Iliianl «f Directors

M^ etG
Cest1SA9 5 9
^
President
BLAKE HALDERMAN, CGCS

Brae Burn Country Club
Vice President
GLEN DUBE, CGCS

Centennial Golf Club
Treasurer
DAVID DUDONES

Cover: Spook Rock
Golf Course
Cover photo by
Eric Madar.

North Jersey Country Club

Secretary
KENNETH BENOIT JR., CGCS

GlenArbor Golf Club

Past President
ROBERT NIELSEN JR., CGCS

Bedford Golf & Tennis Club
Directors
ROBERT B. ALONZI JR.

Fenway Golf Club
BRETT CHAPIN

Redding Country Club
DOUG DRUGO

Wee Burn Country Club
ANTHONY HOOKS

Richmond County Country Club

VINCENT PAVONETTI, CGCS

Fairview Country Club

ROBERT WOLVERTON

Edgewood Country Club
Class “C” Rep
GEORGE CHAVEZ

Pelham Country Club
Class “AF” Rep
KEVIN COLLINS

Aquatrols

Executive Director
ED BROCKNER
Executive Secretary
SUSAN O ’DOWD

Tee to Green Stalf
Editor
JIM PAVONETTI
203-531-8910
Managing Editor
PANDORA C.WOJICK
Editorial Committee
ADDISON BARDEN
SCOTT NIVEN
MATT CEPLO
LARRY PAKKALA J
MIKE REEB
KEVIN COLLINS
BILL CYGAN
TODD SALAMONE
CHIP LAFFERTY
RYAN SEGRUE
GREG WOJICK
I STEVEN MCGLONE
Designer
TERRIE YOUNG
Advertising Manager
BRETT CHAPIN, 203-938-9240
TEE TO GREEN is published bimonthly by the Metropolitan Golf
Course Superintendents Association
49 Knollwood Road, El msford, N Y 10523-2819
914-347-4653, FAX: 914-347-3437, METGCSA.ORG
Copyright © 2 0 1 3

\ this Issue

Feature

Safety Doesn’t Happen by Accident .........................

When it comes to maintaining a golf course, safety training is
one of those not-so-obvious keys to success.

Ted Horton’s Words to the Wise o n ............................
Employee Safety Training

Departments;
U pcom ing E ven ts...............................................................................................9
Member N ew s.....................................................................................................10
Chapter N ew s.....................................................................................................12
Spotlights...............................................
15

n

i

i

i

I

n
\

\

Weathering

\

\c/

generally try to refrain from dis­
cussing the one thing were battling on the
job all the time: the weather. This season,
however, I feel I would be doing us all a dis! service if I didn’t take a moment to reflect
on the seasons perfect storm of events that
led to highly precarious growing conditions.
We started in the spring with very cool
Lconditions, which left little time for the turf
to recover from aerification or to make
headway on essential root growth heading
into summer. Then, in a large portion of the
tri-state area, June brought with it recordbreaking rainfall that, in turn, brought on
disease and a host of other issues associated
?with wet surfaces and anaerobic conditions.
If that wasn’t bad enough, July brought with
it a heat wave that left turf managers with
soil and canopy temperatures approaching
110 degrees in certain microenvironments.
Throw a little rain into the mix and your
grass is cooked—quite literally.
’ Ukl
Whether you hosted a PGA Tour event or
just prepared for normal member or guest
play, we all have had to deal with the same
challenges . . . and a relentless Mother Na­
!
j
a
f
”1 ' V
ture. The only positive outcome in all this
Iwas that it seemed people actually adjusted
f
1
their level of expectations, particularly when
it came to summer green speeds. It was nice,
1 1
i%
for
instance, to hear all the commentators
¡1
1
supporting slower greens on the PGA and
î
I
Senior PGA Tours this season. I heard one
announcer say, “Although the greens don’t
look great on TV, they are alive and playing
i I V~*
\ i i s well. They need to give the course back to
the members on Monday, and the mainte|ance staff must protect them.”
f ' ' 1 J i hd
Then at the PGA Championship, the head
of the PGA Tour declined to discuss the
fcgreen speeds in number terms because, as he
put it, “It’s not fair to other golf courses to
expect tournament conditions on a daily
basis.” He went on to say only that the green
speeds that week were right where he
wanted them to be.
Now that’s what I like to hear!

Another

Tough Season

,1 ,1
i t'
1
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4

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tt

, J St

i

K * r f c l'n
!

jl ? 1 !
1
** ^

t

Blake Halderman, CGCS
MetGCSA President

MetGCSA Rounds 4 Research Yield
Impressive Results

On another positive note, I want to thank all
of you for your support in raising funds for
the MetGCSA, which will be used to offset
costs associated with the New York Best
Management Practices Initiative and other
research-based programs, such as education,
scholarships, advocacy, and agronomic re­
search throughout the Met area.
The MetGCSA led all associations with
the highest bid-to-value ratio. Rounds went
for more than 68 percent of their value,
which translated into more than $13,500 for
our association to allocate to worthy causes.
For those of you who donated rounds, we
can’t thank you enough for your support. For
those who missed out on this great opportu­
nity to support the MetGCSA, we hope you
will consider joining us next year!

Pre-Delegates Meeting Yews

Once again our past president, Bob Nielsen
of Bedford Golf & Tennis, will represent the
MetGCSA in Lawrence, KS, in early Octo­
ber at GCSAAs Chapter Delegates Meeting.
As our chapter delegate for the past eight
years, Bob is not only a skilled rep of our
association, but also a great source of knowl­
edge about GCSAA and its inner workings.
At this meeting, one of the major topics of
discussion will be to talk about what our
profession and industry will be like in the
year 2020 and what we will need to do to
meet the expectations of our club members.
Another focus is to meet and greet the
candidates running for the GCSAA Board
continued on page 9

I
Tee to Green July/August 2013
*

>v

P s t- ’

luikc Isle Superintendent
Ryan Segrue and crew
foreman Mike Mulqueen
reviewfeatures of the
triplex thoiver.
Tee to Green July /August 2013

at the golf course is often overlooked in
favor of doing what we do best: providing
our clientele with superb playing conditions
while meeting that increasingly important
bottom line. So yes, sometimes employee
safety training takes a backseat to venting,
rolling an extra day, or double-cutting
greens. It’s a tradeoff most superintendents
don’t think twice about ... until, perhaps, an
accident happens. Then they realize that
ignoring safety training is one of the cost­
liest mistakes a golf course manager can
make.
The reality is that no matter how good
your golf course looks, your job can be in
jeopardy if there are serious accidents, work­
ers’ compensation claims, or injured golfers.
But beyond that, golf facilities—like any
business—have a moral and legal obligation
to provide a safe work environment and also
a safe place for golfers to play.
In my second season as superintendent at
ValleyCrest Golf Course Maintenance at
Lake Isle Country Club, where my organi­
zation puts a high priority on employee
safety training, I realize now, more than ever,
the extreme importance of taking the time
to properly train employees. Not only does
it help to keep employees—and golfers—out
of harm’s way, it offers great peace of mind
knowing that while you can’t always take
danger away, you can provide the tools
needed to help your staff avoid dangerous
situations.
I’m so convinced of the merits of safety
training that I’ve combined some of the
thoughts and practices of area superintend­
ents, culled from a recent survey I con­
ducted, with some of the many principles
I’ve learned in implementing—and main­
taining—a successful safety training pro­
gram on my course at Lake Isle.
Whether you are thinking about imple­
menting a safety program for the first time
or just enhancing the one you have, the arti­
cle that follows should give you a few triedand-true measures to help you make safety a
priority on your course.

Where Do I Start?

As the property manager at your facility, it’s
up to you to develop a safety program tai­
lored to your property’s specific safety haz­
ards and challenges. You might start with an
internal audit to assess your facility’s short­
comings. Then prioritize the things that
need to be done. Are your MSDS sheets
accessible? Do you have well-stocked firstaid kits? Do you provide personal protective
equipment along with instructions for using
it? Do you have an emergency evacuation
plan in place? Equipment safety training?
And the list goes on.
If you find this task too overwhelming—
and it certainly can be—you have the option
of hiring a consultant to do it for you. There
are people out there who were inspectors in
a past life and are knowledgeable about the
rules and regulations on golf courses. You
might also find guidance from your facility’s
insurance company.
Ted Horton of THC-Ted Horton Con­
sulting and former superintendent of West­
chester, Winged Foot, and Pebble Beach golf
courses, suggests a slightly more do-it-your­
self approach, looking outside of our indus­
try for successful safety programs that can
easily be adapted to your facility’s particular
needs. His favorite: The Dupont “STOP for
Safety” program. “This program became a
very important base for safety programs that
I used for years,” says Ted. (See article on
page 8 for more tips from Ted.)
Another highly recommended resource is
called Golf Safety (golfsafety.com), which is
a risk-compliance company. Not only does
this organization have a firm grasp on golf
course maintenance safety, it’s also inti­
mately familiar with OSHA regulations,
state-by-state.
Quaker Ridge Superintendent Tom Ashfield enlisted Golf Safety’s help in building
a training program for his club: “This com­
pany will write a comprehensive safety pro­
gram for your facility that includes hazards
and exposures specific to your property,
as well as OSHA-required programs, cur­
rent Material Safety Data Sheets, and other

safety management policies and procedures
necessary to prevent injuries and illnesses in
your workplace,” says Tom. “We’ve used the
club’s monthly DVD safety training service,
which is based on topics you’d like to cover.
Included with the DVDs is an instructor’s
guide and quizzes for staff—basically,
everything you need to conduct a safety
meeting,” he adds.
Like many other companies out there,
Golf Safety’s videos and custom programs
are available in both English and Spanish.
But as with any outsourced program, the
deeper you get into a safety program, the
more money it will cost. This organization’s
basic safety video plan starts at $200 per
month, which is a pretty good deal when
you consider what it might take to get out
of a worker’s comp claim or an OSHA
violation!
Among our survey respondents, videos
and live demonstrations tend to be the
training methods of choice. Several, like
Tom at Quaker, also have their employees
go through more formal training, using
booklets and quizzes to ensure they’ve
learned the essentials. “We’ve used training
manuals and SOPs for all our mowing and
standard jobs,” says North Jersey Country
Club’s David Dudones. “Then we have the
employees sign to acknowledge they’ve re­
viewed the information.”

Ensuring Your Fac ility Is I p to Snuff

No matter which program or video option
you settle on for your facility, safety train­
ing starts by ensuring your maintenance
facility is orderly and free of hazards and
violations—inside and out. At our facility,
we started with keeping not only a wellorganized storage area, but also a tidy break
room and, yes, restrooms as well, rotating
responsibility among crew members for
managing these areas.
In and around our storage area we ensure,
among other things, that:
• each piece of equipment has its own
parking area to avoid time wasted moving
several mowers to get to the one you need

Tee to Green July /August 2013

Timeinvested in
educating employees
on proper equipment
operation is time well
spent. Not only will it
result in greater
employee safety, but
also fewer repair bills
as employees learn to
operate equipment
appropriately and
recognize minor
problems before they
become major
headaches.

Lake Isle crewforeman
Mike Mulqueen and mechanic
Chris Morra discuss equipment
operation.

• tools are well marked and placed where
they are easy to find
• designated walkways are marked and
painted to eliminate tripping hazards and
ensure a safe flow of traffic throughout the
facility
• combustibles, e.g., paint, oil, and gas, are
stored in fire-resistant cabinets to avoid an
explosion in the event of a fire
We also ensure that our facility’s outside
yard is as neat and pristine as the golf course.
With these practices in place, employees
start and end their day thinking about clean­
liness and safety
karningthelnsand Outs of
Ki|iii|)im>nt Operation

We all know of a person or two who’s lost
a finger or toe in an equipment mishap. So
job number one at the start of each season
is bringing employees—particularly new
ones—up-to-speed on the various pieces of
equipment used in golf course maintenance.
The training can be as simple as taking
employees through the basics of how to
safely operate a machine or as complex as
requiring employees to complete a step-bystep equipment certification checklist that
details how to use each machine and re­
quires employees to sign the checklist, stat­
ing they understand how to properly oper­
ate the equipment.
Shorehaven Country Club’s Shannon Slevin, like most everyone we surveyed, makes
sure to document the training sessions he
runs, which is a smart way to relieve your
facility of any liability if an accident were to
happen.
Another, often more palatable training
method, is to have employees watch opera­
tor and safety videos available through your
equipment suppliers in both English and
Spanish. The saying, “A picture is worth a
thousand words” might ring true in your
operation. Many times it’s not what you tell
employees, but rather what they see that
makes a lasting impression.
Last but not least, why not enlist your
mechanic to demonstrate how to operate
the machinery in a safe and prudent man­
ner. After all, who knows better than your
mechanic the hazards of reels, blades, belts,
chains, and saws? Having the most knowl­
edgeable person on your staff custom-tailor
an equipment safety program to your opera­
tion makes a good deal of sense.
At the same time, it’s the mechanic’s re­
sponsibility to make sure each piece of
equipment is in top repair before it goes out.
Checking all safety switches and making
sure all guards are in place and functioning
properly is of vital importance. These meas­

ures ensure the safety of not only our em­
ployees but the golfing public as well. If a
switch or guard is not functioning correctly,
it should be locked and tagged out until
repairs can be performed.
A lot of our equipment also features roll­
over protection safety (ROPS), which con­
sists of a roll bar and seatbelt. To serve its
purpose, the ROPS needs both the roll bar
and seatbelt to function properly. If one or
the other is damaged, the machine should
be tagged out. Employees should always
wear their seatbelt when a roll bar is on a
machine or run the risk of being crushed by
the equipment.
In the end, time invested in educating
employees on proper equipment operation
is time well spent. Not only will it result
in greater employee safety, but also fewer
repair bills as employees learn to operate
equipment appropriately and recognize mi­
nor problems before they become major
headaches.

keeping Employees Out of
Harm's Way

Right behind operating equipment safely is
requiring that employees use personal pro­
tective equipment (PPE). I’m sure most of us
offer our employees safety glasses, earplugs,
gloves, chaps, and helmets, but how many of
us actually require that they wear them? All
but one of our survey respondents required
their employees to use PPE, but often only
to protect their eyes and ears. Top on my
must-wear list:
• Safety glasses. Every employee should be
issued a pair of safety glasses and educated
on the importance of wearing them for all
duties on the golf course. With the amount
of debris and rocks that bunker raking or
trimming and rotary mowing alone can
kick up, employees who don’t wear safety
glasses are at risk for lifelong vision prob­
lems, loss of vision, or worst case, loss of an
eye.
I did hear of a super who purchased a
more contemporary style of safety glasses
that he outfitted with chums (straps) and
found that employees not only took better
care of the glasses, but also enjoyed wearing
them. That’s a small investment to make to
protect your employees’ eyes.
• Helmets. If you don’t require that helmets
be worn on your property, you might want
to reconsider. The OSHA rulebook states,
“The employer shall ensure that each af­
fected employee wears a protective helmet
when working in areas where there is a
potential for falling objects.” The most
likely “falling objects” on a golf course
would be—you guessed it—golf balls.

While this OSHA standard does not
specifically mention golf courses, there’s lit­
tle doubt that if you had a surprise inspec­
tion and your employees weren't wearing
helmets, you’d get hit with a fine. And you
can be even more certain that if an em­
ployee were injured or, worse, killed by a
“falling object” while not wearing a protec­
tive helmet, you would be opening your
checkbook.
You could try to entice employees to
wear helmets by varying from the standard

white. I’ve heard of supers supplying helmets
imprinted with employees’ favorite sports
logos, and locally, Fairview s Jim Pavonetti
bought helmets that look like safari hats.
“The guys who mow rough actually seem to
enjoy wearing them,” he says. If this tack
works, it’s well worth the extra expense and
effort.
• Earplugs or earmuffs. Excessive exposure
to high levels of noise can, over time, cause
permanent hearing loss, so it’s essential that
employees using power equipment, as well as
those working in close proximity to them, be
outfitted with earplugs or earmuffs. It’s also
important that they be trained on the proper
fit, use, and care of these hearing protection
devices.
We also ask that employees never wear
earphones that play music while operating
machines. Not only does it impair their
ability to hear if there’s a problem with the
machine while operating it, but playing
music loud enough to enjoy over the ma­
chinery is sure to cause hearing loss down
the road! Hearing loss happens gradually,
and it’s our responsibility to protect employ­
ees from damaging noise exposure while on
the job.

Ensuring Safety on the Course

Another important aspect of employee—
and golfer—safety is to train your staff to be
on the lookout for any unsafe situations on
the golf course and property. My top three:
• Potential physical hazards. Are there any
low-hanging or dangling tree limbs, uneven
steps or other areas that could cause a golfer
or employee to slip, trip, or fall? Are there
areas where poison ivy or bee or hornet nests
could present a threat to employees or golf­
ers with serious allergies? There are myriad
other potential hazards that your employees
should be trained to note and report—
before an accident happens.
• Golf cart safety. The golf cart is the most
widely used piece of equipment on the golf

Wearing a safari-type helmet, Fairview
Country Club crew member Enrique Martinez
makes safety lookfashionable.

Tee to Greenju ly/August 2013

when the lightning system is activated. The
golf maintenance staff should be privy to
this information as well, not only to help
golfers do the right thing, but also to protect
themselves in a lightning storm.
One often overlooked aspect of lightning
safety is ensuring the safety of rain shelters.
To protect against a lightning strike, these
structures need to be properly grounded or
they can become dangerous targets during a
storm.
With these simple precautions, accidents
that a facility can be held accountable for
can be greatly reduced, if not eliminated.
course by both staff and golfers, yet it’s the
one thing that often gets overlooked when
developing a safety plan. It’s important that
we scan cart paths regularly for potholes or
debris that can knock a cart off course. And
if your property has guardrails, they should
always be in good repair. Sharp turns and
steep slopes are other potential hazards that
should be properly marked with signage to
warn employees and golfers to drive with
caution.
• Lightning. Lightning is the most danger­
ous hazard that golfers and staff can
encounter on the golf course. The wideopen spaces, tall trees, and the metal clubs
being used are all reasons to seek shelter
when lightning is in the area. More people
than you think are killed every year due to
lightning.
Most properties have lightning detection
and warning systems already in place. If your
property does not, it may be an investment
worth making. Signs should be posted in
visible areas—on golf carts, bag tags, scorecards, in locker rooms, and in the pro shop—
informing players of the proper protocol

Morepeople than you
think are killed every year
due to lightning.
Tee to Green July /August 2013

knowing How lo Respond in an
Emergency

A crucial aspect of any safety training pro­
gram is to have an emergency plan in place
and employees who have been taught how
to respond in the event of an emergency.

Here are a few key points:
• Maintenance staff members should be
aware of the location of all Automated Ex­
ternal Defibrillators (AEDs) and firstaid supplies on the property. Just like with
lightning safety procedures, the locations of
these items should be listed in conspicuous
areas for all golfers to review in case of an
emergency.
• At least one person trained in the more
technical aspects of emergency response
(e.g., CPR and defibrillator operation)
should be onsite at all times. Golf courses are
one of the top five places where cardiac
arrest occurs, so we need to be properly
trained and prepared to react to those types
of situations.
• Publicize emergency procedures in your
facility’s monthly newsletter; at the same
time, make members aware that your main­
tenance staff is prepared to help. O f course,
it’s likely that not every member of the
maintenance staff will be capable of re­
sponding in an emergency situation, but
every employee should know the appropri­

ate people to contact in an emergency.
Assistants, mechanics, and foreman are gen­
erally well informed about emergency pro­
cedures and should, without a doubt, be the
go-to people on your staff.
• It’s a good idea to run drills to ensure
employees know how to handle an emer­
gency situation—particularly a life-threat­
ening one— before it happens.
If and when an accident occurs, first re­
sponders and others on the scene will need
to fill out a written accident report indicat­
ing what happened and what the area looked
like when they arrived. Insurance companies
and legal counsel frequently request these
reports. For that reason, it’s important that
the form be filled out accurately with the
date and time, as well as any corrective
measures planned to prevent future acci­
dents. It’s also helpful to include photos or a
video.
Interestingly, the majority of the people
we surveyed did not have a formal emer­
gency response plan in place, but those who
did seemed to hit the high points. Quaker’s
Tom Ashfield and Fairview’s Jim Pavonetti
have plans they review with employees at
least twice a year, detailing in particular
how to handle fires, heavy storms (hurri­
canes), injuries, and electrical storms.
Stanwich’s Scott Niven makes sure that
his assistants and a few selected staff mem­
bers are aware of their emergency response
plan, while North Jersey Country Club’s
David Dudones puts his time and energy
into a Hazard Communication Plan, which
not only puts him in good stead with
OSHA, but also ensures employees know
how to handle hazardous materials responsi­
bly and respond appropriately if a spill were
to occur.
Also interesting was that the superintend­
ents at only two clubs in our survey—
Quaker Ridge and Fairview—were actually
held to any safety standards. “At Quaker,
were expected to have an employee safety
program in place that includes a safe chemi­
cal handling program and first-aid and CPR
training,” says Tom. Jim Pavonetti is re­
quired to remain CPR and First-Aid certi­
fied. “Certification is good for two years, so
we hold classes every year at the club,” says
Jim. “I go every other year, and my assistants
and mechanic go the opposite years.”

Don’t Let OSHA Get You

Through the survey process, I came to real­
ize that few superintendents are aware of
the OSHA requirements that could come
back to bite them if their course were ever
subjected to an inspection. No matter how
thorough you feel your safety program is, it’s
in your best interest to be sure it takes into
account OSHA requirements, which are de-

can cover this material with your staff
Though
itis relativelyyou
on a rainy day or break it up into five 10- to
15-minute meetings over the course of the
rarefor
OSHA to conductseason.
golf course inspections,
Once the training is complete, be sure to
document
keep it on file for OSHA to
they can and do happen, review in theand event
of an accident. Main­
taining
accurate
training
records can save
especially if an accident you a huge headache if an inspector
calls.
If you would like more information on
occurs on your property. OSHA
requirements, you’ll find it on
signed to ensure that facilities “provide a
place of employment free from recognized
hazards that will or are likely to cause death
or serious physical harm to employees.” This
is also known as OSHAs general duty clause
and one of the most cited violations during
OSHA inspections.
Though it is relatively rare for OSHA to
conduct golf course inspections, they can
and do happen, especially if an accident oc­
curs on your property. In June, a freak acci­
dent where several employees were injured
by lightning on a course in Connecticut led
OSHA to come calling the following day.
During the inspection, the course was fined
a whopping $11,600 for violation of the
general duty clause. Keeping our properties
and employees OSHA compliant is clearly
important not just from a safety perspective,
but from a financial perspective as well.
Here are the five OSHA requirements
you’d do well to weave in to your main­
tenance staff safety training program if you
haven’t already:
• A Hazardous Communication Program
covering the basics of working around haz­
ardous materials. Each employee should also
be able to locate and use MSDS data sheets
and spill kits.
• Lockout/Tagout training designed to
teach employees to shut off and then tag
dangerous machines so that everyone is
aware that those pieces of equipment are out
of commission until proper maintenance
has been performed.
• Blood-born Pathogen guidelines to en­
sure employees avoid on-the-job transmis­
sion of hepatitis-B and the HIV virus.
Should this rare, but possible, type of situa­
tion present itself on the golf course, em­
ployees need to know the procedures and
precautions.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
training to ensure employees recognize
how and when to use PPE required by law
for operators and applicators.
• Fire safety training to ensure employees
are well versed in how to handle a fire, in­
cluding operating a fire extinguisher and
executing an evacuation plan.
If incorporating these five topics into
your training program seems like more
trouble than it’s worth, keep in mind that

OSHAs website: osha.gov.

tries to create a consistent awareness of
safety by bringing it up at regular intervals
during the season.
New staff training seems to trump all
other training, which makes sense. David
Dudones runs a lengthier meeting at the
beginning of the season for newcomers to
the staff, while, in addition, Jim Pavonetti
offers added training for anyone perform­
ing a task or operating a piece of equipment
for the first time.

Milking ¡1 Program Work

Once you have a safety program in place,
there are several steps you can take to ensure
its success. Here’s what I, and other superin­
tendents I surveyed, have found helpful.
• Keep it consistent. I have found that
committing a minimum of 15 minutes a
week to teaching and reviewing safety top­
ics with your staff is ideal. If you can spare a
little more time, it’s nice to allow another 15
minutes or so for discussion. This is a great
opportunity to review any accidents or close
calls that anyone has experienced.
Along with a meeting time limit, it’s good
if you can establish a consistent starting
time for your training sessions. One super­
intendent felt rounding up the crew a halfhour before the scheduled lunch break
worked best.
Time spent on training among our survey
respondents ranged from one to five hours
over the course of a month. Pelham’s Jeff
Wentworth, along with a number of the
others we spoke to, found rainy days the best
time to squeeze training into a busy sched­
ule. In addition to capitalizing on bad
weather, The Stanwich Club’s Scott Niven

The Seven Key Points o f a
W ell-Planned Employee
Safety Program
An effective employee safety pro­
gram incorporates the following
points:
Responsibility for administering
the program
Compliance with the program
Communication of safety and
health information
Identification and evaluation of
workplace hazards
Investigation of occupational
injuries and illness
Correction of unsafe conditions
or behaviors
Employee information and
training

• Add interest to your sessions. To spice
things up now and then, it’s great to call in a
guest speaker who could offer some real-life
experience. Some of the more interesting
ideas I’ve heard about were a chiropractor
presenting safe lifting practices and back
injury prevention; a first-aid supplier re­
viewing the various components of a firstaid kit; a fireman on fire extinguisher safety;
and an EMT on emergency response. Get
creative. Do anything to make safety train­
ing something to look forward to, rather
than dread.
• Enlist the support of your supervisory
staff. Most everyone we surveyed seems
to involve assistants or mechanics in train­
ing employees. Ridgewood Country Club’s
Todd Raisch was one who gave both his
assistants and mechanic the lion’s share of
the responsibility for showing staff the
ropes.
Employees look to their higher-ups for
cues on proper conduct, which means that in
addition to training employees, you and
your assistants, foreman, and mechanic must
consistently demonstrate the program’s
principles in your daily practices. If, for
instance, you want crew members to wear
safety glasses when raking bunkers, then
wear the glasses yourself while showing
them how to do the job. As the Dupont pro­
gram espouses,“You will achieve the level of
safety that you demonstrate you want to
achieve.”
• Reinforce safe work practices. Another
tack that seems to work in driving home the
Tee to Green July /August 2013

importance of adhering to your safety pro­
gram is to empower key people on your
staff—your assistants or foreman, for
instance—to reinforce safe work practices
and correct any unsafe behaviors. This not
only sends a strong signal that safety counts,
it also gives your assistants or foreman a bit
more authority in your staff’s eyes, increas­
ing the likelihood that staff will comply.
They’ll come to know that “Big Brother” is
watching!
“At North Jersey,” says Dave, “we are
always quick to point out any issues that we
know have the potential to cause harm
because of unsafe actions.”
Tom regularly reminds his crew to be
aware of their surroundings. “The golf
course has many areas that compromise
safety,” he says. “We emphasize areas that
present a hazard and also seeking safety
when there’s a dangerous situation out
there—a lightning storm, for instance.”
Though it may seem a bit stringent, a for­
mal disciplinary system should be put in
place to identify repeat offenders of your
safety policy. Those offenders should have to
do more training, or perhaps have their posi­
tions within your department reevaluated.
While correcting unsafe behavior works,
reinforcing safe behaviors can be even more
motivating. You might try rewarding your
staff with a cookout every other month if
the group has managed to steer clear of vio­
lations, or you could recognize high per­
formers with an award at the end of the
season. ValleyCrest Company has an annual
Safety Celebration in which four Ford 250
Pickup Trucks and numerous other smaller
awards are presented to employees who
have exhibited safety on the job.
The key is to encourage, rather than force,
employees to buy in to your safety program.
This will, no doubt, yield more lasting
results.

In the End...

Safety training is always a work in progress.
We have to continually evaluate what works
and what doesn’t, while ensuring that our
programs keep pace with the changing
needs of our facilities and the changing
rules and regulations of our industry.
With just a little bit of effort, you can put
a program in place that demonstrates your
commitment not just to safety, but to the
long-term success of your entire operation.
Ryan Segrue, a member of the Tee to Green
Editorial Committee, is superintendent at ValleyCrest Golf Course Maintenance at Lake Isle
Country Club in Eastchester, N Y

Tee to Green July/August 2013

Ted Horton’s Words to the Wise
on Employee Safety Training
f J

Horton, who is currently
owner of Ted Horton Consulting,
as well as the consulting superin­
tendent to ValleyCrest Golf Course Main­
tenance and the consulting advisor to the
Asian Pacific Group, has more than 45
years of highly successful work experience
in private golf and country club, resort, and
public daily fee golf course maintenance
operations. As a veteran in the golf course
industry, Ted has long been a proponent
and practitioner of golf course employee
safety training.
In the mid-’80s, well before employee
safety training was “in vogue” and Ted was
superintendent at Westchester Country
Club, he and his then assistant Mary Medonis penned an Employee Safety article
that earned them the highly respected
GCSAA Leo Feser Award.
Now, with golf course safety among his
long list of consulting services, Ted was
happy to share with us a few of his core
beliefs about initiating and maintaining a
successful employee safety training pro­
gram on your course.
1.1 think it is important for every superin­
tendent to recognize/admit that “we have a
moral and fiduciary responsibility to keep
our employees and guests safe. It’s that sim­
ple in my mind.”
2. Skilled superintendents give safety the
same attention and effort that they give to
quality, morale, cost, and production.
Why? Because when each of these areas is
given proper importance, they work to­
gether to create a strong performance. But
if even one of these areas is neglected, the
others will suffer too.

3. Zero accidents should always be the
goal. Celebrate safety often!
4. Safe and at-risk behaviors (safe and
unsafe acts) are always done by people, not
machines. This is why we must look at
everything in the workplace but concen­
trate on people and their actions to see
whether they are working safely.
5. You maintain standards by setting an
example through your own behavior and
by making sure that you are following the
desired behavior.
6. When it comes to correcting at-risk be­
haviors, silence is consent. Why? If you see
an unsafe behavior and don’t address it, the
person may think they are performing sat­
isfactorily. Others in the area will also
think the behavior is satisfactory. There
will be no reason to change.
7. When you actively address safe or unsafe
behaviors, you send a signal to the people
around you that your safety standards are
high.

When you actively address safe or unsafe
behaviors, you send a signal to the
people around you that your safety
standards are high.

Championship Qualifier PLUS
The MetGCSA and Hudson Valley GCSA
Poa Annual Tournament

President’s Message continued from page 1
of Directors. I am proud to announce
that we have officially nominated John
O ’Keefe of Preakness Hills Country Club
for the office of vice president for the
2014 GCSAA board. John has been a long­
time Met member and past president, and
we wish him well as he enters his final
three (but extremely important) years on
the board.
If you have any questions for Bob or
John about the GCSAA or would like to
be more involved in our national organi­
zation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to
them.

Get Onboard

It is never too early to start thinking about
running for the MetGCSA boardjoining
a committee, or hosting an event next
year. Our November Annual Business
Meeting is fast approaching, and that’s
where elections will take place for impor­
tant positions.
Serving on the board allows you to be
involved in the kind of decision making
that shapes the future of golf in our area
and keeps you at the forefront of the latest
developments in our industry. If you are
interested in running for the board, please
contact Matt Ceplo, our Nominating
Committee chairman.
Speaking of getting involved, please
be sure to join me at our season-ending
golf events: the Met Championship and
Met Area Team Championship Qualifier
PLUS the Poa Annual Tournament at
Spook Rock and the Superintendent/
Green Chairperson Tournament at Sunningdale. What a great way to close a chal­
lenging season!
Blake H alderm an, CGCS
President

Tuesday, September 17
Spook Rock Golf Course
Suffern, NY
Host: Daniel Madar

Met Area Team Championship

Monday, September 30
Mountain Ridge Country Club
West Caldwell, NJ
Host: Cliff Moore

Superintendent/Green Chairperson
Tournament

Tuesday, October 8
Sunningdale Country Club
Scarsdale, NY
Host: Sean Cain, CGCS

Annual Assistants Championship

Wednesday, October 23
Quaker Pudge Golf Club
Scarsdale, NY
Assistant Host: Stephen Wickstrom
Superintendent Host: Tom Ashfield

Educational Events
NYSTA's Winning Fields, Winning
Fairways Seminar

Tuesday, October 1
Bethpage State Park Golf Course and
SUNY Farmingdale, Farmingdale, NY
Winning Fairways will take place at Beth­
page and will kick off with Cornell’s Dr.
Frank Rossi leading a tour of the Bethpage
Green Course. He will discuss turf varieties
and selection, as well as how to manage turf
without pesticides. Also from Cornell, Dr.
Marty Petrovic will discuss fertility and his
latest research. And Dr. Ben McGraw of
SUNY Delhi will address how to best man­
age the annual bluegrass weevil on Long
Island.
At Winning Fields, held at SUNY Farm­
ingdale, Dominic Morales, professor emeri­
tus of SUNY Delhi, and Dr. Tamson Yeh
of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of
Suffolk County will present sports turf
management strategies. In addition, SUNY
Farmingdale’s Assistant Athletic Director
Tom Azzara and The LandTek Group’s
Kevin Malone will lead a tour discussion of
the installation and maintenance of the
newly renovated sports facilities.
For further information, contact NYSTA
at 800-873-8873 or 518-783-1229, or visit
the website at www.nysta.org.
Turf & Grounds Exposition

Tuesday-Thursday, November 12 -1 4
Rochester Riverside Convention Center
Rochester, NY
The Turf & Grounds Exposition offers an
excellent opportunity to network while re­
maining current on the latest research and

trends in turfgrass management. As always,
the expo will feature key speakers from all
segments of the green industry, as well as a
comprehensive trade show with more than
100 exhibitors.
For further information, call the show
office at 800-873-8873 or 518-783-1229,
or visit the website at www.nysta.org.
MetGCSA/CAGCS Fall Seminar

Wednesday, December 4
The Patterson Club
Fairfield, CT
Host: Jason Meersman
Save the date, and watch for details.
38th Annual New Jersey Green Expo
Turf and Landscape Conference

Tuesday —Thursday, December 10—12
Trump Taj Mahal Resort Casino
Atlantic City, NY
The New Jersey Green Expo offers a com­
prehensive educational program providing
cutting-edge applications and tactics to
guarantee green industry professionals’ suc­
cess on the job. Offering one of the largest
trade shows in the tri-state area, the expo
also provides attendees with the opportu­
nity to view the latest and greatest products
and services on the market.
For further information, call 973-8126467 or visit www.njturfgrass.org.
MetGCSA Winter Seminar

Wednesday,January 15,2014
Westchester Country Club
Rye, NY
Save the date, and watch for details.
Tee to Green July/August 2013

2013 Scholarship Recipients Named at the
Mosholu Parent/Child Scholarship Tournament

by Glen Dube, CGCS, MetGCSA Scholarship Chairman

he 2013 Scholarship Awards
Ceremony was held on August 6
— as part of the third annual Parent/
Child Scholarship Tournament at Mosholu
Golf Course. One of Americas premier First
Tee golf courses, this was the perfect venue
for our members and their children to get
out and enjoy playing the game that is such a
large part of their parents’ livelihood.
Our gracious host, Dave Moffett, who is
in his second season at Mosholu, had the
course in great shape. And the nine-hole,
2,300-yard par 32 course proved to be the
perfect setting for kids and adults of all golf­
ing abilities.
Nearly 40 participants (parent/child
teams) played in a nine-hole shotgun and
were divided into two divisions. One divi­
sion was for children 12 and over, the other
for kids 12 and under. The tournament was
free to members and, by all accounts, was a
great success. O f course, the superb weather
didn’t hurt!
At the Mosholu Parent/Child Golf Event, MetGCSA scholarship winners receive their well-deserved
awards (left to right): Teddy Norman, MetGCSA member; Frank Amodio with his daughter, Katherine;
Bill Perlee with his daughter, Sarah;John Carlone with his son, David; Mike and Lisa Cook with their
daughter,
Greg Wojick accepting the awardfor his daughter, Kara; Samual Kerr, son of David
Rockland Country Club’s Matt Ceplo and Kerr, withCourtney;
his
grandfather.
his daughter, Megan, took first place in the
12-and-over division with a one under score vision went to Team Dube. I partnered up of 37, while third place honors went to Rob
of 31. Meadow Brooks John Carlone and his with my son, Jake, and nephew, Cole. Thanks Dorsch and his daughter, Savanna, who came
son, David, took second place with an even to their putting prowess, we shot an even in with a score of 38.
par score of 32. Second place went to Kevin
When all was said and done, and my son,
par score of 32.
First place honors in the 12-and-under di­ Doyle and his daughter, Bailey, with a score nephew, and I got in the car to go home, the

lion I lie Teams Pared

Centennial's Glen
Dube with sonJake (l)
and nephew Cole

Teddy N orm an, is a member of the
MetGCSA, working as an intern for su­
perintendent Joe Alonzi, at Westchester
Country Club in Rye, NY He is a junior at
the University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Stockbridge School of Agriculture.
Sarah Perlee, daughter of Lorah and Bill
Perlee, superintendent of The Apawamis
Club, is in her freshman year at The Uni­
versity of Vermont majoring in animal
science.

first thing they said was how much they
were looking forward to doing this again
next year. If you saw the look on the kids’
faces when they swung and finally con­
nected on a shot, you’d know that more than
just my son and nephew are looking forward
to a repeat event.
Congratulations to this year’s winners!

Jane Sylvester, daughter of Julie and Dave
Sylvester, sales representative for Bayer En­
vironmental Science, is in her senior year at
Michigan State University studying music
education and performance.

year’s scholarship recipients—and their
Kara Wojick, daughter of Tee to Green
proud parents:
Managing Editor Pandora Wojick and Greg
K atherine Am odio, daughter of Jean and Wojick, principal, Playbooks for Golf, is a
Frank Amodio of Valley View Greenhouses, senior at the University of Connecticut, pur­
is a senior at Boston College working to­ suing a bachelor’s in English and a master’s
in secondary education.
ward a Ph.D. in psychology.

Jack Bresnahan, son of Tami and John
Bresnahan of BASF Chemical Company, is a
senior at Plymouth State University work­
After golf, everyone reconvened at the club­ ing toward a B.S. in adventure education
house for a delicious dinner on the patio with a minor in music.
overlooking the ninth hole, which offered
the perfect opportunity to enjoy the great David Carlone, son of Leslie and John
weather and beautiful sunset. After dinner Carlone, superintendent of Meadow Brook
was served and the prizes from the golf Club, is a junior at Hofstra University study­
event were distributed, scholarship awards ing film.
were presented to 12 deserving recipients,
who were either MetGCSA members’ chil­ Courtney Cook, daughter of Lisa and Mike
dren or a member themselves. In addition to Cook of The Care of Trees, is a sophomore
maintaining stellar GPAs, these students are at the University of Delaware studying
all very involved in their communities and communications.
participate in many extracurricular activi­
ties. It’s amazing how they can get it all done Austin Garceau, son of Mariane and Tim
and still maintain exceptional grades.
Garceau, superintendent of Haworth Coun­
Please join me in congratulating this try Club is entering the masters program at
Western Carolina University studying clin­
ical mental health counseling.
Kelsie (l) and Carlie with their dad, Scott
Sarah Garceau, daughter of Mariane and
Tim Garceau, superintendent of Haworth
Country Club, is a senior at SUNY Cort­
land majoring in economics with a double
minor in history and sociology.

The Scholarship Award Winners

Am anda Gross, daughter of Elizabeth and
Doug George, superintendent of Waccabuc
Country Club, is a junior at Northeastern
University studying civil and environmen­
tal engineering.
Samual Kerr, son of Betsy and Dave
Kerr, superintendent of Ridgewood Coun­
try Club, will be a senior at Liberty Univer­
sity majoring in business marketing.

In addition to congratulating our recipients,
I’d like to recognize those past boards who
had the foresight to initiate our Scholarship
Fund, which has enabled us to assist in the
ever-increasing college costs thanks to our
Annual Bill Caputi Scholarship Raffle, the
50/50s at our monthly meetings, and last
but not least, a portion of our dues. Finally, a
special thank you needs to go out to the
entire Scholarship Committee for their
hard work in reviewing and awarding each
scholarship.
Please remember to support our scholar­
ship raffle. It is the major income-generator
for our Scholarship Fund!
Glen Dube, CGCS, chairman of the Scholarship
Committee, is superintendent at Centennial
Golf Club in Carmel, NY.

Member on the Move

Carlos G onzalez-G uerrero is a
new assistant superintendent at The
Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, NY
Previous position: Assistant superin­
tendent at Manhattan Woods Golf
Club, West Nyack, NY
Birth

Congratulations to Scott Olson,
superintendent of Hampshire Coun­
try Club in Mamaroneck, NY, and his
wife Brook Hanna, on the birth of
their twin boys, Grant Asher (7 lbs., 4
ozs.) and Blake Abram (8 lbs., 5 ozs.),
on August 15.
Tee to Green July /August 20 13

Chapter Sews

ATheFond
Farewell
to
Ineke
Pierpoint
MetGCSA’s Longtime Executive Secretary Retires After Nearly 20 Years of Service
by Matt Ceploy CGCS
tribute, a thank you, acco­
lades for a job well done.
This article is just a small
token of our tremendous appreciation for
Ineke Pierpoint’s many years of service,
working diligently behind-the-scenes to
assist our association and our membership as
the MetGCSAs executive secretary.
“Ineke has been the backbone of the asso­
ciation for nearly 20 years,” says MetGCSA
President Blake Halderman, commenting on
Ineke s hard work and dedication. “She was
extremely knowledgeable about the day-today operations, and being part of a family of
golf course superintendents, she fully under­
stood the membership and its needs.”

Stapl'd in the Turf World

Well before her involvement with our asso­
ciation, Ineke was immersed in the world
of golf course management. She married
George Pierpoint in October of 1967 when
he was the golf course superintendent at
Orange County Golf Club. George was an
accomplished superintendent his entire ca­
reer. And as the wife of a superintendent,
Ineke became more than familiar with the
inner workings of the job of a turfgrass
manager.
I remember talking to Ineke about George
when he was working at the Concord Resort
and Golf Club in Kiamesha Lake, NY That
was when the Catskills were the place to be,
and George was managing the resort’s two
courses: The Monster Course, which was, at
the time, nationally known, and the Inter­
national. If managing two courses wasn’t bad
enough, he also operated the resort’s ski
slope. George was putting in long hours
year-round, and Ineke was right there along­
side him, offering her understanding and
support.
Two years after they were married, Ineke
and George began a family. They have two
sons, George IV and Rob. No surprise,
they’ve both followed in their father’s foot­
steps, becoming superintendents. George is
at Harbor Pines Golf Club in Egg Harbor
Township, NJ, and has three boys: Travis, 16;
Logan, 14; and Ryan, 11. Rob is a superin­
tendent at Onondaga Golf & Country Club
Tee to Green July/August 2013

in Fayetteville, NY, and has two children: Seniors, Eastern Seniors, U.S. Seniors, and the
Triangle Matches and you can see Ineke had
Megan, 16, and Garrett, 13.
a more-than-full plate.
To put things into even better perspective,
at that point, Ineke was juggling more than
In the midst of growing a family of turfgrass 1,742 members. She collected dues, sent
managers, Ineke seized the opportunity to meeting notices for more than five or six
become further involved in the industry she monthly meetings, while tracking atten­
knew best, accepting a position as client dance at each of those meetings. She oversaw
administrator with the MGA at the start of six different budgets, handled announce­
1994.
ments both online and in print, and tracked
Some of you may be surprised to know all the organizations’ paid advertisers, while
that Ineke is actually employed by the MGA integrating the ads into the various associa­
and that the MetGCSA is actually an MGA tions’ newsletters and annual directories,
client.
which she compiled. The list, I’m sure, goes
When Ineke was hired, our association on. All you had to do was spend a few min­
was the only organization outside of the utes in Ineke’s office, and you’d realize just
MGA in her charge. Her job description, how much she did. The phone was constantly
however, quickly grew, and in her nearly 20- ringing.
year tenure with the MGA, she was respon­ And then there were those instances that
sible, at one time or another, for at least six Ineke would go above-and-beyond the call
other clients. And for a period, she was jug­ of duty. I remember one time in particular
gling responsibility for all six at once: the when I was president and I got a call I wish I
Hudson Valley GCSA, the New Jersey could forget. Harrell’sJoe Stahl rang me early
GCSA, The Long Island Seniors Golf As­ on a Saturday morning to tell me that then
sociation, the Metropolitan Club Managers Siwanoy Super Dave Mahoney had passed. In
Association, the Tri-State Turf Research order to get the information out to the mem­
Foundation, and of course us, the MetGCSA. bership as quickly as possible, Ineke went into
Add to that helping with the Westchester the office that Saturday and sent an email to

Flitting Her Knowledge to Work

Ineke and George Pierpoint

Meet Susan O’Dowd, the MetGCSA’s
New Executive Secretary
the entire membership. This was not the
only time she extended herself for our
association.
MGA Executive Director Jay Mottola
was quick to point out the wonderful job
Ineke did in working with our association,
as well as a number of other important
client groups that work out of the MGAs
Golf Central headquarters. “Most notable,”
says Jay, “was Ineke’s outstanding and dedi­
cated work with the MetGCSA, while also
working closely with associations like the
Hudson Valley GCSA and the Tri-State
Turf Research Foundation.
“Ineke’s passion for the important role
that golf course superintendents play in
golf and at our clubs and courses came nat­
urally for her, as her husband George is a
retired superintendent and her two sons
have continued the family tradition and are
in the business as well. Ineke leaves a record
of great service to the MGA and golf.”

Retired hut Never Idle

Well, yes, Ineke plans on enjoying a little
R&R in retirement, but a woman that onthe-go never completely grinds to a halt.
Her Harley days, for one, aren’t over. (Yes,
Ineke and George own Harleys.) “I still
plan on heading to Long Island this Sep­
tember with the motorcycle club and then
to Stanton,Virginia, next year,” notes Ineke.
And then, of course, she and George look
forward to spending more time with their
grandchildren. “Now when we visit them,”
says Ineke, “I don’t have to worry about
being back to work on Monday!”
Ineke and George have moved up to
Middletown, NY, where George was born
and raised and where they first met—just
in time to celebrate their 46th anniversary
in October!
“We appreciate all that Ineke has done
for the MetGCSA,” says Blake,“and we will
miss her. We wish her all the best in her
retirement.”
Matt Ceplo, a member of the Tee to Green
Editorial Committee and a MetGCSA past
president, is superintendent at Rockland Coun­
try Club in Sparkill, NY.

cated in the heart of the electronic business
district in midtown Manhattan.
They lived in the City until 1990, when
their daughter, Stacey, was born. They
traded the bustle of Manhattan for a home
in Irvington, NY, where they resided for 19
years and then moved to Tarrytown in
2009.
It was in 2008 that Susan decided to steep
herself in the game she loves. She joined the
EWGA, becoming involved in all aspects of
the association. Susan served on the board as
Leadership Chair for two years, became a
league captain, mentored new golfers, re­
cruited new members, organized outings
and tournaments, and went on to win the
MVP Cup for two consecutive years!
“I’m happy to say,” says Susan, “that I’m
off to Arizona September 6 to compete in
the EWGA finals.” Yes, this is the largest
women’s amateur golf tournament in the
world!
“Susan stood out from the rest of the ap­
plicants for this position,” says MetGCSA
Executive Director Ed Brockner, “and has
already gotten off to a great start on behalf
of the Met.”
Susan does lament, however, that filling
Ineke’s footsteps won’t be easy:“She has done
an amazing job and will truly be missed by
all, especially me! All the associations I’m
assigned to work for—the MetGCSA,
HVGCSA, LISGA, and the Tri-State Turf
Research Foundation—have been very wel­
coming and patient with the whole transi­
tion process. I’m happy to work with such a
great group of people.”
Speaking for everyone in the Met .. . the
feeling is mutual!
In 1988, Susan met her husband, Richard, You can reach Susan at at 914-909-4843
who was president of Manhattan Electron­ or sodowd@mgagolf.org.
ics, a successful computer peripheral store lo­

i y M / M / e would like to give a warm
W welcome to Susan O ’Dowd,
the MetGCSAs new executive
secretary. Susan is replacing Ineke Pierpoint,
who has retired after nearly 20 years of serv­
ice to the Met (see article, left).
An avid golfer and former board member
of the local chapter of the Executive Wo­
men’s Golf Association (EWGA), Susan
brings a wealth of knowledge and experi­
ence to this position. She came to us from
American Independent Paper in Tarrytown,
NY, where she worked for 17 years as a
full-charge bookkeeper/office manager in
charge of maintaining all financial reports
while overseeing payroll and human
resources.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, Susan was raised
and educated in Ireland. Moving back to
New York after high school, she went to
work for family at Intercity Cabinetry &
Design in lower Manhattan. Interestingly,
this is where singer/songwriter Mariah
Carey recorded her first hit song, “Vision of
Love,” that caught the attention of Columbia
Records. Mariah was just 17!
“My brother was kind enough to let her
and her band use an empty room in the back
of the woodshop, no charge, to do their
music,” explains Susan, who remembers
Mariah rushing through the shop to her
makeshift studio. “When she got her first big
check from Columbia, she showed her grati­
tude by buying my brother a state-of-the-art
coffeemaker.”

There’s More to Susan Than Meets
the Eye!

Tee to Green July/August 2013 o

The MetGCSA 2013 Summer Social

. . . a S i w a n o y Country Club SMASH!!!
Hosted by Steven McGlone

fentile & M ich eli Collins

Rich, Jackie & lodi

fon & i
Steven

Scott Apgar
Kevin Collins, Kên Benoit\
falderman,

Jasmine & Mati

Brocki

Shana & Brian Cjelsvik

Spotlight

Spook Rock to Host
Triple-Header Event

by Kevin Collins

f j U n September 17, the MetGCSA
f
will hold its annual Met Cham^ ^^pionship and Met Area Team Cham­
pionship Qualifier at Spook Rock Golf
Course in Suffern, NY, while teaming
up with the Hudson Valley GCSA for
NYSTAs annual fundraiser, the Poa Annual
Tournament.
Spook Rock is a great venue for this triple­
header event. Designed by Frank Duane,
Spook Rock opened for play in 1969 and is
known for its contoured fairways and scenic
layout. The course averages 38,000 rounds of
golf a year and has consistently been ranked
in the top 100 public golf courses in the
country.
The actual “Spook Rock” is located near
the intersection of Airmont and Spook Rock
Roads in Suffern. And according to legend,
this rock marks the grave of an Indian
princess who was slaughtered by local white
settlers. When the moon is full, her ghost is
said to walk the earth with the sole purpose
of haunting the descendants of her murder­
ers. Pretty scary stuff!

Staling on Your Game

While you won’t have to fear a visit from the
Indian princess this trip, you will have to be
concerned with staying on your game. There
are a number of intricacies to playing this
course well, so I asked our meeting host, Dan
Madar, to give us a few pointers on two of his
favorite holes on the course.
First was hole # l.“The first hole is a diffi­
cult par 4, about 420 yards in length,” says
Dan. “It doglegs left with bunkers right and
left, narrowing the landing area. If you can
hit a Glen Dube-like draw, you’ll have a short
iron approach. If not, hit a three-wood or
long-iron to set up a mid-iron approach shot.
Left is out of bounds for the entire length of
the hole.
The second was hole #12. “This hole is a
short, 325-yard par 4. You can’t drive the
green, but you may want to use your driver
to get past all the trouble about 220 yards
from the tee. The trouble includes water left
and right, a fairway bunker left, and some
mounding right. The green is bunkered right
and left and has some severe contours. This is
a nicely framed hole.”

Han, Now anil Then

Dan knows every intricacy of these, and
every other hole on the course, all too well. A
fixture in the Hudson Valley for the past 26
years, Dan’s been the lead guy at Spook Rock
since 1987. His love of golf and golf courses
began in the ’70s when he worked as a starter
at a local municipal course in Livonia, MI.
Soon after, Dan enlisted in the Navy and
spent four years serving our country. When
he was discharged, he decided to pursue a
career in the turfgrass industry and enrolled
in Michigan State University. His first real
exposure to golf course maintenance oc­
curred at Winged Foot, where he interned
for Sherwood Moore. With an associate’s
degree in hand, Dan landed his first assis­
tant’s job at the famed Piping Rock Club on
Long Island, working for Mel Lucas. After six
years at Piping Rock, Dan accepted his first
and current superintendent’s position at
Spook Rock.
I first met Dan in the early ’90s. Back
then, Dan didn’t have any grey hair. Now he
has nothing but grey hair. During our phone
conversation, the subject of aging came up.
“I’ve turned into a grumpy old man,” says
Dan. (I’m older than Dan, so what does that
make me?) We talked hip replacement and
other maladies before turning the conversa­
tion to one of my earliest memories of Dan.
It was back in the 1990s, and we were
standing on one of Spook Rock’s fairways
when a golfer approached us to complain
about the unraked sand trap he just hit out of.
Dan’s eyes narrowed as he told the man, “I
don’t have the crew to rake bunkers every
day. If the golfers practiced a little etiquette
and raked the trap after they hit out of it,
there wouldn’t be a problem.” The complain­
ing golfer slinked away. I stole a quick look at
Dan, and his nostrils were flared. I made a
mental note never to antagonize Dan.
Always hard at work, Dan’s been occupied
with a number of projects at Spook Rock
over the past decade. Dan reports, “We’ve
been on a drill-and-fill and Dryject program
for seven years, so the greens are draining
better and the turf is much healthier. In
2008, we installed a new irrigation system,

Dan Madar and Teddy
and we’ve also cut down trees around the
greens and tees, in-house, to increase airflow
and sunlight. I’m pleased with the results.”
In addition to Dan’s responsibilities at
Spook Rock, he is also the superintendent of
nearby Germonds Cemetery, a job he thor­
oughly enjoys. “It’s very peaceful over there,
and the residents never complain,” he says
with a chuckle.
Dan has been generous with his time in
giving back to the industry. He served as
president of the HVGCSA and was a board
member for many years. In addition, Dan
donated 15 years of his time as chairman of
the HVGCSAs Hudson Valley Cup tourna­
ment, which raises funds for scholarships and
research. It is still the most popular event on
the HVGCSA calendar every year.

Han, the Family Man

I can’t help but think back to the days
when I’d be in Dan’s office and his young
children would be running around. Well,
of course, they’re not so little anymore.
Daughter Kristen, 27, graduated from
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), is
married, and is running her own Media and
Advertising business. Son David, 24, is a pro­
fessional musician (davemadar.com) cur­
rently touring and performing around the
country. Son Eric, 22, graduated from RIT
and is a professional photographer. This
month’s cover shot was courtesy of Eric! And
finally, son Alex, 19, is a sophomore at RIT,
majoring in the hotel and hospitality man­
agement program and swimming breast­
stroke for the RIT Tigers swim team.
Last but not least, Dan and his lovely bride,
Karen, will celebrate their 32nd wedding
anniversary this coming October. Karen
runs her own interior design business.
Dan looks forward to a big turnout on the
17th. Hope to see you all there!
Kevin Collins, a member of the Tee to Green
Editorial Committee, is Mid-Atlantic and
Northeast territory managerfor Aquatrols Corp.
of America and the owner/president of Dryject
Northeast /TurfPounders.
Tee to Green July /August 2013 ©

Superintendents and Green Chairs Are
Sunningdale Bound
by Chip Lafferty

the 8th green with a shared chipping area,
effectively making 4 and 8 the largest Biar­
ritz green in the area!”
To date, the club has reworked holes 4, 5,
6, 7, and 8 and completed green and tee
complex work on 11, 12, and 14. This fall,
the club will forge ahead with plans to re­
work the 9th green complex and lengthen
number 10. “This will involve tying the 9th
green complex to the 10th tee and moving
the 10th green back about 40 yards to its
original location between the first and 11th
tee,” explains Sean, who is pleased not only
with the fruits of their labor, but also with
the membership’s positive response to any
and all improvements.
“Once the membership realized what we
had here, they were behind our efforts 100
In 2006, Sean began working with architect percent,” says Sean. “And with Mike’s help,
Mike DeVries to recapture the course’s orig­ we have been able to reveal what Sunning­
inal 1917 Seth Raynor design. Thanks to dale can be.”
Mike Moss, the club’s historian and Sean’s
green chair at the time, Sunningdale was
able to not only confirm that Raynor routed
and built the course, but also understand the It doesn’t seem that long ago that Sean began
long chain of modifications that took place his career in turfgrass management with
Fred Montgomery on the grounds crew of
over the years to Raynor’s original design.
“Some of the changes we were proposing Mohawk Country Club near Sean’s home
weren’t an easy sell,” says Sean, “but after turf in Schenectady, NY ... or that he com­
some tough meetings, we were able to con­ pleted his B.S. in Turfgrass Management at
vince the membership of the value of re­ the University of Rhode Island ... interned
establishing lost vistas and the integrity of at The Stanwich Club with Scott Niven ...
and then, in 1991, with degree in hand,
many of the holes.”
Having a firm grasp on how architects landed an assistant’s position with Jeff Scott,
from the early 1900s worked with the land then superintendent at The Apawamis Club.
Clearly, time flies when you’re having
and its topography, Mike DeVries was able
to flawlessly recapture many of Raynor’s fun.
design features. Sean cites the sixth hole as a After four years at Apawamis, Sean knew
prime example of DeVries’ handiwork. he had gained not only the training and ex­
“Mike reestablished the strategy of this perience he needed to take the next step, but
Alps hole. He lengthened it by more than 70 also the confidence. “I learned a tremendous
yards and added some of his own brilliance amount from Fred, Scott, and Jeff,” he says. “I
to the green and tee complex,” Sean was ready when Sunningdale opened up.”
In addition to leading a highly regarded
explains.
Also notable was DeVries’work on holes 8 golf course, Sean has, over the years, led a
and 4. “On 8,” says Sean, “Mike realigned number of MetGCSA committees, serving
the tee and removed a number of trees on the Board of Directors for five years.
behind the green. Then using his bulldozer He devoted most of that time to co-chair­
like a paintbrush, he tied the 4th green into ing the Tournament Committee, but also
( 1
inally . . . MetGCSA members
s f f / will not only meet at Sunningdale Country Club, but also have
the opportunity to play golf at the October
8 Superintendent/Green Chairman tour­
ney. Though this will be the fifth meeting
Superintendent Sean Cain has hosted in his
15-year tenure at the club, only one—the
1998 Invitational—offered members the
opportunity to get out and enjoy the links.
Well, some things are worth waiting for.
This trip, members will have the fortunate
opportunity to play a course that has bene­
fited from numerous enhancements over
the past seven years.

AChangrd Course

Where Have the Years Gone?

o

Tee to Green July /August 2013

Sean Cain, CGCS
chaired the Membership Committee, and
even had a stint in 2003 as Tee to Green’s coeditor with college buddy, Rolling Hill’s
Glenn Perry.
“It was important to me to try to give
back to MetGCSA and our members.‘Try’ is
the key word here,” says Sean.“I give a lot of
credit to the board members who have gone
the distance, fulfilled their commitments,
and become president of our association.”

Beyond Industry Obligations

For Sean, there’s no life without sports. He’s
an avid cyclist and an accomplished lowhandicap golfer—a force to be reckoned
with at Met golf events. Sean’s also been
known to frequent the gym, where one of his
prime objectives is to prep himself for the ski
season. A hard-core skier, Sean spends most
weekends in the off-season at his “fortress of
solitude,” a home he owns near the slopes in
Stowe, VT.
By the time the Superintendent/Green
Chair tourney arrives, Sean will start think­
ing about giving his clubs a rest and heading
north.
“I go up to Vermont every chance I get in
the winter,” says Sean. “It gives me a chance
to recharge my batteries and get ready for
another challenging season ahead.”
Be sure to join Sean at Sunningdale for
this season-ending event, and enjoy all that
the newly renovated course has to offer!
Chip Lafferty, a member of the Tee to Green
Editorial Committee, is superintendent at Rye
Golf Club in Rye, NY.

\0 Ì
atron Directory

Patrons listed on this page are supporting our association.
You are encouraged to support them.

k

360GOLF
“Rebuilding Golf Courses From All
the Right Angles”
Chad Lemere
914-625-0676
www.360golfonline.com
O A.G. Enterprises
Rick Gordon ~ Staff Uniforms
201-488-1276
Fax:201-489-5830
merrickl 60@aol.com
www.AGEnterprisesonline.com
© A. John Harvey Golf Course
Design
491 Naughright Road
Long Valley, NJ
201-280-8389
jharvey442@gmail.com
O All Pro Horticulture
John Seib
54 Railroad Avenue
Copiague, NY 11726
631-789-6680 / Fax: 631-789-5711
john@allporthort.com
Aqua-Aid, Inc.
Surfactants, Verde Cal, OARS, Root
Pruner, Drill & Fill
Bert Brace / Jim Miller /
Sam Green
252-937-4107
Fax:252-443-0320
info@aquaaid.com
O Aquatrols Corp. o f America
Kevin P. Collins, Territory Mgr.
37 Oneonta Road
Carmel, NY 10512
609-841-2077
kevin.collins@Aquatrols.com
© Atlantic Irrigation Specialists,
Inc.
Rain Bird & All Related Supplies
Ray Beaudry / Tim Marcoux
800-878-8873
O BASF
John Bresnahan
www.BetterTurf.com
John.Bresnahan@basf.com
O Bayer Environmental Science
Dave Sylvester
“Backed by Bayer”
860-841-3173
Davisson Golf, Inc. ~ est. 1991
Knox, Nitrozyme, Mikro -Pak,
& Sand
Tom Tuttle
Cell: 215-431-0393
800-613-6888
www.davissongolf.com
DeLea Sod Farms
Bentgrass, Fescue, & Bluegrass Sod
& U.S. Silica Topdressing
Mike Hollander / Scott Geiser
800-344-7637

© Dryject N.E. / TurfPounders
“Your Aerification Solution”
Kevin Collins / Steve Jordan /
Bob Lippman
914-672-6029 / Fax: 845-228-1728
mcc 10512@yahoo. com
© Giacini Corp. Golf Course
Materials
Custom Golf
Michael Giancini
631-433-4494
nmgiacini@verizon.net
© Grass Roots, Inc.
Ryan Batz, Tech. Sales Rep.
Cell: 631-872-5357
Ofc: 973-252-6634
Ryan.Batz@GPJturf.com
www.GRIturf.com
© Growth Products, LTD
Howie Gold
80 Lafayette Avenue
White Plains, NY 10603
800-648-7626 / Fax:914-428-2780
hgold@growthproducts.com
© Harrell’s
“Growing a Better World. Partners for
Joe Stahl: 203-209-6951
Scott Tretera: 914-262-8638
jstahl@harrells.com / www.harrells.com
LaBar Golf Renovations
Richard S. LaBar Jr., President, CEO
Cell: 973-600-9249
Ofc: 908-502-5253
labargolfreno@gmail.com
© LaCorte Equipment ~
John Deere Golf
“Your Trusted Northeast John Deere
Golf Dealer”
Gale Stenquist / Jim Calladio / Scott
Ferguson
800-560-3373 ext 4
Fax: 631-591-3447
golf@lacorteequipment.com
© Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Inc.
Rob Good
Hydrogeologie Consulting &
Environmental Engineering Services
860-678-0404
rgood@lbgct.com
O Matrix Turf Solutions, LLC
Gregory R. Moran
259 Lucas Avenue
Kingston, NY 12401
Ofc: 845-338-3650
Cell: 845-849-8640
gmoran@matrixturf.com
© Metro Turf Specialists
“Customers, Our TOP Priority!”
Scott / Ernie / Rob / Tim / Todd
203-748-4653
www.metroturfspecialists.com
o Nutrite
Supplier of Turf and Specialty Fertilizers
Bob Griffin
Cell: 401-862-5873
bgriffm@nutrite.com

©

©

O

©

©

Performance, Nutrition-Division
at Lido Chem, Inc.
Randy Rider
Regional Manager, Northeast &
Mid-Atlantic
302-319-1001
rrider@lidochem.com
Pinnacle Turf, Inc.
Steven Renzetti, CGCS
914-384-9227
www.Pinnacleturf.net
srenzetti@verizon.net
Plant Food Company, Inc.
“The Liquid Fertilizer Experts”
Tom Weinert: 914-262-0111
Dick Neufeld: 973-945-6318
Tom Pepe: 609-751-1372
David Conrad: 914-263-3244
Playbooks for Golf
Mobile Coverage System, Golf Course
Field Guides, Aerial Photography, Soil
Analytics, Consulting, Career
Development, Professional Search
Services
Greg Wojick: 203-219-0254
Matt Leverich: 913-221-8052
www.goplaybooks.com
Quali-Pro
Quality Turf and Ornamental Products
Phil O’Brien
856-252-4725
PhilO@quali-pro.com
Seeton Turf Warehouse, LLC
Brian Bontemps
Cell: 845-239-7959
brianbontemps@seetonturf.com
Soil Solutions, LLC
Aerification Professionals
Anthony Decicco / John Decicco
7 Whittemore Place
Ryebrook, NY 10573
914-393-0659 / Fax:914-939-5010
Stein Golf Construction
Jeff Stein
17 Cedar Hill Road,
Bedford, NY 10506
917-273-4099
Jeffrey@steingolf.com
Steven Willand, Inc.
“Quality Turf Equipment”
George Corgan
4 Production Drive
Brookfield, CT 06804
Cell: 914-213-3622
georgecorgan@charter.net
www.StevenWillandInc.com
Subsurface Technologies
“Same Well ~ More Water ~
Better Quality”
Steven Catania
845-567-0695
www.subsurfacetech.com
Syngenta
Fred Montgomery, CGCS
23 Roslyn Drive
Ballston Lake, NY 12019
518-424-0760 / 518-399-6588
Fred.Montgomery@syngenta.com

© Tanto Irrigation, LLC
William Bartels
914-347-5151 / Fax:914-347-6323
wbartels@tantoirrigation.com
© The Care o f Trees
Mike Cook: 914-345-8733
Jeremiah Green: 914-241-8110
Ken Clear: 203-863-0900
© The Terre Company of
New Jersey, Inc.
Seed, Pesticides, Nursery Stock,
& Fertilizer
Byron Johnson
973-473-3393
Fax:973-473-4402
bfleury@terrecompany.com
© Tom Irwin Inc.
“With Tom Irwin, You Are Not
Alone”
Rob Larson / Jeff Houde
800-582-5959
Fax:781-273-4804
O Turf Products LLC / TORO
Toro Irrigation & Equipment
Pat Cragin
Cell: 860-874-2812
Ofc: 800-243-4355
© UPI / Phoenix
Mike Donahue
1512 River Boulevard Ext.,
Suffield, CT 06078
860-490-1929
mike.donahue@uniphos.com
www.phoenixenvcare.com
© Valley View Wholesale
Greenhouses
229 Smith Ridge Road
South Salem, NY 10590
914-533-2526
Fax:914-533-3059
www.valleyviewgreenhouses.com
© Westchester Tractor, Inc.
60 International Boulevard
Brewster, NY 10509
845-278-7766
www.wtractor.com
© Westchester Turf Supply, Inc.
“Serving the MetGCSA for 37
Years”
Bob Lippman: 914-447-6257
bobwestturf@comcast.net
Dave Lippman: 914-447-5192,
westturf@comcast.net
© Westwood Organic
Recycling / New York
Fé
Stone Supply
James Scoli
Ofc: 914-949-3244
Cell: 914-490-1694
jscoli@westwoodorganic.com
© Wickes / Arborists
“Your Property Is Our Branch
Office”
11 McNamera Road
Spring Valley, NY 10977
845-354-3400
www.irawickes.com

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