July 1982
ourSe Superintendents
—Superin
OF

N E W

E N G L A N D ,

^dissociation
N C .

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

Earner oftf s Focal Point
Paul Johnson had it going in all directions last month.
He was honing his course for the prestigious New England
PGA championship (only two weeks away at the time),
making sure everything was shaping up for a ladies' member-guest just a couple of days ahead and looking into the
future to August when the LPGA sends its sharpshooters
his way.
And, just as an afterthought, he remembered that he
was going into the hospital for mico-surgery on a ruptured
disc which had caused him more pain than he could describe.
"The doctor says he'll cut me one day, have me up the
next and jogging 10 miles the third," Paul quipped. "If
that's the case, I may not even miss a turn in my mowing
rotation."

NEXT MEETING
Monday July 12, 1982
Vesper Country Club
Tyngshoro, Mass.
Directors Meeting 10 am
Regular Meeting 10:45 am
Lunch will be available
Golf - Shotgun start (Individual
Superintendent Championship)
Host- Bert Frederick
Bert has been superintendent
at Vesper for the past 15 years.
Prior to that he worked for
Manny Francis Sr. at Vesper as
assistant for six years. Bert has
served on the GCSANE board as
a trustee and has remained
very active in the association.
We all look forward to playing
an excellent conditioned golf
course on the 12th of July.

Directions

- From Boston area. Take Rt. 128 north
to Rt. 3 north to last exit (Tyngsboro, Dunstable). This
will bring you to Rt 113. Take left and follow to the
Tyngsboro bridge (still Rt. 113). Take right go 2 lh miles
down, the club will be on the right.

IMPORTANT

- Please have the courtesy to call Bert
ahead of time so he can plan accordingly. (617) 4531231

Johnson, of course, is the golf course superintendent at
the Feracroft Country Club in Dauavers. It is only his second job in a 17-year career that has kept him in a rare,
one-of-a-kind setting. Paul doesn't know what it means to
fall under the direction of a green chairman.
Femcroft is owned and managed by the Radisson Hotel
chain. It lays complete control of the golf course in Johnson's lap. He makes all important decisions concerning
playability, "cartability" and other testy situations.
"It's the way all golf course operations should be," he
advised. "Naturally, I have to answer to a higher authority
However, in matters that fall under my responsibility, I answer to no one except myself."
Johnson has been at Ferncroft since 1970 or when the
course added nine holes to give it a full 18. Before that, he
was the superintendent at the White Cliffs resort in Plymouth. Again he had no green chairman to face at the end of
the working day. He was his own boss there, too.
Whatever the pluses or minuses of the arrangement
(how could it be negative?), Johnson's long tenure at Ferncroft proves that the setup is ideal for both parties. Ferncroft enjoys the reputation of being a top-conditioned layout, so much so that it is in great demand as a major tournament site.
"We've become the home of the New England PGA
championship," Paul disclosed. "And this is the third year
for the Boston Five Classic (LPGA event which runs at
Ferncroft the first week in August). So, we must have
something that golfers like."
Obviously, the Boston Five is Ferncroft's focal point and
Johnson gears for that popular tournament.
"The LPGA people aren't all that demanding," Paul revealed. "They make suggestions, which I consider reasonable, and our relationship is a model one. Right now, our
main concern is adding yardage to the layout for the tournament. We're into setting the tees and then putting a protection program around them for the five or six weeks
prior to the start of play."
Johnson, who got his start in the profession working for
his stepfather at the Whaling City Links (New Bedford) as a
12 year old, cutting greens, has had a rather uncomplicated career.
Captain of his football and basketball teams at Apponequet Regional High School, Paul passed on college followup of those sports by enrolling in the two-year course
at Stockbridge.
"I always wanted to he a golf course superintendent,"
he told. "So, there wasn't any decision-making. I graduated from UMass in 1965, worked on golf construction for
a year and went right to White Cliffs. Five years later they
called from Ferncroft and here I am. The Radisson group is
just a great outfit to work for. I enjoy it here."
Johnson, who has a 14-man work force in the summer
and a crackeijack assistant in David Kahrman, does all
the exterior beautification work at the Radisson Hotel.
continued on page 2

Cjjod^ (Gourde Superintendents

Sssociation

Flooded Out

Pictures off
Nashawtuc

As June's record rains fell, the Charles and Sudbury
rivers rose, and nature took the liberty of creating
swamps and ponds at many golf courses. Three of the
hardest hit were Wayland Country Club, Sandy Burr and
Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord.
The Wayland Country Club was covered by eight feet of
water when the Sudbury river crested. Neil Loomis, who
oversees the grounds operation said "when the river
peaked two thirds of the course was under water, including 8 greens. The biggest problem was that the turf was
covered by two inches of algae which smothered a lot of
grass. We got clobbered by disease (pink snow mold,
pythium)." The course is surrounded by the Green Meadows Refuge and with the water came muskrats, snakes,
fish and thousands of fresh water snails. " W e still have a
lot to clean up" added Loomis. When Neil was finally able
to send Fred Chaffee and crew to mow the greens, they
used a row boat for transportation. Neil also stated that
many people in canoes took advantage of the situation to
take a lot of his flags and pins.
At Sandy Burr in Wayland the course was closed for
eight days and course manager Ken Munsey called it a
complete disaster. While not quite as bad as Wayland the
clean up will be endless for Charlie Zeh and crew.
Nashawtuc was closed for 2Vi weeks.
Course superintendent Billy Turner stated that the
membership has to play the 18th hole as a par 3. "It'll be
sometime before 18 will be dry enough" pointed out Turner. Assistant Peter Grigas mentioned that the trash from
the Sudbury River overflow was an endless clean-up chore
and that their pump house was completely submerged.
" W e had to pull our pumps out completely in order not to
risk damage." Nashawtuc also has lost some turf that was
smothered. "It seems that any spot covered with water for
less than two weeks made it through okay, but anything
over that has not fared well" added Grigas.
All in all, it looks as if it will be a while before operations
at these clubs get back to normal.
Doug Johnson

Ferncroft

continued

from page 1

"The grounds and inside plant maintenance are my
babies," he noted. "So, the job keeps me on my toes.
Everything that grows receives my attention. Actually, I
wouldn't have much time to spend with a green chairman,
iflhadone."
Ferncroft is a private course, available for the exclusive
use of its members and hotel guests. There are 325 golfing
members who swear by the condition of the course and
the reputation it has gained for hosting major events.
Johnson, who lives in North Reading with his wife (Judy)
and sons (Michael, Darren), has been a trustee of the New
England Golf Couse Superintendents Association and a
big booster of its input in the profession.
"It's come a long way in the last 10 years," he said of
the NEGCSA. "Almost, paralleling my career. We've
grown stronger together. That's what the superintendent's life is all about. I'm glad I'm in it and happy to be part
of Ferncroft and the Boston Five. Now, if my back only
shapes up, I won't have a complaint in the world."
Gerry Finn

PRESIDENT
Brian Cowan CGCS
Robins Way
Harwich. Mass 02645
Home Phone 432-9041
Office Phone 945-9230
Club Affiliation
Eastward Ho

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
Donald Hearn CGCS
4 Topeka Bd.
Chelsmford. Mass 01824
Home Phone 256-8709
Office Phone 894-5906
Club Affiliation
Weston Golf Club

Entrance to Nashawtuc C.C. Canoers taking a ride around
course.

SECOND VICE PRESII
David Barber CGCS
145DedhamSt.
Canton, Mass. 02021
Home Phone 828-7266
Office Phone 828-6540
Club Affiliation
Blue Hills C.C.

SECRETARY
Richard C. Zepp
27 Fowler Rd.
Northbridge, Mass. 01534
Home Phone 234-8490
Office Phone 234-2533
Club Affiliation
Whitinsviile G. C.

18th fairway

TREASURER
Pete Coste' CGCS
121 Granite St.
Medfield, Mass. 02052
Home Phone 359-7247
Office Phone 566-0240
Club Affiliation
The Country Club

TRUSTEE
Tom Schofield CGCS
290 North Rd.
Sudbury, Mass. 01776
Home Phone 443-3712
Office Phone 235-7333
Club Affiliation
Wellesley C.C.

TRUSTEE
Paul Miller
173 Salem St.
Swampscott. Mass 01907
Home Phone 581-2808
Office Phone 595-3107
Club Affiliation
TedescoC.C.

TRUSTEE
Stephen A. Chiavoroli Jr.
100 Airport Dr.
Worcester, Mass. 01602
Home Phone 752-6031
Office Phone 791-5373
Club Affiliation
TatnukC.C.

FINANCE
CHAIRMAN
Robert Johnston CGCS
128 Wilbraham Rd.
Hampden, Mass 01036
Home Phone 566-3075
Office Phone 566-3096
Club Affiliation
Hampden C.C.

O F

Rain, Rain Go Away
If you've started keeping a diary concerning rainy days,
especially weekends, here are a few facts you may want to
mark down.
The National Weather Service reports that 12.08 inches
of rain has fallen during the rainiest June in history. The
past record of 9.42 inches was set in 1931 and was beaten
on June 13th of this past month. Rain fell on 20 of the first
24 days of the month, with rain on 5 Sundays in a row.
June's record rainfall is the third heaviest of any on
record, behind 17.09 in August of 1955 and 13.38 for May
1954.
Needless to say, the whole golf industry has taken a
beating. For the golf course superintendent the concerns
are now and in the months ahead.
Many golf courses have not been able to mow all areas
of play and this makes the problem double-edged. When
mowing wet, soggy turf you risk injury by equipment or
scalping. On the other hand, if you let these areas dry out
the grass will be so high when you finally mow, the grass
plant could go into shock causing loss of turf.
The major problem will be in the months of July and
August, when we run into spells of hot weather. After receiving so much rain, the root system of our turf is a lot
closer to the top than we would like. The grass will be in a
"lushed up " state instead of being lean and mean going
into the stress months. The turf has come to expect the
water so the root systems have not had to reach down for
water. When the warm weather comes, this turf will be
much more susceptible to dry wilt and disease.
So unless we luck out with cooler and dryer than normal months in July and August we can all look forward to
using more water and chemicals to keep the fat cat fed.
Doug Johnson, CGCS

N E W

E N G L A N D ,

I N C .

Results of Superintendent- Greens
Chairman Tournament
Even though the June weather was a hindrance with the
use of golf carts being banned, Tony Caranci had the golf
course in excellent condition. The winners were as follows
TROPHY WINNERS
1st net - Wayne Zoppo - K. Wheeler of Agawam Hunt
2nd net - Paul Miller - J. Feran of Tedesco
2nd net - Ed Brealey - G. DeStefano of Segreggansett
4th net - Bud Morton - J. Casanova of Braintree Municipal
4th net - Ron Kir km an - A. Phillips of Needham
4th net - Brian Cowan - W. Sampson of Eastward Ho
1st gross - Bill Carter - B. Congdon of Foxboro
2nd gross - Ken Mooridian - B. Consoletti of Hopedale

DIVOT DRIFT
The foursome of Dave Barber, Joel McKoan, Jack
Cronin and Bobby Brown had quite a match at Ledgemont. Joel (while still a chopper) rolled in a 40 ft. putt on
the 17th hole to win the match which he felt this made up
for last month....
....For the second year in a row State Welfare Commissioner, Tom Spirito, Greens Chairman at Gannon Municipal in
Lynn bailed out at the last minute on golf chairman Steve
Murphy. Mr. Spirito was reported as saying he feared if he
rode in the same golf cart as Murphy, the loss of hair may
be contagious.
....Finally, our thanks to Tony Caranci a n d Ledgemont
Country Club for hosting our June meeting.

Your Office — A Reflection of Your Abilities
When your green chairman drops by your office for an
unexpected chat, what does he see? Is your desk piled to
eyebrow level with papers, broken parts and unsorted
clutter? Do you have to search for 15 minutes to find the
magazine article you need to show him? Does the dust on
your filing cabinet excite his allergies?
Like it or not, the condition and appearance of your office reflect on your abilities as a manager. Granted, no one
ever claimed that a golf course could be completely managed from behind a desk, and most superintendents' offices are not exactly accessible to the general public.
It's also true that many superintendents' offices, particularly at older clubs, are carved from buildings that originally housed everything from polo ponies to plows, and almost all are in the maintenance facility, which has a nearmagical attraction for dust, dirt and grease.
However, the degree of order in your office and, by extension, your entire facility, reflects the degree of organization you bring to your work. You can say it's all right because you know where everything is, but what if you're
not there? Does everything stop while someone tracks
you down?
Even if you're limited on space and your office is at the
bottom of the budgetary priorities list, there are some
things you can do to bring order from chaos. Here are
some suggestions.
A place for everything and everything in its place. This
time-worn adage still has merit. Filing cabinets, baskets
and blueprint organizers are excellent investments.
OOLF CHAIRMAN
Stephen M. Murphy
75 Woodland Ave.
Lynn, Mass. 01904
Home Phone 592-2554
Office Phone 592-8238
Club Affiliation
The Cannon G.C.

EDUCATIONAL
CHAIRMAN
Antone DeBettencourt
7 Country Club Ln.
Merrimack, N.H. 03054
Home Phone 603-424-5380
Office Phone 475-6638
Club Affiliation
Andover C.C

NEWSLETTER
CHAIRMAN
Douglas W. Johnson, CGCS
50 Newton St.
Weston, Mass. 02193
Home Phone 894-7377
Office Phone 893-8264
Club Affiliation
Pine Brook C.C.

PAST PRESIDENT
Ronald Kirkman
25 Green St.
Needham, Mass 02192
Home Phone 444-8412
Office Phone 444-5548
Club Affiliation
Needham Golf Club

Develop a system. There is no best way to develop a filing system. The only important criterion is whether it
works in your operation. It does, however, have to be
based on some sort of logic.
Develop good organizational habits. Work at putting
things away when you have finished with them. Develop a
system for moving things from the top of your desk into
some sort of permanent home and stick to it.
Try to work out some sort of schedule. It's right and
proper that cleaning up your office should take a back
seat to dealing with on-course emergencies and important
maintenance procedures. That's your job. But take a moment at the end of the day or even at the end of the week
to police your office area.
It's not only the impression your office leaves on others,
it also matters how it makes you feel. Besides setting a
good example for your employees, a clean, well-organized
office can make you feel that you're in control and on top
of things. And that's where you're supposed to be.
Fore-Front - GCSAA

To be voted on at Vesper - Charles Zeh of
Sandy Burr, John Lensing of Norfolk, Phil
DiRico of Shaker Farms, Douglas Stachura of Springfield.

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.

Pteate

FRIENDS OF THE ASSOCIATION

Bacher Corporation
876 Boston Road
Billerica, Mass. 0tS66
Tel. 617-273-0398
Turt and Snow Equipment

I & E Supply, Inc.
66 Erna Ave.
Box 9, Milford, Conn. 06460
203-878-0658

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

Tom Irwin, Inc.
11BASt., Burlington, Mass.
Jack Peterson
Dennis Frlel
Wayne Ripley

Bordens Spreader Service
Maynard, Mass.
Tel. 617-897-2571
Sales Rep. Jack Borden
Bulk Limestone Dealer

Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co.
Mike Hannigan, Rep.
Ablngton, Mass.
800-321-5325

C & J LawnmowerService, Inc.
474 Main St., Wilmington, Mass 01887
Eric Oman - Sales Representative
Tel. 617-658-2022
The Clapper Co.
1121 Washington St.
Newton, Mass.
617-244-7929
Geoffrey S. Cornish & William G. Robinson
Golf Course Architects
Fiddlers Green, Amherst, Mass. 01002
Country Club Enterprises
Club Car Golf Cars
Tennis 8i Leisure Equipment
P.O. Box 400, W. Falmouth, Ma. 02574
617-563-2284
C.S. Curran
T.R.C. Products, Oils and Greases
7 Linden St., Framingham, Mass.
Chester Drake & Sons, Inc.
222 Walnut St.
Framingham, Mass. 01701
Golf Course Construction
617-875-7929
Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc.
Sod & Pine Bark Mulch
Canterbury, N.H. 603-783-4717
Weston, Mass. 617-894-5474
The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Weathersfield, Conn.
Bob Kennedy, Rep.
Roy Sibley, Rep.
Holliston Sand Co., Inc.
Lowland St., Holliston, Mass. 01746
Sand for topdressing and bunkers

Larchmont Engineering and Irrig. Co.
Larchmont Lane, Lexington, Mass.
617-862-2550
* The Magovern Co. Inc.
27 Lawnacre Road
Windsor Locks, Conn. 06096
Tel. 1-800-243-7718 or 1-203-623-2508
Louis C. Rogers, Vice Pres.
D. L. Moher
Box 127, Concord St.
N. Reading, Mass. 01864

Scotts Pro-Turf Div.
Rep. Ed Wiacek 1-401-253-4284
Rep. Kevin Lyons 1-617-366-4825
Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Inc.
Slocum, Rl/Lltchfleld, N.H./Suffield, Conn.
1-800-556-6985
Largest Producer of Penncross In New Englond
Alan Anderson, Sam Mitchell
Tuco Products Corp.
Div. of the Upjohn Co.
Kalamazoo, Mich.
David Sylvester, 203-828-3790

Nardone Sand and Gravel Co. Inc.
37 Power Rd.
Westford MA. 01886
Boston Area 648-6222,
Lowell Area 692-8221
Robert D. Nardone, Gen. Mgr.

* Turf Specialty, Inc.
84 Merrimac St., Hooksett, N.H. 03106
Turf & Ornamental Supplies
Ken Turner 617-263-7526

N.E. Chapter Land Improvement
Contractors of America
Professional Conservation of Soil
and Water. Contractor in your area,
call Peter Whiting, Pres.
617-877-5323
New England Sealcoating Co., Inc.
Tennis Court Const, and Maintenance
Sealcoating Hingham Inc. Center
Hingham, Mass. 749-6800
Old Fox Chemical Inc.
Fertilizers - Seeds - Turf Chemicals
66 Valley St.
E. Providence, R.I. 02914

r i r l O l ULMOO

GERRY FINN
Contributing Editor

Scott Associates, Inc.
60 Water Street, Clinton, Mass.
617-365-6341
Pumps - Sales, service
Installation - Vertical
Turbine pumps specialists

* Turf Products Corp.
36 Sword St.
Auburn, Mass. 01501
617-791-2091
Charles Allen, Sales Rep.

Weston, MA 02193

PETE COSTE*
Business Manager

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

R. F. Morse & Son, Inc.
W. Wareham, Mass. 02576
Tel. 617-295-1553
J. Willen Roell, Rep.
Larry Bunn, Rep.

Return to:
DOUGLAS J O H N S O N
50 Newton St.

Weston, MA 02193
Home Phone 894-7377
Office Phone 893-8264
CLub Affiliation
Pine Brook C:C.

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

Valley Farms Nursery & Supply, Inc.
133 Hopemeadow St., R1.10
Simsbury, Ct. 06070
Putting Green Sod for the Professional
Joe Bidwell Pres.
Bus: 203-651-8555, Res: 203-658-6886
White Turf Engineering
5 Summer Dr., Winchendon, Mass. 01475
617-297-0941
Phillip Wogan
Golf Course Architect
31 Budleigh Ave., Beverly, Mass.
* Contributors to the Lawrence S. Dickinson
Scholarship Fund

F j r „
n „ „
, F'rst UdSS
U . S . Postage

PAID
Framingham, MA
P e r m i t 209