February 2013

Golf Course Superintendents Association of
New England Distinguished Service Award Winner
Jim Fitzroy, CGCS
By: Peter J. Rappoccio
It was no surprise to anyone when
the Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England awarded its highest honor to Jim Fitzroy, CGCS at its Annual Meeting last month. Jim’s contributions to the association reach back over
forty years, joining the association in
1973. Serving on nearly every committee and as chapter President, Jim has
been a tremendous leader in the New
England Chapter. He also got involved
on a national level, serving on the Board
and eventually as President of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America in 2010.
Industry Involvement
Jim’s start with the Golf Course Superintendent’s Association of New England began when he moved to eastern
Massachusetts from upstate New York. Jim took over as
Superintendent of Pleasant Valley Country Club in 1973 and
moved onto Presidents Golf Course in North Quincy, MA as
Superintendent in 1975. At Presidents, Jim oversaw the
construction and grow-in of the course. If you asked him at
the time, he never thought 38 years later he would still be
there running the facility. Jim currently serves as the Director and Superintendent of the Wollaston Recreational Facility/Presidents Golf Course.
It was during this time Jim joined the association because of its fine reputation. “The GCSANE had the reputation of being one of the finest professional associations in the
GCSAA” recalls Fitzroy. Jim started to get involved in the
association serving on almost every committee. He always
made it a point to attend every monthly meeting he could
and was gracious to host the association on several occasions at Presidents. As the years went by he served on the
Board of Directors and eventually served as association
President from 2002 to 2003. He developed some of his
best friendships in the industry during his time on the

GCSANE committees and Board.
When Jim came off the GCSANE Board of Directors his
service and commitment to serving fellow Superintendents
did not end. He was elected to the GCSAA Board of Directors in 2005 and five years later was named President. Being on the Board and President of GCSAA was a huge time
commitment that Jim would say was a privilege well worth it.
His term as GCSAA President included speaking to members of Congress and having the honor of sitting at the same
dinner table with the President of the United States. “At the
end of the day, I certainly felt I got more out of it than I put
into it” says Fitzroy. “From the people I have met, to the venues visited, it was something I could have never imagined”.
Giving Thanks
Jim thanks many people along the way whom have supported him. He credits his success to his wife Maureen, his
children and grandchildren whom all have been there to support him through his involvement with GCSAA. He would
say none of his professional affiliations and volunteer work
would even be possible without the support of the Norfolk
County Commissioners. “I have been very fortunate to have
the support of my bosses with all the volunteer work I have
done with professional societies” says Jim. “Their support
has been un-failing”. He traveled extensively for GCSAA
during his service at Presidents. Having a good staff in
place allowed him to feel at ease when he was gone. Carl
Miner, Presidents Golf Course Superintendent and Fitzroy’s
right-hand man had kept the course in top shape during
Jim’s absences. Jim says his service at GCSAA would not
have been possible without Carl.
Jim’s contributions to the golf course management industry have been matched by few and it is certainly fitting
that he be awarded the Distinguished Service Award. “This
award is certainly humbling because this award has been
given to so many gentlemen who have been stalwarts in our
continued on page 3

GCSANE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Mark Gagne
233 Baker Street, Walpole, MA 02081
508-668-3859 Fax: 508-668-9969
Email: Mgagne@walpolecc.org
Walpole Country Club

VICE PRESIDENT
Scott Lagana, CGCS
840 Oak Hill Road, Fitchburg, MA 01420
978-342-6451 Fax 978-345-2044
Email: slagana@oakhillcc.org
Oak Hill Country Club

TREASURER
Michael Luccini, CGCS
10 Griffin Road, Franklin, MA 02038
508-520-3615 Fax: 508-528-1885
Email: Mluccini@verizon.net
Franklin Country Club

SECRETARY
David W. Johnson
179 Fletcher Street, Whitinsville, MA 01588
508-234-2533 Fax: 508-234-2533
Email: djohnson.wgc@verizon.net
Whitinsville Golf Club

TRUSTEE (Membership)
Jeffrey Urquhart
70 Green Lodge Street, Canton, MA 02021
781-828-2953 Fax 781-828-3220
Email: jmartin101@gmail.com
Milton-Hoosic Club

TRUSTEE (Government Relations)
J. Michael Rose
181 Winter Street, Belmont, MA 02478
617-484-5360 Fax 617-484-6613
Email: mrose@belmontcc.org
Belmont Country Club

TRUSTEE (Scholarship & Benevolence)
David Stowe, CGCS
30 Western Avenue, Natick, MA 01760
617-789-4631 Fax 617-789-4631
Email: Newtonmaint@aol.com
Newton Commonwealth Golf Club

AFFILIATE TRUSTEE
Mark Casey
890 East Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876
617-990-2427 Fax: 978-409-0445
Email: mcasey@mte.us.com
MTE - Turf Equipment Solutions

FINANCE CHAIRMAN
Donald D’Errico
25 Tiot Street, Sharon, MA 02067
508-530-2113
Email: donny@springvalleycountryclub.com
Spring Valley Country Club

GOLF CHAIRMAN
Jason VanBuskirk
58 Randall Road, Stow, MA 01775
978-568-1100 ext. 121
Email: jvanbuskirk@stowacres.com
Stow Acres Country Club

EDUCATION CHAIRMAN
Patrick VanVleck
103 Cochituate Road, Wayland, MA 01778
508-358-1104 Fax: 508-358-2359
Email: patrickvanvleck@sandyburr.com
Sandy Burr Country Club

NEWSLETTER CHAIRMAN
Peter J. Rappoccio
246 Ornac, Concord, MA 01742
978-371-1089 Fax: 978-369-7231
Email: gcs@concordcc.org
Concord Country Club

PAST PRESIDENT
Jason S. Adams
27 Cherry Street, Wrentham, MA 02093
781-828-6540 Fax: 781-326-3801
Email: jadams@bluehillcc.com
Blue Hill Country Club

ASSOCIATION MANAGER
Donald E. Hearn, CGCS
300 Arnold Palmer Blvd., Norton, MA 02766
774-430-9040 Fax: 774-430-9101
Email: donhearn@gcsane.org

BUSINESS MANAGER, THE NEWSLETTER
Julie Heston
Phone: (401) 934-7660 Email: jheston@verizon.net
GCSANE Headquarters
300 Arnold Palmer Blvd., Norton, MA 02766
Tel: (774) 430-9040 Fax: (774) 430-9101
Web Site: www.gcsane.org

President’s Message
As I write this, we are bracing for yet another winter
storm. However, I 'm not complaining as this winter has
been a welcome contrast to last and seems to be more like
what we expect this time of year in New England. The
blanket of snow has assured us at least a few more weeks
before the start of the golf season. I can say that I am enjoying this time to work with the staff at my club to review
the strengths and weaknesses of our management programs from past years and determine what and how we will
implement and refine this year as part of our continuous
improvement cycle. It is a time to reflect, plan and prepare
for the eventual return of golfers, events and projects that will signal the start of a
new season.
Upcoming Events
As we prepare for the eventual arrival of spring, there are some events that you may
want to consider attending:
The New England Regional Turf Conference will be held March 4th to the 7th.
Gary Sykes and his group have put together another excellent program. We are
very fortunate to enjoy such a quality event each year that is so close to home. From
my conversations with others in the industry I have learned that the NERTC is widely
viewed as one of the most successful regional turf events in the country.
Having attended last year’s New England Green Section Seminar at Blue Hills
Country Club, I can say that it was an excellent opportunity to spend quality time with
the leadership of my club and that we all found the day to be highly educational and
informative. This year’s event promises to be another excellent opportunity to generate discussion around some timely topics and a dynamic group of speakers has
been assembled. The event will be held again at Blue Hills, on March 26th. So put
together a foursome from your facility and take advantage of this opportunity to network, build relationships and learn together.
Our first golf meeting of the season will be held on April 29th at South Shore
Country Club, where Jay McGrail and Jacob Silva will host a joint meeting of
GCSANE and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Cape Cod. I know I
am looking forward to dusting off the clubs and seeing all of the work that Jay and his
team have done in recent years to this fine Wayne Stiles course.
The Ouimet Scholarship Fund will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of Francis
Ouimet’s US Open victory at The Country Club. There are several events planned
for the year, the largest of which will be the Centennial Gala on May 15th at the Boston Convention Center. The event will honor Arnold Palmer and include many other
luminaries from the golf world.
Board of Directors Update
The GCSANE Board of Directors have been meeting and are working towards
making this a great year for the association. I have been very impressed by the enthusiasm, energy and ideas our new and veteran board members have brought forward. Roles and responsibilities have been established for each board position and
we expect this will help the board expand on its effectiveness and efficiency. The
Board has established its goals for the year, which in general terms focus on maintaining fiscal responsibility, increasing member participation in events, improving on
the relevancy of our association and helping to further the careers of our members.
While we think we have some solid ideas, we don’t profess to have all of the answers. The board welcomes and encourages input and feedback from any and all
members of our association. I’m also pleased to report that we have begun to make
some progress towards achieving our goals:

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.

Continued on page 3
2

Jim Fitzroy - continued from page 1

industry” Fitzroy says. “To be mentioned along with Joe Troll, Tony Caranci, Dick Blake,
and others whom I have looked up to as a young man is quite an honor and probably the
greatest I have ever received”.
It is said you’re known by the company you keep and this award is certainly fitting of a person with such a tremendous career. Congratulations Jim on receiving the 2013 Golf
Course Superintendents Association Distinguished Service Award. 

From L-R: Jason Adams presents Jim
Fitzroy with his Distinguished Service
Award

President’s Message - continued from page 2

been made to date, but we have more work to do. We may
not be able to address of the challenges or solve all of the
problems, but I do believe that if we work together we can
continue to improve the association and position it for a successful future. I look forward to a productive term ahead as
your President and the opportunity to be a part of a very talented board. Best of luck to everyone for a successful year
and I hope to see you at one of the many events and meetings in the near future.

The Golf Committee, chaired by Jason VanBuskirk, has
established the schedule of 2013 meeting dates and sites.
We hope this will afford our members the opportunity to plan
out their schedule well in advance of the season.
A new Partner Recognition Program has been rolled out
by the Affiliate Committee, headed by Mark Casey. The program is the result of feedback and input from our Friend and
Affiliate members and is designed to provide added value
and “one stop shopping” for our vendors to promote their
products and services, as well as to support the association.
So far the response has been very positive and our web site
(gcsane.org) features the Friends who have signed on to the
program.
In response to suggestions from some of our members,
the minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors will be
posted on our web site. The board is committed to expanding on its transparency and hopes this information will be of
interest to the membership.
The initiation fee for new assistant members has been
waived again for 2013. We hope that this will make it more
affordable and easier for these future superintendents to participate in the association. This program has been effective
in the past and has led to a marked increase in the number
of assistant members since it was instituted a few years ago.
On the government relations front, Mike Rose has done
some great work with our lobbyists and the Green Industry
Alliance in representing our interests on the state level. A
significant portion of GCSANE dues income is dedicated to
the expense of retaining a lobbyist firm and this investment
has paid dividends many times in the past in the form of
helping to influence regulation that affects the golf industry.
We have been joined in this effort in recent years by the New
England Golf Course Owners Association and the Golf
Course Superintendents Association of Cape Cod. Most
recently, Mike’s work with our lobbyist helped shaped new
legislation that will affect the use of phosphorus containing
fertilizers. In particular, we were able to influence language
that prohibits municipalities (after 7/31/12) from developing
regulations, ordinances or bylaws on nutrient management
and fertilizer guidelines that might otherwise pre-empt the
state regulations. In addition, we welcome the role that the
University of Massachusetts Extension Service will play in
implementing of the final regulations.
So in all, I am quite encouraged be the progress that has

Mark Gagne
GCSANE President

3

Thoughts From Your Association Manager
The Golf Industry Show and Golf Tournament are history. I had the pleasure of playing two beautiful courses in
the San Diego area. I had thought, based on what I had
seen for many years on television, that the courses at Torrey
Pines weren’t that attractive. I thought what made them appealing was their closeness to the ocean and the dramatic
cliffs along the ocean. WOW, was I wrong! I played the
North Course and was blown away by the elevation
changes, the beautiful ocean vistas, the excellent playing
conditions and the overall character of the property. I also
played the course at the La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, a
beautiful facility that was also in excellent condition. This
course is very different from Torrey Pines. No ocean or dramatic elevation changes since much of the course serves as
a drainage way
for communities
in the area. The
staffs at each
facility were very
efficient and
helped make
each day a success. I hadn’t
played in the
tournament for
many years and
it was a chance
to meet new
people, play golf in beautiful surroundings and see some
long-time friends. There weren’t many players from our Association attending and it’s unfortunate that so few would
take advantage of a wonderful opportunity to play beautiful
courses while at the same time broadening their horizons
and picking up tips on course maintenance and coupling
these with meeting people from all parts of this and other
countries. I played with people from Georgia, Illinois, Virginia, Massachusetts Canada and Great Britain.
While in San Diego I had the opportunity to represent the
Association as the voting delegate. The election process
went smoothly and rapidly. Voting is now done electronically
using iPads. The vote tally is instantaneous and results are
announced a few minutes after the last delegate has voted.
Our votes were cast for John O’Keefe as SecretaryTreasurer; Darren Davis, Peter Grass and John Fulling for
Directors; and one vote was cast for John Walker for Director, as requested by a member of our Association.
The Nor’easter held at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel in San
Diego was a success orchestrated once again by Bob
Ruszala. The room
was perfect size, the
food was plentiful and
many sponsors were
present to mingle with
the attendees from the
sponsoring Associations and allied groups.
It was a wonderful evening.
The trade show
seemed very busy and

the commercial people I spoke with were happy with the
number of people stopping at their booths. I walked the
show floor for parts of two days and saw a lot of equipment.
The robotic greens mowers were the most technologyloaded pieces I saw and certainly create a very interesting
scenario for the future of greens mowing.
A few weeks ago Ron Kirkman, the long time Superintendent at the Needham Golf Club, a Retired Member and
Past President of the Association had a nasty spill. He was
diagnosed with a concussion and about a week later suffered some internal bleeding which required surgery to drain
the build up that was putting pressure on his brain. Ron had
successful surgery and is resting comfortably.
Invoices for this year’s dues and the Member Information
Forms have been sent out. If you haven’t received these
please let me know. The best way to contact me is to send a
note to donhearn@gcsane.org. In addition to paying your
dues, please be sure to send back the Member Information
Form. This is what’s used to list you in the Membership Directory and to keep our records up to date. 

Don Hearn

Hillcrest Turf Services
Providing quality service to
golf courses



Dethatching
 Root Pruning
 Seeding

Michael Parks
617-852-0479
michaelparks09@comcast.net
4

Dues and Partnership Promotion Program
By Jeff Urquhart
can get the most out of your investment. Your support of our
Association will not go un-noticed. Just a reminder to our
PPP partners that once you sign up for the program, we
need a company logo in a usable format (jpeg or something
similar) and a desired link that you want visitors to go to
when they click the actual logo as well as a proper advertisement for your individual space granted to you. So far I am
doing my best to fulfill the incoming participants with their
PPP recognition and the banner ad. The PPP area can not
be a live link, but the banner ads obviously are. I can work
with you to get the desired logo exactly how you want it to
appear. Mark Casey is also a point person who is helping
out with this. I hope that all those involved are happy with
the way things are going thus far and thank you for your patience as it is a learning experience for all. 

The dues renewal and membership information update forms
have been mailed to you. If you haven’t received them
please call or email Don. It took a great team of seasoned
vets and fresh rookies to fold and stuff all those papers.
Thanks to those who helped out. If you have any questions
about each of the forms, please don’t hesitate to reach out to
myself or Don. Do your best during the off season to properly fill them out and send them back to us. It will give Don
and I ample time to make sure that the Membership Directory is 100% accurate.
The Partnership Promotion Program is getting off to a great
start. Thank you to those who are taking advantage of this
great opportunity. Time is of the essence here so if you are
interested in the program please send in your forms so you

Etiquette
4. Know your lunch partner’s business. It’s especially key
when your tablemate is someone you’d like to impress, but
the rule holds true regardless. The fewer times you have to
say (or think), “I didn’t know that!” the more impressed the
other party will be. How to steal this idea: Take a few minutes to do a Google search before you leave for lunch.

Business Dining Etiquette
Whether you’re lunching with peers at a convention, meeting
with a vendor, having lunch with your green chairman, golf
professional, or others you deal with on a business level,
business dining etiquette can keep you from marring your
image with a faux pas.

5. Put some thought into choosing the right restaurant.
Too casual or inexpensive and the person may not feel valued. Too expensive and they may perceive you as wasteful.
When in doubt, suggest that the other person pick the place.

Here are some rules for business meals, according to Robin
Jay, author of The Art of the Business Lunch: Building Relationships Between 12 and 2, with some editorial inserts by
Don Hearn.

6. Don’t wear a cap at the dining table. While you might
think it’s cool to be sporting the logo of your club or the club
hosting the upcoming US Open, it’s not. Save the cap for
outside. 

1. Never, ever talk with your mouth full. Instead, take
small bites so you can quickly swallow if somebody asks you
a question, Jay says.

Don Hearn
2. Come prepared with a few casual, non-business topics in mind. It helps you avoid awkward silences. People
enjoy giving their thoughts on subjects like travel, sports and
movies. Broaden your horizons. There are more things in
life than just turfgrass and golf.
3. Always be kind to the wait staff, no matter what happens. Anyone who is nice to you but nasty to the server is
not a nice person. “Hey…hey” is not an appropriate way to
get the attention of a server who has taken your order or is
passing by your table.

5

Affiliate Committee Update
Join the current list of Partners and put your company front &
center before the membership. You may receive a follow up
call from a Superintendent member to send in your renewals!

The Partnership Promotion Program / Friends and affiliate
renewal form brochure has been forwarded to all members. Thank you for the many companies responding and
renewals of Friends and Affiliates for 2013. New commitments continue to roll in for the new Partnership Promotion
Program that will benefit the organization.

The Affiliate committee is the Friends voice to the board of
directors, so do please do reach me or to any member
should you have a question, issue or concern.
We aim to be part of shaping better organization through
mutual support of one another. 

A special thank you to Patron Partners; Matrix Turf Solutions
with Jim Favreau & Larry Anshewitz; Joe ”The Lizard”
Lazaro of Lazaro Golf Course Supply/ Hammond Paint &
Chemical; Andy Langlois of BISCO, Boston Irrigation & Supply Company. Also thank you to new Silver Partner, Allen’s
Seed and owner Erik Hagenstein, with Michele Maltais &
Peter Lund for their participation and SILVER PARTNERSHIP.

Thank you.
Mark Casey
Affiliate Trustee, GCSA of New England
MTE Turf Equipment Solutions
mcasey@mte.us.com

2013 PARTNERS
Gold:

MTE~Turf Equipment Solutions

Silver:

Hillcrest Turf Services, New England
Specialty Soils, Allen’s Seed

Patron:

Bayer, Syngenta, Matrix Turf Solutions,
Lazaro Golf Course Supply/Hammond Paint
& Chemical, BISCO

6

Kevin Doyle - GCSAA Updates
I have finally returned from Conference
and Show in San Diego after a three day,
storm related hiatus. For all of us in the
Northeast it seemed like GIS 2013 was extended to 2013 and ½! Lots of stranded
members kept the GCSAA vibe going long
after the show concluded on Friday afternoon. I know some of you were able to
move your flights to earlier and beat the
storm home, and I am hopeful it worked out
for you. As seems to be a recent trend in the Northeast, the
GCSAA Disaster Relief Fund is available to any member
who sustained personal loss in the recent blizzard. For more
information on how GCSAA can help, please contact me.
The reaction from Show seemed to be very positive with
great reviews from the golfers, those attending education,
and our members and industry partners working hard on the
show floor. Lots of new innovations and products across the
four plus acre trade show kept traffic heavy and superintendent interest peaked! The region was a standout in the
awards category, and a source for pride for all of us in the
Northeast. Those of you following on Twitter may have been
keeping up (@GCSAA_NE), but in case you missed it:
Frank Lamphier was one of four to receive the 2013 Golf
Course Superintendents Association of America
(GCSAA) Col. John Morley Distinguished Service Award.
Matthew Ceplo, CGCS at Rockland Country Club,
Sparkill, N.Y., was awarded the GCSAA's 2013 President's Award for Environmental Stewardship.
The Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents was selected to receive the 2013 Excellence in
Government Relations Award from GCSAA.
The University of Massachusetts, Amherst unseated two
-time defending champion Iowa State and took first place
in the 19th annual GCSAA Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition.
Dominating Superintendent specific awards aren’t good
enough for this region: 'Maple', the only Canadian entry,
is the 2013 'Dog of the Year' in GCM's dog calendar presented by Lebanon Turf! Proud owner is ISM and Ontario Golf Superintendents Association member Tim
Muys.

Wow! Congratulations to all the winners, and those recognized with Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards at the
Chapter level too:
Jim Pavonetti, CGCS, Fairview Country Club, Greenwich, Conn., Metropolitan GCSA
Andrew Hardy, Pheasant Run Golf Course, Sharon, Ontario, Canada, Ontario GCSA (second year in a row)
Nominations for GCSAA awards takes place throughout the
fall, with deadlines typically printed right here! If anyone is
interested in information regarding these awards, please go
to GCSAA.org.
GCSAA Updates:
Par Aide's Joseph S. Garske Collegiate Grant Program
is now open! The goal of this program is to assist
GCSAA members' children in funding their education at
either an accredited college or trade school. It is available to the children of GCSAA members who have been
an active member for five or more consecutive years.
Applicant must be a graduating high school senior and
be accepted at an institution of higher learning for the
upcoming year. The annual deadline is March 15.
Nominate your technician for the “Most Valuable Technician” award sponsored by Foley United. What better
way to say thank you for all their hard work? It won’t
take long, and makes a positive impact just by nominating! Let’s bring the award east of the Rocky Mountains
for the first time. Deadline: March 30, 2013.
Upcoming webcasts:
Feb. 28: Today's Turf is ... Ultradwarf Bermuda
March 6: Managing Turf to Reduce Herbicide Use
As always, if I can be of any assistance, please do not
hesitate to contact me. 
Cheers!
Kevin Doyle
GCSAA Field Staff
kdoyle@gcsaa.org

7

816-807-3103

2013 Golf Industry Show in review…
fantastic free educational seminars sponsored, this year, by Precision Laboratories,
there is always education available. I know
that I definitely return to my facility a more
educated manager of not just turf, but many
other qualities that a successful manager
may need. Conversations that are held on
the trade show floor or in networking events
help inspire new ideas for the upcoming
season. Being in the Northeast, we are fortunate to have a few months to be able to
regroup and actually spend some time working on these new ideas. This week-long
event helps us to become better at what we
do. Thanks to our owner, Walter Lankau, for
making this possible each year. 

I felt the Golf Industry Show in San Diego this year was a
success. The event was extremely well run and organized as
usual. The event site was perfect, and with the exception of
getting trapped for an extra day due to the blizzard, the
whole week was exciting and busy. The week is jammed
with education. Whether you’re enrolled in fee-based seminars on Monday and Tuesday or taking advantage of one the

Jason VanBuskirk

2013 GIS Nor’Easter Hospitality Room
The 2013 Nor’easter was held in the Hilton Bayfront Hotel on Wednesday, February 6th. It was a great turnout from members of the various associations. Below are a few pictures from a great night. Hope to see
all of you at the 2014 Nor’Easter in Orlando!

From L to R: Greg
Cormier, CGCS; Brian
Giblin, Bayer; and
Chris Peterson;
President, Tom Irwin
Co.

From L to R: Paul Skafas, Tom Irwin, Inc.; and
Don Hearn, CGCS, Association Manager
GCSANE

Nor’Easter Room 2013
8

University of Massachusetts Amherst Pulls Out a
"Massachusetts Miracle" at the 19th Annual GCSAA
Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition
place, the students almost seemed too stunned to respond.

For Immediate Release: February 15, 2013
Norton, MA — Congratulations to the team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst which captured first place at
the 19th annual GCSAA Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition.
This event was held during last week's GCSAA’s Education
Conference in San Diego. The victory was impressive given
that 247 students divided into 68 teams representing 35
schools took part in the competition.
Here is a summary of the team's great victory!

This year’s Turf Bowl Competition some long-standing
expectations as different schools that had not been in the top
10 for some time rose to the occasion.
The winners were:
1st: Team 40, University of Massachusetts-Amherst Peter White, Evan Bradstreet, Kevin Shewmaker, Sean
Raposa

Turf Bowl 2013: The Massachusetts Miracle
The 19th annual GCSAA Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition presented in partnership with John Deere took place
Thursday morning at GCSAA’s Education Conference in San
Diego. Two-hundred forty-seven students divided into 68
teams representing 35 schools took part in the competition.
Despite some last-minute review at breakfast, perennial
favorite Iowa State fell to fifth place, while University of Massachusetts--Amherst Team No.45 (Peter White, Evan Bradstreet, Kevin Shewmaker, Sean Raposa) ascended to the
first-place position earning $4,000 in prize money and a trip
to TPC Sawgrass National Championship courtesy of John
Deere. After stunning the field by taking third place in 2010
(UMass had not been in the top 10 in recent memory), teams
from UMass went on to take second place in 2011 and third
place in 2012 before garnering top honors for 2013.
There was plenty of joy in Amherst and in San Diego as
Professor Pat Vittum embraced the students and her friends,
and the students embraced each other. Assistant Professor
Michelle Da Costa, who has mentored the student teams
over the last few years was unable to attend GIS this year,
but she was notified immediately of the team’s victory.
The relatively laid-back University of Arkansas team with
faculty member Doug Karcher placed second in the competition.
The outright joy of the UMass students and faculty was
matched by the two University of Maryland teams who
placed third and fourth. The initial announcement of the
fourth-place winners was greeted with whoops of joy, but
when it was announced that Maryland had also taken third

2nd: Team 67, University of Arkansas—Grant Harrison,
Nathan Tompkins, Ethan Charles, William Mears
3rd: Team 32, University of Maryland—Josh Malnik,
Brian Shepard, Roy J. Crow, Ryan Higgins
4th: Team 43, University of Maryland—Justin Patenaude,
Scott Hosier, Brian Hogan, Brent Waite
5th: Team 10, Iowa State University—Casey Sheehy,
Evan Alderman, Spencer Nelson, Andrew Doyle
6th: Team 20, Rutgers University—Kyle Genova,
Nocholas Delmar, Gregory Benz, Kenneth MacNish
7th: Team 11, Cal Poly-Pomona: Robert Micklis, Daniel
Schubert, Larry Heath, Raul Martinez
8th: Team 58, Colorado State University—Nick Bovino,
Parker Ray, Aaron Paz, Dan Spague
9th: Team 54, Penn State University—Matthew Harvey,
Stephen King Jr., Tyler Patton, Will McNeal
10th: Team 8, University of Tennessee—Jacob Reagan,
Dalton Wayman, West Mackie, Cory Yurisic 
Source: Massachusetts Golf Association
www.mgalinks.org

9

10

Register Online Now & Join Your
Colleagues in March!

FAST FACTS
Here are the details that you will need to know in order
to save the date for this important educational seminar!

Following a successful debut in 2012, the USGA Green Section, GCSANE and MGA are once again coming together to
host the 2013 New England Green Section Seminar.

** WHEN **

In addition to USGA Green Section experts Jim Skorulski,
Dave Oatis and Adam Mueller, this year's Seminar will feature keynote speakers David Chag (National Club Association/The Country Club) and renowned golf course architect
Ian Andrew.

** WHERE **

Tuesday, March 26, 2013
(tentative schedule is set for 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.)

Blue Hill CC (Canton, MA)

HOSTS - USGA Green Section, GCSANE, MGA

2013 NEW ENGLAND GREEN SECTION SEMINAR
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Blue Hill Country Club (Canton, MA)
This educational, one-day seminar was designed to better
inform green committee chairpersons, club officials, general
managers, superintendents and golf professionals about
agronomy and operational issues concerning the maintenance of a golf course.
The day will conclude with a networking luncheon and an
interactive panel discussion which will include a question and
answer session.

WHO - Green Chairs, Superintendents, Club Managers, Golf Professionals, Presidents, Owners and the
General Public

TOPICS - Topics to be covered could include Bunker
Maintenance, Budget Pitfalls, Regrassing Greens,
Newest Green Technology, Architects & Golf Course
Design/Restoration, Collaboration in the Club House,
more to come…

WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This seminar is targeted towards green committee chairpersons (and green committee members), superintendents, club
managers, golf professionals, presidents and owners. Club
board members and interested members and staff are also
welcome to attend.

FEATURES - Education Points, USGA Green Section
Speakers, Networking Luncheon

REGISTRATION
Online registration is now available by clicking here. The
cost per attendee is $50 and you can register up to 10 people with one transaction.
MORE INFORMATION
Click here to visit the event web site or contact Event Coordinator Becky Blaeser via email (info@mgalinks.org) or phone
(781-789-8760).

11

DIVOT DRIFT... announcements ... educational seminars ... job opportunities
...tournament results...and miscellaneous items of interest to the membership.
ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALENDAR

Our condolences are extended to Steve Thys and family on
the passing of Steve’s mother, Karen Thys, on February 4,
2013.

March 4-7:
New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation Conference
and Show, Providence, RI

Our condolences are extended to Scott Gabrielson, CGCS
and family on the passing of Scott’s wife, Elaine Gabrielson
on February 17, 2013.

March 26: MGA Green Section Seminar, Blue Hill CC

Congratulations to Roy Sibley on his retirement from the
Chas. C. Hart Seed Company after 35 years.

May 13: GCSANE Monthly Meeting, Pittsfield CC

As in the past, The Newsletter continues to invite Affiliate
members to submit a press release about new personnel,
new products or a company bio. We will print each and every
release free of charge. This is a great way to advertise for
free. Who said nothing in this world is free? Free advertising to better your company, wow what an offer.
Peter J. Rappoccio, Editor

July 1: GCSANE Monthly Meeting, Walpole CC

April 29: Bear Cup Tournament, South Shore CC

June 10: GCSANE Member/Guest, Nashawtuc CC

September 23: GCSANE S&B Tournament, Essex CC
October 1: Pro/Superintendent Tournament, Black Rock CC
October 7: GCSANE Monthly Meeting, The Ledges
October 15: NE Supt. Championship, Sterling CC
October 28: Alumni Turf Group, Joe Troll Tournament,
TPC Boston
November 4: GCSANE Monthly Meeting, 9-Hole Meeting,
Milton-Hoosic Club

Visit us at
www.GCSANE.org
GCSANE Offers
Website Banner advertising at
www.gcsane.org
The price is $500 for one year which will be
re-occurring annually from your first billing unless
otherwise specified.
For more information, please contact Jeff Urquhart
at 781-828-2953 or jmartin101@gmail.com
12

Please Patronize these FRIENDS of the ASSOCIATION
Page 1

A.A. Will Materials Corp.
198 Washington St., Stoughton, MA 02072-1748
Root zone mixes, divot mixes, topdressing blends, bunker sands,
cart path mixes, bridging stone, & hardscape supplies.
Rob Fitzpatrick - (800) 4-AA-WILL
www.aawillmaterials.com

Cavicchio Landscape Supply, Inc.
110 Codjer Lane, Sudbury, MA 01776
Annuals, perennials, garden mums, ground covers, loam, & mulch.
Darren Young - (978) 443-7177
Charles C. Hart Seed Co., Inc.
304 Main St., Wethersfield, CT 06109
Authorized distributor for Bayer, Syngenta, Grigg Bros., Foliar Fertilizer, & Aquatrols.
Roy Sibley, Dick Gurski, Robin Hayes - (800) 326-HART

Agresource, Inc.
100 Main St., Amesbury, MA 01913
Tim Gould, Guy Travers (800) 313-3320, (978) 388-5110
Allen’s Seed
693 S. County Trail, Exeter, RI 02822
Specializing in quality seed, fertilizer, chemicals, and related golf
course maintenance supplies.
Michelle Maltais (401) 835-0287 Peter Lund (401) 474-8171
www.allensseed.com

Country Club Enterprises
PO Box 670, 29 Tobey Rd., W.Wareham, MA 02676
Club Car golf cars, Carryall utility vehicles.
Dave Farina, Keith Tortorella, Mike Turner (800) 662-2585
DAF Services, Inc.
20 Lawnacre Rd., Windsor Locks, CT 06096
Irrigation pumps - sales & service; northeast warehouse/distributor
for ISCO HDPE pipe & fittings. Richard Young - (860) 623-5207

The Andersons Technologies, Inc.
26 Waite Ave., S. Hadley, MA 01075
Manufacturer of fertilizer & control products.
Rick Forni - (413) 534-8896

DGM Systems
153A Foster Center Road, Foster, RI 02825
Your New England specialty products distributor: Reelcraft, POK,
Allen, Kenyon, Echo, Carhartt Office - (401) 647-0550
Manny Mihailides - (401) 524-8999
David Mihailides - (401) 742-1177

Atlantic Golf and Turf
9 Industrial Boulevard, Turners Falls, MA 01376
Specializing in agronomy through the distribution of fertilizer, seed
and chemicals throughout New England.
Chris Cowan (413) 530-5040, Gregg Mackintosh (508) 525-5142,
Scott Mackintosh CPAg (774) 551-6083

DHT Golf Services
8 Meadow Park Road, Plymouth, MA 02360
Serving the GCSANE for over 20 years. Planning to proposal to
completion. Golf construction and irrigation consulting.
Emergency irrigation repairs. Dahn Tibbett (20 year member),
Jaime Tibbett 508-746-3222 DHTGOLF.COM

A-OK Turf Equipment Inc.
1357 Main St., Coventry, RI 02816-8435
Lastec, Tycrop, Blec, Wiedenmann, Therrien, Graden, Sweep
& Fill, Baroness, and used equipment.
Mike Cornicelli - (401) 826-2584

G. Fialkosky Lawn Sprinklers
PO Box 600645., Newton, MA 02460
Irrigation services to golf courses throughout New England.
Gary Fialkosky - (617) 293-8632
www.garyfialkoskylawnsprinklers.com

Barenbrug USA
Great in Grass 166 Juniper Drive, North Kingstown, RI 02852
Bruce Chapman, Territory Manager (401) 578-2300
BASF Turf & Ornamental
47 Falmouth Rd., Longmeadow, MA 01106
“We don’t make the turf. We make it better.”
John Bresnahan - (413) 565-5340

Harrell’s
19 Technology Drive, Auburn, MA 01501
Turf & Ornamental supplies. Chuck Bramhall, Mike Kroian,
Mike Nagle, Jim Wierzbicki - (800) 228-6656

BACKED by BAYER
Building on an already solid foundation of proven products to help
you succeed. Brian Giblin 508-439-9809 brian@bayer.com
www.backedbybayer.com

Hillcrest Turf Services
P.O. Box 767, Medfield, MA 02052
Mike Parks 617-852-0479
Providing specialty cultural services to golf courses and sports turf.

The Borden Company
114 Summer St., Maynard, MA 01754
Bulk limestone dealer. Jack Borden - (978) 897-2571

International Golf Construction Co.
5 Purcell Rd., Arlington, MA 02474
Golf course construction. Antonios Paganis - (781) 648-2351;
(508) 428-3022

Boston Irrigation Supply Co. (BISCO)
60 Stergis Way, Dedham, MA 02026
New England's single source for a complete line of irrigation and
pumping equipment featuring Rain Bird, plus landscape lighting,
drainage, tools and all related accessories. www.gobisco.com
Andrew Langlois, Jay Anderson III, Dan Fuller, Jeff Brown, Greg
Hennessy, Chris Russo (800) 225-8006

Irrigation Management & Services
21 Lakeview Ave., Natick, MA 01760
Irrigation consultation, design, and system evaluation.
Bob Healey, ASIC, CID - (508) 653-0625

The Cardinals, Inc.
166 River Rd., PO Box 520, Unionville, CT 06085
Golf course and landscape supplies.
John Callahan, Dennis Friel - (800) 861-6256

continued on next page

13

Please Patronize these FRIENDS of the ASSOCIATION
MTE, Inc. – Turf Equipment Solutions
118 Lumber Lane, Tewksbury, MA 01864
New England’s source for equipment sales, service and parts. New
and pre-owned mowers, tractors, attachments and much more
from: Jacobsen, Turfco, Smithco, Ventrac, Redexim, Neary
Grinders, Ryan, Buffalo Turbine, Mahindra, Husqvarna, Gravely,
Standard, Par-Aide and others. Office: 978-654-4240.
Mark Casey: 617-990-2427. Matt Lapinski: 978-551-0093

John Deere Golf
Offering our customers the most complete
line of products, service and expertise in the
industry. Ren Wilkes,
John Winskowicz - (978) 471-8351
Ron Tumiski 1-800-321-5325 x6219
Ken Jones Tire, Inc.
71-73 Chandler St., Worcester, MA 01613
Distributor of tires for lawn & garden, trucks, cars, industrial equipment, and golf cars. Gerry Jones - (508) 755-5255

Mungeam Cornish Golf Design, Inc.
207 N. Main St., Uxbridge, MA 01569
Golf course architects. (508) 278-3407

Larchmont Engineering & Irrigation
11 Larchmont Lane, Lexington, MA 02420-4483
Kevin Rudat - (781) 862-2550

New England Lawn & Golf
15 Del Prete Drive, Hingham, MA 02043
Distributor of Express Dual and Anglemaster Speed Roller and
Converted Organics a liquid compost & fertilizer from food waste
John Lenhart - (781) 561-5687

Lazaro’s Golf Course Supplies & Accessories
dba Hammond Paint and Chemical Co., Inc.
738 Main St., Suite 223, Waltham, MA 02154
Complete line of golf course accessories; Standard, Par Aide,
Eagle One. Joe Lazaro - (781) 647-3361

New England Specialty Soils
435 Lancaster, Street, Leominster, MA 01453
1mm. Top Dressing Sand, High Density Bunker Sand, Rootzone
Mixes, Tee Blends, Divot Mixes, Bridging Stone, Cart Path Mix,
Infield Mixes, Inorganic Amendments, SLOPE LOCK Soil.
Ed Downing - 978-230-2300 Rick Moulton (978) 230-2244
www.nesoils.com

Maher Services
71 Concord Street, N. Reading, MA 01864
Specializes in Water well drilling, pump sales, pump repair, well
redevelopment and preventative maintenance
Peter Maher cell: (781) 953-8167 or (978) 664-WELL (9355)
Fax (978) 664-9356 www.maherserv.com

New England Turf
P.O. Box 777, West Kingston, RI 02892
Phone: 800-451-2900 or Ernie Ketchum 508-364-4428;
Mike Brown (508) 272-1827
Website: www.newenglandturf.com

MAS Golf Course Construction LLC
60 Hope Ave., Ste. 107, Waltham, MA 02453
Fulfilling all your renovation and construction needs.
www.masgolfconstruction.com Matthew Staffieri (508) 243-2443

NMP Golf Construction Corp.
25 Bishop Ave., Ste. A-2, Williston, VT 05495
Golf course construction. Mario Poirier - (888) 707-0787

Maltby & Company
30 Old Page Street, P.O. Box 364, Stoughton, MA 02072
Provides expert tree pruning, tree removal and tree planting services. Our two other divisions include Natural Tree & Lawn Care,
which treats for winter moth caterpillars, ticks and mosquitoes etc.
Forest Floor recycling manufactures color enhanced mulch and
natural composted leaf mulch. For more information or to speak
with one of our arborists please call Bill Maltby at 781-344-3900

Northeast Golf Company
Golf Course Architectural/Consultation Services
118 Beauchamp Drive, Saunderstown, RI 02874
Robert McNeil (401) 667-4994
Northeast Nursery Inc.
6 Dearborn Road, Peabody, MA 01960
Complete line of Golf Course, Landscape & Lawn Care
Construction and Maintenance Supplies
Tom Rowell (978) 317-0673
Alan Vadala (774) 766-2516

Matrix Turf Solutions
29 Gilmore Drive - Unit C, Sutton, MA 01590
Providing the finest turf care products and accessories.
Jim Favreau - (978) 815-9810 - Larry Anshewitz - (508) 789-4810
www.matrixturf.com

North Shore Hydroseeding
20 Wenham St., Danvers, MA 01923
Hydroseeding and erosion control services.
Brian King - (978) 762-8737 www.nshydro.com

Mayer Tree Service
9 Scots Way, Essex, MA 01929
Your one source tree care company. Our certified arborists specialize in plant health care as well as tree pruning and technical
removals. Jeff Thomas (978) 768-7232

On-Course Golf Inc., Design/Build
16 Maple Street, Acton, MA 01720
We serve all your remodeling and renovation needs. You can trust
your project with us! We make you look good!
Sean Hanley (978) 337-6661 www.on-coursegolf.com

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

Putnam Pipe Corp.
90 Elm St., Hopkinton, MA 01748
Underground water, sewer, & drain pipe and fittings-Erosion and
sediment control material. 24-hour service.
David Putnam, Eli Potty - (508) 435-3090
continued on next page

14

Please Patronize these FRIENDS of the ASSOCIATION
Read Custom Soils
125 Turnpike St., Canton, MA 02021
Custom soil blending, top dressing sands, Root zone blends, “early
green” black sand, divot & cart path mixes.
Terry Driscoll, Garrett Whitney – (888) 475-5526

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

Slater Farms (Holliston Sand Products)
P. O. Box 1168, Tifft Rd., Slatersville, RI 02876
USGA recommended topdressing, root-zone mixes, compost, pea
stone, angular & traditional bunker sand.
Bob Chalifour, CGCS (Ret.) - (401) 766-5010 Cell: 860-908-7414
Sodco Inc.
P. O. Box 2, Slocum, Rl 02877
Bluegrass/Fescue, Bluegrass/Rye, Bluegrass/Fescue/Rye, Bentgrass. Sean Moran, Pat Hogan - (800) 341-6900
Southwest Putting Greens of Boston
P.O. Box 827, Westford, MA 01886
Synthetic turf, tee lines, practice greens, outdoor and indoor
practice facilities. Douglas Preston - (978) 250-5996
Stumps Are Us Inc.
Manchester, NH
Professional stump chipping service.
Brendan McQuade - (603) 625-4165
Syngenta Professional Products
111 Craigemore Circle, Avon, CT 06001
Melissa Gugliotti (860) 221-5712
Tartan Farms, LLC
P.O. Box 983, West Kingston, RI 02892
Dave Wallace
(401) 641-0306
Tom Irwin Inc.
11 A St., Burlington, MA 01803
Turf management products. Paul Skafas, Rob Larson,
Chris Petersen, Greg Misodoulakis, Mike DeForge, Brian Luccini,
Jeff Houde, Fred Murray (800) 582-5959
Tree Tech, Inc.
6 Springbrook Rd., Foxboro, MA 02035
Foxboro, Wellesley, Fall River Andy Felix - (508) 543-5644
Full service tree service specializing in zero impact tree removal,
stump grinding, tree pruning and tree risk assessments by our team
of Certified Arborists.
Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Inc.
P. O. Box 167, Wood River Junction, Rl 02894
Joe Farina (774) 260-0093
Turf Products Corp.
157 Moody Rd., Enfield, CT 06082
Distributors of Toro irrigation & maintenance equipment and other
golf-related products. Tim Berge, Dave Beauvais, Nat Binns,
Andy Melone - (800) 243-4355
Valley Green
14 Copper Beech Drive, Kingston, MA 02364
Phone: 413-533-0726 Fax: 413-533-0792
"Wholesale distributor of turf products"

15

NEW Lower Rates to Help Make Advertising in
The Newsletter More Budget Conscious
THE NEWSLETTER 2013 DISPLAY ADVERTISING ORDER FORM
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Address:
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Ad Preparation Specifications:
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16