LETTER Golf Course Superintendents S p o n s o r s a n d a d m i n i s t r a t o r s of t h e T r o l l - D i c k i n s o n OF NEW ENGLAND, Scholarship F u n d — A w a r d e d yearly to deserving Turf M a n a g e m e n t AR Association INC. July 1990 Students. as In Almost Retired For A1 Sanders, it's an even swap. "That is, I'm trading in a headache for peace of mind," the 'almost retired' Juniper Hill Golf Club superintendent explained his unique professional status. "When the owners here decided to step up to 36 holes, I stepped down as the man in charge. Actually, 1 thought at my age and all the time I've spent on the job, this wasn't the time in my life to double my responsibility." Sanders, then, is easing himself out of the golf course superintendent profession after 45 years...at the same old s t a n d . . . u n d e r the same family ownership—the Dowlings. Actually, Sanders turned over his position to his assistant, Tom Ackley, last December. "I just told him, 'let's switch jobs'," A1 flapped. "He's a young, energetic, very capable member of the profession, and I'm...well, I'm at that point in my career where I still want to work but would rather take orders instead of give them." Therefore, as of December of 1989, Ackley became top gun at Juniper and Sanders retreated to a lesser role, or as he described it, "I went back to the 8 to 5 shift and, this is very important, with all winters off." This is not to suggest that A1 has packed it in. "Oh, no," he emphasized. "I'm 62 years old and I'm still able to pull my load. It's just that after 45 years of carrying the load, I want to spend the next two or three years getting on one end of it. Really, if Homer (Homer D. who took over for Juniper Hill's original owner and builder Homer C. Dowling) h a d n ' t decided to add A UGUST MEETING M o n d a y , A u g u s t 6, 1 9 9 0 Newton Commonwealth Country Club Newton, M A 8 t o 10 a . m . T e e t i m e s M a k e o w n f o u r s o m e o r will b e t e a m e d u p — N o Regular Meeting — Board meeting to be a n n o u n c e d L u n c h served after you finish the r o u n d . Host Superintendent Kevin Osgood Reservations required by A u g u s t 2, 1 9 9 0 (617) 527-6968 Kevin is a g r a d u a t e of t h e S t o c k b r i d g e S c h o o l . U M a s s A m h e r s t , class of 1979. U p o n g r a d u a tion, he acceptcd the head j o b at N e w t o n w h e r e he h a s r e m a i n e d f o r 11 years. B o r n in C l a r e m o n t , N e w H a m p s h i r e , he b e g a n his golf c o u r s e c a r e e r at C l a r e m o n t C . C . , t h e n spent a year at W o o d s t o c k C . C . in V e r m o n t , a n d served a n i n t e r n s h i p at Howell P a r k G . C . in N e w Jersey. Presently o u r E d u c a t i o n a l C h a i r m a n , Kevin is residing in H y d e P a r k a n d in his s p a r e time e n j o y s b o t h types of skiing, hiking, a n d playing golf. DIRECTIONS F r o m Boston: T a k e 90 West ( M a s s Pike) to exit 17 N e w t o n . S t a y left t h r o u g h lights a n d t a k e a left over the Pike at the N e w t o n , B o s t o n sign. F o l l o w the Pike east d i r e c t i o n s a f t e r t h e s t o p sign (below). F r o m West: T a k e M a s s P i k e (90 East) to N e w t o n exit 17. G o t h r o u g h s t o p sign a n d t a k e a right at t h e 3rd set of lights ( B r i g h t o n sign). F o l l o w a n d t a k e a left o n t o T r e m o n t Street ( B r i g h t o n sign) a n d a right at t h e 1st light, W a v e r l y S t r e e t . F o l l o w 1 / 2 mile t o lights a n d t a k e a left o n t o Kenrick S t r e e t . C l u b is 1/4 mile on right. a n o t h e r 18 holes, I would have remained the head super. But taking on what amounts to a second golf course wasn't in my plans." "That's funny because A1 Sanders, like the Dowlings, is an institution at Juniper Hill. Ever since he started cutting greens there at the age of 16, he's been an integral part of the public course. He's been its overseer, so to speak, through two generations of ownership and still remains on the scene as a third generation Dowling prepares to assume control of the Northboro layout. Although his first contract with the Dowling family came as a classmate of Homer D. Dowling in the Northboro middle school, Sanders has seen his career grow year by year, hand in hand, with Juniper Hill. "Old Homer built the first nine holes more years ago than I'd want to say," A1 told. "1 got involved because of my friendship with his son. Before that, I had no inclination for golf or the maintenance field. It's strange how I became the head super, too. I started working as a member of the crew and before 1 knew it Homer had put me in charge." Sanders' early days maintaining the course traces the progress of the superintendents' profession. " D i d you ever h e a r of ' P o n y Mowers'?" he set the'motion going for an historical trip through maintenance methods. "That was my first job. Those things were what we'd call hand mowers today. You had to push them, and most of the time you had to go over Continued on page 2 Page 2 r Continued from page 1 the job to correct your mistakes. I can't remember how many greens I could mow in one day, but I do know I couldn't do them all." Sanders refers to himself as being from the old school in matters of golf course maintenance and status of the golf course superintendent. "I've never been one of those executive types when it comes to getting the job done," he laughed. "Maybe that's one