LETTER

Februor/ 2005

of the Self Course Superintendents Association of New England, Ins,

casa.—-¿rot, • • tzsttv:

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

Generous nature trumps tough $z!erfor, leading to
Distinguished Service Award for Donald Marrone
E j Bill
W o r c e s t e r T e S e g r a s n & ©azefrte
Matthew Marrone once asked his father
Donald why they didn't hire someone to
redesign the bunkers, build new tees,
remodel the clubhouse and do all the
I lj J i V i l T O
major renovation
I work at their beloved
Wachusett Country Club instead of doing it themselves.
"Because half the fun is doing it yourself," Marrone replied. "It's like restoring
an old car."
Unlike some who restore vintage
automobiles, Donald Marrone, C G C S ,
wouldn't consider selling his prized possession. Wachusett C . C . , a Donald Ross
design that opened in 1927 in West
Boylston, Mass., has been in the family
since Marrone's grandfather, Joseph,
bought it out of bankruptcy in 1938.
Ownership passed down to Marrone's
father, Donald Sr., and Marrone's two
uncles, Edward and Richard, then to
himself in 1990 upon his father's death.
With no formal turf management
e d u c a t i o n , Marrone served as
Wachusett's superintendent for a quarter century until Matthew, a graduate of
Michigan State's turf management
school, took over a decade ago.
"He could grow grass on a parking
lot if he wanted to," Matthew said.
"I have a love for being a superintendent," Marrone said. "I understand what
the superintendent goes through."
Marrone, 54, was never afraid to call
fellow superintendents for advice and

MONTHLY

worked info the night to get the job done
right.
"I've tried to make it my own little
Augusta National," he said.
Donald Sr., an ex-Marine, could act
like a drill sergeant if you crossed him.
"My father had a reputation of being
real tough," Marrone said. "Sometimes,
I do, too. People say that I'm tough to
work for, but I pay people real good
money and I expect a lot out of them. My
father would always ask people nicely to
stop if they were doing something
wrong, like driving their cart in the
woods, but if he caught you again two
holes later, he was not nice. I saw him
handle people here and it was unbelievable. I'm not as tough as he was, but
there are some days you can't hold yourself back."

"My father had a
reputation of being
r e d tough. Sometimes
i do, too. People say
that YM tough to work
for, but S pay people
real good money and
I expect a Sot out of
them."
Donald Marrone
Wochusett C.G.

The Marrones treat Wachusett as if it
were their own backyard because it actually is. Marrone lives with his wife, Ram,
in the house where his father used to
reside, near the club's maintenance
building. Matthew built a home near the
club's driving range and rides a cart
home for lunch. Marrone's two other
sons, Michael, who assists on the
grounds and in construction, and Nick,
the director of golf, live in the former
greenskeeper home just off the fourth
green. M a r r o n e ' s daughter, C a r a
Cullen, lives in Worcester, but she serves
as clubhouse manager.
Having a father for a boss does help
Matthew's job security - he survived even
though some of Wachusett's greens
didn't last spring - but it can be demanding as well.
"He's that much more critical," said
Matthew, "because he knows when the
turf is looking good and when it's not.
But all in all, it's definitely a benefit."
Marrone, like his father before him,
has his soft side as well.
"He's got a big heart, probably too
big sometimes," Matthew said.
If a friend of the family dies, Marrone
may offer the clubhouse's banquet hall
at no charge for the post-funeral get-together. If a loyal member is short of
money, he may tell him to pay his dues
when he can. The Marrones help irrigate
the town's athletic fields and sod the
police station's lawn. Marrone helped
start a fund-raising organization to
benefit the town parks and elderly.
continued on page 2

PRESIDENT
Michael J. Hermanson
140 Ryan Street, Gardner, MA 01440-0145
978-632-2713
Fax 978-632-2713
E-mail: herm068@hotmall.com
Gardner Municipal Golf Course
VICE PRESIDENT
Patrick S. Kriksceonaitis
4 Lakemans Lane, Ipswich, MA 01938-2505
978-526-4600
Fax 978-526-8333
E-mail: Grounds@Essexcc.org
Essex County Club
SECRETARY
Russell E. Heller, CGCS
41 Clifford Street, Melrose, MA 02176-0140
617-983-2786
Fax 617-983-2786
E-mail: Rheller@gcsane.org
Franklin Park Golf Course
TREASURER
Ronald P. Dobosz, Jr.
1137 Park Street, Stoughton, MA 02072-3728
781 -341 -8564
Fax 781-341 -8564, *51
E-mail: rdoboszl 11 @aol.com
Cedar Hill Golf Course
TRUSTEE
Patrick J. Daly, CGCS
P. O. Box 2284, Framingham, MA 01703-2284
508-872-9790
Fax 508-872-5393
E-mail: pat@framinghamcc.com
Framingham Country Club
TRUSTEE
Jason S. Adams
27 Cherry Street, Wrentham, MA 02093
781 -326-3801
Fax 781 -326-3801
E-mail: Jayadams35@hotmall.com
Norfolk Golf Club
TRUSTEE
David A. Comee
65 Marquette Street, Gardner, MA 01440
978-297-2339
Fax 978-297-0911
E-mail: photoC@hotmall.com
Winchendon School Golf Club
FINANCE CHAIRMAN
Arthur Sllva, C G C S
35 Pennacook Road, Tewksbury, MA 01876
617-484-5440
Fax 617-484-6613
E-mail: Asllva@belmontcc.org
Belmont Country Club
GOLF CHAIRMAN
James A. Small III, CGCS
690 Pine Street, Bridgewater, MA 02324-2116
508-697-481 6
Fax 508-279-3355
E-mail: jsmall@oldescotlandlinks.com
Olde Scotland Links Golf Club
EDUCATION CHAIRMAN
David Stowe, CGCS
30 Western Avenue, Natick, MA 01760
617-789-4631
Fax 617-789-4631
E-mail: Newtonmaint@aol.com
Newton Commonwealth Golf Club
NEWSLETTER CHAIRMAN
Michael W . Stachowlcz
68 Westfield Road, Westwood, MA 02090
781 -326-7860
Fax 781 -326-0664
E-mail: Mstach@dedhamclub.org
Dedham Country and Polo Club
PAST PRESIDENT
James R. Fitzroy, CGCS
357 W . Squantum St., N. Quincy, MA 02171-2758
617-328-1776
Fax 617-328-9479
E-mail: Jfitzroy@presidentsgc.com
Presidents Golf Club
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Sharon K. Brownell
P. O. Box 566, Mattapoisett, MA 02739-0566
508-758-6474
Fax 508-758-3688
E-mail: Sbrownell@gcsane.org

NEWSLETTER
G C S A N E Headquarters
300 Arnold Palmer Blvd., Norton, MA 02766
Tel.: (800) 833-4451
Fax: (508) 758-6474
W e b Site: www.gcsane.org
Newsletter Editor . . . .
Michael Stachowlcz
Business Manager
Julie Hosten
(401-934-3677; E-mail: jheston@verizon.net)
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. We would appreciate a credit line.

"You oSways get back
more from doing
good, but S don't like
people knowing
about it."
Donald Marrone
Wachusett C.C.
continued from page 1
"You always get back more from doing good," Marrone said, "but I don't
like people knowing about it."
Marrone also helped the Golf Course
Superintendent Association of New England's Scholarship & Benevolence Fund
get off the ground by offering his course
at next to nothing for the first two years
of the fund's benefit tournament. The
association has an open invitation to
return whenever in need of a site. The
fund has awarded more than $ 7 5 , 0 0 0
over the past decade in scholarships and
aid to families of superintendents in
need.
Part of Marrone enjoys protecting his
tough image, but he grudgingly traveled
with his family to Thorny Lea in Brockton
on Jan. 25 to accept the G S C A N E ' s
Distinguished Service Award. He's the
10th recipient.
"He was more responsible than any
other single individual," G C S A N E president Michael J. Hermanson said, "to get
our scholarship and benevolence account up to where it is today, which is
well in excess of $ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 .
"He's not the type of member who
comes to a lot of meetings," Hermanson
said. "He prefers to work behind the
scenes. Those people are just as important
as the ones who show up at every meeting.
You need people like Don Marrone for the
association to flourish."
Last year, Marrone erected a plaque
near the fourth tee in honor of Vin O'Bey,
his former confidante and Wachusett's
longtime head pro. O ' B e y came to
Wachusett just before the start of World
W a r II and didn't leave until he died in
November of 2 0 0 3 at age 90.
"It's lonely without him," Marrone
said. "I experienced that when my father
passed away. I'd always be in here with
my dad discussing things about what we

were going to do for the year or with the
members. Then I'd discuss things with
Vin."
When Marrone's father was dying, he
urged his son to sell the golf course
because he had put enough time into it.
Marrone couldn't do it.
"Maybe 1 should have," Marrone
said, "but what would I have done with
myself? I love to work with the ground."
Marrone doesn't want a plaque to be
erected in his honor.
"I've always told my wife," Marrone
said, "that when I'm gone to sprinkle my
ashes over my worst green."

March 2

G C S A N E Monthly

Meeting

Framingham Country Club
Framingham, Mass.

April 2 5

Supt. - Patrick D a l y ,

CGCS

GCSÄNS Monthly

Meeting

Segregansett Country Club
Taunton, Mass.
Supt. - Richard G a g n o n
May

23

Superintendent/Club

Official

Worcester Country Club
Worcester, Mass.
Supt. - Steve Thys
June

16

Scholarship &

Beraewelerwe

Tournament
The Country Club
C h e s t n u t Hill, M a s s .
Supt. - W i l l i a m S p e n c e
July 11

G C S Ä N i

Menthly

Team-sfi-Tw©

Meeting

Championship

Gardner Municipal Golf

Course

Gardner, Mass.
Supt. - M i c h a e l
August 23

Hermanson

G C S A N E ¡SeratMy
Individuai

Meeting

Championship

Marlborough Country Club
( p e r m a n e n t y e a r l y site)
Marlborough, Mass.
Supt. - Kenneth C r i m m i n g s ,
Sept. 19

G C S A N E Memthly

CGCS

Meeting

Joint M e e t i n g with Golf Course
jjAorsesgers ©f A s s o c i a t i o n of C a p e C o d
Eastward Ho! Country Club
Chatham, Mass.
Supt. Emeritus - Brian

Cowan

Supt. - Frank H a n c o c k
October 6

G C S A N E Monthly
Join Meeting

Meeting

with

She Northeastern

GCSA

B e r k s h i r e Hills C o u n t r y C l u b
Pittsfield, M a s s .
Supt. - Stephen Curry
Nov. 1

GCSANE Monthly
9-Hole

Meeting

Meeting

W a m p a f u c k Country Club
Canton, Mass.
Supt. - E d w a r d

Eardley

Questions arise about GCSANE member categories
& voting delegates - md our President km answers
It was nice to see the 130 of you at our
Annual Meeting at Thorny Lea. Thanks
to Joe Rybka, C G C S , for doing such a
great job in hosting this event. Everyone
who attended should be commended for
having to fight all of
the traffic problems
that morning. What
should have been an
hour-and-forty-five
-minute ride for me
took me three hours
and forty-five minutes. Thanks to Russell
Heller for doing such
a great job in running the Board meeting
while Pat K. and I sat in traffic.
I would like to answer a couple of
questions that were asked after the Annual Meeting. If we have 231 voting
members, why am I, as the GCSANE
Delegate, only casting 163 votes in Orlando? The answer is quite simple. There
are 54 joint members who vote with
other chapters, and 14 who vote as
individuals.

The second question asked is what is
the difference between a retired member
a n d a life
member? A
'H'lfl
retired member w a s a
member for less than 25 years. A life
member is retired, but was a member for
25 or more years.
I would like to welcome the newlyelected David Stowe, C G C S , to the

A retired member
was a member for
Sess then 25 years.
A life member is
retired, but was a
member for 25 ©r
snore years.

Vice PmsMmf Pat Kriksceonaitis
enumerates the duties of his office
A s Vice President of GCSANE, I serve as
representative to the NERTF by chairing
the research committee, where I introduce various research topics to the
board and GCSANE membership.
I also serve as chairman for the
Ouimet Committee. ! get involved with
GCSAA by acting as the alternative
Chapter Delegate. I also become the
liaison between any special projects and
the members of the association. I serve
as the contact to inform our members of

the special projects and keep them updated with progress reports. An example
of this is the current project headed by
Peter Hasak on Winter Injury.
Besides working on these various
committees, I also ¡earn and help the
president with any other issues that arise,
and start to prepare for my next role as
president.
P a t r i c k ICriksce@rBaitis
©CSAMi Vise President

I serve as the contact t© inform our members ©f
the special projects and keep theirs updated with
progress reports. An example of this is the current
project headed by Peter Hasak on Winter Injury.

GCSANE Board of Directors in his capacity as Educational Chairman.
I would like to congratulate Donald
Marrone, Jr., C G C S , the recipient of the
GCSANE Distinguished Service Award.
By the time you read this, we all
should be back from Orlando, and I'm
confident that GCSANE Past President
Jim Fitzroy, C G C S , will have been
elected as a Director of GCSAA. More
on that next month.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention
the passing of a true legend in this business, Ken Turner. Many years ago Ken
and Bob Flanagan founded Turf Specialty. For those of us who knew Ken, he
will be missed.
I look forward to seeing many of you
at the New England Regional Turfgrass
Conference this March in Rhode Island.
l e s t wishes,
Michael J . Hermanson
GCSAEME P r e s i d e n t

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Corp.
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Golf courses wrestle with sledding policies
By Emily Sweeney
& Douglas Belkin,
T h e S@sf©n G l o b e , 1 / 6 / 0 5
O n Monday afternoon, Abington police
raced to the Strawberry Valley Golf
Course after receiving a call that two
girls had possibly fallen into a frozen
pond on the property.
The search was called off at 5:30 p.m.,
when the girls were found to be home, safe
and sound. They had
KA'1'J if]
spent the day sledding
at the town's public
golf course, which had
been turned into a wintry playground by
the season's first major snowstorm.
Though it was a false alarm and no
one was hurt, the incident highlights a
challenge facing golf course operators
today: Should they allow the winter pastime on their slopes?
Two years ago, Plymouth C.C. banned
sledders, skiers, and deer hunters from its
161 acres in order to prevent lawsuits and
damage to the course, said Allen R. Tassinari, who serves on the greens committee
for the private club.
"We don't allow sledding. We have in
the past, but there was considerable
damage done to the greens," said Tassinari. "And it's a case of liability. We
have some very steep hills. We want to
be good neighbors, but we're just trying
to protect ourselves."
It's the same worry elsewhere. North
of Boston, Merrimack G . C . in Methuen
and the North Andover C . C . also prohibit sledding.
"It's a shame. We don't want to do it,
but the insurance rates have gotten too
high," said George Kattar, who bought
the Merrimack G . C . with his brothers 30
years ago but planted a "No Trespassing" sign on the course for the first time
last month. "It's not like we want to be
Scrooge, but we have to do this."
Not all courses have adopted the strict
stance. Parents can still tote their youngsters to the slopes at the Scituate C.C., and
sledders continue to be welcome at the
town-owned South Shore C.C. in Hingham, and Presidents G.C. in Quincy.
"We don't ban sledding at all," said
Carl Miner, assistant superintendent at
Presidents, whose notoriously hilly fairways flummox golfers but are always
good for a slide in winter.

tSE
POLICY

4 Page 1J

"It's always been a popular spot,"
Miner said. "It's a fun time everyone really
enjoys the hills out here. If there's enough
snow covering them, it doesn't affect anything. There's really no long-range effect
[on the greens], as far as I've seen."
The activity is more "a liability issue
that affects everyone," said Michael
Stachowicz, a board member of the Golf
Course Superintendents Association of
New England and the director of greens
and grounds at the Dedham Country
and Polo Cub, where sledding is only
allowed on certain parts of the course.
"We try to put up a snow fence to keep
them off areas where we don't want
them and make it accessible to members
only," said Stachowicz. "If you can't control where they're sliding, it can lead up
to ice buildup, and those greens will take
longer to get into play in the spring. The

More GCSANE
sledding advice:
W a y n e Z©pp© ©I A g a w a m
H u n t : "We put out signs around
our ponds stating 'Beware of Pond.'
This was in response to a crosscountry skier a few years back who
had skied onto a snow-covered
pond and fell through the thin ice.
It is a distinct possibility that he did
not know he was even on a pond."
P a t ©sly of frcsmingheim C.C.:
"I drop the level of my ponds before
winter..."
R o g e r B r i n k ©f I n d i a n Ridge
C X . s "Our golf course is landlocked by surrounding private
property owners. We send letters
out annually to the abutters advising them that IRCC does not allow
sledding. This paper trail, 1 feel,
gives us a legal defense."
P a t ICriksseonaitis of T h e E s s e x
County Clubs 'The club reviews its
liability insurance on an annual basis
with the clubs legal team. Then we
post signs that indicate where ponds
are located and 'Sledding at your own
risk.'" Additionally, Pat added, open
holes from drainage, irrigation, etc.
would be considered negligence.

snowboarders like to go and use bunkers as well, and that can lead to
damaging the integrity of them."
Sledding bans on public and private
courses alike are being an issue as development in Greater Boston has seeped
into nearly every available nook and
cranny, stealing many of the out-of-theway hills children enjoyed freely a
generation ago. For hills that are still
open, insurance, premiums jumped
"anywhere from 30 to 100 percent since
9/11," said Richard Look, spokesman
for Venture Insurance in Pennsylvania,
which covers more than 1,000 golf
courses across the country.
At the same time, after a boom in the
1 990s, the golf industry has begun to
slump. While the number of U.S. golf
facilities has increased three percent
from 2 0 0 0 , the number of rounds
played decreased 5 percent, according
to the National Golf Foundation.
The resulting decrease in revenue and
increase in expenses has left course managers scrambling to cut costs. Since
sledding doesn't add to the bottom line but
exposes golf courses to significant risk,
many courses are posting bigger and
bolder "No Trespassing" signs and policing
the rules more seriously in the hopes the
reduced exposure will lower premiums.
The number of accidents each year
depends on the amount of snow, according to Mark Ross, a spokesman for the US
Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Last year there were 30,300 sledding-related accidents treated in emergency
rooms across the country. In 2000 that
number was 38,500, and in 2002 it was
25,000, according to the commission.
But as people have become quicker
to sue, the fear of lawsuits and the expense of defending against them has
jumped markedly, said several lawyers
and insurers who specialize in golf
course coverage and litigation.
Litigation costs for insurance companies soared in the last 12 years from
$130 billion in 1990 to $233 billion in
2002, according to the Insurance institute of America, based in New York. A
single exorbitant jury award can echo
across an industry, said Michael Kraker,
a Minnesota lawyer who specializes in
golf course litigation.
continued on page 6

2005

GARY LUCCINI MEMORIAL
FOUR - BALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Golf Course Superintendents Association
of New England
Player #1,

Name:
Address:
Telephone: Day
USGA HCP INDEX:

Player #2,

Home
GHIN#

**

Name:
Address:
Telephone: Day
USGA HCP INDEX:

.

Home _
GHIN#

**

This Championship competed under a SINGLE ELIMINATION format, defeated
semi-finalists compete for third place.
Handicap differential between players on same team, not to exceed TEN strokes.
Should a team handicap differential exceed TEN strokes during the competition,
lower the higher handicap to a TEN stroke difference.
** Any competitor carrying two or more GHIN #'s, under the Rules of Golf, must
play at the lowest handicap, irrespective of dates of entered scores.
First round matches prior to June 15, 2005 (16 teams) or May 15, 2005 (32 teams)
or pig-tail matches.
Team entry fee, $100.00 Make checks payable to GCSA-NE Four-Ball.
Deadline for registration is April 1, 2005.
Mail entry form and check(s) to: Bob Healey
21 Lake view Avenue
Natick, MA 01760-4252
Attn: Four-Ball
(Official use only) Date

Check #

TEAM #

Gary Luccini 4-Ball Championship Committee repo
praises competition; but seeks imm participation
Congratulations to Paul Miller, C G C S ,
and Scott Mackintosh, winners of the
fourth annual Gary Luccini Memorial
Four-Ball Championship. Paul and Scott secured their title over the
team of Joe Lazaro and
Mark Gagne by a 6-and-5 victory at
Pleasant Valley last September.
Last year's tournament played out
with the smallest field in the four-year
history of the Four-Ball Championship.
The nine-team field required a pigtail
match to qualify for the eight-team first
round.
The pigtail match, played at Woods
Hole during the June meeting, resulted
in a 3-and-l victory by Paul Miller and
Scott Mackintosh over the team of Dave
Comee and Mike Hermanson.
The four first round matches played
in July were tight contests. Match #1
paired Miller and Mackintosh against
Ron Milinski and Kevin White, and Miller
and Mackintosh continued their run to
the championship by winning 2-and-l

As noted at the
annua! meeting,
unless the committee
receives entries
from a minimum
16 teams for 2005,
the championship
lapses.
at The Oaks. Match # 2 , paired the 2001
championship team of Ken Crimmings,
C G C S , and Bob Cullen against Jim
Fitzroy, C G C S , and Larry Anshewitz,
contested at The Oaks, with Crimmings
and Cullen winning 2-up. Match # 3
paired the 2003 championship team of
Pat Hogan and Scott McLeod versus
Mike Turner and Joe Felicetti, C G C S .
The match, played at Pinehills, resulted
in a 1 -up decision for the defending

champions Hogan and McLeod. Match
# 4 paired the team of Joe Lazaro and
Mark Gagne against Robin Hayes and
Bob Healey. Played at Belmont, the
match was ail square after seventeen,
with Lazaro and Gagne winning 1 -up on
the last hole.
in semi-final match # 1 , Miller and
Mackintosh continued their drive to the
championship, defeating the 2001
champions Crimmings and Cullen at
Worcester 5-and-4. The second semi-final match played saw a championship
team go down to defeat when Lazaro
and Gagne defeated the defending
champions Hogan and McLeod, 4-and3 at Nashawtuc.
The match for third place resulted in
a forfeit win for the team of Lazaro and
Gagne.
The Gary Luccini Memorial Four-Ball
Championship, started under a double
elimination format, began with 18
teams in 2001, moved up to 24 teams
in 2002, however dropped to 16 teams
in 2003, with many forfeits.
The Four-Ball Championship Committee, responding to the difficulty of
completing consolation round matches
within the prescribed two week window,
altered the format to a single elimination
forthe 2004 championship. The result is
a field of nine teams. The Committee
questions the association's desire to continue the championship.
As noted at the annual meeting, unless the committee receives entries from
a minimum 16 teams for 2005, the
championship lapses.
Under the single elimination format
with 1 6 teams, a team plays one match
a month on their march to the championship.
Look for the 2005 Gary Luccini Memorial Four-Ball Championship entry
form in this issue of The Newsletter.

An appreciation of the late Tony Caranci
from Wayne Zoppo: JN!y Friend, Tony C
by W a y n e Zoppo, CGCS
I first met Tony on a January afternoon
in 1967.1 had heard of the "Godfather,"
and since I had just started as a superintendent at Agawam Hunt, I decided to
go meet him. From that day forward, we
started a 38-year friendship.
Tony was always there to help any
superintendent, whether it was to help
with a job interview or to come to your
golf course to help with a problem. He
started the Tony Caranci salary survey.
He was a friend to all superintendents.
Tony spoke proudly of his wife, Millie,
and his daughters, Patty and Maria. Patty
attended Bay View Academy and then
became a court stenographer. Maria excelled at Judo and is now a sheriff at the
state house. Tony enjoyed traveling with
Millie to Maine, the Cape, Florida, and
Acapulco. He was always on the go.

MIILIL^LIMIIUILKUILIIAI^IILIL^^

Personally we have shared so many
good times together.
To list a few:
9
Playing golf together at the New England and Rhode Island association
meetings.
' Our trips to the Cape.
• Our first trip to the National was to
Houston - he sure did love oysters.
° Our telephone calls just to see how
each other were doing.
• Out to dinner with Tony and Millie;
Christmas Eve at Tony and Millie's for
the traditional Italian dinner.
8
Golf at Ledgemont or Agawam on
Friday afternoons.
• Our trips to New York for the USGA
meetings.
Tony, you left us much too early. Thank
you for your friendship. I will miss you.
Wayne

The G a r y Luccini
Memorial 4-Ball
Championship
Committee:
D a v e Comee
M i k e Heronoiison
Bob H e a l e y
Page 5

Winter sledding policy

continued from page 4

"It can have a huge effect across the
board," Kraker said.
O n e such award came down in April
when a jury ordered the town of Greenwich, C o n n . , to pay more than $ 6
million to a urological surgeon whose
sled slammed into a drainage ditch near
its civic center. The victim was hospitalized for 12 days and missed five months
of work. In the lawsuit, he said the town
had failed to inspect and maintain the
uncovered drainage ditch, and failed to
warn residents of the danger.
Greenwich First Selectman Jim Lash
said the town's insurance increased 2 5
percent and their deductible doubled
from $ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 to $1 million.
In Abington, fears that someone fell
through the ice at Strawberry Valley G .
C . last Monday proved unfounded. Local
police have responded to the course in the
past only for minor injuries, said Deputy
Police Chief Christopher Cutter.

But sledding is "nothing we promote,
or enforce," he said. "During the snow
season when there's snow on the hill,
especially at peak times, on the weekend
and on school vacations, we generally
respond to a few calls for minor bumps

and scrapes - kids crashing into each
other and things like that."
For now, sledding continues at the
nine-hole municipal golf course, as it
has for years.
Said Cutter: "That's ihe hill where I went."

B€SAA Elects new officers & board §m 2005
T h e voting members of G C S A A elected
a slate of officers and directors at the
2 0 0 5 G C S A A Annual Meeting, Friday,
February 11, 2 0 0 5 .
The new president is Timothy T.
O'Neill, C G C S , of the Country Club of
Darien, Conn. The new
vice president is Sean A.
H o o l e h a n , C G C S , of
Wildhorse Resort G . C . ,
Pendleton, Ore. Ricky D. Heine, C G C S ,
genera! manager at The Golf Club Star
Ranch, Austin, Texas, was elected secretary/treasurer.
The three directors elected are: James
R. Fitzroy, C G C S , director/superinten-

GCSAA

dent at the Wollaston Recreational Facility/Presidents G . C . , N. Quincy, Mass.;
Mark D. Kuhns, C G C S , director of
grounds at Baltusrol G . C . , Springfield,
N.J.; and Robert M. Randquist, C G C S ,
director of golf course and grounds at
Boca Rio G . C . , Boca Raton, Fla.
Jon D. Maddern, C G C S , immediate
past president, and Robert J. Maibusch,
C G C S , M G , director, are both retiring
from the board. Mark J. Woodward,
C G C S , will serve on the board for one
year as immediate past president. G a r y
K. Carls, C G C S , and David S. Downing,
C G C S , each have one year remaining
on their two-year terms.

DIVOT DRIFT.. . announcements. « « educational smkm. «. ¡ob oppo
... townsmen! results... and miscellaneous ifmis of interest f@ the mem
C o n d o l e n c e s go out to Matt Crowther and
family on the passing of Matt's mother-in-law.
C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s to Don Marrone, C G C S ,
for receiving GCSANE's Distinguished Service
Award at the Annual Meeting.
Ron K i r k m a n was one of the six superintendents featured in the cover story in the
February 2005 issue of Golf dorn.
Golfdom
Insider,
January 20, 2005 also
recently featured an articleabout the Winterkill
Research Group spearheaded by Peter Hasak.
G C S A N E w i s h e s l e n Curtin the best of luck
as he steps down from the G C S A N E Board of
Directors. The pressures of a new job don't mix
well with the extra pressures of serving on the
board. Pat Daly will take his place as Trustee.
W e l c o m e to David Stowe, voted to G C S A N E
Board. He will serve as Education Chairman.
C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s to Thomas Brodeur, superintendent at TPC of Boston, Norton, Mass. for
being one of the 10 chapter winners awarded
the GCSAA/Golf Digest 2004 Environmental
Leaders in Golf Awards. He was recognized at
the Golf Industry Show in Orlando on February
11. In addition, program sponsors will donate
funds to The Environmental Institute for Golf in
the names of all national and chapter winners.
O u r c o n d o l e n c e s go to Mike and Joanne
Cornicelli on the recent passing of Joanne's sister.

4 Page 1J

O u r c o n d o l e n c e s go to Bob and Allison
Ranum, whose son Christopher, 21, was killed
in a car accident January 17. Bob Ranum is
the superintendent at the Atlantic G.C. in
Bridgehampton, N.Y.
C o n d o l e n c e s go to the family of Ken Turner,
one of the original owners of the old Turf
Specialty. He is an icon that will be missed.
CongiratuScifiens to Tom Harrington on his
move to Marshfield Country Club.
C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s to Jim Fitzroy, C G C S , on
his recent election as a director for the GCSAA.
C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s to the following members
who recently completed the process to become
certified golf course superintendents (CGCS)
as designated by the G C S A A . They are
Kenneth Crimmings of Marlborough C.C.,
Russell Heller of Franklin Park G.C., and
David Stowe of Newton Commonwealth G . C .

GCSANE NEWS
T h e r e is cs $250 s t i p e n d for an article from
a GCSANE member. The article doesn't have to
be perfect - we will pretty it up if we have to. It
is a great way for members make some money
while beefing up there portfolio. A length of
600-700 words is all we ask, a mere two pages
on MSWord in 12-point type, single-spaced.

The Mews fetter would like to invite all affiliates to submit a press release about new hires
or a company bio. W e will print on a firstcome, first-served basis.
R e m i n d e r . All retired members attend winter
meetings for free. So there is such a thing as
a free lunch.

Under the eofegsry "S@rme@me Out
There Must Care Ab@ui This," we received

a letter from the IRS stating that a portion of our
membership dues is not tax deductible because
it relates to our organization's lobbying and
political expenditures, per IRC section 6033(e).

The 2 0 6 5 © C S A N I i y S s w c h a n g e s
passed without discussion.

INFORMATION
Turf & Surf Sweepstakes: Heritage-TL

To celebrate its new liquid formulation of Heritage, Syngenta Professional Products offers
superintendents the chance to win a Caribbean
trip for two in the 'Turf & Surf Sweepstakes." The
winner receives a five-day, expenses-paid trip to
the Sandals resort in the Bahamas. In addition to
the grand prize, 25 superintendents will win a
GCSAA self-study course, and 50 superintendents will win a GCSAA online course. To enter,
visit www.heritageTL.com.
The promotion ends
May 1, with winners announced June 1. Entries
limited to one per month.

Please Patronize these FRIENDS of the ASSOCIATION

A-OK Turf Equipment Inc.

Country Club Enterprises

1357 Moin St., Coventry, Rl 02816-8435
Articulator, Terra Topper, Greens Groomer
brush, X used equipment.
Mike Cornicelli- (401) 826-2584

P.O. Box 820, Cataumet, MA 02534
Club Car golf cats, Carryall utility vehicles.
Dave Farina, Darin Eddy, Darren Orr - (800) 662-2585

JUL Will Materials Corp.

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

168 Washington St., Stoughton, MA 02072-1748
Top dressing X bunker sand, decorative stone,
landscape materials, wholesale nursery stock.
Charlie Downing, Ed Downing - (800) 4-AA-WILl

Accusoils

Country Self, inc.

DGM Systems

P.O. Box 1125, Carver, MA 02330
Topdressing sand X mixes, divot mix, greens X tees, root zone mixq
bunker sand, cert path mix, stoblizer, X greens care analysis.
Joe Faring, Frank Sontos - (866) 222-6644

1 Snogwood Rd, Foster, Rl 02825
Distributor of Reelcraft products X inventor of the
Direct Underground Maintenance Syringing System.
Manny Mihailides-(401) 886-0888, (401) 524-8999
David Mihoilides - ( 4 0 1 ) 647-0550

Allen's Seed Store Inc.

OUT ©oil Services

693 S. County Trail, Exeter, Rl 02822
Specializing in quality seed ond related
golf course maintenance supplies.
Gregg Allen-(800) 527-3898

ftgresource, Inc.
100 Main St., Amesbury, MA 01913
Tim Gould, Gay Trovers
(800) 313-3320,(978)388-5110

The Andersons Technologies, Inc.

dba Weed X Feed, Inc.
20 Clark Lone, Matshfield, MA 02050
Golf coarse renovation X construction in all areas:
bonkers, tees, greens, drainage, irrigation, X cart paths.
Dahn Tibbett, Chip Brearley - (508) 746-3222

Michael Drake Construction, Inc.
240 Walnut S t , framingham, MA Oi 702
Golf course reconstruction; professional shaper.
Michael Drake - (508) 875-8247

26 Waits Ave., S. Hadley, MA 01075
Manufacturer of fertilizer X control products.
Rick Forni - (413) 534-8896

E-Z-GO/Textron

Armstrong Golf Architects, LLC

© o l d S t a r N u r s e r y ft S o d F o r r a
250 West Rd, Canterbury, NH 03224-2127
Growers of turfgrass and ornamentals.
Malcolm McPhail; Lexington, Mass. - (781) 861 -1111;
Canterbury, H.H. - (603) 783-4717

76 S. New Boston Rd„ francestown, NH 02043
Golf course design X renovation. (603) 547-3132

BASF Turf & Ornamental

12 Peterson Rd., Palmer, MA 01069
Emerald, Insignia, Pendulum AquoCap, Curolan, Drive,
Bosagran, Iprodione Pro, Propiconazole Pro,
Bifenthrin Pro, Plateau, Sahara
Bob York-(413)283-9675

Bay State Fertilizer/MWRA

100 First Ave, Boston, MA 02129
Manufacturer X supplier of dry organic fertilizers.
KristenPatneoude-(617) 788-4437

The Borden Company

114 Summer S t , Maynord, MA 01754
Bulk limestone dealer.
Jack Borden-(978) 897-2571

Boston Irrigation Supply Company

60 Stergis Woy, Dedham, MA 02026
Distributor, irrigation supplies X accessories, featuring Rain Bird.
Andy Longlois, J. Anderson 111, Randy Peterman
(800) 225-8006

Bourke £ Lonnery Turf Care dbo "DryJect"

EZGO golf and utility vehicles.
"
' " 0 0 ) 234-0474

Golf C a r t S e r v i c e s , I n c .
275 Wells St., Greenfield, MA 01301
Club Cor golf, turf, transportation, X utility cars.
James Bender - (800) 287-0955
GPS N e w E n g l a n d l a p p i n g
39 Cedar S t , Cohasset, MA 02025
Precise irrigation X drainage as-hoilts;
wire tracking X electrical repairs.
Greg Albanese- (781) 7 8 9 - 0 6 6

Hartney ©repieut

166 River Rd, P.O. Box 520, Unionville, 0 06085
Golf course and landscape supplies.
John Callahan, Dennis Friel - (800) 861-6256

433 Chestnut S t , Needham, MA 02492
Tree care, landscape construction, consulting.
MarkTobin-(781) 444-1227

Cavicchlo Landscape Supply, inc.
110 Codjer lane, Sudbury, MA 01776
Annuals, perennials, garden mums, ground covers,
loam, X mulch.
Dorren Young-(978) 443-7177

Hoillston S a n d C o . , i n c .
P. 0. Box 1168, Tifft Rd, Slatersville, R! 02876
USGA-recommended sands, root-zone mixes, bunker X
topdressing, agtesoil, compost, stone-dust, & pea-stone
Bob Chalifour, CGCS (ret.) -(401) 766-5010

Cedar Lawn Tree Service, inc.

international Golf Construction Co.

Clean Quest

5 PutcelIRd, Arlington, MA 02474
Golf course construction.
AntoniosPogonis-(781) 648-2351;
(508)428-3022

Irrigation Management 8 Services
21 lokeview Ave, Notick, MA 01760
Irrigation consultation, design, ond system evaluation.
Bob Heoley, ASIC, CiD-(508) 653-0625

P. 0. Box 1102, Southbury, 0 06488
Distributors of the Landa Water system for treating
wosh water, Safety Storage chemical buildings,
X Octaflex portable wash pads.
Steven Burnett, Michael Wende - (800) 521-5585

Ken i s s a i Tire, Inc.

Cornish, Silva, & Mungeum, inc.

Lorchmont Engineering 8 irrigation

207 N. Main S t , Uxbtidge, MA 01569
Golf course architects.
(508)278-3407

71-73 Chandler S t , Worcester, M A 0 1 6 1 3
Distributor of tires for lawn X garden, trucks,
cars, industrial equipment, and golf cats.
GertyJones - (508) 755-5255
11 Lorchmont Lone, Lexington, MA 02420-4483
Mate Utero-(781) 862-2550

65 Glenn S t , Lawrence, MA 01843
Deep-tine, core, X water-injection aerification,
DOL X Verti-Seed ovetseeding, irrigation services.
(800)999-TURF

Shawn mark industries, inc.
P . O . Box 8966, Warwick, Rl 02999
Matt Howlond-(401) 295-1673

Sodco inc.
P.O. Box 2, Slocum, Rl 02877
Sean" Moran, Pot Hogan - (800) 341-6900

D.L Maker Co.

104 Wytran R d , Biainttee, MA 02184
0SHA ond EPA compliance services X training.
Ron Smith-(781) 848-5978

71 Concord St, P. 0. Box 127, N. Reading, MA 01864
Water supply specialists; wells X pumping equipment.
(781) 933-3210

McNulty Construction Corp.
P. 0. Box 3218, Framingham, MA 01705
Asphalt paving of cart paths, walkways,
pocking areas; imprinted asphalt.
John McNulty-(508) 879-8875

Miller Golf Construction

P.O. Box 1008, Essex, M A 0 1 9 2 9
Golf course construction X renovation.
Jonathan Miller - ( 9 7 8 ) 768-6600

S.V. M e « Co., Inc.
33 Thruwoy Park Dr., W. Henrietta, NY 14586
Rain Bird Golf irrigation distributor.
Nathan Clark, Bill Stinson - (888) 708-5296

R.F. Morse ft Sons, inc.

Sports Club Management

Stumos Are lis
5 Timbetwood Rd, # 1 0 8 , Goffstown, NH 03045
Professional stamp chipping service.
Brendan McQuade - (603) 625-4165

lee ft Green Sod, Inc.

P.O. Box 418, Exeter, Rl 02822
Bentgrass, Bluegrass X Blue/Fescue sod.
Dave Wallace-(401) 789-8177; Scot Mcleod - (401) 641-3814

Tom Irwin Inc.

11 A S t , Burlington, MA 01803
Turf management products.
Jack Petersen, Paul Skafas, Rob Larson, Chris Petersen,
Greg Misodoulakis, Mike DeForge
(800)582-5959

luckohoe Turf Farms, Inc.

P. 0. Box 167, Wood River Junction, Rl 02894
Chris Beasley - (800) 556-6985

22 Cranberry Hwv, Wareham, MA 02576
Professional goods, services, ¿ J o h n Deere
equipment for the golf coarse industry.
Larry Anshewitz, Mike Hannigan,
Kevin McDonoogh, Tom Rowel!,
Ren Wilkes, John Winskowicz - (508) 295-1553

47 Falmouth Road, Longmeodow, MA 01106
IPM plans for permit projects, wildlife enhancement projects,
X water quality monitoring programs.
John Bresnahan - (413) 565-5340

Nardone Sand and Gravel, Inc.

Turflinks, Irse

Harrell's Turf Specialty LLC

15 Londonderry Rd, Londonderry, NH 03053
Turf X ornamental supplies.
Chuck Bcomhall, Mike Ktoion, Mike Nagle,
Jim Wietzbicki-(800) 228-6656

SSI Turf Services

Lesio, Sue

20005 Lake R d , Rocky River, OH 44116
Ron Tumiski - (800) 321-5325

5 Cashing Dr., Wrentham, MA 02093
Soles, service, rentals, leasing, Kubota tractors
(508)384-0011

2352 Main S t , Concord, MA 01742
Tree tiunsplonSng, landscape construcJion, X masonry.
Kevin Mulcahy - (800) 439-7244

The Cardinals, Inc.

Woburn, MA01801
Reverse rototilling, cultivating.
(781)938-5055

Loiaro's Golf Course Supplies 8 Accessories
dbo Hammond Paint ond Chemical Co, Inc.
738 Main S t , Suite 223, Wolthom, MA 02154
Complete line of golf course accessories;
Standard, Par Aide, Eagie One.
Joe Lazaro-(781) 647-3361

Sresiso, Inc.

C h a r l e s C. H a r t S e e d C o . , i n c .
P. 0. Box 9169, Wethersfield, 0 06109
Roy Sibley, Dick Gutski, Robin Hayes
(800)326-HART

Cicccsrelli Landscaping

P.O. Box 662, Winchester, MA 01890
Tec/bunker shaping X remodeling, cart paths,
Drainage, tree planting, londscope construction.
Doniel Champion-(781) 729-3250

37 Power R d , Westford, MA 01886
Topdressing sand X mixes, bunker sands, root-zone
mixes, loam, cart path materials, drainage stone.
Gteg Frederick-(978) 692-8221

48 Hatdwick Terrace, Brighton, MA 02135
Aerification X filling of holes with dry material in one pass
on greens, tees, or problem spots on fairways.
Rory Bourke - (617) 779-8873

32 Nickerson Rd., Ashland, AAA 01721
Pruning, fertilization, removal, X professional core.
William P. Maley - (508) 881-2622

Landmark Construction

Norfolk Power Equipment, Inc.

North Shore Hydroseeding
20 Wenhom S t , Danvers, MA 01923
Hydroseeding, erosion control, X tree services.
Brian King-(978) 762-8737

Parte Peat

CsrporofioE
Keisey Park, Great Meadows, NJ 07838
Hent treated topdressing, golf hole targets,
turf blankets, other specialty golf supplies.
Jim Keisey-(800) 247-2326

Prescription Turf Services, Inc.
P.O. Box39, Middleton, M A 0 1 9 4 9
Deep-tine ond hydra-injection services, custom
fertilizer X pesticide applications, fairway aeration,
topdressing operations. (978) 777-1663

Putnam Pipe Corp.

Turfgrass Environmental Consulting

16 Kane Industrial Dr., Hudson, MA 01749
Distributor of quality fertilzer, grass seed,
X control products for the golf course industry.
Kevin Lyons, S c o t Mackintosh, Jim Cohen,
Jim Fovreao-(866) 567-9221

Turf Enhancement Enterprises

6 Jessica J Dr., Millbury, MA 01527
Floratine products, Precision Small Engine Co.,
Douglos Rollers, Ttion Lifts.
Tom Fox-(508) 865-9150

lurfPfef Associates, Inc.
21 Brandywine Rd. Skillmon, NJ 08558
Cuffing edge communication for the golf course industry.
Peter McComrick - ( 8 0 0 ) 314-7929

Turf Products Corp.

157 Moody R d . Enfield, 0 06082
Distributors of Tore irrigation X maintenance equipment
and other golf-related products. Tim Berge, Brian Luccini,
Rick Moolton, Mike Turner - (800) 243-4355

Varney Bros. Sand & Gravel
79 Hartford Ave. Bellingham, MA 02019
Concrete golf cart paths.
Kenneth Mooradian-(800) 441-7373

90 Elm S t , Hopkinton, MA 01748
Underground water, sewer, Xdrain piping soles.
X distribution. 24-hour service. Elliot Putnam,
David Putnam, Eli Potty-(508) 435-3090

Verdicon

M.O. Corp.

Waterfioweis Ecological Design

269 Hanovet S t , Hanover, MA 02339
Golf course construction, greens, tees, bunkers,
drainage, earth-moving, ponds, X water features.
Robert M. Delmonico-(781) 826-2800

Sofondo Precast

151 Old Farms Rood, Avon, 0 06001
Precast concrete buildings for chemical X equipment storage.
Fully-equipped restroom buildings also available.
Bob Ananio-(860) 673-3291

Sawtelle Brothers, Inc.

65 Glenn S t , Lawrence, MA 01843
Larry Bonn, John Lenhort
George W i s e - ( 8 0 0 ) 999-8873

18 legate Hill R d , Sterling, MA 01564
Fertilizer, seed, chemicals, X IPM.
Glenn Lorobee, Bruce Chapman, Mark Miller - (800) 224-4440
132 Bridge St., Salem, MA 01970
Environmental audits, planning/design X permits
for ell environmental details.
Teny Bastion-(978) 745-3142

Winding Irook Turf Farm

Wethersfield, CT 06109
Scott Wheeler, Mike Krudwig, Sam Morgan - (800) 243-0232

Philip Wogois ft George F. Sargent, Jr.
17 Walker R d . Topsfield, MA 01983
Golf coarse architects.
(978)887-3672

lip Type Printing Services, Inc.
50 Kent Street, Newburyport, MA 01950
Design, printing, mailing, advertising specialties.
Sheilo Johnson-(978) 462-9358

Page/

Superintendents ©if to the mem
fg prepare for fast-paced season

On January 11 several superintendents and affiliates suited up and raced at FT
Boston in Brainiree, Mass. Kevin Osgood won the overall title, with second place
to Jeffi Sfouffer, and third to Moke Luccini. Last place went to J o e Kybkss with a
stellar top speed of 23 mph (Osgood's top speed was 38 mph.). Pat Daly is looking
into holding another race in early spring prior to our schedules getting busy at the
outdoor track. Check it out at www.floutdoor.com.
There was discussion by some
of our more portly members of adding weights to "even" the field. That will be a
race-time decision.

Page 8

U . l L i i l . i t t i i 4 J.i,lidiilJil i l l i v i d i t a

LETTER

NEW

INSIDE...
¡Feature:

Donald

Marrone>

CGC5

® CALENDAR
9

From the

President

• Golf Course Sledding
9

GCSMMf News:

9

'My Friend,

9

Divot

9

Photos:

Policy

Four-Ball

Tony C'

Drift
Off to the

Rases

p a i ©
Newburyport, MA
Permit No. 61

FIRST C L I S S

Return to:
300 Arnold Palmer Boulevard
Norton, MA 02766

9

First Class Mail
U.S. Postage

Report