JUNE 1974
ourAe
OF

S u p e r i n ten d e n ts
N E W

E N G L A N D ,

S&octalion

S p o n s o r s a n d administrators of the Lawrence 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.

INC

THIS IS WHERE IT'S ALL AT
Buffet...shotgun start...attested handicaps in effect...golf
carts available...play from middle tees...etc. etc. etc.
That's the bill of fare for most golf tournaments and supposedly staunch owners of golf swings that come out of hiding
every so often will look upon the Superintendent-Green Chairman event June 3 at the Longmeadow Country Club as just
another tournament. But, wait up. This is where it's all at. For
your information, this is the most important production of the
New England Golf Course Superintendents Association.
Why? Simple and elementary, Dr. Watson. It brings together
the guts of the golf course...the heartbeats of the golf course,
just in case you prefer Old English. Naturally, they are the
superintendent and the green chairman. On their shoulders
rests the burden of giving the club member or the publinx
participant the best playing conditions.
Host superintendent Leon St. Pierre thinks the joining of
supers and green chairmen at the buffet table (11:30 starting
time) and on the golf course (shotgun blast set to explode at 1)
presents one of the rare opportunities for exposure to a prime
educational aid--the exchange of ideas. And, after all, the life of
a superintendent should be one unending attempt to continue his
personal educational process...this according to national
president Charles Baskin.
So, the educational value of making the scene is understood.
Supers and chairmen will get together with their contemporaries and engage in an old fashioned bull session. In this
case, that's what learning's all about. It is a seek and you shall
find venture and any superintendent who takes the tournament
lightly by treating it as just another monthly stop on the socialcalendar is certainly out of bounds.
In addition to the practicality of meeting with fellow
superintendents and green chairmen, the gathering will be
treated to one of the finest golf experiences in New England...a
stab at the Longmeadow Country Club layout. It is, indeed,
located on a high rating floor with golfers throughout the section.
Longmeadow is 52 years old and the product of an architectural giant, Donald Ross. It has been the site of many
regional and sectional championships including the state open
and amateur title events. Local golfers look upon an invitation to

r

Notice
Members who are not up to date on their dues
are not allowed to participate at monthly
meetings. If you don't have a current card
you are in arrears.

J

playfhere as a special event in their lives. A recent survey by
Yankee Golfer placed Longmeadow right near the top in
popularity with New England golf enthusiasts.
The club is laced in tradition. Two of its former professionals
have been recognized as nonpareils during their tenures. J.
Victor East was one of the original pros at Longmeadow and has
been hailed as an expert in explaining the games intricacies.
Another bright light in the pro shop was Ben Loving, a craftsman in all phases of golf until his untimely death in World War
II.
More tradition can be found in the membership ranks at
Longmeadow. One of the more illustrious was the late, great
Bobby Jones who had a locker there when he was actively affiliated with A. G. Spalding, Inc. At one time Bobby held the
Longmeadow course record.
Tournament participants will be interested to see the results
of St. Pierre's poa annua suppression program in addition to
viewing the overall picture of modernization with retention of
natural topography which the course presents. Thus, the
situation speaks for itself. This is where it's all at. Superintendents and green chairmen should have the time of their lives.
Gerry Finn

Next Misting
###

June 3t 1974
Event —
Place —
Time -

Super Chairman Tournament
Longmeadow Country Club
Buffet 11:30
Shotgun Tournament at 1:00 p.m.
Directions — Mass. Pike to exit 6. South to
Longmeadow exit. Take route 5 south to
route 192. Take Shaker Road at Church.
Club is one and a half miles on right.

ourSe

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

^ A s s o c i a t i o n -

SEAGULLS AND OTHER BIRDIES

It takes some doing to overcome the doings of seagulls, but at
the Country Club of New Seabury-where Guy Tedesco wrestled
with these particular birdies-mind has triumphed over matter
once again.
Tedesco is a unique fellow, perhaps the epitome of what the
profession of the golf course superintendent labels its supreme
success story. He is the superintendent and director of golf at
the fashionable resort housing 36 holes including a seaside links
which has been acclaimed as one of the best in the world. At one
time he was in charge of the entire operation. He backed off
some of the responsibilities in that post, though, only because his
heart and soul resided on the golf course which turns New
Seabury's maize of real estate into a showplace.
The seagulls of New Seabury are very untidy birds. What was
happening was a grinder with Tedesco. It seems the gulls were
using his asphalt cart paths to knock the hard stuff off captured
shellfish, swoop down and pick up the meat and leave the shells.
In a word, the residue was a mess. "Disgusting," recalls Guy.
Tedesco was in a bind. Some people gave him suggestions.
One was to paint the paths green, the idea being that the gulls
would be duped into thinking they were tossing their catches
back into the ocean. The only hitch here was experience. "At
first it sounded like it might be the answer", Tedesco tells.
"Then, I thought of our tennis courts which were painted green.
They were a mess, too, so the paint job went the way of all appreciated but unaccepted suggestions."
The problem continued for quite some time and Tedesco
wondered out loud. "Maybe I should ride shotgun in a golf cart",
he tried to get to the bottom of the maddening thing. "I'd just
pop them off one by one and that would be the end of it."
Ah...but there are laws protecting wildlife. Tedesco was not
about to break them, either. "We have good relations with the
community", he reasoned. "Why jeopardize them because we
have the messiest cart paths in the country? So, I'll live with it."
That was the conclusion but only a temporary one. Along
came a couple of guests from that great "seaside" state of
Vermont. They had played the course one day and happened to
bump into Tedesco. There was the usual exchange of introductions, the golfers gave the usual pat on the back to Guy for
the condition of the course and the treatment they received from
Guy's golf staff and then served the meat and potatoes.
"We have a solution to that awful condition out there", the
couple offered. Tedesco didn't know what condition they were

Congratulations to
HERBERT MORTON
Braintree Municipal C.C.
Voted in as an Associate Member
To Be Voted on at next meeting
Robert Ferguson

First Vice President
THOMASCURRAN
F o x 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
Agawarn Hunt

S

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

talking about. He thought the greens had been cleared of the
clear-cut evidence often found when ducks hold their daily
conferences on the fringes. And, according to his latest reports,
the courting swans just off the fourth tee were not making any
spatting noises. So, what could it be?
Then it dawned on the crafty Tedesco. Another suggestion was
about to be presented him on wiping out the daily blitz attacks
by the bomb-happy seagulls. He tried to hold back a smirk. What
would two landlubbers from Vermont know about seagulls?
He soon found out. The couple told him to try painting pictures
of seagulls on the asphalt. "It's worked at other places", one of
the new advisers told. "The seagull with the shellfish looks down
and thinks he sees another gull. He's afraid the 'gull on the path'
will steal the meat before he gets there, so he looks for another
spot to crack it open."
Tedesco thought the idea had merit. He had the paths painted
with seagull portraits and...voila...the problem was solved. Now
Guy has the cleanest runways around. "I'd like to take credit for
it but I can't", Tedesco laughs. "Every time I tell the story
people think I'm pulling their legs. They can't believe two
Vermonters could come up with an idea to fool a seagull. You
just never know."
At long last Guy Tedesco has learned to live with birds...
and the birdies.
Gerry Finn
rf-'riu

PROMOTE
NATIONAL
GOLF DAY
What greater cause can we support than research and learning in golf course maintenance and management. For years
the National Golf Fund has contributed generously to turfgrass
research and scholarships through the GCSAA Research and
Scholarship Fund and the U.S.G. A. Green Section Research and
Education Fund, Inc. but the real benefactors are all clubs
throughout the nation. We encourage you, therefore, to promote
National Golf Day at your club -- it's for you, your profession, for
golf and your golf course. The National Golf Fund is derived
from National Golf Day.
On National Golf Day professional golfers will set the target
score on June 3rd. Jack Nicklaus, PGA Champion, and Johnny
Miller, USGA Open Champion, will compete to set the target
score for men, while Susie Berning, Women's Open Champion,
and Mary Mills, Ladies' PGA Champion, will set the target
score for the ladies. Amateur golfers will be allowed full handicaps and those whose net scores are lower than the target
score will receive a memento. Golfers will compete from June
8th through June 16th.
Get together with your professional and urge him to promote
National Golf Day at your club.

s

lance Chairman
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. N o . 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
4 5 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. 01020
Phone 594-4996
Club Affiliation
Chicopee Country Club

DAVID BARBER
1 Muriel Road
Chelmsford, Mass. 0 1 8 2 4
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

OF

NEW

E N G L A N D

I N C

SOUND OFF
(Time once again for our readers to take to their ballpoints
and do some heavy riding of them for Sound O f f . This column is
here for just the title's implication. The reader has the right to
tell it like he sees it and we can get his point by offering space for
that purpose. All we ask is the name and address of the contributor. One or both will be withheld upon request. All letters
should be ticketed to Newsletter Mail Bag, 290 North Road,
Sudbury, Mass. 01776. The Newsletter reserves the right to
comment on all letters published.)

" 'Tis been a long time since I've had the pleasure of having a
drink with Gerry Finn-actually I think it was at the
Longmeadow Country Club during the Massachusetts Turf
Conference four or five years ago. Since I'm not much at letter
writing, you have not heard from me praising his contributions
to the Newsletter. Having read every issue since 1934, I can say
without any reservation that since Mr. Finn has been a contributing editor, it has been a newsletter worth reading.
"The May issue showing a picture of the 25th Anniversary
Party under the title, 'Remember When' prompted me to write
to suggest continuing a 'Remember When' section. (Possibly
my age is showing.)
"During the winter months, with little grass to cut, I have
been putting together a scrapbook which covers golf superintending as far back as 1912, with newspaper clippings of Vardon
and Ray, 1913, and more recently, personal collections from
the time I started in the golf business in 1932.
"I attended the 25th Anniversary Party in 1949 and have the
dinner program displayed, as well as many other interesting
pictures of superintendents and early equipment showing sheep
mowing fairways, horse-drawn lawn mowers etc. and thought
that some of the items might be of interest to the
Association...possibly a picture a month. If some complain that
I was getting benefit from free publicity, I really don't care
about my name being used but would gladly furnish the pictures
as a matter of interest. If my idea has any merit, I would
welcome any further suggestions."
CHETSAWTELLE
Swampscott, Mass.
Suggestions like yours stand on their own merit, Chet. We can
use all the "Remember When" material you have. Thanks for
your interest.

"So far the golf season has been a 50-50 deal with the
superintendent as far as the weather conditions are concerned.
"Granted, we did have a mild winter. And this is one of the
reasons why most golf courses got through the cold weather
well. There is good reason to assume, too, that because of the
bearable conditions of December, January and February this
should be a fairly compatible year for grass growing and the
superintendent.
Educational Chairman
BR IAN C O W A N
Bobbins Way
Harwich, Mass.
Phone 4 3 2 - 9 0 4 1
Ciub Affiliation
Eastward H o C o u n t r y 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 Country 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
C l u b Affil
Maynard Country Club

Past President
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

"There is only one drawback. Suddenly in the latter stages of
April and the early part of May, temperatures took a turnabout.
It seems we had our higher temperatures in March and early
April making for an unusual early period of high growth. But the
return to lower temperatures and resulting reappearance of
frost brought on a period of sparse growth.
"The way I see it, the combination of milder winter conditions
and switchoff from 'summer' to 'fall' temperatures for the
better part of the spring leaves the whole thing at a standstill.
What is most important, though, is the future.
"Precipitation...and its rate of occurrence...may very well
mean the difference between a good and bad season. We of the
Northeast are ever so mindful of the recent outbreak of overwhelming precipitation in the midst of the golf seasons of 197273. The big factor then was the foresight of establishing
adequate drainage systems. Those courses with it survived,
those without it suffered.
"The whole point of this letter is a reminder to golfers that the
possibility of future problems along conditioning lines still
exists, mostly because of the precipitation factor. I would say it
would be well for all golfers to hope for a normal rainfall, even
pray for it. Otherwise it will be touch and go this year."
PETER FREW
Union, Conn.
In other words, Pete, we should not use that old Boston Braves
saying..."Spahn, Sain and a Day of Rain." A hatful of rain we
just don't need.
"I am writing this letter in hopes that the people who have to
keep our golf courses green and spiffy will take advantage of a
device which is helping to lick the over-moisture problem.
"It is a sand injection machine which relieves wet fairways
and wet greens by spreading a path of moisture-soaking sand. I
know of this method since it is used in England, my home. A
friend sent me a magazine recently and I just happened to read
about the machine in it.
"I am not sure whether or not the device is available in the
United States but certainly the golf course superintendent
should be made aware of its existence and perhaps inquire as to
its availability.
"I am a golfing member here and have seen just how a deluge
of rain can hurt the grooming plans of the golf course superintendent. According to the ad, the device can inject sand up to a
depth of seven inches. It does the job in rows and is quickly
blended into the topography of the fairway or green. I do believe
it's worth looking into."
CARLTON CURRY
Northfield, Mass.
Noble advisory comment, Carlton. We won't stop in this fight
until the wet fairway is dead!
(That's it for now. Keep those cards and letters coming this
way. They are as welcome as a sunny day in June.)

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 ission 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.

Ptixue

fiatwHife

F R I E N D S O F THE

ASSOCIATION

Alfco R o k e b y Co., Inc.
Fertilizers and Chemical Specialties
P. O. Box 267, Marietta, Ohio

Grounds E q u i p m e n t Co., Inc.
3 8 3 Boylston St., N e w t o n Cen., Mass.

Baker Tractor Corp., Ford Tractors
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Massachusetts

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 F r e e m a n R o a d
Y a r m o u t h p o r t , Mass. 0 2 6 7 5

R. F . Morse & Son, Inc.
Cranberry Highway
West Wareham, Mass. 0 2 5 7 6
Tel. 617-295-1553

Holliston Sand C o m p a n y , Inc.
Lowland Street, Holliston, Mass. 01746
Sand for Golf Bunkers and Traps

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

The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Richard McGahan, Rep.
Wethersfield, C o n n .
Corenco Corporation
525 Woburn Street
Tewksbury, Mass. 0 1 8 7 6
G. D. K i m m e y
1-800-222-7976 - 1-800-225-7955
*The Clapper Co.
1121 Washington St.
West Newton, Mass.

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

T o m Irwin, Inc.
*Geoffrey S. Cornish & William G. Robinson * 11B
A Street
Gol£Course Architects
BurlingtOTr,iUass.
,
Fiddlers Green, A m h e r s t , Mass. 0 1 0 0 2
Karandrew Turf Farms, Inc.
George E. Cull
Sam Mitchell, Sales Representative
Terra-Green Soil Conditioner
15 L o n g m e a d o w Drive, Canton, Mass.
112 Green St., Abington, Mass.
C. S. Curran
T. R . C. Products, Oils and Greases
7 Linden St., Framingham, Mass.

The K e n n e t h Barrie C o m p a n y
Irrigation
375 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Mass.

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 Ed McGuire collect 6 1 7 / 5 6 3 - 2 2 3 4

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

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

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

Farm Bureau Association
158 Lexington St., Waltham, Mass. 0 2 1 5 4
Fred Heyliger, Representative
T h o m a s F . Grummell, Representative

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

R o n Gagne - Scotts Golf 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
Concord Street
P. O. B o x 127, North Reading, Ma. 0 1 8 6 4

* Contributors to the Lawrence S. Dickinson Scholarship Fund

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

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
Sil Paulini, Inc.
6 Manor Avenue
Natick, Mass. 0 1 7 6 0
Richey & Clapper, Inc.
28 Rutledge R o a d
Natick, Mass. 0 1 7 6 0
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
*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
Shepard Sod C o m p a n y
Merion Blue Grass and Pencross Bent
200 Sullivan Ave., So. Windsor, C o n n .
Tuco Products Co.
Division of the Upjohn 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., B everly, Mass.

First Class
U. S. Postage

PAID

CJJf &ourie
OF

~Jjuperi>
NEW

E N C U N

TOMSCHOFIELD

Newsletter Committee Chairman^
290. North Road
Sudbury, Mass. 01776
Phone 443-3712
Club Affiliation
Maynard Country Club
A. ROY MacKintosh
Business Manager
GERRY FINN
Contributing Editor

FIRST CLASS

Maynard, M A
Permit # 1 7