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, April 21,1988
C.C.T.M.A. and G.C.S.A.N.E.
Quashnet Valley C.C.
Mashpee, MA (Cape Cod)
11:00 a.m.
Shotgun Blind Draw
$25 per person includes golf, carts, meal,
prizes.
Educational, Dr. James Adams, Nor-Am
Chemical
Utilization of Pro-Grass
Reservations Required by
April 17, 1988
(617) 477-4412
Directions - Rte. 6 to 130 (exit 2) towards
Mashpee - Quashnet entrance on right
approximately 4 miles from highway.

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 are your
comments on the Jim McMahon barefooted playing incident in the Bob Hope
Pro-Am, along with your opinion on a
dress code for NEGCSA members?
Tom Scholfield,
Wellesley Country
Club: "I heard about
the Jim McMahon aftermath when someU'jMu.
,*.lii one said he was 'an
insult to his host'. That's only half of it.
Continued on page 2

April 1988

Spence Right Where' He Belongsat the Top T h e r e has been one constant running in
tandem with Bill Spence's career as a golf
course superintendent. Almost from its
infancy Bill's been at the top.
After the "just
lucky I guess" and
"being in the right
4 jife,
place at the right time"
V„
explanations for his
s> i
success sink in, one
overriding factor dwarfs them. The man is
very good at what he does.
"Are you kidding?" Dr. Joseph Troll
begs our pardon. "He's (Spence) one of
the very best. You're talking about a 4.0
turf school student. You're talking about
a guy who turned his back on one of the
biggest jobs in the profession (Pebble
Beach) and continues to go on to bigger
and better things.""
That's the booster shot from Bill's old
professor. But Joe Troll is one old professor who doesn't toss around accolades
freely. You don't get them unless you
earn them.
So...how did it all happen for The
Country Club super who's back to his old
tricks of preparing that storied course for
championship play when the U.S. Open
parks its logo there in June?
First, perhaps it's fitting to note what
didn' t happen to B il 1 after it appeared he'd
burst out of Bruce Springsteen Country
and his hometown of Middletown, New
Jersey to knock 'em dead in the field of
journalism.
"I just up and switched my professional goals," he told. "And I had really

been into journalism. Hey, I covered high
school basketball for the Middletown
Currier. Did I cover Springsteen? No. But
I remember when he used to sing for free."
Interest in the superintendent' s profession had begun for Bill when he caddied,
got tired of no steady pay and went to work
on the course at Bamm Hollow Country
Club (at $1.35 an hour). Then, when it was
time for college, he chose UMass because
of its reputation for producing successful
golf course superintendents and the presence of Dr. Troll.
Bill was, indeed, a prized student.
While attaining that 4.0 classroom average, he served as a lab assistant and editor
of the Massachusetts Turf Bulletin. Come
graduation in 1973 and at the height of the
spurt of enthusiasm for outside work Bill
skipped a grade and immediately began
his career as head superintendent at
Monmouth County Park where he was
responsible for conditioning two courses.
That event was like a rocket-launch.
Less than two years later, following a
conversation with a UMass colleague
who just happened to be the general
manager at Pebble Beach, Spence became
head superintendent at the internationally-famous course.
During his stay there, Bill prepared the
layout for three Bing Crosby Pro-Ams
(when they were the talk of the PGA
circuit) and the PGA Championship of
1977.
All were slam-bang affairs and Bill
was at the top of his profession. But...
Continued on page 2

page.T
BILL SPENCE
Continued from page 1
"But my job was all administration,"
Spence said. "I found myself trapped in an
office. There were times when I wouldn't
see the courses for weeks. It was a tough
decision to look for something else, living
in Carmel and all. But I heard the Kansas
City (Country Club) job was open, so I
sent a resume."
Bingo! Bill was hired in the spring of
1978 to rejuvenate a golf course that had
encountered a major flood the year before
andhadoneTom Watson sitting on oneor
more of the club's major committees.
Spence spent, seven years, learning
more about his profession from the
player's (Watson) view and putting a spit
and polish on the KC spread. Also about
that time Bill heard from Dr. Troll, telling
about some openings coming in the
Northeast.
"I wanted to get back home," Bill
explained. "My roots are in the Northeast,
so when I heard the TCC job was open I
applied. When Tom found out, he not
only agreed to give me a letter of recommendation, he called and made it on the
telephone."
While Bill says Watson's call brought
attention to his resume, it's evident The
Country Club had its man when his resume arrived. That was four years ago and
Bill's performance has been hailed from
within and outside TCC walls.
Bill has been an integral part of a
restoration project at TCC and has
brought new life to the condition of its
course. Presently, his talents are immersed in giving the Open the best layout
The Country Club can offer.
He's happy, too, as are wife, Mae, and
the couple's two sons—Chris and Ryan.
Bill Spence, then, is right where he
belongs—at the top. It's his turf. How
fortunate we are to have him.
GERRY FINN
PRESIDENT

Richard Zepp, CGCS
27 Fowler Rd.
Northbridge, MA 01534
Home Phone 234-8490
Office Phone 234-2533
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Whitinsville G.C.

VICE PRESIDENT

Paul Miller, CGCS
1 Leicester Rd.
Marblehead, MA 01945
Home Phone 631-7910
Office Phone 369-5704
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Nashawtuc C.C.

THE SUPER Continued from page 1
Dean Robertson,
Kernwood
Country
"When he played without shoes, he
Club:
"McMahon's
showed that he has no class whatsoever. I
behavior gets only a
I
mean, his act was not a put-on. What you
"""""1
one-word commcnt
see is what you get. And here we've been
<
from me—disgusting!
all these years, fighting caddies to put
"I'll tell you. Some of our meetings
their shoes on.
and
tournaments aren't exactly a day at
"The dress code? Well, there's been the beach.
see some guy park his
some improvement in our choice of pick-up truckYou
in
the
driveway and thunder
clothes at meetings and other functions. I into the building wearing
clothcs
supposed we've dragged ourselves up but andboots. There's no place work
in
our
profesit should be one-hundred percent.
for that.
"I see a connection between McMa- sion"But
it seems to me some of us arc
hon and our members wEo find it difficult "going backwards.!
remember when Leon
to conform to pTopcr dress for the occa- St. Pierre was our president
launched
sion. I think when they come to a club in a drive to establish a dressandcode.
We
shabby attire and the like, it's an insult to harped on it all the time and it looked like
the host superintendent.
were making some headway. But you
"Actually, disregard for a dress code we
still
see sloppy people showing up.
hurts us all. How we act, how we dress is
"I
know. Is there something we
areflection of our profession and associa- can dodon't
to
get
rid of this problem? I suption. Most of the time, remember, speak- pose it has to start
the top. Maybe if we
ers at our meetings are impressed by what lead by example, atit might
lead to better
they see and hear among the members. appearances by all.
And some guy in work clothes or what"My idea of going to a tournament is to
ever can turn it into a bad impression.
dress
if you're going out to dinner and
"I don't know about the rest of the have aas change
of clothes for golfing. I
superintendents but I sweat it out every don't see how difficult
that is to conform
time I go to a meeting, seminar or tourna- to.
ment. I just fear the next guy to walk
underneath it all I see it hurting
through the door will look like a mess. It's our "And
image.
I for one have been trying to lift
disturbing."
Continued on next page

i

1988 Board of Directors Front Row: Charlie Passios, Dave Barber, Kip Tyler, Paul Miller,
Chip Brearly, Ron Kirkman. Back Row: Tom Schofield, Doug Johnson, Dick Zepp,
Steve Chiavaroli, Ron Milenski. Absent: Jim O'Kelly.

SECRETARY

Stephen A. Chiavaroli, CGCS
100 A i r p o r t Dr.
Worcester, MA 01602
Home Phone 752-0031
Office Phone 791-5373
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Tatnuck C.C.

TREASURER

Thomas Schofield, CGCS
290 North Rd.
Sudbury, MA01776
Home Phone 443-3712
Office Phone 235-2487
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Wellesley C.C.

TRUSTEE

Kip Tyler
P.O. Box 671
Peabody, MA 01960
Home Phone 745-8089
Office Phone 532-2236
Club Affiliation
Saiem C.C.

TRUSTEE

Charles T. Passios CGCS
218 Camelback Rd.
Marston Mills, MA 02648
Home Phone 420-3210
Office Phone 775-5116
Club Affiliation
Hyannisport Club

TRUSTEE

Edward L. Brearly
189 Matfield St.
W. Bridgewater, MA 02379
Home Phone 584-6568
Office Phone 588-8439
Club Affiliation
Brockton C.C.

THE SUPER Continued from page 2
that image. I think we've come a long
way, too. We're not talking about the
majority. If wecanjustreach those certain
few who need reminding that their appearance and behavior are reflections of
their profession, we might have the problem licked.
"Maybe if we keep harping on it
enough, they'll see the light. I hope so."
Jim O'Kelly, Brae
Burn Country Club:
"I see where Jim
McMahon wants to
^
buy his own golf
tfmmk
life course so he doesn't
have to wear shoes when he plays. That's
something. What he did is definitely
wrong. I don't care who he is.
"As for ourselves, I think we should
keep driving the point home that a superintendent reflects his profession and association. I know it might seem like overkill, but anything we can do to make our
group more professional is worth it.
"As golf chairman for the association,
I probably pay more attention to dress at
tournaments than some of the guys.
"I can see showing up in golf clothes
for a tournament. However, my code is
shirt, coat and tie at dinner. I think every
member should be prepared to dress properly wherever he goes.
"Obviously, the kind of event should
govern the type of clothes you wear.
Regardless, the thought of every superintendent is to act and dress in a manner that
expresses professionalism. That's my
main concern. We are professionals.
Therefore, we should act and dress like
professionals.
"Again, I'm all for bringing up this
subject for as long as it takes to cause all
of our members to adhere to a dress code.
I'm also in favor of letting those guilty
parties know what they're doing to the
point of embarrassing them."
_ _ _
.JOE B RY.FINN.
FINANCE

CHAIRMAN

Douglas W. Johnson CGCS
50 Newton St.
Weston, MA 02193
Home Phone 894-7377
Office Phone 899-7913
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Pine Brook C.C.

GOLF

CHAIRMAN

James O'Kelly
201 Indian Rock Rd.
Merrimack, N.H. 03054
Home Phone 603-429-2453
Office Phone 244-0680
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Brae Burn C.C.

EDUCATIONAL

7age"3

RIGHT TO KNOW LAW
Educational Seminar
Tuesday, April 19,1988
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The International Golf Club
(Conference Center)
Pay fee at door $25.00
Instructor, Steve Zimmerman - from
Chevron Chemical
This session meets the requirement of The
Right to Know Law which has to be
presented to all employees. It is in your best
interest to attend-this 2 hour seminar.
Directions - Rte. 495 to exit 27 (Bolton)
follow signs to International approximately
2 1/2 miles from exit.
Host Superintendent Ron Milenski CGCS
Monday, May 9,1988
Ocean Edge C.C. (Cape Cod)
9:00 a.m.
Directors Meeting
11:00 a.m. Regular Meeting
Noon
Lunch
1:00 p.m.
Shotgun (blind draw)
Reservations Required
(617) 896-5911 or (617) 896-5912
Host superintendent - Jeffrey Carlson
Equipment demonstration 8:00 a.m. to
11:00 a.m.
All interested distributors contact Ron
Milenski. (617) 779-6911.
Directions Rte. 6 East to exit 11, go right on
Rte. 137 North and entrance to Ocean Edge
is 2 1/2 miles on the right.

-Proposed New MembersBruce Mclntyre
Tara Hyannis Hotel & Golf Club

-NEW MEMBERS-

Welcome and congratulations to
Robert Mathews CGCS, Marshfield C.C.
John Kotoski, Berkshire Hills C.C.
Eric Kleinsorge, Myopia Hunt Club
CHAIRMAN

Ronald E. Milenski CGCS
65 Rocky Pond Rd.
Princeton, MA 01541
Home Phone 464-5312
Office Phone 779-6911
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
International G.C.

NEWSLETTER

CHAIRMAN

Ronald Kirkman
25 Green St.
Needham, MA 02192
Home Phone 444-8412
Office Phone 444-5548
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Needham C.C.

PAST

PRESIDENT

David Barber, CGCS
145 Dedham St.
Canton, MA 02021
Home Phone 828-7266
Office Phone 828-6540
Club A f f i l i a t i o n
Blue Hills C.C.

-.POSITION

OPENINGS-

Holden Hills C.C.
Year round position maintaining 18 hole
daily fee golf course.
Salary
Open
Benefits Health Insurance
Disability Insurance
Life Insurance
Personal or sick days
Paid vacation
Vehicle & gas expense
I^ocal & National Association
Dues & Meetings
Send resume to:
Lane Recreational Properties, Inc.
C/O John Bannen, Director
225 Turnpike Road
Southborough, MA 01772
Chatams Bar Inn
9 hole golf course, included in the
responsibilities are 4 tennis courts, 2
swimming pools and a 15 acre estate.
Send resume to:
Mr. Joseph Valle
Green Company
70 East Falmouth Highway
East Falmouth, MA 02536
Phone (617) 548-8823
Sales Representative
Old Fox, Inc.
No experience necessary
Open to all Golf Course Superintendents and
other Turf Specialists
Contact: Mr. Robert Griffin
Old Fox, Inc.
(401)438-6204

NEWLY CERTIFIED

Congratulations to
Mike Tacono, Metacomet C.C.
Mike Legere, Hampden C.C.
Eric Newall, Rockland G.C.

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 A S S O C I A T I O N
Agway Inc.
Greg Moore Rep.
Box 507 Sterling, MA
Fertilizer, Seed, Chemicals
800-225-CROP (MA) 617-422-7614
Baker Golf Cars
2283 Gar Highway
Swansea, MA 02777
Yamaha Golf Cars
617-678-5693
'The Bordon Company
Maynard, MA
Tel: 617-897-2571
Sales Rep. Jack Borden
Bulk Limestone Dealer
Boston Irrigation Company
Dedham, MA
John Ramey - Paul Kenyon
617-461-1560
Distributor of Irrigation Supplies
and Accessories
C & J Lawnmowar 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
'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
Chester Drake & Sons, ins.
222 Walnut Street
Framingham, MA 01701
Golf Course Construction
617-875-7929
Elanco Products Company
Stephen C. Dolinak
31 Old Town Trail
Narragansett, Ri 02882
401-789-9017

THE .

Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc.
Sod & Pine Bark Mulch
Canterbury, N.H.
603-783-4717
Lexington, MA
617-861-1111
Greenway Irrigation Company
Irrigation, Drainage, Wire Laying
P.O. Box 8157
East Lynn, MA 01904
John Murphy 595-3010
Steve Murphy 598-6917
Hammond & Tilton, Inc.
P.O. Box 30, Exit 35 off I95
Tel: (207) 453-7131
Contact: Gary Hammond
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 TopJressing & BunkersI & E Supply Inc.
Cranberry Highway (Rte. 28)
Irrigation & Pump Supplies
W. Wareham, MA 02576
Rep. Robin Hayes 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 Friei Phone: 617-938-1751
Wayne Ripiey
Larchmont Eng. & Irrig. Co.
Larch mont Lane
Lexington, MA 02173
617-862-2550
*Lesco Inc.
20005 Lake Road
Rocky River, OH 44116
RonTumiski, Rep., Mike Donahue, Rep.
800-321-5325
•Loft's Seed
20 Beck Road
Arlington, MA 02174
Victoria Wallace, Rep.

NEWSLETTER
m T

R O N A L D W. K I R K M A N
Newsletter Editor
DOUG JOHNSON CGCS
Associate Editor
THOMAS SCHOFIELD CGCS
Business Manager
GERRY FINN
Contributing Editor

The Magovern Co., Inc.
27 Lawnacre Road
Windsor Locks, CT 06096
Tel.: 800-243-7718 or 203-623-2508

Sawtelle Bros.
65 Glenn Street
Lawrence, MA 01843
617-682-9296

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

Scott Associates, Inc.
60 Water Street
Clinton, MA 01510
617-365-6341
Pumps-Sales, Service installation,
Vertical Turbine Pumps Specialists

Mobay Chemical Co.
Greg Ellis
67 Primrose Drive
Warwick, RI 02818
R.F. Morse & Sons Inc.
W. Wareham, MA 02576
617-295-1553
Larry Anshewitz, Rep.
Jack Cronin, Rep.
George Wise, Rep.
'Nardone Sand & Gravel Co. Inc.
37 Power Road
Westford, MA 01886
617-692-8221
Specializing in Topdressing Sand
tlsr-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

Scotts Pro-Turf Div.
Rep. Ed Wiacek 401-253-4284
Rep. Scott Brown 617-853-6654
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,
Dave Schermerhorn
Philip Wogan
Golf Course Architect
17 Walker Road
Topsfield, MA 01983

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 Moaqpws. N.J. 07838
Jim Kelsey, t-OTO-247-2326
Greg Moore, 401-683-9496
E.B. Rotondi & Sons, Inc.
224 Forest Street
Winchester, MA 01890
617-729-3330
Tennis Courts, Cart paths, Parking lots.

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R O N A L D W. K I R K M A N
25 G R E E N S T R E E T
N E E D H A M , MA 02192

' C o n t r i b u t o r s to the Troll-Dickinson
Scholarship Fund

First C l a s s M a i l
U.S. P O S T A G E
PAID
Boston, MA
Permit No. 52848

FIRST CLASS