Cover: Century
Country Club.
Photo by g olf course
photographer Dan
McKean.

—

n this Issue
Building a Better Bunker.
Bunker Talk .......................

Departments

m m m s. I

U pcom ing Events .......................................................................................... 7
Scorecard.......................................................................................................... 8
M ember N ew s................................................................................................10
Work Sm arts.................................................................................................. 11
S p otligh ts........................................................................................................12

’m writing this after a particularly diffi­
cult span of weather. It reminded me of the
importance of communicating about our
maintenance needs and programs. And I
don’t mean just when there’s a crisis that
requires extraordinary measures and funds.
I’m talking about sitting down with our
green committees at set times each year and
hashing out a logical program for each and
every area of our golf course: our greens,
tees, fairways, rough or native areas, and
bunkers.
| This helps eliminate surprises. When you
work together to assess— and agree on—
each area’s strengths and weaknesses and set
logical goals for continual maintenance and
improvement, everyone’s on the same page.
We all know how each area is to be man­
aged and what the outcome or conditions
should be.
There are other benefits to establishing
sound maintenance programs__
It increases our understanding and
helps us set priorities. When you scruti­
nize the needs of every part of the golf
course, you begin to set priorities. You
determine which areas require the most
attention— and when. Just as important,
you agree on the resources and budget dol­
lars required to implement each mainte­
nance program.
As a group, for instance, you might decide
that producing quality rough is a hot
button, so you work together to establish a
program that includes all the necessary
components, such as proper irrigation, X
number of funds for pest management, renovation/mowing equipment, nutrition, and
manpower. You all walk away understand­
ing the goal and what’s required to make it
happen.
It helps us improve our performance.
With programs in place for each area of the
course, your mission is clear. You know
what is expected of you. You can focus your
efforts on your membership’s priorities.
And better, you won’t waste time trying to
deliver conditions that are beyond your
capabilities— given the available funds and
resources.

W ill H eintz
M etG C SA President

It results in good econom ics and sound
budgets. With a well-laid maintenance
program, you have a well-managed budget.
Part of establishing a program, after all, is
assigning a dollar value to each area of the
course. Ongoing budget reviews help you
stay on track and avoid spreading those dol­
lars too thin by trying to perform tasks that
aren’t required— or budgeted for. W hat’s
more, you’re better able to spot when addi­
tional resources might be required to com­
plete a maintenance function in-house.

The Payoff
Many times, what’s viewed as poor perform­
ance on our part is really the lack of an
adequate program. Inadequate— or nonexist­
ent—programs result in disappointments and
inevitably criticism about course conditions.
If you don’t have a concrete program in
place, it’s never too late to establish one. In
fact, recommending this approach to your
committee can only demonstrate your pro­
fessionalism and your commitment to pro­
ducing high-quality conditions.
In the end, the most important benefit of
establishing workable programs for every
area of play is that you will have a map to
guide you in managing your course. This
map will help you identify goals, define
resources, limit budget overruns, and best of
all, create realistic expectations—for yourself
and your membership.

Will Heintz
President
Tee to Green July /August 2 0 0 5

*

ccording to the USGA Rules of Golf a
bunker is defined as “ ... a hazard consist­
ing o f a prepared area o f ground, often a
hollow, from w hich the turf or soil has
been rem oved and replaced w ith sand or
the like.” For som e courses, a m ore accu­
rate definition is “ ... a hole in the ground
into which one pours money.”

/<

-*. . - 'tr-’C&v;, ■ ■

Let’s face it, few areas of the golf course have
received more attention in recent years than
bunkers. Extraordinary amounts of money
are being spent to design and create intricate
mounding and bunkering, and even more
money is being spent on maintaining these
lavish creations.
Despite these grand expenditures, there
are still plenty of bunkers that do not play
well— or the way golfers would like. The
problems they perceive are many:
• The sand is too hard, too soft, or too wet.
• There’s too much sand—or not enough.
• The sand is too fluffy—no, it’s too heavy.
• There’s no lip; actually, the lip is too high.
• The ball doesn’t release.
• We keep getting downhill lies.
• They’re not fair.
• They aren’t consistent!
Sometimes golfers’ unrealistic expectations
are to blame. Other times, it’s the overall
design of the bunkers or even their mainte­
nance. But more often than not, bunker
problems are the result of poor or insuffi­
cient drainage and improper sand selection.
If you’re redoing your bunkers— or build­
ing one for the first time—here’s a look at
what you should be putting into them—to
ensure they’re as consistently playable as a
haphazard hazard could be.

toms of bunkers were usually considered suf­
ficient. Now, however, with more elaborate
bunker designs that showcase steeper faces,
installing interceptor drains and/or the use of
the various woven fabric products has
become a necessity. Without them, it’s
impossible to avoid sand washouts. This
means that sand has to be shoveled back up
on bunker faces regularly, wasting labor,
inviting contamination, and resulting in poor
playability.
Surrounding the Bunker
Bunkers that have water running into them
from the surrounding area will wash out
regularly, regardless of how much drainage
work is done inside the bunker. Mounding
and/or diversionary swales are easy ways to
divert water away from bunkers. Failure to
use these techniques will result in years of
problems.

The Long and the Short of Sand
Stability
Sand selection is another aspect of bunker
design that affects the short- and long-term
performance of bunkers. Though sand pref­
erence is subjective, it’s generally wise to
choose a sand that is reasonably firm so that

plugged lies are not a consistent problem.
There are two factors that have a strong
impact on the relative stability— or firm­
ness—of the sand:
• the particle shape
• the range of particles contained within the
sand
Particle Shape
Moderately angular sands are desirable for
use in bunkers because they interlock.
Rounded sands will not interlock and may
remain very shifty for a long period of time.
At the other end of the spectrum are sands
that are extremely angular or even plate-like
in shape. This type of sand may interlock too
much, packing tightly and creating a very
hard or crusty surface.
Particle Size Range
The range of particle sizes included within a
sand also has great bearing on its stability.
Very uniform sands, ones with sand particles
all in a narrow size range, tend to interlock
less and, therefore, are less stable. At the
other end of this spectrum are sands with a
broad range of particle sizes. The smaller
particles tend to fill the voids between the
larger ones, which causes all of the particles
to bind together and provide a very firm or
hard sand.

Drainage: First Things First
Probably more important than anything else
is that you ensure your bunkers have proper
drainage. Without good drainage, your
bunkers will likely become water hazards—
and, worse, will need to be rebuilt.
There are two aspects of drainage to con­
sider:
• the internal drainage characteristics of a
bunker
• the surface drainage characteristics of the
area surrounding a bunker
Inside the Bunker
The combination of water volume and
velocity is what causes sand to be moved
around within a bunker, so it’s important to
arrange drain lines so that they capture the
water before it has a chance to wash sand off
the steeper faces.
Years ago, solitary drain lines in the bot­

Poor drainage means the bunker will sufferfrom rapid contamination and will end up with a
short life span.
Tee to Green July/A ugust 2 0 0 5

P U

Sand Depth: The Hazards of
Spreading It Too Thin
Bunker sand depth also matters—particularly
on steeper faces where sand may be more
prone to movement. Too much sand on the
face of the bunker frequently will cause balls
to plug on the slope and under the lip. By
contrast, too little sand on the floor of a
bunker will place it at high risk for contami­
nation from the subsoil—a troublesome and
potentially costly problem you want to avoid.
Appropriate depths:
• On the face of a bunker, one to two inches
is appropriate.
• On the floor of a bunker, where the sand
is more stable, a minimum of four inches—
and preferably six inches of sand should be
maintained.
If you find that your bunker sand is so
shifty that it plays well only at shallow
depths—i.e.,less than four inches—then your
sand may be too uniform or too rounded. It’s
critical when selecting a bunker sand that you
find one that will play well at a depth closer
to six inches.

Sand Color Cautions
Let’s face it: Designers and green committee
members are frequently drawn to a sand by its
color. Some prefer white sands; others prefer
a buff color. It’s important to communicate,
therefore, that color is not important to good
play. In fact, if you opt to judge—or select—
a sand by its color, rather than by its drainage
or playing characteristics, you’re setting your­
self up for disappointment—if not a costly
problem.

It is highly unlikely that MacKenzie would
have advocated purposely making bunkers
inconsistent, but based on this statement, it is
questionable as to whether he would have
promoted the extraordinary measures some
superintendents now take to promote consis­
tent playing conditions. In fact, there are
many factors that affect how bunkers play,
and a certain level of inconsistency is virtually
guaranteed.

Consistency: A Futile Pursuit?
On paper—or at first glance— a golf course’s
bunkers may appear to be consistent, even
predictable in the way they play. They may all
be equipped with the finest drainage; their
sand may be the same color, depth, and parti­
cle shape and size; and what’s more, they may
even be uniformly well located and aestheti­
cally pleasing.
But are they truly consistent? Golfers may
expect so, but superintendents know better.
Even bunkers that are built with the same
techniques and with the same materials may
not play consistently for a variety of reasons.

Failure to divert water around bunkers will
result in more rapid deterioration and sand
contamination. In extreme situations, it can
even cause more severe problems!

For one, the environment in which a bunker
is located affects its drainage properties.
Some bunkers drain more rapidly than oth­
ers, allowing the sand to remain drier. Other
bunkers located in low, shady areas with little
air circulation will hold more moisture and
will not dry out as quickly as bunkers that are
oriented toward the south and subject to
good air movement. Some bunkers may also
receive more water from the irrigation sys­
tem, making the sand more consistently
moist.

Let’s Get Real
Is there an ideal? Not really. In fact, over the
years, many courses have chosen sand simply
by its reputation at other courses . . . or be­
cause course representatives played from a
different sand at a neighboring course on a
day when the sand played very well— or
when they, themselves, happened to play
their bunker shots well.
Unfortunately, most sands will, at some
point, play well, just as most golfers will, at
some point, hit good bunker shots.
In the long run, the best way to select a

bunker sand is to try several types on your
own golf course for at least one, and prefer­
ably two, seasons in a side-by-side compari­
son. Its very important to choose a sand
based on its playability characteristics over
a longer period of time so that it can be
judged in a variety of moisture extremes and
circumstances.

In the End
Golfers must take some responsibility for
identifying the playing characteristics of each
bunker. They must realize that bunker sand
will play differently when it is wet than
when it is dry, and some bunkers will dry out
more quickly than others.

Funny that many golfers are eager to perfect
their swings—spending hours at the range—
but few think to practice bunker shots. If
more golfers worked at their bunker play,
one has to wonder if there would be fewer
bunker complaints.
About consistency ... Within reason, con­
sistency is a desirable and attainable goal.
However, variation in how a course plays
from area to area, day to day, and month to
month are things that the observant golfer
should note and account for. After all, isn’t
the infinite variety of golf an intrinsic part of
its charm?
David Oatis is the director of the USGA Green
Section’s Northeast Region.

Extreme mounding can make interesting
hazards that will require plenty of
time and labor to maintain!

lee to Green July /August 2 0 0 5 ( 5

Bunker Talk
Four Met Area Supers Share Their Sentiments—and Their Members’—on Bunker Care and Conditions

nels gleaned from four superintendents’
responses to our informal survey on bunkers.
It delved into everything from maintenance
practices to member—and even personal—
expectations.
The respondents were Chip Lafferty of
Rye Golf Club, Blake Halderman of Brae
Burn Country Club, Sean Cain of
Sunningdale Country Club, and David
Dudones of North Jersey Country Club.
Here’s how their responses shook out__
• The number of bunkers on these four, 18hole courses ranged from 52 to 88.
• No power rake users in this group. Most
of the guys spend at least five days a week
grooming their bunkers with hand rakes.
This is still the most suitable method for
small bunkers and bunkers with high faces
and other design peculiarities.
• Labor hours devoted to bunker mainte­
nance is high. Repairing washouts, alone,
after just two to three inches of rain, takes this
group an average of 50 man-hours—a high
price to pay for hazard maintenance.
• Even those who have renovated and
enhanced their bunker drainage within the
past 10 years still battle problems with
washouts and contamination.

Bunker Musi uns
Chip Lafferty, Rye Golf Club, Rye, NY
Bunker style: Severe to medium faces.
Bunker sand: Firm, white sand from Carrière
& Sons.
Bunker renovations: Ongoing renovation inhouse.
We do ongoing renovation, adding and
redistributing the sand in the bunkers to
make sure it’s the proper depth and to avoid
contamination problems.
In general, bunker conditioning doesn’t
seem to be a major concern among our
members. The bunkers are pretty well plac­
ed, which makes the course appropriately
challenging. And our members realize that a
bunker is a hazard that essentially needs to be
avoided.

Tee to Green July /August 2 0 0 5

Blake Halderman, Brae Burn Country
Club, Purchase, NY
Bunker style: The standard, gradual caped
bunkers.
Bunker sand: 150 sand from Alan Cruse, four
to five inches in depth.
Bunker renovations: Renovated all bunkers in
2001 with Ken Dye.
Our members have a number of “problems”
with our bunkers. They, like me, don’t like
the contamination. They complain about
this more than playability. As a result, we’re
looking into installing liners. They also find
the access in and out of some of the bunkers
difficult. They particularly feel it’s difficult to
rake the bunkers all the way back out the way
they walked in. There are several bunkers on
the course where we’ve added steps to allow
them to exit the bunkers near the steep faces.
We’ll probably do more of this when we
attack the liners.
Another common complaint is that the
bunkers are inconsistent, which at first, I
assumed was because the balls were plugging,
but more often, the problem is really that
there’s not enough sand. We’ve been work­
ing to correct this by checking sand depths
and placing two inches of sand on the face
with five to six inches of sand in the bottom
of the bunkers. We also have irrigation
around every bunker, which, of course, helps
with the turfgrass, but it also keeps the sand
somewhat firm.
Some members also think the faces on the
fairway bunkers are too penal because they
would like to be able to hit a long iron to the
green. I feel at some point bunkers need to
be hazards. Look at the British Open at St.
Andrew’s this year:You’re not hitting a 5 iron
out of those bunkers! With that being said, it
is the members’ course. I did raise the bot­
tom of one fairway bunker, and I’m planning
to do a couple more to make it more enjoy­
able for the members.

Sean Cain, Sunningdale Country Club,
Scarsdale, NY
Bunker style: Medium faces.
Bunker sand: A-Pro white sand from U.S.
Silica.
Bunker renovations: Renovations done from
1996 to 1999 by Stephen Kay.
Our bunkers have a more modern design to
them, and many don’t challenge the A or B
player. Bunkers should invite the misplayed
shot into them on the front side and chal­
lenge the player to make a quality shot out
of them on the green side.
Our green complexes have lost their Seth
Raynor style. Now, we have bunkers that
have a lot of “fat on the bone,” which is for
aesthetics and doesn’t allow wayward shots
to end up where they’re supposed to . . .
which is in the bunker.
If there were one thing I would change
about our bunkers on the maintenance end,
it would be to add liners. Members do
complain about there being small rocks in
bunkers. Liners, I feel, would help with
washouts and keep the sand clean.
In the end, though, I think golfers need to
be reminded that bunkers are hazards that
should be avoided, and if they end up in
them, there should be some degree of
penalty.
David Dudones, North Jersey Country
Club, Wayne, NJ
Bunker style: Medium faces with grass slopes
and capes.
Bunker sand: 150 sand from Alan Cruse.
Bunker renovations: All bunkers were reno­
vated in 1996 by Brian Silva; minor inhouse changes have been made since then.
The good golfers like the bunkers firm; the
poor ones like them soft. It’s a no-win situa­
tion, so I try to keep them consistent. Even
if we don’t water at night, I will water all the
bunkers in the morning before raking. It
helps with consistency, and they look better
after a rake. Besides, the banks always need
water. I’ve been trying to communicate to
members the fact that bunkers are supposed
to be hazards. Some members think they
should be able to 5-iron their way out of all
fairway bunkers. I get comments like, “That
fairway bunker is really a greenside bunker.
I can’t get it over the lip and reach the
green.”

The Now-Complete Calendar of Events
Sage Advice on Hunker Building and
Care—From Beyond the Met
“Bunkers are one of the primary facets of
improving golf courses, and their mainte­
nance is also one of the most labor-inten­
sive sides of the business.” Those are the
words of former Muirfield Village
Superintendent Mike McBride in the July
Golf Course Management article “Bunker
Mentality.” Well-versed on the subject, he
now runs his own company, On-Course
Management, which offers design and ren­
ovation services and agronomic and main­
tenance consulting.
His 30 years in the golf course business
have taught him more than most of us care
to know about bunkers. We thought it
might be useful, therefore, to add McBride’s
insights to our own superintendents’
thoughts on bunker building and manage­
ment. They follow:
• Develop a bunker maintenance routine
in which only specific bunkers, usually the
ones with the most use, are raked and
groomed every day. “Don’t waste daily
labor and costs on the others,” he says. “You
can really save time and effort for other
maintenance activities that need attention.”
• Bunker edging can be carried too far. “It
can actually become detrimental to bunker
design and integrity,” says McBride.
Instead, he suggests trimming only the turf
around the edges, not the soil or thatch.
• When it comes to liners, McBride prefers
installing them only on the flashings, not
the bottoms, and then tucking them up
under the sod around the lip of the bunkers.
The idea is that in cases of washing, the lin­
ers will secure the soil, etc., on the high
faces.
• Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish
when it comes to building new bunkers.
McBride advises paying attention to detail
and stressing specs on the high side.
“Bunkers that are properly built require less
maintenance down the road,” he says.
Special thanks to Dave Dudones for conducting
our survey. Dave is a member of the Tee to
Green Editorial Committee and superintendent
at the North Jersey Country Club in Wayne, NJ.

Our 2005 Meeting and Social Calendar is
now complete, and we’re looking ahead to
next year. To secure a golf meeting for 2006,
call either of our Tournament Committee
co-chairs: Tom Leahy at 914-941-8281 or
Chuck Denny at 914-669-5959. To host a
social event, please call any one of our Social
& Welfare Committee co-chairs, who in­
clude Tom Leahy and Chuck Denny and also
Bob Nielsen, who can be reached at 914234-3779.
Second Round of Met Championship

Monday; September 19
Connecticut Golf Club
Easton, CT
Host: Mark Fuller, CGCS
Superintendent/Green Chairman
Tournament

Annual Assistants Championship

Thursday, October 20
Anglebrook Golf Club, Lincolndale, NY
Assistant Host: Scott Imbro
Met Area Team Championship

Monday, October 24
Aronimink Golf Club, Philadelphia, PA
Host: Henrique Holanda
Annual Meeting

Wednesday, November 9
St. Andrew’s Golf Club
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Host: Rob Alonzi
MetGCSA Christmas Party

Saturday, December 3
Westchester Country Club, Rye, N Y
Host:Joe Alonzi, CGCS

Monday; October 11
Century Country Club, Purchase, NY
Host: Kevin Seibel

Educational Event
First Annual Empire State Green Industry Show

Tuesday - Thursday, November 1 5 - 1 7
Rochester Riverside Convention Center
Rochester, NY
Sponsored by four industry associations—NYSTA, New York State Arborists - ISA Chapter,
Inc., New York State Nursery/Landscape Association, New York State Flower Industries—this
trade show and conference will offer the opportunity to attend educational sessions as well as
shop the hundreds of exhibitor booths displaying golf course industry equipment and
supplies.
Call Jill Cyr, 800-873-8873/518-783-1229, or visit NYSTA s online tradeshow informa­
tion, www.nysta.org/greenshow/home.html, for further information.

Fundraising Event
UMass Turf Education Fundraiser

Thursday, October 20
Cape Cod National Golf Club, Brewster, MA
Host: Steve Cadenelli, CGCS
Held for the first time last year, this event raised more than $60,000 for UMass’sJoe Troll Turf
Research Center. This year, the UMass TurfAdvisory Board is sponsoring this worthy outing
in support of the UMass turf program. The cost is $225 per person, with $100 of that fee
going toward the turf program. You’ll have lunch at Cape Cod National and then join fellow
golfers at the nearby Wequasett Inn for dinner. As last year, your donation is tax deductible.
We hope you’ll plan to be there! For more information, call Steve Curry at 413-329-4912.
Tee to Green July/A ugust 2 0 0 5

Invitational Hosts
Take Tournament
Trophy

Two-Ball Tourney Progresses to the
Semi-Finals

airview was not only the host of
this year’s Invitational, but also the
victor of this year’s tournament tro­
phy MetGCSA superintendents and club
professionals and officials were more than
happy to be invited back again this year
after heavy downpours forced the cancella­
tion of this event in 2004. What a difference
a year makes! Beautiful weather greeted
the 17 teams vying for the prestigious Invi­
tational title.
A special thank you to our host superin­
tendent, Mike Mongon, and the entire staff
at Fairview for a great day
Here’s a look at the tournament results:

he 2005 Two-Ball Tournament
has progressed to the semi-fmal
round in both the First and Second
Flights. With only four teams vying for the
championship in each flight, the competi­
tion is becoming fierce. So much for a
friendly round of golf. It’s all business now!
The defending champs for this year’s cham­
pionship are both sitting on the sidelines
after receiving devastating losses. D ube/
Halderman got beat by the #16 seed in the
first round when neither player could hit
the broad side of a barn. They did fight back
from 4 down on the back side to lose 1 up
to a nice Matt Ceplo par on the last hole at
Old Oaks.
Johnston/Severino lost in the second
round to the always tough Leahy/Millet
team at Metropolis.

Low Net Winners

56 Fairview Country Club
Mike Mongon, Waiter Campbell,
Tim Clinton, Ed Pavelle
58 North Jersey Country Club
Dave Dudones, Keith Grassing,
Paul Samanchick, Erv Allaghi
Low Gross Winners

66 Brae Burn Country Club
Blake Halderman, Paul Alexander,
Len Shendell, Seth Blumenfeld
69 Fenway Golf Club
BobAlonzi, Heath Wassern,
Steve Frankel, Bruce Frank

First Round Highlights
The first round was full of excitement as 16
matches were to be played. One of the
biggest stories of the round was about the
man who got the “sweaty palms” title last
year for four-putting the final hole of his
match for a loss. This year, Bobby Steinman
did a 180! He and his teammate, Scott

Apgar, were 3 down after 9 when Steinman
played just one over par for seven holes
(quite a feat for the Second Flight) to get
back to all square. They eventually won the
match on the 20th hole after Doug
Middleton missed a three-footer on the
19th hole for a victory. What a match!
Other first-round highlights were:
• the Alonzi/Alonzi team being defeated 3
& 2 by Calladio/Fuller at their homecourse-away-from-home, Silver Spring.
• Scott/Seibel and Denny/Heintz lost at
their real home courses, Century and
Centennial. That’s just not supposed to
happen!
• Flynn/Rappoccio and Dickinson/Lafferty did manage to be victorious at their
home courses— Silver Spring and Rye—
but both matches were extremely close
with Dickinson/Lafferty closing their
match on the 19th hole.
• The Collins/Lerner team wins the prize
for the least amount of holes played while
advancing to the semi-finals. They won a
rain-shortened, 11-hole match over Wicks/
Ziesmer (that left them plenty of time for
libations) and then received a forfeit in the
second round. They should be well rested
for their next tough match up against
Flynn/Rappoccio.

Closest to the Pin

Superintendent: Matt Ceplo
Rockland Country Club
Hole #3
G olf Professional: Greg Pace
Pelham Country Club
Hole #14
Club Official: Erv Allaghi
New Jersey Country Club
Hole #8
Club Official: Steve Geisler
Salem Golf Club
Hole #16
Longest Drive

G olf Professional: Nick Maselli
Old Oaks Country Club
Hole #11
Other: John Mroz
Highland Golf Club
Hole #17
Chuck Denny
Tee to Green July/A ugust 2 0 0 5

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Two-Ball Results: Rounds One and Two

More Notable IMays
Reeb/W ojick seemed to have the most
relaxing match, once they got past the
fact Reeb thought he was playing in a
father/son tournament and suggested he
and Wojick wear matching shirts. R eeb’s
team spirit was a little much for Wojick,
who refused to cooperate. In the end, they
jelled perfectly on the course, ham-andegging their way around R ound Hill. By
the 12th hole, they were well ahead and
decided to stop and enjoy a cold drink with
their gracious host, Bill Gaydosh, which
allowed Martineau/Scheyhing’s 4 & 3
defeat to be handled with smiles.
Reeb/W ojick’s victory put them in an
epic battle of the “gray beards” in the sec­
ond round as they faced Flynn/Rappoccio
at Piping Rock. Rappoccio reported that
they jousted their way around the grounds,
finally finishing on the 19th hole as Sir
Flynn sank a six-foot putt for par. Another
great match!
Other notable second-round stories in
the First Flight include Alexander/Dudones
taking out Grasso/Tretera at Grasso’s home
course 2 & 1, and two other matches need­
ing extra holes to complete the match. It
certainly has been a year of close matches.
As they say,“That’s why we play the game!”
Good luck to the teams in the semi-finals,
and thank you to all those superintendents
and clubs that have hosted our Two-Ball
matches.
The four semi-finalists are Dickinson/
Lafferty vs. Alexander/Dudones and Cain/
Wentworth vs. Benedict/Lippman in the
First Flight and Leahy/Millett vs. Calladio/
Fuller and Collins/Lerner vs. Flynn/
Rappoccio in the Second Flight.
Look for the 2005 champions to be
announced in the next Tee to Green!
- Blake Halderman, CGCS

First Flight: Round One

Second Flight: Round One

16) Matt Ceplo/Jim Swiatlowski
defeated
1) Glen Dube/Blake Halderman
i up at Old Oaks

1)

8)

Bert Dickinson/Chip Lafferty
defeated
9) John Genovesi/Eric O ’Neill
i9th hole at Rye GC

9)

12) Tony Grasso/Scott Tretera
defeated
5) Scott Niven/Larry Pakkala
2 & i at Rockrimmon

12) Scott Apgar/Bobby Steinman
defeated
5) Tony Campanella/Bill Middleton
20th hole at Tamarack

4)

Grover Alexander/Dave Dudones
defeated
13) John Currie/Chris Smith
in aforfeit

4) Jim Calladio/Mark Fuller
defeated
13) Bob Alonzi/Joe Alonzi
3 & 2 at Silver Spring

11) Sean Cain/JeffWentworth
defeated
6) Rich Browne/Glenn Gallion
5 & 3 at Siwanoy

6)

14) Tony Girardi/Rick Schock
defeated
3) Earl Millett/Jud Smith
3 & 2 at Quaker Ridge

14) Gary Arlio/Bob DeMarco
defeated
3) Mike Scott/Kevin Seibel
2 & i at Century

10) Brian Benedict/Bob Lippman Jr.
defeated
7) David Fleury/Glenn Perry
5 & 3 at Round Hill

7)

2) John Barlock/Chad Esposito
defeated
15) Chuck Denny/Will Heintz
i up at Centennial

2)

First Flight: Round Two

Second Flight: Round Two

8)

Bert Dickinson/Chip Lafferty
defeated
16) Matt Ceplo/Jim Swiatlowski
20th hole at Sleepy Hollow

9)

4)

Grover Alexander/Dave Dudones
defeated
12) Tony Grasso/Scott Tretera
2 & t at Metropolis

4) Jim Calladio/Mark Fuller
defeated
12) Scott Apgar/Bobby Steinman
2 up at Bedford

11) Sean Cain/JeffWentworth
defeated
14) Tony Girardi/Rick Schock
i 9th hole at Century

6)

10) Brian Benedict/Bob Lippman Jr.
defeated
2) John Barlock/Chad Esposito
in a coin toss

7)

Bob Johnston/Matt Severino
defeated
16) Scott Ferguson/TomWeinert
in aforfeit

8)

Tom Leahy/Mark Millett
defeated
Kevin Quist/Charlie Siemers
1 up atArdsley

Kevin Collins/Nick Lerner
defeated
11) JohnWickes/Jason Ziesmer
i up after i 1 holes at Centennial

Dennis Flynn/Peter Rappoccio
defeated
10) Joe Kennedy/Peter Waterous
2 & 1 at Silver Spring
Mike Reeb/Greg Wojick
defeated
15) Chuck Martineau/Fred Scheyhing
4 & 3 at Round Hill

1)

Tom Leahy/Mark Millett
defeated
Bob Johnston/Matt Severino
2 up at Metropolis

Kevin Collins/Nick Lerner
defeated
14) Gary Arlio/Bob DeMarco
in aforfeit

2)

Dennis Flynn/Peter Rappoccio
defeated
Mike Reeb/Greg Wojick
19th hole at Piping Rock

Reminder:The remaining matches should
be completed by the following dates:
Match 3 ~ August 29
Final ~ September 30

o

Congratulations to Our 2005 Scholarship Recipients
by Matt Ceplo, CGCS
MetGCSA Vice President

/ W t the July Education Meeting at
M /Ridgeway Country Club, the
Scholarship and Research Com­
mittee awarded a total of $10,600 in scholar­
ships to nine deserving members’ children.
My first year chairing this committee has
really been an eye-opener. I never realized
just how rigorous the application process—
and the competition—for a Met scholarship
really was.
To complete an application, you have to
provide transcripts from your past three
semesters, list jobs you’ve held in the past
three years, provide two current statements of
character, write a one-page statement that
includes a description of why a college edu­
cation is important, list all extracurricular and
community activities as well as how you feel
Katherine Fuller, daughter of Mark Fuller, Pictured with Scholarship & Research
they will benefit you in the future.
superintendent of Connecticut Golf Club, Committee Chair Matt Ceplo (right) are
With applications in hand, the committee
will enter her sophomore year at the (l to r) Robyn Buschini, Jessica Mahoney,
selects candidates based on their maturity, aca­
University of Connecticut. She is leaning Katherine Fuller, Meghan Degraw, Chris
demic history, ambition, extracurricular activ­
Baviello, Kevin Moore, Ryan Beaudry,
toward a degree in fine arts.
Katelin Flynn. Not pictured is Katherine
ities, and effort exhibited in completing their
application. Reviewing applications is a Katherine Kennedy, daughter of Les Kennedy.
tough job considering each submission is Kennedy, superintendent of the Blind Brook
roughly nine pages or more and we get Club, is pursuing an accounting degree at
Northeastern University.
roughly 15 applications a year!
Please join me in congratulating this year’s Jessica Mahoney, daughter of Dave
scholarship recipients. They certainly have Mahoney, superintendent of Siwanoy Member on the Move
earned it!
Country Club, will be a freshman at Mike Dukette, formerly with Lesco, Inc.,
Chris Baviello, son of Tony Baviello, super­ Cortland College pursuing a degree in has accepted a position with Bayer Environ­
intendent at Twin Lakes Golf Club, will be a communications.
mental Science.
freshman at Lehigh University with a major Kevin Moore, son of Glenn Moore of
in biology and political science.
Glenmore Landscape Services, will be in his
Congratulations
Ryan Beaudry, son of Ray Beaudry of sophomore year at Providence College with
We’d like to congratulate Bob York on his
a
major
in
public
and
community
service.
Atlantic Irrigation, will be entering his soph­
promotion to marketing associate for BASF
omore year at Manhattanville College with a
Scholarship funds are generated largely from Professional Turf Sc Ornamentals. Bob previ­
major in business and a minor in Lrench.
the Annual Bill Caputi Scholarship Raffle, ously served as a senior sales specialist for the
Robyn Buschini, daughter of Frank
which has become an institution at our Northeastern region, which included
Buschini of Knollwood Country Club, will
yearly Christmas party. The raffle was named Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New
be a freshman in the Nursing program at
in honor of Bill, who was superintendent at Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode
SUNY Delhi.
Hampshire Country Club and died unex­ Island, and Vermont. Though Met members
Meghan Degraw, daughter of Brian pectedly at a young age.
won’t be seeing Bob in the field anymore, he
Bolehala of Cleary Chemical, is a sophmore
Please remember to support the scholar­ assures us that there will be a a new rep on the
at the University of Scranton and is enrolled ship raffle again this Christmas. Wouldn’t it job by the time you read this announcement.
in the Baccalaureate Nursing program.
be great to raise enough money to fund even
Katelin Flynn, daughter of AL member more scholarships for our membership’s In Sympathy
Dennis Flynn, will enter her sophomore year deserving sons and daughters?
We’d like to offer our condolences to Crystal
at the University of Vermont as a studio art
Matt Ceplo, chairman of the Scholarship and Springs Superintendent Tim Powers,
major.
Research Committee, is superintendent at whose father, Kenneth Powers, passed away
Rockland Country Club in Sparkill, NY.
July 8.
/

Tee to Green July /August 2 0 0 5

Will Your Plantings Fall Prey
to Phytophthora ramorum?

what we need: another tree
and shrub-killing disease to worry
about. Officials with the U.S. D e­
partment o f Agriculture are on the
lookout for a fungus-like organism,
Phytophthora ramorum, which has p o­
tentially made its way from the West
Coast—where the disease is known to
exist— to as many as 39 states
throughout the U.S. The carrier: con­
taminated plant shipments from
growers in California and Oregon to
nurseries in our own backyards.
“Though there are no known cases
o f the disease in the Northeast yet,”
says Dr. Sharon Douglas, plant
pathologist at the Departm ent o f
Plant Pathology and E cology at The
Connecticut Agricultural Experi­
m ent Station, “w e’re being vigilant.
As a result o f these contaminated
shipments, there is justifiable concern
that Connecticut forests and land­
scapes may have been exposed to this
pathogen.”

Plants at Risk

I.ll.ing the Disease

More commonly known as “Sudden Oak
Death,” the disease’s name is somewhat of a
misnomer: First, it doesn’t come on sud­
denly and, second, it affects many more
species than just oaks.
More aptly renamed “Ramorum Blight,”
the pathogen attacks an extremely diverse
group of herbaceous and woody species.
Among some of the more common hosts
for this disease are viburnum, Japanese
pieris, rhododendron, heather, Douglas fir,
and several species of oak, including chest­
nut oaks, white oaks, and northern red
oaks.
For a complete list of plants in jeopardy,
log on to www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ispm/
sod/usdasodlist.html.

The disease symptoms associated with P
ramorum are very diverse and primarily
determined by the host species. On trees,
the disease symptoms result in lethal stem
cankers in the bark, cambium, and outer
xylem that expand and girdle the stem and
kill the tree. These cankers often ooze and
bleed.
Symptoms typical of many non-oak host
species are foliar blighting and shoot dieback. These symptoms are less severe than
cankers and include leaf spots and blotches.
Unfortunately, disease symptoms charac­
teristic of P ramorum infections are often
indistinguishable from other diseases or
effects of insect problems that we frequently
encounter in our woodlands and land­
scapes. Examples of some look-alike prob­
lems are bacterial wetwood, borers, winter
injury, mechanical injury, and infections by
other fungi.
Because of these look-alikes, diagnosis of
Ramorum Blight can be very difficult. If
you’re in doubt about what is causing a par­
ticular symptom on a plant, contact your
state Agricultural Experiment Station for
assistance.

How Does It Spread?
A key avenue for dispersal of P. ramorum
over long distances is through shipments of
infected nursery stock. You can also spread
the disease through contaminated soils,
potting media, and water, as well as through
infested timber, firewood, and woodchips
stored under moist conditions.
Local spread of P. ramorum commonly
occurs from movement of infected plant
material, through rain and irrigation water,
and by handling plants in nurseries and
transporting contaminated soil in shoes of
hikers and tires of bikers.
Phytophthora ramorum is considered to be
a cool climate species with optimal growth
at 68°F, but studies have demonstrated the
organism’s ability to survive beyond these
parameters, within the temperature range
of 36° to 80°F.
Moisture is also important for survival,
spread, and infection of P. ramorum as evi­
denced by natural infections of forests in
coastal “fog belts” of California. Studies
have shown that spores do not survive dry­
ing but survive for at least one month
under moist conditions. Numerous studies
on survival parameters of this organism are
ongoing.

Are There Controls?
Though chemicals used to treat Pythium
may help to suppress the disease, there is
really nothing available to knock it out
entirely. And besides, according to Dr.
Robert Marra, a plant pathologist with The
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment
Station, there’s no use in trying to control
the disease. Any infected plant or tree must
be removed, incinerated, and then the
USDA cordons off—and monitors— the
area for two years. They want to be certain
the disease does not spread to other plants.
The good news in all this is that no cases
have cropped up in our area yet. Dr.
Marra s advice: “Be alert but not alarmed.”

Tee to Green July/A ugust 2 0 0 5

Century’s Kevin Seibel to Host
Superintendent/Green Chairman Tourney
by RobAlonzi
his year s Superintendent/Green
Chairman Tournament, scheduled
for October 17, finds a new venue at
Century Country Club in Purchase, NY.
Our host for the day is Golf Course
Superintendent Kevin Seibel, who has been
with Century Country Club since 2003.
Century was founded in 1898 as the sum­
mer playground for a group of Wall Street
bankers along the Long Island Sound. The
nine-hole course played along the water, in
theThrogs Neck section of the Bronx, just
north of the present-day toll plaza for the
Throgs Neck Bridge. In 1922, the club pur­
chased 175 acres at its current location on
Anderson Hill Road, with the facility open­
ing in 1924.
Built by renowned Golf Course Archi­
tects H. S. Colt and Charles Alison, the Par
71 golf course plays 6,078 yards from the
front, extending to 6,807 yards from the
back. “Century’s strengths are its Par 4s and
its tightly bunkered, slick back-to-front
greens,” says Kevin, warning that several
holes demand the drive carry the crest of
the ridge in the landing area to leave an
open, visible shot at the green.

A Logical Career Path
Kevin’s fondness for the business began as a
teenager. “I grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ, not
far from Woodcrest Country Club,” he
explains. “For six summers, I worked on the
grounds crew. It was great, because I could
ride my bike there.”
By the time he graduated high school,
Kevin was so well versed in the inner work­
ings of golf course maintenance, that it
seemed only natural that he pursue a career
in turfgrass management. While continuing
on the grounds crew at Woodcrest, he
enrolled in the Cook College Turf Program
at Rutgers University, completing his cer­
tificate in 1996.

^

Tee to Green July/A ugust 2 0 0 5

When a position on the grounds staff
at the prestigious Pine Valley opened,
Kevin jumped at the opportunity.
He worked at the course for
three years.
After Pine Valley, Kevin
became a spray technician
at yet another top-ranked
course, the Merion Golf
Club. Quickly moving up
the ranks, Kevin became
M erion’s West Course
superintendent and even­
tually its East Course
superintendent.
After six years at
Merion, Kevin found his
new home, in 2003, at
Century County Club.
When you visit Century
this fall, you’ll get a taste of
what’s to come. “We’re in
the beginning stages of devel­
oping a master plan for the
course with Golf Course
Architect John Harvey,” says
Kevin. The plan will involve tees,
bunkering, fairway contouring, and
selective tree removal. Currently under­
way, for all to see, is a new 10,000-squarefoot practice green and short game area.
“We expect to finish this area up by late this
summer. Then over the course of the
upcoming years, we’ll be pecking away at
the rest of the master plan,” he adds.

Off the Course
Away from the course, Kevin enjoys spend­
ing time with his wife Carolyn, sons Alex
and Ben, and their two dogs, Austin and
Lacey. But he also finds time to enjoy his
passion for baseball. “I play softball in the
summer within the Harrison Town League,

Kevin Seibel

and I’m a serious Philadelphia Eagles fan,”
he says, noting that he attends as many
games as possible.
This fall, after a long, hard season, he’s
hoping everyone has a ball—playing the
Superintendent/Manager Tourney on
October 17.
Rob Alonzi, co-chairman of the Tee to Green
Editorial Committee, is superintendent at St.
Andrew’s Golf Club in Hastings-on-Hudson,
NY.

It’s Round Two for the Met at Connecticut Golf Club
W f J y n September 19, the MetGCSA
u
/ will make a return trip to
Connecticut Golf Club for Round
Two of the Met Championship. Even if you
played Connecticut Golf Club last year, this
is one course you won’t mind revisiting.
Located in rural Easton, CT, the 39-yearold golf course was selected in 1984 by the
American Golf Course Architects Associa­
tion as one of the 150 best-designed and
most beautiful courses in America.
Some things never change. Better than
ever, in fact, Connecticut Golf Club has, for
the past seven years, been tweaking and
refining the course’s original Geoffrey
Cornish design. Carrying out the club’s
master improvement plan is our host super­
intendent, Mark Fuller, and his staff. “Work
began in ’98,” says Mark, “with the installa­
tion of a new, high-density poly irrigation
system and included rebuilding all the
bunkers and tees and two entire green com­
plexes. But, of course, as with any renova­
tion, once you get into it, you find yourself
fixing and adding everything from drainage
to cart paths.”
Renovations or not, the course is dra­
matic. It plays 6,200 yards from the front, all
the way to 6,900 from the back, rising and
falling through corridors of trees and gran­
ite and around several ponds. The layout is
tight, and the greens are large, undulating,
and quick. It is a true test of golf. So get
ready.
The club, by New England standards, is
relatively new. Opened in 1966, it was
founded by Lawrence Wien as a business­
man’s golf club— not a country club, not a
social club. It was a club devoted solely to
playing golf. Membership began with 39 of
Wiens’ golfing buddies and was— and still
is— by invitation only. “Today, the cap on
membership has been raised to 190,” says
Mark, “and play is reasonable at 10,000
rounds per year.”

And Now for Something Completely
llifferent
Mark’s affection for the business began long
ago, when he worked summers at what was
then a 9-hole course: Crestbrook in Watertown, CT, where he grew up. Mark didn’t
follow your typical path to golf course
superintendentdom.
Out of high
school, rather than pursue a turf degree,
he completed a B.S. in graphic arts and
photography from the University of
Bridgeport. “After graduating,” says
Mark,“I worked 45 days in the field I’d
studied and then realized it was crazy. I
hated being inside.”
He accepted a position in 1974 on the
crew at The Longshore Club in
Westport, CT. Within a year, Mark was
elevated to assistant superintendent, and
then in 1976, he became Longshore’s
superintendent. “I was in the right place at
the right time,” says Mark of his quick pro­
gression through the ranks.
He pursued formal training in turfgrass
management at the UMass Winter School
in 1977, remaining at Longshore until
1983. That’s when he accepted the multi­
faceted role of superintendent/property
manager and general manager at the infa­
mous Quechee Club in Vermont.
Covering all the bases, Mark pursued and
completed an M.B.A. in 1989 from
Northeastern University.
After nine years at Quechee, Mark took
his schooling and experience back to
Connecticut— and the Connecticut Golf
Club, where he’s remained, happily ever
after, for the past 14 years.

an elementary school outside of Portland,
ME. Katie is entering her sophomore year
at the University of Connecticut.
In between his busy work schedule, Mark
manages to eek out the time to enjoy his
passion for kayaking, whether it’s on a lake,
river, or ocean. When asked if he likes the
thrill of maneuvering class five rapids, he
said, “No. If I want excitement and danger,
I lace up my skates and play a little hockey
with ‘the boys’ during winter months.”

An End in Sight
Beyond Work
Mark lives in Newtown, CT, with his wife,
Kim, and their 4-year-old Bearnese moun­
tain dog, K.C. They have two daughters,
Kelly and Katie. Kelly has finished her
studies at UMass as a graduate student and
has accepted a position as an art teacher in

After coddling the course through what’s
become nearly a complete facelift, Mark is
finally starting to see the light at the end of
the tunnel. “I’m very happy with the reno­
vation,” says Mark, “and I’m looking for­
ward to hosting this event and giving back
to my peers and to the association that has
always supported me and my family.”

Tee to Green July /August 2 0 0 5

airón Directory
Patrons listed on this page are supporting our association. You are
encouraged to support them.
© Plant Food Company, Inc.

© Glenmore Landscape Service

A1 Preston’s

© The Roger Rulewich Group

Gary Shashinka

Glenn S. Moore

“The Liquid Fertilizer Experts”

David Fleury / Marshall Victor

810 Howe Avenue

98 Hack Green Road

TomWeinert

Golf Course Design, Renovation, &

Shelton, CT 06484

Pound Ridge, NY 10576

914-262-0111 / 800-562-1291

203-924-1747

914-764-4348

Construction
800-465-3668, FAX 413-648-0211

Soil Solutions LLC
© Greenacres Company

© Aquatrols Corp. o f America

Anthony Decicco / John Decicco

© The Terre Company o f
New Jersey, Inc.

Dave Pijnenburg

7 Whittemore Place

Manager

75 Codfish Hill Road

Ryebrook, NY 10573

Byron Johnson

1273 Imperial Way

Bethel, C T 06801

914-393-0659, FAX 914-939-5010

Seed, Pesticides, Nursery Stock, &

Paulsboro, NJ 08066

203-748-0558

Kevin P. Collins, N.E.Territory

Fertilizer

© Steven Willand, Inc.

609-841-2077

© Harrell’s Turf Specialty

973-473-3393

Gary Mathis

Argento & Sons, Inc.

Joe Stahl

4 Production Drive

Louis Argento

795 R t. #148

Brookfield, C T 06804

1 Prospect Avenue

Killingworth, CT 06419

203-775-5757

White Plains, NY 10607

203-209-6951

© Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Inc.
Skip Deubel
800-243-7582, CELL 860-306-8883
www. tuckahoeturf. com

© Storr Tractor Company ~
Flowtronex

914-949-1152

© Ira Wickes / Arborists

© Turf Products Corp./TORO

JohnW.Wickes

Rick Krok / Gary Lynott

Ray Beaudry

11 McNamara Road

3191 U S.H w y.22

860-874-2812

111 Lafayette Avenue

Spring Valley, NY 10977

Somerville, NJ 08876

Richard Schock Jr., Equipment

N. White Plains, NY 10603

845-354-3400

800-526-3802, FAX 908-722-9847

Q Atlantic Irrigation Specialties, Inc.

Bryan Diggle, Irrigation

860-729-2237
Scott Wosleger,Yamaha Golf Cars, &

914-686-0008

Surfside Wetting Agents

© Irra-Tech, Inc.
© Blue Ridge Peat Farms

Utihty Vehicles: 860-306-6400

Liquid ~ Granular ~ Pellets ~

Joseph D. Kennedy

Gene Evans

18 Merritt Street

ZAP! Defoamer

133 Peat Moss Road

Port Chester, NY 10573

R obert Oechsle: 800-401-0411

White Haven, PA 18661

914-937-7273

© Valley View Wholesale
Greenhouses
Frank Amodio

© Syngenta Professional Products

570-443-9596

© Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Inc.

229 Smith Ridge Road

Lee A. Kozsey

S. Salem, NY 10590

Robert Good

Banner Maxx, Primo Maxx, Subdue

914-533-2526, FAX 914-533-2050

John Callahan

126 Monroe Turnpike

Maxx, Daconil, Heritage, Medallion

Complete Distributor o f Golf Course

Trumbull, C T 06611

610-861-8174, CELL 215-796-0409

Accessories & Turf Maintenance

203-452-3100

© Cardinals Inc.

John Apple

O Tee and Green Sod, Inc.

Supplies
800-861-6256, FAX 860-673-8443

© LESCO, Inc.

© Down To Earth

Goldens Bridge, NY 10526

Charlie Siemers

Wayne Rice: 401-641-2972

914-232-7746

65 Primrose Street

DaveWallace: 401-789-8177

Katonah, NY 10536

All Phases o f Golf Course

914-755-4202

© Westchester Turf Supply, Inc.
© The Care ofTrees

Bob Lippman / Dave Lippman

Mike Cook, NY: 914-345-8733

“Serving the Fine Turf Profession”

Louis DeLea & Sons, Inc.

JimTwomey, NJ: 201-445-4949

845-621-5067, FAX 845-621-7180

444 Elwood Road

Ken Clear, CT: 203-847-1855

EMAIL westturf@suscom.net

Construction

© E/T Equipment Co.

14 Meadow Street

Golf Course Sod Products / Installation

David Griffin

914-576-7693, CELL 914-413-3173

© Westchester Tractor Inc.

E .N orthport, NY 11731

The Pond Connection

631-368-8022

Bruce Pye / John Rizza

© Wilfred MacDonald, Inc.
Glenn Gallion

Jeff Stahl

425 South Riverside Avenue

© Metro Turf Specialists

Croton, NY 10520

“Customers, O ur Top Priority”

914-271-6126, FAX 914-271-6146

203-858-4136

19 Central Boulevard

NY / NJ / C T

S. Hackensack, NJ 07606

203-748-GOLF, FAX 203-743-0458

888-831-0891

EMAIL mail@metroturfspecialists.com
© Denotes M e tG C S A member

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