Board of Directors President MATTHEW CEPLO, CGCS Rockland Country Club Vice President AN THONY GIRARDI, CGCS Rockrimmon Country Club Cover.Ardsley Country Club. Photography by Even Schiller, www.golf shots, com, golfshots@ earthlink.net. Treasurer ROBERT NIELSEN JR., CGCS Bedford Golf &Tennis Club Secretary GLENN PERRY, CGCS Rolling Hills Country Club Past President WILLIAM HEINTZ Pound Ridge Golf Club ROBERT ALONZI JR. St. Andrew's Golf Club KENNETH BENOIT JR., CGCS GlenArbor Golf Club GEORGE CORGAN Steven Willand Inc. DAVID DUDONES NorthJersey Country Club GLEN DUBE, CGCS Centennial Golf Club BLAKE HALDERMAN, CGCS Brae Burn Country Club THOMAS LEAHY, CGCS Sleepy Hollow Country Club SCOTT OLSON Scarsdale Golf Club Executive Secretary INEKE PIERPOINT Tee to Green Staff Editors ROB ALONZI DAVE DUDONES 914-478-5713 973-942-0566 Managing Editor PANDORA C.WOJICK Editorial Committee HpEVIN COLLINS SCOTTNIVEN PAUL GRABBE ERIC O’NEILL DENNIS GRANAHAN BILL PERLEE ?CHIP LAFFERTY GLENNPERRY I NICK LERNER MIKE REEB DAVE MOFFETT MIKETOLLNER GREGWOJICK Designer TERRIE DUNKELBERGER Photographer BILL PERLEE Advertising Manager ROB ALONZI, 914-478-5713 TEE TO GREEN is publishedbimonthly by the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association 49 KnollwoodRoad, Elmsford, NY 10523-2819 914-347-4653, FAX: 914-347-3437, METGCSA.ORG Copyright © 2008 Feature The Need for Green Speed .......................................................................... 2 What’s New-and What’s Not-Among Met Area Clubs Survey Results at a Glance............................................................................. 4 In Search o f the Ideal Green Speed............................................................6 Departments From the National...............................................................................................7 Scorecard................................................................................................................ 8 M ember News .....................................................................................................8 U pcom ing Events ............................................................................................ 10 Spotlights .......................................................................................................9,11 Taking the Crunch Out of Your Budget rough throughout the course. And not a fairway divot left unfilled. You get the picture. While it’s undeniable that these practices are good, there’s a price to pay. If you, yourself, haven’t had to sharpen your pencil, you may be asked to do it soon. Best advice: Stay involved. You’re the best person to make decisions for your facility. Your input is critical to the success of your operation. Matt Ceplo, CGCS MetGCSA President As with any endeavor, communication is a must. Any cost-saving ideas you have should be approved by your Green Committee and There are subtle ways to reduce costs, if your clearly communicated to your membership. membership will support your efforts. At Rockland, we hand rake our bunkers three times a week and the rest of the time just touch them up. We purchased a new bunker I want to say just a word about the image we rake this spring with a brush attachment. project at our meetings. We’ve gotten quite I’m hoping this will save us time and dollars. informal at our monthly golf events. Society, Speaking to a few guys at our monthly in general, has gone that way. More clubs are meeting about mowing patterns in fairways, offering casual dining; in fact, I wouldn’t be it seems the old black-and-white style is surprised if jeans were allowed in club grill making a comeback and, according to them, rooms before long. is a time-saver as well. I can relate to the office executive who Another money-saver: Taking a more en­ wears a coat and tie to work every day want­ vironmentally conscious approach to golf ing to put on a polo shirt and relax after a course maintenance. The trick, of course, is round of golf. But that’s not us. We’re not convincing your members to relax their ex­ club members, there to socialize. We’re guests, pectations a bit. there on business. Take weeds for example. If everyone Playing at a new course is great, and our could live with a few weeds in some out-of- host superintendents have their courses in play areas, you’ll spare yourself the labor and such great shape that I often feel like I’m play­ chemicals required to eliminate them. And ing in a member-guest. But the reality is, it’s by the way, make it clear to members that not a member-guest. It’s business, and as such, handpicking weeds isn’t the answer either we should dress and conduct ourselves accord­ since what you save on materials you’ll spend ingly. In other words, we should be projecting on labor. a highly professional image at all our meetings. At Rockland, we’ve added a number of Our goal is to project the same professional native areas to the course. This not only saves image and command the same respect we’ve water, but also spares us the time and expense come to enjoy at our own clubs, and we need of fertilizing and mowing those areas. On to remember this at all our meetings. some of the more in-play areas, we will send staff in to handpick weeds. Other areas we let go. The membership understands this. I’ve also tried to communicate the benefit I hope you’ll all join me in wishing Jeff of these areas in providing a habitat for a Wentworth a speedy recovery. Our thoughts variety of birds and wildlife. There are a and prayers are with both Jeff and Mimi. number of good reasons to become more environmentally responsible. A budget is just Matt Ceplo, CGCS President one of them. Finding Economies On Another Note he million-dollar question right now among Met-area clubs is “How is your facility doing financially?” We had a lit­ tle scare, ourselves, this year. We lost mem­ bers over the winter, and that raised a few eyebrows. As a result, the club is running some reduced-price memberships and has enacted a “preview plan,” where you can play for a period of time before committing to a membership. I’m happy to say that we’ve gained several new members, so our budget is under a little less scrutiny at the moment. O f course, with the price of gas going through the roof and a sluggish economy, we’re not totally out of the woods yet. But clearly, we’re not alone. The Met Golfer ran a feature article recently about the budget crunches facing Met-area clubs. Increased utility bills and taxes, fewer Monday outings and overall rounds played, and escalating sup­ ply costs are apparently leading many clubs down a more conservative path, financially. Maintenance budgets have also skyrock­ eted, in large part because of increasingly high member expectations. Hand raking no-plug bunkers. Consistent weed-free Well Wishes W hat’s New—and What’s Not—Amona Met Area Clubs by Scott E. Niven, CGCS ably one of the most intriguing, if not con­ troversial, in all of golf. We first broached this touchy subject in 2001, when we surveyed Met members on their green speed philo­ sophy and management practices. At that point, with greens Stimping at an average of 9'8", we thought we couldn’t push our put­ ting surfaces much further. How wrong we were. With the results in from our 2008 survey, it’s crystal clear: Green speeds are up—and on the rise. In fact, since our last survey that charted the range of green speeds superin­ tendents try to obtain daily, the average speed has risen four inches to 10’, and on the high end of each course’s green speed range, the average went up five inches to Nearly a mirror image of our first survey, this one was sent out to 128 MetGCSA superintendents. A total of 53—from clubs in New Jersey, New York, and Connecti­ cut—were kind enough to reply (see list of survey participants on page 5). Our list of nearly 20 questions revealed not only greens maintenance facts and figures, but also respondents’ sentiments on the increasing need for speed and the extra-special groom­ ing practices that go along with it. Here’s a look at what respondents had to say, along with a careful tabulation of each and every one of their responses to give you just how prevalent various prac­ tices are. How do your greens Stimp up against the others? You be the judge. Survey Snapshot To start, the lion’s share of our respondents share the same turf in common: Nearly 90 percent have either Poa or Poa/bent turf on their greens. That leaves only 10 percent with the more desirable bentgrass. And though more than 92 percent check green speeds at least once a week—slightly more than in the past—virtually no one is in favor of posting the numbers. Speaking of green speeds, to keep those greens Stimping up to member expecta­ tions— 11' at their best for Tournaments and Member/Guests—respondents are stepping up their cultural practices. One of the biggest changes noted since 2001 is the aver­ age height of cut. Seventy-five percent of the respondents report cutting heights of less than 1/8" (.125) or lower versus 55 percent in 2001. Commenting on this practice in his book The Superintendent’s Guide to Controlling Putting Green Speed (see article page 6), Dr. Thomas Nikolai, turfgrass academic specialist at Michigan State University, cautions super­ intendents about extremes in cutting height. Not only does the law of diminishing returns kick in as we lower heights of cut to attain greater green speeds, but the quality of turf also declines the shorter we go, he says. His recommendation: Keep the height of cut at 1/8", and use rollers and/or double mow­ ing to bump up the speed. Interestingly, however, it seems that super­ intendents are favoring rolling over double­ cutting to attain fast, smooth putting sur­ faces—another significant change in prac­ tices over the past seven years. To be precise, 90 percent of respondents are rolling their greens, with two-thirds rolling three times a week or more. Also on the rise is the use of Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs), with more than 90 per­ cent of respondents incorporating them into their green’s maintenance repertoire versus just 61 percent seven years ago. Notable, too, is the jump in fertility levels. Right now, 53 percent of respondents are applying at least 3 lbs. N/1000 sq. ft. per year. In 2001, only 9 percent of clubs applied that much nitrogen. Fertility levels have climbed for a couple of reasons. First, new research shows that small increases in fertility levels do not appreciably slow green speed. And if they do, superintendents are compensating by lowering height of cut and rolling. Second, and probably most significant, is that nitrogen use has proved effective in reducing the incidence of both anthracnose and moss. Dr. Bruce Clarke’s research at Rutgers University showed that nitrogen levels at 3 lbs./1000 sq. ft or higher greatly reduce the incidence of anthracnose, while Dr. Frank Rossi’s moss trials at Cornell showed similar results. Obviously, superin­ tendents have been listening. In the end, what’s most important is how superintendents and their members feel about the green speeds on their courses. Right now, the vast majority of superinten­ dents—more than 90 percent—feel that the speed they’re achieving is about right for their particular greens. Three-quarters of the clubs surveyed, however, report having at least one green that can’t accommodate their typical green speed, with the average being three per course. In 2001, the average was four greens per course. Interesting. You’d expect that with green speeds escalating, this number would climb, rather than decrease. One explanation might be, however, that close to half the respondents have recently rebuilt at least one of their greens to reduce slope. Overdone, however, the practice of strip­ ping greens of their slopes and contours can render them nearly flat and, as Golf Course Architect Forrest Richardson will tell you ... boring. Known for building some of the wildest greens in recent times, Richardson echoes the sentiments of most architects when speaking about the pressing need among members for speed: “Ifeel green speeds have hurt the creativity we can inject into greens. There has become a discon­ nect between visual green undulations and the needfor softer; more subtle undulations as a result of increased speed. What the eye sees is therefore less interesting, harder to read, and probably less fun. The shadows and aesthetic side ofgreen con­ tours are essential. As we mellow out the green, we are mellowing out the visual interest ofgolf” While most clubs still clearly profess a need for speed, the good news is that fewer than in the past are actually willing to sacri­ fice turf to get there. Smooth, consistent, high-quality greens seem to be taking prece­ dence over extra speed. Nevertheless, as green speeds have risen, those who must keep their greens “on the edge” the maj ority of the time admit to feel­ ing the strain. In fact, the percentage of supers who noted feeling stressed by the escalating demand for faster greens is up from 17 percent in 2001 to a full 40 percent today. The Truth and Consequences ol Green Speed As part of our survey, we asked respondents to comment on their feelings, philosophies, and approach to the growing need for speed on courses in the Met area. Here’s a sam­ pling of what they had to say: On Speed Plans and Philosophies... G len D ube, CGCS C entennial G o lf Club, C arm el, NY M ark Fuller, CGCS C onnecticut G o lf Club, Easton, CT I have a management plan that calls for a 10 to 10.5-foot speed, day in and day out, with a higher speed for tournament play or when it’s not detrimental to the turf. Peter R appoccio, CGCS, Silver Spring C ou n try Club, R idgefield, CT We try to have a program of green speeds at 10 to 10.5 on a daily basis. Our club is more concerned with healthy turf than really fast greens. Mike Reeb, CGCS, C ou n try Club o f New Canaan, New Canaan, CT Green speed is a vocal issue among a rela­ tively small part of the membership, but we do seem to talk about it more each year. Our Greens & Grounds Committee currently supports an operating standard within the range of 9.5 to 10.5 for daily play and accepts up to 12” more for certain events. Consis­ tent, healthy putting surfaces are preferred above risky green speeds. R ichard Spear Piping R ock Club Locust Valley, NY Our greens were built in 1912. I’m not quite that old, but I suspect they were rolling way south of 6' at that time. Neither the soil pro­ files nor the contours work well at presentday green speed expectations. We attempt to keep them high 9's to mid 10's, but we’ve lost plenty of hole locations, and the input quan­ tities (labor and materials) are high and get­ ting higher. Predicting the future is tough, but I believe things will change. Financial and/or environmental issues will force us to back off at some point. Blake H alderm an, CGCS, Brae B urn C ou n try Club, Purchase, NY Our contours, here, are tricky, so most mem­ bers are happy with green speeds at around 10. Any faster than that, and it could get too gimmicky. We have very few members who are between 0 and 5 handicaps, so keeping it fun for the majority is the priority—except during major tournaments, of course. On Educating the Membership... Tony G irardi, CGCS, R ockrim m on C ou n try Club, Stam ford, CT We are trying to educate our membership on the benefits of reducing and/or maintaining green speeds in order to promote healthy turf. Over the past three years, as a result of trying to speed up our greens, we’ve seen an increase in anthracnose. We also discovered a high level of organic matter, which we need to displace at a rate of about 40 to 45 percent per year over the next three to five years in order to meet members’ expectations for speed. The only other alternative would be to do a complete USGA rebuild on the 14 remaining “native soil-based” greens. Tony Grasso, M etropolis C ou n try Club, W h ite Plains, NY No one has ever lost his job for slow greens. Superintendents have, however, lost greens and jobs for maintenance practices that cause stress to the turf, like underfertilizing com­ bined with excessive mowing, rolling, and topdress dragging. The other often-overlooked factor: the weather. Memberships have to understand that green speeds will vary with weather conditions, or turf quality—and the superintendent, too—will suffer. At Centennial, we have very undulated greens. If the speeds are too severe, some greens become unplayable or lead to four- Steven W irth , C h erry V alley C ou n try Joh n Ruzsbatzky, CGCS C ou n try Club o f Farm ington and five-putting. That, in turn, leads to Club, Skillm an, NJ Farm ington, CT higher scores, longer rounds, and general Turf comes before green speed. I, fortunately, We’ve been very successful communicating customer dissatisfaction. Plus, the owners have the authority to adjust as I see fit, the pressures of anthracnose when we go love grass on their greens. They don’t want depending on conditions. turf health compromised for higher green speeds. We did manage to get some decent speeds on the greens throughout last season while maintaining the aesthetic integrity of the greens. In my short tenure here, I haven’t found green speed to be a huge issue. B rian B enedict, The Seawane Club H ew lett H arbor, NY Our membership is more concerned with quality, aesthetics, and smoothness. We’ve gotten our greens fast in the past with the appropriate weather conditions, and mem­ bers complained they were too fast. We also have the micro-climate of wind off the bay to consider. Two Richardson Invitationals ago, we had the greens at 13, and the balls were being moved on the green by high winds that day. O f course, we’re probably unique in that regard. Survey Results at a Glance Number of Respondents 1. W h a t kind of tu rf is on y o u r greens? Bent 7 0 .1 1 7 0 .1 1 8 1 1 - 3 13 2 4 2 14 2001 0 .1 2 0 0 .1 2 5 0 .1 3 0 0 .1 3 5 0 .1 4 0 5 29 0 .1 5 0 0 .1 5 6 6 1 - 2 3 1 5 41 Poo P o o / Bent 2. Number of Respondents Do you post green speeds? 2008 Yes No 3 50 A v e ra g e = 3. H o w often do you check the speeds each week? 2008 2001 14 1 day 10 2 days 5 13 3 d a ys 12 5 4 2 4 d a ys 2 2 5 d a ys 6 d a ys 7 d a ys 0 d a ys 1 3 4 To ro 1 0 0 0 To ro Fle x To ro 8 0 0 Jac 4 2 2 Jac Fle x Jac E - W a lk e r John Deere 1 4 5 Ransom es T rip le x 11 19 1 20 5 2 4 8 6 2 1 - - 5 - - 9 '6 " 9 ' 6 " - 1 O' 10' 1 0 ' - ÌO 'Ó " 8 9 ó 4 7 4 13 2 6 2 10 4 H o w often do you ro ll per week? 2008 2001 4 O c c a sio n a lly 1 2 1 Ox 4 5 0 10' 9 '8 " lx 2x 3x 4x 5x 7x 5 10 17 15 1 1 4 11 9 - " 8. T o ta l a v e ra g e d a ily s p e e d = W h a t is y o u r range of green speed? 2001 2008 1 0 Low end < 8 ' 8' 8 '6 " 9' 9 '3 " 9 '6 " 9 '9 " 10' A v e ra g e lo w 8 6 8 4 15 - 14 1 15 2 3 1 5 = H ig h end 9' 10' 1 0 '2 " ÌO 'Ó " 10 '9 " 1 0 ’10" i r 11 ’6 " 12' 1 2 '6 " 13' A v e r a g e h ig h = s ' i r 8 a Sm ithco Tru T u rf 1 G re e n s Iron 9. - 3 18 15 1 2 1 T 6 ” 1 3 2 4 1 1 8 6 3 2 1 I T I " 1 0 .0 9 3 0 .0 9 5 0 .1 0 0 0 .1 0 5 0 .1 1 0 0 .1 1 5 1 2 1 3 11 3 5 Yes No - 1 Less than 1 lb. 1 - 2 lb s. 2 - 3 lb s. 3 - 4 lb s. M o re than 4 lb s. 2008 0 4 21 20 2001 3 18 10 3 8 _ 1 4 . Do you feel the sp eeds you are a sked to keep fo r y o u r g re e ns are a p p ro p ria te fo r the re lative se v e rity of the contours? 2008 2001 24 Just rig h t 48 Too fast 5 8 1 5 . H o w m any g re e ns do you have w ith e xtre m e ly lim ited cupping area? 2008 2001 0 1 12 4 6 3 4 2 3 4 5 8 9 4 4 6 7 3 2 2 8 9 12 18 3 2 1 2 2 1 1 5 6 2 1 - 1 5 A .H a v e you re built any greens to reduce slope? Yes 20 No 33 If so , ho w m any 2 # of gre e ns 1 2 3 4 2001 1 7 5 18 5 7 # of re sp onde nts 10 3 4 i 1 1 1 1 6 . W ill you sa c rific e som e tu rf fo r increased green speed? 2 Yes 1 - No 2008 2001 10 43 10 24 48 5 m em bership? 2001 21 13 V e ry Som ew hat M in im a l 2008 23 24 ó 2001 16 16 2 1 1 . Do you use g ro o m e rs, b ru sh e s, verticutters? 1 - 1 3 . W h a t is y o u r annual n ¡trogen fe rtility level? 1 7 . H o w im p orta nt < are fa st green sp eeds to y o u r T O . Do you use P G R s re g u la rly? 2008 W h a t is y o u r usual height of cut? 2008 2001 0 .0 8 0 0 .0 9 0 A s needed 6 14 14 A v e ra g e = 4 g re e n s / c o u rs e ( 2 0 0 1 ) 2 1 1 3 2001 8 18 25 1 11 W ith a e rific a tio n 2008 A v e ra g e = 3 g re e n s / c o u rs e ( 2 0 0 8 ) 10 8 H o w often do you top dress? 2008 E v e ry w eek E v e ry 2 w e e ks 21 E v e ry 3 w e e ks 9 E v e ry 4 w e e ks 15 E v e ry 8 w e e ks Damp Fie ld capacity D ry - W h a t kind of ro lle r do you use? 11 Speed ro lle r Sa lsc o T rip le x V ib ra to ry 8 '1 0 " 2 11 . 1 2 . W h a t is the m oistu re level of y o u r gree ns? - 4 4 ír - iT ó 6. 0 .1 3 0 8 '6 - 9 ' 9 , - 9 '6 " 1 0 '6 " lO 'ó - 1 1 1 5. 3 - H o w many tim es do you cut per day? 2008 2001 lx 44 17 2x 1 5 3x 1 1 1X o r 2 x 7 11 W h a t is y o u r average green speed? 2008 2001 Number of Respondents 1 M o w e r Type? 7. 4. 0 .1 2 0 E Yes No H o w often? E v e ry w eek E v e ry 2 w e e ks E v e ry 4 w e e ks A s needed S p rin g / F a ll 2008 2001 45 8 31 3 9 15 14 7 - 7 11 7 3 3 1 8 . D oes th is issu e give you m ore p e rso na l stre ss than a ny other? 2008 21 2001 Yes No 32 28 6 below .125 with our bench settings. As a result, we’ve increased fertility and the amount of rolling we do, and we don’t go below a .125 cutting height. We have consis­ tent speeds and healthier greens. We do have some vocal members who want faster greens, so we satisfy them for major tourna­ ments by using PGRs to keep speeds regu­ lated. But the reality is that speeds of 10.5 to 11 are too fast for most players on our undu­ lated, small greens. Green Speed Today and Into the Future Over the past half-century, green speeds have increased at a steady and predictable rate: about one foot per decade. How long can we keep this going? Jim W eilan d , Shorehaven G o lf Club N orwalk, CT Our members say and think they want firm, fast greens, but they also want green, lush­ looking turf. Education about green speeds and turf health has been slow but steady. In general, as long as green surfaces are healthy, smooth, and consistent, speed complaints are minimal. Here’s how Met area courses are Stimping, according to our 2008 survey. On Stress... Joh n C arlone, C G C S,T he M eadow B rook Club, Jerich o , NY Our big, flat greens can accommodate higher green speeds, so we strive to keep them at 10.5. The issue of green speed used to be a great source of stress for me, but PGRs and rolling have pretty much solved this problem. Jo e Tamborski, H em pstead G o lf Club, H em pstead, NY We have a younger contingent who feels the greens are never fast enough. Like most guys, I’m walking the line, trying to provide what golfers want and what the greens need to keep them healthy enough to ward off anthracnose. We have a challenging growing environment: small native, push-up soil greens that get a lot of play—30,000 to 35,000 rounds per year. There’s really no place to hide turf loss. No room for error. Food for Thought Though survey results show more superin­ tendents are pulling out all the stops to increase the speed of their greens-—-heights of cut are lower, nitrogen fertility is up, and there’s an increase in rolling and in the use of Plant Growth Regulators—is this stress being self-imposed? If you listen to our sur­ vey participants’ individual commentary, it seems that what members really want these days are healthy, true, consistent greens . . . over the fastest speed possible. Scott Niven, a member of the Tee to Green Editorial Committee, is Superintendent at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, CT. Special thanks to Stanwich assistants Ryan Segrue and Jim Schell for their help in preparing the data for this article. Historical Green Speed Escalation Year Perceived Fast Green Speeds 1950s 6 -7 ' 1960s 7 -8 ' 1970s 8 -9 ' 1980s 9 -1 0 ' 1990s 1 0-1 1' 2000s 1 1-1 2' 2010s 1 2-1 3' ??? For Regular Membership Play Current Speed Chart for Met Area Courses (2008) 11'6" = Fast 10'9" = Medium Fast 10' = Medium 9'6" = Medium Slow 9' = Slow Special Thanks to Our Survey Participants Fenway GC, Scarsdale, NY Village Club of Sands Point Bob A lo n zi, CGCS, Ph il Anderson, Sands Point, NY H a rry Bahrenburg, Huntington Crescent Club Huntington, NY Michael B a rto n , CGCS, Burning Tree CC Greenwich, CT The Seawane Club Hewlett Harbor, NY M ike Benz, Middle Bay CC, Oceanside, NY Sean Cain, CGCS, Sunningdale CC, Scarsdale, NY Tony Campanella, Hampshire CC, Mamaroneck, NY P e te r Candelora, Cold Spring CC Cold Spring Harbor, NY John Carlone, CGCS, The Meadow Brook Club Jericho, NY M a tt Ceplo, CGCS, Rockland CC, Sparkill, NY Bob DeMarco, The Powelton Club, Newburgh, NY Glen Dube, CGCS, Centennial GC, Carmel, NY Dave D w in e ll, CGCS, Wollaston GC, Milton, MA Richard Evans, Town of Wallkill Golf Course Middletown, NY Ste ve Finam ore, CGCS, Alpine CC, Demarest, NY M a rk Fulle r, CGC S , The Connecticut GC, Easton, CT John Gallagher, Race Brook CC, Orange, G Tim Garceau, The Tuxedo Club, Tuxedo Park, NY Joe Gardner, Dellwood CC, New City, NY Tony G ira rd i, CGCS, Rockrimmon CC, Stamford, Q Paul G onzalez, CGCS, Whippoorwill Club Armonk, NY Tony G ra sso , Metropolis CC, White Plains, NY Blake Halderm an, CGCS, Brae Burn CC Purchase, NY B ria n Benedict, Nassau CC, Glen Cove, NY Innis Arden GC, Old Greenwich, G Dan M adar, Spook Rock GC, Suffern, NY D a rre ll M arcinek, CGCS, Neshansic Valley Golf Course, Neshansic Station, NJ Tim M o o re , Knollwood CC, Elmsford, NY Bob N ielsen, CGCS, Bedford Golf & Tennis Club Bedford, NY Scott N iven, CGCS, The Stanwich Club, Greenwich, G John O 'K e e fe , CGCS, Preakness Hills CC, Wayne, NJ Paul F. Pritc h a rd , CGCS, Wiltwyck GC, Kingston, NY Lou Quick, CGCS, Anglebrook GC, Lincolndale, NY Todd Raisch, CGCS, Ridgewood CC, Paramus, NJ P e te r Rappoccio, CGCS, Silver Spring CC Ridgefield, CT M ike Reeb, CGCS, CC of New Canaan, New Canaan, G John R u zsb a tzk y , CGCS, The CC of Farmington Farmington, G B ill S a lin e tti, CGCS, National Golf Links of America Southampton, NY Rich Spear, Piping Rock Club, Locust Valley, NY Gregg Sta nley, CGCS, The Bridge Club Bridge Hampton, NY Joe Ta m b orski, CGCS, Hempstead GC Hempstead, NY Greg Tudor, Waubeeka Golf Links, Williamstown, MA Greg Vadala, CGCS, Montclair GC, Montclair, NJ H a rry W a rd , Crestbrook Park Golf Course, Watertown, G Jim W eila nd, Shorehaven GC, Norwalk, G J e ff W e n tw o rth , CGCS, Pelham CC Pelham Manor, NY Ste ve W irt h , Cherry Valley CC, Skillman, NJ Jason Zie sm e r, Manhattan Woods GC, West Nyack, NY Lyman Lam bert, CGCS, Neil Laufenberg, Tee to Green May /June 2008 In Search of the Ideal Green Speed J he problem with green speed may very well be superintendents’ attitude toward it. At least that’s what you might take away from Michigan Uni­ versity’s green speed guru Thomas Nikolai, who authored the well-known book The Superintendent’s Guide for Controlling Putting Green Speed. According to Nikolai, the long debate over green speed persists because it’s perpetually been treated as an annoyance instead of an important topic worthy of scientific research. In the past, superintendents looking for answers to their members’ green speed de­ mands have come across articles that inform them to: • Tell their members that “speed kills” • Get members to lower their expectations • Avoid telling members the truth about their green speed “While this information is well intentioned,” says Nikolai in a recent Grounds Maintenance article, “it’s time to face the obvi­ ous fact that this approach has not produced positive results. “The biggest problem,” he continues, “is that article after article warns of the perils of fast green speed without giving advice on how to satisfy the majority of golfers’ green speed requests.” The result, according to Nikolai: Superin­ tendents believe they can manage for green speed or manage for healthy turf. Not both. Developed at Crystal Downs Country Club in Frankfort, MI, by Superintendent Mike Morris, this method involves a system for rating member satisfaction to determine a golf course’s “ideal green speed.” Here’s how it works: 1. Daily green speed measurements must be obtained on at least one green (two is pre­ ferred) every day. And it’s generally best to take these measurements twice a day: once in the morning and once in the afternoon. 2. Golfers, without any knowledge of what the measured green speed is, are given a card at the end of their round and asked to rate the speed of the greens. Afterward, the daily green speed measure­ ments and golfer survey responses are put into a database. The procces is repeated for several months to determine each individual course’s ideal green speed. To give you an idea of the value of this method, here’s what a Michigan-area super­ intendent, Sean O ’Connor of Forest Akers Golf Course, had to say after putting the Morris Method into practice: ((The Morris Method has allowed me to take control of green speeds by determining what the customerfeels is the ideal green speedfor our course. It has taken a subjective topic and quantified it. Too often, we work on assumption. I assumed that our customers wanted green speeds in the area of 11 feet to 12 feet. However, that was based on feedback from a very vocal minority. The majority ofgolfers at ourfacility actually wanted greens at 9.5 feet to 10.5 feet based on our survey results. In his book, Nikolai not only debunks this Monitoring green speeds will be an ongoing compo­ myth, he offers prescriptive advice, backed by nent of our daily maintenance practices. ” solid research, on how superintendents and green committees can work together to man­ age their courses toward an “ideal green speed.” To arrive at that ideal speed, Nikolai Interestingly, the optimal speed determined advocates the widely publicized Morris for Crystal Downs was 9'6" to 10’6" or an Method. average daily green speed of 10 feet, which The Morris Method at Work When Green Speed Goes Awry To all golf course superintendents who have heard their greens were fast and too slow — on the same day too The Superintendent’s Guide to Controlling ^ T /A /q Thomas A. Nikolai happens to be the current average for those who responded to our own green speed sur­ vey. This speed seems to be optimal for aver­ age golfers—and for the superintendents in our survey, who report being better able to maintain healthy turf while keeping the course “fun” for the majority of members. By contrast, U.S. Open venues like Oakmont and, of course, Augusta National create speeds right up there with a pool table’s, which Stimps at roughly 15 feet. Unfortu­ nately, putting greens are not flat like a pool table. They have contours, and as Nikolai states: “Green speed and green contour should be inseparable.” The entire golf community got to see what happens when green speed goes awry during the U.S. Open at Shinnecock several years ago when excessive speed rendered some of those greens nearly unplayable. Now whether you use Morris’s precise data collection method or not, just the con­ cept of trying to find the optimal speed for your particular course’s greens will go a long way toward satisfying your membership. And according to Nikolai, the best way to do that is to use the Stimpmeter as it was intended: to determine consistency from green to green and the ideal pace for ball roll on your greens and for your membership. The Stimpmeter is not—and never should be—a tool used to compare one golf course to another. What’s good for one golf course, as we’ve all seen, is not necessarily good for another. (4 1 0 ) 7 9 9 -1 0 7 Î (j f j e ffo n a ld iDesign Group, Inc. www.McDonaldGolflnc.com Offering an integrated approach to golf course design and construction. (4 1 0 ) 7 9 9 -7 7 4 0 TffeTfmxM dr (fonS' G O L F *C O U R S E * 8 U I L O I R 5 VafCey View greenhouses Hydroseeding . Landscaping Trees . Shrubs . Flowers Debbie.wgh@yahoo.com Linda.wgh@yahoo.com 9 14 - 533-2526 From the National GCSAA’s Spring Board Meeting Smooths the Way for a Successful Year Ahead by John O ’Keefe, CG CS (J his year’s GCS AA Golf Industry Show kicked off an exciting new era for me as a director on the GCSAA board. As most of you know, I was appointed to the board of directors, filling the remaining year of James Fitzroy’s term, created by his election to secretary/treasurer. I want to take this opportunity to thank the MetGCSA for supporting my campaign for GCSAA director. Special thanks to Matt Ceplo, who as president, nominated me. I am especially grateful to my wife Margaret, Jim McNally, and Ken Kubik for their tireless work in promoting my campaign. As a director, I am pleased to be involved as the chairman of the Assistant Superintendent Committee and the Certification Committee and to serve as co-chair of the Professional Development Committee. Both the Assistant Superintendent and Professional Develop­ ment committees are relatively new and very active. Certification, a well-established com­ mittee, is always involved in a variety ongoing activities. Needless to say, I’ll be busy. Inside the Boardroom One of my first involvements as a GCSAA director was to attend the Spring Board Meeting held in Santa Fe, NM, from March 27 to 29. To keep you all in touch with what’s going on in our national association, I thought I’d share some of the decisions and discussions that developed. First and Foremost Having selected Mark Woodward, CGCS, as GCSAA’s next chief executive, we used our 2008 Spring Board Meeting to concentrate on creating a smooth transition to new leadership. While Mark was focusing on conducting a successful U.S. Open, we were working to guarantee that service to GCSAA members did not suffer during the interim period. Mark will be stepping into his new role at GCSAA headquarters as you read this. Chapter Delegates Meeting to Preview Convention Site The board voted to conduct the 2008 Chapter Delegates Meeting in October in New Orleans, rather than at association headquar­ ters. This change will allow chapter delegates to see firsthand—and then communicate to fellow chapter members—the impressive rebuilding and renovation efforts that New Orleans has undertaken since Hurricane Katrina. The board has been impressed with the city’s revitalization, and we’re anticipating a very successful GCSAA Education Confer­ The Golf Industry Show:The Spring ence and Golf Industry Show there next Meeting’s Strategic Topic of Discussion A standard agenda item at our board meetings February. is strategic discussion. This year’s strategic dis­ cussion was the Golf Industry Show. In GCSAA Offers Chapter Support By holding our Spring Board Meeting in preparation for the discussion, we reviewed New Mexico, board members and staff had attendance, participation and exhibit sales fig­ the opportunity to interact with Rio Grande ures for the past nine years, going back to GCSA leaders and industry representatives, as 2000 when GCSAA was last in New Orleans, well as the staff of the Sun Country Amateur along with that results of the 2008 attendee Golf Association. Chapter President Glenn and exhibitor satisfaction surveys and a survey Denney presented the challenges facing the of previous attendees who did not go to the Rio Grande GCSA and sought counsel from 2008 event in Orlando. Facilitating the discussion was Steven GCSAA on how to best increase member­ ship and retention, improve communication Hacker, who shared his perspectives as both a among chapter members, and raise funds to certified association executive and as an exhi­ bition organizer. He was quite impressed with boost the association’s profitability. Matt Williams, executive director of the both the strategic direction that GCSAA took Sun Country Amateur Golf Association, in developing the Golf Industry Show and the announced that his association and the Sun quality of the standard operating procedures Country PGA Section have agreed to work established to ensure effective and efficient together to build a Golf House, and he operations. invited the Rio Grande GCSA to consider locating its headquarters there too. The Dues Decisions group discussed how the organizations might During the spring meeting, the board also set model their Golf House after our own Golf the dues for Affiliate, Associate, and Inter­ House in Elmsford, NY, as well as the Golf national Superintendent Members to align with the dues increase approved at the Annual Houses in Chicago and Kentucky. Meeting for Class A, SM, C, and other mem­ bership classes. Affiliate member dues are Regional Representative Plan Unveiled The board approved the continued develop­ $320, to equal Class A and SM dues approved ment of the association’s field staff program, in Orlando, while dues for Affiliate Corporate announcing its plans to hire a GCSAA Company Representatives (for multiple staff regional representative to live and work in of Affiliate-member companies) are $260. Florida. The regional staff member will serve Associate and International Superintendent as a link between GCSAA and the state’s 12 Member dues are $160, equal to the Class C chapters and will act as a resource for individ­ dues approved in Orlando. ual members and for Florida chapters and student chapters. The new regional rep will be charged with growing shared membership numbers and If any of you want to discuss these, or any penetration rates in the state, boosting other GCSAA-related issues, please don’t hes­ Florida member participation in the Golf itate to give me a call. I hope to continue Industry Show and GCSAA/external educa­ these updates to keep you informed about tion programs, and increasing the “net pro­ GCSAA activities as the year goes on. moter score” for GCSAA and its website John O’Keefe, a director on the GCSAA board, is among Florida member superintendents. We hope to have the new rep up and run­ director of golf course management at Preakness Hills Country Club in Wayne, NJ. ning this coming fall. Stay Tuned Scorecard Two-Ball Qualifiers Flock to Dellwood We had a large field and great weather for our annual Two-Ball Qualifier held this year on April 24 at Dellwood Country Club. The course was in tremendous shape—thanks to Joe Gardner and his staff—and the entire Dellwood team was a pleasure to work with. Many thanks to everyone at Dellwood for hosting our event. As always, with such a large field of con­ testants vying for a spot in the Two-Ball competition, some teams weren’t able to qualify. Please be sure to visit our website at www.metgcsa.org for the lowdown on not only who qualified for the Two-Ball, but also how the teams are faring in Round One of the competition. Many of the teams have already completed their first round matches. If you are playing in the event, note that all matches should be completed by the follow­ ing dates: Match 1 ~ June 22 Match 2 ~ July 27 Match 3 ~ August 29 Final ~ September 28 This promises to be another exciting season- Closest to the Pin long event. Good luck to one and all! #3 Brian Benedict, The Seawane Club 6' 3” In the meantime, here’s a look at the day’s #9 Chip Lafferty, Rye GC 6' 11" golf results: # 13 JeffThrasher Second Nature Tree & Landscape Co. 10'10" Event of the Day Results #18 Tom Weinert, Plant Food Company 16' Low Gross Winners 73 Mike Benz/Mark Chant Middle Bay CC/Colonial Springs GC 74 Sean Cain/JeffWentworth Sunningdale CC/Pelham CC 75 Tom Ashfield/ Andy Drohen Quaker Ridge GC/Agrium Advanced Technologies On June 3, Pelham Country Club hosted or Guest Team this year’s Superintendent/Manager/Guest Member/Member Results Tournament. Though it was a limited-field, Tuesday-afternoon event, a whopping 68 Net Team Winner superintendents, managers, and guests en­ Tony Girardi/Dave Wallace joyed the fine weather and great conditions. 60 Rockrimmon Country Club/Tee & Green This is a testament to host Superintendent Sod Jeff Wentworth and his staff. Here’s how the golf panned out: Gross Team Winner 71 Blake Halderman/Matt Plosila Superintendent/Manager Team Brae Burn Country Club Results 65 Rick Schock/Charles Torrence Aspetuck Valley Country Club 68 Tim Garceau/Keith Branche The Tuxedo Club Gross Team Winners 75 Chad Esposito/Pete Maier Highland Golf Club 76 Glen Dube/Scott Klemme Centennial Golf Club - Ken Benoit, CGCS Member News Low Net Winners 64 Jon Barlok/Kevin Seibel Turf Products Corp. /Century CC 64 Dennis Granahan/Jim Schell Navesink CC/The Stanwich Club 64 Scott Apgar/Brett Chapin Metro Turf Specialists /Redding CC Superintendent/Manager/Guest Tournament Net Team Winners Longest Drive #5 Andy Drohen Agrium Advanced Technologies #10 Ken Benoit, GlenArbor GC Closest to the Pin #5 Mike Galluzo, Willow Ridge CC 15’ #8 Bob Huet, Guest 4' #10 Frank Benzakour, Middle Bay CC 9’ 2" #18 Blake Halderman, Brae Burn CC 6’ 3" Longest Drive #12 Tony Hooks, Pelham/Split Rock GC - David Dudones/Ken Benoit, CGCS New Member Please join us in welcoming new MetGCSA Class C member Brendan French of Willow Ridge Country Club in Harri­ son, NY. Members on the Move • Rob Alonzi is the new superintendent at Fenway GC in Scarsdale, NY. Previous position: Superintendent at St. Andrew’s GC, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. • Don Asinski is the new superintendent at Marine Park GC in Brooklyn, NY. Previous position: Assistant superintendent at Pelham CC, Pelham Manor, NY. • Justin Gabrenas is the new superin­ tendent at Lake Waramaug CC in New Preston, CT. Previous position: Assistant superintendent at Silver Spring CC, Ridgefield, CT. • Rob Milar is the new superintendent at St. Andrew’s GC in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. Previous position: Assistant superin­ tendent at Westchester CC, Rye, NY. In Sympathy We would like to offer our condolences to Blake Halderman of Brae Burn Country Club. Blake’s mother, Sandi Halderman, passed away on April 29. Spotlight Summer Social on the Hudson Ardsley Country Club and Matt DuTremble to Host Metys Social Event of the Year wl by Kevin Collins M 1 m n Wednesday, July 30, Ardsley H Country Club and Superintendent Matt DuTremble will host the MetGCSA’s 2008 Summer Social. What bet­ ter setting for this special event— one of the Met’s most popular of the year—than the picturesque and historic Ardsley Country Club, which offers spectacular, panoramic views of the Hudson River. The clubhouse, where this gala event will take place, is perched on top of North Mountain, commanding superb views west across the Hudson Valley to the Palisades and mountain range beyond. Just 20 miles from New York City, the club first opened in 1895 as “The Ardsley Casino,” with the support of some of the most notable and successful men in the U.S.: Cornelius Vanderbilt, J.P. Morgan, and William Rocke­ feller among them. Back then, the clubhouse was located on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River and had a private dock to accommodate the yachts of Casino members. It also boasted a private railroad depot, enabling its wealthy members to arrive in style. Noted as “the finest and longest golf course in the world,” Ardsley was designed by golf­ ing great of that era, Willie Dunn, who was hired as the club’s first golf pro. As the club acquired more land, the course was moved away from the river and re­ designed in 1919 by Donald Ross and, again in 1928, by Dr. Allister Mackenzie. Ardsley Country Club is Horn In 1936, the old Casino clubhouse was torn down, and the club assumed its current name, The Ardsley Country Club. Thirty-three years later, in 1966, the ever-evolving club moved its clubhouse one last time to its pres­ ent location, the former Frank Jay Gould estate. The course, too, was altered—this time by Robert Trent Jones, who eliminated the last two holes along Broadway and turned Mackenzies 15th into todays striking par 4 first hole with its 135-foot-elevation drop from tee to fairway. Ardsley’s renovation work didn’t stop there. In the mid-’90s, the course was tweaked again under the watchful eye of Marvin Armstrong, and in 2003, the club embarked on a major Ken Dye renovation, M att DuTremble which offered Matt his entrée into the club, first as renovation project manager and, nearly In addition to being the launching pad for a year later, as Ardsley s superintendent. Matt’s career, Sleepy served another, more important purpose in his life. “I met my wife, Kristen, while at Sleepy,” says Matt, explaining that she was the club’s food and beverage manager. A New England boy at heart, Matt fondly “One day, as I was walking into the club­ recalls his childhood as one of seven children: house with Paul Gursky, I spotted her. One “My parents both worked in education. My look is all it took,” he continues. “I turned to dad was a principal and my mom a teacher Paul and said,‘I’m going to marry that girl one and librarian. We were raised in Connecticut day.’” And that he did, with Tom Leahy play­ and moved to Vermont when I was 13. My ing an important role in the setup of Matt’s parents are both great people,” says Matt. marriage proposal. “Under the pretense of teaching Kristen to “They gave all of us the independence to chart our own course with a lot of love and play golf,” remembers Tom, “Matt had her out on the course. He instructed me, beforehand, support.” The course Matt chose to chart—from the to place an engagement ring in the cup on the time he entered high school—was turfgrass 4th hole. I hid in the woods until I saw them management. “My neighbor, an assistant at tee off and ran up to the green to deposit the the Quechee Club in Vermont, told me they ring.” “The rest is history,” Matt happily reports, were looking for crew members. I worked there every summer throughout high school. adding, “Kristen and I have been together for Then as soon as I graduated, I approached 10 years and married for almost six. We have Quechee Super Ken Lallier and told him, ‘I two great kids, Joey, 3, and James, 9 months.” want to go to school for this. I want to be treated like an intern.’ Ken replied, ‘Okay, you’re working every weekend from here on January of 2003 is when Matt left Sleepy to out.’” Certain about his career path, Matt en­ become project manager for the sizable Ken rolled in the UMass turf program in 1994, Dye renovation at Ardsley. “The project was interning at Westchester with Joe Alonzi. “I huge,” recalls Matt. “We rebuilt all of the tees worked for Joe for three summers and a cou­ and bunkers and expanded or recontoured 14 ple of winter breaks, making friendships there of the existing greens. We shortened and rebuilt the 18th hole, dug four new ponds, that will last forever,” says Matt. reconfigured the driving range, and added a practice facility. This was all done while play was still going on.” In less than a year, Matt had proved his met­ In 1998, Matt graduated from UMass more than ready for his first position as assistant tle, and Ardsley offered him his first and cur­ super at Sleepy Hollow. “Sleepy was a great rent superintendent’s position. place to work,” remembers Matt. “I worked Be sure to come on over to Ardsley July 30 with Tom Leahy for five years. He gave me for a relaxing and fun-filled evening with fel­ and Paul Gursky, also an assistant at the time, a low Met members. lot of responsibility while we were preparing for the USGA Women’s Amateur in 2002. Kevin Collins, a member of the Tee to Green Not only did I learn a lot from Tom, but I also Editorial Committee, is Northeast territory manager forAquatrols Corp. ofAmerica. found in Tom a great friend.” Matt s Launch Into Holt Course Management Ardsley Beckoned Life After UMass Don't Miss These Upcoming Events! Be sure to mark your calendars with the following upcoming golf and social events. For fur­ ther information, please contact the appropriate committee chairmen. For professional events, contact either of our Tournament Committee co-chairs: Blake Halderman at 914946-1074 or Ken Benoit at 914-241-0700. Our Social & Welfare Committee co-chairs are Tom Leahy (914-941-8281) and Bob Nielsen (914-234-3779). Both are available to discuss any upcoming social events. Summer Social Wednesday,July 30 Ardsley Country Club Ardsley-on-Hudson, NY Host: Matt Dutremble Education Meeting Wednesday, August 6 Leewood Golf Club Eastchester, NY Host: Trapper Van Dunk Family Picnic Tuesday;August 26 Site TBA Met Championship and Met Area Team Championship Qualifier PLUS Poa Annual Tournament Monday; September 29 The Seawane Club, Hewlitt Harbor, NY Host: Brian Benedict Superintendent/Green Chairperson Tournament Tuesday; October 21 Rockland Country Club, Sparkill, NY Host: Matt Ceplo, CGCS Annual Assistants Championship Monday, October 21 Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, NJ Hosts: Mike Brunelle, director of grounds Tyler Ortero, golf course superintendent Gregory Eisner, assistant superintendent Met Area Team Championship Monday, October 27 Winged Foot Golf Club/West Course Mamaroneck, NY Host: Matthew Burrows Annual Meeting November Date Sc Site OPEN MetGCSA Christmas Party Friday, December 5 Metropolis Country Club White Plains, NY Host: Tony Grasso Educational Events University of Connecticut Inaugural Turfgrass Field Day ducted at the university. Tour runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with lunch at the tour’s end. Call 973-812-6467 or visit www.njturf­ grass.org for further information. Tuesday,July 22 UConn Plant Science Research and Education Facility, Storrs, CT To commemorate the 10th anniversary of its Turfgrass Science Program, the University of Connecticut’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources will host its first Turf­ grass Field Day. The field day will focus on current research projects conducted in the areas of professional and residential turfgrass management. Turfgrass managers will also have the opportunity to attemd a variety of work­ shops, visit with turfgrass vendors, and view demonstrations of the latest equipment used to manage fine turf. For further information, contact John Ka­ minski at 860-486-0162, or visit www.turf. uconn. edu/fieldday08. Thursday,July 31 UMass Joseph Troll Turf Research Center South Deerfield, MA Join UMass faculty at the Joseph Troll Turf Research Center for its first-ever evening open house. Attendees will be offered a guided first-hand look at research projects and other items of interest in the field. In addition, they will have the opportunity to hear faculty speak on the most current issues facing today’s turfgrass managers. For further information, contact the UMass Extension Turf Program office at 508892-0382 or visit www.umassturf.org and select “Conferences & Workshops.” Rutgers Turfgrass Research Field Day (Golf & Fine Turf) University of Rhode Island 77th Annual Turfgrass Field Day UMass Tu rf Open House Wednesday, August 20 Tuesday,July 29 Horticultural Farm II, New Brunswick, NJ C.R. Skogley Turfgrass Research Facility The field day offers the opportunity to tour Kingston, RI turf plots showing research trials being con­ The field day offers the opportunity to tour turf plots showing research trials being con­ ducted at the university. In addition, atten­ dees will have access to the largest gathering of regional product distributors outside the New England Regional Turfgrass Confer­ ence and Show. For further information, call 401-8742791 orvisitwww.uriturf.org. The 5th Annual Dr. Joseph Troll Turf Education Fundraiser Monday, September 29 Lyman Orchards Golf Club Middlefield, CT Superintendent Mark Pelky and Lyman Orchards Golf Club will be hosts to this year’s Joseph Troll Turf Classic on September 29. In its fifth year, the event is sponsored by the Alumni Turf Group (ATG) to raise funds for education and research at the University of Massachusetts. Entry forms and additional information on this event and the ATG are available online at www.alumniturfgroup.com. Also feel free to contact ATG President Steve Curry at 413329-4912. Trapper Van Dunk and Leewood Welcome Met Education Meeting by Greg Wojick interesting name,” I thought, when I was asked to interview our August 6 Education Meeting host—a young and rela­ tively new golf course superintendent. His unusual name conjured up all sorts of images.... A tall guy who could easily dunk a basketball and drive a van at the same time__ Not! A young guy who was more than likely nicknamed Trapper when he interned on a golf course and excelled at raking traps. Well, that’s not exactly how it went. The fact is that Trapper got his nickname from his uncle, after he and his father spent the day with him hunting and the very young Hermen—yes, that’s Trapper’s real name— had the job of guarding the traps. The nickname really took hold when Trapper would go to work with his father, Burgess, and began rak­ ing bunkers at The Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, NY. A member of the New York State’s Ramapough-Lenape Indian tribe, his dad has worked 40+ years in a variety of capacities at The Tuxedo Club, from caddy to golf course maintenance department mechanic. Trapper Finds His Falling From a very young age, Trapper felt he was destined to become an attorney. He never considered golf course work a career. “I did odd jobs at The Tuxedo Club just to spend time with my dad,” says Trapper. Then in 1994, Jay Mottola, executive director of the MG A, approached Trapper about a job with GOLFWORKS, a brand-new intern program initiated by the MGA Foundation to intro­ duce high-school-aged students to career pos­ sibilities within the golf industry. Trapper was one of the original 12 GOLFWORKS interns who kicked off what has proved to be a very successful effort by the MGA. The experience gave him a new per­ spective on the turfgrass management indus­ try. “I finally had a real job. I was working under Tuxedo’s superintendent at the time, Carney McGrady, and between him and my dad, I began to learn a lot and wanted to excel,” he recalls. Trapper’s diligence caught the attention of A1 Radko, the former director of the USGA Green Section Committee, who at the time, was consulting at Tuxedo. It was Radko who introduced Trapper to the idea of pursuing a career in turfgrass management. And the idea stuck. Trapper entered the Turfgrass Manage­ ment Program at Penn State University in 1995. Penn State and Beyond “Penn State was a big adjustment,” says Trapper, “but an even bigger surprise was how much science was taught as a part of the curriculum. The only reason I got by was because I could relate what I was learning to situations on the golf course. Somehow, I feel turf programs should factor hands-on experi­ ence into the curriculum. I also think turf schools should make Spanish a requirement. It’s critical, these days, in communicating with most maintenance staffs.” Trapper’s education certainly didn’t stop at Penn State. After earning a B.S. in turfgrass science in 1999, he went to work at The Golf Club at Mansion Ridge in Monroe, NY, for then Superintendent Ed Walsh. In 2001, he worked for David Pughe at Rockaway River Country Club in Denville, NJ, and the fol­ lowing year, for Joe Smythe and then Gabe Cirillo at Manhattan Woods Country Club in West Nyack, NY. At each club, Trapper learned new skills and also came to grips with the demanding workload and schedule that is required of superintendents. “Not only is this job hard on you physi­ cally, but the hours don’t leave you much of a social life,”Trapper laments. “At that point, I was young and felt I needed to step back and reevaluate if I wanted to do this the rest of my life. So I decided to take some time off.” Trapper stayed in touch with Ed Walsh and current Tuxedo Superintendent Tim Garceau while he contemplated his career path. Says Walsh, “I saw Trapper as a smart kid who could make it in our business.” Absense must make the heart grow fonder, because it wasn’t long before Trapper decided to return to the industry—fully committed. Leewood Bound responsibility. As a result, by the time Pete left Leewood in the fall of 2006,Trapper felt com­ fortable applying for the job. “I knew, first­ hand, the cooperation that exists between the membership and the department heads,” says Trapper. “At Leewood, you’re part of a team. The superintendent, general manager, and golf professional meet almost daily. It makes us all better able to do our jobs.” And at Leewood, Trapper does have quite a job ahead of him. In his short tenure as super­ intendent, he’s already improved conditions with some tree removal, fairway contouring, and a rigorous program to enhance the health and welfare of his greens. He’ll continue with many of these maintenance regimes while also working to improve the club’s irrigation sys­ tem and crew development. (living Back As with many superintendents faced with today’s more demanding member expecta­ tions, Trapper has a love/like relationship with the profession. “It’s tough but rewarding work,” says Trapper. “Keeping in close contact with colleagues offers great relief,” says Trapper, who is quick to acknowledge the counsel he’s received over the years from Ed Walsh, Tim Garceau, and more recently, Fenway’s Bob Alonzi, Pelham’s JeffWenworth, Rye Golf Club’s Chip Lafferty, and Scarsdale’s Matt Severino. Eager to give back to an association—and industry—that’s been so supportive to him, it’s no surprise that Trapper and Leewood agreed to host the MetGCSA’s Education Meeting. O f course, Trapper did need a little nudging from Education Chairman Glen Dube. According to Trapper, Glen called and said, “You can host the Education Meeting in August, right?” “And what could I say,” says Trapper, “except ‘yes!’” Trapper accepted a job as assistant superin­ tendent in February 2003 at Leewood under Greg Wojick, a member of the Tee to Green longtime Superintendent Pete DiRollo, who Editorial Committee, is the principal in Communiallowed Trapper to assume a good deal of tool, LLC, andfounder of Playbooks™. Support Our Advertisers!!! 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Smithfield, Rl 02896 4 Production Drive Brookfield, CT 06804 845-225-1761 Tel 845-228-1728 Fax 609-841-2077 Mobile kevin.collins@aquatrols.com 800/257-7797 Jacobsen ♦ Cushman ♦ Ryan ♦ Club Car ♦ Steiner www.aquatrols.com S o il S o lu tio n s L L C Aerification Professional David Griffin Cell 914.413.3173 7 Whittemore Place Rye Brook, NY 10573 (914) 393-0659/Fax: (914) 939-5010 Anthony Decicco & John Decicco THE ROGER RULEWICH GROUP Golf Course Design & Construction D a v id F l e u r y partner golf course construction P.0. Box 719 Harrison, N.Y. 10528 Tel 914.576.7693 Fax 914.241.6986 david@dtegolf.com Jo hn D e e r e Jim Oalladlio, CGCS Sales Representative 160 Purple Meadow Road, Bernardston, MA 01337 413.648.9303 Phone 413.648.0211 Fax M etro Turf Specialists Customers, Our Top Priority Scott A pgar, President 914-879-9357 413.537.6967 Mobile Dave@rrulewlch.com E-mail Ernie Steinhofer, CGCS -914-760-6112 Tim Joyce -516-369-6747 | Robert Steinman, CGCS -914-5884)731 Dave Conrad -914-490-3698 1 Danbury O ffice : Gary and Tom 203-748-4653 www.metroturfspecialists.com I Bayer - Quali Pro - Aquatrols - Cleary - BASF - Lebanon - Emerald Isle - Egypt Farms E/T Equipment Company, Inc. 425 South Riverside Avenue, Croton-On-Hudson, NY 10520 Phone: 914-271-6126 Fax: 914-271-6163 Cell: 914-629-8667 www.etequipment.com jcalladio@etequipment.com turf products corporation Proud Supporters of Metropolitan GCSA Jon Barlok Pat Cragin Commercial Equipment Golf Irrigation (860) 729-2237 (860)874-2812 157 Moody Road • RO. 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