February, 1980
ourse S^uperin
—luperiniten clents
OF

NEW

E N G L A N D ,

AAocia tion
INC

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
I wish to express my sincere appreciation to
the members of the New England Golf Course
Superintendents Association for the honor you
have bestowed upon me to serve as your 28th
President.
Just to refresh our memory - the objects of
this Association are:
1 -

2 3 4 5 -

T o further the education of its members in
the science of golf maintenance and its
related fields.
T o encourage the free exchange of ideas and
experiences.
To advance the interests and welfare of its
members.
To encourage the highest standards of
dignity, integrity and skill in our profession.
T o foster active cooperation and participation in all things good for our profession
such as turf grass conferences, experimental and research work, and any movement
that will result in increased efficiency in golf
course maintenance.

I trust our members and friends of the association will find the time to attend the monthly
meetings lending us your support, encouragement and participation.
Ron Kirkman, President
N.E.G.C.S.A.

NEXT MEETING
February 4, 1900 R
Franklin C,G*
Directors meeting
Regular meeting
Lunch
Speaker

10:00 a.m.
11 :Q0 a.m.
12:00 noon
1:00 p.m.

Sponsors a n d a d m i n i s t r a t o r s of 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.

Membership
Involvement...
? No?
Which is the more desired association or arrangement...the
superintendent serving the wishes and ways of a one-man,
single-owner club or a committee-chairman club where the
membership has some input into the course-conditioning
process?
Many resort courses operate under the head to head theory
in matter of one "boss" calling the shots and the superintendent answerable only to that person.
"That's usually all right," an interested superintendent offered during a recent informal gathering. " A t a resort, for the
most part, there isn't a membership. People, playing the
course, are more interested in getting good weather than
good greens. However, the superintendent has to think about
repeat business. He has to put it on right. I mean, he can't
goof off because there's no member assessing his work."
The one "boss" setup also is found in scattered country
clubs, and here is where some hangups surface.
The same super is talking..."This is the kind of arrangement that I work under. The advantages are there. For one
thing, I answer to my owner and no one else. He makes the
decisions after consulting with me. For that, I have to say I'm
satisfied. He doesn't wake up in the morning with some wild
idea and pass it onto me without asking for my views.
Granted, he does have the last word but I think I have some
influence in his reaching the final decision.
"Then, too, the one-owner relationship is less complicated
in that I don't have to listen to 13 different suggestions from
13 different members. From my knowledge of the
membership-input system. I see that a lot of time is wasted
just coming to a decision."
However, our single-mided super does see some flaws in
answering only to the one owner.
" W e really act as an independent authority," he disclosed.
" A n d sometimes I wonder if this produces the kind of golf
course which is the best for all those playing it. As it stands, I
never hear anything about the condition of the course from
the members. Therefore, I don't know what kind of job I'm
doing.
"You might think that this would constitute the ideal situation. After all, I don't get any hassle from the members
because they don't carry any clout. However, who can say
that what the owner and I believe is the right conditioning
move is the best move when only two opinions Eire considered?"
The most popular method of setting up conditioning plans
and changes in course appearance is the committeechairman-member form. In this arrangement, members
bring their complaints and suggestions to the grounds corncontinued on page 3

QJf

(Gourde

.perin ten den td ^yQsiocia

tlon

Long and Short of It
The early madness of this winter-when snow seemed to
take a strange detour everytime it approached New Englandwas more than a blessing to certain area golf courses and
their superintendents. It was a Godsend-plus.
Dave Clement, who has been painting the scenery green at
the Crestview Country Club for lo these many years, is
especially grateful for the tardiness of winter at his base of
operations in Agawam. Mass. " W e really got into a very important project," he reports. " A n d the weather held up long
enough to really give us a big jump on changing the face of
Crestview."
The project is the result of the times. Crestview was built
during the architectural embrace of length-both in distance
between tees and greens and one end of the putting surface to
the other. True, it became one of the challenges for the longball hitting set and was considered a potential site for many
championships. It was, in effect, a golf course suited-to-pro—
fessional measurements.
Consequently, certain of Crestview's members soon
discovered that playing the course was more of a chore than a
joy. The membership is a mixture of middle age and those
straying beyond. And, as time and the flair for musclerequired challenges passed. Crestview often took on the appearance of a "ghost course."
Now, there is a renewal of the original enthusiasm which
marked the club when it took its first steps. The governing
body has decided to build a course within a course. "It's
similar to an executive layout," Clement tells. "What we've
done is make the course a challenge in stages to our membership. It's meant moving a few trees, bringing in new ones and
altering some hazards. When the job is finished, we'll have
two courses in one...with the option of which one becoming
the challenge of the day up to the individual member."
Crestview could be a trend-setter along this line of providing the ultimate golf test for a complete membership. " W e
have some older members who just aren't strong enough to
either play from our championship tees or the regulars," Clement reveals. "And, you can't expect the men to play from
the ladies' tees. The answer, then, is an executive-sized
layout., .setting it up so that the player still has to face most of
the original score-breakers but has a much easier and shorter
route to their meeting place.
The reduction of the physical demands on the shorter hitters should make for a much livelier golfing season at
Crestview. " I ' d say that our play definitely will be on the rise
next year," Clement advises. "Of course, it might add a little
more work for me. But I'm as excited about it as most of the
members."
Clement adds that the face job on Crestview doesn't do
anything to detract from the course as one of the stiffer
challenges in the Western Massachusetts area. "On the contrary," he notes. "Because we have made some changes in
the fairway, including location of traps, a few greens and
rearranged hazards-the game from the back tees will be
harder than ever."
Crestview's original promise of length to the qualified
golfer is deceiving in that much of it is concentrated on

PRESIDENT
Ronald K i r k m a n
25 Green St.
N e e d h a m , 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 Club

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
Brian C o w a n C G C S
R o b i n s Way
Harwich, Mass. 02645
H o m e Phone 432-9041
O f f i c e Phone 945-9230
Club Affiliation
Eastward Ho.

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
Donald Hearn CGCS
4 T o p e k a Rd.
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 Affiliation
W e s t o n Golf Club

SECRETARY
David Barber CGCS
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 Hills C.C.

isolated holes. This means that, despite a lengthy trip overall,
some holes are not as demanding as they should be if
toughness is the desired offering. One par five test (No. 7) has
been a "snap" for the big hitters, even from the championship driving area.
"It won't be that easy to reach in two after we get finished
with revamping it," Clement warned. "We're not adding any
length, just pushing a few things around so that accuracy
and mental preparation will come into play. Before, a golfer
could let it go from his heels without the fear of encountering
trouble. Now. the hole will give the long hitters a run for their
money."
While Crestview attempts to broaden its golfing appeal to
its members, perhaps other strenuous layouts will be watching the effects of the change. It is a matter of the aging process that golfers do not hit the ball as long as they did before
••'•hyy.be^ai.ui
It is in the spirit of satisfying the needs and wishes of the
entire membership that Crestview has decided to make these
changes. It also is an example of "common sense" approach
to setting up the challenges golfers come to expect while at
the same time varying them according to the ability of the
golfers.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Gerry Finn

Note
In order to qualify for keeping your pesticide
licenses you must attend 3 seminars in 5
years that are run by the State.
Next seminar is Feb. 7, 1980 at the
Waltham Field Station. This is on Ornamentals and Turf.

Job Opening
Wayland C.C. Supt.
Contact - Phil Farina Jr. Tel.# 358-4882 or
443-2570

To be voted on at next meeting
Mark Spaulding
Associate member

TREASURER
Pete Coste" CGCS
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 Club

TRUSTEE
Bert Frederick
45 Stoney Brook Rd.
Nabnaset. Mass. 01861
H o m e Phone 692-6445
O f f i c e Phone 453-1231
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Vesper C.C.

TRUSTEE
Meindert S c h u l t s
737 P r i n c e t o n Blvd.
Lowell. Mass. 01851
H o m e Phone 458-7605
O f f i c e Phone 452-8228
Club Affiliation
Mt. Pleasant G.C.

TRUSTEE
Melvin O ' K e l l y
345 Plain St.
Marshfield. Mass. 02050
H o m e p h o n e 834-4229
O f f i c e Phone 837-3321
Club Affiliation
Marshfield C.C.

FINANCE
CHAIRMAN
Robert J o h n s t o n CGCS
128 W i l b r a h a m Rd.
Hampden. Mass. 01036
H o m e Phone 566-3075
O f f i c e Phone 566-3096
Club Affiliation
H a m p d e n C.C.

OF

Membership
Brian Cowan Ch.
Don Hearn
David Barber
Finance
Robert Johnston Ch.
Pete Coste'
Leonard Blodgett
Joe Rybka

I N C .

*
Employment
Tom Schofield Ch.
Doug Johnson
Dave Barber
Dr. Joe Troll

Golf
Ken Mooradian Ch.
Steve Murphy
Gary Luccini
Newsletter
Tom Schofield Ch.
Chuck Lane
Leon St. Pierre
Pete Coste'

Publicity
Art Washburn Ch.
Bob Connally
Bert Frederick
Tony DeBettencourt

By Laws
Robert Grant Ch.
Norm Mucciarone
Bob Mucciarone
Don Hearn
Tom Schofield
Educational
Paul Miller Ch.
Mel O'Kelly
Paul Johnson
M G A Liaison
Guy Tedesco Ch.
Bob Grant Ch.

Turf Research
Dr. Joe Troll Ch.
Dr. Richard Skogley
Charles Gardener
Jim Fitzroy
Manny Francis Sr.
Parliamentarian
Dean Robertson Ch.
National Chapter A f f a i r s Comm.
Don Hearn Ch.
Brian Cowan
Monthly Tickets
Max Mierzwa

continued from page 1

mittee. It, in turn, discusses them and arrives at a decision
which is then passed on to the superintendent by the green
chairman.
Of course, the hitch here is the changing faces of the chairman and committee members. Since there is often a one or
two-year turnover in people and personalities, the
superintendent finds himself adjusting his outlook to the incoming chairman and committee.
"You really don't know where you stand." another
superintendent voiced an opinion of annoyance to the complete involvement picture. " I have had to assume a gamut of
personal posture in dealing with the many chairmen that
come and go. I almost have to change my personality on a
yearly basis. Sometimes that's difficult to do."
How about a happy medium?
"What's that?" our original one-owner placed super asked.
" I guess the country club could work a little continuity into
dealing with the superintendent by arranging for an orderly
succession of green chairmen and committee members. That
way there wouldn't have to be any drastic adjustment on the
part of the superintendent.
" A s for my situation, I really feel the owner should solicit
some comment from his members. He wouldn't have to place
any authority in the members' hands. But, simply by making
a gesture to enlist their interest, it could help my case.
"Right now, I don't know whether or not the members enjoy the course as I condition it. Just once, I'd like to be able to
sit down with some of them and hear what they think about
the course. As it is, I seldom see any of them. I don't have the
time or opportunity to pick their brains. Who knows...they
might have some ideas that could bring about an overall improvement to the course?"
So, the superintendent-authority relationship doesn't
know one bona fide ideal arrangement. There are flaws in
both. Too bad they can't get together and weed them out to
the point where that happy medium can be realized.
Gerry Finn

GOLF
CHAIRMAN
Ken Mooradian
134 Green Sf.
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.C.

E N G L A N D ,

1980 Committee Appointments

Welfare
Arthur Anderson Ch.
Brian Cowan
John Pluta
Frank Murphy
Meindert Schults

Membership

NEW

EDUCATIONAL
CHAIRMAN
Paul Miller
173 Salem St.
S w a m p s c o t t . Mass. 01907
H o m e Phone 581-2808
O f f i c e Phone 595-3107
Club Affiliation
TedescoC.C.

NEWSLETTER
CHAIRMAN
T o m S c h o f i e l d CGCS
290 North Rd
Sudbury. Mass. 01776
H o m e Phone 443-3712
O f f i c e Phone 235-7333
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Wellesiey C.C.

PAST PRESIDENT
Dean R o b e r t s o n
24 Riverview Drive
Newbury, Mass. 01950
H o m e Phone 462-4540
O f f i c e Phone 745-7289
Club Affiliation
K e r n w o o d C.C.

Notice
Annual Turf Conference & Show
March 4,5,6,
Civic Center
Springfield, Mass.
Details in next month's Newsletter

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
f r e e l y , 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.

P U * 4 e f u t b i o t u j e FRIENDS OF THE A S S O C I A T I O N

Baker T r a c t o r Corp., Ford T r a c t o r s
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Mass.
Bordens Spreader Service
M a y n a r d , Mass.
Tel. 617-897-2571
Sales Rep. Jack Borden
Bulk Limestone Dealer
The Charles C. H a r t Seed Co.
Wethersfield, Conn.
Bob Kennedy, Rep.
Roy Sibley, Rep.
203-529-2537
The Clapper Co.
1121 Washington St.
Newton, Mass.
617-244-7900
Grounds E q u i p m e n t Co., Inc.
383 Boylston St.
Newton Center; Mass.
Geoffrey S. Cornish & W i l l i a m G. Robinson
Golf Course Architects
Fiddlers Green, A m h e r s t , Mass. 01002
C.S. C u r r a n
T.R.C. Products, Oils and Greases
7 Linden St., F r a m i n g h a m , Mass.
Scotts Pro-Turf Div.
Rep. Ed Wiacek 1-401-253-4284
Rep. A l l a n Cumps 1 413-253-2995
Gold Star Sod F a r m s , I n t .
Sod & Pine Bark M u l c h
Canterbury, N.H. 603-783-4717
Weston, Mass. 617-894-5474
Holliston Sand Co., Inc.
Lowland St., Holliston, Mass. 01746
Sand for top dressing and bunkers
I & E Supply, Inc.
66 Erna Ave.
Box 9 M i l f o r d , Conn. 06460
203-878-0658

Sudbury, Mass. 01776
Home Phone 443-3712
Office Phone 235-7333
Club Affiliation
Wellesley Country Club
PETE COSTE'
Business Manager
LEON ST. PIERRE
Co-ordinator
GERRY FINN
Contributing Editor

* T o m I r w i n , Inc.
11 B A St.
Burlington, Mass.

* Sawtelle Bros.
565 Humphrey St.
Swampscott, Mass.
617-599 4856

L a r c h m o n t Engineering and I r r i g . Co.
L a r c h m o n t Lane, Lexington, Mass.
617-862-2550

Scott Associates, Inc.
60 Water Street, Clinton, Mass.
617-365-6341
Pumps-Sales, service
Installation- V e r t i c a l
Turbine pump specialists

The Magovern Co. Inc.
27 Lawnacre Road
Windsor Locks, Conn. 06096
Tel. # 1-800-243-7718 or 1-800-623-2508
Louis C. Rogers, Vice Pres.
D. L. Maher
Box 127, Concord St.
N. Reading, Mass. 01864

T u c k a h o e T u r f F a r m s , Inc.
Slocum, R.I., Litchfield, N.H.
1-800-556 6985
Alan Anderson
Sam M i t c h e l l

R. F. Morse &Son, Inc.
W. W a r e h a m , Mass. 02576
Tel : 617 295-1553
J. Willen Roell. Rep.
Larry Bunn, Rep.

Tuco Products Corp.
Div. of the Upjohn Co.
Kalamazoo, Mich.
David Sylvester
203-828-3790

New England Sealcoating Co., Inc.
Tennis Court Const, and Maintenance
Sealcoating - H i n g h a m Ind. Center
Hingham, Mass. 749-6800
Now Chemical Corp.
Bill Brennan: Rep.
Tel. # 891-1275 anytime
Box 522
Holliston, Mass. 01746
Tel. # 429-2044
* Old FoxChemid^J Inc.
Fertilizers - Seeds - T u r f Chemicals
66 Valley St.
E. Providence, R.I. 02914
Pro-Lawn Prod., Inc.
Fred Anthony, Sales Rep.
391 T r e m o n t St.
N. Dighton, Mass. 02764
617-823-1348

Turf Products Corp.
^ 0 ^ 6 j W r t f i t c h Blvd.

4

Cr

-

"
....

A(all€y_Fajjms Nursery & Supply, l-nc.
133J4®pSmeadow St., R t . - t t J — —
Simsbury, Ct. 06070
Putting Green Sod for the Professional
Joe Bidwell Pres.
Bus. - 203-651 -8555 Res. - 203-658-6886
White T u r f Engineering
5 Summer Drive, Winchendon, Mass. 01475
617-297-0941
Phillip Wogan
Golf Course A r c h i t e c t
21 Budleigh Ave., Beverly, Mass.
*Contributors

Richey & Clapper, Inc.
28 Rutledge Rd.
Natick, Mass. 01760

—

S. Windsor>Conn. 06074
1^03^89-3491
John Perry,-Sales Rep. .

Scholarship

to the Lawrence
Fund

S.

Dickinson