e r ) ratio and
waiting time for the rest of your foursome.
Sounds v e r y clinical, doesn't it? But that's the w a y the g a m e
could be played allowing for the projected progress of the
electronic age. The tram system is feasible. Just think how it
will speed up play. It runs down each hole in the middle of the
rough and at a pace of movement which doesn't pose any
problem for getting on and getting off.

players at a time. Y o u press another button which throws a red
flag across the first tee. The holdup continues for at least 30
minutes in order to clear eight foursomes through the 18th
green.
N o other emergencies pop up during the next hour or so. This
gives you a chance to refurbish equipment. All m o w e r s are
cleaned and sharpened in the time it takes to put them on the
conveyer. This is a j o b that required four men and 120 man
hours to complete many years ago. Today (2000) one man does it
in 37 minutes.
Just about time to call it a day. And it's been a typical fivehour day for you and your crew (one assistant). All systems are
triggered for automatic operation before you l e a v e for home....
and back to the year 1974.
O.K., you don't believe it...but the year 2000 is only one
generation away. And a lot can happen in 26 years. Just you wait
and see.
^ ^
G e r r y Finn

Now, see yourself in the year 2000 as a golf course superintendent. Y o u are another keeper of the buttons, those computer
jobs of course. Because in the next 25 years or so, your work is
going to resemble that of an analytical supervisor at the big
p r o g r a m m e r board down the street. Once you worked only with
your hands. N o w , it's all brain power...with your button-pushing
fingers thrown in.
L e t ' s see, do you need a quick syringe of the seventh green
which seems to be losing its color tone lately? All right, just set
the dial for a five-minute liquid message...check your radar
screen to make sure no players are expected there within the
next 10 minutes...and put a little m o r e green in the green.
Hey, there's trouble over on 12. Switch on your closed circuit
television set and zero in the hole. There it is...a break in the
irrigation line and w a t e r ' s forming an instant hazard in the
middle of the f a i r w a y . The solution is simple. Push the shutoff
buttons halting the flow of water between the 12th tee and green.
Then, dispatch the line expert to the scene. He'll toss a temporary plug on the leak so as to keep the irrigation program
f r o m bugging out. T o m o r r o w at 3 a.m. he can come in for permanent repairs.
Complaints are heard about the traps on the fourth hole.
Someone forgot to e n g a g e the automatic raker after a shot and a
depression has been sighted. T h e r e ' s no time to waste since a
foursome is approaching their second shots and one of them
could stray into the trap. T i m e for the master raker. In an instant it smooths all of the traps on the course through an
evaporating process that is unnoticed by the naked eye.
The course has now been declared full. It's half past one in the
afternoon and there are golfing groups on each of the layout's
tees and greens. This calls for immediate suspension of play on
the first hole. The course cannot accomodate more than 144

First Vice President
THOMASCURRAN
Fox Chase Road
South Sutton, N . H . 0 3 2 7 3
Phone 938-5436
Club Affiliation
Eastham Golf Course

W A Y N E ZOPPO
48 Barberry Drive
Seekonk, Mass. 0 2 7 7 1
Phone 399-7141
Club Affiliation
Agawam Hunt

Congratulations to
ROBERT FERGUSON
Voted in as an associate member
To be voted on at the next meeting
Allen DeBlasio
Michael Hermanjon
Ronald Hanson
Eric Brown

Second Vice President
DEAN ROBERTSON
24 Riverview Drive
Newbury, Mass. 0 1 9 5 0
Phone 462-4540
Club Affiliation
Chestnut Hill Country Club

R O N A L D K I R K M A N , CGCS
2 5 Green Street
Needham, Mass. 0 2 1 9 2
Phone 444-8412
Club Affiliation
Needham Golf Club

LUCIEN DUVAL
R . F. No. 5 Gault Road
Bedford, N.H. 0 3 1 0 5
Phone 4 7 2 - 3 5 4 5
Club Affiliation
Manchester Country Club

BERT FREDERICK
45 Stoney B r o o k Road
Nabnasset, Mass. 0 1 8 6 1
Phone 453-1231
Club Affiliation
Vesper Country Club

MAX MIERZWA
106 Crestwood Street
Chicopee, Mass. 0 1 0 2 0
Phone 594-4996
Club Affiliation
Chicopee Country Club

DAVID BARBER
1 Muriel Road
Chelmsford, Mass. 0182^
Phone 256-4417
Club Affiliation
Wayland Country Club

ROBERT MUCCIARONE
465 Summer Street
Westwood, Mass. 0 2 0 9 0
Phone 329-9682
Club Affiliation
Dedham Country and Polo Club

SOUND OFF

F

N E W

E N G L A N D ,

I N C .

(Time once again to put the pen in the hand of the reader,
which means that Sound Off is about to unfold. This feature is
your feature, the opportunity for readers to take up the cry, the
cause and let 'em rip in whatever manner they choose. The
Newsletter welcomes every effort and has intentions of printing
all offerings sent to the Mail Bag, 290 North Road,
Sudbury,
Mass. 01776. There aren't any hitches. We accept them all. The
only requirement
tagged on is that names and addresses of
contributors
are necessary in order to keep an orderly flow of
traffic. The Newsletter
will withhold the name and address of
the writer upon request. It also reserves the right to comment on
all letters
published.)

the application of food and water to the grounds. This is why I ' m
writing, It's because I a m a w a r e of the super's plight and the
possibility that the long haul of his efforts can be wiped out at the
whim of an extended 10-day period of oppressive heat and
humidity.
"So, I ' m pulling for normal weather patterns and m y
superintendent. L o r d knbws, he has been burned many times by
Mother Nature and further fried by an uninformed membership.
Justin case they are not reading this, please have someone advise
them. T h e big heat of summer is a crucial time in the lives of
both the super and the golfer. Each has a lot to l o s e . "
K E N N E T H GIBBONS
Washington, Mass.

" I ' m not a superintendent or a golf pro for that matter. I ' m
just a golf fan who was in the crowd last month (June) when the
United States Open was held at the Winged F o o t Golf Club.
" A s a golfer, myself, I must say that the superintendent at
Winged Foot did everything in his power to m a k e the course as
difficult as he could. The greens w e r e slippery as an eel. The
f a i r w a y s w e r e cut out of the woods and w e r e veritable plots
where double parking would be impossible.
" I can't for the life of m e understand why the superintendent
(whoever he m a y be) took it upon himself to m a k e Winged Foot
a course where it was a m i r a c l e when an even par round was
shot. He must have known that he had all the weapons at his
command in the slick greens and hairy pin placements to
protect the course without carving the f a i r w a y s as if they w e r e
supposed to serve as one-way streets...for motorcycles!
" T h e people responsible for such a situation obviously w e r e
trying to prove that the pros are not the big hotshots the weekly
tournament scores m a k e them out to be. It is apparent that the
USGA and Winged Foot had a plan in mind and that it was
simply a case of not wanting any professional to cut up a course
where amateurs rule the roost."
B A R R Y SIMPSON
Brewster, N . Y .

The weather is a stickler in itself, Ken. But the super has to
live with it. Let's hope the golfer takes a similar stand.

The super at Winged Foot is Ted Horton. It wasn't his
scheming mind that did in the pros. It was the USGA, that
governing body of amateur golf which decided the U.S. Open
was too holy to be shot full of holes!

" T h i s being the time of the summer when anything can
happen...and that anything usually does happen, I have to
remind all golfers that their courses are at the m e r c y of Mother
Nature.
" S o far this y e a r the conditions of most courses have been on a
par with the greatest ever. This, I assume, is a combination of
the mild winter and the overall turf education and application
thereof of the golf course superintendent. A t m y course,
anyway, the fruits of both situations have been to the liking of
our membership.
"But I am a practical man and when I see a hot, humid day
beginning to take hold of m y front lawn, I can see where the golf
course superintendent is m o r e a w a r e of the weather than I am.
" T h i s is the time of year when there is no room for
mistakes...mistakes in the management of the golf course and

Golf Chairman

Educational Chairman

BRIAN COWAN
R o b b i n s Way
Harwich, Mass.
Phone 4 3 2 - 9 0 4 1
Club Affiliatio
Eastward H o Country Club

LARRY BUNN
145 D e d h a m Street
Canton, Mass, 0 2 0 2 1
Phone 8 2 8 - 0 4 6 7
Club Affiliation
Blue Hill C o u n t r y Club

Newsletter Chairman
THOMAS SCHOFIELD
2 9 0 North R o a d
S u d b u r y , Mass. 0 1 7 7 6
Phone 4 4 3 - 3 7 1 2
Club Affiliation
Maynard Country Club

Past Presklent
R O B E R T G R A N T CGCS
2 2 Patricia R o a d
S u d b u r y , Mass. 0 1 7 7 6
Phone 4 4 3 - 2 6 7 1
Club Affiliation
Brae B u r n C o u n t r y Club

" I do not wish to be identified. This is the one thing I must
make certain before you print this letter.
" I t all has to do with the influential m e m b e r at the country
club who takes it rather nonchalantly that he is the one superior
being around the course and what is good for him is good for the
rest of the members.
" I ' m talking about that well-heeled heel who thinks that he
can bring about changes in the topography and other physical
aspects of the course, just so that it can conform to the type of
g a m e he plays. Don't laugh. I know this happens. It has happened to me, although it was at another course where other
strange developments occurred.
" W e l l , this bird is really a man to be studied....for mental
problems and other defects. He came to our club as a m e m b e r
who just m o v e d to town. The only thing was that no one knew
that he was planning on taking over the golf committee and
eventually making changes that would suit his game.
" F o r a while he was a real charmer...with m e and the rest of
m y crew. H e seemed honest enough and deeply interested in the
w a y the superintendent had to operate in order to g i v e members
a well-conditioned course. Then, it happened.
" A l l of a sudden he b e c a m e the green chairman. And all of a
sudden he started to propose certain physical changes on the
course that would alter the overall look of things. H e started
slowly and he picked up the tempo once he found that no one was
interested in stopping him. A t one point he had m e clear out a
row of trees on the f a i r w a y because his slice didn't conform to
that arrangement. Finally, I got sick and tired of his meddling
and resigned.
"Just thought I ' d mention this as a warning to m y fellow
supers. B e w a r e of the meddler, guys. He is no good and he
brings nothing good to your golf course. How glad I am that I
changed jobs and how sorry I a m for the man who took m y
place."
NAME WITHHELD
Club Withheld
The world is full of meddlers. Too bad they can't be called for
interference and penalized 15 years!
(That puts the cap on the bottle. Keep those cards and
coming. This is your column. You make it what it is.)

letters

I n f o r m a t i o n c o n t a i n e d in this p u b l i c a t i o n m a y b e used
f r e e l y , in w h o l e or in part, w i t h o u t special p e r m i s s i o n as l o n g
as the true c o n t e x t is m a i n t a i n e d . W e w o u l d a p p r e c i a t e a
credit line.

Ptecue

£cUru»U$e

A l f c o R o k e b y Co., Inc.
Fertilizers and Chemical Specialties
P. O . B o x 267, Marietta, Ohio
Baker Tractor Corp., F o r d Tractors
Harley Davidson G o l f Cars
Swansea, Massachusetts
T h e Charles C. Hart Seed C o .
Richard McGahan, R e p .
Wethersfield, C o n n .

FRIENDS OF THE ASSOCIATION

Grounds Equipment Co., Inc.
383 Boylston St., N e w t o n Cen., Mass.
Gull Agricultural Service Co.
Allen Bonnell 6 1 7 - 3 6 2 - 2 1 8 1
Joe Silk 6 1 7 - 7 8 4 - 3 9 6 6
55 Freeman R o a d
Y a r m o u t h p o r t , Mass. 02675
Holliston Sand C o m p a n y , Inc.
L o w l a n d Street, Holliston, Mass. 01746
Sand for G o l f Bunkers and Traps

Corenco Corporation
525 Woburn Street
T e w k s b u r y , Mass. 01876
S.W. A n t h o n y
1-800-222-7976 - 1-800-225-7955
* T h e Clapper C o .
1121 Washington St.
West N e w t o n , Mass.

Irrigation & Equipment Supply C o .
P. O . B o x 147 R o u t e 1
Walpole, Mass. 02081
T e l . 617-668-7814
* T o m Irwin, Inc.
11B A Street
Burlington, Mass.

* G e o f f r e y S. Cornish & William G . R o b i n s o n
Golt Course Architects
Fiddlers Green, Amherst, Mass. 01002
George E . Cull
Terra-Green Soil Conditioner
112 Green St., A b i n g t o n , Mass.
C. S. Curran
T . R . C. Products, Oils and Greases
7 Linden St., Framingham, Mass.
E-Z-Go G o l f Car, Division T e x t r o n , Inc.
Sales - Service - Rentals
R o u t e 28, Pocasset, Massachusetts 02559
Call E d McGuire collect 617/563-2234
Fairway Equipment, Inc.
Sales — Service — Rentals
35 Walnut St., Reading, Mass.

R . F . Morse & Son, Inc.
Cranberry Highway
West Wareham, Mass. 02576
T e l . 617-295-1553
N e w England Sealcoating C o . , Inc.
Tennis Court Const, and Maintenance
Sealcoating — Hingham Industrial Center
Hingham, Mass. T e l . 749-3236
Old F o x Chemical Inc.
Fertilizers — Seeds — T u r f Chemicals
66 V a l l e y Street
East Providence, R h o d e Island 02914
Sil Paulini, Inc.
6 Manor A v e n u e
Natick, Mass. 01760

Karandrew T u r f Farms, Inc.
Sam Mitchell, Sales Representative
15 L o n g m e a d o w Drive, Canton, Mass.

Richey & Clapper, Inc.
28 Rutledge R o a d
Natick, Mass. 01760

T h e Kenneth Barrie C o m p a n y
Irrigation
375 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Mass.

Trencher & Equipment Leasing, Inc.
Ditch Witch Trenchers
38 Fairview St., A g a w a m , Mass. 01001
Phone 4 1 3 - 7 8 1 4 6 0 0

Larchmont Irrigation C o .
Larchmont Ln., L e x i n g t o n , Mass.
L e e L i m e Corp.
L e e , Mass. ( 4 1 3 ) 243-0053
2 Special Spreaders designed
f o r G o l f Courses
Mallinckrodt, Inc.
Second and Mallinckrodt Streets
St. Louis, Missouri 63147

Farm Bureau Association
158 L e x i n g t o n St., Waltham, Mass. 02154
Fred Heyliger, Representative
T h o m a s F . Grummell, Representative

Magovern C o m p a n y , Inc.
Lawn Acre Road
Windsor L o c k , Conn.

R o n Gagne - Scotts G o l f Course Div.
5 Kendall Park, N o r t o n , Mass.
617-285-7466

D . L . Maher C o m p a n y
C o n c o r d Street
P. O . B o x 127, N o r t h Reading, Ma. 01864

* Contributors

Malter International
Mr. H o w a r d A . V i n c e n t , Representative
L o n g m e a d o w , Massachusetts 01106

to the Lawrence S. Dickinson Scholarship

*Sawtelle Brothers
565 Humphrey Street
Swampscott, Mass.
Tel. 617/5994856
Shepard Sod C o m p a n y
Merion Blue Grass and Pencross Bent
200 Sullivan A v e . , So. Windsor, Conn.
T u c o Products C o .
Division o f the U p j o h n C o m p a n y
K a l a m a z o o , Michigan
Purdy A . Outhouse ( 9 1 4 ) 462-7117
White T u r f Engineering
5 Sumner Drive, Winchendon, Mass. 01475
617-297-0941
Philip A . Wogan
G o l f Course Architect
21 Budleigh A v e . , Beverly, Mass.

Fund

First Class
U . S . Postage

PAID

FIRST CLASS

•

P h o n e 443-3712 .

Business Manager :•';
3

'

IfJi 1

•

Maynard,
Permit

MA

#17