■f, Mi VOLUME 20, NUMBER 6 • AUGUST 1990 T ee toG reen PUBLISHED BY THE METROPOLITAN GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION equipment—a manure spreader. Strongly endorsed by Jim Latham, Director of the Great Lakes Region USGA Green Section, this method was being used successfully by golf course superintendents in Wisconsin. So I gave a couple of them a call to Inthe mini success stories that follow, lected after every mowing. Greenwich Country Club Superintendent The most common practices are stock­ see how they felt it was working. Greg VJojickandAreola Country Clubpiling clippings in an on-site dump and After only positive reports, I got Superintendent Mike Mongon describe the club's go-ahead this spring to hiring a refuse hauler to cart them off uncommon uses for two common tools— weekly, a convenient but costly alterna­ purchase a Knight 710 Slinger one common to the farm industry, the manure spreader. A product of the tive. At Greenwich Country Club, we Knight Manufacturing Corporation, a other among consumers. But neither, were hauling clippings to our dump you'll see, is your run-of-the-mill piece of site—until it became unpleasantly clear Wisconsin-based farm equipment golf course equipment—at least, not yet. that clippings can't be piled up and for­ manufacturer, the Slinger was gotten, particularly when your dump is available through Columbia Tractor Greg's Story: Clipping Disposal located where ours is: upwind from our in Claverack, NY. The cost: $7,800. Made Easy—and Economical Not what you might envision a first tee and golf shop area. There's one unarguable fact about golf I was fortunate to find a cost-effective manure spreader to look like, the Slinger is a side-throwing unit that course fairway clippings: It's beneficial solution to this problem at a USGA re­ to remove them. Not only does it give gional seminar I had signed up for. has an auger-type feed to a flair-type your fairways a neater appearance, it's Held a couple of years ago at Sleepy discharge device which slings the also been known to enhance the spread Hollow, the seminar offered several clippings up to 45 feet into the of creeping bentgrass. Still open to roughs. practical alternatives to clipping dis­ debate, however, is how best to dis­ Using the manure spreader has posal, but the one I found most intrigu­ proved not Only Simple (continued on page 4) pose of the harvest of clippings col­ ing involved using a piece of farm pecial Feature Two Supers Have Super Success With Tools New to the Golf Course Industry Q Also in This Issue resident’ s Message | Polidor Tourney and Other Events A Welcome Message—to Members Old and New Over the past several years, the MetGCSA has grown in popularity. Last year alone we added 26 new members, bringing our membership total up to 317. And if you've been following our "Notable Notes" section of the newsletter, you know that since last count we've added an impressive number of new members to our roster. Being the month of the summer social—an opportunity for members old and new to socialize with one another—I thought the time was right to formally welcome new members to the association and remind all you established mem­ bers to do the same, whenever the opportunity arises. Many of us longtimers have found a group of friends in the association with whom we feel comfortable. And I think that's great. In fact, I feel on page 3) | Member News n u Rock Ridge's Bob Welch to Host September Meeting | The Green Council Wants You I Counsel in Golf Course Construction and Renovation— for Free | Rule 6-6B: An Important Reminder | Met Area Team Championship Qualifiers Q p c o m i n g Events The Duke Polidor Memorial Golf Tournament A fun way to benefit a worthy cause The third annual Duke Polidor Memorial Golf Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, September 22 at Heritage Hills Country Club in Somers, NY. For the uninitiated, the tournament was established three years ago to benefit a scholarship fund set up in memory of Duke Polidor, who was tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident. Duke, then superintendent of Fairmont Country Qub in New Jersey, was the son of Heritage Hills Superintendent Todd Polidor and Barbara Polidor, also a longtime Heritage Hills employee. The family started the scholarship fund with the outpouring of contributions received from friends, neighbors, local civic groups, and residents of Heritage Hills after Duke's death. So far, the fund has benefited four students enrolled in the UMass Turf Management program. The recipients, chosen jointly by the UMass administration and the Polidor family, have each been awarded $1,000 scholarships. The entry fee of $100 is tax deductible and includes a cart, greens fees, and prizes, as well as a full breakfast before and cocktail hour/buffet after the tour­ nament. We encourage participants' spouses to join us for the post-toumament cocktail hour /buffet. Just let us know when you sign up whether your spouse will be attending, and please include an additional $20 to cover expenses. Anyone who would like more information about the fund or tournament should contact John Currie of Currie Landscaping at 914-277-4919 or Heritage Hills Golf Pro Joe Cipriano at 914-276-2169. Special Event Educational Opportunity ■ Professional Turfgrass Field Day D ate : Tuesday, September 18 P lace : Westchester Country Q ub, Rye, NY Details : Don't miss this unique oppor­ tunity to peruse the wares of area sup­ pliers. (See insert for further details.) ■ NYSTA Turf and Grounds Exposition D ates: Tuesday-Friday, November 13-16 R ace : SUNY Rochester Riverside Convention Center, Rochester, NY D etails: Held in cooperation with Cor­ nell University, this year's conference and trade show will open with three special one-day seminars on human re­ source management, right-to-know hazardous materials communication, and basic turfgrass management. For NYSTA members, registration is $60; for nonmembers, it's $90. And there's an additional fee for the seminars. Note: Special one-day passes are also available. F or further information, call : Carolyn Steadman of NYSTA at 800-873-TURF or 518-783-1229. Tournaments ■ The Autumn Classic D ates: Wednesday and Thursday, September 24-25 R ace : The Quechee Qub, Quechee, VT ■ The Met Area Team Championship D ate : Tuesday, October 2 R ace : St. Andrews Golf Club, Hastings, NY Board of Directors President LAWRENCE PAKKALA, CGCS Woodway Country Club Vice President TIMOTHY O'NEILL, CGCS Country Club of Darien Secretary JOHN O'KEEFE, CGCS Preakness Hills Country Club Treasurer JOSEPH ALONZI, CGCS Fenway Golf Club Past President SCOTT NIVEN, CGCS Stanwich Club DANIEL BRETON Silver Spring Country Club JOHN CARLONE Middle Bay Country Club MATTHEW CEPLO Westchester Hills Golf Club ANTHONY GRASSO Willow Ridge Country Club ROBERT LIPPMAN Westchester Turf Supply EARLMILLETT Ridgeway Country Club TIMOTHY MOORE Knollwood Country Club JEFFREY SCOTT Apawamis Club Executive Secretary JAN RUSSO Tee to Green Staff Editors TIM MOORE EARL MILLETT 914-592-7829 914-948-5606 Managing Editor PANDORA C. WQJICK Editorial Committee TONY BAV1ELLO MATT CEPLO BERT DICKINSON PAT LUCAS MARY MEDONIS MIKE MONGON DENNIS PETRUZZELLI GEORGE PIERPOINT Advertising Manager MATT CEPLO 914-948-5023 Q o t a b l e Notes New Members ■ William Brewer, Class CS, LESCO. ■ Carl Quazza, Class C, Haledon Nurseries, Wayne, NJ. 2 / Tee to Green Births Weighing in at 9 lbs. 1 oz., Emily Rose was bom to John and Leslie Carlone July 19,1990. John is superintendent at Middle Bay Country Club in Oceanside, NY. Photographer DOMINIC RICHICHI TEE TO GREEN is published eight times a year. Copyright © 1990 the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendent Association. ADDRESS: P.O. Box 396, Mamaroneck, NY 10543. A ugust 1990 s Alert Meet Your September Meeting Host Rock Ridge Country Club in Newtown, CT, is the site of the September 11 MetGCSA meeting—and the final qualifying round for the Met Area Team Championship. Host Bob Welch has been superintendent at the nine-hole course since 1988 and, in that time, has had the opportunity to oversee more major capital improvements than some superintendents see in a lifetime. Among them: the installation of a new mini Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis courts, parking lots, driveways, extensive exterior clubhouse renovations—and numer­ ous other enhancements that, to date, have totaled nearly $1 million. The 35-year-old club was once an estate, complete with three small golf holes, which the club has retained as its 3rd, 4th, and 5th holes. But by the time Bob signed on as superintendent, Rock Ridge had fallen into a state of disrepair. Aside from having to clean up after a newly installed irrigation system that had wreaked havoc on the course, Bob had to face a maintenance operation that was sorely out of date. "When I got there," says Bob, "tees and collars were being mowed with hand rotary mowers, the roughs were well above my ankles, and the staff was being laid off during the winter." Bob's key strategy during that initial transition phase—and now— has been to maintain open lines of communication with the member­ ship—something he considers crucial to die success of not only large-scale capital improvements, but also smooth daily operations. Before launching into a career in p r e s i d e n t 's M essage golf course maintenance, Bob worked in a machine shop as a welder and then— in an attempt to get closer to the out­ doors—as a mechanic at a gas station. From there, Bob found his way to Longshore Club Park in Westport, CT, where he started as a mechanic and then rose to assistant after attending the UMass Winter School in 1982. After four years at Longshore, Bob moved to the Patterson Club in Fairfield, CT. Under Superintendent Ray Beau­ dry's tutelage, he worked as an assistant for four years before becoming superin­ tendent at Rock Ridge. From Rock Ridge, it's a 40-minute drive to Bob's home in Stratford, CT, where he and his wife Debbie live with their three children: Erin, 3; Stephanie, 5; and Peter, 14. When Bob's away from the course, his favorite pastimes, he says, are catching a few winks and spending time with his family. BERT DICKINSON Westchester Country Club (continued from page 1) A Welcome Message it's a natural course of events. You won't find a large group around that doesn't have what I've heard some of you refer to as cliques. But of course, it's also im­ portant that we not lose sight of what it's like to be a newcomer to a large asso­ ciation like ours: Initially, you feel like an outsider. So let's remember to step outside of our circle of friends from time to time and make an effort to greet and get to know our new members. As for you newcomers out there, let me encourage you to attend our meetings and social events regularly. Granted, you won't immediately feel like an integral part of the group, but it's only a matter of time before you'll find yourself a friend or two—or three—and begin to enjoy the benefits of being a part of the MetGCSA—an association that offers not only a professional support system, but also a social network that's designed to enhance the quality of your life, both personally and professionally. LARRY PAKKALA, CGCS President A ugust 1990 N ew M em bership The New York State Green Council (NYSGC) has announced a new mem­ bership category: Now, for $10, any individual can become an associate member of the NYSGC. The fee enti­ tles you to receive Green Lines, the council's newsletter, and to attend Green Council meetings to present our industry's ideas and concerns. The NYSGC's purpose is to offer information and educational services to professionals—and those consider­ ing a profession—in the green indus­ try. It also performs the crucial func­ tion of coordinating resources for lob­ bying efforts. In fact, it was the NYSGC that helped unite green in­ dustry groups to battle posting laws in the state. (See "A Pesticide Regula­ tion War Won," on page 7 of the January/February issue of Tee to Green.) If you decide to join, your $10 con­ tribution will help support the Green Council—in its efforts to support our industry. SAVA TEE Our trained crews are careful on a golf course. We treat tees like greens and greens like gold. That is one reason five of this areas most prestigious clubs are already our clients. The other reasons? We prune judiciously using state-of-the-art techniques. We deep-root feed with our own organic blend. We cable and brace with future growth in mind. And, we will j work with your crews to be most : cost effective. If you want a tree company that consistently beats par, call us. COMPLETE TREE AND SHRUB CARE, NATURALLY 360 Adams Street, Bedford Hills, NY 10507 (914) 666-8202 • (203) 661-6755 Tee to Green / 3 pecial Feature (continued from page 1) Two Supers Have Super Success but cost effective. Here's the threestep process we now use for clipping removal at GCC: 2. The fairway mowers pile their "harvest" alongside the fairways. 2. One worker on a tractor, towing the PTO-driven Slinger, shovels the clippings into the machine. 3. When the 1000-gallon belly of the machine is full, the worker fires up the PTO, and the Slinger quickly re­ distributes the clippings into the rough so they're not visible. Before the manure spreader, it would take two workers, each with their own huckster, five and a half hours to collect and dump the clip­ pings. Now, the process requires only one worker and two and half hours. In addition to the obvious time and labor savings of this process, distrib­ uting the clippings throughout the rough is said to have value as a fertilizer. But there's another way the manure spreader has paid off at GCC: We've been able to use the machine to shred and mix the plugs we collect after aerifying, creating a pile of rich, read-to-use topsoil. The manure spreader is a quick, economical, and environmentally responsible solution to clipping dis­ posal, and it's one we feel comfortable recommending to any golf course. Stop by sometime, and watch it in action. GREG WOJICK, CGCS Greenwich Country Club M ike's Story: Helping Club Officials 'Picture'— and Buy Into—Future Projects Every picture tells a story. And for me, the most telling pictures have been those I've captured on camcorder. No, I'm not talking about home videos. I'm talking about the tapes I've made of the golf course at Areola Country Club. Starting last fall, I've made it com­ mon practice to record projects in progress and even potential problem areas on the course. Then, when the Green Committee or Board of Directors calls a meeting, I've got an instant visual presentation to accompany my usual speech about what we've been doing—and what we'd like to do— on the course. This has proved an interesting—and popular—departure from the tradi­ tional oral presentations I used to give the club's board and Green Committee. And its given board and committee members who were unable to attend a A view of the Knight 710 Slinger manure spreader's flair-type discharge devise, which slings clippings up to 45 feet into the roughs, offering a tidy solution to clipping disposal. 4 / Tee to Green Greenwich Country Club Assistant Superin­ tendent Brett Armstrong guides the Knight 710 Slinger manure spreader to the next "harvest” of fairway clippings. meeting the option of viewing what was discussed. I actually started this practice when I was having a tough time selling the board on a drainage project I felt Areola couldn't do without. Because members generally weren't on the course after a rain­ storm, they couldn't believe the drainage problem was serious enough to warrant the expense in­ volved in correcting it—until I caught it on videotape, that is. Recorded after a tremendous rainfall, the tape not only gave them a clearer picture of the drainage prob­ lem, it convinced them to give me the go-ahead on the project. Since then, I've found it much easier to show board members the need for a costly project than to just tell them about it. After all, it's pretty hard to deny the need to correct a problem when it's staring you in the face. But the camcorder is much more than a sales tool. It7s also a great educational tool. After being ques­ tioned about why I needed to keep seven full-time staffers on hand during the winter, I used the cam­ corder to educate the Green Commit­ tee on what I do to keep every one of those workers occupied during the winter months. For instance, I videotaped various segments of a month-long brush­ clearing project, including before and after shots. And using the camcord­ er's day/date option, I was able to August 1990 record the project's time span right on the tape, offering visual proof of the work's duration. Bringing the outdoors inside the boardroom has also helped add a lighter tone to some very serious meetings. The way I work my pre­ sentations is to adjourn with the board to the club's less formal grill­ room, where they have a TV/VCR setup. Having previewed the tape and prepped for the presentation the day before, I'm well prepared to en­ tertain any questions, and I, of course, encourage them. I don't narrate as I videotape. I find it works best to do it live and in person. Not only is it more profes­ sional, it allows me the flexibility to stop the tape for questions or com­ ments at any point during my presentation. A word of caution, however, to anyone interested in trying this pre­ sentation technique: Be sure before you bring a video into the boardroom that you've had enough experience taping work in progress. There's nothing worse than asking your board or Green Committee to sit through a video that jerks, jumps from scene to scene too quickly, or just as deadly, stays too long on a subject with little action or interest. What I've described here is just one of many valuable uses for a camcorder/ VCR setup in a golf course operation. If you don't already own one, and you'd like to sell your club on its usefulness, you can also point out the setup's value in employee training, work review and evaluation, and in recording golf course changes or enhancements. Another selling point: VCR and cam­ corder prices have dropped substantial­ ly since they were introduced eight years ago. In fact, you can get a highquality setup with TV for around $1,800. To lower the cost a bit, you may want to consider getting a camcorder like mine, which plugs directly into the TV, elimi­ nating the need for a VCR. If you have any questions, just give me call. I'd be glad to help you out. MIKE MONGON Areola Country Club CHEMICALS SUPPLIES Renovating Your Golf Course?... Then you might profit from sending away for a free copy of the brochure Master Planning: The Vital First Steps in Golf Course Construction. Available through the American Society of Golf Course Architects, this 12-page pamphlet details the steps involved in not only building a golf course from the ground up, but also remodeling an existing course. In addition, it provides helpful hints on evaluating a golf course, locating a qualified architect, establishing a budget, and develop­ ing a construction schedule. To receive your copy, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the following address: American Society of Golf Course Architects 221 N. LaSalle Street Chicago, IL 60601 A EGYPT FARMS L. DeLea & Sons Sod Farms WHEN YOU'RE IN A TOUGH SPOT.. S I N C E 19 2 8 WHITE MARSH, MD (301) 335-3700 1 -800-899-S0IL FERTILIZER Egypt Farms top dressing is formulated especially for your area to specifications recommended by leading universities and testing laboratories. • Computerized blending of soil mix­ tures for a superior growing medium. WESTCHESTER TURF SUPPLY. INC. • Custom on-site soil blending and testing with a portable computerized blender to meet your specifications. • Bunker Sands EA ST N O R TH PO R T.N .Y. 11731 (764 5 ) EGYPT FARMS EXCLUSIVE! SEED 444 ELW O O D RD. (5 1 6 )3 6 8 -8 0 2 2 Sterilized Top Dressing All top dressing ingredients are thorough­ ly mixed and sterilized by indirect heat in our special process. The sand particles are actually coated with a mixture of top soil and peat humus for a completely homoge­ nous mixture that will not separate during handling and spreading. GROWERS OF: •BLUEGRASS BLENDS •W ARRENS A 34 SUN & SHADE MIXTURES NOW AVAILABLE: TALL FESCUE Q o o l s of the Trade BOB LIPPMAN Distributed by: HOME (914) 248-5790 »Mulch • Canadian Sphagnum Peat The Terre Co. (201) 473-3393 Metro-Milorganite, Inc. (914) 666-3171 All County Fairways, Inc. (516) 242-9720 BUSINESS PHONE (914) 248-7476 A ugust 1990 Tee to Green / 5 I E I r i i ★ 2 i ★ M i l o r g a n i t e . . . A m e r i c a ’s F o r e m o s t N a t u r a l l y O r g a n i c F e r t i l i z e r off M ind Turf & Grounds Equipment JSW-Hydraulic Excavators GENERAL MASONRY STONE WALLS STONE CURBS Naturally or­ ganic Milorganite is the safest and easiest to use all-purpose fertilizer. It is easy to apply and does not burn because there are no salt prob­ lems as with chemical fertilizers. TERRACES SEAL COATING EXCAVATION ROADS PARKING LOTS DRIVEWAYS FORD New Holland-Equipmeut FIATALLIS Construction Equipment Westchester Ford Tractor, Inc. Meadow Street Goldens Bridge, NY 10526 LAND CLEARING DRAINAGE 102 FULTON STREET WHITE PLAINS, N Y. 1 0 6 0 6 TONY BETTINO (9 1 4 ) 9 4 9 -3 3 6 2 9 1 4 -2 3 2 -7 7 4 6 RUBIGAN IS THE ONLY FUNGICIDE Fertilize Nature’s Way with Milorganite TONY BETTINO & SONS ‘Wéífriect Rick Apgar Joe Stahl 365 Adams St. Bedford Hills, NY 914-666-3171 RANSOMES “T íta c D iM a íd , *ì