July 1983

ourde Superintendenti
OF

NEW

E N G L A N D ,

^iAociation
INC

Sponsors and administrators of the Lawrence S.
Dickinson Scholarship Fund — Awarded yearly
to deserving Turf Management Students.

Salem mud Tyler on Tmrget
A funny thing happened to Kip Tyler on his way to taking over the head golf course superintendent's position at
the Salem Country Club. He inherited the 1984 United
States Women's Open Championship.
"That's right," Tyler quipped. "When I first applied for
the job, I wasn't aware that Salem already had been
chosen as the site of the '84 Open. But, to tell you the
truth, it made everything more appealing once I learned
I'd be part of such a giant undertaking."
Obviously, Tyler welcomes the challenge of preparing
Salem's historic and tradition-splashed layout for the
prestigious event. The dates are July 12-17 and from all
indication the gals should have the time of their golfing
lives.
The USGA runs the Open show and has already been in
contact with Salem officials and Tyler, running down the
requirements for championship play.
" A group of USGA people were here two months ago
and we walked the course together, hole by hole," Tyler
disclosed. "They spelled out what they want and we're
working on delivering everything it entails.
"It doesn't call for any major changes. We have to rebuild the bunkers, which we've been doing anyway.
There's one tee that has to be enlarged and a few others to
be smoothed out. They've given me the specs for the
height of the rough and speed of the greens. It's just like
clockwork."
This is only Tyler's second year at Salem. He accepted
the super's job there after spending most of his time in the
midwest, bringing with him some sparkling credentials.
Among them was a three-year stint as superintendent at
Medinah in Chicago where his prime responsibility was
caring for the No. 3 championship course.
Tyler is a native of Columbus, Ohio (Jack Nicklaus
country) and has been exposed to big-time golf most of his
life. An agronomy major at Ohio State, Kip picked up his
degree from the Big Ten school and launched a career
that eventually led to Salem.
"I wanted to come to the East Coast, especially New
England," Tyler explained his cross-country switch in professional sites. "I liked the coast of Maine when I worked a
summer camp one year. I just love the great outdoors and
this is the place to be for that."
The 29-year-old Tyler has had the Women's Open in his
mind almost from the moment he learned it would be
staged in Salem.
"I'm a firm believer in self-education," he explained.
"So, I spent four days at Ferncroft last year when the
ladies made their annual LPGA stop there. I just observed,
picked up a few tips here and there and stored them. I
have a pretty good idea of just what the ladies expect. I'll
co-ordinate them with the USGA's specifications and try
to come up with something they'll be satisfied with."
Tyler also plans to attend this year's Women's Open
which will be played at the Cedar Ridge Country Club in
Tulsa, Oklahoma. He and a group of Salem Open commitcontinued on page 3

Salem Green Chairman John Didio with Kip Tyler.

July Meeting

Monday, July 11, 1983
Marshfield Country Club
Marshfield, Mass.

Directors meeting - 9:30
Membership meeting -10:45
Lunch
Golf - GCSANE Championship
Host: Mel O'Kelly, CGCS

Mel has been at Marshfield for
forty years, thirty-five as golf
course superintendent, serving
GCSANE in many capacities. He is
also a graduate of the UMass Turf
Winter School.
Mel lives in Marshfield with his wife
Virginia and has four children.
Sons, David - who is a golf pro,
Jimmy - who works at Brae Burn
for Bob Grant, daughters, Linda and Beth.
We all look forward to playing on a fine golf course
on the 11th.
Directions - From Boston take Rt 3 South. Take Rt
139 exit. Go to 2nd set of lights and turn right. Club
will be approx. 1 mile on right. Please make reservation. Call Mel at: Office - 837-3321, Home - 834-4229.

ourAe Superintendents

SdSociciti on

Name Your Own Poison

How tough was Oakmont, the site of last month's
United States Open?
Well, in terms of numbers, it made the world's best
players knuckle under. Only three of them — winner
Larry Nelson, Tom Watson and Gil Morgan — managed to
play 72 holes in the red or under par. Nelson's 280 was
four less than the prescribed figures. By comparison, it is
not uncommon to see the pros tilt many of the courses on
the PGA Tour. Very often four-under will get you something just more than carfare to the next tournament stop.
Reaction to the scores at Oakmont is split.
There is a faction of the sport which wills death and destruction on the pros who normally play tour courses
under ideal scoring conditions. That means tees barbered
to wall-to-wall carpet perfection, fairways that dare the
ball to rest in an uncomfortable lie, green pampered to the
point where putts demand to fall into the cup and roughs
almost inviting as straight-down-the-middle resting
places.
So, when the USGA comes along and turns its tournament sites into man-eating monsters, certain golfers take
pleasure in making the major event players sweat. Because they find the game almost impossible to conquer in
their daily rounds, they see no reason why the pros
shouldn't be exposed to the same, unsettling experience.
On the other hand, there is a compassionate wing of
golfers which sympathizies with the pros. It assumes a
position that the sport should be an enjoyable one and the
means to realizing such end is to influence low scores.
Golf, in fact, probably is the only sport that makes
changes in its playing field for certain events. Baseball
doesn't move back its fences just because the competition
is the World Series. Football doesn't require teams to negotiate 110 yards for a touchdown at Super Bowl time.
Basketball doesn't raise the basket or hockey squeeze the
size of the goal when championships are on the line.
Regardless, country club and public course players not
only identify with the pros, they try to draw some line of
familiarity between the layouts they play and the ones
used by the accomplished players in championship tests.
And, because of the alterations dictated by the USGA for
such events as the Open, they are unable to project themselves into the same playing conditions as the big boys.
All of this leads to the issue of how tough a member
course should be, ending on the doorstep of the country
club green committee and the golf course superintendent
who serves as the instrument of its direction.
In recent times, it has become popular to tighten
courses by allowing the rough to lap over into die fairway,
enlarge the greens by increasing the spread of the aprons
and setting up courses so that more hazards enter the line
of play.
Some say this type of restructure is discriminatory
since it creates more problems for the many than it does
for the few. In other words, the high handicapped golfer
suffers more consequences than the low handicapper because one finds it more difficult to cope with change than
the other.
This places the onus on the green committee and superintendent who receive most of the comments and grips.
Preventing the backlash calls for a solution and one is
available if only for the trying.
Making the course fair for all is nothing more than a
matter of getting up the four-tee system. This gives golfers
the option of either massaging their ego by playing from
the middle or back tees or yielding to reality by moving

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 Rd.
Chelmsford, Mass 01824
Home Phone 256-8709
Office Phone 894-5906
Club Affiliation
Wesion Golf Club

SECOND VICE PRESII
David Barber CGCS
145 Dedham St.
Canton, Mass 02021
Home Phone 828-7266
Office Phone 828-6540
Ciub Affiliation
Blue Hill C.C.

SECRETARY
Richard C. Zepp
21 Fowler Rd.
Norfhbridge, Mass 01534
Home Phone 234-8490
Office Phone 234-2533
Club Affiliation
Whitinsville G.C.

themselves up to make for a shorter distance between
driving ground and putting surface.
True, not all courses have the luxury of sprawling tees.
However, most of the more modem layouts were constructed with the idea of moving the tees from day to day
in order to preserve their driving consistency. A matter of
20 or 30 yards can make all the difference between having
to lay up to a hazard or clearing it.
The four-tee system literally takes the golfer off the
green committee and superintendent's back since it allows the individual to bite off as much of the course as he
chooses to chew. He calls his own shots and has the definitive last word in deciding how tough he wants the course
to be.
So, under this plan, degree of difficulty becomes a matter of one's control of his ego. It also relieves much of the
strain of making dramatic changes in the setup of the
course from the superintendent. In a word, the golfer can
play Oakmont or Mickey Mouse according to his wishes.
Indeed, four-tee golf is the way to go.
Gerry Finn

June Supt. Green Chairman
Results at Manchester
We had a fine turnout for the tournament. Jimmy Diorio had the golf course in excellent condition. The winners
were as follows:
Low Net - Tyler-Didio, Salem CC
2nd Net - St. Thomas-Shields, Hyannisport GC
Tie - Chivaroli-Ayres, Tatnuck GC
4th Net
Ties - Diorio-Dunn, Manchester CC
Schofield-Nash, Wellesley CC
DeBettencourt-Cormier, Andover CC
Kirkman-Phillips, Needham GC
1st Gross - Cowan-Sampson, Eastward Ho
Commercial Winner - Dennis Friel, Tom Irwin Co.
Our thanks to Jim Biorio and the staff at Manchester CC
for giving us such an enjoyable day of golf and dinner.

Effect ©f Carrier, Rate and Timing of
Nitrogen Fertilization and Fungicide
Application on Anthracnose
Development of Annual Binegrass
Michigan State University and
Ohio State University
(Danneberger, Vargas, Rieke, Street)
Anthracnose is a serious disease of annual bluegrass golf
course fairways in the northern and Pacific-northwestern
United States. Nitrogen fertilization and fungicide usage
were evaluated for management of this disease. Fungicide, Bayleton, treatments provided the most effective
control. With use of this material, infection was reduced
from 29.6 and 30.6 to 1.9 and 1.7 percent of the total area
in 1980 and 1981 respectively. IBDU, sulfur-coated urea
and urea had no effect on anthracnose development. Moderate nitrogen levels 1.46 Kg/are/year (2 pounds per 1000
square feet) were associated with less disease. Nitrogen
applied on a schedule of June, July, August, September
and November resulted in less disease than nitrogen
scheduled in April, May, June, August and September.

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.
Swampscot, Mass 01907
Home Phone 581-2808
Office Phone 595-3107
Club Affiliation
Tedesco C.C.

TRUSTEE
Stephen A. Chiavaroli. Jr.
100 Airport Dr.
Worcester, Mass 01602
Home Phone 752-0031
Office Phone 791-5373
Club Affiliation
Tatnuck C.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.

OF

USGA Appoints Olson
The USGA Green Section is pleased to announce the appointment of Karl Ed Olson as Agronomist for the Green
Section's Northeastern Region. He will be responsible for
visiting USGA member clubs and courses in the states of
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. He replaces Brian
Silva, who resigned his position to pursue a career in golf
course architecture.
Karl has established a regional office in Dudley, MA,
having moved from Murray, Utah, where he was a Certified
Golf Course Superintendent at Ft. Douglas - Hidden Valley
Country Club for several years. Prior to that, he held positions at the Orinda (Calif.) Country Club, the Four Hills
(NM) Country Club and the University of New Mexico golf
courses.
Karl is a 1973 graduate of New Mexico State University,
where he played on the golf team. A 6 handicapper, he
won the GCSAA long drive competition several years ago
with a blast of 317 yards.
As a golf course superintendent, Karl was widely involved in his profession. He served as President, VicePresident and Newsletter Editor for the Inter-Mountain
GCSA and prior to that, as Secretary-Treasurer and Newsletter Editor for the New Mexico GCSA. His wife, Sali, was
Executive Secretary of the IMGCSA and will serve as the
secretary for the Green Section's New England office.
We are pleased that a professional of Karl's ability and
experience has joined the Green Section's team to serve
New England golf courses. He is looking forward to visiting
with golf course superintendents and course officials in
the area and would welcome hearing from you. He can be
reached by writing: Karl Olson, Ramshorn Road, Dudley,
MA 01570 or calling (617) 943-6749.
James T. Snow
Director, Green Section
Northeastern. Region
Tyler on Target...
continued from page 1
tee members will be there at the end of this month.
"Most of my observations and studies will come before
the tournament," Kip advised. "I've already contacted
Ron Reed (Cedar Ridge super) and I'd like to spend a few
days with him and his crew just prior to the start of play.
"He's already tuned me into some of the specific areas
where there could be a hassle or two, arrangements for TV
cables and things like that. I should get a pretty good picture of what to expect when the whole shebang switches
to Salem next July."
Needless to say, Tyler's excited about the venture.
"I'm really into this project," he said. "And I'm trying to
draw from my experience with big tournaments to help me
along the way. I've had some, too. One year, I worked at a
course where Nicklaus put on a one-day pro-am that drew
over 20,000 spectators. Every little thing adds to my arsenal. I want this to be a success but it won't be unless I'm
really into it."
Tyler reports that Salem is close to prime condition
right now. The course recently staged a five-day, memberguest tournament and Kip noticed nothing but smiles and
positive comments over the layout.
"Salem wintered well," he mentioned. "So, one of my
duties is to pray that we have the same kind of winter next
year that we had this year. I'm touching all bases in my attempt to make the Open a smash with the USGA, the
women and our members."
From the sounds of things, it looks like Kip is rounding
third, headed for home. At any rate, his wheels aren't

GOLF CHAIRMAN
Stephen M. Murphy
75 Woodland Ave.
Lynn, Mass. 01904
Home Phone 592-2554
Office Phone 592-8238
Club Affiliation
The Gannon G.C.

EDUCATIONAL CHAIRMAN
Antone DeBettencourt
7 Country ClubLn.
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

NEW

E N G L A N D ,

INC.

What Form

Lenny Blodgett

ofKittansett

Arthur Washburn

ofCohasett

Pictures by Frank Higgins
spinning. They're rolling right and true. Salem and Kip
Tyler form a parlay sure to make the USGA happy they selected the course for this outstanding event.
Gerry Finn

Information

contained

in

this

publication

may

be

used

f r e e l y , i n w h o l e o r in p a r t , w i t h o u t s p e c i a l p e r m i s s i o n as l o n g
as

the

credit

true
line.

context

is m a i n t a i n e d .

We

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Bacher Corporation
8 7 6 Boston Road
Billerica, Mass. 0 1 8 6 6
Tel. 6 1 7 - 2 7 3 - 0 3 9 8
Turf a n d S n o w Equipment
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Tel. 617-897-2571
Sales Rep. Jack Borden
Bulk Limestone Dealer
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Oman - Sales Representative
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Golf Course Architects
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Scotts Pro-Turf Div.
Rep. Ed Wiacek 1 - 4 0 1 - 2 5 3 - 4 2 8 4
Rep. Kevin Lyons 1 - 6 1 7 - 3 6 6 - 4 8 2 5
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Largest Producer of Penncross in New England
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Specializing in Topdressing Sand

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Contractors of A m e r i c a
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Ken Turner 6 1 7 - 2 6 3 - 7 5 2 6

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Return to:
DOUGLAS JOHNSON
5 0 N e w t o n St.
Weston, MA 02193

FIRST CLASS
( j o l f Cowrie
O*

Superintendents
MI w

I R t L A K D .

dissociation
INC.

DOUGLAS JOHNSON
Newsletter C h a i r m a n
5 0 N e w t o n St.
Weston, M A 02193
Home Phone 894-7377
Office Phone 893-8264
C l u b Affiliation
Pine B r o o k C.C.
PETECOSTE'
Business Manager
GERRY FINN
C o n t r i b u t i n g Editor

F i r s t Class
U , S. P o s t a g e

PAID
Framingham, MA
Permit

209