D e c e m b e r 1978

ourie ^Juperin ten denti ^-^Moc'ialion
OF

NEW

ENGLAND,

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

INC.

-HotofiN
High Price
of Elegance
Where has all the elegance gone?

For the most part, it went out with waiters in tuxedoes,
fresh water in the finger bowls, linen napkins, a LaCorona at
each table setting and service under glass.
Yet, it still does exist. . . in some of the fancy, downtown
eating clubs and the last bastion of social distinction - the
lavish country club. In the latter stage, though, it is teetering
under the pressures of financial strain on the membership.
Alas, elegance comes at a high price and some of the country
clubbers aren't buying it.
Discarding the extremes of the country club set, the
average gathering place of businessmen, strays from the
upper middle class, their wives and guests has gone the route
of practicality. In a word, it simply costs too much to put on
the dog. And, those who do, are barking loudly about it.
What has happened is a spiraling drain on the financial
resources of the typical country club member. Dues are on
the upswing, assessments are the rule rather than the exception and competition from surrounding restaurants has
taken its toll on the frequency of dining out at the country
club.
This, in turn, has made many a clubhouse operation a
losing proposition. And many clubs are seriously thinking of
a cutback in service, plus a reduction in hours when such
shrinking services are available.
The average member has taken to the "enforced" dinner
with a certain amount of reluctance. The so-called minimum
eating charge has turned the country club into a social
dilemma where members partake of its services only until
their minimum charges are exhausted. After that, they turn
to other sources for their socializing and entertainment.
The country club, then, must ask itself whether or not it
should continue to offer the rudiments of elegance at a loss. It
is not enough that dining rooms are virtually empty every
night. An accompanying enigma is the fact that usual services in the form of waitresses, waiters and chefs are going
wasted while having to be paid for.
There also is the danger of the golf course being the victim
of such wastefulness since funds originally intended to be
directed toward maintenance there often are detoured to
help defray the cost of retaining an elegant atmosphere in the
clubhouse.
Let's fact it. The age of elegance is diminishing.
It is not uncommon in these days of the tight social and
recreational dollar to find country club members taking their
lunch at fast food eateries. The old three-martini-hot lunch
has been replaced by the cheeseburger in a box and chocolate
milk shake to go. Unless the country club member enjoys the
luxury of an open end expense account, he is thinking twice

about spending huge sums to keep his social status quo.
The member should be concerned with this kind of transition and has to become heard in the makeup of the social
and dining services his club offers. Does he want the fullservice, red-carpet treatment at the expense of a sub parconditioned golf course or is he willing to forego the fancy
frills so that his playground comes out in the shape to which
he is accustomed?
Why not change to a moderate form of clubhouse living?
Surely, the member can acclimate himself to such revision if
he rationalizes between the two eventualities. . . one a
clubhouse bathed in elegance, the other a golf course
deteriorated by the transfer of budget money.
The golf course superintendent is caught in the middle of
this confused situation. Time again, he has been tagged the
designated scapegoat for less than acceptable conditions on
the course when it is the diversion of money from his
operating budget which has caused the expected tailoff in
playing conditions.
So, it is up to the country club, itself, to set its course and
then accept the consquences of such direction. Frankly, the
price of elegance has skyrocketed out of sight. It's time to
forget about extraordinary self-indulgence and wake up to
the results it brings on the backbone of the country club - the
golf course.
Gerry Finn

NEXT MEETING

J a n . 8,1979

Franklin Country Club

Director's Meeting 10 a.m.
Lunch available at club
Membership Meeting 1:00 p.m.
Educational program to follow

DIRECTIONS:

From Rte. 495 take King St. Exit to Rte. 140.
Take right and club is about 1 mile on Rte. 140.
From Rte. 95 take Rt. 1 South Exit. Off Rte. 1
South take Rte. 140 to Franklin. Club is on Rte.
140.
NOTE: Special thanks to our host
superintendent Gary Luccini and the members of Franklin Country Club for allowing us
the use of their facilities for our meeting. It is
most appreciated.

( j o f f i (Gourde ^uperintendentd

^~lddociation

GM Concept Counterattack
It had to come. There we were. . . expounding on the
benefits of the general manager concept of country club
operation when some bright bulb wiggled in his socket and
asked the logical question, "Why not look at the track
record?"
And suffice to say, the track record of the general manager
concept does not come out at a 100-watt glow.
Stories exposing the general manager as an incompetent
are running the scuttlebutt routes and nesting themselves in
the four corners of the country club clubhouse, pro shop and
maintenance building.
There is one classic episode which points out the high risk
involved in hiring a GM who hasn't done his golf homework.
It spins a tale of woe centering on a certain general manager
who thought he was saving his club wage money when he sent
a locker room attendant home at what he thought was the
Logical qui tting hour of 4:30;) p.m.
It just so happened that a tournament was being played
that day. When members and their guests plodded into the
locker room around six o'clock and thereafter, they found all
the lockers closed and no keys to be found. After several
shouting matches, threats and incidents coated with
mayhem, the GM was forced to dig up a master key and get
his irate members back into their dinner clothes. Chalk up
one for the GM-opponents.
There are other stories with absurdity attached. They all
emphasize the possibility that the job of overseeing the threeplay country club operation of clubhouse, pro shop and golf
course presents a task so enormous in professional
preparation it could take a person 10 years of study and
practical experience before any semblance of order is
realized.
It does make sense, too. In other words, even if the concept
is accepted by one and all, where does the country club go to
find a capable general manager?
The thought of the necessary knowledge required to direct
a clubhouse manager, golf professional and golf course
superintendent is, indeed, staggering. It is not a matter of
having administrative talent. Behind such talent there must
be a thorough understanding of each particular job and the
background in each field to justify its direction.
What kind of background goes with the attempt to tie all
three factions together? Obviously, there must be formal
education in the field of business administration. Next, there
has to be more than a passing interest and command of the
operational tools in running a pro shop. And last, but not
IeasI,~Tt~is mandatory~tMt the GM be weirversed in the '
technical and practical aspects of conditioning a golf course.
Along the way, he must acquaint himself with buying
methods for food, beverages, golfing equipment and maintenance material. Furthermore, he should be able to adjudge
weather conditions and their effect on the course in the testy
matter of knowing when to open and close it.
"By the time a man or woman drinks all that knowledge
and experience, he could be ready for retirement," spouts
that some bright bulb. "I think that what we have here is an
impossible mission. Of course, the three jobs are related but
there is so much diversification in them on an individual level
that a thorough understanding of each is almost beyond
reason. Then, too, such a selection never could come from the
present staff of the club and that means huge additional
financial outlay."
Ah, the bulb has struck a telling blow for the anti-GMers. A
major part of the reason for having a general manager is to
-

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
DEAN ROBERTSON
24 Riverview Drive
Newbury, Mass. 01950
H o m e Phone 462-4540
O f f i c e Phone 745-7289
Club Affiliation
Kernwood Country Club

RONALD KIRKMAN
25 Green St.
Needham, Mass. 02192
H o m e Phone 444-8412
O f f i c e Phone 444-5548
Club Affiliation
N e e d h a m Golf C l u b

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
BRIAN C O W A N CGCS
Robins Way
H a r w i c h , Mass. 02645
H o m e Phone 432-9041
O f f i c e Phone 945-9230
Club Affiliation
Eastward Ho!

SECRETARY
DAVE BARBER CGCS
P.O. Box 221
Wayland, Mass. 01778
H o m e Phone 358-7678
O f f i c e Phone 358-4882
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Wayland C o u n t r y C l u b

TREASURER

assist in the very difficult task of holding the line on
operational cost. The hiring of a "fourth" party would result
in an added salary in the $30-40,000 range. And working that
into an overall budget constitutes the use of magical powers.
Such powers also went out with Harry Houdini.
Well, that brings us right back to the starting point. . . the
general manager concept might be worthwhile and
beneficial in spirit but how can it be applied sensibly? That
assignment appears to fall into the category of dangerous
adventure, too risky for this mind. Perhaps somewhere out
there someone has the answer. If so, color yourself a genius
and line up a general manager's job for yourself.
Gerry Finn
B u d g e t Y o u r T i m e - Delegate
Most people are familiar with the concepts of budgeting their
money and spending it in ways that give them maximum
benefit. But too many "Money-smart" people are spend-thrifts
with their time.
One of the prime offenders is the manager who believes he
must be personally involved in every aspect of his operation.
This person has forgotten that a good manager is one who has
trained his staff so well that he could walk out of his office at anytime and be assured that routine decisions will be taken care of
as well as if he were present. The superintendent who understands this and who has trained his staff to take care of the
day-to-day mechanics of running a golf course is the one who has
time and energy to devote to trouble shooting and long-range
planning.
The key to effective delegation of routine decisions is to make
it clear to your employees just how well informed you want to be
about the actions they take on responsibilities you have given
them.
How much independence you give a particular person should
depend on the skill and experience he has. The ultimate in
delegation is to allow him to make decisions and act on them
without informing you.
Another form of delegation is to ask a staff member who has
brought a problem to your attention to explore various ways of
solving the problem, evaluate the alternatives, make a decision,
and tell you what he has decided. You will then have a chance to
discuss^the situation in more detail if necessary. This is an
excellent way to assess an employee's ability to make good
decisions.
Effective delegation lets you win in two ways. You save your
valuable time by not getting involved in minor decision others
can handle, and you also take an important step in training your
staff. This on-the-job training increases an employee's value to
your organization and contributes to good morale and teamwork.
Be aware, though, that no matter how good your system is,
mistakes will occur from time to time. The test of a good
delegation system is how the situation is handled. On one hand,
don't ignore the problem and hope it won't reoccur. But don't
make such a fuss over it that a potentially valuable employee
loses all confidence in his ability to make good judgments. Use
this opportunity to initiate a discussion about what the proper
actions would have been and why.
Credit: "Forefront"
FIANCE C H A I R M A N

TR

D O N A L D HEARN CGCS
4 T o p e k a Road
C h e l m s f o r d , Mass. 01824
H o m e Phone 256-8709
O f f i c e Phone 894-5906
Club Affiliaton
W e s t o n Golf C l u b

PAULJOHNSON
4 J u d i t h Dr.
No. Reading, Mass. 01864
H o m e Phone 664-6664
O f f i c e Phone 777-1134
Club A f f i l i a t o n
F e r n c r o f t C o u n t r y Club

MAX MIERZWA
1 0 6 C r e s t w o o d St.
C h i c o p e e , Mass. 01020
H o m e Phone 594-4996
O f f i c e Phone 592-9540
Club Affiliation
Chicopee Country Club

BERT FREDERICK
4 5 S t o n e y B r o o k Rd.
Nabnaset, Mass. 01861
H o m e Phone 692-6445
O f f i c e Phone 453-1231
Club Affiliation
Vesper C o u n t r y Club

ROBERT J O H N S T O N
128 W i l b r a h a m Rd
H a m p d e n , Mass. 01036
H o m e Phone 566-3075
O f f i c e Phone 566-3096
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Hampden Country Club

OF

NEW

E N G L A N D ,

I N C .

GCSAA Prepares For
50th Conference and Show
•One hundred and thirty-three hours of educational sessions
and seminars and a three-day turfgrass trade show will
highlight the 50th International Turfgrass Conference and
Show, sponsored by the Golf Course Superintendents
Association of America in Atlanta Feb. 4-9. The theme for the
annual gathering is "Appraising Our Past - Discovering Our
Future."
This year's show will be the largest in GCSAA's history
with more exhibit space sold by November than the total sold
for the 1978 show. Attendance is expected to exceed last
year's record-breaking 5,500. More than 200 companies,
nearly 30 of them new to GCSAA's show, have contracted for
booths.
Seventy-seven speakers from universities, industry and
the turfgrass field will present up-to-date information on a
variety of topics relating to the needs of turfgrass managers.
Session topics include: The Way of Change, a look at new

Newsletter Notes

This being my last newsletter I would like to take time to
pass along many thanks to people who have put in many
hours helping to make this newsletter successful. First of all
a great deal of credit must go to our writer Gerry Finn. His
articles have been of great interest to our readers and very
timely. He also has written about a number of topics which
has resulted in excellent information for the superintendent.
I receive about 15 newsletters from all over the country and
many times Gerry's articles are used by other associations.
This is proof in itself of the quality of writing he has done for
our association. Working along with Gerry on the articles is
Leon St. Pierre. He gives Gerry inside information about
what is happening in the superintendents' world. Leon has
done this for many years and does an excellent job of conveying the superintendents thoughts to Gerry.
I also wish we could somehow get more people to participate in the association. Every meeting you see the same
25 to 40 people. We have about 120 active members along with
30 sales people. We should have at least 75 people at each
meeting. If you can't get away from your course one day a
month, you're doing something wrong. If you can't travel
whatever distance is required to attend the meetings each
month, at least attend the ones in your area. The group from
the Springfield area who rarely miss a meeting deserve
special credit for their interest. They are Dr. Joseph Troll,
Max Mierzwa, Bob Johnston, and Allen Cumps. Another
person who comes a long distance to each meeting is Brian
Cowan from Cape Cod. They never complain about the
distance they travel. There are more of you out there who are
able to attend more meetings. I hope next year you make it a
point to participate in the association.
In three years as Newsletter chairman, I have received
only one article from other superintendents. Last May,
Charles Lane sent an excellent article on Mosquito Control. It
doesn't take a lot of talent to write an article. It does take a
little time, but I am sure all of you during the course of the
year have to make reports in your jobs. Writing an article is
GOLF CHAIRMAN
KEN M O O R A D I A N
134 Green St
Hopedale, Mass. 01747
H o m e Phone 473-2352
O f f i c e Phone 473-3508
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Hopedale C o u n t r y Club

EDUCATIONAL C H A I R M A N
PETE COSTE
121 Granite St.
Medfield. Mass 02052
H o m e Phone 359-7247
O f f i c e Phone 566-0240
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
The C o u n t r y C l u b

NEWSLETTER C H A I R M A N
LARRY BUNN
145 Dedham St.
Canton, Mass. 02021
H o m e Phone 828-7266
O f f i c e Phone 828-6540
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Blue Htll Country Club

trends in golf course management; Water - What's the
Future?; Turf Management - North; Turf Management South; Public Course Management; Research - Appraising
Discoveries; Are You an Executive?; Conflict Management;
Course Management; and a panel discussion of greens
construction, sand topdressing and flood damage repair.
Prior to the conference, the association will sponsor eight
in-depth seminars: Principles of Landscape; Principles of
Nutrition; Personnel; Irrigation Equipment/Operations;
Insects; Weeds; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training;
and Turf Disease Identification.
The conference also will be preceded by GCSAA's 40th
annual golf tournament at Sea Island Golf Club and the
Island Club, St. Simons Island, Ga.
Other features of the event include social events, a visit to
three Atlanta area golf courses and the ladies' program
which includes a choice of tours.

no different. One of our best ways of education is the exchange of ideas among fellow superintendents. Give it a try, I
am sure you will enjoy sharing your ideas with others.
Last month Woodland Country Club honored superintendent Norm Mucciarone for 25 years of service. In Norm's
honor, there was a golf tournament during the day followed
by a dinner dance in the evening. Gifts were presented from
the members and grounds crew to Norm and his family. A
little history on Norm tells us he served in the Navy the years
1944 to 1946. After that, he attended the Winter School at
Stockbridge. When he graduated from the Winter School, he
became assistant superintendent to Tony Sperandio at
Franklin Country Club. He also worked for Tony at
Framingham Country Club before moving to Marlboro
Country Club as superintendent. He also was superintendent
at Lexington Country Club before coming to Woodland
Country Club. While at Woodland Country Club, he has rebuilt every green except the 18th. Along with the greens, the
traps were re-built. Numerous tees have also been done over.
He has installed an automatic water system and completed a
very successful Poa annual program on his fairways.
Woodland Country Club has a reputation as one of the best
golf courses in New England. Many major tournaments are
held there. Norm has also served on the Board of Directors
and many committees of our association over the years. To
add to all this, Norm and his charming wife Blanche have
raised 9 lovely children. Truly a great superintendent and
human being, Norm has earned the honor bestowed upon him
and his family by the members of Woodland Country Club.
Want to wish a speedy recovery to Frank Higgens of
Sawtelle Brothers who is in Mass. General Hospital. Frank
had surgery on his shoulder. Hope you're up and on your feet
again soon. After all, frank, the B. C. Eagles need all the
help they can get! Just had to say that.
Hope to see you all at the next meeting.
Larry Bunn
Newsletter Chairman

PAST PRESIDENT
WAYNEZOPPO
9 A V i l l a g e G r e e n North
E Providence, R I 02915
Home Phone 434-1759
O f f i c e Phone 434-8512
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
A g a w a m Hunt Golf Club

I n f o r m a t i o n contained in this p u b l i c a t i o n may be used
freely, in w h o l e or in part, w i t h o u t special permission as long
as the true c o n t e x t is maintained. We w o u l d appreciate a
credit line.

Pte*4e fiatmmfc FRIENDS OF THE
Baker Tractor Corp., Ford Tractors
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Massachusetts
Borden's Spreader Service
Maynard, Mass.
Tel. 617-897-2571
Sales Rep. - Jack Borden
Bulk Limestone Dealer
over 250 satisfied golf courses.
The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Wethersfield, Conn.
Bob Kennedy, Rep.
Steve Hart, Rep.
203-529-2537
The Clapper Co.
1121 Washington St.
West Newton, Mass.

Grounds Equipment Co., Inc.
383 Boylston St., Newton Cen., Mass.
Holliston Sand Company, Inc.
Lowland Street, Holliston, Mass. 01746
Sands for top dressing and bunkers
I & E Supply, Inc.
66 Erna Ave.
P.O. Box 9
Milford, Conn. 06460
Tele (203) 878-0658
Kenneth Barrie Corp.
249 Milton St., Dedham, Mass. 02026
Tel. (617) 364-3333
Tom Irwin, inc.
1 IB A Street
Burlington, Mass.

Karandrew Turf Farms, Inc.
Mitchell, Sales Representative
Geoffrey S. Cornish & William G. Robinson Sam
15 Longmeadow Drive, Canton, Mass.
Golf Course Architects
Fiddlers Green, Amherst, Mass. 01002
Larchmont Irrigation Co.
Larchmont Ln., Lexington, Mass.
C. S. Curran
T. R. C. Products, Oils and Greases
Magovern Company, Inc.
7 Linden St., Framingham, Mass.
Lawn Acre Road
Windsor Lock, Conn.
E-Z-Go Golf Car
Sales - Service - Rentals
D. L. Maher
Polaris/E-Z-Go Northeast
Box 127, Concord St.
2237 Route 28
N. Reading, Mass. 01864
West Wareham, Mass. 02576
Scotts Pro-Turf Div.
Rep Ed. Wiacek 1-401-253-4284
Rep Allen Cumps 1-413-253-2995.
Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc.
Sod & Pine Bark Mulch
Canterbury, New Hampshire
1-800-528-5205

ASSOCIATION

Sil Paulini, Inc.
6 Manor Avenue
Natick, Mass. 01760
Richey & Clapper, Inc.
28 Rutledge Road
Natick, Mass. 01760
Sawtelle Brothers
565 Humphrey Street
Swampscott, Mass.
Tel. 617-599-4856
Trencher & Equipment Leasing, Inc.
Ditch Witch Trenchers
38 Fairview St., Agawam, Mass. 01001
Phone 413-786-7314
Tuekahoe Turf Farms, Inc.
Slocum, R.I.
Litchfield. N.p,
.
Bluegrass Blends/Penncross Bent Grass
Tel. 1-800-556-6985
Alan Anderson
Chris Beasley
Tuco Products Co.
Division of the Upjohn Company
Kalamazoo, Michigan
David Sylvester 203-828-3790
Turf Products Corp.
1496 John Fitch Blvd.
S. Windsor, Conn. 06074
Tel. 1-203-289-3471
John Ferry, Sales Rep.

New England Sealcoating Co., Inc.
Tennis Court Const, and Maintenance
Sealcoating — Hingham Industrial Center White Turf Engineering
5 Summer Drive, Winchendon, Mass. 01475
Hingham, Mass. Tel. 749-3236
617-297-0941
Old Fox Chemical Inc.
Fertilizers - Seeds - Turf Chemicals
Philip A. Wogan
66 Valley Street
Golf Course Architect
East Providence, Rhode Island 02914
21 Budleigh Ave., Beverly, Mass.

* Contributors to the Lawrence S. Dickinson Scholarship Fund

FIRST C L A S S

First Class
U . S. Postage

PAID
Maynard, M A
Permit
Canton, Mass. 02021
Home Phone B28-7266
Office Phone 828-6540
Club Affiliation
Blue Hill CountryClub
DONALD HEARN
Business Manager
LEON ST. PIERRE
Co-ordinate!GERRY FINN
Contributing Editor

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