Board of Directors
President
DAVID M A H O N EY
Siwanoy Country Club

V ice President
WILLIAM H E IN T Z
Centennial G olf Club
Cover: Seawane Club.
Photo by Jim
Krajicek, Krajicek
Photo.

Treasurer
M A TTH EW CEPLO, CGCS
Rockland Country Club

Secretary
A N T H O N Y G IR A R D I, CGCS
Rockrimmon Country Club

Past President
T IM O T H Y M O O R E
Knollwood Country Club

SC O T T APGAR

%

Metro T u f Specialists

PAUL BOYD
Greenwich Country Club

SEAN CAIN
Sunningdale Country Club

GLEN DUBE, CGCS
Oak Hills Park G olf Course

____________

TH O M A S LEAHY, CGCS
Sleepy Hollow Country Club

R O B ERT NIELSEN JR . CGCS
Bedford G olf & Tennis Club

G LEN N PERRY, CGCS
Rolling Hills Country Club

JEFFREY W E N T W O R T H , CGCS
Pelham Country Club

Executive Secretary
INEKE P IE R P O IN T

Tee to Green Staff
Editors
' GLENN PERRY
203-762-9484

SEAN CAIN
914-723-3238

Managing Editor
PANDORA C.WOJICK

T h e R o c k y R o a d to D e - T r e e in g Y o u r C o u r s e
G iv in g T ree R e m o v a l D is a p p r o v a l th e A x e .
W h e n S e llin g T ree R e m o v a l . . . A Picture is
Worth a Thousand Words ................................................

Editorial Committee
PAUL BOYD
GLEN DUBE
¡CHIP LAFFERTY
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TIM O ’NEILL
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TERRIE DUNKELBERGER

M e m b e r N e w s .......

Photographer
BILL PERLEE

M e tG C S A E v e n ts.

Advertising Manager
SEAN CAIN, 914-723-3238

TEE TO GREEN is published bimonthly by the
Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association^
49 Knollwood Road, Elmsford, NY 10523-2819
914-347-4653, FAX: 914-347-3437, METGCSA.OR%
Copyright ©2004

S p o t li g h t s ................
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resident’s

SERIALS
MAR 1 2 2003
Michigan state university

LIBRARIES

’m writing this after a MetGCSA board
J meeting. . . . The stock market is down.
| Our restricted funds are stagnant. I have an
assignment I should have completed three
days ago. And Pandora’s screaming at me,
“You’re holding up the newsletter!”
Then there’s my real job. I’m starting to
appreciate the beauty and persistence of
nutsedge. I’m beginning to use the term
putting quality when it comes to goosegrass.
And I’ve officially nominated Anthracnose
for the John Reid Award. Mrs. Anthracnose
will be so proud.
Then, I get the question from a golfer,“Is
■ this an easy year?” Unfortunately, there’s no
:f such thing. All years are difficult because of
the simple nature of our business: Cut it
close and often; roll the death out of it, and
ask it to grow. There are only less difficult
years, not easy ones.

E
¡
I

Dave Mahoney
M etG CSA President

Here’s the rub: Our players, based on a
look at their calendars, assume that every­
thing is progressing as scheduled. I even get
reports,“It was dry in the City.” But I don’t
blame them. Who wants a perfectly good
course ripped up in August? We need to
Rain, Rain, (in Away!
get this work done with minimal inconven­
Right now, I’m finding things a little more ience to our golfers.
difficult than they should be. This is the
I know it’s not easy. I need to remind
ft time— right now— that we should be myself about what our goals are and what,
I implementing our aerification program. It’s first and foremost, we need to accomplish.
I not for lack of planning that we haven’t
started. When it came to planning this
process this year, I have to admit, I whipped
Are Your Warts Showing?
up a beauty. Typed it out, double-spaced it
I always feel the end of August is a good
and even highlighted everyone’s assign­
time
to really evaluate the weaknesses at
ments. Only problem is, it’s raining. It has
your
course and, perhaps, even in your
been raining. The course is saturated. But
maintenance
program. This is the time of
dammit, I want to aerify. If I wait, my twoweek recovery window will bump against year we all have our warts showing.
Determine if those warts are something
our Labor Day tournament. What to do.
you
can improve on within your own prac­
The easiest thing to do is draft up a plan; the
tices
or something that requires a capital
hardest is to implement it.
*, I think I need to take a page out of the infusion.
For example, we built our cart paths with
Physicians Handbook. No, not overcharge by
Belgian
block curbs and a stone-dust and
100 percent and hope insurance covers 50
red-gravel
surface. The paths look great
percent, but rather adhere to the number
when they’re freshly raked. When they’re
one rule:“First, do no harm!”
I think if I went out now and plowed heavily trafficked, they look awful. When
ahead, I’d have just that: a plowed golf we get a heavy rain, many of them wash
continued on page 13
course. Dr. Joe Duich used to tell us that we
“kill more grass, all in the name of mainte­
nance.” It only took me 20 years for that to
sink in. We’re backing off.

by Sean Cain

Area Supers
Reveal the Ins
and Outs of
Selling and
Implementing
a Tree
Management
Program on
Their Course
Green

mBBm

j EEHF

rass dies
beneath
th em . T heir
branches ob stru ct
the inten d ed line o f play. T hey h o g
su nligh t and w ater and even p ose
safety hazards. Yet golfers insist on
p ro tectin g th em .
W hat are w e talking about? T h e
m ature trees o n our g o lf cou rses—
o f course.
S u p erin ten d en ts at old er clubs
th ro u g h o u t th e co u n try have lo n g
r e c o g n iz e d
th e
m e d d le so m e
effects o f trees o n g o lf co u rse tu r f
and playability. U S G A a g r o n o ­
m ists, g o lf co u rse
a rch itects,
arborists, and turfgrass researchers
have p en n e d co u n tless articles on
th e m e rits o f selectiv e tree r e m o ­
val. Yet tr y in g to c o n v in c e green
ch a irm e n and clu b m e m b e r s o f
th e b en efits o f “ d e -tr e e in g ” our
g o lf co u rses is still a d elicate m a t­
ter, i f n o t u p h ill b attle, for m an y
g o lf co u rse su p erin ten d en ts.
Tree rem oval is so p olitically and
em o tio n a lly ch arged, in fact, that
so m e cou rses b eg in ch ainsaw in g
trees on the q .t.— to avoid the
w rath o f tree-h u g g in g m em b ers.
O n e cou rse that ad m its to such
su rreptitiou s tree rem oval is the
fa m ed h o m e o f seven U .S. O pens,
O a k m o n t C ou n try Club ou tside o f
P ittsb u rgh . In the dark o f n igh t,
th en su p erin ten d en t Mark Kuhns
a ssem b led a SWAT team that
w orked by h ead ligh ts clearin g
trees— and every b it o f ev id en ce—
in the w ee h ou rs, w h ile m em b ers
w ere still asleep.
Sad that it had to c o m e to that.
B u t fortunately, th at’s a p ractice o f
the past, tak ing p lace m o re than a
d ecade ago. Since then, after m u ch
q u iet p ersu asion and p o litick in g ,
O a k m o n t has g o tten the go -a h ea d
to fell at least 3,500 trees, fully

restoring the g o lf course. O akm ont
is, o n ce again, ju st as architect
H en ry F ow nes had in ten d ed it to
be: w ith a renew ed em phasis on the
bun k erin g and the dram atic c o n ­
tours o f its fairways and greens—
rather than on trees, or as the Scots
have dubbed th em , “ bunkers in the
sky.”
O a k m o n t is n o t alon e. M any o f
A m e r ic a ’s
100
G reatest
G o lf
C ou rses— and m an y M et area
cou rses— have in itiated tr ee -r e m o ­
val p rogram s to b rin g back vistas,
elim in a te d ou b le hazards, and first
and fo r e m o st, im p rove turfgrass
c o n d itio n s. T h e p rocess for m o st
have fo llo w ed a sim ilar path to
O a k m o n t’s: in itial w arin ess— even
o p p o sitio n — g iv in g w ay to a lm o st
u n an im ou s su pp ort o f the results.
W ith m o re area courses lo o k in g
to em bark on tree rem oval projects
o f their ow n , w e th o u g h t w e ’d ask
m e m b er superintendents w h o have
sold their clubs on tree rem oval to
share their form u las for su ccess.
H ere’s w h a t’s w orked— and h ow it’s
h elp ed their cou rses. H as it b een
w orth the fight? All w ou ld give
their efforts an unequivocal thum bs
up.

...*:<..

i

Pelham Country Club
Pelham Manor, NY
Je ff Wentworth, CGCS
Our program was not an easy sell. We tried
to soften the blow by marketing it as a tree
maintenance—rather than removal—pro­
gram. Pelham is serious about the 1,260
specimen trees on the property. We had a
complete inventory done in 2002 by
StrataPoint, Inc., which included a GPS
map and tree care and tree removal recom­
mendations.
We worked long and hard to convince
“the powers that be” that various trees
should be taken down. We targeted trees
that were affecting turf growth and playabil­
ity, that were in poor condition, or that were
not indigenous to our area, such as willows,
Siberian elms, and Bradford pears.
We started by digitally photographing
each tree to be removed and describing its
condition. This year, we did 98 trees, post­
ing information on each of them on our
website in addition to presenting the info to
the Green and Golf committees and then to
the membership at an open meeting.
When all was said and done, we had nearunanimous support to remove all 98 trees.
Working with our arborist, we took down
78 of those trees this past January and
February. In 2005, we’ll remove the
remaining 20.
As part of this plan, we agreed to replace
about one-quarter of the trees we cut. Most
of them were placed along property lines,
primarily near the first hole and range,
where they were used as screens. We were
careful not to locate any trees where they
would affect play or fine turf areas.
This first go-round was a sort of trial
run for the rest to come. And so far, so
good. Turf health has improved in
■ many areas, particularly on the 8th
H and 13th greens, which each had a
36-inch oak growing within two
yards of the putting surface. The
overall aesthetics of the course have
also improved, and the features on the
1st and 4th are dramatically more
i
visible. Better still, the members

,

“ HMMM NOT MUCH
OF A RECOVERY SHOT
FROM H ER E..."

are very happy with the results.
Next year, we plan to work with ArborCom Technologies to pinpoint trees sur­
rounding the 10th and 15th greens to either
be removed or selectively pruned so that we
might improve growing conditions in those
areas. We are also hoping that the service will
help us to pinpoint and then do what’s nec­
essary to highlight the many specimen trees
in those areas. The trees surrounding holes 9,
10, 13, 14, and 15 were specimens on the
property before the course was constructed,
and they’re now an integral part of the golf
course.

Scarsdale Golf Club
Hartsdale, NY
Matt Severino
Selling a tree management program at our
club was relatively easy. It helped, of course,
that I had Dave Oatis’s USGA Turf Advisory
Service report, which supported most of my
recommendations. I was primarily con­
cerned with improving the turf quality or
poor growing environments on our 13th and

16th greens and on our 17th green and tee.
Before taking an axe to any of the trees,
we formed a decision-making group made
up of me and five members, including two
of the most vocal tree huggers at the club.
We toured the course, looking at all the trees
in question and made a decision on each and
every one. We agreed to remove most of the
trees I proposed but decided to delay some
others to see if turf conditions improved
with pruning or more selective removals.
Tree replacement was also part of the pro­
gram. It’s easier to sell a tree removal plan if
you promise to replace trees where needed.
But really, it’s wasted effort to cut down one
misplaced tree and then plant another. In
some cases, you could plant trees in places
that don’t affect turf areas, but at that point, it
becomes a numbers game of cutting and
planting trees.
The approval process was quick, requiring
that I present a tree removal plan to my
Grounds Committee and later to the board.
I was spared presenting the plan to the entire
membership.
In the end, we removed 30 mature trees
on the three holes. It wasn’t a large number,
but the trees were all large oaks, which were
noticeable to the average golfer. Despite the
obvious void, the membership has been
happy with the outcome, and better, the
club is receptive to future tree work.

Sleepy Hollow Country Club
Scarborough, NY
Tom Leahy; CGCS
We called in numerous industry authorities
to help us market our tree removal program
at the club. We began the process seven years
ago, seeking counsel from the USGA,
ArborCom, our own arborist, and our archi­
tect, Ken Dye.
Our objectives were ambitious. Like most
superintendents concerned with turf quality,
I wanted to improve microenvironments
around the property through selective tree
and brush removal. In October 1998, we
called in ArborCom to study six sites for us.
They sent Herb Waterous, who pin­

pointed trees that were blocking sunlight on
some of our green and tee sites. We method­
ically removed those trees that blocked the
most light, particularly morning sunlight,
which is so crucial to long-term turf health.
Another part of our plan was to showcase
our course’s numerous majestic trees. Many
were being choked by vines and underbrush
that needed to be removed in order to
improve their health and appearance.
Last but not least, we wanted to showcase
rock outcroppings and vistas of the Hudson
River that had become obscured over the
years as saplings grew and trees matured.
In the past seven years, it’s safe to say we’ve
taken down several hundred trees per year.
Most of those removed were nonspecimen
trees or trees that were poorly formed due to
overcrowding.
The membership was hesitant about our
tree removal plans at first, but we moved
slowly, making sure to build confidence
along the way.
Now, everyone seems to realize that our
tree program has enhanced the beauty of our
site, improved our river views, and ultimately,
enhanced turf conditions.

Siwanoy Country Club
Bronxville, NY
Dave Mahoney
We removed more than 250 trees through­
out the course during our golf course reno­
vation project, which we completed more
than two years ago. We closely followed the
recommendation of the architect in deciding
which trees to remove.
We had the luxury of having the nine
holes we were working on closed while the
work was being completed. When the
golfers came back out the following spring,
the work was done, and the trees we
removed were hardly missed.
Our goal was like everyone else’s:We were
overplanted and needed to remove trees to
improve turf growth. We also strived to
highlight one or two of the more impressive
trees in various areas of the course by remov­
ing surrounding weaker trees that were clut-

" IS THIS ONE OF THE
TREES YOU VOTED TO
SAVE?"

tering the area and impeding the growth of
the more desirable trees. When the work was
done, we were left with one or two trees in
each area as beautiful focal points.
If I were to recommend one thing, it
would be to be aggressive in the removal
process. If you do a bare minimum, you’re
still going to have shade problems, and those
who were against removing trees will still be
upset. It’s hard for anyone to argue against
the process when the turf dramatically
improves.

Woodway Country Club
Darien, CT
Larry Pakkala, CGCS
Marketing a tree removal program is always
controversial, and when there’s a large num­
ber of decision makers involved, it’s difficult
to get a consensus on what needs to be done.
Our decisions to remove trees took con­
siderable time, research, and money. I met
countless times with my Green Committee
to discuss the agronomic, as well as design
issues dictating tree removal.
Before initiating these discussions in 1998,
I’d been struggling to grow grass in heavily
shaded areas on several greens and tee com­
plexes. They were located in a section of
Woodway known as “the Hill”—a knoll
thickly populated by beautiful old oaks.
I had learned to grow grass on the greens
in these areas, but it required an extremely
labor-intensive maintenance regime, and
each year, by fall, the turf’s carbohydrate
reserves would start to become depleted, and
the greens would begin to decline. Worse,
they would become susceptible to disease
problems. Finally after some of my greens
were hit with necrotic ring spot, which didn’t
heal until the following spring, I called in
ArborCom to conduct a formal sunlight
analysis. We were the first in the area to use
their service. The. Care of Trees, Woodway s
arborists for the past 45 years, had recom­
mended we consult with ArborCom.
Working with the company’s founder,
Scott Robinson, and with Herb Waterous,
whom we all know, we were able to pinpoint

the trees that were the culprits in impeding
light beneficial for growing turf.
Scott and Herb recommended we remove
50 trees from the Hill, which is where our
6th and 10th greens and 7th and 11th tee
complexes are located.
To date, we’ve removed 20 of those trees.
Though this was a compromise, enough
trees were removed to make way for the
early morning sunlight necessary to substan­
tially enhance turf growth. All the turf in
this area is Poa annua, which tolerates lower
levels of sunlight. If it were bentgrass, more
trees would have had to come down.
I have to say, our tree removal project was
a complete success. The membership was
extremely pleased with the outcome, and so
was I.

Westchester Country Club
Rye, NY
Joe Alonzi, CGCS
Tree removal is rarely popular to start. It’s no
different at our club. To help ease the con­
troversy and assure the membership that our

decisions to remove various trees were well
grounded, we consulted with the USGA,
our arborist, and our architect. Together, we
identified our weakest turf areas, which—no
surprise—were shaded by trees. Then we
agreed on a tree removal plan on a number
of our green surrounds, tee surrounds, and
specific landing areas.
None of the trees we removed were qual­
ity specimen trees. Most were silver maples,
Norway maples, white pines, spruces, and
willows. After our initial round of removals,
the complaints and grumblings seemed to
subside.
Our tree program is ongoing. Over the
course of 10 years, we’ve removed hundreds
of trees, all in the name of improved sun­
light, less turf stress, and ultimately, better
playing conditions. Some of the removals
actually brought back the architect’s origi­
nal intent on how that particular hole
should be played.
People, for the most part, were happy
with the outcome—though there will
always be those who disagree with any tree
removal effort.

D id
you know the time and money spent on maintaining
weak turf could easily reach in the tens of thousands of dollars
each year— especially when you factor in the added expense for
additional fungicides, labor for hand watering, safety pruning,
and other high-maintenance practices.
problem areas at various times over the
course of six months to isolate only those
trees that had to be removed. I call it the
poor man’s ArborCom.
One facet of the project that I found to be
very important was that we cleaned up
before we opened in the spring. All of the
wood was removed from the course and
stumps were ground out, filled, and
seeded—even though it was March.
I’m happy to say that, this season, our
greens are in much better shape. That usu­
ally equals happy golfers too. Many people
think the course looks better without the
trees. But the reality is, once the leaves on
the surrounding trees came out, many
golfers didn’t even realize we had removed
any trees. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess!

Old Oaks Country Club
Purchase, NY
Mark Millett

Oak Hills Park Golf Course
Norwalk, CT
Glen Dube CGCS

,

Seeing is believing in my book. I marketed
our tree removal program by taking mem­
bers of my Green Committee out on the
golf course the spring of 2003 to show
them how the shade from surrounding trees
was hampering our greens’ recovery from
the severe ice damage we sustained earlier
that year.
All went well until I tagged the proposed
cut-downs with fluorescent tape. I did this
so various tree companies could see what
we wanted to take out and then bid on the
job. That’s when the tree-loving public

came out of the woods, protesting the fact
that we were planning to take out so many
large, healthy trees.
Needless to say, after the bidding process
was over, the tape came down, and the con­
troversy stopped—until the work was com­
pleted this past winter. Then some of the
neighbors joined the tree-loving golfers and
demanded to know why we cut down so
many trees. After explaining the formula for
photosynthesis and the role sunlight plays in
that process, things settled down a bit.
When all was said and done, we had
removed a couple of hundred trees from
around nearby half of our green complexes.
Selecting trees for removal was not a snap
decision. I went out and inspected all of our

As part of the golf course restoration project
we just completed, we took a long, hard
look at all the trees on our course. Our
objective was, first and foremost, to improve
agronomics and playability. We’ve seen a big
improvement in turf quality around green
complexes, particularly on holes 4,5,14, and
17. We’ve also been able to reestablish much
of the rough in strategic areas on various
holes. The results have been so dramatic that
our membership doesn’t even blink an eye,
now, when we talk about removing a tree.
They’ve seen how selective tree removal can
improve playability.
The other objective of our tree removal
program was to highlight some of our
specimen trees. Old Oaks has a number of
beautiful, large hardwood trees that are posi­
tioned strategically throughout the course.
These gorgeous specimens were being hid­
den by smaller, undesirable species that had
sprung up over the years.
During the renovation, I worked with
club members and Ken Dye, our golf course
architect, to determine which of these trees
should be removed to not only help reestab­
lish these grand specimens, but also create

So deeply rooted are trees in American golf that one in every
10 courses has some leafy reference in its name:Think of our
own Old Oaks, Birchwood, W illow Ridge, and Oak Hills to
name several.
"WHEN IT COMES TO
QUALITY TURF, SOM ETIM ES
beautiful vistas throughout the course. This,
like our other tree removal work, was well
received.
Key to our success in reestablishing turf
where we’d taken down trees was digging
out the stumps rather than grinding them
out. Completely removing stumps may
seem more disruptive to the area initially,
but the turf comes back faster in the long
run.

Elements of a Successful Sale
W hen all was said and done, all the super­
intendents we spoke to seemed to have a
similar formula for developing and selling a
tree management program at their clubs.
Here, in short, are the steps they recom­
mend for gaining buy-in to your tree
removal wants and needs.
1. Build credibility. Convincing influential
people at your club that you’re a knowl­
edge expert, if not an authority, on tree
removal is the most important step in get­
ting a program approved and launched.
Know the trees on your course and your
golf course architect’s original design
strategies. Have credible sources— articles,
books— on the subject at your fingertips to
support your case.
It also never hurts to arrange a game
with some of the powers-that-be and point
out opportunities for improvement as you
play the course.
2. Bolster your case. Conduct a feasibility
study. Seek the counsel of outside profes­
sionals, such as a certified arborist, USGA
agronomist, golf course architect, or a firm
like ArborCom Technologies Inc. or StrataPoint, Inc., which uses computer modeling
software to help identify shade problems
for turfgrass (see page 10).
Each of these specialists can help you
evaluate the trees on your course from a
number of perspectives: tree safety and
health, the strategic nature of trees relative
to the course design, and how trees are
affecting turf conditions.

During this step, it helps to take a tree
inventory, identifying tree types and their
environments (wetlands, exposed dry areas,
etc.). Identify nonnative species that were
planted over the course’s life. This will help
in justifying the removal of certain trees.
Always have the context of the original
design in mind when choosing what stays
and what goes. Original course photos and
drawings are invaluable here.
Take pictures and incorporate them in
your presentations to club officials and
members for a more professional approach.

YOU HAVE TO GET TOUGH

"

3. Submit your plan. Your plan should be
chockfull of benefits, but light on details.
Presenting an overly detailed plan at this
point could do more harm than good. It
may appear that you have a predetermined
outcome in mind, and people will be more
apt to dig in their heels.
Do be sure, however, to include some
approximate costs and a timeframe for com­
pletion. Another helpful tack: Before for­
mally presenting your plan, run it by any
key influences who support your efforts.
They can give you the feedback you need
to ensure your plan is well received.
4. Start with a upilot)yproject. Begin with a
small pilot project that is guaranteed to be a
success. Pick a location that will visibly
improve turf quality or create a beautiful
vista. During the process, be sure that
member play is interrupted as little as possi­
ble. That means working quickly to remove
trees and clean up. Grind or remove the
stump, backfill the hole, topdress, and seed.
End of story.
5. Go for the series. ” Let’s face it. A great
pilot is more apt to lead to a successful
series— of tree removals, that is. With a suc­
cessful start to your tree removal program,
you’re ready to seek approval on the full
plan. Here’s where the real selling begins.
Recruit friends to begin conversing with
other members about the success of your
pilot project and the merits of a larger ini­
tiative. Get your key influences to work on
anyone who may be opposed to the plan

before your presentation.
When you present, be concise, discussing
general benefits. Don’t get into the details
of every tree. You want to be and act
knowledgeable. Those who call out or in­
terrupt during a presentation generally
aren’t well informed. Be sure that someone
on your board is prepared to help quiet
these mindless intimidators by supporting
your case.
Tip: It’s best to begin by talking about
how you’ll improve the health of landmark
trees before launching into a discussion
about tree removal. This will put tree huggers at ease and point to the fact that this is
an overall tree management plan, not a tree
massacre proposal.
Sean Cain, co-editor of the Tee to Green, is
superintendent at Sunningdale Country Club in
Scarsdale, NY.

the Axe
^

M f you’re struggling to convince club
M officials of the merits of initiating a
tree removal program on your course,
why not let the pros do the talking. What
follows are industry professionals’ no-holdsbarred sentiments about ill-conceived tree
planting on golf courses.

The Good, the Bad, and the llgly of
Tree Placement

George C.Thomas Jr-, golf course architect
“Trees and shrubbery beautify the course,
and natural growth should never be cut
down if it is possible to save it; but he who
insists on preserving a tree where it spoils a
shot should have nothing to say about golf
course construction.”

Donald Ross, golf course architect
“As beautiful as trees are, and as fond as you
and I are of them, we still must not lose sight
of the fact that there is a limited place for
them in golf. We must not allow our senti­
ments to crowd out the real intent of a golf
course, that of providing fair playing condi­
tions. If it in any way interferes with a prop­
erly played stroke, I think the tree is an unfair
hazard and should not be allowed to stand.”

Jack Nicklaus, golf pro turned architect
Pinehurst No. 2 is the best course I know of
from a tree-usage standpoint. It’s a totally
tree-lined golf course without one tree in
the playing strategy of that golf course. I
love what Donald Ross used to do at
Pinehurst. Every year, Ross would walk
through the trees and say, ‘That tree has got­
ten too big; you can’t play a recovery shot
from there anymore. Take that tree out and

Pelham Country Club’s 4th hole
M O T fW O

tvO O

^iffl/119/fl

that tree out and cut the branches off that
one.’ Then if you hit it in there, you could
get in and play a recovery shot back out.
Too many trees prevent recovery shots, and I
think the recovery shot is a wonderful part
of the game.”
Ben Crenshaw\ professional golfer
“What I love most about Augusta National
is that it allows ‘full expression of recovery.’
The wide corridors between the tree-lined
fairways enable stray shots to still be played
off turf, instead of punched sideways out of
trees.”

After removing 18 trees, Pelham Country
Club improved visibility and increased usable
tee space on its 4th hole.

Ron Forse, golf course architect
“Golf courses were not intended to be
arboretums. Many golf courses’ original
design intents and strategies have been
altered or nullified by trees. Golf courses
should be designed and built predominantly
around ground features, whether they be
existing natural topography or manmade
features, such as bunkers and swales.
“One of the principle aspects of a good
golf course is that it is strategic. Without
alternate routes to the green, a golf hole
becomes one-dimensional and takes on the
characteristics of just one repetitive avenue
of playing the hole. And once our golf
holes lose their interest and only reward the
physically superior, the true thrill of the
game is lost. It is a common misconception
that one should not see another golf hole
from one you are playing. Cutting off vistas
violates the enjoyment of views across the
golf property. Some of the great courses
like Oakmont Country Club and Winged
Foot Golf Club in our own back yard have
done major tree removal projects in order
to bring back the vistas and eliminate dou­
ble hazards.”

On Tree-Induced Turf Woes
Jim Snow, national director\ USGA Green
Section
“Trees are a natural part of our landscape,
and they serve a lot of practical purposes on
courses, strategic as well as aesthetic. But
trees sneak up on you. They get bigger little
by little, and over 20 to 30 years, they have a
huge impact on golf courses, even though

people around them all the time don’t real­
ize what’s happening. Golfers need only
look in their own backyards to be reminded
of the inherent difficulty of growing grass
beneath trees.”
Dr. Frank Rossi, turfgrass researcher;
Cornell University
“It is a conundrum where trees are given
equal value to the turf that provides the
surface of the game. Superintendents are
charged with managing an unnatural
environment where turf must compete
with trees for essential light, water, and
nutrients.”
Gary Watschke, former agronomist, North­
eastern Region, USGA Green Section
“Trees can strike turf at three angles. The
negative effects can be from overshading,
reduced air circulation, and root competi­
tion. A turf manager can play the game
with one or two strikes, but given all three,
his turf is out.”
Dr. Jim Baird, agronomist, Northeastern
Region, USGA Green Section
“In general, turf that receives regular traffic
and wear requires approximately 8 to 9
hours of daily sunlight to sustain growth
and recuperation. Approximately half of
this sunlight is required during the morn­
ing hours when photosynthesis is optimum
and in order to dry out the turf canopy to
reduce disease incidence. Moreover, com­
petition from tree roots for available water
and nutrients can be just as deleterious to
the turf stand. Speaking from experience,
most visits that I make involving extensive

turf loss are related to poor growing envi­
ronments caused by surrounding trees. This
was especially true of the winter injury that
occurred on many golf courses in 2003.”
Ron Forse,golf course architect
“Green committees are often absentminded to sunlight issues. Trees should
never be planted so that important parts of
the east and southeast sides on the golf
course are severely shaded. It’s vital that the
morning sun be allowed to reach the
ground so the soil can warm up. This
allows the turf to grow throughout the day,
thereby helping it recover from stress and
damage. Our tall wooded friends should
also never be planted too close to greens,
and shallow rooted trees, which bring so
many safety problems with them, simply
have no place on a golf course. In general,
when it comes to trees, less is more.”
Reed Mackenzie, USGA president
“I hate trees. They end up costing you a lot
of money. You get areas where you can’t
grow grass. People become attached to
trees, and their attachment is irrational.
Trees get diseased and they fall down.”
Herb Waterous, consultant, Arbor Com
Technologies Inc.
“I wish I had access to computer modeling
technology when I was a superintendent.
The process of mapping trees is so valuable,
it really should be factored into golf course
superintendents’ budgets. It should be an
integral part of their tree management pro­
grams— not called on as a last-ditch effort
to save their greens.”

When Selling Tree Removal
A Picture

3

i you re struggling
, to convince your
club of the merits of tree removal on your
course, here are two companies that have
the technology to make believers out of
even your most staunch doubting
Thomases: ArborCom Technologies Inc.
and StrataPoint, Inc.
Using specialized computer technology,
these firms pinpoint trees on your course
that are blocking crucial sunlight penetra­
tion to greens or any other areas that
have ailing turf.

ArborCom, based in Florida,
combines proprietary soft­
ware that three-dimensionally positions trees in its
Sun Shader program with
the Global Positioning
System (GPS) longitude
and latitude of a course to
calculate the sunlight
hours reaching greens
during the different sea­
sons. “It involves more
than simple shade profil­
ing,” notes Scott R obin­
son, ArborCom’s vice
president of technical
operations. “It’s a patent­
ed process that provides
detailed quantitative in­
formation on the amount
of square-foot hours of
shade that each tree is
casting and the total
hours of direct sunlight
that are reaching the turfgrass at any particular time of
year.”
ArborCom can look at one especially
problematic part of the course— or every
green, tee, or fairway. In either case, the
company’s objective is to help you target
the appropriate trees for removal.
Herb Waterous, one of ArborCom’s three
consultants, notes that courses that attempt
to determine which trees are affecting turf
growth by just looking at them may be
barking up the wrong trees.
“At one Met area course where we con­

•

•

IsWorth a Thousand Words

sulted,” says Herb, “the superintendent was
convinced that a particular stand of trees
was responsible for his turf problems, and he
wanted to take them down. After we evalu­
ated the site, the superintendent could see
that the turf would, in fact, be better served
by removing an entirely different group of
trees.”
Whew! The last thing you want to do is
create a stir by removing trees and then still

have problems.
Speaking of that, ArborCom technology
can also spare you the agony of planting a
new tree in the wrong place by projecting
how the tree will grow and affect the sun­
light penetration in years to come.
Another handy aspect of ArborCom’s
service is that they will meet with your club
committees or officials to explain their find­
ings—and the technology behind it.
“I’ve seen many diehard tree huggers at
the clubs where we’ve consulted agree to
remove trees they’d argued to keep once

they saw the data we presented,” says Herb.
ArborCom has consulted with more than
300 golf courses throughout the country,
many of them among America’s 100 Great­
est Golf Courses.
The price you pay for their service:
approximately $3,000 per green.
How to reach ArborCom Technologies
Inc.: 888-786-5628 orArborCom.com
StrataPoint, based in Minnesota, is
another company that helps clubs iden­
tify shade-related problems. Using a
GPS/GIS system, the company in­
ventories every tree on the course,
specifying the location and attrib­
utes—condition, size, health, etc.—
of each tree. Then it takes this data
and puts together a comprehen­
sive tree management plan with
recommendations for pruning,
removals, plantings, and ways to
improve tree health and course
playability and appeal. But Strata­
Point looks at more than just
trees. It offers whole-plan studies
of your entire golf course, com­
piling location data for all greens,
tees, fairways, and bunkers.
As part of its service, the com­
pany provides superintendents
with a software program, Point
DataMap, that contains all the
data drawn from the com­
pany’s course study. This
allows the superintendent to
track and monitor nearly
every aspect of course manage­
ment, not the least of which is deter­
mining which trees should be targeted for
removal. “Superintendents can create shade
profiles on any of the inventoried trees—
right on their own computer screens,”
explains StrataPoint President Jason Bass.
“The shade-profiling module is easy to use,
and it will help superintendents define their
course’s requirements for today and the
future.”
The price you pay for this service:
$25,000 for an 18-hole golf course.
How to reach StrataPoint, Inc.: 651-3224000 or Stratapointinc.com.

Member News

Congratulations to Our 2004 Scholarship Recipients
M he MetGCSA Scholarship and R e■ W search Committee awarded a total of
$11,050 in scholarships to 11 deserving
members’ children at the July 15 Education
Meeting at Ridgeway Country Club.
Congratulations to the following scholar­
ship recipients and their parents:
Ryan Beaudry, son of Karen and Ray
Beaudry of Atlantic Irrigation, will be
beginning
his
freshman
year
at
Manhattanville in Purchase, NY. He plans
to pursue a business degree.
Jayne Donovan, daughter of Julie and
Shawn Donovan of Turf Products
Corporation, will be entering her junior
year at Hartwick College as a biology
major with a Spanish and chemistry double
minor.
Katelin Flynn, daughter of Cindy and
Dennis Flynn, superintendent of Brae Burn
Country Club, will enter her freshman year
at the University of Vermont as a studio art
major.
Katherine Fuller, daughter of Kimberley
Jones and Mark Fuller, superintendent of
Connecticut Golf Club, will enter her
freshman year at the University of
Connecticut as a business major.
Elizabeth Maffei, daughter of Anne and
Mike Maffei, superintendent of Back
O ’Beyond, will enter her junior year at
Fairfield University with a major in mar­
keting and a minor in business ethics and
business law.
Colleen Moore, daughter of Denise and
Glenn Moore, of Glenmore Landscape
Services, will enter her senior year at
Loyola College with a double major in
political science and Spanish.
Kevin Moore, son of Denise and Glenn
Moore, of Glenmore Landscape Services,
will be beginning his freshman year at
Providence College with a major in public
and community service.

Adrianne O ’Keefe, daughter of Margaret
and John O ’Keefe, superintendent of
Preakness Hills Country Club, will enter
her senior year at Fairleigh Dickinson
University with a major in literature.
Maureen O ’Keefe, daughter of Margaret
and John O ’Keefe, superintendent of
Preakness Hills Country Club, will enter
her freshman year at Fairleigh Dickinson
University in the hotel/restaurant manage­
ment program.
Alexis Reeb, daughter of Jaymie and Mike
Reeb, superintendent of Country Club of
New Canaan, will enter her senior year at
Lynchburg College as an elementary educa­
tion/child development major.
Again, congratulations to one and all of our
scholarship recipients. Here’s to a healthy
and happy school year.
By the way, scholarship applications for
the 2005 year will be available in March
2005. Watch for more details in an upcom­
ing issue.
- Will Heintz

New Members
Michael Astram
Class AF, Northern Designs, LLC
Milford, CT
Gregory Boring
Class C, Preakness Hills Country Club
Wayne, NJ
Robert Dorsch
Class C, Silver Spring Country Club
Ridgefield, CT
Christopher Smith
Class A, Hudson National Golf Club
Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Well Wishes
Wishing Alfred MacDonald’s Glenn
Gallion a speedy recovery. Glenn is recu­
perating from a heart attack.

In Sympathy
We’d like to offer our condolences to Bill
Perlee, superintendent of The Apawamis
Club. Bill’s father passed away in July.

Social Events Revisited: A Lot of Fun and Games
Tf you weren’t at the Summer Social at Old Oaks Country Club July 20, you missed
ra great time. Special thanks to Mark and Mary Pat Millett for hosting this event—
*and to the staff at Old Oaks for a great spread.
The weather, the food, and better still, the camaraderie made this event so worth attend­
ing that I feel sorry for those who missed it. Everyone should plan to attend next year!
—Tom Leahy, CGCS

etGCSA members and
theirfamilies convened
for the Family Picnic at
Woodway Beach Club on August 2 for a
much-deserved break from the summer
grind. With a total of 93 guests, this event
was well attended to say the least.
An extra-special thank you goes out to
Larry Pakkala for hosting this event. Those
who attended would agree that the
Woodway staff went out of their way to
ensure a good time was had by all. Guests
were treated to a tasty BBQ, a beautiful

August evening, and fun and games for kids
and adults alike.
There was something there for children
of all ages: Sand art, face painting, cupcake
decorating, a water balloon toss, sack race,
watermelon eating contest, and an alwayspopular piñata, bursting with candy. And
then, we can’t forget the inflatable bounce
room that had kids bouncing off the walls—
literally—for hours.
Thomas and Andrew McMurray, grand­
sons of Back O ’Beyond Superintendent
Mike Maffei, were co-champions of the
water balloon toss. Ricky and Kennedy

Shook, guests of Mt. Kisco Country Club
Superintendent Fred Scheyhing, claimed
first place in the sack race. And Michael
Astram, son of Northern Designs’ Michael
Astram, took the prize for the pinata
thwacking, while his sister, Jennifer, won
the watermelon-eating contest.
In the end, everyone was a winner,
receiving a small bag of candy for giving it
their all in the events and contests. We’re
pleased the picnic had a nice showing; we
look forward to getting together for this
fun-filled event again next year.
- Glen Dube, CGCS

Calendar Update
President’s Message continuedfrom page 1
e are missing just one site for
our 2004 Meeting/Social Calendar:
the Annual Meeting in November.
Please call either of our Tournament
Committee co-chairs— Tom Leahy, 914941-8281, or Bob Nielsen, 914-2343779— to book this meeting at your club.
Also, be sure to note the date change for
our next meeting at the Seawane Club.

NOTE NEW DATE!
Golf Meeting/Second Round
Met Championship
Monday; October 4
Seawane Club, Hewlett Harbor, NY
Host: Brian Benedict

Annual Assistants Championship
Thursday; October 14
Country Club of New Caanan
New Canaan, CT
Assistant Host: John Mills

Superintendent/Green Chairman
Tournament
Tuesday; October 19
Round Hill Club, Greenwich, CT
Host: Bill Gaydosh

Met Area Team Championship
Date & Site in Philadelphia area TBA

Annual Meeting
November
Date & Site OPEN

MefGCSA Christmas Party
Saturday, December 4
The Canyon Club, Armonk, NY
Host: Paul Gonzalez, CGCS

Fundraising Event
Joe Troll Research Center Benefit
Outing
Tuesday, October 5
Hickory Ridge CC, Amherst, MA
Plan to attend this worthy outing to help
fund the new UMass Joe Troll Research
Center. The cost is $150 per person with
$100 of the entrance fee going directly to
the building fund. Your donation is tax de­
ductible. Watch for a special invitation!

out. This is an example of a wart that
needs a capital infusion.

Unhappy? Who Me?
Educational Events
2004 Crystal Conference and Golf
Classic
Wednesday - Friday, November 3 —5
Crystal Springs Resort,Vernon, NJ
Mark your calendar now for this three-day
conference and golf event. A conference
package is available for $250 and covers all
educational seminars, access to vendor
exhibits, entry to the 4-Man Golf
Scramble on November 4, and all meals (3
breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 2 dinners).
For further information, contact Paul
Dotti, GCSANJ’s education chairman at
973-827-5731 or log onto GCSANJ.ORG.

NYSTA Turf and Grounds Exposition
Tuesday —Thursday, November 16—18
Rochester Riverside Convention Center,
Rochester, NY
NYSTA, in partnership with Cornell
University, Cornell Cooperative Exten­
sion, and the New York Golf Course
Owners Association, welcomes you to par­
ticipate in its 29th Turf and Grounds
Exposition.
This year, you will find more opportuni­
ties than ever before to expand your
knowledge, find solutions to your turf and
grounds maintenance problems, and gain
new insights from concepts and theories
tested by others in a series of educational
sessions and an expansive trade show.
For further information, call NYSTA at
800-873-8873 or 518-783-1229.

MetGCSA Winter Seminar
Wednesday,January 12, 2005
Westchester CC, Rye, NY
Host: Joe Alonzi, CGCS

What? Does it sound like I’m unhappy?
No way. I’m in a great mood. Why?
Because over the past month, I’ve been
able to commiserate with friends and
colleagues who share the same battles
and appreciate the same difficulties and
triumphs.
Fortunately, our association has done a
stellar job of providing these commisera­
tion sessions—with our peers, as well as
with our families. I have to thank Earl
Millett of Ridgeway, for hosting our nowannual—and again, successful—Education
Dinner. And I want to thank Tom Leahy,
Bob Nielsen, and Glen Dube for all their
efforts in making both the Summer Social
and the Family Picnic such a huge success
(see write-up on page 12).
O f course, their efforts would be noth­
ing without the support of Mark Millett at
Old Oaks and Larry Pakkala at Woodway,
who offered to host these events. We are
so fortunate to have access to such terrific
facilities.
On a final—and positive note— I want
to congratulate Fenway Golf Clubs
Bob Alonzi. He will be honored by the
Cornell Cooperative Extension of West­
chester County for his years of service to
the county and for his work in advancing
environmental practices. There will be a
dinner for the event, which will be held
September 19 at the Blue Hill, Stone Barn
in Pocanticho Hill, NY. The Met board
will have a table to support Bob. Anyone
else interested in attending should contact
Ineke Pierpoint at 914-347-4653. It
promises to be a special evening.
I’ll see you at the next meeting.
Dave Mahoney
President

On to Greener Pastures at Seawane
Brian Benedict Hosts Round Two o f the M et Championship
by Eric O ’Neill

) m he Seawane Club, located in Hewlett
^ m Harbor, NY, is the site of the second
^ round of the Met Championship.
Members will be treated October 4 to not
only a new venue, but also what you might
say is an all-new golf course.
When Seawane hired Brian Benedict in
2000 as their superintendent, they also hired
Golf Course Architect Stephen Kay to
redesign their bunkers. “We began with the
idea of a bunker renovation, which then
evolved into a major course renovation,”
says Brian.
Eager to enhance the beauty and playa­
bility of the 77-year-old course, Brian
urged the club to take their renovation
work well beyond the bunkers. Once given
the nod, Brian and his crew—with the help
of a course shaper, Kevin Wagar—have
slowly but surely recrafted a significant por­
tion of the course. In addition to building
new bunkers, over the past four years,
they’ve constructed new green surrounds
and tees, recontoured fairways, and estab­
lished an overall native fescue appearance.
“It’s been a slow process, but it has also
been a controlled process,” says Brian,
adding, “and it’s benefited the course
tremendously.”
Brian is also quick to praise the key role
his two assistants played throughout the
process. “Joe Gardner, my assistant until last
year when he moved on to Dellwood, and
Brett Chapin, who’s been with me since
2002, made the course renovation possible,”
says Brian. “Without them, it could never
have been as successful as it has been.”

The Making of Brian Benedict the
Superintendent
Growing up in Oyster Bay, NY, not far from
Glen Head Country Club, Brian has been
involved in golf since he was 13 years old.
His first view of the golf business was from
the “other side,” working summers during
his high school years for Glen Head’s golf
pro. “I was the typical high school kid who
hung around the club all the time and cad­
died, worked the bagroom, first tee, driving
range,” says Brian.

Yet, despite his longtime enthusiasm for
the game of golf, after completing high
school, Brian hopped on the business track
“Century was my first crack at responsi­
and pursued a bachelor’s in management and
finance from L.I.U. - C.W. Post University, bility,” says Brian, noting that he enjoyed the
challenges of becoming more involved in
completing his degree in May 1991.
After college, rather than seeking out the daily management decisions and require­
work in the business world, Brian returned ments.
Brian admits he was comfortable at
to what he knew best: the golf business. “I
never used my degree. I just continued Century, staying on as Jim ’s assistant for five
working at Glen Head,” says Brian, “doing years. He also felt that it gave him an advan­
tage when pursuing a golf course superin­
what I’d always done there.”
Finally, with the prodding and encourage­ tendent position. “I wasn’t desperate to leave
ment of Glen Head Superintendent Joe for just any job,” says Brian. Clearly, his
Graham, who’s since retired from the busi­ patience paid off. In November o f2000 that
ness, Brian decided to pursue formal training right situation came along, and Brian said
in the turf industry. “You can’t be a caddy the good-bye to Century and hello to Seawane.
Funny thing is, a few years later, his
rest of your life,” Joe told me. Heeding his
advice, Brian enrolled, in 1993, in the turf younger brother, Tim, joined Brian on the
South Shore. Tim is the superintendent at
management program at UMass, Amherst.
Again, at the recommendation of Glen the Woodmere Club, just one mile down the
Head’s super, Brian pursued an internship road from his big brother. “We share ideas
during his summers off from UMass at the and equipment,” says Brian. “I love having
well-known Piping Rock Club in Locust him so close.”
Valley, NY. He spent two seasons there under
the tutelage of Superintendent Richard
Spear. “I am fortunate that Piping Rock was Life; Beyond Sea wane
my introduction into the business,” says As Brian prepares for the final phase of his
Brian. “Richard Spear’s work ethic and drive course renovation, he’s also looking forward
for perfection is above and beyond. I saw, to some downtime with his wife, Mari.
firsthand, the kind of dedication it takes to Virtual newlyweds, they were married April
3 and are now looking forward to the birth
have a well-conditioned golf course.”
But Brian gained more than valuable of their first child in December.
During the off-season, Brian’s known to
experience and knowledge; he also gained
lasting friendships. Brian was part of a great snowmobile up in the Adirondacks, and then
staff at Piping Rock, including now good there’s his annual fall golf trip with his super­
friends Dave Pughe, superintendent at intendent friends to Scotland or Ireland.
That’s one of the things Brian says he likes
Rockaway River Country Club, and Craig
Currier, director of golf at Beth Page State best about the business: “the camaraderie
Park. “It was always an up tempo, positive among superintendents and the willingness
atmosphere working with Dave and Craig,” to share knowledge and experiences.”
Brian’s looking forward to offering that
Brian remembers fondly.
Brian graduated from UMass in 1995 kind of opportunity for Met members
with an associate’s inTurfgrass Management. October 4 at Seawane— camaraderie, know­
And he, apparently, picked a great time to do ledge sharing, and, of course, a good round
it. That was the year UMass went to the of golf.
Final Four. “It was an exciting time to be at
“Just leave a little extra time to find us,”
warns Brian. “We’re notorious in the Trithe university,” says Brian.
After graduating, Brian accepted his first State area as one of the hardest clubs to
and only assistant’s position with James locate.”
Fulwider Jr. at the exclusive Century
Country Club. Jim ’s management style is Eric O ’Neill is superintendent at Towers Coun­
where Brian benefited.
try Club in Floral Park, NY.

Spotlight

Country Club of New Canaan Assistant
Hosts Annual Assistants Championship

New Canaan Super
Welcomes Assistants
Tourney

by Paul Boyd

“I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome
neighboring assistant superintendents to
the Country Club of New Canaan for
some late-season competition and cama­
raderie,” says New Canaan’s long-tenured
superintendent, Mike Reeb, CGCS.
“When John Mills and I first discussed
hosting this event, we both felt it was a
great opportunity. Aside from the undeni­
able benefit of wanting to condition the
course for a peer group, there’s the valuable
experience of working with colleagues at
the club to plan the event,” continues
Mike.
“After our initial discussion, John took
the ball and ran with it, handling all the
arrangements, from gaining golf commit­
tee approval to scheduling with the pro
shop and coordinating with the club man­
ager. And he did this, I might add, with the
same professional competence and coop­
erative spirit that he demonstrates daily on
the golf course.”
Mike has enjoyed being a part of the
Country Club of New Canaan for the past
20 years. Citing a basic drive “to make
things better,” Mike’s initiated numerous
projects and practices aimed at enhancing a
golf course that was originally constructed
in 1893. He’s overseen extensive drainage
work, cart path construction, pond expan­
sion, stream stabilization, large-scale tree
removal, major irrigation improvements,
and complete renovation of greens, tees,
bunkers, and practice areas.
Over the years, Mike has demonstrated a
serious commitment to the industry
by serving on the committees of the
Connecticut AGCS, the MetGCSA, and
the GCSAA. A long-term interest in
community service has kept him busy
as a volunteer with New Canaan’s ambu­
lance corps, and he currently sits on the
town’s Emergency Medical Services
Commission.
Living on club grounds, Mike tends to
keep his nose to the grindstone, but he
does enjoy slipping away—particularly
during the off-season—to his home-awayfrom-home in Vermont with Jaymie, his
wife of 27 years, and college-aged Alexis
and Tyler, who love to join Mike for a little
snowmobiling or a good run down the
slopes.

b October 14, MetGCSA assis/ tants will head up to Country Club
of New Canaan in New Canaan, CT,
to compete in the Annual Assistants
Championship.
Noted by Golf Digest as one of the first
100 golf courses in America, this 111-yearold Willie Parks Jr. design will challenge its
players with elevated greens, built-up tees,
and deceptive hazards. And then, of course,
our assistant host, John Mills, and
Superintendent Mike Reeb will serve up
some great conditions for a superb round of
golf.
Hailing from the State of North well versed in all the complexities of the
Carolina, John Mills first laid eyes on business.
But he’s not one to rest on his laurels. He
Fairfield County turf in 1998 when he
served the first of two seasons as an intern at is currently pursuing a master’s in business
Greenwich Country Club. For John, it was administration. “I realized my passion is not
love at first— and second— sight. So after just to create great golfing conditions, but
completing his B.S. in agronomy from also to succeed in all aspects of golf course
North Carolina State University in 2000, he management.”
So what does the future hold for John?
hightailed it back to the area— this time, as
the assistant superintendent at Country “My immediate goals are to find a superin­
tendent’s job in the area and to complete
Club of New Canaan.
John’s path to the turf business began, my MBA,” says John, adding, “After that,
believe it or not, on the pitcher’s mound of who knows.”
his collegiate baseball team. “When I was
pitching,” he says, “one of my favorite parts
of the game was playing on a perfectly Life Beyond the Course
maintained field.” But it was John’s part— John’s energy and love for the outdoors cer­
though small—in maintaining that field that tainly carries over to his free time. Besides
whet his appetite for turfgrass management. golf, sailing, and tennis, he enjoys camping
“As the pitcher,” he explains, “I was and traveling. H e’s also an exercise enthusi­
responsible for the daily maintenance of the ast, and apparently it’s paid off: He and his
mound. I took great pride in maintaining girlfriend, Alexandra, just competed in this
that area of turf,” he remembers, attributing year’s Falmouth, MA, 10K road race, finish­
that experience, along with his love for golf ing with very respectable times.
and interest in science, to his decision to
pursue a career in golf course management.

J

Tee to Green

Life on the Course
“I have no regrets with my career path,” says
John, when asked about the business.
“There are always opportunities to learn
and grow.” W hether managing the crew,
pesticide applications, or any other aspect
of the job, John says his knowledge— and
experience— are growing by leaps and
bounds.
Under Superintendent Mike
R eeb’s guidance, John feels he is becoming

“My best advice for playing the course is to
play ‘old man golf,”’ says John. “It’s more
important to stay out of the rough than to
be long,” he advises, adding that while the
course is short on length, it’s infinite in
challenge. “But in the end,” says John, “all
you really need to do out here is enjoy the
day and have a great time.”
Paul Boyd is an assistant superintendent at
Greenwich Country Club in Greenwich, CT.

Scorecard

Two-Ball Contestants Enjoy Friendly Game of Competition
by Blake Halderman, CGCS

he 2004 Two-Ball Championship
is well underway with the #1 seeds
rin both flights making it to the semi­
finals. In this round, they will face the #5
seeded teams, who are looking to upset
them for a berth to the finals.
The Cinderella team of the year is the
#14 seeded Johnston/Severino pairing
who has made it to the semi-fmals despite
Matt Severino playing the first match solo,
beating Apgar and Steinman. Yes, I did
check his handicap. On the 18th hole,
Steinman got sweaty palms and 4 putted a
relatively flat green to hand over the match.
Better luck next year, and we’ll see you on
the practice green!

We had some other exciting play out on the
course this year as well, with two matches
going to extra holes and many of them
coming down to the wire. Martineau and
Scheyhing pulled out a victory on the 20th
hole of the first round, only to lose handily
in the second round to Reeb and Wojick.
Those two wily veterans must have still
been exhausted from the first match.
Wicks and Ziesmer also defeated Leahy
and Millett on the 19th hole at Milletts’
home course, but that is what happens
when a 19 handicap hits it within 10 feet
for a natural birdie on the first playoff hole!
On the other hand, no one is really sure
what happened to the Mahoney/Renzetti

team as they defeated a strong Grasso/
Tretera duo and then went down 7 and 5
to Ceplo and Swiatlowski. Looks like Mr.
President has been spending too much
time at work and not enough time on the
links!
All joking aside, I want to thank every­
one for getting their matches played in a
timely manner. This year, there were some
changes made in the format and timing
of the matches, but we’ll be reevaluating
the process again for next year. Our goal
is to continue to improve the Two-Ball
Championship Tournament to make it fun
and exciting for future years.
Thank you again for your participation!

A n d Now, the Results . . .
Round One Winners and Round Two Matches
First Flight

Second Flight

#1 Garceau/Steinhofer won in a BYE
vs.
#9 Benoit/W entworth defeated
#8 Benedict/Lippman Jr. 2 and t

#1 Arlio/DeM arco won in a BYE
vs.
#9 W icks/Ziesm er defeated
#8 Leahy/Millett 19th hole

#5 Dube/Halderman defeated
#12 Currie/Moore 3 and
vs.
#4 Dickinson/Lafferty defeatet
#13 Fluery/Perry t up

#5 Reeb/W ojick defeated
#12 Alonzi/Alonzi 5 and 3
vs.
#4 Martineau/Scheyhing defeated
#13 Kennedy/Waterous 20th hole

#6 Cain/Denny defeated
#11 Lapinski/Rabideau 2 and l
vs.
#3 Cook/Greytok defeated
#14 Niven/Weinert 5 and 4

#11 Flynn/Rappoccio defeated
#5 Quist/Roule 3 and 2
vs.
#14 Johnston/Severino defeated
#3 Apgar/Steinman 1 up

#10 M ahoney/Renzetti defeated
#7 Grasso/Tretera 1 up
vs.
#15 Ceplo/Swiatlowski defeated
#2 M illett/O’Keefe in a coin toss

#10 G onzalez/Q uick defeated
#7 Nielsen/Perlee 4 and 2
vs.
#2 Girardi/Moran defeated
#15 Browne/Gallion 3 and 2

Look Who's Made It to the
Semi-Finals!
First Flight
#1 Garceau/Steinhofer defeated
#9 Benoit/Wentworth 3 and 2
vs.
#5 Dube/Halderm an defeated
#4 Dickinson/Lafferty 3 and 2
#6 Cain/D enny defeated
#3 Cook/Greytok 3 and 1
vs.
#15 Ceplo/Swaitlowski defeated
#10 Mahoney/Renzetti 7 and 5

Second Flight
#1 Arlio/DeM arco defeated
#9 Wicks/Ziesmer 3 and 2
vs.
#5 Reeb/W ojick defeated
#4 Martineau/Scheyhing 3 and 2
#14 Johnston/Severino defeated
#11 Flynn/Rappoccio 3 and 2
vs.
#2 Girardi/Moran defeated
#10 Gonzalez/Quick 5 and 4
Congratulations and good luck to our semifmalists. Look for the outcome in the next
issue of Tee to Green.

Superintendent/
Manager Tourney’s So Much to Do, So Little Time to Play Golf
Top Plays of the Day
Leisure-Time Activities Suffer as
People Push to Do More in Less Time

One hundred players competed in this
year’s Superintendent/Manager Tourney
held May 17 at Woodway Country Club.
Larry Pakkala and his staff had the course
in great shape, and Manager Sam Kadi and
all the folks at Woodway went out of their
way to provide us with a great event.
Here’s a look at the winning scores in the
Two-Man Best Ball event of the day.

Superintendent/Manager Division
Gross Winners
Rich Browne/Pat Cothren
Garrison Golf Club

73

John Carlone/Dennis Harrington
The Meadow Brook Club

74

Chip Lafferty/ScottYandraserid
Rye Golf Club

76

Net Winners
Mike Reeb/John Lipke
Country Club of New Canaan
(won in a match of cards)

63

Scott Ferguson/Howard Kelly
Mahopac Golf Club

63

Bill Perlee/Rob Schlingmann
The Apawamis Club

66

Superintendent/AF/Guest Division
Superintendents unable to attend with their
manager were paired with a commercial
member or guest to compete in a best ball
event.
Congratulations to the following winners:

First Low Gross
Joe Stahl/Andy Drohen
Simplot Partners /Pursell Technologies

73

First Low Net
Lou Quick/Scott Apgar
Anglebrook Golf Club/Metro T u f Specialists
—Tom Leahy

Did you know that over the past three years,
total rounds of golf played have declined
nationwide?
Surprising? Not really, if you listen to Dr.
Madelyn Hochstein. According to a nearly
decade-long study her company has con­
ducted, people’s time for golf—and other
leisure activities—has been diminished
thanks to a phenomenon she’s aptly termed
the “Time Crunch Convergence.”
Speaking to Jeff Bollig in a March 2004
Golf Course Management article, Dr. Hochstein
identified seven trends that comprise a “Time
Crunch Convergence.”
1. The technology trap. “The more tech­
nology empowers us,” says Dr. Hochstein,
“the more we’re expected to do.” Improved
mowing equipment, computers, computer­
ized irrigation, and GPS/GIS technology
create expectations for superintendents to
not only do more, but do it better and faster.
2. The communication trap. Innovations in
communication, from cell phones and PDAs
to email and fax machines, make it possible to
conduct business 24/7. The result: More of
our leisure time is devoted to work-related
activities.
3. The endless choice trap. With the dizzy­
ing array of products and services available
today, we spend more time and energy than
ever before on making purchase decisions.
Think about cars. At one time, you could
choose among a Ford, Chrysler, GMC, and a
few others. Today, consumers have 47 manu­
facturers to choose from, each with hundreds
of models and thousands of options. The
variety of choices available taxes the time
people have to dedicate to other activities.
4. The experience pull. With increased
competition for people’s time, companies are
marketing more than just their products or
services, they’re promoting “the experience.”
In other words, they’re offering consumers
more bang not only for their buck, but for
their time as well.Take Harley-Davidson for
example. The company promises consumers
not just the motorcycle, but the whole expe­
rience: the clothing, reunions, clubs, etc.
This means that more time-intensive activ­
ities, like golf, are being passed over for those
that require less time. To compete, golf
courses need to create smaller slices of the
experience by aggressively marketing driving
range activity or nine-hole rounds (or even

three- or six-hole rounds). Offering addi­
tional services, amenities, or conditioning
options can also increase the value of the
entire golf experience.
5. The leisure time/work time integration.
No longer is the day neatly separated by
work, play, and sleep. Activities are now inte­
grated. For instance, people will drive a child
to soccer, stop by a fast-food restaurant for a
meal, and conduct business on a cell phone—
all at the same time. Though integrating our
lives may be convenient, it leaves people little
downtime. Larger chunks of pleasure, like
golf, are frequently sacrificed for “bite-sized”
leisure activities.
6. The child trap. Dr. Hochstein’s research
shows that people are serving more masters
than ever before: In addition to work,
spouses, and heaven-forbid themselves,
they’re devoting great amounts of time to the
wants, needs, and desires of their children.
The marketplace has capitalized on this in
the areas of clothing (BabyGap, KidGap),
food service (Chuck E. Cheese), TV
(Nickelodeon, Disney Channel), and cars
(minivans, sport utility vehicles).
If golf is to continue to grow, it must find
ways to include the family and/or make it
less time intensive.
7. The activity trap. Today, says Dr.
Hochstein, status is determined less by the
amount of money you earn, and more by the
number of activities you engage in. Showing
how busy you are implies that you’re young,
healthy, and interesting.
This mentality is costly to the game of
golf. Faced with more activity choices, peo­
ple have less time—and desire—to spend on
the golf course.
Final Note
Those entrusted with growing the game and
business of golf, have spent the past several
years studying usage patterns of golfers and
golf facilities. Working to increase participa­
tion, they’ve instituted a variety of player
development programs and will continue to
rethink their way of doing business.

airón Directory
Patrons listed on this page are supporting our association. You are encouraged to support them.
A1 Preston’s
Gary Shashinka
Massey Ferguson Tractors
203-924-1747
All Pro Horticulture
John Seib/Rick Wilhelm
721 Main Street
Farmingdale, NY 11735
516-777-8668
© Atlantic Irrigation Specialties, Inc.
Ray Beaudry
111 Lafayette Avenue
N. White Plains, NY 10603
914-686-0008
© Blue Ridge Peat Farms
Gene Evans
133 Peat Moss Road
White Haven, PA 18661
570-443-9596

© E /T Equipment Co.
Bruce Pye/John Rizza
425 South Riverside Avenue
Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
914-271-6126
© Glenmore Landscape Service
Glenn S. Moore
98 Hack Green Road
Pound Ridge, NY 10576
914-764-4348, FAX 914-764-0519
© Greenacres Company
Dave Pijnenburg
75 Codfish Hill Road
Bethel, CT 06801
203-748-0558
© Hawthorne Bros. Tree Service, Inc.
John R. Hawthorne
5 Center Street
Bedford Hills, NY 10507
914-666-7035

© Cardinals Inc.
John Callahan
Complete Distributor of Golf Course
Accessories & Turf Maintenance
Supplies
860-673-3699

© Ira Wickes Arborists
JohnWWickes
11 McNamara Road
Spring Valley, NY 10977
845-354-3400

© Central Irrigation Supply, Inc.
Bernardo Luciano
914-347-5656, FAX 914-347-9174
6 Locations to Serve You in the
Tri-State Area

© Irra-Tech, Inc.
Joseph D. Kennedy
18 Merritt Street
Port Chester, NY 10573
914-937-7273

© DAR PAR Sales
John and Dominic Richichi
www. darpargolf. com
914-946-1743, FAX 914-946-0796

©

DeBuck’s Sod Farm o f NY, Inc.
Leonard M. DeBuck
120 DeBuck s Drive
Pine Island, NY 10969
845-258-4131
© Down To Earth
©
David Griffin
All Phases of Golf Course Construction
914-576-7693, CELL 914-413-3173
Egypt Farms, Inc.
Dean Snyder
P.O.Box 223
White Marsh, MD 21162
800-899-7645
© Emerald Isle, Ltd.
Douglas Middleton
2153 Newport Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
800-628-4769

©

©

Michael Serio, Inc.
Michael Serio
“Complete Tree Care”
914-771-8733

The LeveLift Company
“Tools for levelheaded people”
Offering Irrigation Maintenance Tool
that lifts sprinkler heads to level position

60B Skyline Drive
Uncasville, CT 06382
Steven Glidewell: 860-271-3006
EMAIL glidesrz8@yahoo.com

© Partac Golf Course Top-Dressing
“Americas Premium Top-Dressings”
800-247-2326/908-637-4191
Bill and Joe Carriere: 914-937-2136
© Plant Food Company, Inc.
“The Liquid Fertilizer Experts”
TomWeinert
914-262-0111/800-562-1291
R. Argento & Sons, Inc.
Louis Argento
1 Prospect Avenue
White Plains, NY 10607
914-949-1152
© Simplot Partners
Joe Stahl
795 Rt. #148
Killingworth, CT 06419
203-209-6951
Soil Solutions LLC
Anthony Decicco/John Decicco
7Whittemore Place
Ryebrook, NY 10573
914-393-0659, FAX 914-939-5010

© Stahl Holdings, LLC
Wash Water Recycling
Bulk Chemical Mix and Load
Koonz Sprinkler Supply Company, Inc.
Jeff Stahl, N Y /N J/C T: 203-858-4136
William F. Koonz
Joe Stahl: 203-209-6951
39 Waverly Avenue, P.O. Box 55
© Steven Willand, Inc.
Springfield, NJ 07081
Gary Mathis
973-379-9314
4 Production Drive
L. DeLea & Sons, Inc.
Brookfield, CT 06804
Vincent Sasso
203-775-5757
444 Elwood Road
Storr Tractor Company - Flowtronex
E.Northport, NY 11731
Rick Krok/Gary Lynott/Fred Rapp
631-368-8022
3191 U.S.Hwy.22
Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Inc.
Somerville, NJ 08876
908-722-9830/800-526-3802
Rob Good
GroundWater and Environmental
Surfside Wetting Agents
Consulting
Liquid ~ Granular ~ Pellets
203-452-3100
ZAP! Defoamer
EMAIL rgood@lbghq.com
Robert Oechsle: 800-401-0411
LESCO, Inc.
© Syngenta
Greg M oran: 914-755-4798
Lee A. Kozsey
CELL 914-755-4798
Banner Maxx, Daconil, Heritage,
Charlie Siemers: 914-672-2087
Medallion, Primo, Subdue
CELL 914-755-4202
610-861-8174, CELL 215-796-0409
Metro Turf Specialists
© The Care ofTrees
“Customers, Our Top Priority”
Mike Cook, NY: 914-345-8733
203-748-GOLF, FAX 203-743-0458
Brian Nadriczny, NJ: 201-445-4949
EMAIL mail@metroturfspecialists.com
Ken Clear, CT: 203-847-1855

© The Roger Rulewich Group
David Fleury/MarshallVictor
Golf Course Design, Renovation, &
Construction
800-465-3668, FAX 413-648-0211
© The Terre Company of
New Jersey, Inc.
Byron Johnson
P.O.Box 1000,206 DelawannaAvenue
Clifton, NJ 07014
973-473-3393
© Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Inc.
Skip Deubel
800-243-7582, CELL 860-306-8883
www.tuckahoeturf.com
© Turf Products Corp./TORO
Bryan Diggle, Irrigation: 888-440-7404
AlTretera, Equipment: 866-266-6215
The Sprinkler House at Amodios
White Plains, NY: 914-328-0190
George Corgan,Yamaha Golf Cars &
Utility Vehicles: 800-521-3703
United Horticultural
Supply/VERDICON
Gerald B. Fountain
1470 Jersey Avenue
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
732-296-8448, CELL 877-697-1199
© Valley View Wholesale Greenhouses
Frank Amodio
229 Smith Ridge Road
S. Salem, NY 10590
914-533-2526, FAX 914-533-2050
© Westchester Tractor Inc.
John Apple, President
14 Meadow Street
Goldens Bridge, NY 10526
914-232-7746
www.wtractor.com
© Westchester Turf Supply, Inc.
Bob Lippman Sr./Bob Lippman Jr./
Dave Lippman
“Serving the Golf Turf Profession”
845-621-5067, FAX 845-621-7180
© Wilfred MacDonald, Inc.
Glenn Gallion
19 Central Boulevard
So. Hackensack, NJ 07606
888-831-0891

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