Golf Course Superintendents

LETTER

Association OF NEW ENGLAND, INC.

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

-NEXT

MEETING-

Thursday October IS, 1987
The Country Club
Green Chairman-Supt. Tournament
Directions to Club: From 128 take Rt.
9 East, go past Longwood Cricket Cub.
Take right at Texaco to Clyde Street to
club.
Host Superintendent - Bill Spence

Divot Drift

September has finally arrived and as
August left us so did most of the golf
course personnel. Oh well, for some of
us there is not much grass left anyway.
On with the good news—there is just a
little over one hundred shopping days
till Christmas.
The final round of the club championship was completed at the Duxbury
Yacht Club. Tom Morris, our host
superintendent had us swinging from
the back tees and the conquerous
were—in the champion flight—Jim
O'Kelly, Brae Burn C.C. First net was
a tie between Dave Barber, Blue Hill
C.C. and Steve Chiavaroli, Tatnuck
C.C. (yes, they will each get a trophy).
The first division champ is Charlie
Passios, Hyannisport Club and the net
winner is Mike Nagle, Worcester C.C.
The second division finds Jeff Carlson,
Ocean Edge C.C. the champ and the net
winner is Don Levangie, Norfolk G.C.
Mel O'Kelly, retired, Marshfield C.C.
won the seniors division and first net
was captured by Art Washburn Cohasset G.C. The commercial winners were
Ron Ryan, Sawtelle Brothers, gross
Continued on page 2

m

September 1987

Jamrog's Touch Teils at The
Orchards
W h e n Paul Jamrog
took over the greening
of The Orchards Golf
Club as superintendent
three years ago, he
found two constants
waiting for him:
The golf course's reputation glowed as
a result of being one of architect Donald
Ross' gems. Because of the time of its
birth (1922) status as a monument to
Ross' genius, the course was suffering
from old age.
Poor drainage and bunker deterioration were still in Jamrog's hair, then, when
an Orchards committee in concert with the
United States Golf Association decided to
stage the USGA Girls' Junior Championship at the venerable and testy layout this
year.
In fact, by the time you read this, the
39th renewal of that tournament will be
history with the title having been determined last month.
Before that, Jamrog was on the spot.
Not only were there major projects to be
addressed, like completing a massive
drainage repair job on the troublesome
sixth hole and building a new tee on the
demanding 18 th, Paul still had to direct his
10-man crew through the paces of providing members a fast track.
In addition, the 30-year-old Jamrog
was going head-to-head with a rainless
summer (.2 drop in one three-week
stretch), turf disease and taking part in
regular dogfights with the scourge of the
airways—the Japanese beetle.

Therefore, this was to be the summer
of 14-hour work days for Paul who was
brought up only a few miles from the
South Hadley layout in Chicopee where,
among other things, he once was a member of a state championship-runnerup
high school golf team.
Yet, the Jamrog touch never wavered
and never left the route of success. The
girls were treated to playing one of New
England's best golf courses in a condition
in keeping with that reputation.
"I really had to reach out and get
something going in my first USGA
preparation tournament," Jamrog told.
"The real problem was the weather.
When you have to spend half of your time
making sure the course is watered properly and gets enough water, it makes you
think that maybe somebody out there
doesn't like you."
Certainly, Paul didn't court Mother
Nature's favor. However, he managed to
offset that lack of co-operation with some
good, old fashioned knowhow and dogged effort.
The circumstances of The Orchards
being the purest form of the original
Donald Ross design formed the backdrop
of what turned out to be a busy year for
Jamrog.
"You know, Donald Ross is known as
the patron saint of golf course architects,"
Paul reminded. "And folks at The Orchards have preserved the original concept down through the years.
"They tell me that when two greens
were rebuilt (the rest of the greens are as
Continued on page 2

page 2
^^
JAMROG'S TOUCH
Continued from page 1
they were when Ross whipped them into
rolling midgets), a lot of the members
were furious. So, making changes here
was like pulling teeth—without a pair of
pliers."
Therefore, Jamrog has been trying to
provide adequate drainage and put more
definition into bunkers and fairway lines
for the three years he's been at the Mount
Holyoke College-owned course.
Regardless, "Progress" has been
Paul's middle name in the short time he's
tackled the conditioning program. The
Orchards has bounced back from a term of
hairy maintenance results and appears to
be making gains as Jamrog's input brings
out the best in its appearance and condition.
One of the major projects Jamrog
worked on was the "Girls Tournament
18th Tee". The original yardage on the
rugged hole tabbed out at 442 from the
Blues, 412 from the Whites and 345 from
the Reds. All of this accompanied an
uphill trip to an elevated green with some
time to contemplate crossing a winding
brook cutting through the fairway.
"The USGA thought the girls should
play the hole somewhere from around 370
yards," Paul explained. "The Whites
made it too long, the Reds too short with

-NEW

MEMBERS-

-NEW

APPLICANT-

Robert Piantedosi
Regular member
Oakley C.C.
Christopher Ryan
Associate member
Rockport Golf Club

David Copeland
Associate member
Monoosnock C.C.

PRESIDENT
David Barber. CGCS
145 Dedham St.
Canton, MA 02021
Home Phone 828-7266
Office Phone 828-6540
Club Affiliation
Blue Hills C.C.

VICE PRESIDENT
Richard Zepp, CGCS
27 Fowler Rd.
Northbridge, MA 01534
Home Phone 234-6490
Office Phone 234-2533
Club Affiliation
WhitinsvilleG.C.

the added flaw of having to lay up drives.
So we hit the happy medium to give the
tournament an outstanding finishing
hole."
Outside of that change, The Orchards
was considered a good test by USGA
standards. Jamrog speeded up the greens
a little and put in a step-cut rough system
which will be a permanent part of the
maintenance program.
"I think, all things considered, that our
members are going to have even a better
course than they had before the USGA
event,"Paul concluded,
"I'm excited a.boutth# prospects here.
It's been a wonderful experience and
everyone will benefit by it."
Because of the Jamrog touch. It's
working at The Orchards. You'd better
believe it.
GERRY FINN
DIVOT DRIFT Continued from page 1
champ and Steve Butler, Larchmont Eng.
net winner.
The skins game was run by Doug
Johnson and the winners were: Tom
Colombo, Jack Cronin, Steve Chiavaroli,
Mike Cornicelli, Ron Kirkman, Kevin
Osgood and Ron Ryan. Congratulations
to all the tournament winners and a round
of applause to our golf chairman Jim
O 'Kelly, for giving everyone an equal
chance of winning-by the setting up of
divisions.
A word of advice from your editor—
Do not use a chain saw in the summer! A
word of advice from your secretary—Do
not attempt to slam a tail gate of a dump
truck shut with your finger resting in
between the body and gate.
Don't forget the September meeting at
the Orchards G.C.
Congratulations to Roy Davis, superintendent Marshfield C.C. as a new
member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

SECRETARY
Paul Milter, CGCS
1 Leicester Rd
Marblehead, MA01945
HomePhone 631-7910
Office Phone 595-3107
Club Affiliation
Tedesco C.C.

TREASURER
Thomas Schofieid, CGCS
290 North Rd.
Sudbury, MA 01776
Home Phone 443-3712
Office Phone 235-2487
aubAffiliafoi
Wellesley C.C.

The Super
Speaks Out
Welcome to The Super Speaks Out—a
monthly feature which offers the golf
course superintendent a forum to express his or her views on topics and
issues relating to their profession.
This month's question: What is your
program in toughening up your golf
course for tournaments and what attitude
do your have in establishing it as a championship (tough) layout?
Tom Colombo,
Country Club of New
Seabury: "I don't
have any trouble giving players a test here
V/I
because New Seabury
is unique. It's a tough course to make
easy.
"Of course our Blue Course (outer) is
the one everyone talks about. It has a
natural guardian of the course record and
low, low scores in the wind. It's always a
factor.
"Therefore, we usually set the tee
markers according to the part we expect
the wind to play in scoring. We can make
holes play a difference of two or three
irons with tee placement because our tees
are so big.
- -"The layout of the course gives us
flexibility and that's the big thing. In
addition to the tees, our greens are large
enough so that we can utilize four different pin placements for each one. We map
out those locations and set them accordingly. Usually, it works out to six easy, six
medium and six lough pin placements.
"We also take pride in our Green
Course (inner) . In fact, we're making
some changes to attract more play and
obtain some balance between it and the
Blue for traffic purposes.
"As for being part of a championship

TRUSTEE
KjpT);er
P.O. Box 671
Peabody, MA 01960
Home Phwie 745-8089
Office Phone 532-2236
Club Affiliation
Salem C.C.

TRUSTEE
Stephen A. Chiavaroli, CGCS
100 Airport Dr.
Worcester, MA 01602
Home Phone 752-0031
Office Phone 791 -5373
Club Affiliation
TaHuckC.C.

TRUSTEE
CharlesT. PassiosCGCS
P.O. Box 182
Yarmoulhpoft, MA 02675
Home Phone 362-5869
Office Phone 775-5116
Club Affiliation
HvannisoortClub

SUPER Continued from page 2
course reputation, I'd want it no other
way. It's nice. You hear people talking
about the course and it's a boost. But, as I
said, this is simply a tough place to make
easy."
Doug Johnson,
Pine Brook Country
Club: "We really
don't try to make Pine
Brook tough. But, on
the other hand, we
don't have to. The layout and other characteristics take care of that.
"Our course has fast greens with a demand for position since the length is only
6,300 yards. And, just as it seems to work
out, no one burns it up. The last MGA
event we had no one broke par and threeover was the winning score.
"When there are changes made, specifically for events like State-Am qualifying or pro-members, they come down to
only a few.
"What I usually do is set the pins
harder on some of our easier holes and j ust
let the harder holes alone. It's almostplay
the course as it lies situation. We don't
need to trick it up. In our last pro-am, only
one player (Jay Dolan) broke par and he
did it by keeping his putts down to 25.
"Our reputation as a championship
layout isn't really on my mind or on the
minds of our members. Fact is, the course
is tough enough for the members, just as
it is. That's the way they like it and want
it. And that's just fine with me."
Joe Rybka,
Thorny Lea Golf
Club: "We have a lot
of important golf tournaments here, so degree of difficulty is a
popular item around the course and clubhouse.
"The length here isn't much to worry
about, only 6,443 yards. However, the
course has other characteristics that lend
FINANCE
CHAIRMAN
Douglas W . Johnson C G C S
50 Newton S t
Weston, MA 0 2 1 9 3
Home Phone 894-7377
Office Phone 899-7913
Club Affiliation
Pine Brook C.C.

GOLF
CHAIRMAN
J a m e s O'Kelly
201 Indian R o c k R d .
Merrimack, N.H. 03054
Home Phone 603-429-2453
OfSce Phone 244-0680
Club Affiliation
Brae B u m C.C.

themselves to setting up a tough layout for
big events.
"But whatever our committees decide
on or what I do to toughen things up, I
think it really comes down to the golfer,
himself. What golfers do is put pressure
on themselves which means they can
make the course as hard or as easy as their
mental approach to the particular round
allows them.
"I suppose the National Assistant Pro
Championship is our premier event in
terms of exposure and we give those players a good test. We don't mow the rough
for a week and-we give,tee and pin placement special attention.
"But we still have a naturally tough
layout because we have a lot of trees and
holes that play tight. When we move some
of the tee markers back, we can set up the
feeling of driving out of a chute.
"There are other things to beef it up,
too. Our fifth green is 120 feet long, so
you're talking a difference of one or two
clubs, depending on where we put the pin.
"Sure, we're proud of Thorny Lea as a
fair but tough layoutand I consider myself
the keeper of that reputation. Usually,
everything in setting up the course is kept
in my hands. So, maybe I'm also a part of
that reputation."
GERRY FINN

-POSITION

OPENINGS-

Triggs Memorial Golf Club
1533 Chalkstone Street
Providence, R.I. 02908
18 Hole
Contact: Eileen Lancia
401-272-4653
Cranberry Valley G.C.
An Equal Opportunity Employer
Contact: Mr. A1 Bishop
P.O.Box 135
Harwich, MA 02645
Deadlines for resume Sept. 15,1987

EDUCATIONAL
CHAIRMAN
Edward L Breariy
1 8 9 Matfield St.
W . Sridgewater, MA 02379
H o m e Phone 584-6568
Office P h o n e 588-8439
Club Affiliation
Brockton C.C.

NEWSLETTER
CHAIRMAN
Ronald Kirkman
25 Green S t
Needham, MA 02192
H o m e P h o n e 444-8412
Office P h w i e 444-554J3
Ciub Affiliation
Needham C.C.

PAST
PRESIDENT
Donald E. Hearn, C G C S
4TopekaRd.
Chelmsford, M A 0 1 8 2 4
Home Phone 256-8709
Office Phone 894-5906
Club Affiliation
Weston GolfClub

page 3
Dear applicator of Pest Control Company:
This form letter is to alert and inform
you that the Department of Food and
Agriculture-Pesticide Bureau has determined that pollution and or drift liability
insurance is available, (known as pesticide or herbicide application coverage
endorsement).
Since this coverage is available, the
waiver will not be granted.
Failure to acquire said available coverage may result in the suspension of any
or all licenses or certification documents
held by individuals.
Below you will find several agencies
that provide or are affiliated with companies that offer the above coverage.
Swartz and Corcoran Ins. Agency, Inc.
15 Broad Street
Boston, MA 02109
617 367-8638
National Union Fire Ins. Co. of PA
70 Pine Street
New York, NY 10270
212 770-7000
Pennsylvania Millers Mutual Ins. Co.
15 Public Square
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18773-0016
717 822-8111
Morse, Payson & Noyes
130 Middle Street
Portland, ME 04112
207 775-6000
Middlesex Insurance Company
20 Washington Square
Worcester, MA 01608
617 757-6303
Travelers Insurance Company
430 Belmont Street
Brockton, MA 02401
617 583-8500
Safeco/General Ins. Co. of America
4333 Brooklyn Ave. N.E.
Seattle, WA 98185

Our deepest sympathy is extended to Bob
Piantedosi and family. His dad, Cosmos
passed away last month. Cosmos was the
superintendent at Oakley C.C., Watertown,
MA. until his retirement twelve years ago.
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.

Please patronize FRIENDS OF THE ASSOCIATION
Agway Inc.
Greg Moore Rep.
Box 507 Sterling, MA
Fertilizer, Seed, Chemicals
800-225-CROP (MA) 617-422-7614

Chester Drake & Sons, Ins.
222 Walnut Street
Framingham, MA 01701
Golf Course Construction
617-875-7929

Baker Golf Cars
2283 Gar Highway
Swansea, MA 02777
Yamaha Golf Cars
617-678-5693

Elanco Products Company
Stephen C. Dolinak
C-317-309 Greenwich Avenue
Warwick, R.I. 02886
401-737-0175

'The Bordon Company
Maynard, MA
Tel: 617-897-2571
Sales Rep. Jack Borden
Bulk Limestone Dealer

Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc.
Sod & Pine Bark Mulch
Canterbury, N.H.
603-783-4717
Lexington, MA
617-861-1111

Boston Irrigation Company
Dedham, MA
John Ramey - Paul Kenyon
617-461-1560
Distributor of Irrigation Supplies
and Accessories
C & J Lawnmower Serv. Inc.
188 Main Street
Wilmington, MA 01887
Eric Oman - Sales Rep,
617-658-2022
The Clapper Company
1121 Washington Street
Newton, MA
617-244-7900
Connecticut Silica Company
Ledyard, Conn.
Sand, White Silica for Traps
Chemically Inert Topdressing
Jim Sinlowski - 203-536-2618
'Geoffrey S. Cornish & Brian Silva
Golf Course Architects
Fiddlers Green, Amherst, MA 01002
Country Club Enterprises
Club Car Golf Cars
Tennis & Leisure Equip.
P.O. Box 400 W. Falmouth, MA 02574
617-563-2284
C.S. Curran
T.R.C. Products Oils & Greases
7 Linden Street
Framingham, MA

THE

DOUG JOHNSON CGCS
A s s o c i a t e Editor
THOMAS SCHOFIELD CGCS
Business M a n a g e r
GERRY FINN
Contributing Editor

'Lesco Inc.
20005 Lake Road
Rocky River, OH 44116
Ron Tumiski, Rep.
Mike Donahue, Rep.
800-321 -5325
'Loft's Seed
20 Beck Road
Arlington, MA 02174
Victoria Wallace, Rep.
The Magovern Co., Inc.
27 Lawnacre Road
Windsor Locks, CT 06096
Tel.: 800-243-7718 or
203-623-2508

Greenway Irrigation Company
Irrigation, Drainage, Wire Laying
P.O. Box 8157
East Lynn, MA 01904
John Murphy 595-3010
Steve Murphy 598-6917

*D.L. Maher
Box 127, Concord Street
N. Reading, MA 01864

Hammond & Tilton, Inc.
P.O. Box 30
Exit 35 off I95
Tel: (207) 453-7131
Contact: Gary Hammond

Mobay Chemical Co.
Gregory Pagano
50 Coburn Woods
Nashua, N.H. 03063
R.F. Morse & Sons Inc.
W. Wareham, MA 02576
617-295-1553
Larry Anshewitz, Rep.
Jack Cronin, Rep.
George Wise, Rep.

The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Weathersfield. Conn.
Bob Kennedy, Rep.
Roy Sibley, Rep.
Holliston Sand Co. Inc.
Lowland Street
Holliston, MA 01746
Sand for Topdressing & Bunkers

'Nardone Sand & Gravel Co. Inc.
37 Power Road
Westford, MA 01886
617-692-8221
Specializing in Topdressing Sand

I & E Supply Inc.
Cranberry Highway (Rte. 28)
W. Wareham, MA 02576
617-295-2362
International Golf Const. Co.
Antonios Paganis, Rep.
5 Purcell Rd„ Arlington, MA 02174
Golf Course Construction
617-648-2351 or 428-3022
'Tom Irwin, Inc.
I I B A St., Burlington, MA
Jack Peterson
Dennis Friel Phone: 617-938-1751
Wayne Ripley

NEWSLETTER
R O N A L D W. K I R K M A N
Newsletter Editor

Larchmont Eng. & Irrig. Co.
Larchmont Lane
Lexington, MA 02173
617-862-2550

Nor-Am Chemical Co.
Wilmington, Delaware
David Sylvester, Rep.
203-828-8905
Norfolk Power Equip., Inc.
194 Main Street
Norfolk, MA 02056
617-528-3120
Don Reynolds, Rep.
Old Fox Chemical Inc.
Fertilizers-Seeds-Turf-Chemicals
66 Valley Street
E. Providence, R.I. 02914

Return to:
R O N A L D W. K I R K M A N
25 GREEN STREET
NEEDHAM, MA 02192

FIRST CLASS

Old Fox Golf Course Div.
Custom Applications, Spraying,
Aeration, Top Dressing, Slice Seeding
Full Line of Materials
Weymouth, MA 02190
800-462-5990
Partac Golf Course Top—Dressing
Kelsey Park
Great Meadows, N.J. 07838
Jim Kelsey, 1-800-247-2326
Terry Synder, 617-966-1913
Greg Moore, 401-683-9496
Sawtelle Bros.
65 Glenn Street
Lawrence, MA 01843
617-682-9296
Schmidt Golf & Turf
2399 G A R . Highway (Rte. 6)
N. Swansea, MA 02777
Tel.: (617) 379-0959
John Deere Tractors, Mowers,
Aerifiers, Sprayers, etc.
Scotts Pro-Turf Div.
Rep. Ed Wiacek 401-253-4284
Rep. Dave Schermerhorn
413-436-7889
Tuckahoe Turf Farms Inc.
Exeter, R.I. Litchfield, N.H.
West Suffield, CT
800-556-6985
Largest Producer of Penncross in
New England
Alan Anderson
'Turf Products Corp.
7 Coppage Drive
Worcester, MA 01602
617-791-2091
'Turf Specialty Inc.
84 Merrimac Street
Hooksett, N.H. 03106
Turf & Ornamental Supplies
603-485-7866 (collect)
Ken Turner-Kevin Lyons-Bob Lake
Philip Wogan
Golf Course Architect
17 Walker Road
Topsfield, MA 01983

'Contributors to the Troll-Dickinson
Scholarship Fund

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P e r m i t No. 52848