January 1935
ourôe
O F

^Síí per in ten den tó
N E W

E N G L A N D ,

ióóociation
I N C

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

Another Hit for
"Joltin* Joe"
Chalk up another hit for "Joltin' J o e . " No, not DiMaggio
- the one, the only Joltin' Joe.... Dr. Joseph Troll.
Joe's at it again, as always, in the best interest of the
golf course superintendent. His name will be added to the
scholarship fund which supports continuing education in
turf-related subjects. From here on in, it will be called The
Troll-Dickinson Fund.
Originally, the endeavor honored the philosophical
input of Dr. Lawrence Dickinson and it succeeded in the
effort to encourage outstanding students to enter the turf
field. "And stay there," Dr. Troll quipped.
Since its inception in 1968, the fund has awarded some
35 scholarships. Thus, it has been an important link between higher education and the golf course superintendent profession. It has also been on-going, but because of
only one man - Dr. Troll.
"Hey, if it weren't for Joe Troll, who knows where the
scholarship fund would be t o d a y ? " New England Golf
Course Superintendents Association president Don Hearn
remarked. " T o be frank, he is the fund. He's its biggest
booster and contributor. Having it named after him is
something we should have done years ago."
Although stressing that the change has no intent to detract from Dr. Dickinson's impact on the fund, Hearn
added that it was in need of identification update.
" T h i s ties the generations together," B e a m explained.
"Certainly, there are those of us who relate to Professor
Dickinson and those who are more familiar with Dr. Troll.
It was a natural course to follow and the association
backs it 100 percent."
The fact is, Dr. Troll accepts the association with the
fund and Dr. Dickinson with some reluctance. A s everyone knows, Joe doesn't need or aspire to any ego trips to
enhance Ms ereditability with the superintendent or the
turf field. That's built-in and understood.
Dr. Troll is anticipating retiring from Ms position as professor in the department of plant and soil sciences at the
University of Massachusetts in August. Therefore, he will
add the scholarsMp fund to Ms growing list of stepped-up
projects.
" I really didn't want tMs to happen," Joe told. "Believe
me, it was not my doing. But you people (superintendents)
more or less said that it was something that has to be
dohe. I just hope it adds to the overall effect the fund was
intended to generate - improvement and advancement in
the turf field."
J o e will be joined on a scholarship fund committee by
t w o former NEGCSA presidents - Tony Caranci and Dean
Robertson. The three will redraft the trust agreement,
make it nice and legal-like and let Joe take over (a mere
formality since he has been the fund for several years).
Actually, Joe's involvement in the field of education

Annual Meeting
January 21,

1 9 8 4 (MONDAY)

Franklin Country Club
Franklin, Mass.
Directors' Meeting Lunch Annual Meeting -

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

Host-

Gary Luccini

and input in the scholarsMp awarding process makes
everything a natural move. But he plans changes in that
area, too.
" I t ' s only because this has become a major award," J o e
explained. "In the past, I was a committee of one to select
the recipients. Now, I think there should be an expansion
of the process. Certainly, it should include personal interviews and the like."
Dr. Troll, of course, emphasizes that Ms goal is to make
the scholarsMp fund self-sustaining - and he's virtually
there.
Before he became the fund's central figure, it operated
with Joe on the fringes. Awards were in the three to five
hundred-dollar range and keeping it going was next to
keeping the fund alive.
However, Joe came to the rescue through Ms directorsMp of the UMass Turf Conference. In fact, donations from
that worthwhile venture have pumped up the fund's principal to 850,000. With it has come an increase in award
money and addition of a third recipient.
continued on page 2

ourse Superintendents

^dissociation

From the Editor
Being my last newsletter, I would like to thank Gerry
Finn for working with me the last 3 years.
The newsletter chairmanship is like "doing time." You
go so long and then you're paroled. It is both endless and
thankless, a combination that leads to overstating the
shortcomings of its office holder.
Those who are the most vocal about wanting to see
change in the newsletter do nothing to help. It's time to
contribute. Good Luck Mike and Mike.
Doug Johnson

December Meeting
Our thanks to Mike Hannigan and Brockton CC for
hosting our December Meeting. Also our thanks to
Ian Oppenheim for his presentation on pesticides.

No big chg-ffiges planned
for TCC
THE GROUNDWORK is already being laid at The Country
Club for the 1988 U.S. Open, but any rumors you've heard
about major changes in the renowned layout have been
blown out of proportion.
It's true that Jack Nickiaus has inspected the course
and suggested some changes, but it hasn't been etched in
stone that his Golden Bear Enterprises will get the contract. There will be changes, but they'll hardly be noticeable unless you're extremely familiar with the course.
Also at the Brookline course, new greens superintendent Bill Spence is getting ready to set up shop. Spence
comes to The Country Club highly recommended from the
Kansas City C.C.
How highly recommended, you ask? Well, there was a
group of people sitting around the pro shop one day this
fall when the phone rang. The caller asked if he could be
connected with greens chairman, because he wanted to
recommend Spence. The caller? Someone named Tom
Watson. Spence got the job.
It will be sort of a homecoming for Spence. His wife is a
Lexington native and he did his college study at UMass.
•••
Mass Golf Assn. executive director Dick Haskell reported in from the MGA's palace in Weston. "Plans are
being made for the Spring Conference, March 2 at the Newton Marriot," Haskell said. "The major point that we'll be
stressing is the new slope handicap system and we're now
setting up seminars around the state for different clubs to
help them implement the system."
Courses already set on the MGA tournament schedule
are Myopia for the State Amateur, Brae Burn for the U.S.
Open Qualifying and WeEesiey for the 75th Mass. Open.
In conjunction with the State Open's Diamond anniversary, the MGA is hoping to have the venerable Gene Sarasen act as the honorary chairman. The event will mark the
50th anniversary of Sarazen's Mass. Open crown won in
1935 at Oak Hill.
Credit Boston Herald
Dec. 9, 1984
Jack O'Leary

PRESIDENT
D o n a l d E. Hearn, CGCS
4 Topeka Rd.
Chelmsford, M A 0 1 8 2 4
H o m e Phone 2 5 6 - 8 7 0 9
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
1 4 5 D e d h a m St.
Canton, M A 02021
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 0 2 0 5 2
H o m e Phone 3 5 9 - 7 2 4 7
O f f i c e Phone 5 6 6 - 0 2 4 0
Club Affiliation
The Country Club

SECRETARY
R i c h a r d C. Z e p p , C G C S
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
Office Phone 234-2533
Club Affiliation
Whitmsville Golf Club

1985 Slate of Officers
President 1st Vice President 2nd Vice President Secretary Treasurer Trustee (3 yrs.jFinance Chairman Golf Chairman Educational Chairman Newsletter Chairman Past President -

Donald Hearn, CGCS
David Barber, CGCS
Pierre Coste, CGCS
Richard Zepp, CGCS
Thomas Schofield,
CGCS
Paul Miller
John Streeter. CGCS
Stephen Murphy
Edward Brearley
Michael Nagie
Brian Cowan, CGCS

Congratulations to Bill Spence. Good Luck.
Mew Member
Congratulations to Brad Guiilerm of
Furnance Brook.

Joltin' Joe

continued from page 1

Obviously, all this is because of Dr. Troll.
" I don't know about that," Joe offered. "Anyway, my
ultimate goal is to see the fund hit the $100,000 mark.
That means doubling the present amount and getting the
awards up to $1,500 - maybe even $2,000. Why not shoot
for the moon? Anything in-between is only dead space."
The Troll-Dickinson Scholarship Fund, then, is on the
rise - all the way to the moon, as Joe Troll tells it. And the
new title at the top of its golf course superintendenttainted purpose is the icing on an outstanding career's
cake.
So, chalk up another hit for Joltin' Joe. Why not? And
let's make it a home run while we're at it. Right? You got
it.
GERRY FINN

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 St.
Swampscott, M A 01907
H o m e 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 , C G C S
100 A i r p o r t Dr.
Worcester, M A 0 1 6 0 2
Home Phone 752-0031
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 h r
P.O. Box 4 8 0
Mashpee, M A 0 2 6 4 9
H o m e Phone 4 7 7 - 3 5 1 6
O f f i c e Phone 4 7 7 - 0 9 1 9
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
C.C. o f N e w Seabury

OF

NEW

E N G L A N D ,

INC.

Winter Injury
With winter kilt, soil temperature is the cause. This is a
low temperature injury to the lower crown. Irrigation in
the spring helps keep new roots coming. Cut a longitudinal
section through the crown to see if the tissue is brown inside.
Adjustments for cold hardening off occur at from 55 to
65 degrees F. The following temperature ranges have been
correlated with turfgrass growth:
60-75° F
45-60° F
35-45° F
32-35° F
25-minus 15°

- Optimum shoot growth;
- Shoot growth declines;
- Plants harden:
- Winter dormancy;
- Low temperature kill.

Hardening off is accompanied by increases in carbohydrate reserves and a decrease in tissue hydration to 60-65
percent.
Plant hardiness zones and maps show the location of
differences throughout the United States.
Differences in low temperature kill are often difficult to
explain. A green may be OK, while the approach is dead. In
this case, the green may be Penncross, which is hardy,
and the approach, Poa annua, which is not.
The following differences in cultivar tolerance have
been noted:
OK at
Soil Temperature
- 10
- 10
- 10
- 5
- 5
0
5

Penncross bentgrass
Toronto bentgrass
Poa trivialis
Merion bluegrass
Poa annua
Pennlawn fine fescue
Common perennial ryegrass

In general, the bents and Poa trivialis have excellent
cold tolerance.
The question still remains - at what soil temperature
can winter kill be expected? There is no one answer. It depends on:
• plant hardiness level;
• degree of hydration;
« rate of freezing - more rapid, more kill;
® rate of thawing - more rapid, more kill;
• number of freeze and thaw cycles;
• length of time frozen.
Of all these, the hydration level is the most important.
What can be done? Check the following:
• provide rapid surface drainage;
• provide adequate subsurface drainage;
• cultivation.
Soils thaw from underneath where warm soil is located.
An ice cover will trap water underneath.
Grass may die from increase in hydration. As crown
hydration increases, hardiness declines in late winter and
early spring (March). In low spots, where water stands, low
temperatures kill occurs because of water standing.

FINANCE
CHAIRMAN
John Streeter, CGCS
8 6 Fashion Dr.
Warwick, Rl 0 2 8 8 6
H o m e Phone 1401) 7 3 8 - 8 3 8 6
O f f i c e Phone ! 4 0 1 i 9 4 3 - 0 0 5 9
Club Affiliation
T h e A l p i n e C.C.

GOLF
CHAIRMAN
S t e p h e n M, M u r p h y
4 Juniper Rd.
Lynnfield, M A 01940
H o m e Phone 3 3 4 - 4 8 3 6
O r f i c e Phone 5 9 2 - 1 4 3 3
Club Affiliation
Larry Gannon Municipal G.C.

EDUCATIONAL

CHAIRMAN

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

Prevent low temperature kill by checking the following:
• use moderate nitrogen;
• use high potassium;
• cut higher;
® eliminate thatch;
• avoid excessive irrigation.
For bluegrasses, use more potassium to balance increased nitrogen - 2 to 1 or 3 to 2. For bentgrasses, the
nutrition is not as important because these grasses have
more inherent tolerance to cold.
For bluegrasses, cutting heights of from one and one
half to two inches is usually good. More carbohydrates accumulate and there is more biomass. Crowns are protected because of greater insulation.
The principles are the same for warm season grasses.
More winter kill is observed at low mowing heights.
More winter kill is often observed where herbicides are
used - particularly the pre-emergence type.
Thatch raises the crown above the soil. Thatch also
holds water and increases the hydration level.
Leave aerification holes open to prevent low temperature kill.
Never let an ice sheet stay on the alfalfa more than
twenty days for it dies of suffocation. Injury from ice. on
turf is not due to suffocation, but to the probability of increased hydration. May remove ice and get winter kill
from desiccation, or leave it on and get winter kill from
crown hydration. Bentgrasses, bluegrasses and Poa annua
have been kept in ice for as long as seventy five days with
no injury. At ninety days, Poa annua dies. Bentgrass and
bluegrass have survived up to 150 days in ice.
Traffic on frozen slush injures turf. This pushes water
into the crown area and increases hydration so that low
temperature kill is realized. Snow mobiles cause no injury
to the turf as long as there is one inch of snow cover. Snow
mobiles on frozen slush cause increased low temperature
injury.
Another type of winter injury is caused by winter desiccation. During dry, open winters on sandy soils, turf injury
may be significant. This type of injury is of less importance
than low temperature kill.
Grasses that are more salt tolerant are also more tolerant of desiccation. For example, Seaside bentgrass. Thus,
cultivar variation does exist.
Higher rates of nitrogen in the fall favor winter desiccation injury.
The presence of thatch increases the likelihood of winter desiccation.
Open aerification holes favor the development of winter
desiccation injury.
Covers protect turf from adverse winter conditions.
Fungicides help prevent winter diseases.
Soil warming also prevents injury from low temperatures.
Desiccation affects the crown meristematic tissue. The
crown must survive if the plant is to live. Cells in the lower
crown are larger. When they are killed, roots are dead.
Tops may be alive. If roots are not regenerated quickly,
tops will also die.

NEWSLETTE
R 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
Home Phone 8 9 4 - 7 3 7 7
Office Phone 8 9 3 - 8 2 6 4
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
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
O f f i c e 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.

Píente
Baker T r a c t o r Corp., Ford Tractors
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Mass.
Y a m a h a Golf Cars
B o r d e n s Spreader Service
M a y n a r d , Mass.
Tel. 617-897-2571
Sales Rep. Jack Borden
Bulk Limestone Dealer
C &
474
Eric
Tel.

J L a w n m o w e r Service, Inc.
Main Street, Wilmington, Mass. 01887
O m a n - Sales Representative
617-658-2022

T h e Clapper Co.
1121 W a s h i n g t o n St.
Newton. Mass.
61 7-244-7929
*

Geoffrey S. Cornish & Brian Silva
Golf Course Architects
Fiddlers Green, Amherst, Mass. 01002

*

Country Club Enterprises
C l u b Car Golf Cars
- ^ - Tenrris & Leisure Equipment
P.O. Box 400, W. Falmouth, Mass. 02574
617-563-2284
C.S. C u r r a n
T.R.C. P r o d u c t s Oils and Greases
7 L i n d e n St., Framingham, Mass.
Chester Drake & Sons. Inc.
222 W a l n u t St.
F r a m i n g h a m , Mass. 01701
Golf C o u r s e C o n s t r u c t i o n
617-875-7929
Elanco Products Co.
Div. of Eli Lilly & Co.
Indianapolis, IN
Scott Eicher. Rep.
(617) 473-0598
Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc.
Sod & Pine Bark Mulch
Canterbury, N.H. 603-783-4717
L e x i n g t o n , Mass. 617-861-1111
T h e Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Weathersfield, Conn.
B o b Kennedy, Rep.
Roy Sibley, Rep.

fiedwUje

FRIENDS OF THE ASSOCIATION

Holliston Sand Co., Inc.
L o w l a n d St., Holliston, Mass. 01746
Sand for topdressing a n d bunkers
• Tom Irwin, Inc.
11 B A St., Burlington, Mass.
J a c k Peterson
Dennis Friel
W a y n e Ripley
Scott C. W o l f r o m
9 m Day St.
N o r w o o d , Mass. 02062
L a r c h m o n t Engineering and Irrig. Co.
L a r c h m o n t Lane, Lexington, Mass.
671-862-2550
* L e s c o Inc.
20005 Lake Rd.
Rocky River, Ohio 44116
Ron Tumiski, Rep.
L o f t ' s Seed
20 Beck Rd.
Arlington, Mass.
Jim-Sullivan, Rep.
David Loker
9 Crestview Drive
Millis, Mass. 02054
T h e M a g o v e r n Co. Inc.
27 L a w n a c r e Road
W i n d s o r Locks, C o n n . 06096
Tel. 1-800-243-7718 or 1-203-623-2508
L o u i s C. Rogers, Vice Pres.
D.L. Maher
Box 127, C o n c o r d St.
N. Reading, Mass. 01864
R.F. Morse & Son, Inc.
W. W a r e h a m , Mass. 02576
Tel. 617-295-1553
J. Willen Roell. Rep.
N a r d o n e Sand a n d Gravel Co. Inc.
37 P o w d e r Rd.
W e s t f o r d , Mass. 01886
(617) 692-8221
Specializing in t o p d r e s s i n g Sand
New England Sealcoating Co., Inc.
T e n n i s Court Const, and M a i n t e n a n c e
Sealcoating H i n g h a m Inc. Center
H i n g h a m , Mass. 749-6800

Return to:
DOUGLAS JOHNSON
50 Newton St.
Weston, MA 02193

11
FIRST CLA&S ppp,

50 Newton St .
Weston, MA 02193
Home Phone 894-7377
Office Phone 893-8264
Club Affiliation
Pih« Brook 6 : 0 ;
I H U M AS SC HOF! FLO
Busi ness Manager
GERRY FtNN
Contt itwting Editor

Old Fox Chemical Inc.
Fertilizers-Seeds-Turf-Chemicals
66 Valley St.
E. Providence, R.I. 02914
Richey & Clapper, Inc.
28 Rutledge Rd., Natick, Mass. 01760
* Sawtelle Bros.
565 H u m p h r e y St., Swampscott, Mass.
617-599-4856
Scott Associates, Inc.
60 Water Street, Clinton, Mass.
617-365-6341
Pumps-Sales, service
Installation-Vertical
T u r b i n e p u m p s specialists
Scotts Pro-Turf Div.
Rep. Ed Wiacek 1-401-253-4284
Rep. Kevin Lyons 1-617-366-4825
T u c k a h o e Turf Farms, Inc.
S i o c u m , R l / L i t c h f i e l d , N.H./Suffield, Conn.
1-800-556-6985
Largest Producer of Penncross in New England
A l a n Anderson, Sam Mitchell
T u c o P r o d u c t s Corp.
Div. of the Upjohn Co.
K a l a m a z o o , Mich.
David Sylvester, 203-828-3790
Turf P r o d u c t s Corp.
36 S w o r d St.
A u b u r n , Mass. 01501
617-791-2091
* Turf Specialty, Inc.
84 M e r r i m a c St., Hooksett, N.H. 03106
Turf & Ornamental Supplies
Ken T u r n e r 617-263-7526
W h i t e Turf Engineering
5 S u m m e r Dr., W i n c h e n d o n , Mass. 01475
617-297-0941
Philip W o g a n
Golf Course Architect
31 Budleigh Ave., Beverly, Mass.
* C o n t r i b u t o r s to the L a w r e n c e S. Dickinson
S c h o l a r s h i p Fund

F i r s t Class
U . S. Postage

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