LETTER December 2001 of the Golf Course Superintendents Association @f'New England, in€e wm———mmmKmm Sponsors and administrators of the Troll-Dickinson Scholarship Fund - Awarded yearly to deserving Turf Management Students, d h ^ h b m b i Past president i®m Kirkman Gass apbeat view ©f pr@fessi@maä changes since his '80-'8l tenure Having been tapped as unofficial spokesman for his group, Ron Kirkman, as usual, has a lot to say. His spin-off contemporaries from the ranks of an exclusive band of golf course superintendents (past presidents of G C S A N E ) are in a reactivation mood. They'd like to be heard when it comes to matters concerning the operation "f an association they've helped popularize *d perpetuate. "Oh, we're not trying to take over," Kirkman explained. "That's the last thing we'd want to do. As far as we're able to see, the profession has never been in better hands. The guys running the association do a great job. It's even harder to do than when I was president back in 1980and'8!. "However, some of us feel we've stored a wealth of knowledge as a group. After all, most of us have pretty good track records. It's not a given, but w e may have something to contribute. I'm all for having a meeting of past presidents at least once a year. Something may come out of it. W h o knows?" (The past presidents have scheduled a meeting as part of GCSANE's Annual Meeting in January.) Away from being part of this so-called revival movement, Kirkman has only nice things to say about the state of the profession. "The way I look at it, everything in the association is going well," Ron observed. "It's much more difficult to run things now ' - t a n 20, 30 or 40 years ago. It's simply a more complicated field as part of a more complicated world. There are more issues to address and less time to address them. úMáiiMMÁááLMLúlkimáLÁ^ s Golf is just a busy sport and getting busier all the time. The people in charge are meeting that upswing with quality effort and continuing efficiency. Frankly I like the way we look to the rest of the golf world." Ron Kirkman, Needham G.C. 'Again, everything is bigger and more involved. There are more golf courses and more superintendents. That means there are more members of country clubs, more players on public courses and more problems to solve. It's so sophisticated it's almost a necessity that aspiring supers have at least two years of college before they even think of making a career of golf course maintenance. "It wasn't that way then I was starting out, but nowadays there are just too many responsibilities tied to the superintendent's job for someone to meet without a large dose of formal education. I know a lot of guys think everyone can get along on experience alone, but that's not true. Our group is emphasizing education and I'm with that kind of thinking all the way." Kirkman pointed to the changes in equipment and maintenance strategy that have come into vogue in recent times. "All you have to do is look at some of the operating budgets the superintendent has to oversee to realize the change in how the job has to be done," he said. "Now, w e have mechanical technicians, not just mechanics. W e also have irrigation special- ists, pesticide application experts, and even one, two, and three assistant superintendents." With this expansive working landscape there also comes a higher end in demands by club members. Obviously, Kirkman's aware of these. "Modern day demands are also something I can see and live with," Ron noted. "From day one golfers have had ongoing continued on page 2 INSIDE . . . Page Calendar of Events . . . 2 The Super Speaks Out . . . . . . 3 From the P r e s i d e n t . . . . . . . . 4 G C S A N E News . . . . . . • N.E. Turfgrass Conference 4,5 . . . 5 Gary Luccini 4-Ball Results . . . . 5 Divot Drift . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Page 4 5 Members of today know you can't drink champagne and have PRESIDENT Robert Ruszala 6 9 G e l i n a s Drive, C h i c o p e e , M A 0 1 0 2 0 413-256-8654 Fax 4 1 3 - 2 5 6 - 8 6 5 4 Hickory Ridge Country C l u b VICE PRESIDENT J a m e s R. Fitzroy, C G C S 357 W . S q u a n t u m Street, North Quincy, M A 02171 617-328-1776 Fax 6 1 7 - 3 2 8 - 9 4 7 9 P r e s i d e n t s Golf C o u r s e SECRETARY M i c h a e l V. l a c o n o , C G C S 4 2 N e w t o n Street, W e s t o n , M A 0 2 4 9 3 781 - 8 9 9 - 7 9 1 3 Fax 7 8 1 - 6 4 7 - 0 6 0 2 Pine B r o o k C o u n t r y C l u b TREASURER Daniel P. H i g g i n s , C G C S 68 Hutchinson Road, Winchester, M A 01890 781 - 7 2 9 - 3 8 0 9 Fax 7 8 1 - 7 2 1 - 1 5 6 1 Winchester Country Club TRUSTEE David C o m e e 65 M a r q u e t t e Road, Gardner, M A 0 1 4 4 0 978-297-1223 Fax 9 7 8 - 2 9 7 - 0 9 1 1 T h e W i n c h e n d o n Golf C l u b TRUSTEE Patrick S. K r i k s c e o n a i t i s 4 L a k e m a n s Lane, Ipswich, M A 01938 978-526-4600 Fax 9 7 8 - 5 2 6 - 8 3 3 3 Essex C o u n t y C l u b TRUSTEE R o b e r t O. L a r s o n 28 Pleasant Street, North Oxford, M A 0 1 5 3 7 508-892-9110 Fax 5 0 8 - 8 9 2 - 4 5 0 9 Pine R i d g e C o u n t r y C l u b FINANCE C H A I R M A N A r t h u r Silva, C G C S 35 Pennacook Road, Tewksbury, M A 0 1 8 7 6 781 - 4 8 4 - 5 4 4 0 Fax 7 8 1 - 4 8 4 - 6 6 1 3 Belmont Country Club GOLF CHAIRMAN M i c h a e l J. H e r m a n s o n P. O. B o x 1 4 5 , G a r d n e r , M A 0 1 4 4 0 978-632-2713 Fax 9 7 8 - 6 3 2 - 2 7 1 3 G a r d n e r M u n i c i p a l Golf C o u r s e EDUCATION CHAIRMAN R o n a l d P. D o b o s z , Jr. 1 1 3 7 Park S t r e e t , S t o u g h t o n , M A 0 2 0 7 2 781 - 3 4 1 - 8 5 6 4 Fax 7 8 1 - 3 4 1 - 8 5 6 4 , *51 C e d a r Hill Golf C o u r s e NEWSLETTER C H A I R M A N Russell E. Heller O n e C i r c u i t Drive, D o r c h e s t e r , M A 0 2 1 2 1 617-983-2786 Fax 6 1 7 - 9 8 3 - 2 7 8 6 Franklin Park Golf C o u r s e PAST PRESIDENT Kevin F. O s g o o d 14 I n m a n L a n e , F o x b o r o u g h , M A 0 2 0 3 5 617-630-1950 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 .9-16—20«. WEmXETTER m r T H E G C S AN E Headquarters 175 Highland Avenue, N e e d h a m , M A 02494-3034 Tel.: (781) 4 5 3 - 8 6 6 8 Fax: (508) 7 5 8 - 6 4 7 4 W e b Site: w w w . g c s a n e . o r g N e w s l e t t e r Editor C o n t r i b u t i n g Editor Business M a n a g e r Russell Heller Gerry Finn . . Daniel P. Higgins, C G C S Any opinions expressed In this publication are those of the author and/or person quoted, and may not represent the position of GCSANE. 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. W e would appreciate a credit line. a beer pocketbook." Ron Kirkman Needham G.C. continued from page I feelings that course conditions should be better. But there's a difference between the member of back then and the member in the here and now. This member is more demanding but is also willing to pay for the cost of meeting demands. It's all related to education. Members of today know you can't drink champagne and have a beer pocketbook." Kirkman always has been an upbeat person with a comedic mentality that apparently has been passed on to his daughter, Jennifer. She is a struggling comedienne in the making but working hard to make big strides in her quest to reach the top. Jennifer lives in Brooklyn but spent much of December on the road where she also worked spots like the Largo Comedy Club in Los Angeles and The Improv on Sunset Strip. She also taped a show called "Late Friday", which was scheduled to air on N B C at the end of December. Also on the hard road to stardom are gigs like stints on TV's Comedy Central Network, a performance in the Toyota Comedy Festival, an appearance on the Cartoon Network and, closer to home, shows at the Comedy Studio in Harvard Square. So, Jennifer's been busy polishing her act in front of a lot of fans and critics. Ron and wife, Joan, spend much time playing the game, "Where Do Jennifer's Genes Come From?" Ah, it's almost turned into a feud. "It all comes from me," piped Joan who has a prominent place in a local singing group and good reviews when she enjoyed star status in school plays. "Definitely, I'm the one Jennifer has to thank for all her talent." "Uh-uh," retorted Ron, who once appeared opposite Joan when the two were fencing for applause in school plays at Tenney High School in Methuen where the loving couple met. "Joan's all wrong. I'm the one in the family with the big sense of humor. In fact, Jennifer and I have agreed that when she makes it to the top, I'm gonna resign and become her lawn maintenance man in Beverly Hills. Well, I only wish." But that's another country heard from in the active life of a GCSANE past president with a mind for positive thinking when it comes to family, job and peers. 'As I said before, I'm definitely upbeat about our profession in general and our association in particular," Ron added. "Golf is just a busy sport, getting busier ail the time. The people in charge are meeting that upswing with quality effort and continuing efficiency. Frankly, I like the way w e look to the rest of the golf world." ©ETOY FTON CALENDAR . . . January 14 G C S A N E Annua! Meeting Ridder F a r m G . & C . C . W h i t m a n , Mass. Supt. - E d Gianni Feb. 3- i 0 G C S Ä A 73rd International Golf C o u r s e C o n f e r e n c e & Show O r l a n d o , Fla. Feb. 7-9 N e w England Grows Hynes Convention Center Boston, Mass. Feb. 12 Stockbridge School job Fair University of Massachusetts A m h e r s t , Mass. March 2 M G A Spring Conference Westin Hotel Boston, Mass. M a r c h 5-7 N e w England Regional Turfgrass Conference & Show P r o v i d e n c e , R.I. M a r c h 21 G C S A N E Monthly Meeting Jointly w i t h U S G A Seminar T h e International G . C . Bolton, Mass. Supts. - B r e t t Johnson, C G C S & Jim Whitley, C G C S April G C S A N E Monthly Meeting Juniper Hill G . C . N o r t h b o r o , Mass. Supt. - T o m A c k l e y , C G C S May 6 Scholarship & Benevolence Tournament Belmont C.C. B e l m o n t , Mass. Supt. - A r t h u r Silva, C G C S T P Page tMiliMkllilili^^ :The Super Speaks Out With the golf season behind and the area coming off a wild, stormy winter, how did the past year go for you1 T h i s nn®nth?s questions P a u l MilSes", C G C S , IMashawtuc Count r y Club: "I don't think I could have scripted a more difficult year for me as a golf course superintendent than the one that just passed. And, actually, most of my problems that happened to be focused on two greens, came about because of flooding when renovation there last fall backfired on us. incredible job at a critical time and they should be awarded accolades for giving superintendents an opportunity to put their acts together. "Without hesitation, this was a golf season to r e m e m b e r . . . when almost all of us were put to the test. I don't want to see another one like it." S t e v e Thys, W o r c e s t e r C o u n t r y Club: "There's no other way to say it, this was a very tough year for me and for the course. It's all because of the unusual winter. The frequency of snow storms, the amount that dropped. I think, or at least it seemed that way, that every time it snowed the result was in the two-foot range. "Regardless, as the weather developed from winter through the following fall, it became of year of extremes. It started with the unheard of amounts of snow during the winter, to wet pockets in the spring, into humid conditions in summer and on to severe drought in the fall. "It definitely was a year of reaction by superintendents, it made for tricky conditions. The super's knowledge, based experience, know-how and continuing education, came into play. "The troubles even passed another extreme for me, personally, when I lost my little finger in an accident. That just added to my woes and, like I said, I couldn't have dreamed up a worse year to have to produce a course where conditions came even close to normal. "My saving grace in the most severely effected areas was deep tine aerating the preceding fall. What it did was create an air gap between the green and bottom of ice, giving the plant just enough nutrition to prevent wipeout. 'Another decision that helped the battle was bringing in a snow blower in March to clear cart paths, then eventually the greens so w e could work on them. Incidentally, my son, John, handled the snow blower. He made it to every green with the blower distributing the snow evenly instead of making awkward piles. THE SUPER SPEAKS "I had four greens that got hit pretty bad. They were in low drainage areas and the combination of thawing and low sun in the winter the greens would freeze back up just when w e thought w e were making some headway. "The frustrating part came in early spring. Some greens looked good in that time period but gradually the moisture was sucked out of the ground and they went into a tan-black discoloration mode. "The actual damage came from a combination of winterkill and snow mold. Even though w e gave the severely damaged areas a very aggressive treatment, the hardest hit greens never got to full recovery throughout the golf season. In fact, they were still a little spotty when w e got to late fall. The tees came back pretty good and the fairways recovered. But the greens? Of course, the fall drought didn't help. " W h e n I think back, there's really not much I could do. W e gave those heavily damaged areas a ton of feeding and w e tried one variety after another. It was just one of those years when problems piled up. "One other factor, which I think may have helped save some superintendent jobs, was the way the Boston media ^communicated with golfers in an effort to > xplain how the winter had turned into a nightmare for those people responsible for giving them reasonable playing conditions in spring and summer. I think they did an Bom Hearm, C G C S , Vesper Country Q u b : "I suppose I'd have to line up myself with the few fortunate superintendents who escaped a lot of damage when the weather went wacky last winter. "Getting the handle on the reason why w e didn't get hurt all that bad is something beyond my capacity for providing such answers. I came here in March and in my first year had few problems. Was it Vesper's time to be lucky? You tell me. "Overall, then, it was an ordinary year for me with problems at the very minimum. The only adverse conditions came about because of an irrigation system that will be replaced starting around the first of October of next year (2002). "The most popular question i seem to get these days is how I approached the possibility we'd have another winter like w e did a year ago. I really didn't do anything other than to put down the same kind of preparation I've always put down wherever I've worked. In other words, I'm treating last winter as one of those freak happenings. "One of my biggest concerns, one brought on by the unusually warm weather w e had in late fall of this year is the occurrence of snow falling on unfrozen ground. That combination is a strong invitation to snow mold. If the plant isn't allowed to harden before It snows, chances are snow mold will show up In the spring. But, as for the winter past, I guess w e just lucked out. The course was just as good as it has been. That's a happy sight for our golfers . . . and me." "My members were very understanding. They knew from that start of spring that this wasn't going to be a temporary thing. They and I realized that w e had an unusual winter and the result would be unusual course conditions. "This coming winter? I'm going into the same preparation as it approaches. I'll monitor it closely and act accordingly. That's all I can do." G E R R Y PIMM 4 Page 4 lIMLLLMÙAI.IMLLIMLIMIAAUMLLIÌIÙALIMLLLL Ruszala's lagt This will be my last President's Report, because my term is up on January 14. My journey on the board of directors started in the fall of 1989 when Don Heam, chairman of the nominating committee, asked me if I was interested in serving on the board, which I gratefully accepted. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work with so many dedicated and hard-working board members over the years. G C S A N E has grown tremendously over the years because of its great membership and leadership of which we are all a part. The past presidents are to be commended for their hard work and dedication in leading GCSANE to where it is today. Our membership is fantastic, and it has been a pleasure to serve you. I have many "thank yous" to say, so here goes, l b our membership, thanks for letting is ¡mg ©n gratitude me have the opportunity to represent you, and it has been an honor. To my owner Alden Johnson, manager Bill Bauer, and green chairman Gary Craig, thanks for being very supportive. To my assistant Mike Howell, mechanic John Bermben, FROM THE PRESIDENT and the rest of my staff, thank you for holding the fort when I was at many meetings. Thanks to my family - my wife Denise, son Paul, and daughter Jaclyn, whom I all love dearly and who put up with my many absentee suppers. Thanks to all the board members past and present that I have worked with and who have had tremendous dedication to GCSANE. GCSANE bylaw changes proposed The following are the proposed changes to the G C S A N E Bylaws. All proposed changes are in italics. Page 21, Article X I I I , Bylaw Amendments. These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the regular members present at any regular meeting of the association providing the amendments are held over for one meeting and the proposed amendments are included in the notice of said meeting. GCSANE NEWS Pag® 5, A r t i c l e DV, M e m b e r s h i p , S e c t i o n 2 - C l a s s e s of M e m b e r s h i p I. There shall be seven classes of membership: Regular, Associate, Assistant, Honorary, Life, Affiliate, and Student. I. There shall be nine classes of membership: Class AA - Life members, Class A - Golf Course Superintendent, Golf Course Superintendent, Class C - Assistant Golf Course Superintendent, Honorary, Affiliate, Associate, Student, and Inactive. Section Regular Members Class A - Golf Course Superintendent Section 4. Associate Members Golf Course Superintendent S e c t i o n S. A s s i s t a n t M e m b e r s Class C - Assistant Golf Course Superintendent Section 7. Life Members Class AA - Life Members Section I®. Inactive M e m b e r I. An inactive member is an individual who, by reason of unemployment, illness or other adverse circumstances, has been placed in this class upon his or her application. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to act on such application and to place a member on Inactive status subject to terms and conditions as the Board of Directors may specify by Standing Rules. Section S I , Associate M e m b e r An Associate Member is an individual that is involved in the growing or production of fine turfgrass, and who does not qualify for membership in another category. He or she shall have all the privileges of the Association except to vote and to hold office. He or she shall pay such initiation fee and annual dues as established by the Association. Page I f , Artiste I X , Meetings, Section I Regular meetings of the association shall be held monthly on a date approved by the Board of Directors. Regular meetings of the Association shall be held on dates approved by the Board of Directors. I have only limited space in writing this, but would like to comment now on the present Board of Directors: Jim Fiizroy - G C S A N E will be in good shape with your knowledge of GCSAA and professionalism as our next president. Mike lasom© - Was requested to attend GCSAA meeting at Lawrence, Kansas on a Thursday and had to leave the next day, that's dedication. Dan Higgins - Treasurer's report always up to date and very organized. Dave C®m®e - Chairman of the Scholarship and Benevolence Tournament. W e have almost $ 100,000 in this account due to his hard work. P a t Kriksceonaitis - Up-to-date information regarding government laws and regulations. Robert Larson - Membership directory and services to all members in a timely fashion. A r t Silva - Keeps us in good financial shape. Mike Henmanson - Always organized for golf events and setting up schedule for future. Ron Dohosz - Keeps our winter meetings going with a good variety of speakers. continued on page 8 i(gwis