G r e e n k e e p e r s Club of N e w E n g l a n d

NEWSLETTER
October, 1929.

Vol. 1, No. 6.
"Any fool can find mistakes to criticize,
But Progress in this battling World is won
By men too busy with constructive work
to satirize
Their neighbors' faults while their own
job's undone."
—Anon.

Why is this NEWSLETTER kept small? W h y not get out a real
magazine? These and other similar questions have been asked often
of late. The reasons are several ; expense, probable lack of material
of importance f r o m our own members to fill a larger publication,
and above all, we feel t h a t if we enlarge too much we will lose the
intimate touch which we are trying to secure now. We would like
to feel t h a t as you read your NEWSLETTER you are being interested
and helped, and also t h a t you feel as if you are talking over common
problems with your f r i e n d s ! This NEWSLETTER is your forum. In
it j'ou can discuss any problem of interest to its readers. Will you
use it?

We are glad to welcome to the Greenkeepers Club several new
members. We hope t h a t they will use the club to improve themselves,
and in so doing help the club. We hope t h a t they, as well as all
the older members, will spread the message abroad t h a t there exists
here in New England the oldest and largest of the sectional greenkeepers' clubs, designed to help the greenkeepers themselves and
hence to improve Greenkeeping. There are many greenkeepers in
New England not yet members of the club, whom the club needs,
and who need the club. Will you help t h e m ? Will you help to improve your club?

It is not the policy of the Greenkeepers Club to recommend
greenkeepers f o r positions. The club is, however, always glad to
bring together clubs desiring greenkeepers and greenkeepers desiring
positions. To this end we have an employment committee, and we
are also leaving space open in the NEWSLETTER to any members
of the club who may desire to advertise for positions at a nominal
rate.

2

NEWSLETTER

This N E W S L E T T E R is published
monthly by the Greenkeepers Club of
New England, and sent f r e e to its members and their Greens' Chairmen. Subscription price ten cents a copy, or a
dollar a year.
GUY C. W E S T
Editor
MARSTON B U R N E T T . Business Mgr.
The committee on group insurance report very favorable reports, from dist a n t members especially. Such members,
often unable to attend many meetings
because of the distance, see in this insurance idea and in the N E W S L E T T E R
how the club benefits them. The group
insurance as proposed for the club is
indeed worthy of consideration. The
cost per member is low. No medical examination is necessary. The plan is
adopted yearly, so that the club could
drop it if it saw fit on any yearly anniversary. We hope that all who have not
returned their ballots will do so at once,
so that this plan may be carried out, and
all members benefit.

OBSERVATIONS ON GANG
UNIT SYSTEMS

AND

There can be no set system for use on
the golf course day a f t e r day, because so
many factors can change it. There can
be, however, a general system, to be
followed most of the time. The unit
system, so-called, gives each man a section to care for as f a r as possible. The
gang system divides the course into two
sections usually and a gang takes care of
each section. Usually the system of handling labor on the golf course resolves itself into a combination of these two
systems. The success of the unit system
depends on keeping old men from year to
year; experience is necessary. Where it
is necessary to break in new hands from
year to year, the gang system usually
works better.
John Shanahan at Braeburn has a
gang of three men for each nine holes,
three greens each. These green men
water in the morning whenever necessary, fix the tees and traps on their
holes, cut their greens, and are done by
roon. In the afternoon, they cut their
tees twice a week, also fill divots in the
tees, screen loam, etc. Fourth and fifth
men on each section do the rough work.
Two tractor men care for all the f a i r ways, and parts of the rough.

F r a n k Wilson has Charles River divided into units of three holes each, one
man per unit. In morning they water,
rake traps, change markers, fill divots,
mow greens, and are through by noon.
In the afternoon they do general work,
cut their tees, etc. Two men run tractors,
one cutting fairways, the other rough.
These men work in the shop in their
spare time. One man mows around
greens where tractor doesn't reach. A
floating crew of two go anywhere on
course where rough needs mowing or
where section men need help.
At Woodland, Carl Treat has greensmen looking a f t e r sections of four holes
each. When watering is necessary it is
done at 5 A. M., the men taking t u r n s
watering, and then take the afternoon
off. Greensmen cut greens first, then
look a f t e r rough, traps, water tees when
necessary, etc. Two men cut tees, water,
do rough cutting, etc. Another man runs
tractor, and another spends half time on
tractor, rest in shop. The balance of
gang is a floating gang, to do whatever
is necessary. One of this floating gang
changes the cups whenever needed.
Robert Mitchell has the following to
add. "We do not stick to the unit system
at Kern wood except for mowing the
greens. Not having followed the unit
system to any great extent we are not
prepared to criticize it. A desire to push
along some particular job results in our
concentrating our man power on one job.
There is an advantage in supervision of
men in a group. Some men dislike to
work alone and so do better in a g a n g ;
others are contented alone and take an
interest in keeping their section."
Adapt your system to your course and
to your conditions.
DIRECTORS.

HANDLING
GOLF

MEN ON
COURSE

THE

I have been asked to write about the
handling of men on the golf course. I
think the individual greenskeeper should
handle his men the way he thinks best.
One reason for this is t h a t there are
very few golf courses t h a t carry the
same number of men, therefore there
can be no fixed rule.
I have twelve men this season. Six men
cut the greens in the forenoon. The
course
is
split
into
two
nines,
a large putting green goes with what
we call the smaller
nine.
Three
men and two
mowers
take
each

3 NEWSLETTER

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side, greens are swept before they are
cut. The tractor takes a man, and when
he is not cutting grass, there is some
other job waiting for him. We have a
horse and triplex mower t h a t are used
where tractor cannot reach. The horse
is also used for hauling sand to traps,
topdressing for greens, and some rough
cutting. It takes a man on our t r a p s
most of the time, they need fixing often
as we have a lot of play. The tees are
cut three or four times a week; two men
cut all the tees in a forenoon. We water
quite a lot until ten o'clock when it is
needed. All rough hand mowing, mowing
around greens, divot filling, turf gardens, and the hundred and one other
jobs are taken care of in the afternoon.
MARTIN G R E E N E .

FOOD FOR

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THOUGHT

Are we wise to use velvet bent or
creeping bent or any grass decidedly
different to patch our greens?
Those of us who have propagated velvet bent or creeping bent or any grass
different from our greens, and used it,
have "patch-work" greens. Should we
not stick to our original grass for
nurseries to supply patching material
until we are ready to change over at
least a whole green?
Where bents come into a mixed grass
green from seed they are not as noticable as when patched in; they blend
with the original grass. Four inch plugs
of velvet bent, spattered over a green,
soon blend, and merely look like a dappled horse.
This is, of course, a matter of personal
opinion, but worth considering before
making a "crazy quilt" of our greens.
Have you noticed the fine appearance
of greens of one kind of grass, as may be
seen at the Unicorn Country Club, the
Salem Country Club, and at other
courses?
ROBERT A. MITCHELL.

PRO

GREENSKEEPER!

To my mind the editorial in the September N E W S L E T T E R is worthy of
deeper thought than may be apparent

from casual reading. While I do not
agree with the implication t h a t Superintendent is a better title than Greenkeeper the basic thought behind the
editorial is not only sound, but vital, to
us and our profession.
How the term Greenkeeper came into
use and what it may or may not stand
for at the present time is of relatively
little importance. However; can anyone
think of a title which so concisely and
descriptively covers the fundamentals of
our profession as keepers-of-the-greens?
Innumerable duties and details have been
added to our work but first, last, and
always, we are keepers-of-the-greens. On
the condition of our greens depends all
our material success and professional
reputation.
Superintendent:
Consider
for
a
moment how many and varied are the
occupations this title covers. It is about
as distinctive as the name Smith in a
city directory and certainly no more
descriptive.
Th" title should be Greenskeeper and
the "dignity and quality of the work
done" must and can come only from
within.
A f t e r full expression of opinion and
due consideration, if the title Greenskeeper merits the approval of the majority,
let the New England Greenkeepers Club
accept this as the recognized title of our
profession and, as an organization, back
it up with a code of professional standards. plus legitimate publicity intelligently distributed.
C H A R L E S W. P A R K E R .

TREES AND SHRUBS ESSENTIAL
TO GOLF GROUNDS

A golf course without trees and
shrubs should be compared to potatoes
without salt.
Success in tree planting depends on
three main factors, proper conditions
for growth, timely and intelligent care,
and the selection of proper variety. In
all sections trees differ greatly in the
time when they put out their leaves in
the spring and lose them in the fall.
Owing to the great variety of conditions to be met along our fairways it is
impossible f o r any one kind of tree to
succeed in all places. The best effects are
usually produced by giving the pre(Continued on Page 6)

4

NEWSLETTER

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Mr. Greenkeeper:
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Out of Thirty Golf Courses in Rhode

Island

We

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WOOD WORTH BRADLEY
SEEDSMAN

41 South Main St., Prov., R. I.
GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTURE—CONSTRUCTION

5 NEWSLETTER

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6

NEWSLETTER
Trees

and Shrubs Essential
To Golf Grounds

(Continued f r o m Page 3)
dominant place to the common plants in
the neighborhood.
Trees and shrubs may be planted to
add beauty to the landscape and to act
as a dividing line where fairways are
parallel.
I think it would be desirable where
many trees and shrubs are needed to
have a tree nui*sery. It sometimes happens, t h a t the kind of trees desired cannot be procured at reasonable prices and
are not always in the best condition
when received. In having a nursery it
requires some time and attention and
labor but it is not difficult. The two
main steps necessary are the procuring
of seed and caring for the plantation.
Trees chosen with the object of planting should be determined by their
adaptability to the climate and soil, and
by their resistance to serious diseases
or to insect attack. Seeds can be collected
f r o m trees in the locality, or purchased.
To grow healthy and vigorous trees,
the nursery should be located where the
land is reasonably level and well drained
on Sandy loam. A nursery should if
possible be within reach of your water
system, because water is essential f o r
satisfactory results. The soil should be
prepared with as much care as for a
grass nursery. It should be spaded and
plowed to a depth of a foot and all other
roots, rocks, and all other trash i*emoved.
CLIFTON E. SOWERBY.
CHANGES

AT THE RHODE
COUNTRY CLUB

ISLAND

The average player playing around
the course at the Rhode Island Country
Club, thinks the layout is stiff enough,
and yet, Tom Galvin, acting on advice
of Mr. Donald J. Ross, the golf architect, is now busy, and expects to be
busy all Winter, on new work designed
to improve and stiffen the course. These
changes are being made with the idea
of making the best possible course on the
location. However, the changes being
made, and to be made, are not designed
to make the course harder for the average player, but are especially designed
for tournament play.
The eighth hole is to be lengthened

from 471 yards to nearly 500 yards. Tom
has already made a new green for t h i s
hole, back a bit from the former site,
and raised two feet in the rear no give
approach shots a better "hold". The new
green required 1600 square feet more
sod than the old green. Plans on this
hole also call for a new tee for tournament play, and the cutting away of the
face of the t r a p in f r o n t of the water
hazard so as to show the hazard.
The tenth green has been widened
fifteen feet on the left side to give more
cupping space. The eleventh green is to
be extended about fifteen feet in f r o n t as
well as in the rear.
The eleventh tee is to be f u r t h e r
lengthened, and a new tee f o r tournament play is to be built on the twelfth.
With all this work laid out it looks
like a busy season for Tom and his
crew!

The October meeting of the Club was
held at the Woodland Golf Club, Auburndale, Mass., on October 7. The Club
Championship was won by Ted Swanson
of the Bear Hill Country Club, Stoneham, with a score of 79, winning f r o m
Clif Sowerby by one stroke. Net prizes
were won by Howard F a r r a n t , first,
and Paul Hayden, second. At a business
meeting following lunch nine new members were elected.
The Board of Directors met with
Robert Mitchell at the Kernwood Country Club, Salem, on September 23, and
with Jim Sullivan at Waltham on
October 14.
We noticed that our new member and
friend, R. Wallace Peckham of the
Sachuest Golf Club played in the
Rhode Island State Open on October 21
and 22. This Open, by the way, was a
new departure in golf, we believe. It was
open to pros, in Rhode Island, and to
amateurs handicapped ten or better. It
consisted of seventy-two holes medal
play, with play on four courses, one
round on each. The courses played were
Agawam Hunt and Wannemoissett on
Monday, and Rhode Island and Metacomet on Tuesday.
We are in receipt of a copy of the
October issue of the "Pacific Greenkeeper", a publication recently started
by the Greenkeepers' Association of
Southern California. We congratulate
this Association and the editors upon
their able paper!

7 NEWSLETTER
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8

NEWSLETTER

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FIRST BY MERIT
Approximately 10,000 tons Milorganite applied to
Golf Course turf during- 1929. No other fertilizer can
claim this record established in four years.

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Its increasing favor is the result of satisfactory performance, for Milorganite possesses distinct advantages
as a turf fertilizer.

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Milorganite promotes sturdy growth over long
peroids, for soil processes gradually release its
nitrogen.
Improves established turf and benefits new
grass seedings.
seedings.

3.

Free from weed seeds.

4.

Easily applied due to exceptional
condition.

mechanical

5.

The best carrier for lead arsenate used to control grubs, worms and weeds.
Following our purpose to supply only the best, and
convinced of its merits, we became distributors of
Milorganite for New England. Our faith has been vindicated by its successful use in this district.
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For Further Information and Sample
Address

NEW ENGLAND TORO COMPANY
247-257 Newtonville Avenue

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NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ECONOMICAL AND EFFECTIVE

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