Vol. II, No. 17 Published monthly by the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association MGCSA Meeting Notice Date: Place: Golf: Lunch: Cocktails: Dinner: Program: Host: Directions: October 4, 1972 Sunningdale Golf Club 12 noon (Bring own caddies if at all possible) Available in grill room 6-7 P.M. 7 PM SHARP To be announced Dick Allen — Dick started out as Superintendent at the Homestead Club in Spring Lake, New Jersey. After gaining his experience under Percy Platt at Lakewood, he then went over to Muttontown, Long Island and from there to Noyac Country Club out by the end of Long Island. He moved to Sunningdale last year and seems to have settled himself in Westchester even though he and his wife Lou along with son Jeffrey are basically clam diggers at heart. Dick attended the Stockbridge Winter School in 1960. Dick enjoys riding his Triumph bike along with boating and skiing. He is a member of the National, L.I. MGCSA (past Treasurer) and MGCSA. Exit 5 on Cross Westchester Expressway (287). At end of ramp go south to light (intersection of 119 & 100A) turn left at light. At second light go right onto Central Avenue. Central Avenue about 2 miles and turn right at light to Underhill Road to clubhouse on right. Coming Events: September 28 October 3 November 16 December 6 January 7-12 September, 1972 the use of Brae Burn. I am sure A1 is busy checking all traps for rocks. The MGCSA would appreciate any comments from commercial firms who participated on any way we might improve the Field Day. Just 3 days later we had our annual Superintendents Invitational Golf Tournament. Our host Chuck Martineau along with the Whippoorwill Club went all out to provide us with a great day. It started out with a delicious buffet, then a record 39 teams teed off. We had a slight wind-rain blast late in the afternoon but that soon blew over and everybody finished up dry. Westchester CC took first place with a fine net 57. (They won on match of cards from Woodmere.) Wes Ellis had a 67 but Bob DiPencier did all the scoring for his team as he took 14 strokes himself. Woodmere came in second. Then Brae Bum, followed by Apawamis (who won in a match of cards from Winged Foot). The Invitational must inspire golfers as Dr. Finnegan from the Apawamis team shot the best round of his life — a 76 with a 12 handicap. The golf was followed by another big spread of hors d’oeuvres along with cocktails. It’s a great happy hour where everybody from all the clubs really mix it up — the golf professionals, the club officials and the superintendents. It grows each year and everybody looks forward to it. The dinner was superb with wine and all the trimmings. President Kitchell from Whippoorwill Club then introduced the guest speaker for the evening, Joe Gargiola who really entertained the group with his many experiences in baseball. MGCSA also awarded Dr. Virtuoso a plaque for his many contributions to the Superintendents’ cause for many years. I think about all you can say about the Invitational is “Well Done Whippoorwill” and . thanks for a great day. JOINT MEETING NJGCSA-MGCSA Playboy Club Hotel, McAfee, New Jersey Route 94 NJGCSA Equipment and Supplies Field Day Mountain Ridge Country Club 713 Passaic Ave., West Caldwell, New Jersey Lake Isle C.C. MGCSA Annual Meeting Christmas Party Sleepy Hollow Country Club 44th GCSAA Conference, Boston, Mass. MGCSA News Labor Day has passed and fall renovation projects are in full swing. It certainly has been a year of extremes with a very wet early summer and now many areas having little rain since mid-July. This is especially so on Long Island and the Hudson Valley region. We had a perfect day for our Field Day, yet attendance was down especially with our own Superintendents. It wasn’t the weather that should keep you at your home base. Dom DiMarzo and Bill Caputi did a great job as Co-Chairmen. Fred Scheyhing and Tony Grasso did their thing on the PA system with all the many demonstrations along with awarding door prizes. Ted Horton handled registration with much help from Kim Alonzi, Nancy Horton, Pat DiMarzo and Judy Caputi. It certainly adds a lot to our show. We again thank our host A1 Caravella for Host “Tex” Caravella watching contented Bert Jones enjoying the Field Day. The Nominating Committee presents the following slate: Pres. Harry Nichol Sec. Allan Tretera 1st V.P. Garry Crothers Treas. Richard DePencier 2nd V. P. Edward C. Horton Sgt.-at-Arms Anthony Altomaro For Board of Directors Charles Martineau, Terry Mulligan and Robert Bruce Editorial Staff Co-Editor Co-Editor Advertising Manager Garry Crothers Pat Lucas Al Tretera OFFICERS Everett Wood, Scarsdale G.C. Office 914-723-2840, Home 914-472-0174 Harry H. Nichol, Elmwood C.C. First Office 914-592-6608, Home 914-268-9370 Vice President: Ronald Boydston, Rockland C.C. Second Office 914-359-5346, Home 914-359-2910 Vice President: Edward C. Horton, Winged Foot G.C. Secretary: Office 914-698-2827, Home 914-937-3613 Garry N. Crothers, The Apawamis Club Treasurer: Office 914-967-2100, Home 914-234-3770 Sergeant at Arms: Anthony Altomaro, Greenwich C.C. Office 203-869-1000, Home 203-661-7019 President: BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dominick DiMarzo, Bonnie Briar C.C. Office Home Patrick Lucas, Jr., Back-of-Beyond Office Home Gus Powell, Round Hill Club, Inc. Office Home Anthony Savone, Innis Arden C.C. Office Home John Sundholm, Green Rock Corp. Office Home Allan Tretera, Fenway G.C. Office ' Home Past President: John Madden, Engineers C.C. Office 516-621-5350 914-834-3042 914-273-8955 914-279-4777 914-279-4701 203-869-2350 203-531-5826 203-637-3210 203-637-4475 914-631-4560 914-631-4458 914-472-1467 914-241-2169 N ot copyrighted. I f there is good here, we want to share it with all chapters - unless author states otherwise. left to right “Happy” Judy Caputi, Pat Di Marzo, Nancy Horton, and Kim Alonzi at Registration Desk 1972 Field Day. A WOMAN’S POINT OF VIEW (The following article was written by Cynthia Lee, who has been working for four summers as an employee o f the 36 hole golf course operation at Woodmont Country Club. Cynthia, daughter o f Phil Lee, o f G.L. Cornell Co., is presently a senior at Cornell University. Upon her graduation, she hopes to study law and obtain her master's degree.) I sit on the tractor (watch the line, you have to roll the line) or on the planter (stuff that grass in there as fast as you can) and try to imagine what a twenty year old girl could possibly write that would be amusing or at least interesting to a group of men who read a newsletter about the golf business. There was this travelling superintendent . . . oops, my mind slipped. I suppose I should start at the beginning (clever), the summer of 1968, when as a poor, inexperienced, sixteen year old girl who was thinking of money for college, I cajoled Bob Shields into hiring me for the grounds crew. And so began my illustrious career as a golf course worker, which has included everything from picking up trash (oh look, Rose, Woodmont is such an ingenious club, a little Daisy May) and picking crab grass off greens (are you paid by the hour or the basket, honey?) to planting Bermuda sprigs and mowing fairways. During those four years at Woodmont I have been asked many times what I hope to gain from being a grounds maintenance j worker. I began with only one thing in mind — money. But through the years 1 realized that I have gained much more. Perhaps I will never find use for the few skills I have acquired (driving a tractor and a fairway unit for example) but I have gained a certain mechanical confidence that will help and has helped me in changing a tire, checking the oil in a car, and even knowing how to operate a gas pump (a lot of aerospace engineers found that knowledge useful). As well I have gained the experience of working with men, with nothing but men. This means being the butt of every joke, being put down as incompetent and lazy (they never meant it), and being constantly reminded of ineptitude of my sex (Not bad, for a woman that is). All this without the comfort of an ally, or, when I am the center of attention, the problem of a competitor. Being a woman on the course also meant a little special attention from the men. Being helped down off the equipment, having the men carry heavy j objects for me, starting equipment for me, and generally keeping j an eye out for me were all a part of the kindness and caring of the twenty men I worked along side of. I have learned from work on the golf course to respect people for what they are, not the job they hold or the amount of money j they earn. I have learned that even in this day and age of equality there are still those who believe that the woman’s place is in the home. One such man was a co-worker, who finally quit because he did not think it right for a girl to be on the golf pourse. More important, however, is that I believe that I HAVE TAUGHT the men something — that a woman can compete with ■ a man and develop the same abilities and deserve the same amount of money as a man. I believe that the men at Woodmont, Mr. Shields included, thought I would never last in the kind of job I had undertaken, especially working with a crew which demands perserverance and the ability to take an endless joke. But I think that I have proved to the men at work, as well as t o , myself, that at least one female in this world can compete in a man’s world and come out on top. This is essentially what I have found to be my four years at Woodmont. As I leave, for the last time (I have said that before) I take a lot of good memories with me, as well as the knowledge that all the work has helped put me through college. And if nothing else comes of my hours of hard labor I am secure in the knowledge that I can finally back a car into a parking space. A note on the use o f the major plant foods for growing turf is never amiss. Here is one on potassium. POTASSIUM AND BETTER TURF by W. R. Thompson, Jr., Southeastern Director Potash Institute of North America (right) Fred Scheyhing (left) M r X. handling P.A. system at Field Day. SELLING CERTIFICATION Dr. Paul Alexander has got it going. Now all he has to do is sell it and sometimes selling doesn’t come easy. The man, who has put the golf course superintendents’ certification on the road, thinks he has half of his territory covered pretty well - the supers, themselves. The other half the country club officials and members - are still in the dark when it comes to knowing and appreciating the working points of certification. Remember, it was Dr. Alexander who said he has pushed certification into the acceptable cells of the superintendent. “It may not sound like very many” , he tells. “ But out of 1700 superintendents eligible to take the certification examination, we have had inquiries from 200. I’d say that’s a pretty good percentage so early in the game.” If you want some more figures to play with, there have been a total of 68 supers pass the examination and open themselves for the rewards that come with it. But what of those rewards? “Certainly a certified superintendent must get a feeling of satisfaction out of passing” , Dr. Alexander notes. “He definitely shows to his colleagues and club members that he possesses all the tools we think are important to perform his profession. Of course, there are no guarantees that go with certification. The plaque the super receives doesn’t grow grass or stop turf disease.” What Dr. Alexander would like to see happen is an education of the superintendent’s outside world so that certification becomes a familiar and respected term with the golfing public. “That’s our next target” , he reveals. “Somehow we’re going to have to become preachers and preach the gospel of certification. It may boil down to the supers spreading the word and we of the national will have to pitch in, too. Certification has to become as widely known as passing the bar exam. I’m not trying to compare the two but there is a similarity here.” Obviously, the more superintendents who gain certification the better chance for its acceptance by the general public. “We have to educate ourselves first in this direction, I guess” , Dr. Alexander adds. “ I’m hoping that every eligible super takes a crack at passing the exam and I wish that everyone could pass it.” One certified super should get the message across to his membership and other clubs might pick up the cue. An official at his club has decided to hang his plaque on the bulletin board of the 19th hole for a few weeks so that members will learn what it’s all about. “That’s a great idea” , Dr. Alexander opines. “This is a form of public relations the club can perform for both its superintendent and itself. And I’d like to see that plaque stay there for at least one member-guest golf tournament. That would multiply the exposure maybe a hundred times. Frankly, we need all the selling we can get.” So, the attempt to get certification on the map and inform country club members of its importance is slowly getting off the ground. In the end it will benefit both parties. The superintendent will have the recognition so necessary in earning a deserving place in his profession and the country club or golf course will have a strong guideline in luring and keeping capable superintendents to their grounds. Right now it may appear to be a hard-sell proposition but it’s making tracks toward that goal. -G erry Finn Potassium “ K” is one of the three major fertilizer or plant nutrient elements that are part of the 16 essential elements for plant growth and development. It is absorbed by the plant as the potassium ion “K” . Fertilizer potassium is added to soils in the form of such soluble salts as potassium chloride, potassium sulfate and potassium nitrate. These can be contained in complete mixed fertilizers, such as a 12-4-8 or used as straight fertilizer materials. Potassium is mobile in the plant and is always found in the young, growing tissue. Potassium is essential for grass growth and while its exact role is not clearly understood, some of the functions that it is involved with are: *Carbohydrate formation and translocation of starch *Nitrogen metabolism and protein synthesis *Activation of various enzymes *Control of stomate activities and is active in water-plant activities K-rich grass is more winter hardy K-rich grass is less susceptible to disease attacks K-rich grass can withstand hot weather better K-rich grass can balance high nitrogen fertilization rates and produce fine turf Many turf areas are low in “K” which means that “K” is often neglected in the fertilization program and the grass is not producing the quality turf that it could — it is not producing its potential. In Pennsylvania more than 5,500 turf samples tested at Penn. State show that 84 percent of the greens and 65 percent of the lawns need more potash. How is the potash level in your soils; Benchmark your potash levels (also your pH, “P” and “Mg” levels), with a good soil test. Determine where you are and how you are doing in building and maintaining good “K” levels. Turfgrasses must be fertilized to produce the quality playing conditions golfers and other athletes demand. Fertilizer will do more to build high quality turf and maintain quality turf than any other nutrition. Do NOT apply any one element out of balance with the others. This is easy to do by over applying nitrogen and neglecting phosphorus and potash. N/K balance is essential. Researchers at North Carolina State University, recently reported on some of their research with fertility ratios and bermudagrass cold tolerance. They said that turf plants that were fertilized only with nitrogen were least resistant to low tem perature damage. The addition of “P” and “K” improved cold tolerance. Their research indicated that a balanced fertilization program with emphasis on adequate “K” in late summer would improve the cold resistance of Tifdwarf and Tifgreen bermudagrass. Apply potash by using a complete mixed fertilizer that contains potash (potash is the third number on the bag). Potash can also be supplied through the use of potash fertilizer materials such as muriate of potash or potassium sulfate. Potash should be applied at a time when the plant can take it up and use it. To promote summer tolerance to heat and drought, apply potash in the spring —don’t wait until hot weather to do it. To increase winter hardiness apply potash in early September, not in December when the grass is growing slow or is dormant. Potash can be applied anytime, but it is best to do it when the grass has time to take it up, use it and harden itself for stresses. Nitrogen gives turf a deep green color and good growth. Phosphorus is essential for growth and especially in turf establishment. It helps grass withstand the stresses of disease attacks, stresses of winter and summer and winter kill. Be wise —fertilize with nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. Reference: Gilbert, W.B. and D.L. Davis, 1971 Agronomy Journal 63:591-593 Reprinted from the Rocky Mountain G.G.S. Reporter, Vol. 7 (1), Jan. 1972. Edward C. Horton, Secretary 6 Wilton Road Port Chester, New York 10573 First Class MELVIN ß LUCAS UR A CITY GOLF CLUE GARDEN 315 STEWART AVE GARDEN CITY NY 11530 T e le p h o n e ( 2 0 3 ) 7 9 5 - 4 - 3 2 0 STS Somers Turf Supplies 2 0 8 N A N D R IV E O R A N G E , C O N N E C T IC U T 0 6 4 7 7 P e r-M e l • G ra s s S e e d • L e b a n o n F e r t iliz e r s S ta n d a rd • F o re P a r • • Sod • T u r f C h e m ic a ls T o p d r e s s in g • • S u p p le x H o s e • P a r A id e • L e w is L in e Ir r ig a t io n a n d E q u ip m e n t S u p p lie s "THE LEAP SEASON IS UPON US" For Demonstration of Blowers Sweepers Vacuums call your area representative or our office. The Magovern c0, me. P. 0. Box 4 4 6 41 Meadow Street Fairfield, Conn. 0 6 4 3 0 2 5 5 -2 8 1 7 Westche»t«r r Joe Schneider Fairfield: Ned Beiden Institutional: John Colt