Golf Course Superintendents

LETTER
Association

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

—

NEXT MEETING

Monday, August 7,1989
South Shore C.C.
Hingham, MA
9:00 am
Director's meeting
10:30 am
Regular meeting &
Educational Session
12:00 noon
Lunch
12:30
Golf
Club Championship will be played at
South Shore—The Tournament was
cancelled at Concord C.C. because of rain.
Host Superintendent—
Neil Loomis
Reservations Required
(617) 749-8479
Neil has been a superintendent for 12
years. He and his wife Lisa have 2
children, Jessica and Philip.
Directions—Rte 3 South (toward Cape
Cod) take Nantasket—Rockland exit (Rte
228) left off ramp and follow 228 approx.
4 miles. At this point 228 bends sharply to
the right. Go straight across, off 228—3/4
mile into Hingham Center. In Hingham
Center take a left (South St.) and follow for
3/4 mile and club will be on left.

NEW MEMBERS

Welcome & Congratulations to
Carl Brooks, Associate
Fort Devens G.C.
Thomas Piatt, Associate
Tara Colonial C.C.

PROPOSED NEW MEMBERS
James Reinertson, Associate
Wayland, C.C.

OF NEW ENGLAND, INC.

July 1989

Should They Look the Other Way?

T h i s month a commentary is in order
because this is what it has degenerated to:
"There's a fine line between confronting a golf course vandal or trespasser and
turning your head and looking the other
way. In that situation, you're always
being stalked by retribution. Frankly
speaking, that guy you face up to can
come back at night with an automobile
and put you out of business."
The speaker was a member of the Golf
Course Superintendents Association of
New England who suggested that taking a
tough line against the incidence of golf
course vandalism and trespassing is an
invitation to potential disaster.
He may be right.
Consider the nightmare a golf course
superintendent and his assistant experienced this spring at a public course in the
Bronx.
What has been termed a life-threatening situation occurred when the two were
attacked by 16 teenagers who had been
chased off the golf course after illegal
entry and a physical confrontation with
the assistant.
Both were beaten with golf clubs, fists
and feet. The superintendent suffered
multiple contusions and abrasions, his assistant came out of the attack with a broken elbow.
It happened in New York. And, yes, it
could happen here. In fact, one locallybased superintendent had himself suckerpunched on his home grounds for simply
approaching a trespasser with the intent of
seeking his identity. Instead, he was hit
with a haymaker temporarily dazing him.
When he looked up, his attacker had
vanished.

What makes vandals and trespassers
tick? Why are they determined to tear up
greens and sneak on the course without
legal right to use its facilities?
"It's the sign of the times," one superintendent offered. "We're living in a society where the younger generation has a
problem with its sense of values. A portion of that generation has no regard for
personal property or authority. Those are
the people we're dealing with."
"That's a joke," another superintendent added. "We're almost to the point
where we know we can't do anything
about bringing criminal action against
these people because of our judicial system. Once you catch someone breaking
the law on golf course property and finally
get him or her to court, the best you can
hope for is a slap on the wrist. It's not
worth the effort."
Some superintendents actually live in
fear of confronting that "certain" person
who might go "haywire" after being
caught in the act of vandalizing or trespassing, or both.
A superintendent, whose course has
been a frequent target of these culprits,
has decided not to pursue challenging
them beyond polite inquiry.
"I know that there are gangs around
the area who are looking for more trouble
than just getting their kicks tearing up a
green or smashing a ball washer," he told.
"Some of these guys want you to challenge them and set up a physical confrontation. They're just dying for a fight.
"Actually, I've come close to getting
into it with some guys who had wandered
Continued on page 2

page 2
—
LOOK THE OTHER WAY
Cont.from page 1

r

onto the course looking for some 'action'.
I could only see a couple of them and
when I started toward them, I could hear
someone else in the bushes saying, 'let's
jump him'. That's all I had to hear. That's
as far as I went. I just turned around and
got the hell out of there. I don't pretend to
be a hero."
Apparently, that super's not alone.
Others, reporting near-scrapes with vandals and trespassers who suddenly multiply into gangs of 10 or more when the
confrontation heat's turned up, carry
similar attitudes into the added responsibility of policing the golf course.
So, sad to say, there doesn't seem to be
any solution to the problem of controlling
the growing incidence of vandalism and
trespassing. Sad to say, too, the situation
seems headed toward a dead end where
the golf course superintendent's recourse
is to "live with the problem".
It goes without saying, then, that recourse is the saddest part of all... saddest
while being the sanest. What a revolting
development.
GERRY FINN

'B dated sympathy to
Joseph 'Butler & family
on the death of his wife.
J7oe is retired from the
United Shoe Q.C.
(noiu called'Beverly C.C.)
and Joe served as
tPresident of the
gCSWMT, in
1963 & 1964.
PRESIDENT

Richard Zepp, CGCS
27 F o w l e r Rd.
N o r t h b r i d g e MA 0 1 5 3 4
Home Phone 508-234-8490
Office Phone 508-234-2533
Club Affiliation
W h i f i n s v i l l e G.C.

VICE

PRESIDENT

Paul M i l l e r , C G C S
1 L e i c e s t e r Rd
M a r b l e h e a d M A 01945
Home Phone 617-631-7910
Office Phone 508-369-5704
Club Affiliation
N a s h a w t u c C.C

SECRETARY

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: With vandalism,
trespassing and other illegalforays on the
golf course on the rise, what has been
your experience with them and how do
you deal with them?
Tom Schofield,
Wellesley Country
club: "Unfortunately,
in some environments
the golf course has become a place where you
go to raise hell and
Wellesley just happens
to be one of those places.
"Here, vandalism and all the other
things that go with it is one of the unpredictables. One year we may get caught up
in a rash of incidents, another we're hit
with the little things we've come to accept
as annoyances.
"I can remember golf seasons when
the financial loss from theft of equipment
and damage to the course ran as high as
$9,000. That's a high-water mark,
though, but any form of vandalism is
costly because of the effect it may have on
the golf course superintendent.
"We're located in the middle of a risk
area since there's a high school and two
colleges nearby. In most cases that's the
age group we're concerned with in regard
to vandalism.
"Most clubs look to the superintendent to police the golf course even though
everyone who plays it, supposedly goes
through the pro shop before starting their
rounds. So, we're stuck with keeping trespassers off the course.
"In this day and age that can be a testy
job. Usually, people who don't belong on
the course arrive in numbers, sometimes

S t e p h e n A. C h i a v a r o l i . CGCS
100 A i r p o r t Dr.
W o r c e s t e r , MA 0 1 6 0 2
Home Phone 508-752-0031
Office Phone 508-791-5373
Club Affiliation
Tatnuck C.C.

TREASURER

Thomas Schofield, CGCS
290 N o r t h Rd
S u d b u r y , MA 01776
Home Phone 508-443-3712
Office Phone 617-235-2487
Club Affiliation
Wellesley C.C,

TRUSTEE

in packs. Therefore, you have to be careful about the possibility of physical retaliation when you're literally playing the
part of the cop on the beat.
"So far, I haven't had any personal experience as far as physical exchanges go.
Most of the time the trespassers turn on
their heels and leave. Maybe I've been
lucky. Regardless, there doesn't seem to
be much we as supers can do about the
problem other than to keep our cools
when confronting trespassers or vandals
and hope that sometime they'll grow out
of whatever it is that influences that kind
of behavior."
Norm Mucciarone,
Woodland Country
Club: "So far so good
this season but remember this is early June
(time of interview) and
graduating parties are
right around the corner.
"That's when these people (vandals,
trespassers) seem to be most active. What
do they do?
"Well, they pull the regular tricks—
steal flags, scratch initials in greens with
those big nails on the ends of trap rakes,
drive cars over the greens, steal anything
that isn't secured and try to get away with
sneaking on the course to play.
"I make no bones about who they are
either. Most of them are students from
Harvard, BU and BC. They have a lot of
nerve, too. Heck, I've seen them drive
into the club parking lot and march to the
first tee as if they were paid-up members.
They're not hard to recognize.
"One of the big drawbacks here is our
location, right near Riverside. That's the
last stop on the MBTA line and that's the
route some of our 'visitors' take when
they're in the mood to create some excitement and thrills.
We've put up fences around the
course and it discourages some of them.
However, if they really want to get inside
the grounds, they find a way.
"In that case, I confront them with a
warning that I'll call the police if they
don't get out. If that doesn't work, I call
Continued on page 3

Kip Tyler, C G C S
P.O. B o x 6 7 1
Peabody, MA 01960
Home Phone 508-745-8089
Office Phone 508-532-2236
Club Affiliation
Salem C.C.

TRUSTEE

C h a r l e s T. Passios, C G C S
218 C a m e l b a c k Rd
M a r s t o n M i l l s , MA 0 2 6 4 8
Home Phone 508-420-3210
Office Phone 508-775-5116
Club Affiliation
Hyannisport Club

TRUSTEE

Edward L Brearly
189 M a t f i e l d S t .
W. B r i d g e w a t e r , M A 0 2 3 7 9
Home Phone 508-584-6568
Office Phone 508-588-8439
Club Affiliation
B r o c k t o n C.C.

THE SUPER Cont.from page 2
for help. There's no way I'm going to get
into a physical hassle over this."
Bob Mucciarone, Dedham Polo &
Country Club: "I think I've come up
with the all-time vandal—the guy who
came in here and cut himself a Christmas
tree eight years in a row. That's low life
stuff. I mean it.
"What gets me is that the same guy
must be wired into my office. This year I
was determined to catch him so I hired a
high school kid to watch for him. He did
it for three weeks, too, and the guy never
showed. Come on, huh?
"The regular vandals pull the familiar
stuff—like riding over greens and stealing everything in sight. The extremes run
from coming right into the club and stealing furniture to stealing the club flag.
That's so bad we run the flag up a cable
instead of a rope.
"Even with all that going on, I've
come up with a counter attack—my dog,
Abergail. Don't let the name fool you.
She's half-Doberman and half-German
sheppard and mean as they come-uh, with
strangers, of course. When I can let her
loose, vandals and trespassers take themselves on a hike out of here.
"However, I have to keep her under
control so she won't bother our members.
She's also getting old and slowing down.
Therefore, I have to rely on personal
confrontation with the people who get
their kicks sneaking on and wrecking the
golf course. It's a problem all right—a
problem that won't go away."
Scott Reynolds, Charles River
Country Club: "This (telephone call) is
a coincidence. Only two nights ago I really got hit and this time they even left
their calling card—'Class of 1989'.
"Damage? They ripped out a water
cooler, tore up a ball washer and took
every yardage marker they get could their
hands on. And to top it all off, they
snapped a Japanese maple. That loss
alone will run between four and five
hundred dollars.
"Vandalism really is extensive here,
probably because we 're really exposed so
to speak. Two neighborhood streets run
FINANCE

Paul J a m r o g

CHAIRMAN

Box 642, S i l v e r w o o d T e r r a c e
S. H a d l e y , M A 0 1 0 7 5
Home Phone 413-538-7567
Office Phone 413-536-4195
Club Affiliation
The Orchards G.C.

GOLF

CHAIRMAN

Robert DiRico
185 H e m e n w a y S t .
M a r l b o r o , MA 01752
Home Phone 508-485-2605
Office Phone 617-244-0680
Club Affiliation
Brae B u r n C.C.

EDUCATIONAL

through the course, so we're virtually at
the mercy of a lot of mixed up people.
"I've seen it all, even a six-wheel truck
that crashed through trees to get at the
greens. There's even evidence that
someone's been fooling around with pipe
bombs. It's so bad I had to go to court once
when there was $9,800 worth of damage
to fairways and greens. That was an inconvenience that upset my maintenance
schedule and had me running around in
circles.
"There's really not much we can do
about things like that, other than to catch
the vandals and hope the courts can make
examples of them. As for trespassers, I
just try to be diplomatic confronting them.
So far it's worked. I'haven't experienced
any physical threats. But that's the only
thing I can be relieved about. It's crazy."
GERRY FINN
The annual
University of Rhode Island
Turfgrass Field Day
will be held on
Wednesday, August 30, 1989
at the Turfgrass Research Farm
Plains Road, Kingston, RI 02881.
For information contact:
Dr. C.R. Skogley
Plant Sciences Department
Woodward Hall
Kingston, RI 02881

-POSITION

OPENINGS-

Perry Hollow
Golf & Country Club
Wolfboro, New Hampshire
New 18 hole golf course presently under
construction—Cornish & Silva design
Contact: Mr. Roland Bernier, Perry Hollow
Golf & C.C., RFD 1, Middleton Road,
Wolfboro, NH 03894, (603) 569-2387
Assistant Superintendent
Charles River C.C.
Contact: Scott Reynolds, (617) 244-7741
CHAIRMAN

R o n a l d E. M i l e n s k i , C G C S
65 R o c k y P o n d Rd.
P r i n c e t o n , MA 01541
Home Phone 508-464-5312
Office Phone 508-779-6911
Club Affiliation
The International

NEWSLETTER

CHAIRMAN

Ronald Kirkman
25 G r e e n S t .
N e e d h a m . MA 02192
Home Phone 617-444-8412
Office Phone 617-444-5548
Club Affiliation
Needham C.C.

PAST

PRESIDENT

David Barber. CGCS
145 D e d h a m S t .
C a n t o n , MA 02021
Home Phone 617-828-7266
Office Phone 617-828-6540
Club Affiliation
Blue Hill C.C.

-

Page 3

Tournament Results
Willowbend Club
-

1st Gross Eastward Ho C.C., Brian Cowan,
Doug Bohey, Ray Foster, Bob Hussey
2nd Gross Woods Hole G.C., Tom Flaherty,
Larry McDonald, Bill Newton, David
Chapman
1st Net Sky Meadow C.C.„ Doug Johnson,
Rich Gaisel, Mike Capatino, Gary
DiNardo
2nd Net Franklin C.C., Gary Luccini,
Richard Armstrong, John Padula,
Neico Luccini
3rd Net Thomey Lea C.C., Joe Rybka, John
Tosca, John Finnigan, John
Blomstrom
4th Net Hatherly C.C., Rich Caughey, John
Bellenger, Ken Chisholm, Don Beale
5th Net Needham G.C., Ron Kirkman, Paul
Carey, Jim Cotter, Doug Williams
6th Net Woodland C.C., Norm Mucciarone,
J. Degnam, P. Ochs, M. Corrigan
7th Net Heritage Hills G.C., Charlie
Dickow, Ru Garrity, Brian Clean,
Norm Brastow
Long Drive Tom Columbo
Closest to Pin #2 Steve Murphy
Closest to Pin #10 Alex Manoccohi

Tournament Results
Twin Hill C.C
1st Gross Jack Hassett, Joe Rybka, Norman
Mucciarone, Bob Brown
1st Net Paul Jamrog, Bob DiRico, Gary
Luccini, Bob Johnston
2nd Net Larry Bunn, Bob Johnston, Leroy
Allen, Ron Kirkman
Nearest to Pin Mike Cornicelli

I n f o r m a t i o n c o n t a i n e d in this p u b l i c a t i o n may be
used freely, in w h o l e or in part, w i t h o u t special permission as long as the true c o n t e x t is m a i n t a i n e d . We
w o u l d 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
Allen Lawnmower Co., Inc.
197 Main St., Agawam, MA 01001
Professional Turf Equip.-Ransomes/
Bobcat, Salsco, Hustler, Tractors
Albert S. McLean, Territory Rep.
Eugene S. McLean, Sales Manager
Baker Golf Cars
40 Walker Street
Swansea, MA 02777
508-379-0092
Sales Rep. Ray Chadwick
Sales Rep. Paul Littlejohn
Bartlett Tree Experts
Tree Maintenance, Fertilization and
Consulting
153 Rumford Avenue
Newton, MA 02166
Carl DeSimone (617) 969-5990
T h e Bordon Company
Maynard, MA
Tel: 508-897-2571
Sales Rep. Jack Borden
Bulk Limestone Dealer
Boston Irrigation Company
Dedham, MA
John Ramey - Paul Kenyon,
617-461-1560
Robin Hayes, 617-477-4423
Distributor of Irrigation Supplies
and Accessories
C & J Equipment, Inc.
188 Main Street
Wilmington, MA 01887
John Deere Golf & Turf Equipment
508-658-2022
Eric Oman, Bill Kemp, Kevin O'Donnell
'Geoffrey S. Cornish & Brian Silva
Golf Course Architects
Fiddlers Green, Amherst, MA 01002

Elanco Products Company
Stephen C. Dolinak
31 Old Town Trail
Narragansett, Rl 02882
401-789-9017
Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc.
Sod & Pine Bark Mulch
Canterbury, N.H.
603-783-4717
Lexington, MA
617-861-1111
Grasnway Irrigation Company
Irrigation, Drainage, Wire Laying
P.O. Box 8157
East Lynn, MA 01904
John Murphy 617-595-3010
Steve Murphy 617-598-6917
Hammond & Tilton, Inc.
P.O. Box 30, Exit 35W off I95
Fairfield, ME 04937
Tel: (207) 453-7131
John Deere Golf & Turf Equipment
-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 Topdressing & Bunkers
International Golf Const. Co.
Antonios Paganis, Rep.
5 Purcell Rd„ Arlington, MA 02174
Golf Course Construction
617-648-2351 or 508-428-3022
"Tom Irwin, Inc.
11 B A St., Burlington, MA
Jack Peterson
Dennis Friel Phone:617-938-1751
Wayne Ripley
Larchmont Eng. & Irrig. Co.
Larchmont Lane
Lexington, MA 02173
617-862-2550

Country Club Enterprises, Inc.
Club Car Golf Cars
Carryalls/Utility Cars
P.O. Box 400 W. Falmouth, MA 02574
508-563-2284

•Lasco Inc.
20005 Lake Road
Rocky River, OH 44116
Ron Tumiski, Rep., Mike Donahue, Rep.
800-825-3726

Chester Drake & Sons, Ins.
222 Walnut Street
Framingham, MA 01701
Golf Course Construction
508-875-7929

•Loft's Seed
20 Beck Road
Arlington, MA 02174
Victoria Wallace, Rep.

wrTHE \

NEWSLETTER
RONALD W. KIRKMAN
Newsletter Editor
KIP TYLER CGCS
Associate Editor
THOMAS SCHOFIELD CGCS
Business Manager
GERRY FINN
Contributing Editor

Tha Magovern Co., Inc.
27 Lawnacre Road
Windsor Locks, CT 06096
Tel.: 800-243-7718 or 203-623-2508
Lew Varga, Rep.
*D.L. Maher
Box 127, Concord Street
N. Reading, MA 01864
Mobay Chemical Co.
Greg Ellis
67 Primrose Drive
Warwick, Rl 02818
R.F. Morse & Sons Inc.
W. Wareham, MA 02576
508-295-1553
Larry Anshewitz, Rep.
Jack Cronin, Rep.
"Nardone Sand & Gravel Co. Inc.
37 Power Road
Westford, MA 01886
508-692-8221
Specializing in Topdressing Sand
Nor-Am Chemical Co.
Wilmington, Delaware
David Sylvester, Rep.
203-828-8905
Norfolk Power Equip., Inc.
194 Main Street
Norfolk, MA 02056
508-528-3120
Don Reynolds, Rep.

Sawtella Bros.
65 Glenn Street
Lawrence, MA 01843
508-682-9296
Scotts Pro-Turf Div.
Allan Cumps 413-253-5226,
Regional Director
Rep. Scott Brown 413-245-6038
Rep. Richard Forni 413-534-8896
Stormy Acres
Putting green quality sod grown on a
fumigated sand base
West Haven, Vermont 05743
Kevin Gun, 802-265-3046
Tuckahoe Turf Farms Inc.
Exeter, R.I. Litchfield, N.H.
West Suffield, CT
800-556-6985
Largest Producer of Penncross in
New England
Owen Regan
•Turf Products Corp.
7 Coppage Drive
Worcester, MA 01603
508-791.-2091
T u r f Specialty Inc.
60 Merrimac Street
Hooksett, N.H. 03106
Turf & Ornamental Supplies
1-800-228-6656
Ken Turner, Kevin Lyons,
Dave Schermerhorn, Ed Wiacek

Old Fox Chemical Inc.
Philip Wogan
Fertilizers-Seeds-Turf-Chemicals
Golf Course Architect
66 Valley Street
17 Walker Road
E. Providence, R.I. 02914
Topsfield, MA 01983
Partac Golf Course Top Dressing
Kelsey Park
Great Meadows, N.J. 07838
Jim Kelsey, 1-800-247-2326
P.I.E. Supply Co.
Dedicated to sales and service of quality
irrigation equipment. (203) 878-0658
John Lensing (401) 246-0864 for your
irrigation needs.
Read Sand & Gravel, Inc.
171 VFW Drive, Rockland, MA 02370
Top Dressing Loam; Sand, concrete and
brick: Stone, crushed, washed, colored;
Same day service, Saturday deliveries.
John A. Moon, Sales Manager
(617) 878-2955
"Contributors to the Troll-Dickinson
Scholarship Fund

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25 G R E E N S T R E E T
N E E D H A M , MA 02192

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