HJK'

J A N U A R Y 1974

ourde
Or

Jyujoerintendenti
NEW

E N G L A N D ,

fddociation
INC.

S p o n s o r s arid administrators of the Lawrence S.
Dickinson Scholarship Fund — A w a r d e d yearly
to deserving Turf M a n a g e m e n t Students.

IT'S NOT HOW BUT HOW MANY...GALLONS

The sports world. . .of which golf is an integral part. . .is
looking at the energy crisis with added concern since it is a
certainty any wholesale restrictions on the use of fuel will be felt
hard by the games that men, women and children play.
The Motor Sports Marketing Corporation, obviously in an
attempt to play down the role of auto racing as a fuel glutton,
has prepared an interesting report on leisure time activities. It
takes each sport and reviews its fuel consumption for the latest
full season. And by some strange but legitimate turn of figures,
auto racing turns out not to be the culprit many people label it.
The champion gulper happens to be football which should
come as no shock because of its popularity. The tabulation of
fuel burning takes in the three levels of the sport-professional,
college and high school. And one side result is worth mentioning.
In 1972, the total attendance at high school football games
throughout the country was 299,740,000, almost 170 million
higher than schoolboy basketball!
With the country club set wondering how any reduction in fuel
allocation will affect it, there is a sprig of hope. It seems that
golf is way down on the list of petroleum eaters and drinkers.
Total consumption-based on servicing just over 10 million
golfers-runs to 14,500,000 gallons. This is a drop in the bucket
compared to some of the other games.
Football s total, for example, goes almost to the 600 million
mark and is far and away the leader in burning petro. The next
biggest user is basketball but its total is some 300 million gallons
less than football.
It should be pointed out that spectator travel stands as the
major determinant in the placing of the sports on a fuel consumption graph. This is why football is tagged as the largest
gulper. Remember those near-300 million high school football
viewers? Well, they accounted for a burning of 359,688,000
gallons of fuel. On the same breakdown some 60,000 high school
night games used 15,987,200 gallons of fuel to light stadiums
housing them.
For the record, this is how the sports studied lined up:
Football, basketball, horse racing, motor racing, rodeos,
bowling, major league baseball, professional wrestling and golf.
It also is pertinent to note two discrepancies in the report. Major
league baseball was treated separately as no figures on college
and high school baseball were available. And. . .in the basketball grouping. . .there was no tabulation of team travel. This
might have made some difference in the final standings since
the NBA and ABA-basketball's professional loops-probably
pull more travel time than the rest of the sports combined.

The report finders added some other figures to further emphasize the fact that sports in general were not the greatest
users of fuel during the so called leisure time hours. That
dubious honor was placed in the lap of vacation travel.
As a visible means of comparison, vacation travel fuel consumption figures appear incredible. People on the go used
5,416,140,827 gallons of petroleum last year. . . .just a little short
of five billion more gallons than football-the sports champion.
The intent of the report is honorable, not to mention being
most timely. Restriction forces probably are at work right now.
Sports are ready for them, too, and golf needn't hide its head in
the sand when it comes time to battle for a fair share of
petroleum.
Gerry Finn

Next
Meeting...
January 7, 1974
Holiday Inn, Newton, M 3SS.
Directors'
Meeting

10:45 A.M.

Regular Meeting

11:15 A.M.

Luncheon

12:15 P.M.

Educational
Program

1:15 P.M.

o u r d e

Superintendents —X^JJ ocia tionBEEFING UP THE BURDEN

While most people are writing off leisure time activities as the
most likely victims of the current energy crisis, it becomes
more apparent that the country club will take on a new
dimension in responsibility and added burden in filling the
recreational needs of the American family.
This all has to do with the limited form of gasoline rationing
which the nation has incurred in an attempt to prevent the full
scale regulated allocation of same. The ban on the sale of
gasoline on Sundays certainly will hang heavy on the survival of
certain so-called "non-essential" businesses like skiing and
camping. But it will have a reverse effect on the country club.
If a family has been dividing its free weekends between the
country club and other activities requiring use of the automobile
in large portions of gasoline, it must reassess the schedule.
Whatever the cutback in extensive travel, the leisure time that
remains will be spent at the country club. After all, weekends
are for fun and games.
Putting two and two together and assuming that most
superintendents carry the burden of conditioning all the
recreational facilities at the country club, his job will take him
beyond the physical limits set by normal use of those facilities.
In a word, his chores could be doubled and therefore he will be in
search of additions to his labor force and other aids essential in
his profession.
A few clubs. . .perhaps with some foresight the main form of
initiative . . . are in the process of increasing the number of
recreational outlets to their membership. Tennis courts are
sprouting up, platform tennis stagings are rising, plans are in
the works for staking out ski touring courses on the grounds. One
club has even cleared brush and other obstacles for a cross
country course.
In accepting the challenge of providing additional room and

service to its members, the country club will have to make some
adjustments to keep in step with the financial and physical
times. For one thing, budgets will have to be reviewed with an
eye on increasing them so as to keep the club on solid fiscal
ground.
Naturally, the member must be aware of this situation and be
prepared to reassess the allocation of his recreational dollar.
There probably will have to be an increase in dues or individual
family assessments according to the facilities it uses. For
example, in the heat of summer the club swimming pool will be
overflowing. Trips to the beach, the weekend cottage and such
will be things of the past. The added expense in upkeep on this
one item could be staggering.
Even restrictions on playing time on the golf course are
possible. At country clubs where play is heavy and condition of
the course depends on an occasional respite, the situation might
become acute. Seven-day golf courses grow tired of servicing
the needs of thousands of golfers. In most cases, their plants will
not be able to handle additional traffic.
As for the superintendent, his time allocation presents a
problem. Does he spend more of it directing the upkeep of additional tennis courts. Does he hire more off-season help in order
to keep the platform tennis courts free of ice and snow? Does he
get along with what he has and share the burden of golf course
conditioning with his green chairman or club president?
The energy crisis has slipped the country club a curve. Now is
the time for the club to start taking its swings at the pitch. Next
summer could be too late!
Gerry Finn

jf]Jf!|i^

Hampshire Turf Seminar
J a n u a r y 17 a n d

IS

SHERATON WAYFARER MOTOR INN
BEDFORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Registration Time

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

First Vice President
WAYNEZOPPO
48 Barberry Drive
Seekonk, Mass. 0 2 7 7 1
Phone 399-7141
Club Affiliation
Agawam Hunt

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

Secretary
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

Treasurer
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

9:00 A . M .

Trustee
BERT FREDERICK
4 5 Stoney Brook R o a d
Nabnasset, Mass. 0 1 8 6 1
Phone 453-1231
Club Affiliation
Vesper Country Club

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

Trustee
DAVID BARBER
1 Muriel Road
Chelmsford, Mass. 0 1 8 2 4
Phone 256-4417
Club Affiliation
Wayland Country Club

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

—

OF

NEW

ENGLAND,

INC.

SOUND OFF!!!!
(Here we go again. The reader is ready to let his views spill
out and we are here to give him the opportunity. Sound Off is our
special attraction, that space ir. the Newsletter reserved for
opinions of, for and by our readership. There's nothing involved
other than the planting of an eight-cent stamp on an envelope
and watching it grow into inclusion here. Letters are welcome at
Newsletter Mail Bag, 290 North Road, Sudbury, Mass. 01776.
The Newsletter reserves the right to comment on all letters
published.)
*

*

*

"Now that I am not an official member of the Newsletter
family I feel that I can let my hair down and contribute to this
column without prejudicial waves being made. Incidentally,
while I'm away from the intended subject, let me offer my
congratulations to Tom Schofield and Roy Macintosh who will
be running the ship here for the next year or so. I'm sure they
will be an asset to the publication.
"Back to the business at hand, I would like to offer a protest
should any part of the Dickinson Scholarship Fund be used for
anything other than what its contributors envisioned when they
donated to this worthy cause. There has been some talk of
transferring funds to a research project and I am writing to
express my complete opposition to such attempt.
"Whatever the solution to taking advantage of tax laws, I feel
we owe it to the fund and its subscribers to use its monies only
for a scholarship purpose. Any other allocation of the monies
would be in violation of the contributors' integrity."
LEON V. ST. PIERRE
Longmeadow, Mass.
You have just lit the fuse under a smoldering subject, Leon. The
membership should follow suit. We are inclined to agree with you.
The Dickinson Fund is not a slush fund!
*

*

*

"I'm writing to you about an old bugaboo which hits the super
every now and then. I'm referring to the superintendent's puzzle
on the use of golf carts.
' 'Personally, I have had my problems in the matter. First, my
green chairman tells me I am the sole authority on when and
under what conditions our golf carts can be used. Then, when I
decide that carts will do more harm than good on certain days, it
seems that a member of the board of governors or other official
tries to overrule my decision.
"The whole mess has left me in the middle and without any
come-back since my green chairman seems to waver according
to the situation. If the president of the club wants to use a cart
when I have ruled otherwise, I am told that carts are allowed.
No one knows who has the final authority which I thought I had
in the first place.
"Is this a national problem?"
NAME WITHHELD
club withheld
Again, this is a problem of one's own making. A rule is a rule ...
Golf Chairman

Educational Chairma

BRIAN COWAN
Robbins Way
Harwich, Mass.
Phone 4 3 2 - 9 0 4 1
Club Affiliatio
Eastward H o C o u n t r y C l u b

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
290 North Road
S u d b u r y . Mass. 0 1 7 7 6
Phone 4 4 3 - 3 7 1 2
Club Affilia
Maynarci C o u n t r y Club

Past President
ROBERT GRANT 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
C l u b Affiliatioi
Brae B u r n C o u n t r y C l u b

in this case not something to be broken. You and your green
chairman should clear the air once and for all ... and at the end of
the agreement there should be noted, "and no exceptions!"
*

*

*

"I think that there is a parallel between the present energy
crisis and the present state of affairs in people trying to solve
conditioning problems on a golf course. Where in the crisis there
is a lack of energy, there seems to be an overabundance of
ingredients in the attempt to solve the conditioning pains of the
course.
"It seems to me many of the ailments of the golf course come
because of over-feeding and over-watering. . . and, most of all,
over-chemicalizing the turf. The superintendent has failed to
adhere to common sense factors and succumbed to the theory
that he can drown the plant injury with an excess of medicine. .
in the form of huge outlays of fertilizer and moisture.
"You people can do all the experimenting you want with the
soil and its products. However, the one asset a super should seek
is plain discipline in his treatment of turf and plant damage. To
my way of thinking this is an over-reaction to a crisis of another
sort—the assault of mother nature on her byproducts.
"Slow down, you guys, you're stuffing the soil out of
existence."
P.J. STEMMINGS
Haddam, Conn.
You may have a point, P.J. A little discipline never hurt
anybody!
*

*

*

"As I write this, it is December the 9th and there are still flags
in the regular greens at my club. I consider this a rare opportunity for those of us in this part of the country. The
overindulgent golfers at my club have been playing the game
since the middle of last March to this very day.
"This has to have an effect on the conditioning process as
planned by the golf course superintendent. In fact, I was appalled to hear that on a nearby course the super, himself, had to
go out and cut greens for play.three weeks deep into November.
How can you people get ahead of the game under these
astounding weather conditions?"
TERRY DRINK WATER
Westfield, N.J.
We can't, Terry. It may sound unloyal to the golf cause but we
actually pray for snow this time of year!
*

•

*

(That wraps it up for this time. Remember, this is the place
where you can pick up steam and blow it off at the same time,
.so keep those cards and letters coming.)
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. We would appreciate a
credit line.

PCetue fvztnoHiye FRIENDS OF THE ASSOCIATION
Agrico Chcmical C o m p a n y
R. 1). Sibley, Jr., Representative
375 Power R d .
Pawtucket, R h o d e Island 0 2 8 6 0

R o n Gagne - Scotts Golf Course Div.
5 Kendall Park, N o r t o n , Mass.
617-285-7446

Maker International
Mr. Howard A. Vincent, Representative
L o n g m e a d o w , Massachusetts 0 1 1 0 6

Alfco R o k e b y Co., Inc.
Fertil izers and Chcmical Specialties
P. (). Box 2 6 7 , Marietta, Ohio

G r o u n d s E q u i p m e n t Co., Inc.
383 Boylston St., N e w t o n Cen., Mass.

R . F . Morse & Son, Inc.
Cranberry Highway
West Wareham, Mass. 0 2 5 7 6
Tel. 6 1 7 - 2 9 5 - 1 5 5 3

Baker Tractor Corp., Ford Tractors
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Massachusetts
T h e Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Richard McGahan, Rep.
Wethersfield, C o n n .
Corenco Corporation
525 W o b u r n Street
T e w k s b u r y , Mass. 0 1 8 7 6
G. D. K i m m e y
1-800-222-7976 - 1-800-225-7955
+

T h e Clapper Co.
1 1 2 1 Washington St.
West N e w t o n , Mass.

*Geoffrey S. Cornish & William G. R o b i n s o n
Golf Course Architects
Fiddlers Green, A m h e r s t , Mass. 0 1 0 0 2
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 a n d Greases
7 Linden St., F r a m i n g h a m , Mass.

Gull Agricultural Service Co.
Allen P. Bonnell
55 F r e e m a n Rd., Y a r m o u t h p o r t , Mass. 0 2 6 7 5
6 1 7 / 3 6 2 - 2 1 8 1 - Ohio 6 1 4 / 2 6 3 - 6 5 7 2
Holliston Sand C o m p a n y , Inc.
Lowland Street, Holliston, Mass. 0 1 7 4 6
Sand for Golf Bunkers and Traps

Old F o x Chemical Inc.
Fertilizers - Seeds - Turf Chemicals
66 Valley Street
East Providence, R h o d e Island 0 2 9 1 4

Irrigation & E q u i p m e n t Supply Co.
P . O . Box 147 R o u t e 1
Walpole, Mass. 0 2 0 8 1
Tel. 617-668-7814

Sil Paulini, Inc.
6 Manor Avenue
Natick, Mass. 0 1 7 6 0
Richey & Clapper, Inc.
28 Rutledge Road
Natick, Mass. 0 1 7 6 0

* T o m Irwin, Inc.
11B A Street
Burlington, Mass.

Trencher & E q u i p m e n t Leasing, Inc.
Ditch Witch Trenchers
38 Fairview St., Agawam, Mass. 0 1 0 0 1
Phone 4 1 3 - 7 8 1 4 6 0 0

Karandrew Turf Farms, Inc.
Sam Mitchell, Sales Representative
15 L o n g m e a d o w Drive, C a n t o n , Mass.
The K e n n e t h Barrie C o m p a n y
Irrigation
375 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Mass.

*Sawtelle Brothers
565 H u m p h r e y Street
Swampscott, Mass.
Tel. 6 1 7 / 5 9 9 4 8 5 6

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

Shepard Sod C o m p a n y
Merion Blue Grass a n d Pencross Bent
200 Sullivan Ave., So. Windsor, C o n n .

E-Z-Go Golf Car, Division T e x t r o n , Inc.
Sales - Service - Rentals
R o u t e 28, Pocasset, Massachusetts 0 2 5 5 9
Call E d M c G u i r e collect 6 1 7 / 5 6 3 - 2 2 3 4

Mallinckrodt Chemical Works
Second and Mallinckrodt Streets' '
St. Louis, Mo. 6 3 1 6 0

Fairway E q u i p m e n t , Inc.
Sales — Service — Rentals
35 Walnut St., Reading, Mass.

Magovern C o m p a n y , Inc.
L a w n Acre R o a d
Windsor Lock, C o n n .

Farm B u r e a u Association
158 Lexington St., Waltham, Mass. 0 2 1 5 4
Fred Heyliger, Representative
T h o m a s F . G r u m m e l l , Representative

D. L. Maher C o m p a n y
Concord Street
P. O. B o x 1 2 7 , N o r t h Reading, Ma. 0 1 8 6 4

r

New England Sealcoating Co., Inc.
Tennis Court Const, and Maintenance
Sealcoating — Hingham Industrial Center
Hingham, Mass. Tel. 7 4 9 - 3 2 3 6

Tuco Products Co.
Division of the U p j o h n C o m p a n y
Kalamazoo, Michigan
White Turf Engineering
5 Sumner Drive, Winchendon, Mass. 0 1 4 7 5
617-297-0941
Philip A. Wogan
Golf Course Architect
21 Budleigh Ave., Beverly, Mass.

Contributors to the Lawrence S. Dickinson Scholarship Fund

Vi
( j o f f Courte Superintendents
Or

H t W

E N G L A N D ,

~j}siociation
INC.

TOM SCHOFIELD
Newsletter Committee Chairman
290 North Road
Sudbury, Mass. 01776
Phone 443-3712
Club Affiliation
Maynard Country Club
A , R O Y MacKintosh
Business Manager
GERRY FINN
Contributing Editor

FIRST C L A S S

3

y

EISENHOWER

USA