October i975 ourde Sujierin ten den OF NEW E N G L A N D , ^^AAociation INC. Sponsors a n d a d m i n i s t r a t o r s o f the Lawrence S. Dickinson Scholarship Fund — A w a r d e d y e a r l y to deserving Turf M a n a g e m e n t Students. An Understanding Voice There is an understanding voice emerging from the crowd of golfers who have experienced the joys and horrors of an uncompromising weather pattern this past summer. And according to Dick Crosby - he of the Massachusetts Golf Association hierarchy - his voice is echoed by most golfers, whether they be out of the country club or public course mold. First, of all, the pattern and consequences thereof should be laid out. The summer was one of versatility in the comings and goings of the weather. If the day weren't hot and humid, it was hot and rainy. If the nights weren't stuffy and sizzling, they were stuffy and drizzling. In the northeast, it simply was not a good golf conditioning summer. Crosby notes the inconsistencies of its effects. "In and around Boston the humid weather was the biggest drawback to the golf course superintendent," he tells. "I know of four courses within five miles of one and another and their conditions varied. Of course, the amount of play and the weather pattern during the heavy-play days had much to do with it." Crosby remembers the adverse conditions encountered at the Winchester Country Club. " I t was remarkable how that course survived the s u m m e r , " he recalls. "We (MGA) had the state amateur there for one week, part of which was played in the rain. Then, the father-son tournament took up another week and it, too, was hit by rain. It's a wonder anything continued to grow after an assault like that." But what about the member, the golfer? Crosby, on the inside of the sport - so to speak, does have an understanding voice and a knowledgeable one. But what of the man who doesn't pay much attention to the intricacies involved in conditioning a golf course? "As a whole, I'd say the golfer has much compassion for the super and he is aware of what weather can do to the best laid NOTICE Annua! CHRISTMAS PARTY will be held at the CHESTNUT HILL COUNTRY CLUB FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5 , 1 9 7 5 COCKTAILS 7-8 DINNER A T S DANCING 'TIL MIDNIGHT plans of a hard-working superintendent," Crosby offers. "There has been a change in this situation of late. And it tells me the country club m e m b e r really cares." While the superintendent has been trying to get the message across that he often is at the mercy of the elements, it had been the general attitude of golfers to either close their eyes on the plea or insist that someone other than Mother Nature must take the blame for the course's scars. "There's no such attitude among the people I've talked to about the situation," Crosby advises. "The member has come to realize that the golf course superintendent is a well-trained professional who has the skills to perform capably under normal conditions. He also realizes that weather and other contingencies play a major role in allowing the superintendent to apply those skills. I find that the super is a well respected part of the golfing family." Naturally, there are occasions when members might stray from this compassionate approach to the troubles a super might encounter. "Oh, we have some people who might look with envy at another club with more favorable playing conditions," Crosby continues. "But they, too, know that factors beyond the control of their own superintendent often are the reasons behind the difference. The real problem comes when the next door-course's grass looks greener than yours. But, overall, the membership of the clubs is very understanding." Crosby also points out that membership interest in the technical aspects of course conditioning is on the upswing which even further cements his opinion the superintendent is not looked upon as a scape goat for every little thing that goes wrong. "More and more people are learning the types of grasses used on greens anc fairways and what weather conditions can do to them," he informs. "It just makes for a better understanding of the problem. I'm impressed." And so, too, should the super. Would you believe it? He is not the course monster, after all! Gerry Finn NEXT MEETING Pro-Supt Tbumtimenf BRAE BURN C/C OCT. 10, 1975 FOLLOWING MEETING HOPEDALEC/C NOV. 4, 1975 ^ o i f Course Superin ten Jen td -dissociation- Clubs Are F o r J o i n i n g ! In travels around the golf and other sports circuits, I heard of one man who finally landed membership in a certain country club after five different trips to the screening board (four unsuccessful and the fifth a direct hit as a matter of acceptance). Why should anyone want to subject himself to a fishbowl existence in the way of baring his life just to label himself "a member") not to mention the obvious mental strain involved when told that he didn't qualify for membership on four different occasions? In this case, the basic reason was accomplishment. "I never really cared that much about joining the club until I was turned down the first time," he confided. "I had expected to be accepted without any trouble. So, when I was rejected, it made me all the more determined to become a member of that darn club.'' others and still a way of life for the privileged few who have found their entrance exams for membership eased as a matter of tradition. Certain clubs have blood lines. Nothing wrong with that. You do and join what your father did and joined and his father before him, etc. The makeup of the country club roster is, indeed, intriguing. At the top of the list is the prestige club. It was this type that the chap eventually conquered, that intrepid joiner in paragraph one. The very label, "prestige" tells it all. If you are numbered among its members, you certainly have more than ordinary station in the community. You are something special. Otherwise, there is little sense in attempting to join the club in the first place. There is the club, too, where the joining is motivated by the reputation of its golf course as "a stiff challenge" or "a championship layout". This club usually is high in out-of-town members. It also tends to lure much business-golf. Being able to invite a customer or client to the a r e a ' s "best course" certainly has its business advantages. A third form comprises the course that is beautifully manicured. It is the layout that places conditioning at the top of the priority list. This type also has more than average appeal for the businessman who uses the club as a "second office". Sometimes, condition of the course even overshadows its architectural attributes. The ideal arrangement, then, would be a combination of the three clubs. And, by all standards, there just happen to be such well-endowed country clubs in our association area. Somehow, one does not have to name them. They are known and recognized without too mucrrsfcudying of the field. The whole idea of country club living certainly has spread. Last Months Tournament Results M 7 K Winner Ken Mooridian Hank Commit!! Second Pete Coste Dick Haskell Third Brian Cowan Bobby Schmautz It is not uncommon in these days to encounter public and municipal courses that give their customers a chance at "country club status" with a special form of membership. At some of them a player may "join" the club for $25 or whatever the price fee. For his money he receives a membership card, opportunity to insure weekend starting times and eligibility to participate in "club" tournaments which also include a dash of the old country club social life. The club urge has dipped over to tennis courts and spilled into a relatively new sport - paddle or platform tennis. In fact, many tennis courts have "borrowed" the country club name from golf in promoting their membership. And some are just as selective as certain country clubs in the matter of establishing an acceptable membership. Dh, yes, clubs are for joining. And.they.have become almost an essential part of man's existence, whether it be the flossy country club with prestige-plus or the little nine-hole course with the $10 membership fee that offers everyone a sense of belonging. Each serves a purpose and satisfies a need. Gerry Finn wh/it -rue; m>% PresWT UAtfPe Uou £Ke£/^s Comm. onbiftmtb >T Houj Bd. OF 2j|Rf