Nov./Dec. 1982

Published monthly by the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association

Coming Events
Jan. 4-7, 1983

Jan. 19
Feb.19-25, 1983
Feb. 28-March 3

Eastern Regional Nursery Asso.
Show and Convention
Concord Hotel, KiameshaLake, NY
MGCS A Winter Seminar at
FairviewC.C.
54th International Turfgrass
Conference & Show, Atlanta, GA
Penna. Turfgrass Conference &
Trade Show, Hershey, PA

Election Results of
Annual Meeting

v

President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Director for Two Years

Charles Martineau
Peter Rappoccio
Sherwood Moore
Scott Niven
James Fulwider
William Gaydosh
Craig Wistrand

MGCS A Officers & Directors for 1983: Left to Right: Sherwood Moore,
Bill Gaydosh, Scott Niven, Peter Rappoccio, A1 Tretera, Mike Maffei,
Chuck Martineau, Dennis Flynn, Jim Fulwider, Craig Wistrand.

Vol. XII, No. 10

President’s Report— 1982
It has been once again very rewarding and enjoyable serving a
second term as President of the MGCS A, and at this time I
would like to recap the highlights of the year.
1. After being nominated by the MGCS A, Sherwood
Moore received GCSAA’s Distinguished Service Award with
the presentation being made at the Conference and Show in New
Orleans. This was a much deserved award. Thanks goes to Bob
Alonzi for his hard work in preparing the background material
for Sherwood’s award.
2. The Reaching Out Committee under Bob Bruce col­
lected toys, garpe^ ancTelothing to make the holidays a little
happier fdf some of these in need. The campaign is in full swing
again this year.
3. Our Christmas Party at Ridgeway C.C. drew approxi­
mately 45 Couples and thanks goes to our host Danny Verille.
Others involved. Iin
le party a success were Bill
Gaydosh a$ Chairman, Bill Caputi, Chuck Martineau, and Bob

A l r f * \ ,* * * « * *
4. Our first MGCSA Winter Seminar was held at Fairview
C.C. in January and despite a snowstorm attendance was over
60.
5. In March, on behalf of the MGCSA, I testified before the
Connecticut House Environment Committee against a bill
which if adopted, would in effect ban the use of 2, 4-D in Con­
necticut. Steve Cadenelli and Bob Osterman also testified
against the bill on behalf of the CAGCS and GCSAA respec­
tively. The bill was eventually let die in committee.
6. The 7th Annual Green Chairmen Tournament was held
at Woodway C.C. in May with 80 golfers and 100 for dinner.
First place was taken by Woodway.
7. Our 1982 Invitational was held in June at Mt. Kisco C.C.
with first place going to Bedford Golf & Tennis. The 1983 Invi­
tational will be held June 2 at Fairview C.C. and at Burning Tree
C.C. in 1984.
8. The Manager-Superintendent Tournament was held at
Siwanoy C.C. with Ridgefield G.C. taking first prize.
9. Bob Alonzi and Fairview C.C. hosted our 2nd Annual
Summer Social with over 90 in attendance. Special thanks goes
to Drew Campbell, Manager of Fairview, for his efforts in help­
ing make this a success.
10. For the first time since I can remember, we held our
Summer Picnic poolside at a Golf Club rather than at a Beach
Club or similar facility. Despite the weather we had an excellent

EDITORIAL STAFF
Pat Lucas, C o -E d ito r ............................Office 203-637-3210
Home 203-637-3939
Ted Horton, C o -E d ito r.........................Office 914-967-6000
Home 914-937-3613
OFFICERS
President .................Charles Martineau, Whippoorwill Club
Office 914-273-3755; Home 914-273-9112
Vice-President . Peter Rappoccio, Silver Spring Country Club
Office 203-438-6720; Home 203-866-4276
Secretary..................... Scott Niven, Siwanoy Country Club
Office 914-961-8698
T re a su re r........... Sherwood Moore, Winged Foot Golf Club
Office 914-698-2827; Home 914-234-9469
Reprint permission is hereby authorized providing credit is
given to Tee to Green . . . unless author states otherwise.

over the past year: Peter Rappoccio for his devotion to his duties
as Secretary and as Chairman of the Membership Committee;
Sherwood Moore for the outstanding job as Treasurer; Chuck
Martineau as Program Chairman; Dennis Flynn as Golf Chair­
man; Scott Niven for his work on the roster; Bob Alonzi as
Chairman of the Welfare, and S&R Committees; Bill Gaydosh
as Xmas Party Chairman; Craig Wistrand for his efforts on the
Special Scholarships and 50-50; and A1 Tretera for his work on
special assignments. Thanks also goes to Pat Lucas and Ted
Horton for their outstanding efforts on Tee to Green.I would
also like to thank the membership for their continued support
and for giving me the opportunity to serve them over the past
two years as President.
At this time I would like to give a special word of thanks to
“retiring” board member Bob Alonzi who served on the Board
of Directors for a good many years. Bob did an outstanding job
for the MGCSA serving as its Treasurer, Vice-President, and
President as well as serving as Chairman of numerous commit­
tees. Bob was also always very willing to volunteer his club for
Board meetings or Association functions and organized each
function at his club to the last detail. I know Bob made my job as
President much easier during the past two years and I am sure
other Past-Presidents would say the same. Thank-you Bob!
Mike Maffei

Publication deadline for Tee to Green is 21 days before the
regular meeting.

For Sale
turnout and a great location at Steve Cadenelli’s Country Club
of New Canaan. Thank you to Steve and his Committee.
11.
From the proceeds of our Special Scholarship raffle,
scholarships totaling $2,400 were given to Eddie Connaughton,
Joseph Kennedy, Jill Gaydosh, Nancy Grasso, and Glen Autorino.
Once again I would like to take this opportunity to thank John
Wistrand, Dan Cancelled, Roger Morhardt, Bob Mullane, and
the Carriere family for their help on various events and commit­
tees during the year. Thanks also goes to Host Superintendents
and their clubs for having us this year. I would also like to per­
sonally thank all the officers and directors for their hard work
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M.G.C.S.A. Championship
Class A
Championship Flight
Chuck Fatum
70-87; 157
Tony Savone
84-88; 172*
*(Match of cards with Vin Pentenero)
First Flight
Scott Niven
Mike Leary
Second Flight
Peter Rappoccio
Dennis Flynn
Third Flight
Fred Scheyhing
Robert Bruce
Class B
Earl Millet
Tony Grasso, Jr.

78-80;158-132
83-90;173-143
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Dan Cancellari
Dennis DeSanctis

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99; 186-146

WELFARE: Please contact Bob Alonzi, 203-531-8910 (of­
fice), or 203-531-1930 (home) regarding any hospitalizations,
etc. of members of the MGCSA.

P
<3

•1

handy.
It could
save you
tim e
\
and
'
money.

Please excuse the rush, he’s on his way . . .
to the 54th International Turfgrass Conference & Show
in Atlanta, Georgia on
February 19 to 25,1983
He says with a program like this, his club feels they can’t af­
ford for him to miss it.
For further information, contact GCSAA headquarters at
1617 St. Andrews Drive, Lawrence, Kansas 66044 or telephone
(913) 841-2240.

JOB OPENING
Golf Course Superintendent
18 hole golf course, private, automatic irrigation. Salary negoti­
able.
Send resume to:
Mr. Eugene J. Donovan, Jr.
Green Chairman
Bonnie Briar Country Club
Weaver Street
Larchmont, NY 10538

54™ International

Superintendent Biography
Larry Pakkala

Turfgrass Conference & Show

æ

ATLANTA
FEB. 19-25

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For details call:
GCSAA at (913) 841-2240

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by Dennis Petruzzelli
Assistant Superintendent, Brae Bum C.C.
The historic Saint Andrews Golf Club in Hastings-on-theHudson, New York, recently welcomed the September meeting
of the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association.
Presiding as Host Superintendent was Larry Pakkala.
Larry was bom and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At a
very young age, he took an interest in the game of golf through
his father, who was an avid golfer. While growing with the
game he loved, Larry also learned to appreciate nature, which
plays an important role in golf as a whole. By combining these
two elements, he set his goals on becoming a Golf Course
Superintendent. He attended the two year turfgrass program at
the Pennsylvania State Universiuty, studying under Dr. Joseph
Duich. While in school, Larry worked at Philadelphia Country
Club in Gladwin, Pennsylvania. After graduation, he accepted
an assistent superintendents position at Merion Golf Club in
Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
In time, Larry moved on to become Superintendent at the Mid
Ocean Club in Bermuda. His latest move was to Saint Andrews
Golf Club where he has remained for the last two years.
What he finds most fascinating about being a Superintendent
is working with nature to achieve desired objectives. Being
close to the game of golf and being able to admire and enhance
nature makes his job that much more enjoyable.
The “ability to grow grass” and public relations are important
qualities needed in becoming a successful superintendent, in
Larry’s opinion. Possessing the “ability to grow grass” is a
major part of the superintendent’s job, but, almost as important
is effectively expressing public relations. The inability to
“reach” crew members often results in unsatisfctory performed
work.
When asked if there is any specific area in turfgrass science or
related area he’d like to see research work on, Larry replied
with: 1) the continuation of hybridizing varieties more suitable
for the diverse needs of the industry, 2) more efficient use of
water; a valuable and all too often misused resourse available to
us, and 3) help the superintendent to become more cost con­
scious. Careful use of funds will result in the superintendent get­
ting the most out of his alloted budget.
Saint Andrews will be undergoing some changes on the golf
course as well as clubhouse grounds and clubhouse. The golf
course is being restored to its original state (Scotch style) and
some re-routing of existant golf holes are planned. The restora­
tion program is spearheaded by Saint Andrews owner and
Greens Chairman, Jack Nicklaus. Nacklaus’ prime objective is
to “retain the quaintness of the golf course,” making it a fun
course to play. Many hilly areas of play in the existing design
will be routed away from in the new design. Fourteen holes will
be completely renovated from tee to green, in accordance to
USGA specifications. Four new holes will be built on recently
purchased land and 210 luxury townhouses will occupy club
boarders around the golf course. No real drastic changes will
occur in the golf course design with the exception of sand bun­
kers which will possess the true scotch style. Benefits achieved
through a scotch styled golf course are the reduction of mainte­
nance and costs. Many areas will be “left to grow” yielding the
“natural effect” of the great scotch golf courses.

A “true outdoorsman” can briefly describe Larry’s hobby
types. He loves golfing, fishing, hunting and occasionally racquetball.
Larry, Carole and their two children currently reside on the
Saint Andrews property.

What is the Weatherman
Really Saying?
Throughout the winter meteorologists often use terms like
squall, winter storm warning, wind chill factor and blizzard
when issuing forecasts. But those same meteorologists are the
first to admit that, while people plan their outdoor activities
around the weather, they have no idea what many of those terms
mean.
“It happens all the time. People hear the words, but they get
confused about meanings,” said Roland Guy Loffredo, a
meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Albany. “It
makes things a lot easier for everyone when people know what
we’re talking about.
The following is a list of some of those winter forecast terms
with an explanation of what each means:
• Winter storm watch — Whenever the National Weather
Service issues a winter storm watch it means there is a possibil­
ity of heavy snow, freezing rain or drizzle, sleet, or a combina­
tion of the three during the next 12 to 36 hours. Loffredo said a
watch usually means there is only a chance that severe weather
will occur. Since a storm watch is issued so far in advance, they
may not always be accurate.
•Winter storm warning — A winter storm warning usually
means severe weather — more than 6 inches of snow within a
12-hour period — is imminent. When a storm warning is issued,
it usually is 80 to 100 percent accurate, Loffredo said. Storm
warnings are issued for large areas, usually several counties.
•Blizzard — Blizzard conditions exist when there is a com­
bination of strong winds — usually more than 35 mph — snow
and poor visibility because of blowing snow. Those severe con­
ditions must last for at least three hours for a blizzard to exist,
Loffredo said.
•Traveler’s advisory — The National Weather Service will
issue an advisory whenever there are widespread driving diffi­
culties, such as ice or snow on roadways, dense fog, freezing
rain, or sleet, and when an area receives less than 6 inches of
snow in a 12-hour period. Loffredo said most areas can handle
up to 6 inches of snow, but after that, “we run into problems,”
he said.

Many thanks to Larry for taking time out for this interview.

I

Note from Mike Maffei:
Once again this year, the Reaching Out Committee is seeking
toys, usable clothing, or other items which may be of use to the
needy of the community. We have been very successful with
this program over the past two years and hope for success again
this year. Joe Macellaro of Fore Wheels Inc. has once again vol­
unteered the use of a building for the drop off and storage of do­
nated items pending its distribution by committee members. If
you have items you wish to donate, call Joe at his office (914)
948-4812 or at home (914) 946-2833 or contact Mike Maffei,
Bob Bruce, or John Wistrand to arrange a pickup or drop-off.

Communication Ventures Inc. of New York has arranged for
quantity prices for The Golf Course written by Geoffrey Cornish
and Ronald Whitten. Mr. Heinz, President of Communication
Ventures describes the book as covering the history of course ar­
chitecture and architects and describing by text and illustrations
concepts of both penal and strategic design, shot values, etc.
Quantity prices are as follows:
1 copy
$29.95 + $2.25
2-10 copies
25,00 + UPS charges
11-25 copies
21.00 + UPS charges
26-49 copies
19.25 + UPS charges
50-99 copies
17.50 + freight
MGCSA will place an order for the membership if the de­
mand is there. If you wish to take advantage of this offer, con­
tact Mike Maffei by Jan. 7, 1983 for details.

TURF MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

THE

M A G □ V E RIM

C O M PA N Y ,

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413 - 781-0261

On behalf o f all the employees of the Magovern Company,
we wish all the Clubs and their staffs a very Merry Christmas and
a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

•Heavy snow— Meteorologists will confirm that an area has
received a heavy snowfall whenever accumulations reach 6 in­
ches or more in a 12-hour period.
•Freezing Rain — Forecasters define freezing rain as rain
that freezes upon contact with an object. Even a little freezing
rain can be dangerous, Loffredo said, especially for motorists,
because roads can quickly become hazardous.
•Snow squalls — Squalls are fairly unique to New York state
because of the Great Lakes, Loffredo said. They occur when
cold air passes over the comparatively warmer lake water.
Moisture from the lakes rises and is absorbed by the cold air.
This causes the air to warm up. As this newly warmed air comes
in contact with more cold air, additional moisture builds up and
the result is large amounts of snow in a relatively short period.
Some areas in the state can get up to 15 or 20 inches of snow
within two or three hours, Loffredo said. Squalls are localized,
so the National Weather Service usually will not issue storm
warnings for squall areas.

Palmer Wins Prestigious
New Golf Award
Arnold Palmer has been named the first recipient of the
“Old Tom” Morris Award, established recently by the Golf
Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) to
satisfy the need for a significant international award that would
help identify with the true heritage and traditional founding of
the game.
“Old Tom” Morris, one of golfs first greats, was a greenkeeper, golf professional, club and ball maker, golf course ar­
chitect and accomplished player who won four British Open
Championships between 1861 and 1867.
While at the Royal and Ancient, St. Andrews, Scotland, “Old
Tom” acquired worldwide fame, boosting the populatity of golf
through his role as the first superstar of golf — as detailed in the
November 1982 issue of Golf Course Management magazine,
GCSAA’s official monthly publication.
Selection of Palmer as the first recipient of such a significant
award was an easy task, according to GCSAA President, James
A. Wyllie. “Besides being a superstar like ‘Old Tom ,’ Palmer
has displayed a continuing, selfless commitment to golf and
furthered the welfare of the game in a manner exemplified by
‘Old Tom’ Morris,” Wyllie said last week.
Palmer, himself the son of a greenkeeper, has made clubs and
balls and designed golf courses in the course of a career studded
with more than 70 tournament victories. His contributions to the
popularity and welfare of the game are, according to Wyllie,
“immeasurable.”
Palmer is slated to accept the award at GCSAA’s 54th Inter­
national Turfgrass Conference and Show in Atlanta, GA, on
February 24, 1983.
GCSAA, the sponsor of this premier international event in
turfgrass management, is a professional association 5,500
strong representing golf course superintendents in the United
States, Canada and 25 foreign countries.

Left to Right: Steve Finamore, Wykagyl C .C ., MGCSA President Mike
Maffei; and Ted Horton, Westchester C.C. The MGCSA presented Fina­
more and Horton with plaques in recognition of outstanding effort in tour­
nament preparation.
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Wanted - Used Pocket Books

Trees Trees

As an Eagle Project for Boy Scouts, I am committed to lead
my troop (Portchester Troop 15 - BSA) in collecting, sorting
and shelving books for a senior citizen library at the new senior
citizen project housing project in Port Chester, New York. At
my father’s suggestion, I am requesting that, if you have any
used pocket books which you no longer need and are willing to
donate for this library, you call me at home (914) 937-3613 or
call my father at work (914) 967-6000, Ext. 260 and we will ar­
range to pick them up.
Thank you very much.
Tim Horton

We’ll Transplant
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Get the most out of the trees
you already have. Increase the look
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effect of your golf course by using trees
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With our Big John Tree Transplanter
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Now is an Excellent Time to
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A candle’s but a simple thing
It starts with just a bit o f string
Yet dipped and dipped with patient hand
It gathers wax upon the strand
Until complete and snowly white,
It gives at last a lovely light.
Life seems so like that bit o f string
Each deed we do a simple thing;
Yet day by day if on life*s strand
We work with patient heart and hand
It gathers joy, makes dark days bright,
A nd gives at last a lovely light.

The Officers and Directors of MGCSA
wish you and yours a Merry Christmas
and a Blessed and Prosperous New Year.

His Touch!
(At Christmas Time)
Do you feel Him?
Then fear not;
Reach out!
And touch His Hand,
And walk in Thy path;
Search for the beauty of truth —
In prayer;
Then — you will find —
The glowing torch of life,
Of a love —
That’s engraved —
By His hand.
— Frank Paladino

Thanks to our advertisers:
Alpine Tree Care, Inc.
Hawthorne Brothers Tree Service
I & E Supply, Inc.
Lake Shore Supply Co.
Land Reclamation, Inc.
The Magovem Company
O. M. Scotts
The Reichert Co.
Shemin Nurseries, Inc.
Westchester Turf Supply
for making this issue of Tee to Green possible.

Pat Lucas, Editor
81 Tomac Avenue
Old Greenwich, CT 06870
First Class

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MICHIGAN STATE UN IVERSlTY— tHT"
EAST LANSING MI 48823

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