Golf Course Superintendents

LETTER

Association OF NEW ENGLAND, INC.

Sponsors and administrators of the Troll-Dickinson Scholarship
F u n d - Awarded yearly to deserving Turf Management Students.

December 1997

Charles River C.C. 'polishes the jewel'
in restoring its Donolé Ross golf course
If you're a superintendent at a Donaid
Ross-designed golf course (and there are
35 of them in Massachusetts alone), don't
look now, a restoration project may be in
your future.
Putting the "original" look back into
the famed golf architect's tree-lined,
bunker-dotted creations has become an
eventual way of life for the superintendent
trusted with keeping Ross' jewels, well,
gem-like. Once they've lost their sparkle
it's only a matter of time before club
members decide to blow the dust off their
course's original blueprints.
At the Charles River Country Club
where Scott Reynolds applies his
expertise to a Donald Ross layout that
recently turned the corner of its 75th
birthday, its members doubled up in the
facelift department. Not only did they
stamp their approval on restoring the golf
course to 1921 specs, they tackled the job
of renovating the clubhouse.

In this issue .,.
Page
Calendar of Events
2
The Puzzle!
2
The Super Speaks Out
3
Turfgrass Nematode Study, Part II 4
Remember When?
5
Friend of the Association Profile . . S
GCSAA News
6
Divot Drift
6
Superintendent Profile
8

Obviously, the two-pronged project
put a little variety into their golfing lives.
"They had to put up with pro shop
and clubhouse trailers for a long time,"
Scott disclosed. "Yes, it was sort of an
inconvenience to our members. However,
they were determined that the overall
operation wasn't going to be a quick-fix
thing. They wanted to do it right and go
the whole route."
Much of the restoration work centered
on Charles River's 70 bunkers. Oddly
enough, the bunkers had undergone
repair work eight years before. But
that in-house, fast-finished project was
nothing more than a band-aid applied to a
hemorrhaging wound. The bleeding never
stopped until the club's long-range committee jumped in with the cure-all remedy.
"The committee started working on
this a couple of years ago," Reynolds told.
"There were inside meetings, meetings
with the Donald Ross Society, and a lot of
heated debates before plans were put into
place. A lot of thought went into it. That
group was strongly focused.
The first step was to hire Ronald
Pritchard, a respected architect who has
had much experience working on Donald
Ross restoration projects. It was also
decided to hire the Michael Drake
Construction Company for the bunker
work. Then it was into studying aerial
photos (circa 1938) and gathering information from a succession of superintendents
and veteran club members.
That left the first ground thrust
schedule to be drafted, and work began in

September 1996, carrying through to the
end of June 1997 when the bulk of the
work was completed.
There had to be some luck involved,
and it surfaced in a wide-open winter of

Quality comes with a price,
and I think our members
realize
thai/'
Scott Reynolds
Charles River C.C.
1997 when there was a shortfall of snowstorms. This gave the Drake people a
couple of months of bonus time. Reynolds
says it was the difference in bringing 80
percent of the job home free at the projected time of completion. However,
working under less than ideal conditions
had its problems.
"The problem had nothing to do with
the Drake input," Reynolds emphasized.
"In fact, they were artists in their own
right. They were painstaking in their
approach to what turned out to be fineline work. They were great. Anyway, the
problem had to do with a tractor."
The glitch occurred when 'somehow'
the tractor buried itself in a fairway while
the Charles River crew staked out new
routes (away from the fairways) for cart
paths, in the end, it took Scott and his
staff two days to straighten out that mess
continued
.MÛâLAjAiMAMûAd^IlLiA^LiL,

on page 2

Page

4

IéììAMAÌMIÌAHÌ

PRESIDENT
Robert DiRico, C G C S
3 2 6 Fuller Street, W e s t N e w t o n , M A 0 2 1 6 5
617-527-6968
Fax 6 1 7 - 5 2 7 - 0 0 6 9
Brae B u m Country Club
VICE PRESIDENT
K e v i n F. O s g o o d
14 Inman Lane, Foxborough, M A 02035
617-630-1950
Fax 6 1 7 - 9 6 9 - 8 7 5 6
N e w t o n C o m m o n w e a l t h Golf C o u r s e
SECRETARY
J a m e s Fitzroy, C G C S
357 W . S q u a n t u m Street, North Quinoy, M A 02171
61 7 - 3 2 8 - 1 7 7 6
Fax 6 1 7 - 3 2 8 - 9 4 7 9
Presidents Golf C o u r s e
TREASURER
Robert Ruszala
69 Gelinas Drive, C h i c o p e e , M A 0 1 0 2 0
41 3 - 2 5 6 - 8 6 5 4
Fax 41 3 - 5 9 2 - 0 1 2 0
Hickory Ridge Country Club
TRUSTEE
Michael Nagle, CGCS
51 L i n c o l n A v e n u e , H o l d e n , M A 0 1 5 2 0
508-853-6574
Fax 5 0 8 - 8 5 6 - 7 1 7 0
Worcester Country Club
TRUSTEE
David C o m e e
65 M a r q u e t t e Street, Gardner, M A 0 1 4 4 0
978-297-1223
Fax 9 7 8 - 2 9 7 - 0 9 1 1
The W i n c h e n d o n School Country Club
TRUSTEE
A r t h u r Sllva, C G C S
35 Pennacook Road, Tewksbury, M A 01701
781 -484-5360
Fax 781 - 4 8 4 - 8 3 2 1
Belmont Country Club
FINANCE CHAIRMAN
J a m e s B. C o n a n t , C G C S
6 3 9 S o u t h Street, Plttsfleld, M A 0 1 2 0 2
41 3 - 4 4 7 - 8 5 0 6
Fax 41 3 - 4 4 7 - 8 5 0 2
C o u n t r y C l u b of Plttsfleld
GOLF C H A I R M A N
M i c h a e l J. H e r m a n s o n
100 Eaton Street, Gardner, M A 0 1 4 4 0
978-632-2713
Fax 9 7 8 - 6 3 2 - 2 0 2 9
G a r d n e r Municipal Golf C o u r s e
EDUCATION CHAIRMAN
M i c h a e l V. lacono, C G C S
42 N e w t o n Street, Weston, M A 0 2 1 9 3
781-899-7913
Fax 7 8 1 - 6 4 7 - 0 6 0 2
Pine Brook Country Club
NEWSLETTER CHAIRMAN
W a y n e F. L a C r o i x , C G C S
97 Gould Road, Andover, M A 01810
978-475-6638
Fax 9 7 8 - 4 7 5 - 9 4 8 8
Andover Country Club
PAST PRESIDENT
E d w a r d L. B r e a r l e y
189 Matfield Street, W e s t Bridgewater, M A 0 2 3 7 9
508-584-6568
Fax 5 0 8 - 5 8 3 - 0 9 7 8
D a h n Tlbbett Professional Golf Services

NEWSLETTER
THE

V—U3

G C S A N E Headquarters - Golf H o u s e
190 Park Road, W e s t o n , M a 0 2 1 9 3
(800) 8 3 3 - 4 4 5 1
Fax (781 ) 8 9 3 - 6 1 3 7
Newsletter Editor . . . W a y n e L a C r o I x , C G C S
Contributing Editor
Gerry Finn
Business Manager
Robert Ruszala
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 m a y b e
u s e d f r e e l y , in w h o l e o r in p a r t , w i t h o u t s p e c i a l
p e r m i s s i o n a s l o n g a s t h e t r u e c o n t e x t is m a i n t a i n e d . W e w o u i d a p p r e c i a t e a c r e d i t line.

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continued, from page 1
and repair the damage. But such are the
fortunes of restoration.
On-course restoring also had to do
with expanding greens and retracing
the makeup of several tees. It seems
that World War II had a hand in some
of the scarring of the Ross original.
Because of financial cutbacks and labor
shortages during the war, greens were
made smaller to facilitate proper maintenance. Expanding greens was another
part of the restoration picture.
Charles River members let tolerance
and patience be their guides through the
heavy restoration period. They played
the course without relying on normal
conditions, which is to say ali bunkers
were out of play. They even had the sense
to use a special "bunkeriess handicap
system" to pull them through tournament
play while the bunkers were under
restorative assault.
"I think one of the key factors in
bringing this to a successful conciusion
was the great rapport between the club
green committee and the membership,"
Reynolds noted. "They had to be in tune
with each other. Aiso, another comforting
factor was the effective working relationship between the Michael Drake Company
and my staff. They were always on the
same page. Everything had to fall in
place and it did."
The results of the project were
well-received by the Charles River membership. Many supported the financial outlay
because they wanted the "best" when it
came to course conditions, appearance,
and Donald Ross originality. They had to

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Tfe

Puzzle

L o o k up, d o w n , f o r w a r d ,
b a c k w a r d , a n d diagonally t o
find e a c h o f t h e f o l l o w i n g
courses that hosted a meeting
o r t o u r n a m e n t this y e a r :
Andover
B l u e Hills
Brae Burn
Cohasset
Dean junior College
Eastward H o
J u n i p e r Hill
Longmeadow
Pine B r o o k
Tedesco
Walpole
Wlllowbend
Winchester

bite the financial bullet and continue
to do so.
"Keeping the cost down is tough,"
Reynolds remarked. "With all the improvements to the golf course and around the
clubhouse areas, I find that I need two
more people to maintain the course and
grounds. For example, before restoration
it took 130 hours to maintain our
bunkers. After restoration, that figure
is up to 170. Quality comes with a price
and I think our members realize that."
As for Scott, the project has been
somewhat of a strain ("my golf game is
gone," he moans) because of its enormous
impact on his job responsibilities. "I
couldn't go home and forget it," he said.
"But, it's self-rewarding. I live on the
property, so part of the course is my
home. Now, if I look real long and hard,
I can almost see Donald Ross creating his
masterpiece. It happens to every Donald
Ross course superintendent, doesn't it?"
GERKY FINN

Calendar
January ¡4

GCSANE Annual Meeting
Woodland Golf Club
Newton, Mass.
Supt. - Dave Mucciarone

February 19

GCSANE Monthly Meeting
Thorny Lea Golf Club
Whitman. Mass.
Supt. - Joseph L. Rybka, CGCS

March 25

GCSANE Monthly Meeting
Pleasant Valley Country Club
Sutton, Mass.
Supt. - Randy Kehres, CGCS

.il J xl iii.j.i jtii.iiiiJ

Page 3

ÌHIHHUÌHÌméU

.i.jjtiiiiiJiiilii.jidAiii

The Super Speaks Qui
This m&nth^s question:
How do you handle layoffs and what are your other remedies
in maintaining an effective winter staff?
L e n Curtin, Lexington Golf Club: "We're
a nine-hole club, a close-knit club. We're
even a 100-year-old club. We have 250
members, but we don't have enough
money to carry a full-time staff year-round.
"Presently, there are three of us on
the payroll around the yearly clock, my
assistant, mechanic, and myself. The
regular crew works out to six people,
from mid-March until late in season or
when we run out of golfing weather.
"We do have a problem, though. Those
three people who work nine months a
year are very valuable in that they are
returnees with much-needed experience. I
can't say enough about being able to get a
restart in the spring with a crew that's
been here before and can get right into
the job of getting the conditioning system
going without a break-in period.
"But the problem is that those three
people aren't guaranteed to return. Worse
yet, this year we had one of them apply
for unemployment compensation. It didn't
set too well with some of our members,
but what's the solution? I want to hire
back the semi-full-timers but I can't.
"There are no permanent ways around
the problem, but I do have the opportunity to use my snow removal money on
the laid off people. That's a help. The
funny thing is that there is plenty of
work to do here in the wintertime.
"The whole arrangement really puts us
in a difficult slot. Besides the six 'almost'
full-timers, 1 also hire two more crew
members at the height of the season.
Turns out these also are valuable people.
I try to keep in touch with them after
they're laid off by seeking jobs at other
places of business, and I also make sure
I bring them back as soon as possible.
"Right now (mid-November) our course
work consists of preparing for spring, putting on greens covers (after Thanksgiving)
and the horrendous, ongoing job of leaf
cleanup. The ideal situation would be a
full boatload of experienced help when
spring rolls around. Maybe some day?"
•liJiiiiLljti

E r i c Brox, Hickory Hill Golf Course:
"I've always concentrated on getting
along with my crew and making
every effort to see that they enjoy the
atmosphere and conditions here. I treat
them as well as I can because I go by
the old saying that suggests that a
happy crew is an efficient crew.
"We're an 18-hole, daily fee course,
and the theme is to get as many people
around the course as possible. That also
means keeping the course in a condition
that attracts the fee-paying players.
"I run between eight and 12 people
on the staff during the summer. Then
I gradually lay off crew members until
we get down to the winter full-time
group of my assistant, mechanic, and
myself.
"Remember, the downsizing is
gradual and I keep as many as I can
on the payroll until we run out of
golfing weather. That's usually around
Christmas. Right now (November) we're
still getting play and I'm down to six
people. That's not bad when you think
of it. However, I like to keep everybody
working all of the time.
"Some of the laid off people get
unemployment benefits. That is understandable because of the circumstances.
But I'm fortunate in a way because so far
I've had four laid off workers return in
the three years I've been here.
"Overall, I've also been lucky keeping
the nucleus of my help. Some of my crew
have been here six years. That's the key
to conditioning success. It's much easier
when we don't have to train new people
every year . The more returnees the
easier it is on the superintendent and
the golf course."
B o b Matthews, Marshfield Country
Club: Some of the golf clubs in New
England are going with the idea that a
core of experienced people is necessary
to get the new golf season into swing

without a maintenance hitch. We're
one of them.
"I'm able to keep seven people working full-time, year-round. That's on a
regular 40-hour week basis. The fulltimers include myself, my first assistant,
second assistant, mechanic, and three
grounds men.
"This eliminates getting a staff lined
up in time to get the regular maintenance
program rolling at high gear around
March 15. The only way you can do
that is to be assured your experienced
workers will be on hand when those
vital conditioning times of spring hit
the course.
"Oh, there's plenty to do for the
seven guys here year-round. The big job
of winter is getting the equipment ready
for another season. Here, we have the
luxury of having people familiar with
that equipment when it comes time to
steam-clean it and get it ready to be
overhauled. On that score I'd like to
report that 99 percent of our overhauling
work is done in-house. That's a pretty
good rate of doing the work yourself.
"The other off-season chores include
closing down the irrigation system, covering select greens, and battling the leaves.
The latter is an ongoing proposition.
There always seem to be leaves that
need clearing.
"Our membership likes to keep golf a
year-round sport just as much as I like to
have year-round help. We accommodate
them as best we can, allowing them to use
regular greens as long as conditions make
that feasible.
"I do offer a few part-time winter jobs,
mostly to high school kids who put in
three-hour shifts (no overtime scheduled)
for shoveling snow and using a small
snowthrower. But, as I said before,
the key to a successful getaway on the
maintenance trail is to have that hard
core of experienced workers ready to give
it the big push come spring."
GERRY FINN

M"

Page 4
.lUiiiiL.ljdiiUAlxiL.ljdil.itiii.iiKlAiii.iHki.iiJiiaL^aiHit.iii.ijdii.i

Research Report

Turfgrass

Nematode

by Robert L. Wick,
Department
of
Microbiology,
University of
Massachusetts
(SubmittedJan.
(Part IV, V, and

29,

1997)

Conclusion)

IV. Effect of the Plant Growth
Supplement, 3D- on Plant Parasitic
Nematodes.

Iniroduetiotis It is becoming increasingly important to find alternatives to
organophosphate nematicides for use
in turf. Due to concerns for the environment, and public awareness in general,
rates of these nematicides have been
reduced. Also, due to the potential risk to
the applicator, there is reluctance among
some golf course superintendents to apply
nematicides. Safer alternative materials
that would reduce nematode populations
below damaging levels would be of great
benefit to the golf industry. The plant
growth supplement 3D has been shown to
reduce Hoplolaimus nematodes in greenhouse trials. Based on these findings, 3D
was trialed in 1995 and again in 1996 on
the same plots.
Methods: Quaboag Country Club
in Monson, Mass. was selected because
of a history of high populations of
Tylenchorhynchus (stunt) nematodes,
and a moderate population of Hoplolaimus (lance) nematodes. On Green #5,
15 plots were established. Plots were
6'x6' and completely randomized. There
were three treatments replicated five
times. Treatments consisted of one
application of Nemacur, seven applications of 3D, and an untreated (water)
control. Nemacur was applied once at
the rate of 2.3 lbs./l,000 sq. ft. 3D was
applied at the rate of 2.3 oz. a.i./l.OOO sq.
ft. for each of eight applications. The first
application of Nemacur and 3D was on
May 31; six subsequent applications of
3D were on June 13 & 28, July 11 & 25,
August 8 & 22, and September 15.
Stunt, lance, and needle nematodes were
monitored, but due to low populations
of needle nematodes, only stunt and
lance populations are reported here.

Studies

On October 3, 1996, root dry weight
was assessed for each treatment by removing five 1/4" cores from each plot.
Resells and Discussion: Stunt populations started out the season very high;
approximately 3,000/100 cc of soil. The
control plots had stunt populations of
about 3,700 by June 28 while the 3D
and Nemacur plots slowly declined during
the course of the year. Nemacur resulted
in a significant reduction in nematodes
compared to the control, but the difference ended by August as the populations
declined. Lance nematode populations
remained relatively stable over the season
except for a dip in the Nemacur treatment
on July 28. No conclusions can be drawn
from the lance population data because
the numbers at the beginning of the
season were not equal. The data indicate
that Nemacur resulted in a drop in stunt
nematodes, but the suppression was
short lived.
Root dry weights were significantly
greater for the untreated controls than for
the Nemacur or 3D treatments. It is likely
that five cores per plot is not a statistically
valid number of subsamples to carry out a
reliable assessment.

V. Effect of the Biocontrol Agent
Diterar on Nematodes.

Introduction: Ditera is a biocontrol
agent derived from the fungus
Myrothecium. The product is a fermentation product rather than a living fungus.
It has shown very promising results in
the field for plant pathogenic nematodes
of vegetable crops.
Methods: A putting green in South
Hadley, Mass., was chosen for the trial
because of a relatively high population of
Hoplolaimus. Data was also collected for
Tylenchorhynchus, Criconemelia and
Longidorus. The turf was a mixture of
annual bluegrass and bentgrass. The
putting green, approximately 70 years
old, was built on native clay soil, with
an upper layer of 3-4" of sandy soil.
Mechanical analysis of the top 4" of soil
demonstrate it to be 83.6% sand, 11.9%
silt, and 4.5% clay. USDA criteria would
classify the soil as a loamy coarse sand
based on the sand subfractions. Plots

s9ê

0

Part IS

were 6'x6', six replications per treatment,
and completely randomized. The treatments consisted of: (1) no treatment;
(2) Nemacur at 2.3 lbs./l,000 sq. ft;
(3) Myrothecium WP at 100 Ibs./A; and
(4) Myrothecium WP at 50 Ibs./A.
Applications were made on June 10, 1996.
Ten subsamples per plot were taken at
each harvest date, bulked, and extracted.
Nematodes were recovered by wet
sieving/sugar flotation and identified
to genus. The data were subjected to
a one-way analysis of variance and a
test of LSD.
Results and Discussion: Results for
Criconemelia suggest that Ditera and
Nemacur showed activity starting about
August 1. However, the data should be
ignored because ring populations are
typically very clumped in distribution to
the extent that the number of subsamples
taken per plot could not provide a reliable
estimation of the population.
For Hoplolaimus, the only significant
differences in treatments were between Nemacur and the half rate of Myrothecium
on August 1 and August 29. At this time,
the half rate of Ditera was significantly
greater than the Nemacur treatment.
I suspect this was an artifact of uneven
nematode distribution rather than a
stimulation of the population by the
product. The full rate of Ditera appears
to have suppressed Hoplolaimus,
although the differences were not statistically significant. For Longidorus, the only
significant difference occurred on August
29 where Nemacur resulted in a higher
population than the other treatments.
These numbers (of Longidorus) are rather
low, and I was surprised to see a statistical separation. I am inclined to believe
it is an artifact. Tylenchorhynchus
populations appear to be suppressed by
the Nemacur but no statistical differences
were seen. This is most likely due to the
low numbers and plot to plot variation.
Ditera has promise as a nematicide and
should be trialed again. One reason for
the lack of significant control may be the
fact that the 40-micron particles have
difficulties moving into the turf. Next year,
continued on page 5
à

PageS
UitáwiüQM

.liiiiiliililli.iüLil,,

GCSANE News
€€

Remember whenTb Looking at ^CSÂNE's past

Remember when? looks at significant
events and individuals of GCSANE's past

25 years ago
Waterbury C.C. superintendent and
GCSAA official Charles Baskin reports
that some headway has been made in
effecting an adequate national retirement
program for association members.
"We're trying to encourage a plan
which includes transferable vested rights,"
Baskin reported to a GCSANE gathering
after an appearance before the House
Ways and Means Committee in Washington. "I've heard of many cases where a
man left a job with six months left to go
on his vested rights requirement. And he
wound up losing it all. We have to avoid
this, since we are apt to move out of a job
three or four times in a career." Baskin
added that he'll continue to lobby for
transferable vested rights in an attempt to
bring security into the overview of the
golf course superintendents' profession.
15 years ago
One of the giants of the golf course
equipment industry was remembered as a
true friend of the superintendent after the
death of Orville Clapper at the age of 87.
Clapper, who founded the the New
England Toro Company in Newton, served
the maintenance wing of golf for 53 years,
continuing the tradition of his father,
John Samuel Clapper, who was founder
of the original Toro Manufacturing
Company. "I can't ever remember Orville

Turfgrass Nematode

Study

continued from page 4
I propose to use the EC formulation and
inject the material into the root zone.

VI. Concluding Remarks.

1. A single application of Nemacur in
mid-April was effective in reducing cyst
nematodes. The second applications did
not result in benefits during 1996.
However, the benefits probably will not
be known until 1997. These plots will
be monitored in 1997, (no additional
nematicide will be used).
2. The root-knot control studies
were not conclusive; however the June

approaching me with an idea that would
not benefit my operation in the end,"
retired super Phil Cassidy said. "He was
interested in our profession, not from just
a sales standpoint but from a genuine
feeling for and understanding of the many
problems we faced. He would have
considered himself a close friend even if
he'd sold me only one coupling."
Among the winners of November
golfing events on the GCSANE agenda
were Brian Cowan (low gross), Doug
Johnson (low net) and Max Mierzwa (2nd
low net) in regular play at Needham, plus
Kip Tyler and Billy Ziobro of the Salem

Friend of the Association Profile

Country Club, who waxed the field in the
pro-super championship at Brae Burn.
5 years ago
GCSAA president William Roberts, in a
letter to GCSANE research chairman Chip
Brearley, commended the New England
group for being the first national affiliated
chapter to commit financial support to the
GCSAA study of pesticide exposure.
"If more chapters, corporations, and
individuals follow the example you've set,
we will be capable of doing tremendous
work that will benefit our profession for
decades to come," Roberts wrote.
GERRY FINN

Meet Irrigation Management & Services
Irrigation Management & Services was
established in 1989. Bob Healey entered
the irrigation consultant field with 22
years in golf course maintenance and
irrigation. He has been an assistant superintendent, a sales/design engineer for a
distributor, and an irrigation contractor.
Bob was certified by the Irrigation
Association in 1985 for commercial design
and in 1986 for golf course irrigation
design, and has been a Professional
Member of the American Society of
Irrigation Consultants (ASIC) since 1986.
He has been a Friend and Affiliate Member of the GCSANE since 1989, a member
of the GCSAA since 1992, and a member
of the Donald Ross Society since 1995.

He received his degree in mechanical
engineering in 1974.
IMS specializes in developing irrigation
reference manuals and developing
strategies for future upgrades and master
planning. These manuals, typically 160180 page reports, note existing conditions,
soil intake rates and precipitation rates,
locate all heads and valves, and make
recommendations and conclusions.
This unique and extensive background
of design, education, supplies, construction, maintenance, and operations in the
golf and irrigation field enables IMS to
offer a rare combination for system
evaluation, consulting, and irrigation
design to the golf course superintendent.

application of Nemacur appeared to
suppress the nematode. These plots will
be used to evaluate the biocontrol agent
Ditera in 1997.
3. Steinernema riobravis, formulated
as Vector, did not result in a reduction in
nematodes in 1995 or 1996. Nemacur
controlled stunt nematodes in these trials.
4. Eight applications of the plant
growth supplement, 3D did not result
in suppression of stunt and lance
nematodes. Nemacur suppressed stunt
nematodes.
5. The biocontrol agent Ditera showed
promising results against stunt nematodes
at the higher rate. This product will be

trialed again in 1997. The product would
probably work better if injected into the
turf. It is also possible that several applications would provide better control.
Acknowledgments: I thank the Golf
Course Superintendents Association of
New England and Abbot Laboratories
for financial support. Also, thanks to
cooperators Randy Martin, Robert
Nielsen, Andy Gay, Dave Bergeron, Mark
Williams, Shawn Fernandez, Kevin Killoy,
and Jeff Butler. Thanks also to Truth
Nissembaum and Nathaniel Mitkowski
for helping to collect samples, and for
working long hours in the lab extracting
and identifying nematodes.

Page 6
nUlhiLUiU

GCSAA News
i s C S Â Â

m o n i t o r s

ú

r « g ( g

T h e theory that pesticides cause breast
cancer was debunked in an important
new study published in the prestigious
New England Journal of Medicine. Government action, especially in New York, was
prompted in recent years by smaller
studies that made a link between breast
cancer and pesticides. The author of a
study often cited by activists was involved
in the latest research. A summary is available on the Internet at www.nejm.org/
public/1997/0337/001 8 / 1 3 0 3 / l . h t m .
EPA and state environmental commissioners have agreed to place more emphasis
on environmental outcomes than on the
level of government activities in evaluating results of their programs. A single set
of core performance standards for measuring collective environmental and program
progress was agreed on by EPA and the
Environmental Council of the States.
Environmental crimes would be
easier to prosecute under legislation
recently unveiled by the Clinton Administration. The bill would increase penalties

o f

l e g i s l a t i v e ,

for environmental crimes, provide heavier
punishments when an environmental
crime causes death or serious injury, and
allow prosecution of an entity that
attempts an environmental crime but is
stopped before the act is committed.
The availability of some organophospfaates (OPs) would be jeopardized if the
EPS follows the recommendations of the
International Life Sciences Institute. The
Institute told EPA all 39 OPs should be
considered together in one "risk cup"
when the "cumulative exposure" risk determination is made during the tolerance
review process required under FQPA.
Under the law, some product uses would
have to be eliminated by manufacturers if
the total aggregate risk is too high.
Pesticide manufacturers will pay 3 5
percent more for annual product registrations with EPA beginning in 1998. The
charge for the first registration will
go from $700 to $950, and subsequent
registration fees will rise from $1,400 to
$1,900, authorized by the 1996 FQPA.

DIVOT
DRIFT...announcements...educational
...tournament
results...and miscellaneous
MEMBERSHIP
Proposed for Membership: Terrance P. Baker,
Superintendent, Cohasse C.C.; Kevin P. Congdon,
Assistant Superintendent, Cohasse C.C.; Steve
Mollieux, Assistant Superintendent, Easton C.C.
Welcome New Members: Geoffery D. Houghton,
Superintendent, Agawam Municipal G.C.*; Donald
Neil, Superintendent, Hemmingford Golf & C.C.;
Donald T. Nunes. Superintendent Chicopee C.C.;
Stephen G. Cadenelli, Superintendent, Cape Cod
National G.C.; Carl. A. Oliveira, Assistant Superintendent. Andover C.C.; Timothy Hanrahan,
Assistant Superintendent, South Shore C.C.; The
F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Co., Friend, Beverly
Farms, Mass.; Tom Cottens, Affiliate, Cavicchio
Greenhouses; Fred Green, Affiliate, Cavicchio
Greenhouses; and Paul Cavicchio, Affiliate, Cavicchio Greenhouses. (* Pending GCSAA dual
membership requirements being met.)

MEETING

NOTES

Thanks to Richard F r e n c h for hosting the
GCSANE November meeting. He and the staff at
Longmeadow C.C. provided us with a wonderful
golf course.

c o u r t ,

&

o g e n c y

a c t i v i t y

The use of agricultural pesticides has
increased slightly while use of pesticides
in homes and businesses has decreased,
according to the EPA. Pesticide Industry
Sales and Usage - 1994 and 1995 Market
Estimates is available on EPA's web site
at http://www.epa.gov/ pesticides.
EPA's widely publicized Index of
Watershed Indicators is available to the
public on the Internet at http:/www.epa.
gov/surf/lwi. The site has received much
hype by the agency, but contains little useful information. The index has information
on water quality assessments and water
sources for watersheds nationwide.
The Outdoor Power Equipment
Institute (OPEI) has obtained an exemption under Phase I emission standards
for "replacement" engines to fit used lawn
equipment. All small gasoline engines
made after Sept. 1, 1997 must be certified
for Phase ! emission standards. Manufacturers can produce a small number of
uncertified replacement engines if they
meet conditions set forth by EPA.

seminars...job
opportunities
items of interest to the
membership.

Thanks again to Robert DiRico and the staff at
Brae Burn C.C. for hosting the GCSANE October
meeting.
We Want You! If you would like to host a monthly
GCSANE meeting, please call Michael Hermanson
at (508) 632-2713. We need member input, participation, and support. We're here to serve all our
members, not just a select few. Get involved.

INFORMATION
20% discount. Ann Arbor Press (121 South Main
St., Chelsea, Ml 48118; Phone: (313) 475-8787;
Fax: (313) 475-8852) is offering a 20% discount to
our members on the following books: Destructive
Turfgrass Insects: Biology, Diagnosis, and Control, by Daniel A. Potter, U. of Kentucky (retail:
$65); Turfgrass Management Information Directory, 2nd edition, edited by Dr. Keith Karnok
(retail: $34 95); IPM Handbook for Golf Courses,
by Gail Schumann, Patricia J. Vittum, Monica L.
Elliott, and Patricia P. Cobb (retail: $54.95).
The budget meeting for nine-hole golf courses
will be held Jan. 15, 1998, 9 a.m., at Whitinsville
G.C. If you plan on attending or want more information contact Paul Wilson at (508) 234-2533.

The Pesticide Disclosure Act, Senate Bill 1062,
has been changed to Senate Bill 1886.

POSITIONS

AVAILABLE

Golf Course Superintendent. Agawam Municipal
G.C., Agawam, Mass., is seeking a golf course
superintendent. A two or four-year degree in turfgrass management or related field is preferred.
Seeking a highly motivated individual with a minimum of three years of experience as assistant or
superintendent. Responsible for maintenance of
golf course, equipment, capital improvements of
course properties, budget, and purchasing. A competitive compensation and benefits package
including retirement is available. Mail/fax resume
to: Personnel Office, Town of Agawam, 36 Main
St., Agawam, MA 01001; Fax: (413) 786-9927.
Application deadline Jan. 10, 1998.
A s s i s t a n t Golf C o u r s e S u p e r i n t e n d e n t .
Wachusett C.C., West Boylston, Mass., is seeking
an assistant superintendent. Applicants must have
three to five years golf course maintenance, a two
or four-year degree in turf management, and be
certified as a pesticide applicator in category 37
(turf). Send resume to: Matthew Marrone, Superintendent, Wachusett C.C., 187 Prospect Street,
West Boylston, MA 01583.

Page

Please patronize these FRIENDS of the ASSOCIATION
Advanced Agronomic Services, Inc.
91 Day St., Leominster, MA 01453
Deep-tine aerification, core aerification,
overseeding, and irrigation services.
Jim Favreau - (978) 840-0432

A-OK Turf Equipment

Country Golf, Inc.

4852 Westchester Dr., Traverse City, Ml 49684
Golf course construction & reconstruction;
specialists in Donald Ross courses.
Jerry Deemer - (616) 947-5751

Dougias Equipment Corp.

9 Leuba Road, Coventry, Rl 02816
New England Articulator dealer,
Greens Groomer Brush, & used equipment.
Mike Cornlcelli - (401) 826-2584

90 Dougias Pike, Smithfield, Rl 02917
John Deere golf & turf equipment dealer
Paul T. Surabian, Pres.; Allen Vadala, Sales Rep.
(401) 232-3700

AA Will Materials Corporation

Michael Drake Constuction, Inc.

168 Washington St., Stoughton, MA 02072
Top dressing & bunker sand, loam, decorative
stone, & landscape materials. Est. 1886.
Frank Will, Dan Graziano, Kevin LaPorte
1-800-4-AAWILL

Aor-Evo U.S.A. Co.

Wilmington, Delaware
David Sylvester - (203) 828-8905

Agriturf, inc.

59 Dwight St., Hatfield, MA 01038
Fertilizer, seed, and chemicals for turf.
1-800-346-5048

Aliens Seed Store, Inc.

Specializing In quality seed and related
golf course maintenance supplies.
Gregg Allen-(401) 294-2722
(car phone-(508) 577-1001)

Baker Golf Cars

40 Walker St., Swansea, MA 02777
Steve Founier, Doug Hooper
(508) 379-0092

Bartiett Tree Experts

153 Rumford Ave., Newton, MA 02166
Consulting, planning, IPM MoniTor®, pruning,
fertilization, & plant appraisal
Jack Kelly - (617) 969-5990

Bay State Organic / MWRA

100 First Ave., Charlestown Navy Yard
Boston, MA 02129
Manufacturer & supplier of dry organic fertilizers
Amy Barad - (617) 241-6261

Bayer Corporation

118 Ellery Ave., Mlddletown, Rl 02842
Baylaton, Merit, Dylox, Tempo, Nemacur.
Brad Herman-(401) 846-3515;
FAX (401) 846-8012

The Borden Company

Maynard, MA
Bulk limestone dealer.
Jack Borden - (978) 897-2571

Boston irrigation Company

240 Walnut Street, Framingham, MA 01701
Golf course reconstruction; professional shaper,
Michael Drake - (508) 875-8247

Elanco Products Company

31 Old Town Trail, Narragansett, Rl 02882
Bob S c o t t - ( 4 0 1 ) 376-7290

F.D.I., inc.

(Fairway Design Illustration)
55 Railroad Ave., Warren, Rl 02885
Custom granite signs & markers.
Joseph K. Martin, Robert Page
(401) 245-7890 or 1-800-358-8337

Gold Star Wholesale Nursery
& Sod Farm
Bill Thompson
Lexington, M A - ( 7 8 1 ) 861-1111
Canterbury, N H - ( 6 0 3 ) 783-4717

The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.

P. O. Box 9169, Weathersfield, CT 06109
Roy Sibley, Dick Gurski
1-800-326-HART

Hartney Greymont

433 Chestnut St., Needham, MA 02192
Tree care, landscape consruction. consulting.
Mark J. T o b l n - ( 7 8 1 ) 444-1227

Lycott Environmental Research, Inc.

65 Glenn St., Lawrence, MA 01843
Bob Brown, Larry Bunn, Mike Hannigan,
Frank Hlggins, John Lenhart
(978) 682-9296

D.L. i a h e r Co.

Scotts Pro-Turf Div.

Box 127, Concord St., N. Reading 01864
Water supply specialists; water wells &
pumping equipment.
(978) 933-3210

Mike Peterson, Regional Director
Randy Hamilton - (508) 528-4642
Richard Foml-(413) 534-8896

McNulty Construction Corp.

P.O. Box 2, Slocum, Rl 02877
Matt Faherty, Pat Hogan
Bluegrass/Fescue, Bluegrass/Rye,
Bluegrass/Fescue/Rye, Bentgrass
1-800-341-6900

19 Turner Rd., P.O. Box 3218
Framingham, MA 01701
Asphalt paving of cart paths, walkways,
and parking areas.
John McNulty-(508) 879-8875

Meco Environmental, Inc.

1119 Washington St., Weymouth, MA 02189
Installation of UST/AST, pump/tank upgrades,
and oil/water separator Installation.
Greg Murphy - (781) 331-6446

Modem Aeration Service, Snc.

212 Kendrick St., Newton, MA 02158
Featuring water injection aeration.
Kevin Osgood-(617) 630-1950

Modern Tractor & Truck Service, Inc.

400 Pine St., Seekonk, MA 02771
Holliston sand/loam topdressing mixture,
1/2" or 1/8" screened loam, underground tank
removal, Convault aboveground fuel tank.
Steven S. Howitt - (508) 761-5554

R.F. Morse & Sons, Inc.

W. Wareham, MA 02576
Larry Anshewitz, Jack Cronln, Christopher Cowan
(508) 295-1553

Nardone Sand & Gravel Co., Inc.

(617) 648-2351 or (508) 428-3022

37 Power Rd., Westford, MA 01886
Topdressing sand 8 mixes, bunker sands,
root-zone mixes, loam, cart path materials,
drainage stone.
Greg Frederick - (978) 692-8221,
(781) 648-6222

irrigation Management & Services

Novartis Turf & Ornamental

International Golf Construction Co.

5 Purcell Rd., Arlington, MA 02174
Golf course construction.
Antonlos Paganls

21 Lakevlew Ave., Natick, MA 01760-4252
Irrigation consultation, design & system
evaluation.
Bob Heaiey, ASIC, CID - (508) 653-0625

394 Monson Tpk. Road, Ware, MA 01082
Novartis Specialty Products
David Ravel-(413) 967-6745

11B A St., Burlington, MA
Jack Petersen, Wayne Ripley, Dennis Frlel
Paul Skafas, Chris Petersen
1-800-582-5959

Kelsey Part, Great Meadows, NJ 07838
Heat treated top-dressing, golf hole targets,
turf blankets, and other specialty golf supplies.
Jim Kelsey - 1-800-247-2326, (908) 637-4191

Ken Jones Tire Co.

P.I.E. Supply Co.

Tom irwin, ins,

Psrtae Golf Course Top-Dressing

Dedham, MA
Distributor, Irrigation supplies & accessories.
John Ramey, Paul Kenyon, Robert Barbati
(781) 461-1560

Worcester, MA
Distributor of tires for lawn & garden, trucks,
cars, Industrial equipment, and golf carts.
Gerry Jones - (508) 755-5255

For your irrigation needs; dedicated to sales
and service ot quality irrigation equipment.
Greg Aibanese - (617) 964-8533 (phone/fax)

The Cardinals, Inc.

Landmark Construction

Complete deep-tine and hydro-injection services,
custom fertilizer and pesticide applications,
fairway aeration, and top dressing operations.
Scott McCoy - (978) 777-1663

166 River Rd., P. O. Box 520
Unlonville, CT 06085
Golf course & landscape supplies.
John Callahan - (203) 673-3699

Cavicchio Greenhouses, Inc.

110 Codjer Lane, Sudbury, MA 01776
Grower of annuals, perennials,
garden mums, & ground covers
Darren Young - (978) 443-7177

Cedar Lawn Tree Service, Inc.

42 Chamock St., Beverly, MA 01915
Tee/bunker shaping & remodeling,
cart path work, drainage, tree planting,
6 landscape construction our specialty.
Daniel Champion - (978) 927-5052

Larchmont Eng. & Irrig. Co.

Larchmont Lane, Lexington, MA 02173
Keith Savage-(781) 862-2550

Lazaro's Golf Course Accessories

32 Nickerson Road, Ashland, MA 01721
Pruning, fertilization, removal,
8. professional care.
William P. Maley - (508) 881-2622

dba Hammond Paint & Chem. Co., Inc.
738 Main St., Suite 223, Waltham, MA 02154
Joseph Lazaro - (781) 647-3361

Geoffrey S. Cornish & Brian Siiva

20005 Lake Rd., Rocky River, OH 44116
Ron Tumiski, Mike Donohue
1-800-321-5325

Golf Course Architects
Fiddlers Green, Amherst, MA 01002

Country Club Enterprises, inc.

P. 0. Box 820, Cataumet, MA 02534
Club Car golf cars, Carryall utility vehicles.
Steve Butier, Dave Farina, Ed Maguire
(800) 662-2585

LESCO, inc.

loft's Seed

22 Lantern Lane, Exeter, Rl 02822
Victoria Wallace - 1 -800-648-7333

Sawtelie Bros.

600 Charlton St., Southbridge, MA 01550
Environmental consulting services: lake &
pond management, wetland studies, site
assessments, 8, laboratory analysis.
Lee Lyman, president- 1-800-462-8211

Prescription Turf Services, Inc.

Pro-Lawn Products, inc.

24 Johnathan Rd., W. Greenwich, Rl 02817
Specializing in turf 8 ornamental needs.
(401) 397-8880

Read Sand & Gravel, inc.

171 VFW Dr., Rockland, MA 02370
Topdressing, root-zone mixes, bunker sand,
3/4 8 3/8 screened loams, cart path
materials, mulch, drainage stone.
Joe Farina- 1-800-660-2955

J.P. Roberts Co.

Technical resource catalog; survey-weathertesting-measurement 8 diagnostic equipment.
Barbara Plantedosl - (508) 456-6886

Sani-Mate Supply, Inc.

88 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, MA
Distributor, Karcher hot high pressure equipment
8 bulk detergents, sales, service, rentals
Barry Hackett - (508) 752-8888

Sodco, Inc.

Sports Club Management

104 Wyman Rd., Braintree, MA 02184
Hazcom and right-to-know compliance
Implementation.
Ron S m i t h - ( 7 8 1 > 848-5978

Dahn Tibbeti
Professional Golf Services

d/b/a/Weed & Feed. Inc.
20 Clark Lane, Marshfield, MA 02050
Specialists in golf course construction and
irrigation Installation. We also offer a wire
tracing service.
(781) 837-3503

Tee anil Green Sod, inc.

Exeter, Rl 02822
Bentgrass, Bluegrass and Blue/Fescue sod.
Dave Wallace, Robin Hayes
(401) 789-8177

Tuckanoe Turf Farms, Inc.
Richmond, Rl
Chris Beasley- 1-800-556-6985

Turf Enhancement Enterprises

Featuring Fioratine Products, Precision Small
Engine Co. & Trion Lifts.
Tom Fox-(508) 865-9150

TurfNet Associates, inc.

21 Brandywine Road, Skiliman, NJ 08558
Communication, information, market intelligence.
Peter L. McCormick - 1-800-314-7929

Tur! Products Carp.

157 Moody Road, Enfield, CT 06082
Distributors of Toro irrigation and maintenance
equipment, lightning detection systems, and
other golf-related products.
Irrigation products: Tim Berge & Palmer Whitney;
Commercial products: Ed Fallow, Rick Moulton,
Mike Turner, & John Winskowicz; (860) 763-3581

Turf Specialty, Inc.

15 Londonderry Rd., Londonderry, NH 03053
Turf & ornamental supplies.
Scott Mackintosh, Kevin Lyons,
Dave Schermerhorn, John Lensing
1-800-228-6656

United Horticultural Supply

P.O.Box 7, Sodus, NY 14551
Fertilizer, seed, chemicals, and IPM.
Glen Larabee - (508) 223-4931
Bruce Chapman - (401) 885-5245

Varney Bros. Sand, Gravel & Concrete
Bellingham, MA
Concrete golf cart paths.
Kenneth Mooradian - 1-800-441-7373

Winfield Nursery

1320 Mountain Rd., Suffleld, CT 06109
Wholesale nursery trees & shrubs.
Jeff Rogers

Philip Wogan & George F. Sargent, Jr.

Golf Course Architects
17 Walker Rd., Topsfleld, MA 01983
(978) 887-3672

Zip Type Service

50 Kent St., Newburyport, MA 01950
Design, printing, mailing, advertising specialties.
Sheila Johnson - (978) 462-9358

4

Page

4
LiiiLijdlLiUliiiLijdli.iUli.iHliiii.i,^

Host Superintendent Profile

Meet

tost

superintendent Wayne LaCroix, Andover

T h e host superintendent for our meeting
in December was Wayne LaCroix of
Andover Country Club, Andover, Mass.
Like many superintendents, Wayne
began his turf career early in life, playing
in the dirt. As a happy toddler, Wayne
merrily re-shaped the earth with bucket,
shovel, and spoon, little realizing that he
was building the foundation for his future.
While still a young boy, he learned
that there was more to frolicking in
the dirt than just making mudpies.
He learned that grass grows in it. This
revelation spurred him on to even

greater discoveries about the delicate
relationships between earth, sun, wind,
and water - indeed, the physical world
upon which all life depends.
However, his route to becoming a
golf course superintendent was not always
like skipping down a rose-garden path.
Take, for example, his first exposure to
golf. He was riding his bike past a golf
course, and wondered why all those
middle-aged men were rooting through
the bushes on the edge of a beautiful
field, muttering angry, gutteral, onesyllable words he did not understand.
Years later he overcame this initial
negative impression, and in fact came
to embrace the game of golf. He even

CC

learned the language of those middle-aged
men, though today he is simply too nice a
guy to use it.
Later Wayne had to face the grim
reality that if he wanted to continue to
play in the dirt as an adult, he would have
to seek higher education, study hard, and
learn to become a scientist, fortune-teller,
engineer, and personnel manager at the
same time! He did so, and the rest of the
story is still being written in the evolving
natural history of Andover Country Club.
In his spare time, Wayne enjoys eating,
sleeping, and toiling late into the night as
editor of the GCSANE Newsletter.

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