limn;:;:» \nii:iiu-

M o i Directors
President
WILLIAM HEINTZ
Centennial G olf Club
V ice President

MATTHEW CEPLO, CGCS
Rockland Country Club
Treasurer

Cover: Metropolis
Country Club.

ROBERT NIELSEN JR., CGCS
Bedford Golf & Tennis Club
Secretary

AN THONY GIRARDI, CGCS
Rockrimmon Country Club
Past President

TIM OTHY M O O RE

Knollwood Country Club

ROBERT ALONZI JR.
St. Andrew’s G olf Club

KEVIN COLLINS
Aquatrols, Inc.

CHARLES DENNY
Salem Golf Club

GLEN DUBE, CGCS

Oak Hills Park Golf Course

BLAKE HALDERMAN, CGCS
Brae Burn Country Club

SCOTT IMBRO

Anglebrook Golf Club

THOMAS LEAHY, CGCS
Sleepy Hollow Country Club

GLENN PERRY, CGCS

Rolling Hills Country Club
Executive Secretary

INEKE PIERPOINT

Tee to Green Staff

Editors
ROB ALONZI
GLENN PERRY
; 914-478-5713
203-762-9484

^ n tliis Issue
Feature
Weeding Through the Bentgrass O ptions................................................ 2
Bentgrass Breeding From the B eginning ........................................................4
W h at H as Rutgers Been Up T o ? .....................................................................6

Managing Editor

PANDORA C.WOJICK
Editorial Comm ittee

i GLEN DUBE
ERIC O’NEILL
DAVE DUDONES
BILL PERLEE
CHIP LAFFERTY
MIKE REEB
SCOTT NIVEN
GREGWOJICK
BOB YORK
Designer

TERRIE DUNKELBERGER
Photographer

BILL PERLEE

Advertising Manager

GLENN PERRY, 203-762-9484
TEETOGREENis published bimonthly by the Metropolitan Golf
Course Superintendents Association
49 Knollwood Road, Elmsford, N Y 10523-2819
914-347-4653, FAX: 914-347-3437, METGCSA.ORG
Copyright © 20 0 5

Scorecard................................................................................................................ 6
Work Smarts ........................................................................................................8
M ember News .....................................................................................................9
U pcom ing Events ............................................................................................ 10
Spotlights..............................................................................................................11

his time of year, many facilities share a
common challenge: early morning golfers
chasing behind green cutters. These players
excuse themselves, saying, “We don’t care if
the greens are cut or not, and we’ll watch
out for your workers,” as their ball cuts a
line through the dew on an uncut green.
Few people stop to think that we are the
only sports industry in the world that main­
tains the playing surface while people are
actually playing on it. Have you ever seen a
Zamboni out on the ice during a hockey
game? Or a mowing crew out on a football
field during halftime? O f course not. That
would be ridiculous!
Yet, unless there’s a tournament, we pre­
pare our golf course for play in the middle
play, seven days a week. And as we superknow, this is a tremendous task.
I’ve been asked many times, “Isn’t there a
etter time to do this?” only to respond,
“No time is a good time.”

Is a Good
Time

So few golfers realize how little time is
available for us to work on our courses.
Aside from the obvious limitation—num­
ber of daylight hours—there are the local
noise ordinances that delay the start time of
work—sometimes until 9 or 10 a.m.
So there we are, time and again, in the
middle of play trying to complete our daily
|maintenance regimes. We try our best to
work around golfers’ tee times, but there are
so many times this just can’t be done. On a
hot summer day, for instance, how can we
hand-water greens and avoid getting in the
:/ way when there are foursomes on every
, green, tee, or fairway?
5 Though we stress that workers be polite,
work into play, idle down machinery when
I golfers are nearby, how many times does a
utility vehicle loaded with crew members
and tools rattle by in the middle of someone’s backswing?
Sure, it’s annoying. Like it’s annoying to
I us when we’re driving home from work
and we’re forced to wait for a highway crew
I to make a repair. But all of it’s necessary.
And all of it’s unavoidable.
l

Will Heintz
MetGCSA President

Finding tin; Bust Time lor Best
Management Practices

Closing the golf course to accomplish vital
best management practices—aerifying, spik­
ing, hydrojecting, topdressing, pest manage­
ment—has also become increasingly difficult.
Understandably, with growing economic
pressures, clubs are clamoring to schedule
more events and outings that generate
income. Unfortunately, it’s usually at the
expense of one or more of our cultural
practices.
The result: We end up applying BandAids, putting out fires, and half completing
tasks. Inconsistent scheduling and lack of
continuity in management practices puts our
reputation as responsible turf managers on
the line—and the long-term health and wel­
fare of our turf at risk. More often than not,
that results in poor playing conditions and a
disappointed clientele.

Your Best Defense

All this is to say that your best line of
defense—and your responsibility, really, as a
turf manager—is to develop a plan to secure
the support of the management team at your
facility. Make a strong and logical case for
having the course closed for a half—or bet­
ter, one whole—day a week so that you can
establish continuity in your management
practices. Explain that if you’re forced to
skip or shortcut any part of your program, it
will be impossible to maintain the turf qual­
ity you expect for the course—and your
members deserve.
Best regards for the season,
Will Heintz
President

Tee to Green May/June 2005

o

Which Bentgrass Is High! lor My Course?

When getting down to selecting a bentgrass
for your course, it helps to first become thor­
oughly acquainted with your options. After
that, it’s up to you to ask yourself some impor­
tant questions: Is it a good choice for our cli­
mate in this part of the country? Does it work
for my budget? Will it stand up to our man­
agement practices? Is it resistant to diseases
most prevalent on my course? And the list
goes on, depending on your preferences for
various agronomic traits.
The tables, on the following page, attempt
to categorize some of the more popular bent­
grass cultivars with respect to tiller density, leaf
texture, and disease resistance. Data for these
tables was obtained from turf quality and dis­
ease evaluations of bentgrass cultivars tested at
Rutgers University and through the National
Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP).
Here’s a quick take on how some of the
bentgrasses faired in these tables:

by Dr: Stacy A . Bonos, Rutgers University

oday, with the near-dizzying
array of bentgrass cultivars under development and on the market, choosing the
right bentgrassfor your golf course can be
intimidating, at best. One misstep, and
youfre stuck with a stand of turf that
may be not only inappropriate for your
budget, long-term, but also your turf
management practices.
To help you weed through the myriad
bentgrass options available to you, Dr.
Stacy Bonos of Rutgers University offers
Tee to Green May/June 2005

us an in-depth look at the characters
tics— and pros and cons— of the various bentgrass cultivars you have to
choosefrom.
For a complete understanding of
bentgrass breeding and options, please
be sure to read the accompanying piece,
(<Bentgrass Breeding From the
Beginning.” In this piece, Dr. Bonos
offers a thorough account of the many
cultivars— old and new— on the market today.

Shoot Density: The Highs and Lows
In general, the cultivars with higher shoot
density will respond better to more rigorous
management regimens, such as aerification
and topdressing. Cultivars with higher shoot
density also tend to compete better with Poa
annua than cultivars with low shoot density.
Some of the newer bentgrass cultivars with
high shoot density include:
• the creeping bentgrass cultivars Penn A-1,
Penn A-4, Century, Penn G-2, Penn G-6, and
Declaration
• the velvet bentgrasses SR 7200 and
Greenwich
Among the cultivars with lower shoot den­
sity are Penncross, 18th Green, and Cobra
(Table 1).
Leaf Texture
Leaf texture and shoot density are generally
highly correlated. If a grass has high shoot
density, it normally also has finer leaf texture.
It’s not surprising, then, that the velvet bent­
grasses are considered to have very fine leaf
texture, while cultivars with poor shoot den­
sity—such as Penncross, Putter, and Pennlinks—have a courser leaf texture (Table 2).
Keeping Disease at Bay
Every superintendent these days is interested
in growing a grass that will perform well with
as few pesticide applications as possible.
Selecting a disease-resistant cultivar, however,
is tricky business, since a grass’s ability to resist
disease will vary with environmental condi­
tions present at a particular location. Disease
pressure may be severe in some locations and
almost nonexistent in others.
For superintendents in the Northeast, how­
ever, several cultivars have been identified as
providing good resistance to dollar spot and
brown patch—two particularly problematic

Table 1. Bentgrass Cultivar Classification of Putting Green Densities
Moderately
High

Very High*

High

Penn A-l
Penn A-4
Penn A-2
Century
Penn G-l
Penn G-2
Penn G-6
Declaration
007
Shark
Alpha
T-l
SR 7200
Greenwich

L-93
Southshore
Independence
13M
Imperial
Penneagle II
Bengal
Kingpin
Benchmark DSR
Memorial

Crenshaw
Cato
SR 1020
SR 1119
Backspin

Table 2. Bentgrass Cultivar Classification of Leaf Texture

Moderate

Low

Very Fine*

Fine

Penneagle
Pennlinks
Providence

18th Green
Viper
Cobra
Putter
Procup
Seaside
Mariner
Trueline
Penncross

SR 7200
Greenwich

Penn A-l
Penn A-4
Penn A-2
Century
Penn G-l
Penn G-2
Penn G-6
Declaration
Shark
007

MediumFine

MediumCoarse

L-93
Imperial
Independence
Pennlinks II
Penneagle II
Bengal
T-l
13M
Kingpin
Alpha
Benchmark
DSR
Memorial

Crenshaw
Providence
SR 1020
SR 1119
Southshore

Coarse

Pennlinks
Putter
Procup
Penncross
Trueline
Backspin
Seaside
Princeville

Table 3. Bentgrass Cultivar Classification of Dollar Spot Resistance

Table 4. Bentgrass Cultivar Classification of Brown Patch Resistance

Most
Resistant*

Moderately
Resistant

Moderately
Susceptible

Highly
Susceptible

Most
Resistant*

Moderately
Resistant

Moderately
Susceptible

Highly
Susceptible

Declaration
Kingpin
Benchmark DSR
13M
007
Pennlinks II
Memorial
SR 7200
Greenwich

Penncross
Pennlinks
L-93
Penn A-l
Penn A-2
Seaside

Providence
Southshore
Penn A-4
Penn G-l
Penn G-2
Penn G-6
SR 1119
Shark
Alpha
Bengal
Penneagle II
T-l

Crenshaw
Imperial
Independence
Century
SR 1020

Penn G-6
Shark
SRX1GPD
Penneagle II
SR 7200
Greenwich

Declaration
Century
SR 1020
Penn G-l
Southshore
Crenshaw
Pennlinks
Imperial
007
Kingpin
Pennlinks II
Independence
Alpha
T-l
Memorial

Penncross
Penn A-2
Providence
L-93
Penn G-2
SR 1119
Princeville
Benchmark DSR
13M
Penn A-4
Bengal

Penn A-l
Mariner
Seaside
Cato

*Data for classification was obtained from the 1998 and 2 0 03 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program's National Bentgrass Trials (www.ntep.org) and bentgrass evaluation trials conducted at Rutgers University from 2001 through 2004
and presented in Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings (www.turf.rutgers.edu).

diseases for golf courses in this part of the
country.
• Dollar spot resistance. Cultivars identified
for their ability to resist dollar spot include
the creeping bentgrasses Declaration,
Kingpin, and Benchmark DSR and the vel­
vet bentgrasses SR 7200 and Greenwich
(Table 3).
Cultivars that are consistently susceptible
to dollar spot across several locations in­
clude Crenshaw, Imperial, Century, and
Independence. Penncross has moderate re­
sistance to dollar spot disease.
• Brown patch resistance. Cultivars that have
exhibited good resistance to brown patch,
which in the Northeast tends to rear its ugly
head in July and August, include Shark
and Penn G-6. Susceptible cultivars include
Penncross, Mariner, Penn A-l, and Seaside
(Table 4).

If You n; Involved in New
Construction

Let s face it, with the advent of plant breed­
ing techniques, new cultivars, for the most
part, have marked improvements in many
agronomic traits over older cultivars.
It only makes sense, then, that new golf
courses or renovated holes on established
golf courses should make use of the newand-imp roved cultivars, such as L-93,
Declaration, 007, Penn A -l, Penn A-4, Penn
A-2, Penn G-2, Penn G-6, SR 1119, and
Shark.
Older cultivars—e.g., Penncross, Penneagle, Mariner, Imperial, 18th Green,
Trueline, Putter, Procup, Backspin, Seaside,
Cobra, and Viper—are not recommended
for new construction because of the lack of
tiller density and disease susceptibility.

In the End

When it comes down to it, cultivar choice
depends on maintenance budget and particu­
lar management efforts, which are different at
every golf course. Before settling on a bent­
grass variety—old or new—it’s worth your
time to study the NTEP bentgrass evaluation
trials for particular strengths and weaknesses
that may be important for the specific use.
Check the NTEP website at www.ntep.org
Dr. Stacy Bonos is an assistant professor of turfgrass
breeding and genetics in the Department of Plant
Biology and Pathology at Rutgers University. She
leads the bentgrass breeding program at Rutgers
University and is also working to understand the
genetics of disease resistance in turfgrasses.
Tee to Green May/June 2005

Bentgrass Breeding From the
Beginning
by Dr. Stacy A . Bonos, Rutgers University

entgrass breeding is as old as
the hills—well almost. It all began in the
early 1900s with the efforts of three
researchers—D.V. Piper, R.A. Oakley, and
Lyman Carrier—who worked long and hard
to identify high-quality strains of creeping
bentgrass for use on putting greens.
Over the past century, much has been
done to refine the early strains of bentgrass
and the methods of cultivation. What follows
is a detailed account of how bentgrass
began—and how far it has grown.

The C-Series tomes and Goes

The first bentgrass seed source came from
Europe. It was known as a south German
mixed bent and included a combination of
colonial, velvet, redtop, and creeping bentgrasses.
As you might expect, this mix didn’t per­
form exceedingly well because the individual
plants in this stand began to segregate and, as
a result, did not perform consistently over
time.
After examining the performance of this
mix on older greens, researchers Piper,
Oakley, and Carrier did note circular patches
of creeping bentgrass, which had distinctly
different color, fineness of leaf blade, density
of turf, among other qualities. It was then
that they realized that an entire green or
whole golf courses could be planted with a
uniform turf originating from a single plant.
They collected the vegetative clones with
superior quality, improved disease resistance,
and stress tolerance and began comparing

and evaluating them for important agro­
nomic characteristics. After evaluating some
of the best of these selections on golf courses
across the country, the most promising strains
were given names and released. In 1922, the
C-series of bentgrasses was born, with
Washington (C-50), Metropolitan (C-51),
Arlington (C-l), Congressional (C-19),
Collins (C-27), Cohansey (C-7), and Toronto
(C -l5) among them. All of these cultivars
were individual clones that maintained uni­
form putting surfaces but had to be estab­
lished vegetatively.
During the early 1920s, researchers did
experiment with some seeded varieties of
bentgrass—with the cultivar Seaside among
the first. These, however, also did not pro­
duce a uniform stand and were inconsistent
over time. It wasn’t until 1954 that a truly
successful seeded cultivar was developed.
Thanks to the superior breeding work of Dr.
H.B. Musser of Penn State University,
Penncross was released to the market. This
variety provided consistent performance and
also added the ease of establishment from
seed. These attributes allowed Penncross to
replace the C-series vegetative bents and
remained the industry standard for decades.
Needless to say, after the release of Penncross,
the golf and golf course maintenance indus­
tries began to change. Improved golfing
equipment—clubs and balls—and improved
turf management equipment—mowers, topdressers, and verticutters—began to drive the
Thefirst step in breedingfor disease resistance
is to collect germplasm and then evaluate it
for resistance. Plant collections are inoculated
with the dollar spot fungus. After the disease
develops individual clones with improved
resistance are selected.

The clones with similar growth habit and
agronomic traits are moved to isolated cross­
ing blocks and interpollinated.

Tee to Green May/June 2005
__ »_____ i

__________________

-3k

need for improved cultivars.
Turfgrass breeders rose to the challenge by
accelerating bentgrass breeding efforts.
Researchers such as Drs. Ralph Engel and
Reed Funk at Rutgers University, Dr.
Richard Skogley at University of Rhode
Island, Dr. Joseph Duich at Penn State
University, Dr. Milt Engelke at Texas A&M,
Dr. Leah Brilman at Seed Research of
Oregon, and other breeders improved the
efficiency of population improvement and
seed production for the bentgrasses.
These breeding efforts resulted in a number
of new cultivars being made available to golf
course superintendents during the late 1970s
and ’80s. Among them: Penneagle (1979 by
Penn State), Pennlinks (1986 by Penn State),
Cobra (1987 by Rutgers), SR 1020 (1987 by
U. of Arizona), Providence (1988 by URI),
and Putter (1989 by Washington State).

New Breeds of the ’90s

During the 1990s, bentgrass breeders also
began evaluating the potential of other bent­
grass species for use on golf courses. Among
them: colonial bentgrass and velvet bentgrass.
• Colonial bentgrass, traditionally used as a
lawn grass in northern Europe and New
Zealand, showed potential for golf course fair­
ways and tees. It generally has better dollar
spot resistance than creeping bentgrass and
can maintain good quality under low fertility.
However, the use of colonial bentgrass is lim­
ited due to its high susceptibility to brown
patch disease in the humid temperate regions
of the U.S. An improved colonial bentgrass

cultivar, SR 7100, was selected from the vari­
ety Bardot and released by Seed Research of
Oregon.
• Velvet bentgrass is a species that has strong
potential for use on fairways and putting
greens in some parts of the U.S., but especially
in the Northeast. Velvet bentgrass is the dens­
est of the bentgrasses used for turf. When
well-managed, a stand of this grass resembles a
green velvet carpet.
Velvet bentgrass generally has better dollar
spot resistance than creeping bentgrass and
can also perform better under shade and
drought stress conditions. This species, how­
ever, does not seem to perform well in all
areas of the U.S., including the Midwest
region. Some reasons proposed for the lack of
success in these areas include sensitivity of this
grass to high pH and susceptibility to a root
Pythium disease in the seedling stage, which
hinders establishment.
These questions are the topic of current
research projects. SR 7200 velvet bentgrass
was released jointly by URI/Seed Research
of Oregon in the early 1990s and was devel­
oped from four clones selected from extensive
collections from the Northeast.

Breeding: An Exact Science

Bentgrass breeders typically use a breeding
method called population improvement and
recurrent selection to develop improved bent­
grass cultivars. This process involves selection
for improved traits—such as high shoot den­
sity, low prostrate growth habit, freedom from
disease, aggressive lateral spread—for a num­
ber of generations. Each cycle of selection
builds on the previous cycles, resulting in new
cultivars that are considerably better in those
traits compared to older cultivars.
As an example, cultivars released in the
1990s were improvements over those released
in the 1980s:
• SR 1119 was developed from the progeny
of five clones selected out of Providence (SR
1019).
• Century (Syn92-1) is a six-clone synthetic
drawn from Italian, French, and Texan collec­
tions and the cultivar Cato.

• L-93 was developed by selecting 15 supe­
rior plants, which were collected from old
golf courses in New Jersey, New York,
California, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.
• The A and G Series developed by Dr. Joe
Duich at Penn State University were also
developed in the 1990s. Penn A-l was
selected from one clone out of eight (ASeries) segregating patches at Augusta
National main course in 1984.
• Penn G-2 was selected from one clone col­
lected from the Par 3 course at Augusta
National, which was originally seeded to
Penneagle.
These newer cultivars showed marked
improvements over older cultivars due to the
advent of recurrent selection. They have
higher shoot densities, respond better to
increased management and cultural practices,
and for the most part, maintain better disease
and pest tolerance.

Taking Disease Resistance to the
Next Level

More recently, since the year 2000, bentgrass
breeders at Rutgers University have focused
their efforts on developing creeping bent­
grass cultivars with improved disease
resistance:
• Declaration, released in 2003, was devel­
oped from eight clones selected for improved
dollar spot resistance from collections on old
golf courses in the Northeast.
• Kingpin was developed from six clones
selected for improved dollar spot resistance
and dark green color from putting green col­
lections in Arizona.
In addition, turfgrass breeders at universi­
ties and private companies have also devel­
oped several new colonial and velvet
bentgrass cultivars in the past several years:
• Among the velvet bentgrasses are
Greenwich,Vesper, and Legendary
• Among the colonial bentgrasses are Glory,
Tiger II, and Revere.
Most of these new varieties are currently
being evaluated in the National Turfgrass
Evaluation Program Putting Green and
Fairway Trials.

What Has Rutgers
Been Up To?

Rutgers has been instrumental in develop­
ing many of the newer disease-resistant
bentgrass strains—particularly for dollar
spot. This has been a prime focus at the
university, mainly because it is such a wide­
spread problem throughout the country.
Efforts have paid off with the release of sev­
eral new bentgrasses—Declaration, among
them.
O f course, the concerted effort to breed
dollar spot-resistant turf doesn’t mean
Rutgers researchers are slighting other dis­
eases. In fact, evaluation and selection for
resistance to such diseases as brown patch
and anthracnose is currently underway. The
hope is to combine multiple disease-resistant sources.
The Rutgers breeding program is also
interested in improving creeping bentgrass
to better tolerate traffic and low mowing,
and it is emphasizing the improvement of
colonial and velvet bentgrass. Many vari­
eties of colonial bentgrass have improved
dollar spot resistance but are susceptible to
brown patch disease. Breeding for im­
proved brown patch resistance is a major
objective in this species.
Velvet bentgrass has many positive attrib­
utes; however, it also has several weaknesses.
Improved Pythium resistance, copper spot
disease resistance, and winter color are
among the traits targeted for improvement.
So what is ahead at Rutgers? The hope
for the future is to develop new bentgrasses
that combine multiple disease resistance
with other important agronomic character­
istics. Rutgers is also in the process of
developing salt-tolerant grasses that can tol­
erate irrigation with effluent/salt water.
Ultimately, university researchers hope to
develop grasses that perform as well—or
better—with lower quantities of pesticides,
fertilizer, and even water.

Seed is then harvested individually from each
plant and established in turfplots.

SELECTED

NOT
SELECTED

Equal amounts of seedfrom each crossing
block are also combined to develop composites
that are planted in replicated turfplots and
compared to standard cultivars. The experi­
mental composites selectedfor dollar spot
resistance showed improved resistance over
standard cultivars of creeping bentgrass in a
trial established in 2002. Several of those
experimental composites Declaration,
among them— have been released and are
commercially available.
—

Tee to Green May/June 2005 ( 5
J

Top Plays in the
Rolling Hills
Superintendent/
Manager Tourney

Two-Ball Qualifier Hotly Contested at
Trump National

g W/ /Mk a y. in history,
bemg „sunshine
« c„ldeM
and blue

M / M / e all knew that our Two-Ball qualifying venue this year would be a true
W / m / test of golf, but I think it even surpassed those expectations. Trump National
Golf Club is now home to many new golf balls—courtesy of our Met member­
^ ^ skies greeted MetGCSA supers and
their managers at the annual Superin- ship. Only one player broke 80, and I would venture to guess that several people shot over
tendent/Manager Tournament at Rolling 100 who had never done so before. I suppose this is why the rating and slope are one of the
Hills Country Club in Wilton, CT.
highest in the Met area!
A great day was had by all, considering it was snowing during registration and it sleeted
It was obvious that our meeting host,
Glenn Perry, has been busy. After three during the round. EGolf Score was on hand to provide electronic scoring and up-to-theyears of major renovations and more to minute leader boards in each foursome, which added excitement throughout the day.
come, the golf course was in perfect condi­
tion. If you haven’t played Rolling Hills,
you should. It’s well worth a visit.
Many thanks to Glenn and the entire Earning the top score was the team of Andy Drohen and Joe Stahl with a Gross 72 (yes, that
Rolling Hills staff for a great day. Here are means Andy shot 72 on his own ball). Second gross went to the team of Earl Millett and
the tournament results:
Jud Smith with a 79.
In the Net division, we had an early scare with the team of Mike Scott and Kevin Seibel
as
coincidentally they were playing as a twosome and had an early three-shot lead on the
Superintendent/Manager Teams
front nine. I guess the hazing (accusations of cheating) from all the other foursomes finally
got to them as they fell back to a tie for first place and finished in second place on a match
First Low Gross
of cards with a Net 67. Taking the honors in the Net division was the team of Greg Wojick
82 Tim O ’Neill/Ken Koch
and
Mike Reeb also with a Net 67, and placing third were Jim Calladio and Mark Fuller.
Country Club of Darien
Trump
National is home to some difficult Par 3s, but as usual, Earl Millett’s great ball
(won in a match of cards)
striking got him not one, but two awards for Closest to the Pin. The others were won by
David Fleury and the iron man, Mr. Fred Scheyhing. I hit the long drive of the day—
Second Low Gross
although not the strongest part of my game—by worm burning a low draw out there on
82 Scott Niven/PeterTunley
the down slope.
The Stanwich Club

About the Two-Ball

First Low Net

83 Bob Alonzi/Steve Arias
Fenway Golf Club
(won in a match of cards)
Second Low Net

83 Glenn Perry/JeffJones
Rolling Hills Country Club
MetGCSA Member Teams
Low Gross

69 Andy Drohen, Pursell Technologies
Joe Stahl, Harrells Turf Specialty
Low Net

63 Tom Leahy
Sleepy Hollow Country Club
Tony Grasso
Metropolis Country Club
- Chuck Denny
Tee to Green May/June 2005

Good Turnout, Great Hay

This was one of our largest turnouts in recent years for this event as there were 39 two­
somes vying for 32 Two-Ball qualifying positions. In addition, there were nine more two­
somes playing in the day’s event, totaling 96 players.
Once again, we are having two flights with the winners of last year’s event being awarded
the #1 position. I can’t wait to see who is going to be the sleeper team this year. Last year,
the winners were from the 5th position (1st flight) and 14th position (2nd flight), so you
just never know who is going to get hot.
I want to again thank Trump National Golf Club and the staff for hosting the 2005
MetGCSA Two-Ball Qualifier. Everything “up top” was wonderful, and Mike Samol had
the golf course in perfect shape. Thank you for being such a gracious host!
Please look for updates on the golf matches on the Met website—METGCSA.org—
under “Met Events.”

Two-Ball Qualifier Results

Here’s the lineup of Two-Ball Qualifiers,
along with their first-round match assign­
ments, which are well underway:
First Flight

1) Glen Dube/Blake Halderman
Oak Hills Park GC/Brae Bum CC
vs.
16) Matt Ceplo/Jim Swiatlowski
Rockland CC /Montammy GC

8) Bert Dickinson/Chip Lafferty
Willow Ridge CC/Rye GC
vs.
9) John Genovesi/Eric O ’Neill
Island Hills GC/Towers CC
5) Scott Niven/Larry Pakkala
The Stanwich Club /Woodway CC
vs.
12) Tony Grasso/ScottTretera
Metropolis CC/Metro Turf Specialists
4) Grover Alexander/Dave Dudones
Hudson Hills GC/North Jersey CC
vs.
13) John Currie/Chris Smith
Currie Landscaping/Hudson
National GC
6) Rich Browne/Glenn Gallion
Garrison GC/Wilfred MacDonald
vs.
11) Sean Cain/JeffWentworth
Sunningdale CC/Pelham CC
3) Earl Millett/Jud Smith
Ridgeway CC/Orange Hills CC
vs.
14) Tony Girardi/Rick Schock
Rockrimmon CC/TurfProducts
Corp.
7) David Fleury/Glenn Perry
The Roger Rulewich Group/Rolling
Hills CC
vs.
10) Brian Benedict/Bob Lippman Jr.
Seawane Club/Westchester Turf Supply
2) John Barlock/Chad Esposito
Class AF member/Highland GC
vs.
15) Chuck Denny/Will Heintz
Salem GC/ Centennial GC

Event of the Day Results

Second Flight

1) Bob Johnston/Matt Severino
Lake Success GC/Scarsdale GC
vs.
16) Scott Ferguson/TomWeinert
Mahopac GC/Plant Food Company

8) Kevin Quist/Charlie Siemers
Lake Isle CC/Lesco, Inc.
vs.
9) Tom Leahy/Mark Millett
Sleepy Hollow CC/Old Oaks CC

First Low Gross

Andy Drohen/Joe Stahl
72
Pursell Technologies /Harrells Turf Specialty
Second Low Gross

Earl Millett/Jud Smith
Ridgeway CC/Orange Hills CC
(won in a match of cards)
First Low Net

Mike Reeb/GregWojick
CC of New Canaan/Greenwich CC
(won in a match of cards)

5) Tony Campanella/Bill Middleton
Hampshire CC/Emerald Isle, Ltd.
vs.
12) Scott Apgar/Bobby Steinman
Metro Turf Specialists /Beekman CC

Mike Scott/Kevin Seibel
Wykagyl CC/Century CC
(won in a match of cards)

4) Jim Calladio/Mark Fuller
Milbrook Club / Connecticut GC
vs.
13) Bob Alonzi/Joe Alonzi
Fenway G C / Westchester CC

Jim Calladio/Mark Fuller
Milbrook Club/Connecticut GC
(won in a match of cards)

6) Kevin Collins/Nick Lerner
Aquatrols Corp. /Bonnie Briar CC
vs.
11) John Wickes/Jason Ziesmer
Ira Wickes-Arborists/Minisceongo GC

David Fleury
The Roger Rulewich Group
Fred Scheyhing
Mt. Kisco CC
Earl Millett
Ridgeway CC
Earl Millet
Ridgeway CC

3) Mike Scott/Kevin Seibel
Wykagyl CC/Century CC
vs.
14) Gary Arlio/Bob DeMarco
Seeton TurfWarehouse/The Powelton
Club
7) Dennis Flynn/Peter Rappoccio
D & D Construction/Silver Spring CC
vs.
10) Joe Kennedy/PeterWaterous
Irra-Tech/Westchester Hills GC

79

Second Low Net

Third Low Net

Closest to the Pin

Longest Drive

Blake Halderman,
Brae Burn CC

67

67

68

#6 / 8'4"
#8/7’
# 1 3 /1 1 ’
#15 / 10'2”
#17

- Blake Halderman, CGCS

2) Mike Reeb/GregWojick
CC of New Canaan/Greenwich CC
vs.
15) Chuck Martineau/Fred Scheyhing
Whippoorwill Club/Mt. Kisco CC
All matches should be completed by the
following dates:
Match 1 ~June 16
Match 2 ~ July 27
Match 3 ~ August 29
Final ~ September 30

Tee to Green May/June 2005

or most superintendents, as draining as
our jobs can be, there’s nothing more ener­
gizing than standing on one of the golf
course’s more picturesque holes, in the
quiet of the early morning, and enjoying
the beauty of the landscape around us. It’s
that special attraction to nature that draws
not only superintendents to a career in golf
course management, but also golfers to the
game of golf.
In fact, the survey I conducted for Tee to
Green last year revealed that working out­
doors with nature was, in more than 90 per­
cent of the cases, the prime source of job
satisfaction for superintendents. Just as
telling, surveys of golfer satisfaction con­
ducted by the GCSAA have shown that
players enjoy the beauty of the golf course
as much, if not more, than their actual
round of golf. Further credence to this idea
is offered by the Fazio Golf Course De­
signers group who believes that golfers
enjoy looking at beautiful golf holes even
more than they enjoy playing them.

Not a lot of Hocus Poms

All this isn’t just a lot of speculation and
conjecture. Serious research has been con­
ducted throughout the years to support this
theory. Charles Lewis, a horticulturist who
was fascinated with the soothing effects of
plants on people, spent the last four decades
of his life seeking to understand the human
connection with nature.
In his research, he discovered that the
“special feeling” we get from the great out­
doors is part of our genetic makeup, which
has evolved within us since ancient times
when the human species was just a small
part of the natural world, living off the
existing plants, soils, water, and air.
In his book, Green Nature, Human Nature:
The Meaning of Plants in Our Lives, Lewis
explains that our early dependence on
plants developed a preconditioned affinity
toward vegetation and an inborn love of
plants. Furthermore, he proposes, our bod­
ies respond favorably when exposed to aes­
thetic vegetative settings, resulting in a
calming, refreshed effect.
This theory was supported in research
conducted by Roger Ulrich of the College

1

i

of Architecture of Texas A & M University.
He designed an experiment in which he
showed two groups of volunteers videos of
either urban settings (e.g., traffic, malls,
buildings) or nature scenes (e.g., trees,
ponds, fields) while monitoring their blood
pressure, heart rate, sweat gland activity, and
muscle tension in their forehead. As you
might have guessed, the data showed that
the people who viewed the nature scenes
were more relaxed.
This new concept has been embraced by
city planners and landscape architects who
have made extensive use of plantings to
breathe new life— and calm—into build­
ings, institutions, and urban communities
throughout our country
Many psychologists have also capitalized
on the positive effects of nature. Charles
Lewis’s work, for instance, evolved into
what has become known as “horticultural

degree of knowledge and horticultural
sophistication, their top-rated satisfaction
was not growing the most beautiful rose
or rarest peony. The most beneficial as­
pect was described as achieving an inner
sense of serenity. More than 60 percent of
the respondents gave “peacefulness and
tranquility” as their most important
reward for gardening.

living on Tlmt Special Feeling

Now we, as superintendents, can’t exactly
be considered gardeners. (Although Bob
Alonzi has told the story about a female
member at Winged Foot who, when
looking for him, asked where she could
find the “head gardener.”) But we cer­
tainly do have at our disposal the many
gardens and acres of beautiful turf, trees,
and aesthetic landscapes we manage.

“ When someone grows a plant, you
get more than a beautiful plant, you
get a beautiful person.
—Charles Lewis, horticulturist

therapy,” where gardening is used to reha­
bilitate and enhance the psychological well­
being of individuals in prisons, hospitals,
and depressed urban areas.
Another study that further proves the
psychological benefits derived from green
nature was conducted by the American
Horticultural Society (AHS). This group
sent out a two-page survey to all its mem­
bers. A portion of the survey was devoted
to determining what members liked most
about gardening. Did they, for instance,
derive satisfaction from their horticultural
achievements by growing new or unusual
plants, by actually seeing plants flourish, or
because the plants provide them with
food?
Surprisingly, 4,297 surveys were return­
ed, and although AHS members have a high

O f course, in the frenzy of trying to
keep so many acres of vegetation alive, it
frequently becomes, for us, more a source
of stress than “peacefulness and tranquil­
ity.” By knowing the therapeutic benefits
of nature, we can try to train ourselves to
take our minds off the “to-do” lists as we
look around us and focus on enjoying,
quite literally, the fruits of our labor—just
as our golfing members do.
So, when the demands of the job are
getting the best of you, try taking yourself
to your favorite spot on the course, and let
what horticulturist Charles Lewis refers
to as that “special feeling” work its magic.

Members on the Move

• Gary Arlio has accepted a position with
Seeton Turf Warehouse in Maple Shade, NJ.
Former position: Superintendent at North
Jersey Country Club in Wayne, NJ.
• Matthew Topazio is the new superin­
tendent at New York Country Club in
New Hempstead, NY. Former position:
Assistant superintendent at The Tuxedo
Club in Tuxedo Park, NY.

Well Wishes

We’d like to extend our wishes for a speedy
recovery to two Met members suffering
from congestive heart failure:
• Ray Beaudry of Atlantic Irrigation in
N. White Plains, NY.
• Sherwood Moore, now a Life member
of the Met, living in Brewster, MA.

lew Members

Please join us in welcoming the following
new members:
• Michael Barton, Class A, Burning Tree
Country Club, Greenwich, CT.
• Dr. John Kaminski, Class I, University
of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.
• Kenneth Lochridge, Class B, Hamlet
Golf & Country Club, Commack, NY.
• Ryan Oliver, Class C,The Bridge Golf
Club, Sag Harbor, NY.
• Thomas Vorio, Class C, Pine Orchard
Golf & Yacht Club, Branford, CT.
• Michael Wyant, Class C, Island Hills
Golf Club, Sayville, NY.

In Sympathy

We would like to offer our sincere condo­
lences to Earl Millett of Ridgeway and
Mark Millett of Old Oaks. Their mother,
Janette Millett, passed away the first week of
July. Donations can be sent to the Ameri­
can Diabetes Association, in memory of
their mother.

Scott Niven, a member of the Tee to Green
Editorial Committee, is superintendent at The
Stanwich Club in Greenwich, CT.
Tee to Green May/June 2005

Upcoming Events

lIp-to-the-Minute Calendar of Events
Our 2005 Meeting and Social Calendar is
nearing completion. But it’s not too early to
secure a meeting or social event for next
year! To host a social event, please call any
one of our Social & Welfare Committee co­
chairs, which include Tom Leahy and Chuck
Denny and also Bob Nielsen, who can be
reached at 914-234-3779. To book a golf
meeting, call either of our Tournament
Committee co-chairs: Tom Leahy at 914941-8281 or Chuck Denny at 914-6695959.

Educational Events
The Rutgers Golf & Fine Turf Field Day

Thursday, August 4
Horticultural Farm II, North Brunswick, NJ
Run in cooperation with the New Jersey Turfgrass Association, this field day begins at 8:30
a.m. with registration. Research tours are run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. You’ll learn about
the latest management techniques for Anthracnose on Poa annua, current efforts to convert
Poa fairways and greens to bentgrass, new bentgrass cultivars for greens and fairways, irriga­
tion management and wetting agent studies on bentgrass, and advances in spray application
technology. Preregistration discounts are available before July 22. For further information,
contact NJTA Executive Director Michelle Rickard at 215-757-6582.

Summer Social

Tuesday, August 9
Metropolis Country Club
White Plains, NY
Host:Tony Grasso
Poa Annual Tournament/First Round
of Met Championship

Monday, August 15
Oak Hills Park Golf Course
Norwalk, CT
Host: Glen Dube, CGCS

University of Rhode Island Field Day

Wednesday, August 17
C. Richard Skogley Turfgrass Research Facility, Kingston, RI
The field day will offer the traditional vendor displays, demonstrations, and field tours of
research in progress. In addition, there will be three educational seminars offered from 1 to 3
p.m. on managing earthworm castings and black cutworms on golf course turf and on weed
identification and weed control tactics.
Fundraising Event

Second Round of Met Championship

Monday, September 19
Connecticut Golf Club
Easton, CT
Host: Mark Fuller, CGCS

Superintendent/Green Chairman
Tournament

Monday, October 17
Century Country Club, Purchase, NY
Host: Kevin Seibel

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’s Joe 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.

Annual Assistants Championship

Date & Site OPEN

Met Area Team Championship

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

Wednesday, November 9
St. Andrews Golf Club
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Host: Rob Alonzi

MetGCSA Christmas Party

December
Date & Site OPEN

Tee to Green May/June 2005

The Advertising Opportunity
You've Been Waiting For!

r

As promised,
Teeto Green is now accepting inser
from suppliers interested in advertising their prod­
ucts or services in the center of our publication.
Call Advertising Manager Glenn Perry at
203-762-9484 for further information.

Spotlight

Ridgeway
Meeting
Offers
Educational
Opportunity
EarlMillett Brings Met Members Back to Ridgeway
uly 20 was the date of the Met s
fourth annual Education Meet­
ing, which Ridgeway Country
Club Superintendent Earl Millett gra­
ciously hosted again this year.
Those who have attended before know
that education meetings are all about educa­
tion (see the box below). There’s no golf
and little opportunity to view any part of
the course—which in this case was an 83year-old Pete Clark design that Earl has,
shall we say, “massaged” over the course of
his 25 years at the club.
The Ridgeway clubhouse, where the
evening’s events took place, was built in
1952— exactly 30 years after the golf course.
Interestingly, the course was originally built
for the guests of a hotel—the Gedney Farm
Hotel—which was located across the street
on the grounds of Westchester Hills
Country Club, then newly opened.
The Gedney Farm Hotel’s course fell on
hard times after a fire destroyed the hotel. It
changed hands two times before local busi­
nessmen bought the course and formed the
Ridgeway Country Club, named for the
street on which it’s located.

The Making of Super Millett

Anyone who’s been around the Met area for
any length of time knows Ridgeway, and
more notably, Earl—if not for his cynical
sense of humor, for his leading role in the
MetGCSA. Affiliated with the association
for more than 30 years, Earl’s served on
countless committees and devoted 12 years
to the board, which culminated in his presi­
dency in ’98 and ’99.
Add to Earl’s list of industry credits his
service on the board of the Tri-State Turf
Research Foundation and his involvement
with NYSTA and you might get an inkling
of his commitment to the golf industry—
and the betterment of the turf we all play
on.
“Involvement is key. It offers a tremen­
dous opportunity to swap information and

share concerns—both personal and profes­
sional—with people who are in the same
boat.”
Earl got his start in the industry long ago,
back in Turner Falls, MA. That’s where he
and his superintendent brother, Mark
Millett of Old Oaks Country Club, just
about grew up on a nine-hole golf course,
the Thomas Memorial Golf and Country
Club. “I started out there pushing a mower
when I was about 12,” remembers Earl.
But Earl’s real turf lessons began when he
was persuaded by his cousin Chuck
Martineau, superintendent of Whippoor­
will Club, to come down to Armonk and
learn the ropes working as a laborer on his
crew. Earl worked with Chuck for three
years, then in 1978, accepted the assistant’s
Earl Millett
position at Fenway Golf Club, under then
superintendent A1 Tretera. Earl stayed there
until 1980, completing his A.S. inTurfgrass
Speaking of family ... there’s another one
Management from UMass along the way.
Earl
values quite a bit—the family of super­
“I’ve always said that I learned how to intendents
we’re all a part of as members of
run a crew from Chuck and how to grow the MetGCSA.
grass from Al,” says Earl of his years in train­
ing for his first—and present—superinten­
dent’s job at Ridgeway Country Club.

There’s More to Lite...

If there’s one thing Earl knows and under­
stands, it’s that there’s more to life than
growing grass. O f course, golf—one of
Earl’s favorite leisure-time activities—
comes a little close to his professional pur­
suit, but for him it’s nothing more than fun
and games.
“I’ve competed on just about every
Metropolitan New York area course that
would have me,” he says, “not to mention
many of the best courses around the coun­
try. That, to me, is one of the major perks of
our profession.”
Earl also knows the importance of family.
He spends as much time as he can with his
wife, Donna, of 25 years, and his son, Ian
Baker, now 13. Ian, like dad, has a passion
for hockey and fishing.

Education Meeting Topics and Events

Couldn't make it? Here's what you missed:
5:00

Peter Hasak, grounds manager at
Tedesco Country Club in Marblehead,
MA, gave an informative talk titled,
Winter Injury: Are You Prepared?

5:45

Dr. Nathaniel Mitkowski from the
University of Rhode Island spoke about
Bacterial Wilt: Winter Injury's Evil Twin.

6:15

The MetGCSA Scholarship and Research
Committee awarded 11 scholarships to
members' children.

6:30

Members conversed over cocktails and
a delicious assortment of hors
d'ouevres.

Tee to Green May /June 2005

Summer Social Host Promises a Heal
Hood Time

by Bill Perlee

etGCSA members are
invited to kick back—or is
it kick up their heels?—at
the 2005 MetGCSA Summer Social August
9 at Metropolis Country Club in White
Plains, NY.
Though this trip to Metropolis won’t
offer golfers a chance to appreciate one of
the Met area’s finest layouts and some of the
best conditions anywhere, everyone will still
get to take in the club’s newly refurbished
clubhouse.
Host Tony Grasso promises a special even­
ing of dining and dancing on the terrace
overlooking the pool. “We’ll definitely have
some fun,” says Tony. “We always do.”

AHit About Our Host—and Hostess

In the Business and Lovin’ It

Tony clearly loves the profession. No sur­
prise. He’s got the turfgrass industry in his
blood. On a recent trip to his office, Tony
points to a picture of his father, Anthony,
John Wistrand, and Rick Apgar that appear­
ed in an old promotional brochure for a
company the three worked for more than
45 years ago. It was after that company was
sold—sometime in the late ’60s—that
Tony’s father and John Wistrand started
Metro Milorganite. They ran the company
until they retired in 1991, selling the busi­
ness to Rick Apgar, who’s since passed it on
to his son, Scott.
What’s more, Tony’s brother, Larry, is an
assistant at Century in Purchase, NY, and his
brother-in-law, Greg Vadala, is the superin­
tendent at Montclair in New Jersey. And
then there’s Tony’s good friend and fre­
quent partner in crime—rather golf—Earl
Millett, who is a superintendent at Ridge­
way Country Club.
So far, none of Tony and Lucille’s children
have opted to carry on the turfgrass tradi­
tion. Their eldest son, Anthony, graduated
from Central Connecticut State College last
year with a major in theater. He’s now
working as a concierge in Orlando at the
Walt Disney Polynesian Resort, hoping,
eventually, to break into show business.
Their daughter, Katie, is an education major
in her sophomore year at Keene State in
New Hampshire, and their 12-year-old son,
Joe ... well, it’s too early to tell. Right now,
what he seems to enjoy most is playing
lacrosse—and Tony probably enjoys watch­
ing him play even more. “I love hanging
out with him and going to his games,”Tony
says, realizing all too well just how soon he,
too, will be grown and on his own.

Tony Grasso

brought to mind the story then Superin­
tendent Joe Camberato had told Tony about
horses escaping from the club’s stables and
romping on the greens. I, of course, imme­
diately identified with the story, since I was
one of the guys Joe assigned to clean up
the mess.
Then that led to a story about Tony’s
Willow Ridge days, when a neighbor’s
horse would break free and tear up a green
from time to time. Tony explained how he
asked Joe what he would do about the prob­
lem and Joe explained that he’d either
charge the neighbors to build a huge fence
or charge them for the cost of repairing the
damage. Tony’s next question to Joe: “Well
how much do you charge?” Joe said $3.50 a
hoof print: That’s for the seed and the labor
costs. (Obviously, that figure was from a few
years ago!)
When we got back to his office, the New
York sports memorabilia he has on display—
the Yankee hat, in particular—sparked a final
story: “I recently scolded a golfer for hitting
off the grass at the practice tee when every­
one else was using the mats,” he remembers
smiling. “It took me a few minutes, but then
I realized it was a current starting pitcher for
the Yanks!”
Along with the Yankee hat in his office,
Tony also has quite a collection of ball mark
repair tools and MetGCSA trophies on dis­
play. No wonder. Right up there with his
job as superintendent is Tony’s interest in
golf.
A solid golfer, Tony battled back from an
arm injury to regain his old form. “Well not
quite,” he’s quick to note. “But I can still hit
it.”
He won’t be able to prove it at this event,
but we’ll keep an eye on him anyway.

Tony has been the superintendent at
Metropolis for 15 years. But this wasn’t his
first trip to Metropolis. Early in his career,
Tony spent four years at the club working,
first, on the summer crew and, then, as a
full-time assistant under then superinten­
dent, and later father-in-law, Bruno Vadala.
It was during his early years at Metropolis
that Tony began dating Bruno’s daughter—
now his wife of 25 years—Lucille.
Reflecting on his courtship, Tony says,
“Dating the boss’s daughter wasn’t easy. I
always felt I had to get her home early
because her father didn’t want me to be late
for work the next day. The problem was, I’d
drop her off and then go out again, anyway!”
In and around his early training at
Metropolis, Tony gained valuable experi­
ence at Mt. Kisco Country Club, Siwanoy—long before the Dave Mahoney
era—and in 1981, at Willow Ridge, where
he worked as superintendent for 10 years
before accepting his current position at
Metropolis.
Somewhere in there, Tony managed to
get an associate’s in turfgrass science from
Stockbridge and then a B.S. in plant and soil Dedicated dad, dedicated golf course super­
intendent . . . add to that list talented story
science from UMass.
teller.
Tony’s always got a story. On a quick tour
of the course, he was true to form. First, it
was about an area on the fairway where a
young deer had run in circles, leaving hoof Bill Perlee, a member of the Tee to Green
prints in the rain-softened turf. Then, my Editorial Committee, is superintendent at The
being a former Sleepy Hollow employee Apawamis Club in Rye, NY.
Tee to Green May /June 2005

The Talents oi Tony

Glen Dube to Host Dual Event at Oak Hills

by Greg Wojick, CG CS

v ( J J /m Education chairman, Glen
/ Dube, will be hosting not only the
_ ^ ^ M e t Championship’s first round, but
also this year’s Poa Annual Tournament on
August 15. The site of this dual competi­
tion: Oak Hills Golf Course in Norwalk,
CT.
Glen, who added CGCS to his name in
2003, has been the superintendent at Oak
Hills for the past seven years. During his
tenure, Glen’s not only provided public
golfers in the Norwalk area with great play­
ing conditions, he’s also been the catalyst for
many improvements to the 36-year-old
course.
There’s the major tree removal project
Glen initiated in 2003, where he secured
the go-ahead to free the grounds of at least
200 turf-hampering trees. Around the same
time, he and his staff also worked to expose
attractive bedrock, and rid the course of
round-slowing underbrush.
“Not long after I got here—in 2000 and
2001,” says Glen, “we also installed a badly
needed new irrigation system and corrected
serious drainage problems on seven of our
greens.”
There have been bunker renovation pro­
jects and more drainage work, as well as a
major, in-house landscaping effort around
Oak Hill’s brand-new clubhouse, which
boasts enough space inside for 140 guests
and an additional 70 on the deck.
What does Glen think about his time at
Oak Hills so far? “I came to Oak Hills with
upper-tier country club experience,” he
says. “That was my paradigm. When I got
here, I was faced with half the staff, about
half the budget, and twice the rounds, and I
still had to meet high player expectations.

“Take last weekend.... Over the course of
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, we had 900
rounds of golf. I’m doing the job with 10
workers, five of them year-round. And I
still have to deal with the same politics you
get at private clubs—with a slightly differ­
ent twist.
“Needless to say,” adds Glen, “I quickly
learned how to survive the limitations and
constraints of working on a public course. I
feel that if I can produce quality turf condi­
tions here, I can produce quality turf
anywhere.”
Glen’s training ground was varied. He
spent his early years as an intern at
Muirfield Village in Dublin, OH, atTPC at
River Highlands in Cromwell, CT, and at
the Country Club of Darien. His last stop
before Oak Hills was Silver Spring Country
Club in Ridgefield, CT, where he worked
as an assistant to Peter Rappoccio for three
seasons. Glen also boasts a B.S. in turfgrass
management from the University of Rhode
Island, which he completed in 1995.

What Every Player Should Know

Glen Dube, CGCS

Glen’s commitment to the profession is
manifested in his devoted service to the
MetGCSA having served on numerous
committees, including Tournament, Com­
munications, Social, and Government
Relations. Most recently, he’s assumed the
reigns for the Education Committee.
When he’s not worrying about the wel­
fare of the association—or his course—you
might find Glen wielding a fishing rod or
golf club or, better, enjoying time with his
wife, Erica, of three years and their 2 172year-old daughter, Madison.

Oak Hills, designed by Golf Course
Architect Alfred Tull, opened for play in
1969. Its 18-hole layout offers many inter­
esting and challenging holes. “The first
seven holes are very tight,” explains Glen.
“Holes 2,3,5, and 6 have water hazards, so I
advise keeping your driver in the bag until
you get to hole #8.”
Holes 8 through 12 are much more
open, but then the course finishes tight
again. “The Par 3 15th is probably our sig­
nature hole,” adds Glen. “It’s 235 yards long
from the ‘tips’ and has a false front that fools Greg Wojick, a member of the Tee to Green
many golfers. Overall, the course is short at Editorial Committee, is superintendent at
6,300 yards, so accuracy is paramount.”
Greenwich Country Club in Greenwich, CT.

Tee to Green May/June 2005

iron Directory
Patrons listed on this page are supporting our association. You are
encouraged to support them.
A1 Preston’s

Gary Shashinka
810 Howe Avenue
Shelton, CT 06484
203-924-1747

© Glenmore Landscape Service

Glenn S. Moore
98 Hack Green Road
Pound Ridge, NY 10576
914-764-4348

© The Roger Rulewich Group

© Plant Food Company, Inc.

David Fleury / MarshallVictor
Golf Course Design, Renovation, &
Construction
800-465-3668, FAX 413-648-0211

“The Liquid Fertilizer Experts”
TomWeinert
914-262-0111 / 800-562-1291
Soil Solutions LLC

© Aquatrols Corp. o f America

Kevin P. Collins, N.E.Territory
Manager
1273 Imperial Way
Paulsboro, NJ 08066
609-841-2077

© Greenacres Company

Dave Pijnenburg
75 Codfish Hill Road
Bethel, CT 06801
203-748-0558

Louis Argento
1 Prospect Avenue
White Plains, NY 10607
914-949-1152

Joe Stahl
795 Rt. #148
Killingworth, CT 06419
203-209-6951

© Ira Wickes / Arborists
© Atlantic Irrigation Specialties, Inc.

Ray Beaudry
111 Lafayette Avenue
N. White Plains, NY 10603
914-686-0008

JohnW.Wickes
11 McNamara Road
Spring Valley, NY 10977
845-354-3400

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

Gene Evans
133 Peat Moss Road
White Haven, PA 18661
570-443-9596

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

John Callahan
Complete Distributor of Golf Course
Accessories & Turf Maintenance
Supplies
800-861-6256, FAX 860-673-8443

O Down To Earth

David Griffin
All Phases of Golf Course
Construction
914-576-7693, CELL 914-413-3173

© E/T Equipment Co.

Bruce Pye / John Rizza
425 South Riverside Avenue
Croton, NY 10520
914-271-6126, FAX 914-271-6146

Byron Johnson
Seed, Pesticides, Nursery Stock, &
Fertilizer
973-473-3393

Gary Mathis
4 Production Drive
Brookfield, CT 06804
203-775-5757

© Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Inc.

Skip Deubel
800-243-7582, CELL 860-306-8883
www. tuckaho eturf. com

© Storr Tractor Company ~
Flowtronex

© Turf Products Corp./TORO

Bryan Diggle, Irrigation
860-874-2812
Richard Schock Jr., Equipment
860-729-2237
Scott Wosleger,Yamaha Golf Cars, &
Utility Vehicles: 860-306-6400

Rick Krok / Gary Lynott / Fred Rapp
3191 U.S. Hwy.22
Somerville, NJ 08876
800-526-3802, FAX 908-722-9847
Surfside Wetting Agents

Liquid ~ Granular ~ Pellets ~
ZAP! Defoamer
Robert Oechsle: 800-401-0411

O Valley View Wholesale
Greenhouses

Frank Amodio
229 Smith Ridge Road
S. Salem, NY 10590
914-533-2526, FAX 914-533-2050

O Syngenta Professional Products
O Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Inc.

© Cardinals Inc.

© The Terre Company o f
New Jersey, Inc.

O Steven Willand, Inc.
© Harrell’s Turf Specialty

Argento & Sons, Inc.

Anthony Decicco / John Decicco
7 Whittemore Place
Ryebrook, NY 10573
914-393-0659, FAX 914-939-5010

Robert Good
126 Monroe Turnpike
Trumbull, CT 06611
203-452-3100

Lee A. Kozsey
Banner Maxx, Primo Maxx, Subdue
Maxx, Daconil, Heritage, Medallion
610-861-8174, CELL 215-796-0409

O Westchester Tractor Inc.

John Apple
14 Meadow Street
Goldens Bridge, NY 10526
914-232-7746

O Tee and Green Sod, Inc.
© LESCO, Inc.

Charlie Siemers
65 Primrose Street
Katonah, NY 10536
914-755-4202
Louis DeLea & Sons, Inc.

444 Elwood Road
E.Northport, NY 11731
631-368-8022
© Metro Turf Specialists

“Customers, Our Top Priority”
203-748-GOLF, FAX 203-743-0458
EMAIL mail@metroturfspecialists.com

Golf Course Sod Products / Installation
Wayne Rice: 401-641-2972
DaveWallace: 401-789-8177

O Westchester Turf Supply, Inc.

Bob Lippman / Dave Lippman
“Serving the Fine Turf Profession”
845-621-5067, FAX 845-621-7180
EMAIL westturf@suscom.net

© The Care ofTrees

Mike Cook, NY: 914-345-8733
JimTwomey, NJ: 201-445-4949
Ken Clear, CT: 203-847-1855
The Pond Connection

O Wilfred MacDonald, Inc.

Glenn Gallion
19 Central Boulevard
S. Hackensack, NJ 07606
888-831-0891

Jeff Stahl
203-858-4136
NY / NJ / CT

O Denotes M etGCSA member

*

_ ^

d
.

m
M

.j

'J

ii

K

.'■*# i i / t # V
■i

* 'INK *

*