New Jersey Golf Course Report VOLUME VII NO. 2 FEBRUARY 1974 NEW NATIONAL G.C.S.A.A. OFFICERS & DIRECTORS ELECTED President - Charles G. Baskin, Connecticut Vice-President - Palmer Maples, Jr., Georgia Directors - Theodore W. Woehrle, Michigan Melvin B. Lucas, Jr., New York Charles Tadge, Ohio GOLF COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN FORMAT Superintendent’s Championship: Will be based on members best three (3) rounds out of the five or six golf events during the season. Winner’s trophies will be awarded at the November meeting. President’s Cup: Will be determined by the best three (3) Calloway scores of the five or six golf events during the season. Summary: Supt. Championship - 3 Best Scores, Gross President’s Cup - 3 Best Calloway Scores, Net The final event of the year will be the Commercial Championship. PROGRAM COMMITTEE TAKES WORTHY ACTIONS 1. In an effort to develop a set meeting date, the Program Committee is making every effort to schedule all meetings on the 3rd Tuesday of every month. 2. In an effort to gain a more fair distribution of meeting sites a letter is going out to some members, many of whom haven't hosted a meeting in the past, requesting their assistance in securing new clubs for meetings. 3. The old rule: "Play golf - Must stay for dinner.” will be firmly enforced. ASSOCIATION FORMALIZES NEW OFFICE Telephone - 201-736-5541 This telephone has an infernal re- corder on it, which will provide 24 hour service for "call-backs”, messages, etc. It may also allow Marshall to have an occasional quiet beer without "It's for you Daddy". Seriously, if you have an emergency or really important problem, feel free to try and get me at work (201-239-1800), or my home number. Otherwise, please don't - call 736-5541 and leave the message. I'll get back to you and we'll both be happier. Mail is picked up daily six days per week. We would appreciate all cor- respondence sent to this address, in- cluding newsletter material, address changes, dues checks, etc. Any mail addressed to another member personally will be forwarded unopened to the latest address of record. Address: N.J.G.C.S.A. P.O. Box 815 Montclair, N.J. 07042 AS OF 2/22/74 96 MEMBERS OUT OF 184 HAVE PAID THEIR '74 DUES. LET'S DROP THE OTHER FOOT! THE ASSOCIATION EXPRESSES IT’S DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO ROBERT BOCCHINO AND HIS FAMILY ON THE PASSING OF HIS FATHER AND FELLOW MEMBER, BILL. William Bocchino SOMERVILLE — William Bocchino, 55, of 50 Auten Ave., died Wednesday (Jan. 23,1974) at John F. Kennedy Hospital, Edison. Born in Raritan he had resided here for 25 years. Mr. Bocchino was grounds maintenance foreman at the Raritan Valley County Club for the last 30 years. He was a member of the Disabled American Veterans, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of N.J. N.J.G.C.S.A.A. POSITION AVAILABLE - SUPERINTENDENT PASCACK VALLEY GOLF CLUB, 15 RIVERVALE ROAD, RIVERVALE, NEW JERSEY Salary Open; No House; Semi-Public; One Month Paid Vacation; 18 Holes. Call 664-5886 (Ask for "Yaz") to set up interview appointment. TURF CLIPPINGS L.A. (Four square miles (Anaheim) of sinless chrome) was the scene of the Conference. So many "Jerseyites" were there that mention of names would be impossible. Most tolerated the rather sterile atmosphere with the possible exception of the women. Their "Ladies Program" seemed to be based on an early Girl. Scout Manuel, which took the tenet that the "followers" won't realize the "leaders" don't know what they're doing if the "leaders" talk loudly, firmly, and smile as they walk away from an honest comment. There are many women who won't try another "program", and more than a few men who felt "Houstoned" by the Queen Mary Party. The record for weird travel is a double award - President, Skip Cameron for renting a Lincoln Continental "guzzler" in the gas short area south of L.A.; and Don Marshall for 6922 miles via Amtrak. Of the five items N.J.G.C.S.A. brought up before the Advisory Committee, four met favorable action - more later. The one that didn't make it was a point requesting a re-evaluation of the Certification Program as so few are enrolled out of the total membership. Your delegates weren’t necessarily against the program, they just thought that less than 5% of the total membership enrolled indicated that perhaps the membership doesn't need or want the program. The "do-gooders" prevailed. A rumbling has been heard among several clubs to start charging Green Fees of a reasonable nature to the more than several Women's Golf Associations holding regular events every season. The feeling seems to be that the groups and events are now so numerous that they have become an almost weekly "reciprocation day" for free golf rather than a truly recognized competition. A charge of $5 to $7 has been placed in effect at several N.J. clubs. STILL TRYING ON OPEN BURNING Even though Bill #1004 passed both houses of the N.J. Legislature it was one of the last acts of Gov. Cahill not to sign it. The bill was reasonable in that it provided for controls on a day to day basis after issuance of an annual permit. Sullivan wasn't for it, nor were the Air Pollution Control people as the taxpayers might come to learn the truth that all burning doesn't destroy the world. It is heartening, therefore, to learn that the N.J. Farm Bureau has again seen fit to place the problem within their Legislative Priority Program, i.e. "Continue to push for legislation to allow for some controlled open burning of agricultural waste material". A Golf Course Fairy Tale Once upon a time there was a superintendent who had the perfect golf course. His course was so perfect that all the grass was watered fence to fence and every blade of grass was well fertilized and cut to just the right height. There were no clumps of tall grass or other unkept places where a golfer could lose a ball. Even the edges of the traps were sharp and clean. All the members of the club were very happy be- cause they could play sloppy golf and still score well because the rough was short and the greens were lush and very soft. But there was an uneasiness in the land and many of the golfers became bored. One dark day a strange phenomenon came over the land. Energy had to be conserved. Fertilizer was high in cost and very hard to get. What was the superin- tendent to do? Despite all his valiant efforts to keep up the course in the usual way it became evident that some of the grooming would have to suffer. In time things were so bad that the superintendent had to mow less, fertilize less, and pump less water for irrigation. As a result the roughs were kept at a higher cut. The greens were pale from lack of the high nitro- gen program and firm from the lack of overwatering. The sand trap edges were hand cycled in the old fashion way to save on gasoline. The golfers soon found they were playing a different type of golf course. They had to hit their drives straighter because poor shots were penalized by landing in long rough or were lost. They could no longer putt out of the traps. Much to their surprise, however, the greens putted better than ever. There was no puffiness from over fertilizing and the blades of grass were finer and stiffer. Holding a shot on the green was harder to do, so many golfers had to use more finesse around the greens. Much to the surprise of the superintendent all that talk about trying to make the course longer stopped. The golfers came to find out that a course does not have to be long to be good. Some of the well traveled golfers commented the course resembled some of the fine features they had seen in Scottish golf courses. Even after the energy crisis passed the golfers decided their course was better than before and lived to play it happily ever after. (Rocky Mtn. Report) Stan Metsker