OF

NEW

E N G L A N D ,

SMC.

to

^ e s e r v i n S Turf M a n a g e m e n t Students.

Marry Set to Do Nothing - for a Change
Narry Sperandio came close to losing his j o b only once. Or so he
thought.
" I t was one of those meetings the
green committee dreams up every
now and then," Narry recalled. " T h e
minute I arrived, they started telling
me what I'd done wrong with the
course and what I should be doing. I
J.
|
was mad, so I just told them I was sick
and tired of 'amateurs' telling me, a
'pro,' what to do.
I figured I had talked myself right into a pink slip, but I
didn't give a damn. Well, there was this lady on the committee. Before anyone moved, she got up and said, 'you
know, what Narry says is absolutely right.' And that was
that."
The confrontation, that never really materialized beyond that happened somewhere in the middle of the 40
years Sperandio has spent as golf course superintendent
at the Concord Country Club. In fact, he turns 40 at Concord January 1, the same date he marks 50 years of service in the profession and end of a memorable - if not
monumental - career.
Narry celebrated his 71st birthday last month and many
of his peers showed up at Concord to recognize and punctuate his presence with a gift. He loved it, ate it up.
" I think they think they're getting rid of me at their
meetings," he joshed. "Well, I'm not going to upset any
apple carts but I reserve the right to express an opinion.
Heh, nobody ever paid attention to me, anyway."
Not so. Narry has held just about every elective office in
the Golf Course Superintendents' Association of New England and carried out their duties with distinction. His candid approach to creating and cementing relationships is
the talk of that group. He is, in a word, one of its legends.
Obviously, he holds a special place at Concord where he
once told club officials they'd have to come to him with a
j o b offer after having shocked them with salary demands
in a previous interview.
In a gesture, that goes beyond wild imagination, the
club is building Narry a new home in back of the 11th
green. " I ' m overwhelmed by their generosity," Narry
sighed. "This makes it just perfect for Phyllis (his wife) and
me. W e were beginning to think we'd have to buy one of
those two hundred thousand dollar condos and sink ourselves into another mortgage. Who says people aren't
thoughtful and n i c e ? "
So, how does a superintendent win his way into the
hearts of club members - especially those demanding
crocks who blame him for everything from bird droppings
on the green to flat tires in the parking lot? What's Narry's
secret?
" I just yes my bosses to death and then do what I want
to d o , " he cracked. " I ' v e always made my own decisions.
That way, if I do get fired, I have no one to blame but myself. However, my relationship with Concord and its members has been wonderful."
That relationship hasn't been strained, either. Some-

how, Narry avoids scrapes and bad scenarios despite a
tendency to bull his way through a disagreement.
" I ' m a stubborn guy," he admitted. "But I can bend, too.
It's just that no one seems to come up with the right answer to make me bend. Seriously, life's a two-way street. I
travel both sides. I know I can be wrong, just like the next
guy."
When Narry turns his job over to his successor (and
there has been a slew of inquiries at Concord), it will be
the first time he hasn't had to answer a work call since he
was in grammar school.
" I ' v e known nothing but work all my life," he remarked.
" I remember when I was a kid, I used to leave school during the lunch hour and do my paper route. It took me that
one hour and I'd have to rush back to make first class
after lunch.
"Actually, it's been work seven days a week for me ail
along. It's going to be different, all right, not having to set
the alarm and all that. But I'm going to do nothing until I
get sick of it. Who knows? I may like doing nothing."
Of course, Concord will miss this self-driving patriarch
of the profession whose expertise and lifestyle always
have made Narry one of the club's family. Surely, he must
have been doing something right for the last 40 years.
" I don't know about that," Narry concluded. "Whatever, I think you'd have to say I did it my way. I suppose
you could call me the original rebel of our business. Anyway, I survived and I think all parties are better for it. I
have so many friends. The game, the profession really
have been good to m e . "
And you to them, Narry. Do nothing to your heart's desire and, then, do it some more. You deserve it a hundred
times over.
Gerry Finn

September Meeting

Monday, September 10, 1984
Joint meeting with Conn. Golf Course
Supt. Association

Charles River C.C.
483 Dedfaam St.,
Newton Centre, MA
Director Meeting -10 a.m.
Membership Meeting -11 a.m.
Lunch - 12 noon
Shotgun - 1 p.m.
Host - Steve Kristof
Directions - Rt. 128 to Rt. 9. Head east to
Parker St. Right on Parker to end to Dedham St. take left to club.

ourse

SSociation

Superln
juperin ten den Is

Everything Yom Did Not Want to Know About Moles...
By John Stephensen, CGCS
I will tell you about those pesky little buggers. T h e y
have a name; the common mole and they belong to the
Mammalion classification; order of Insectivora and family
Tolpidae and their general species of T. Micrura. But, what
I R E A L L Y call them would make Abdulia, the camel driver
blush!!!
T h e mole is not very big; about 5V4 inches long and has a
cylindrical body with a club-shaped tail. The female is
slightly smaller and they have a long snout which is rather
pointed. Moles have small eyes that are hidden in the fur;
an internal ear that is no more than a ridge. The head and
snout have long bristles.
T h e fur is velvet and v e r y soft to the touch. Usually, it is
dark gray to almost black; although, moles have been
found that were grey-yellow, orange, cream, or white.
A l l four limbs are short and enclosed within the skin of
the body. The limbs a r e well foreward; the front, paws are
broad with 5 t o e s and an extra crescent bone, giving even
greater breadth. Each t o e has a strong claw; the hind feet
are small by comparison but not as weak as they are usually described.
Moles are solitary and are seldom seen together except
at maturing times when females will build a nest from 18
inches to 3 feet below the surface and will stack it with
dead grass and leaves. T h e y usually mate during late
March and early April and the litter is b o m in 5 to 6 weeks.
T h e y are blind, naked, and pink in color and start getting
their fur in 2 to 3 weeks. T h e y are usually 3 to 4 moles in a
litter but there can be as many as 7 and as few as 2. Young
moles leave the nest at 5 to 6 weeks and go out on their
own. T h e y b e c o m e sexually mature at 10 to 11 months
old.
T h e mole is a restless creature and will alternately rest,
f e e d and hunt e v e r y 3VI t o 4 hours. It is quite common for
t h e m t o be tunneling right after sun-up, right after noon
and at sunset.
Their natural habitat is the forest or woodland areas
but they will seek any place that may offer food. They live
almost wholly underground, seldom coming to the surface
and when they do, it is only for short spells and they are
looking for a new run.
Their chief senses are smell and hearing and they have
an extraordinary sense of touch at a distance. T h e y can
pick up the slightest of vibrations.
Surface runs are primarily for feeding and hunting and
they can travel at a rate of 7 to 8 inches a minute. When in
an area they have as many as 3 layers of tunnels; surface,
as mentioned, another at 3 to 6 inches below the surface
(also for feeding); and then a set 18 to 20 inches below for
resting. There is no pattern for these tunnels. T h e y seek
the path of least resistance or if the soil is distasteful, they
will go in another direction. A mole can cover anywhere
f r o m V4 to 4 acres with intersecting tunnels. When not digging, he can m o v e rapidly through these tunnels, using a
swimlike method. It can m o v e equally well either backwards or forewards. When a large mound is seen in an
area of a surface run, this is usually a nesting or resting
area and may be a vertical tunnel to as much as 3 feet in
depth.
The mole eats insects, wireworms, cutworms, grubs,
etc., however, its principle f o o d is earthworms. It cannot
survive more than a few hours without feeding and when
earthworms are plentiful it may store them. It bites off the
tip of the worm's head. With its four teeth it twists the
w o r m into a knot and pushes it into a cavity in the soil.
PRESIDENT
D o n a l d E. Hearn. CGCS
4 Topeka Rd.
Chelmsford, M A 01824
Home Phone 256-8709
O f f i c e Phone 8 9 4 - 5 9 0 6
Club Affiliation
Weston G o l f C l u b

FIRST

VICE

PRESIDENT

D a v i d Barber, C G C S
145 D e d h a m St.
Canton, M A 0 2 0 2 1
H o m e Phone 8 2 8 - 7 2 6 6
O f f i c e Phone 8 2 8 - 6 5 4 0
Club Affiliation
Blue H i l l C.C.

SECOND
VICE PRESIDENT
Pierre Coste, C G C S
121 G r a n i t e St.
Medfield, M A 02052
Home Phone 359-7247
O f f i c e Phone 5 6 6 - 0 2 4 0
Club Affiliation
The C o u n t r y Club

SECRETARY
R i c h a r d C. Z e p p , CGCS
27 F o w l e r R d .
Northbridge. M A 01534
H o m e Phone 2 3 4 - 8 4 9 0
O f f i c e Phone 2 3 4 - 2 5 3 3
Club Affiliation
Whitmsville Golf Club

T h e s e stores can sometimes "include hundreds, even thousands of earthworms. Should the mole not need them, the
w o r m s in time regrow their heads and burrow away. When
eating a worm, the mole holds it down with its' forepaws,
bracing the b o d y with its hind feet and chews it from the
front end backwards. A single mole will eat 40 to 80 lbs. of
f o o d per year. It does not need to drink when feeding on
worms, as they are 85% water.
T h e moles have no natural enemies except possibly
man and then only when he leaves a w o o d e d area and
trespasses into lawns, parks, and golf courses. There is a
long list of remedies to rid moles but most of them are old
folklore. But as a personal note, I think at one time or another, I have tried them all with various degrees of results.
The examples are:
Drowning: Not practical because of the length and
depth of runs; y o u can have water in a lot of places where
y o u don't need it.
Carbon Monoxide & Other Gases: again, aue to runs, gas
can be all over and create some problems, especially on
Ladies' Day.
Strychnine Treated Worms: somewhat effective but y o u
do not know if y o u really got him or if he moved.
Poison Peanuts: moles will avoid these because they
recognize that the run has been disturbed and also they
do not normally eat peanuts.
Trapping: somewhat effective, but care must be used in
setting trap; mole can recognize run has been disturbed.
Physically Catching: being at the run when mole is
working; kicking him out of the run, then killing. After getting a mole out of the run, don't stand there and admire
him; just that quick, he can be back into the ground and
gone. I feel this is the best way.
Distractors: windmills or anything that will cause vibrations; the moles extreme sense of touch will sense the
vibrations and m o v e to another area.
Chemical Distraction: Spraying barrier strips with an insecticide using IV2 rate and 6 to 10 feet wide; the mole
doesn't like the taste and will move on and will not cross it
if it is wide enough.

August Results at Concord
T h e August meeting was held at Concord Country Club
on July 9, 1984. W e had a g o o d turnout for golf, which was
a team of t w o blind draw. T h e winners were:
Ron Kirkman, Needham GC and
Dick Duggan, Maynard GC 59 net

—-

Divot Drift.. • W e had some great pairings at Con-

c o r d for a team of t w o blind draw. T h e most talked about
was P e t e " h e l o " Coste and Bob " C h o p p e r " Brown. Rumor
has it that Chopper scrubbed so bad he quit after 11 holes
and then shagged golf clubs for his partner after his poorest (all) shots... The winning team consisted of t w o well
known sandbaggers - Ron " w h a t a n i c k " Kirkman and
Dick " I haven't been playing" Duggan. Kirkman w h o
boasts about the time his handicap was 2 (now 16), has
been cleaning up big this year (qualified for T e d e s c o tourney, w o n at Marshfield, now at Concord). Golf Chairman
S t e v e Murphy states his handicap will now be 12. Duggan
is still well known for his 12 handicap a couple of years
ago at the team of t w o championship... Finally our thanks
t o Narry Sperandio and Concord CC for being such gracious hosts.
TREASURER
T h o m a s S c h o f i e l d . CGCS
290 North Rd.
Sudbury. M A 01 776
H o m e Phone 4 4 3 - 3 7 1 2
O f f i c e Phone 2 3 5 - 7 3 3 3
Club Affiliation
Wellesley C.C.

TRUSTEE
Paul M i l l e r
173 Salem StSwampscott, M A 01907
Home Phone 5 8 1 - 2 8 0 8
O f f i c e Phone 7 9 1 - 5 3 7 3
Club Affiliation
Tedesco C.C.

TRUSTEE
S t e p h e n A . C h i a v a r o l i . CGCS
1 0 0 A i r p o r t Dr.
Worcester. M A 0 1 6 0 2
H o m e Phone 7 5 2 - 0 0 3 1
Office Phone 791-5373
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
T a t n u c k C.C.

TRUSTEE
M a r k J. K l i m m
P.O. B o x 4 8 0
Mashpee. M A 0 2 6 4 9
Home Phone 4 7 7 - 3 5 1 6
Office Phone 4 7 7 - 0 9 1 9
Club Affiliation
C.C. o f N e w S e a b u r y

OF

NEW

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I N C .

A Method for Setting Pins
by Robert A. Van Nest CDGA Past President
T h e g r e a t g a m e of golf has m a n y intriguing f e a t u r e s
w h i c h set it apart from o t h e r games. One of its m o s t appealing aspects is that e a c h course is distinct and differe n t from all others. E a c h has its o w n personality and o w n
playing characteristics.
B e c a u s e of this individualism, course conditioning and
set-up b e c o m e of paramount importance, in order t h a t
p l a y e r s are given a fair t e s t of their skills, thus increasing
their e n j o y m e n t of the game. Cutting heights on greens,
f a i r w a y s and r o u g h as w e l l as t e e and hole placements a r e
e x t r e m e l y important. P r o b a b l y the m o s t controversial o f
t h e s e is the h o l e locations, c o m m o n l y r e f e r r e d to as " p i n
settings."
S o m e y e a r s a g o it b e c a m e apparent that s o m e systematic m e t h o d s of placing pins w a s important, and particularly s o for t o u r n a m e n t play. If d o n e haphazardly, o f t e n
unusually difficult and s o m e t i m e s unfair p l a c e m e n t s resulted. S o m e set-ups f a v o r e d o n e side of the greens and
o f t e n either t h e b a c k s or fronts. O v e r the y e a r s w e h a v e
d e v e l o p e d a simple a p p r o a c h t o controlling m o s t of t h e s e
f a c t o r s and the four steps are as follows.

Or. Skogley of URI at Field Bay August 22, 1984.

Dates t® Remember
September 21, 1984
Supt.-Club Official (3) T o u r n a m e n t
W e l l e s l e y Country Club
W e l l e s l e y , M A - Contact T o m S c h o f i e l d

1. Divide Each Green Into Nine Segments
E a c h g r e e n is divided into t h r e e sections b y width, ref e r r e d t o as (a) left (b) c e n t e r and (c) right and three in
depth, r e f e r r e d t o as (a) front (b) middle and (c) b a c k .
T h i s divides t h e g r e e n into nine small s e g m e n t s as
shown:

BACK

/

MIDDLE

FRONT

\

LB

CB

RB

LM

CM

RM

LF

CF

RF

LEFT

CENTER

October 2, 1984
G C S A N E O c t o b e r Meeting
T h e C o u n t r y Club of Brookline
T e a m of T w o Championship
Contact: P e t e Coste
cult, undulating greens. In general, the m o r e difficult
t h e course t h e l o w e r t h e pin count should be. For our
strongest fields, such as the qualifying rounds for national championships, w e might increase t h e count t o
45 t o 48 on an a v e r a g e course. Counts much higher
than this b o r d e r o n " t r i c k i n g u p " the course, which is
n o t our intent. Many c o u n t s w e h a v e observed, as d o n e
b y club m e m b e r s for an E v e n t D a y or L e a g u e Play, m a y
run as high as 60 t o 70, increasing the problem of s l o w
p l a y and s o m e t i m e s rendering c o u r s e s almost unplayable.

\

/

RIGHT

2. Grade Possible Pin Locations by Degree of Difficulty
Using a rating s y s t e m f r o m I to 4 rate t h e possible pin
l o c a t i o n s for e a c h h o l e b y d e g r e e of difficulty:
Hole
Difficulty
L e a s t difficult
N e x t least difficult
N e x t m o s t difficult
M o s t difficult

Pin
Count
1

2
3
4

3. Determine Count to be Used
T h e d e g r e e of difficulty of the course plus t h e quality of
t h e t o u r n a m e n t field should determine t h e total pin
c o u n t t o be used. For m o s t C D G A e v e n t s with an avera g e field and an a v e r a g e course, w e t r y n o t t o e x c e e d a
pin c o u n t in e x c e s s of 20 points o n e a c h side, or 40 f o r
18 holes. A n e v a l u a t i o n of the a v e r a g e difficulty of t h e
g r e e n s must b e kept in mind. Courses with large, flat,
e a s y g r e e n s m a y r e q u i r e a higher count than v e r y diffiFINANCE
CHAIRMAN
John Streeter, CGCS
8 6 Fashion Or
Warwick, Rl 0 2 8 8 6
H o m e Phone 1401i 7 3 8 - 8 3 8 6
O f f i c e Phone 1401! 9 4 3 - 0 0 5 9
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
T h e A l p i n e C.C.

GOLF
CHAIRMAN
Stephen M M u r p h y
4 Juniper Rd.
Lynnfreld. M A 01940
H o m e Phone 3 3 4 - 4 8 3 6
O f f i c e Phone 5 9 2 - 1 4 3 3
Club Affiliation
L a r r y G a n n o n M u n i c i p a l G.C.

EDUCATIONAL
CHAIRMAN
E d w a r d L. Brearley
2 7 9 T o r r e y St.
Brockton, MA 02401
H o m e Phone 5 8 4 - 6 5 6 8
O f f i c e Phone 8 2 3 - 0 4 6 6
Club Affiliation
Segreggansett C.C.

4 . P l a c i n g The P i n s
A s c o r e c a r d should b e used as pin selections are m a d e
matching the section used and pin count as follows:
Pin
Pin
Hole
Location
Count
1
CM
1
2
RF
3
3
LB
2
etc.
etc.
etc.
W e t r y t o use as m a n y of t h e nine sections of the greens as
possible, and b y keeping a s c o r e c a r d , strike a balance bet w e e n Front, Middle, and B a c k as well as Left, Center, and
Right. Hopefully, six in W i d t h and Depth can be used o v e r
t h e 18 holes. E a c h shot t o t h e green should be a n a l y z e d in
o r d e r that the longest and m o s t difficult shots will h a v e
t h e l e a s t difficult p l a c e m e n t s and t h e shortest and easiest
s h o t s t h e most difficult. A g o o d mix for 18 holes w o u l d b e
t h r e e N o . 1 locations, eight N o . 2, five No. 3 and t w o No. 4.
T h i s w o u l d total 42 f o r the 18 holes.
T h i s is our m e t h o d for controlling pin l o c a t i o n s and virtually eliminating complaints from players. W e h a v e a
slogan at the C D G A - " B a d pins d e v e l o p bad champions
and g o o d pins, g o o d c h a m p i o n s . " G o o d champions are our
goal.
Our thanks t o Dick Blake.

NEWSLETTER
CHAIRMAN
Douglas W. J o h n s o n . C G C S
5 0 N e w t o n St
Weston, M A 0 2 1 9 3
H o m e Phone 8 9 4 - 7 3 7 7
O f f i c e Phone 8 9 3 - 8 2 6 4
Club Affiliation
Pine B r o o k C-C.

PAST
PRESIDENT
Brian Cowan, CGCS
R o b i n s Way
Harwich, M A 02645
H o m e Phone 4 3 2 - 9 0 4 1
Office Phone 9 4 5 - 9 2 3 0
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Eastward Ho

Information contained in this publication may be
used freely, in whole or in part, without special permission as long as the true context is maintained. We
would appreciate a credit line.

piea4e

FRIENDS O F THE

ASSOCIATION

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

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

Pro-Lawn Products Inc.
18 Legate Hill Road
Leominster, Mass 01453
Sales Rep. Jerry Kolomick

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

Tom Irwin, Inc.
11B A St., Burlington, Mass.
Jack Peterson
Dennis Friel
Wayne Ripley

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

C & J Lawnmower Service, Inc.
474 Main Street, Wilmington, Mass. 01887
Eric Oman - Sales Representative
Tel. 617-658-2022

Scott C. Wolfrom
991/2 Day St.
Norwood, Mass. 02062

The Clapper Co.
1121 Washington St.
Newton, Mass.
617-244-7929
* Geoffrey S. Cornish & Brian Silva
Golf Course Architects
Fiddlers Green, Amherst, Mass. 01002
* Country Club Enterprises
Club Car Golf Cars
Tennis & Leisure Equipment
P.O. Box 400, W. Falmouth, Mass. 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
Lexington, Mass. 617-861-1111
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.
671-862-2550
Loft's Seed
20 Beck Rd.
Arlington, Mass.
Jim Sullivan, Rep.
David Loker
9 Crestview Drive
Millis, Mass. 02054
The Magovern Corfne.
27 Lawnacre Road
Windsor Locks, Conn. 06096
Tel. 1-800-243-7718 or 1-203-623-2508
Louis C. Rogers, Vice Pres.
D.L. Maher
Box 127, Concord St.
N. Reading, Mass. 01864
R.F. Morse & Son, Inc.
W. Wareham, Mass. 02576
Tel. 617-295-1553
J. Willen Roell, Rep.
Nardone Sand and Gravel Co, Inc.
37 Powder Rd.
Westford, Mass. 01886
(617) 692-8221
Specializing in Topdressing Sand
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

Return to:
DOUGLAS JOHNSON
50 Newton St.
Weston, MA 0 2 1 9 3

FIRST CLASS
DOUGLAS JOHNSON
Newsletter Chairman

SONewtfWSt
Weston, MA 02193
Home Phone 894-7377
Office Phone 893-8264
CfuP Affiliation
Pim BrOOk C.C

PETECOSTE'
GERRY FINN
Contributing Editor

* Sawtelle Bros.
565 Humphrey St., Swampscott, Mass.
617-599-4856
Scott Associates, Inc.
60 Water Street, Clinton, Mass.
617-365-6341
Pumps-Sales, service
Installation-Vertical
Turbine pumps specialists
Scotts Pro-Turf Div.
Rep. Ed Wiacek 1-401-253-4284
Rep. Kevin Lyons 1-617-366-4825
Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Inc.
Siocum. Rl/Litchfield, N.H./Suffield, Conn.
1-800-556-6985
Largest Producer of Penncross in New England
Alan Anderson, Sam Mitchell
Tuco Products Corp.
Div. of the Upjohn Co.
...
Kalamazoo, Mich.
David Sylvester, 203-828-3790
Turf Products Corp.
36 Sword St.
Auburn, Mass. 01501
617-791-2091
* Turf Specialty, Inc.
84 Merrimac St., Hooksett, N.H. 03106
Turf & Ornamental Supplies
Ken Turner 617-263-7526
White Turf Engineering
5 Summer Dr., Winchendon, Mas£. 01475
617-297-0941
Philip Wogan
Golf Course Architect
31 Budleigh Ave., Beverly, Mass.
* Contributors to the Lawrence S. Dickinson
Scholarship Fund

F6f- Post f5 TH