January, 1981 up ourle Superintendent o F NEW E N G L A N D Sitaci a tion I N C Sponsors a n d 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. Will demands follow the trend? One thing about inflation, it hits from all sides. A n d that's what the golf course superintendent wonders about in anticipation of increasing dues and services costs to the country club member. If they are inflated, will his demands follow? T h e golf course budget should take a j u m p this year, if it already hasn't gone that route. A n d because of it. plus other factors pertinent to having smooth country club operation, most m e m b e r s will have to dig a little deeper when their bills roll around. In many cases, there will be a rise in dues. Costs of drinks, food and other club life necessities are in a hiking mood. It will be a larger nick on the wallet to ride in a golf car, pay for a locker...in general, everything at the club is going up except your handicap. It's only natural that the m e m b e r expect more, if he's paying more. That's an equation someone worked out many business m o o n s ago. A n d it has worked against the superintendent. " I only hope that there's some w a y to educate the membership to the important facts of m y b u d g e t , " one superintendent informed. "Most m e m b e r s figure that if the cost of maintenance goes up, it means we're getting more sophisticated equipment and upgraded chemicals to enrich the course. Naturally, they'll be looking for an August National by the first of M a y . " Beeause of inflation outside the club, it is a fact of budget makeup that most of the increases in maintenance outlay will cover badly-needed raises for labor. One superintendent made this stark revelation: " I t ' s going to cost m y club about 12 percent more to get the same kind of course I gave them last year. Only two percent of m y budget hike covers anything other than cost of m y help. W h e n you consider that the cost of materials follows the national average. I'll have to do some scraping to give them the same course." Many superintendents have learned that they will have to get along with equipment that is outdated and " l e g a l w r e c k s . " " I ' m limited to one piece of new equipment every y e a r , " another super said. " S o . I have to put m y needs in that department on a priority basis. But that's the w a y it should be. I have to learn to live with cutback. I do it at home, so I can do it on the j o b . " T h a t is both a practical and admirable attitude. T h e super knows that the club can't afford to give him every piece of equipment he seeks. He has to set up a tight program of selective purchasing of new machines and regular repair of the old ones. continued on page 3 Next Meeting Annual Meeting Jan. 5, 1981 Needham Golf Club Directors Meeting Regular Meeting Lunch Voting Educational 9:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Noon 1:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m. Goff Course Superintendents Sôôociation It never did snowball T h e enterprising minds were there a few years ago when cross-country skiing appeared to beckon for pay-as-you-use them, well-groomed tramping grounds. T h e sleeping golf course lay under a blanket of snow and was just waiting to turn over new and fresh income for the country club. Several clubs took the bait. too. Cross-country skiing was just beginning to take hold on a sporting public which shunned the more dangerous and expensive alpine wing of the winter craze. And the new entry in search of the sports' dollar came alive with activity. T h e r e ' s a key word in the above introduction — expensive. As we. who have taken to the slopes realize, the cost of alpine skiing has kepi up with the spiraling cost of everything else. In fact, there are devotees of the g a m e insisting it has passed .everything ItLSighL " T h a t ' s where anyone thinking they could turn a buck serving the cross-country skiier took a header." one observer close to a financial disaster in the Berkshires disclosed. "People rushing out to join the cross-country skiing m o v e m e n t were of two categories. T h e y either had deserted the alpine ranks because of its cost or they were skiing novices seeking the cheapest form of outdoor recreation." Those are biting but wise words. Except in isolated resort areas, where owners have a captive audience in a spending mood because of a vacation spirit, cross-country skiing has taken a lot of investors to the cleaners. One venture in the Berkshire Mountains is said to have taken losses in six figures country. " T h e big thing was a matter of logistics," our informer told. " T h e cross-country area needed five to six hundred skiers a weekend to break even. Well, you just don't draw that many from the far-away cities. R e m e m b e r . One of the appealing aspects of cross-country skiing is its cost. After purchasing equipment, most crosscountry people figure their spending has e n d e d . " And. actually, it has. T h e average cross-country addict is like the j o g g e r in running. He looks around at the wide open spaces and views them as his own personal playground. There are no fences or watchdogs to keep him out. So, he just roams as he pleases and without it having to cost him a dime: A few country clubs got caught up in the alleged crosscountry skiing explosion. However, most were cautious enough not to g o beyond staking out_courses and applying limited conditioning to them. One public course in Western Massachusetts didn't even bother to charge skiers. " I just let them pick their way around certain areas on the course and invited them to w a r m up in the clubhouse afterward," its owner revealed. "It never materialized. I never sold a pot of coffee or pushed a drink. What happened was that skiers started to come with brown lunch bags and thermos j u g s ! " Of course, the snowless winter of 1980 also killed off thoughts of a financial windfall by those plunging into the cross-country skiing business. A s a matter of fact, the snow famine clinging to New England over the past several winters seems to have engulfed the region at the same time crosscountry skiing was supposed to o v e r w h e l m it. PRESIDENT Ronald Kirkman 25 G r e e n St. N e e d h a m . Mass. 02192 H o m e P h o n e 444-8412 O f f i c e P h o n e 444-5548 Club Affiliation Needham Golf Club FIRSTVICEPRESIDENT Brian Cowan CGCS Robins Way H a r w i c h . M a s s . 02645 H o m e P h o n e 432-9041 O f f i c e P h o n e 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 . M a s s . 01824 H o m e P h o n e 256-8709 O f f i c e P h o n e 894-5906 Club Affiliation W e s t o n Golf Club SECRETARY David B a r b e r C G C S 145 D e d h a m St. C a n t o n , M a s s . 02021 H o m e P h o n e 828-7266 O f f i c e P h o n e 828-6540 Club Affiliation BlueHlllsC.C. T h e combination of no snow cover and the apparent reluctance on the part of skiers to pay their way onto their plodding grounds has put a damper on the country club's yearround recreation m o v e m e n t . Some clubs thought crosscountry skiing would keep members at the course during the slow winter months and be a source of off-season income. Apparently, cross-country skiing is not the answer to uncovering such revenue. One investor in a venture (not a superintendent or pro), put it rather bluntly. " A n y o n e can see that skiing has two kinds of participants," he groused. " T h e alpine skiers aren't afraid to spend the m o n e y to use lifts. The cross-country skier wouldn't pay two cents to tramp down Broadway in New York if you packed it with six inches of s n o w . " This is not meant as a condemnation of cross-country skiers. However, it does appear that the sport isn't turning enough dollars to warrant serious financial involvement in it. Simply, it is a form of cheap exercise that keeps the sporting public from getting bed and rocking chair sores in winter. T h e country club must explore other avenues, if it is looking for a means to keep the flow of revenue from being interrupted during the winter months. A s for cross-country skiing^ it never did snowball, at least at the country club. Members and friends just never could cotton to buying it. Gerry Finn Job Opening Alpine C.C. Contact: Dr. Marco Colagiovanni, Pres. Office Tel: 401-942-5323 Alpine Tel: 401-943-2670 TREASURER Pete C o s t e ' C G C S 121 G r a n d e s t . Medfield. Mass. 02052 H o m e P h o n e 359-7247 O f f i c e P h o n e 566-0240 Club Affiliation The Country Club TRUSTEE Bert F r e d e r i c k 45 S t o n e y B r o o k Rd N a b n a s e t . M a s s . 01861 H o m e P h o n e 692-6445 O f f i c e P h o n e 453-1231 Club Affiliation V e s p e r C.C. TRUSTEE Melndert Schults 737 P r i n c e t o n B l v d L o w e l l . M a s s . 01851 H o m e P h o n e 458-7605 O f f i c e P h o n e 452-8228 Club Affiliation Mt. P l e a s a n t G . C TRUSTEE Melvin O'Kelly 345 P l a i n St Marshfield. M a s s 02050 H o m e p h o n e 834-4229 O f f i c e P h o n e 837-3321 Club Affiliation M a r s h f i e l d 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 H a m p d e n , M a s s 01036 H o m e P h o n e 566-3075 O f f i c e P h o n e 566-3096 Club Affiliation H a m p d e n C.C. OF NEW E N G L A N D , I N C . Will demands follow the trend? Slate of Officers for 1981 c o n t i n u e d from page 1 " I accept this, but I hope the m e m b e r realizes the circ u m s t a n c e s and doesn't look for s o m e t h i n g I c a n ' t g i v e h i m , " the s a m e super continued. " I n reality, I ' m g e t t i n g w h a t I had last year in the w a y of materials and labor. E x p a n d i n g on course i m p r o v e m e n t s doesn't run hand in hand w i t h that position." Pres. Ronald Kirkman First V.P. Brian Cowan Robert Grant Second V.P. Donald Hearn Robert Grant Secretary David Barber Treasurer Pete Coste Trustee Meindert Schults Trustee Melvin O'Kelly Trustee Thomas Schofield Finance Chr. Robert Johnston Golf Chr. Steven Murphy Educational Chm. Richard Zepp Newsletter Chm. Charles Lane Past Pres. Dean Robertson S o m e of the e x t r a v a g a n c e , then, m a y h a v e to g i v e w a y to the m o r e i m p o r t a n t g o a l s of g i v i n g g o l f e r s playable lies on the f a i r w a y s and g r e e n s that invite f a v o r a b l e 19th; hole c o m m e n t . It's nice and aesthetic to h a v e potted f l o w e r s s u r r o u n d i n g e v e r y teeing area and s e r v i n g as a backdrop to each g r e e n . H o w e v e r , if they are to be had at the e x p e n s e of the b r o w n i n g of a f a i r w a y or the p o c k - m a r k i n g of a green, they m u s t be treated as lost luxuries. T h e superintendent, then, will h a v e his hands full this w i n t e r . W i t h the off-season e m p h a s i s on r e f u r b i s h i n g and repairing e q u i p m e n t , he and his indoor c r e w w o n ' t g o begg i n g for t h i n g s to do. M e a n w h i l e , the c o u n t r y club w o u l d do w e l l to let its m e m b e r s k n o w w h e r e those dues increases et al are g o i n g in the operation of the course, pro shop and clubhouse. S o m e t i m e s , all the m e m b e r sees is that g l a r i n g notice that it's g o i n g to cost h i m m o r e to live the c o u n t r y club life. If it c o m e s w i t h o u t explanation, his natural reaction is to e x p e c t " t h e s o m e t h i n g extra for the s o m e t h i n g extra he doles o u t . " A f t e r the realization of spiraling costs sets in, perhaps he will t e m p e r his d e m a n d s . He should e x p e c t the best p l a y i n g conditions possible. A n y t h i n g b e y o n d that is unfair to those people i n v o l v e d - the superintendent, as well as the g r o u n d s c o m m i t t e e a n d board of g o v e r n o r s w h o h a v e to share the responsibility for e v e r y t h i n g he sees on the course. Dues increases and assessments. T h e y ' r e a tough act to follow. Univ. of New Hampshire Turf Conference Jan 15, and 16, 1981 Sheraton-Wayfarer Motor Inn Bedford, New Hampshire Contact: John Roberts 602-862-1200 Lou Duval 207-363-3590 G e r r y Finn Congratulations to Don Hearn Joe Browning Winners of The John Shanahan Memorial Tournament Congratulations to Ronald Milenski Voted in at Last Meeting To be voted in at next meeting William Berger - Fort Devens Thomas Flaherty - Wareham GOLF CHAIRMAN Ken Mooradian 134 G r e e n St Hopedale. Mass. 01747 H o m e P h o n e 473-2352 O f f i c e P h o n e 473-3508 Club Affiliation H o p e d a l e C.C. EDUCATIONAL CHAIRMAN Paul Miller 173 S a l e m St. S w a m p s c o t t . M a s s . 01907 H o m e P h o n e 581-2808 O f f i c e P h o n e 595-3107 Club Affiliation T e d e s c o C C. NEWSLETTER CHAIRMAN Tom Schofield CGCS 290 N o r t h Rd. Sudbury. Mass. 01776 H o m e P h o n e 443-3712 O f f i c e P h o n e 235-7333 Club Affiliation W e l l e s t e y C.C. PAST PRESIDENT Dean Robertson 24 R i v e r v i e w D r i v e N e w b u r y , M a s s . 01950 H o m e P h o n e 462-4540 O f f i c e P h o n e 745-7289 Club Affiliation K e r n w o o d C.C I n f o r m a t i o n freely, as the credit in w h o l e true line. contained or in this in p a r t , w i t h o u t c o n t e x t Is maintained. publication special W e m a y permission w o u l d be as used long appreciate a P(e