J u lj/A u p !

»LUME45 II

Board of Directors
MetGCSA
e st 1 9 5 9
P resid en t
BLAKE H A L D E R M A N , C G C S

Brae Burn Country Club
V ic e P resid en t
GLEN DUBE, CGCS

Centennial Golf Club
T reasurer
DAVID D U D O N E S

Rockland
Country Club

Westchester Country Club
S ecreta ry
K E N N E T H B E N O IT JR ., C G C S

GlenArbor Golf Club
Past P resid en t
R O B E R T N IE L S E N JR ., C G C S

Bedford Golf & Tennis Club
D ir ec to rs
R O B E R T B. A L O N Z I JR .

Fenway Golf Club
B R E T T C H A P IN

Redding Country Club
DOUG DRUGO

Wee Burn Country Club
A N TH O N Y HOOKS

Due Process Stable
V IN C E N T PA VON ETTI, C G C S

Fairview Country Club
R O BERT W OLVERTON
C lass “ C ” R e p
G E O R G E CH A V EZ

Pelham Country Club
Class “A F ” R ep
K E V IN C O L L IN S

j ^ n t h i s Issue

Aquatrols
E x e c u tiv e D ir e c to r
ED B R O C K N E R
E x e c u tiv e S ecreta ry
SU SA N O ’D O W D

Tee to Green Staff
E d ito r
JIM PAVONETTI
203-531-8910

MetGCSA Supers— and Industry Experts— Speak
Candidly About Em ploym ent Contracts

..

Employment Contracts:An In-the-Know Barrister’s View

M anaging E ditor
PANDORA C.WOJICK
E ditorial C om m ittee
TODD APGAR
CHIP LAFFERTY !
STEVEN MCGLONE
ADDISON BARDEN
SCOTT NIVEN
I: MATT CEPLO
TODD SALAMONE
I KEVIN COLLINS
RYAN SEGRUE
E BILLCYGAN
GREG WOJICK

U pcom in g E v e n ts..........................................................................................7

D esigner
TERRIE YOUNG

M ember News ............................................................................................... 8

A dvertising M anager
BRETT CHAPIN, 203-938-9240

Sp otligh ts....................................................................................................... 11

TEETOGREENis published bimonthly by the Metropolitan Golf
Course Superintendents Association
49 Knollwood Road, Elmsford, NY 10523-2819
914-347-4653, FAX: 914-347-3437, METGCSA.ORG
Copyright © 2 0 1 4

The Board
That Never
Rests

in a long time that I haven’t wished the days
away because were still fighting to get
through the “dog days of summer.” This year,
I feel like the summer is flying by too
quickly I’m not even all that happy that NFL
football has begun, because that’s always
been the signal that summer is coming to an
end and the cold weather is fast approaching.
This year, that’s not a welcome thought. I do
hope that with the fall-like temperatures
we’ve had in July and August you’ve had
more time to do the things you enjoy,
including spending time with family and
friends.

Speaking of Spending Time With
Family and Friends...
I was extremely happy to see that many of
you joined fellow Met members and their
families at the Family Picnic at Bedford Vil­
lage Memorial Park and the Scholarship &
Parent/Child Tournament at Mosholu Golf
Course. There is no better way to relax with
your family (and maybe even gather a few
tu rf tips in the process) while enjoying an
event your kids will remember forever.
Whether your child is the one to break
open the piñata or hit a great drive or putt, it
will be the kind of experience they’ll want to
repeat year after year. These are the memo­
ries that last a lifetime.
Remember, our goal as an association and
board is to provide the membership with
well-rounded experiences, whether they be
educational events in the winter; golf and
networking during the season; social gather­
ings for the entire the family; or events like
the Summer Social and Holiday Party, where
you can join fellow members in enjoying
some time away from the kids with your
spouse or someone special.
We are always open to fresh new ideas for
I our educational and social events, so if you
I have any suggestions for an all-new venue or
I event, please reach out to the appropriate
I committee chairperson.

The Board al Work
The board is never at rest (even during the
summer), and this year has been no different.

Blake Halderman, CG CS
MetGCSA President

For instance:
• The New York State BMP Committee has
been extremely active in preparing for Phase
2 of the BMP initiative.
• The Scholarship Committee awarded
scholarships to deserving students heading
off to college.
• The Website Committee, along with a
tremendous amount of help from Matt
Leverich and the Playbooks for Golf team,
has launched a new website complete with
our own Twitter handle (@metgcsa). Please
be sure to follow us for the latest industry
news and association happenings.
• Tournament Committee members are
wrapping up the details for the final events
of the season.
• The Social Committee is making arrange­
ments for our Annual Meeting and Holiday
Party.
• The Education Committee is lining up
speakers for the Fall and Winter seminars.

Thinking of Joining the Board?
With all that the association has going on
year-round, we could always use a helping
hand. If you would like to be directly in­
volved in the planning and execution of
association events, please remember that it is
never too early to start thinking about run­
ning for the Board of Directors or even join­
ing a committee or hosting an event in 2015.
Our annual elections are fast approaching.
They will be held at our November 4 An­
nual Business Meeting. Serving on the board
enables you to be involved in all the deci­
sion-making that could shape our associa­
tion and even the future of golf in our area.
What’s more, as a board member, you’re privy
to all the latest industry information, which
can give you a leg up on the job and in the
decisions you make on the course.
If interested in running for the board,
please contact any one of the Nominating
continued on page 9
Tee to GreenJuly/August 2014

and Industry
Experts—Speak
Candidly About
Employment Contracts
by Greg Wojick

ve been in the industry more than 35
years as both a golf course superintendent and
now a principal in Playbooks for Golf, and in
that time, I’ve seen many changes— in equip­
ment, technology, management techniques,
and in the education and agronomic expertise
required to do an increasingly demanding
job. Despite these advances, few superintend­
ents throughout the country are acknowl­
edged as professionals worthy of an em­
ployment contract.
According to the 2013 GCSAA Compen­
sation & Benefits Report completed by super­
intendent members, only 20 percent of the
3,322 who responded—a total of 665—have a
written employment contract.
The Met survey results, which I gathered
several months ago, appeared, at first glance,
more encouraging: More than half of the re­
spondents said they have contracts. But when
you consider that only 36 of our 155 superin­
tendent members responded, that statistic
doesn’t seem quite as encouraging.

So
whyare employment
contracts still more the exception
than the rule among golf course
superintendents?
P roblem #1: The most apparent, longstand­
ing problem I see is that laypeople, i.e., green
committee and board members, still don’t
fully understand what it is that superintend­
ents do, much less comprehend the level of
skill and the breadth and depth of knowledge
required to manage a golf course operation.
We all have read or heard about the fantas­
tic new contracts that pro athletes/managers/
coaches obtain (most always through the
negotiation by their agents and/or lawyers).
Why? Because in professional sports, owners
and boards almost always “get” what the
coaches and athletes actually do. Many were
former coaches or athletes themselves. What’s
more, the quality of these new hires’ work can
be easily judged by wins and losses and statis­
tics. In other words, there is little mystery to
what people in the sports arena do.
You can say the same about the golf facil­
ity’s general manager. Members pretty much
understand what’s involved. General manTee to Green Ju ly'/A tiH yjO U

7 /> l

themselves being told ‘the club has decided
to go in a different direction,”’ said golf
course industry search specialist Bruce
Williams. “There are no assurances of em­
ployment beyond today,” he added, “particu­
longstanding problem I see larly when operating without a binding
contract.”
is that lay people, i.e.,
Concurring with Williams, Peter McCor­
green committee and board mick, TurfNet founder, former MetGCSA
Class AF representative, and personal re­
members, still don’t fu lly
source to many superintendents, pointed to
understand what it is that “employment instability” as the single big­
gest threat to the golf course superintendent
as a career—and as an industry.
“Underlying ‘employment instability’ is
the flux of personnel over time on the
employer side, particularly at private clubs,”
he explained. “The people who hire a super­
intendent and are privy to the conversations
and resultant agreements and expectations—
whether they are a general manager, club
official, committee, or board member—very
often aren’t around five or ten years down
the road. Unless those discussions and agree­
ments are memorialized in a document
agreed to by all parties—in effect, a con­
tract,” he noted, “it all becomes hearsay over
agers are considered key players in the golf time. And hearsay can lead to potential mis­
facility’s profitability, while the superinten­ understanding, disagreement and rancor,” he
dent’s essential role in the club’s viability cautioned.
often goes unrecognized.
Confirming this great divide in under­ P r o b l e m # 2 : I found that many Met area
standing, one industry executive noted,“The supers don’t have a contract simply because
club member’s general viewpoint about su­ they don’t ask for one. Some fear a club’s
perintendents is that they are analogous to a rejection. Others told me they’re happy to
head engineer. The GM is regarded as more operate without a contract.
One Met area superintendent who spoke
of a CEO. Although these characteriza­
tions are changing,” he said, “it’s still the
‘CEOs’ who get the written employment
agreements.” In fact, according to Jim McLoughlin, principal of TMG Golf and for­
mer executive director to both the GCSAA
“I t’s
understand
and MetGCSA, about 75 percent of general
then, that most new
managers countrywide are awarded em­
ployment contracts.
hires w ill quickly agree
In the modern-day golf world, many
green committee and board members will
to a reasonable offer
attempt to grasp what a superintendent
does— and often erroneously believe they
w ithout any
know the job better than the superintend­
ent—as they Google everything from “ef­
negotiation...”
fectiveness of calcium nitrate” to “growing
Bermuda grass on Long Island.” Unfortu­
nately, even with this drilling for knowl­
edge, a true understanding of the concerns,
challenges, and constraints of the job eludes
even the most well-intentioned committee
member.
Those entrusted with the super’s hire typ­
ically just use their intuition or thoughts
from grillroom friends to rate and reward...
or terminate.
“More and more superintendents find

to me anonymously, like the others I sur­
veyed, was among the many who just didn’t
think to ask for an employment agreement:
“The members who hired me are smart. If
they really wanted me to have a contract,
they would have offered it to me before I
agreed to take the position,” he said.
Unfortunately, in today’s highly competi­
tive job market, many newly hired superin­
tendents are so pleased that they’ve been
selected from the throngs of other appli­
cants, that lobbying for a contract barely
crosses their minds.
It’s understandable, then, that most new
hires will quickly agree to a reasonable offer
without any negotiation, but many are also
overly optimistic about their future with
their club, assuming they will always be held
in high esteem because, of course, they will
always keep the course in top condition and
will never make a mistake worthy of their
dismissal.
“Everyone loved me at the interviews,”
said the same Met super, believing his honey­
moon period would never end. Equally opti­
mistic, another superintendent told me: “I
feel if I continue to work hard and commu­
nicate effectively, I will be able to overcome
any tenuous situations that may arise. In
other words,” he added, “if I get dismissed, it
will be my fault.”
Despite the club’s seeming upper hand
during the interview process, there’s actually
no better time to ask for a contract than at
the time of hiring. It shouldn’t jeopardize
your situation, but rather enhance it by
establishing you as a competent professional
who, like other industry professionals, ex­
pects more than just a handshake when
agreeing to accept the job.

So why and how should
superintendents lobby fo r a
contract?
A contract offers superintendents what I call
“failure avoidance.” It spells out exactly what
the employer expects of you and what you
can expect of the employer. As Williams
noted, “If written properly, a contract stipu­
lates the employment agreement and terms
of employment.” It also protects the superin­
tendent from termination at the whim of an
employer, indicating the process in which
separation or termination could occur.
Unfortunately, some employers will per­
ceive this as a reason to steer clear of con­
tracts. As one club member admitted, “Em­
ployment contracts bring with them an obli­
gation to deal fairly with the employee. In
legal terms, this is called the ‘covenant of
good faith and fair dealing.’ If the club ends

Tee to Green Ju ly/A u g u st 2014

up treating an employee in a way that a
judge or jury finds unfair,” he continued,
“the club may be legally responsible not only
for violating the contract, but also for
breaching their duty to act in good faith.”
In my book, this is all the more reason to
lobby for a contract.
“The truth is, when done well, contracts
protect both the superintendent and the em­
ployer,” said Williams, offering an overall
talking point for superintendents planning
to approach their club about securing an
employment contract.
So just how do you go about selling the
idea of an employment contract to your
green committee and board? As the other
industry experts and superintendents I spoke
to will agree: It’s all in how you market your­
self and the mutually beneficial rewards of
having a contract.
To start:
* Approach the idea of a contract when the
course is at its best.
• If you’ve been employed at your club for a
number of years, remind them of any and all
of your noteworthy accomplishments, from
money-saving measures and agronomic im­
provements to personal accomplishments,
such as achieving certification.
Then go on to explain that a contract is
useful in:
• Defining expectations. If your employer
defines in a contract exactly what’s expected
of you, you’ll spend less time second-guess­
ing your employer’s goals and more time
accomplishing them. No guesswork; greater
efficiency.
* Protecting the days most important asset,
the golf course, The last thing a club wants is
to jeopardize the quality of course conditions
by losing a superintendent in the throes of
the season or just before a major club event.
A contract can guard against inopportune
resignations.
One club member I spoke to pointed to
this very reason for offering a superintend­
ent a written contract. “The contract can
lock the employee into a specific term (for
example, two years),” he said,“or require the
employee to give the club enough notice to
find a suitable replacement (for example, 90
days’ notice). While a club can’t force some­
one to keep working for them, an employee
is likely to comply with the agreement’s
terms if there’s a penalty within the contract
for not doing so,” he noted.
tiring consistency. Procedures and ex­
pectations for ongoing and future projects
can be easily specified in a contract. This
leads not only to better planning, but also the
added assurance that long-term projects can
be carried out as defined even if the commit­
tee heading up a project changes.

Tee to Green Ju ly/A u g u st 201 4

• Making compensation predictable. Employ­
ment contracts define compensation and
benefits, leaving little open to interpretation
or negotiation more than once a year.
• Building trust. Clubs entrust the care and
management of the golf course to you. You
want to trust the club to treat you fairly and
equitably. A contract lays the groundwork for
that trust by defining everyone’s responsibil­
ities: your responsibilities to the club and the
club’s responsibilities to you.
As McCormick confirms, everyone works
better in an environment that provides
assurances. “Contracts minimize question
marks and gray areas,” he said, “and avoid
issues of trust. Both parties know what to
expect so they can get on with business
without having to look over anyone’s shoul­
der internally—which is energy misspent.”
Be aware, however, of the harsh reality that
many clubs are going to be looking after
their interests more than yours. In fact, if you
listen to one club member I spoke to, “The
club can view an employment contract as a
tool to maintain tighter control over an
employee. If the contract specifies standards
for the employee’s performance (a detailed
job description) and grounds for termina­
tion,” he noted, “a club may have an easier
time terminating an employee who doesn’t
live up to the club’s standards.” A perfect rea­
son to have a lawyer review your contract
before signing on the dotted line!

W h a t should I include in a
contract?
When you get the go-ahead on the contract,
your next step is to be sure that it covers all
the bases. Here’s a basic checklist based on
one generated some years ago by GCSAAs
career development department along with
lessons learned and a few cautionary tales
from member superintendents—and area
club members themselves—who have been
through the process, or have chosen not to.
The contract should define:
1. Your responsibilities /performance parame­
ters. Be sure to spell out your duties in detail.
“I feel contracts offer peace of mind to both
sides by setting expectation levels,” says one
superintendent.
Peter McCormick cautions, however, that
establishing performance parameters can be
tricky. “Out on the golf course,” he ex­
plained, “performance in terms of playability
and aesthetics becomes very personal, subjec­
tive, and not easily quantifiable. The only
way to reduce subjectivity,” he continued, “is
if there is a document of agreed-upon main­
tenance standards in place. This should be

separate from (but appended to) an employ­
ment contract so it can be revised as needed
and agreed. The document of maintenance
standards can also serve as the basis of a job
description, which can be either integral or
appended to an employment contract,” he
added.
One club member I spoke to cited what he
perceived to be a serious drawback to detail­
ing duties and expectations: “By ‘binding’
both the club and the superintendent to spe­
cific roles and responsibilities, a contract
limits everyone’s flexibility,” he said. “This
may pose a problem down the road if the
club decides it doesn’t like the contract terms
or wants to terminate it early. That can’t
happen without the superintendent agreeing
to new terms to the contract.”
Moral of this story: Carefully review the
responsibilities and performance parameters
you agree to put in writing.
2. The chain of command. “I think it’s good
to have something in writing that identifies
not only what is expected of the employee,
but also who, specifically, the superintendent
is responsible to,” said another survey par­
ticipant, explaining, “The club’s governance
changes over time. Board members come
and go, and at some clubs, general mana­
gers come and go even faster. It’s important
that new personnel understand the chain of
command.”
Rule of thumb: The fewer people you
report to, the better. Work to keep it to only
one!
3. The length of your contract. It’s always best
to lobby for a multi-year contract or, better,
one that automatically renews at the end of
each year. Without a definitive end point, it
seems both parties are less apt to think about
making changes.

(iThe truth is, when done
well, contracts protect both
the superintendent and
the
employ

As one superintendent with a short-term
contract lamented:“I had a contract at a pre­
vious club, and it didn’t seem to work in my
favor. It always felt like a ticking clock that
eventually would stop, prompting the club
to take something away from me. When I
started, for example, I had full family med­
ical benefits provided by the club. When my
second contract was up, they took that op­
portunity to force me to contribute to my
benefits package,” he continued. “And the
small raise they gave me barely covered the
new expense. If I had no contract, it wouldn’t
have given them a definitive time to make
this move on me.”
4. Salary and performance reviews. Note
what your compensation is, when it is
payable (weekly, biweekly, or monthly), and
when you can expect to be evaluated for a
raise. More than half the survey respondents
receive annual performance evaluations. Be
sure to define a performance review sched­
ule in your contract.
“With a contract, you’re assured some sort
of financial growth,” said one survey partici­
pant, adding what he perceived as a down­
side: “But along with that assurance is the
pressure to live up to— or exceed—expecta­
tions, year after year.”
For most of the superintendents I sur­
veyed, having a contract that offered finan­
cial security seemed to far outweigh any
performance concerns. One of the most fav­
orable stories I heard relating to contracts
and compensation came from Peter Mc­
Cormick. He shared a conversation he had
once had with a superintendent—a past
MetGCSA president, in fact—who had
worked for 10 years or so without a contract
at a club that had not lived up to verbal
promises of future salary advancement made
when he was hired.
Peter explained: “The superintendent
looked around casually as jobs came up but
was happy where he was, even though un­
derpaid relative to others in the area.
He had a frank conversation with his green
chairman, who went to the board on the
superintendent’s behalf. The end result was a
10-year contract with a significant salary
increase and retirement contributions,” con­
tinued Peter. “Relieved of anxiety about his
future and the feeling that he wasn't being
properly compensated, he was able to move
forward reenergized and with a renewed
focus and sense of purpose.”
Good for both him and the club. This is
another example of how contracts can work
in everyone’s favor!
5. Bonus compensation. You might consider
building in a bonus for such things as be­
coming certified or maintaining your certi­
fication, meeting or exceeding your budget
goals, managing a major enhancement pro­

ject, hosting tournaments, bringing in new
members, or any other practice you feel
goes above and beyond your everyday job
function.
One survey respondent noted receiving a
bonus for seeing the club’s new irrigation
system installation through to completion,
on time and on budget. “The club gave me
$25,000 and my assistant $5,000,” he said.
“They recognized that successfully manag­
ing a project of that size required many
extra hours and superior organizational
skills.”
Kudos to that club!
6. Professional memberships and educational
seminars. Don’t hesitate to push for funding
and time off to attend both professional and
educational industry events. Explain how
maintaining professional affiliations and
attending local, regional, and national con­
ferences, field days, and seminars are essen­
tial to staying abreast of industry trends and
practices.
7. Insurance. Define your medical, dental,
life, and disability insurance coverage. This
assures coverage for the length of your
contract.
As one club member noted, “If the con­
tract promises the superintendent health
benefits, you can’t decide to stop paying for
those benefits as a way to save money. The
only way to change the terms of the con­
tract is to renegotiate them.”
A perfect example of why a contract is
worth pursuing.
8. Retirement contributions. It’s a good idea
to include in your contract regular con­
tributions to a 40IK or other retirement
vehicle.
9. Vacation. On average, superintendents
receive two to four weeks’ paid vacation
annually. Some reported receiving signifi­
cantly more time, particularly during the
winter months.
Be sure to specify not only the amount of
vacation time you want, but also when you
would like to take it. If you want a weekend
off in the summer with your family and
can agree on that arrangement, put it in
writing.
10. Housing/housing allowance. Include
maintenance, utilities, taxes, assessments,
and related upkeep.
11. Meals. Provide for a meal allowance. At
least one meal a day is standard during the
months of a facility’s restaurant operation. A
number of the supers surveyed are allowed
any number of meals, as long as they’re on
the job.
12. Vehicle allowance. Most clubs provide a
vehicle or an allowance to purchase one. Be
sure to specify whether gas, insurance, and
maintenance costs are included, as well as
how often the vehicle will be replaced.

I t’s
agood idea to
include in your contract
regular contributions
to a 4 0 1 K or other
retirement vehicle.

13. Facility privileges. Note any and all club
privileges you, your family, and guests might
be entitled to. If you’re entitled to use the
pool, golf, or play tennis, note this, along with
any fees that you are exempt from paying as
an employee using the facility.
14. Severance. Surprisingly, a number of su­
perintendents surveyed did not have a sever­
ance package and longed for a reasonable
separation agreement. Others were hoping
to improve the package they currently have.
Most who commented on their package
understandably wanted their severance pay
to grow along with their tenure.
“My severance is three months’ salary,”
noted one superintendent who would like
to negotiate for more. “I have been here for
eight years and would like one month for
every year of service, not to exceed 12
months,” he said.
There are a number of ways to handle sev­
erance. Among the most common is to pay all
the annual salary that would have been
earned from the actual date of termination
and/or, as this superintendent noted, one
month’s pay for each year of service.
15. Conditions of contract termination. It’s
important to spell out how, when, and why
your contract—or your employment—
can be terminated. One Met super surveyed
stressed giving careful thought to the timing
of a termination:“! would strongly encour­
age any superintendent who has club hous­
ing and a family in the town’s school system
to build in a termination notification on or

Tee to Green Ju ly/A u g u st 2014

before June 30. This way,” he said, “you
have two full months to find new hous­
ing and a new school system for your
children. This was a big issue for me, and
the club did agree to the new notification
clause.”
16. Indemnification. Including this type of
clause in your contract will protect you
from claims, lawsuits, fines, etc., that you
might incur as an employee of the facil­
ity. One superintendent surveyed felt it
was more important to have some way to
protect himself against “the bad decisions
the club ends up making.” While still
another commented that, no matter what
protection this or any of the other con­
tract clauses might offer, his club would
always have the upper hand:“If it came to
a dispute between the club and me, their
200 attorneys would squish me like a
bug,” he said. “Basically, my contract is a
piece of paper that says my benefits in
writing.”
Keep in mind, as with any legally
binding document, you should always
have an attorney look at it—and prefer­
ably one who knows the profession—to
ensure you’re properly protected and that
the contract complies with federal and
state laws.
“Contracts are worthwhile only if the
language is properly written, and the on­
ly way to do that is to have a lawyer look
at it,” concurred one of the survey partic­
ipants who, like many of the respondents,
made sure to seek legal counsel.

Keep in Hind...
If you’re among the many superintend­
ents seriously thinking of pursuing an
employment agreement, remember that
you should first be sure your track record
qualifies you for a binding contract and
then be fair about what you’re asking for.
If you shoot for the moon, you’re likely to
turn off an otherwise receptive group.
If lobbying for a contract seems like
more trouble than it’s worth, keep in
mind that once you’ve reached a mutually
acceptable agreement with your em­
ployer, you can go to work every day
confident about your job and undis­
tracted by issues that may cause you to
question your future employment. In the
work world, there are few feelings better
than that.
Greg Wojick, a member of the Tee to Green
Editorial Committee, is a principal in
Playbooksfor Golf, offering the Playbooks
Coverage System software, golf course
field guides, search services, and career
development.

Tee to Green July/A ugust 201 4

Employment Contracts:
An In-the-Know Barrister’s View
/m
/ W

fter urging superintendents in
/ our accompanying article to
y
seek legal counsel when draw­
ing up an employment contract, we took the
liberty of contacting Attorney Philip M.
Halpern, an area lawyer who graciously
works pro bono with area golf professionals
and superintendents (a number of our mem­
bers among them) to guide them in crafting
just-the-right employment contract, as well
as counseling them on other legal issues.
An attorney for the past 34 years with
Collier, Halpern, Newberg, Nolletti & Bock
in White Plains, NY, Halpern is pleased to
give back to an industry that he felt gave so
much to him.
“When golf professionals and superintend­
ents want to pay me for my services,” he says,
“I tell them they can repay me by calling and
thanking George Lewis, the former Leewood
Golf Club professional who gave me an op­
portunity few people have. I worked with
him from fifth grade until I finished law
school,” adds Halpern, who 34 years later is
still indebted to Lewis’s guidance.
Though Halpern is quick to point out that
there is “no magic entitlement to a contract,”
he does admit that “having a contract is bet­
ter than not.” And who should know better?
In addition to working the golf shop side of
the business, Halpern has been an active
member of the Westchester Country Club,
serving nine years on the club’s board, com­
pleting a term as club president and a term as
chairman. In addition, for the past several
years, he has served on the Green Commit­
tee.“! worked with Joe Alonzi, the board, and
the Green Committee to change the greens
from Poa to bent,” he says proudly.

So Why An* Contracts Accessary?
Halpern offers two basic reasons, and neither,
as you might have expected, relate to benefits
and compensation. Instead, Halpern believes
contracts are necessary to ensure that the
superintendent and his or her family is pro­
tected—and provided for—should the worst
happen. “A contract is no different than
insurance,” says Halpern. “With both, you’re
just trying to cover the risks.”
R eason #1: “I call it the three Ds,” says
Halpern:
1. Death
2. Disability
3. Disagreement

“Contracts are less about articulating ben­
efits—labor laws cover that,” says Halpern.
“Superintendents need to be sure they’re pro­
tected, but also that their families are pro­
vided for should they become disabled or die,
for instance,” he adds.
“Disagreement should be covered as well,”
Halpern continues. “If you commit an of­
fense of moral turpitude, you should probably
get nothing upon termination. If, however,
you are terminated because ‘the club is going
in a different direction,’ then perhaps some
severance is in order and should be agreed on
in advance.”
R eason #2: Changing position materially.
“If a superintendent is changing jobs and has
to relocate himself and his family . . . new
home, new schools for the kids ... then he is
changing position materially and needs a
contract,” says Halpern, emphasizing that
superintendents who give up everything
they had to take a new position need to be
sure they’re amply covered should things not
work out.
“Superintendents should worry less about
what they’re getting for compensation,” says
Halpern, “and more about providing for the
unknown: What happens i f . . . ? Guys come
to me,” he continues, “not because they didn’t
get their salary. They come because of the
bad things that can happen.”

“If there’s one thing that astounds me,” says
Halpern,“it’s that superintendents in the Met
area don’t band together and insist that clubs
provide a standard employment agreement.
These agreements,” he says, “should offer
similar basic rights, and clubs should be made
aware of these expectations, perhaps, through
an association’s executive director who could
actually visit clubs to educate them.”
Many superintendents, according to Hal­
pern, sell themselves short. “They have the
attitude that they’re fortunate to have the
job,” he says. “The reality,” says Halpern, “is
that what they do is a specialty and a huge
responsibility that requires long hours and
a good deal of technical knowledge and
expertise.
“In the end,” he says with conviction, “a
golf course is only as good as the superin­
tendent a club hires.”
N ote: You can reach Attorney Philip M.
Halpern by phone or email: 914-684-6800
or phalpern@chnnb.com.

Upcoming Golf and Educational Events
Met Championship and Met Area
Team Championship Qualifier
PLUS
The Poa Annual Tournament

Monday, September 22
Rockland Country Club
Sparkill, NY
Host: Matt Ceplo, CGCS
Met Area Team Championship

Monday, September 29
Philadelphia Country Club
Gladwyne, PA
Host: Mike McNulty
Annual Assistants Championship

Tuesday, October 7
Redding Country Club
Redding, CT
Assistant Hosts: Greg Rotter and
Evan Bradstreet
Superintendent Host: Brett Chapin
Nine and Dine Event

Wednesday, October 15
Silvermine Golf Club
Norwalk, CT
Host: Larry Pakkala, CGCS
Annual Fall Meeting &
Elections

Tuesday, November 4
Rye Grill & Bar
Rye, NY

Educational Events
Turf & Grounds Exposition

Wednesday—Friday, November 1 2 - 1 4
Rochester Riverside Convention Center
Rochester, NY
The T urf & 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 Educational
Seminar

Wednesday, December 3
The Patterson Club, Fairfield, CT
Host: Jason Meersman

39th Annual New Jersey Green Expo
Tiirf and Landscape Conference

Tuesday - Thursday, December 9 - 1 1
Trump Taj Mahal Resort Casino
Atlantic City, NY
The New Jersey Green Exp 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 14, 2015
Westchester Country Club
Rye, NY
Host: David Dudones, CGCS
18th Annual New England Regional
Turfgrass Conference and Show

Monday - Thursday,January 2 6 —29, 2015
Rhode Island Convention Center
Providence, RI
For the 18th consecutive year, the confer­
ence and show provides turfgrass profes­
sionals from all areas of the industry the
opportunity to see the newest products,
supplies, services, and equipment available
while joining turfgrass professionals for
informative educational sessions, pesticide
recertification credits, and endless network­
ing opportunities.
For further details, call 401-841-5490 or
visit www.NERTF.org or TurfShow.com.

Tee to Green J u ly/A ugust 2014

2014 Scholarship Recipients Named at the Mosholn
Parent/Child Scholarship Tournament
by

GlenDube, CGCS, M etGCSA Scholarship Chairman

he 2014 Scholarship Awards
r Ceremony was held on August 5 as
rpart of the third Annual Scholarship
& Parent/Child Tournament at Mosholu
Golf Course. One of America’s 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 third 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!

The Scholarship Award Winners
After golf, everyone reconvened at the club­
house for a delicious buffet dinner on the
patio overlooking the ninth hole, offering
the perfect opportunity to enjoy the great

Tee to Green Ju ly /A ugust 2 0 1 4

I weather and beautiful sunset.
After dinner was served and
the prizes from the golf event
were distributed, scholarship
awards were presented to 10
deserving recipients, who
were either MetGCSA mem­
bers’ children or a member
themselves.
In addition to maintain­
ing stellar GPAs, these stu­
dents are all very involved
in their communities and
participate in numerous
extracurricular activities.
^ J It’s amazing how they can
get it all done and still
maintain exceptional grades.
Please join me in congratulating this
year’s scholarship recipients—and their
proud parents:
• David Carlone, son of Leslie and John
Carlone, superintendent of Meadow Brook
Club, is a senior at Hofstra University study­
ing film.

• Courtney Cook, daughter of Lisa and
Mike Cook of The Care of Trees, is a junior
at the University of Delaware studying
communications.
• Amanda Gross, daughter of Elizabeth
and Doug George, superintendent of Waccabuc Country Club, will be a senior at
Northeastern University studying civil and
environmental engineering.
• Samual Kerr, son of Betsy and Dave
Kerr, superintendent of Ridgewood Coun­
try Club, will be is senior at Liberty Univer­
sity majoring in special education, with a
special interest in working with autistic
children.
• Teddy Norman, is a member of the
MetGCSA, working as an assistant at Con­
cord Country Club in Concord, MA. He is a
senior at the University of MassachusettsAmherst Stockbridge School of Agriculture.

• Sarah Perlee, daughter of Lorah and
Bill Perlee, superintendent of The Apawamis Club, is in her sophomore year at The
University of Vermont majoring in animal
science.
• Austin R enzetti, son of Angela and
Steve Renzetti, owner of Pinnacle Turf, will
be a freshman at Norwich University study­
ing civil engineering.
• Mary Sylvester, daughter of Julie and
Dave Sylvester, sales representative for Bayer
Environmental Science, is pursuing her
graduate degree in geography from Central
Connecticut State University.
• Jane Sylvester, daughter of Julie and
Dave Sylvester, sales representative for Bayer
Environmental Science, is in her senior year
at Michigan State University studying
music education and performance.
• Christopher Wojick, son of Tee to Green
Managing Editor Pandora Wojick and Greg
Wojick, principal, Playbooks for Golf, will
be a freshman at the University of Con­
necticut, pursuing a bachelor’s in plant sci­
ence and landscape design.
In addition to congratulating our recipients,
Ed 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!

New Members

Please join us in welcoming the following
new MetGCSA members:
• Eric Bresky, Class AF, of Winfield
Solutions
• Keith Kubik, Class AF, of Grass Roots,
Inc.
Members on the Move

• Bill Cygan is a new superintendent at
Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck,
NY Previous position: Assistant superin­
tendent at Winged Foot Golf Club.
• Michael Aube is the new superin­
tendent at Osiris Country Club in Wal­
den, NY Previous position: Assistant super­
intendent at Sunningdale Country Club in
Scarsdale, NY
Newly Certified

Congratulations to Peter J. Rappoccio of
Concord Country Club in Concord, MA,
for completing the coursework re-quired
to become a certified golf course superin­
tendent (CGCS) with GCSAA.
Retired

D om inick Monteleone retired this past
April. He was an assistant superintendent
at Ardsley Country Club in Ardsley-onHudson, NY, for more than 20 years and a
MetGCSA member since 1983. We wish
you all the best in your retirement, Dom!
In Sympathy

We would like to offer our sincere condo­
lences to Bob DeMarco, superintendent
at the Powelton Club. Bob’s mother, Sally
DeMarco, passed away July 15 at her home
in Lagrangeville, NY She was 91. Mem­
orial donations may be made to either St.
Joachim-St. John Church, 2 Oak Street,
Beacon, NY 12508 or St. Joseph’s Church,
15 North Avenue, Millbrook, NY 12545.

A t the Mosholu Parent/Child G olf Event,
MetGCSA scholarship winners receive their
well-deserved awards (left to right): Lorah and
Bill Perlee with their daughter, Sarah;
Christopher Wojick with his parents, Pandora
and Greg Wojick; Samual Kerr, son of David
Kerr, with his grandfather; Teddy Norman, an
assistant at Concord Country Club and
MetGCSA member; Mike Cook accepting the
awardfor his daughter, Courtney; Dave
Sylvester accepting the award for his daughter,
Jane; and Austin Renzetti with his parents,
Angela and Steve Renzetti.

President’s Message continuedfrom page t
Committee Co-Chairs: Matt Ceplo (Rock­
land Country Club), Mike Maffei (Back
O ’Beyond), or Peter Rappoccio (Silver
Spring Country Club).

Hounds 4 Research Thank Von’s
I also want to be sure to thank all of you,
once again, who supported the 2014 Rounds
4 Research auction that has now closed. Your
contributions were significant in raising
funds for the MetGCSA, which will be used
to offset costs associated with the New York
Best Management Practices initiative and a
host of other programs associated with edu­
cation, scholarships, advocacy, and agro­
nomic research throughout the Met area.
With your help, the MetGCSA raised
more than $10,000 in 2014 with a two-year
total of close to $24,000 to be distributed
among these worthy causes. For those of you
who donated rounds, we can’t thank you
enough for your contributions, and for those
who missed out on this great opportunity to
support the MetGCSA, we hope you’ll con­
sider joining all of us next year!

New GCSAA Delegate on Hoard
I want thank to our past president, Bob
Nielsen, for his nine years as our GCSAA
Delegate, serving as an important link be­
tween our chapter and our national organi­
zation. This year, board member Brett
Chapin, superintendent of Redding Coun­
try Club, will assume the role of GCSAA
Delegate, representing our association in
Lawrence, KS, October 14-16. We work
closely with GCSAA as they, like the
MetGCSA, are continually working on our
behalf to promote the golf course superin­
tendent and the golf industry worldwide.
If you have any concerns, comments, or
questions for the leaders at headquarters, I
would urge you to reach out to Brett some­
time before he takes off for Kansas.
I am also proud to announce that the
MetGCSA has nominated John O ’Keefe of
Preakness Hills Country Club for the office
of president on the 2015 GCSAA Board of
Directors. John has been a longtime Met
member and past president, and we all wish
him well as he enters his final two (but
extremely important) years on the board.
Please show your support for John by at­
tending the GCSAA Annual Meeting dur­
ing the Golf Industry Show, where he will
officially be voted in. I’m sure you will all
join me in wishing John the best of luck and
in offering thanks for his many years of ded­
icated service.
Blake Halderman, CGCS
President
Tee to Green Ju ly/A u g u st 2014

Frolicking Good Fun at the
Family Picnic
On July 28, more than 60 MetGCSA
members and their families convened at
Bedford Village Memorial Park for our
annual Family Picnic. It was a great after­
noon with family and friends, and a per­
fect opportunity to compare midseason
notes with fellow superintendents.
The kids had a great time on the play­
ground and in the bouncy house, and as
usual, the highlight of the afternoon was
demolishing the pihata!
Many thanks go out to Bob Nielsen for
providing the grill and arranging the
food. We hope to see you all out there
again next summer!

Spotlight

Rock on at Rockland: Host to Upcoming
Triple Header Event
by Chip Lafferty

r ( j ) nee a contributor, always a con/ tributor. Few words could more
—^ aptly describe Matt Ceplo, who has
graciously volunteered to host our annual
triple-header event— the Met Champion­
ship and Met Area Team Championship
Qualifier PLUS the Poa Annual Tourn­
ament— on September 22 at Rockland
Country Club, where he has been superin­
tendent for the past 18 years.
A great supporter of our association and
industry, Matt has hosted several other
MetGCSA meetings over the past decade
and served on the MetGCSA board of direc­
tors for 20 years, moving his way through
the chairs to become our associations presi­
dent in 2007 and 2008. Matt is still actively
involved in the Met, currently serving on
both the Tee to Green’s Editorial Committee
and Nominating Committee.
In the interest of promoting ongoing re­
search designed to help area superintendents
find environmentally safe controls for a
variety of turfgrass pests and problems, Matt
has also devoted his time to the efforts of
the Tri-State T urf Research Foundation.
Currently president, he has served on the
Tri-State board for the past six years.
Just as passionate about our environment
as contributing to our industry, Matt has
instituted a number of environmentally
friendly programs and practices on the golf
course during his tenure at Rockland.
Among his proudest achievements was
guiding the club to meet criteria necessary
to become a certified Audubon Cooperative
Sanctuary, subscribing wholeheartedly to
the Audubon approach to course manage­
ment. “Our members think our environ­
mental successes are terrific,” says Matt,“and
they support all of our efforts 100 percent.”
An advocate of Integrated Pest Manage­
ment (IPM), Matt worked to transform
about 20 acres of property into native plant
areas, avoiding pesticide or water use in
those areas. “We’ve also put up some blue­
bird houses,” says Matt, “and I organize an
annual bird-watching event where people
come and observe 40 to 50 species of birds.”
Also noteworthy is the club’s involvement
with the surrounding community: “We in­
vite the Biology Department from St.
Thomas Aquinas College to come and take

water samples to use in their classrooms.
We also invite local Girl Scout and Cub
Scout groups to come and catch butterflies
and learn about our wildflowers,” says Matt,
whose efforts have earned him numerous
M att Ceplo, C G C S
environmental awards, not the least of
which was the 2012 Arthur P. Weber MGA pursued formal industry training, receiving
Club Environmental Leaders in Golf Award an Associate’s from SUNY-Delhi in Horti­
and the 2013 GCSAA President’s Award for culture in 1979. Once out of school, he went
Environmental Stewardship.
on to hone his skills as an assistant at
Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey,
Rockland From the (¡round Ep
under then superintendent and long-time
Rockland’s course has the signature of not industry veteran Ed Walsh.
It took only four years under Ed’s watchful
one, but three architects, starting with
Robert White, who was responsible for the eye for Matt to get his first crack at a super­
18-hole course’s initial design and construc­ intendent’s position at Westchester Hills
tion in 1929. Thirty-six years later, in 1965, Country Club. Matt remembers his time at
Alfred Tull and Robert Trent Jones Sr. added Westchester Hills fondly. “I played much
more golf back then,” he says, explaining that
their personal touches.
In Matt’s tenure, the course has undergone it was a time in his career when he and his
another series of enhancements. Beginning wife of 29 years, Jasmine, had no kids, and he
in 1995, he has guided the club in rebuilding could play until dark on most nights.
“I play nowhere near the amount I used
all of its bunkers, tee complexes, and three of
to,”
says Matt who, at one time, sported a four
its greens, while updating and expanding the
handicap.
Having kids changes priorities.
club’s irrigation system, which they have
Matt and Jasmine’s two “kids” are now all
since replaced with an all-new system.
The improvement projects don’t stop grown up: Allison is 26, and Megan, 22. Both
there. Recently the club has carried out a have graduated college and have occupations
variety of landscaping projects, renovated in their fields of study. Allison is working in
the clubhouse and surrounding grounds, and the City for a fashion design firm called
completed a tree relocation and removal Ruun, and Megan is working for a flavor and
program. Though one of the first of its kind fragrance company called Takasago, where
she puts her pastry degree to work testing
in the area, it apparently wasn’t a hard sell.
“Members feared hitting tree roots and and creating flavorful snacks.
Matt shares how blessed he and Jasmine
getting injured,” says Matt,“so all I had to do
feel
to have his girls finished with college
was explain that if they wanted to get rid of
and
employed
in an industry related to their
tree roots, they had to get rid of the trees!”
Most recently, Matt and his staff com­ studies. “Finding jobs in their fields of study
pleted a continuous cart path system, which is really fulfilling—for them and us!” Matt
Matt calls a home run.“Now,” he says,“if we and Jasmine aren’t quite empty nesters yet—
get a lot of rain, members can still take out one daughter still lives at home—but when
the right opportunity arises, watch out, be­
carts without affecting the golf course.”
cause M att’s game will return to the pre­
family four handicap in no time!
Matt, Past and Present
Be sure to get your game ready for what is
With M att’s devotion to the industry so bound to be a great day of golf, camaraderie,
clear, it’s no surprise that he was long im­ and bit of revelry as we celebrate another
mersed in the business. His parents owned a long season in the books.
public, 18-hole golf course— the Afton Golf
Club—near Binghamton, NY, which is Chip Lafferty, a member of the Tee to Green
where Matt first learned to love the game Editorial Committee, is superintendent at Rye
and the profession.
Golf Club in Rye, NY.
Following a track you might expect, Matt
Tee to Green J u ly /A ugust 201 4

©

Spotlight

The Nine and Dine Goes to Silvermine
by Scott Niven, CGCS

ack by popular demand is the
MetGCSA’s now-annual Nine
( ^^ran d Dine Event to be held this
year on October 15 at Silvermine Golf Club
in Norwalk, CT. Our superintendent host,
Larry Pakkala, is no stranger to hosting Met
events, having held many of the Met’s golf
meetings and social events at Woodway
Country Club, where he worked for 25 years
before retiring—as it turned out temporar­
ily—from superintendentdom. Some of the
most memorable events Larry hosted were
the Met’s Family Picnics, which were held at
Woodway s picturesque beach club.
Larry is looking forward to a pleasant
end-of-season event at Silvermine with fel­
low members.
f

Career Track
After leaving Woodway in 2008, Larry
thought he would finish off his career in the
golf business with a sales position at Plant
Food Company, Inc. It was no surprise that
Larry excelled as a sales rep, significantly
increasing Plant Food’s market share in the
Met area. But five years later, opportunity
knocked again when the superintendent
position opened at the Silvermine Golf Club.
With his longtime close friend and head
golf pro Stuart Waack already at Silvermine,
Larry didn’t think twice about returning to
the profession he enjoyed so much. Larry
and Silvermine have been a match made
in heaven. He immediately brought the golf
course conditions up to the level of private
clubs in Fairfield County, prompting mem­
bers to say “they never imagined their golf
course could be so good!” They especially
like what Larry has done with the greens,
which always roll smooth and true and are
plenty quick for the sloping contours, adding
to the challenge of this enjoyable track.
Born to a golfing family in Pittsburgh,
PA, Larry earned an associate’s in landscape
architecture and then took a position at
Philadelphia Country Club, where his bro­
ther, D.J., was superintendent at the time.
During his tenure there, Larry completed
the turfgrass management program at Penn
State University.
On the road to Woodway, Larry also
gained valuable experience as the assistant
Tee to Green Ju ly/A u g u st 2 0 1 4

superintendent at the prestigious Merion
Golf Club in Ardmore, PA, and then as super­
intendent at Bermuda’s Mid Ocean Club.
Though he regarded Mid Ocean as a valu­
able learning experience, after four years
there, he was ready to leave island life be­
hind. He returned to the States in 1981 and
took the superintendent’s job at St. Andrew’s
Golf Club in Hastings-on-the-Hudson, NY,
his last stop before Woodway and the begin­
ning of his 33-year-and-counting associa­
tion with the MetGCSA.

5,900 yards, the course’s narrow, tree-lined
fairways and small, challenging greens, make
scoring difficult. You will find that it plays as
tough as courses measuring much longer.
Silvermine also has another nine-hole
executive course that is geared more for
children, novice players, older players, or for
just working on your short game.
Larry has enjoyed his new golf club so
Giving D ad
much that he decided to make it his summer
Larry was not just a member of the turfgrass home, purchasing a nice house just off the
industry, he was an active participant and 13th hole. Larry and his wife, Carole, auto­
contributor. He served as the Met’s president, matically became club members, which
spending 11 years on the board and chairing changed his title from just superintendent to
or sitting on just about every committee. He’s superintendent/member.
Lately it’s been hard to tell which title he
currently serving on the Long Range Plan­
has been working harder on when, at times,
ning and Steering and Awards committees.
“There is no question the MetGCSA is one he plays five rounds in one week!
Rivaling golf as one of Larry’s favorite
of the finest chapters in the country,” says
Larry. “I’ve been grateful for the opportunity pastimes is spending time with Carole dur­
to serve the association, and I’m pleased to ing the summer months soaking up the sun
and visiting with the many friendly mem­
see it excel.”
bers
of the club they joined several years ago,
Larry’s contributions extend well beyond
the Met. He was the founding president of the Sprite Island Yacht Club, located just off
the Tri-State T urf Research Foundation in the coast of Norwalk. With his mind never
1991 and served on the first GCSAA com­ too far-removed from turf, it didn’t take
mittee responsible for establishing the Larry long to size up the club’s landscaping
and then join the board so he could take it
GCSAA Foundation.
Larry was also among the first to become upon himself to develop the grounds into a
involved in the Audubon Cooperative Sanc­ beautiful island paradise.
Larry and Carole have two daughters,
tuary Program (ACSP), which offers golf
courses a well-respected vehicle for validat­ who live nearby. Christina, 38, and Lauren,
ing and publicizing their environmental 33. Christina lives in Norwalk with her hus­
efforts. In 1993, Woodway was one of the band of 10 years and son, Lucas. She is a mar­
first 25 clubs in the country to become a cer­ keting supervisor for Nielson. Lauren lives in
Wilton, CT, and is engaged to be married in
tified cooperative sanctuary.
It’s work like this that earned Larry September 2015. She’s a speech pathologist
the prestigious Sherwood A. Moore Award, with the Darien School system.
When you join fellow Met members at
which honors superintendents who have
contributed to “advancing the professional Silvermine for the October Nine and Dine,
image, status, and reputation of the golf you’re guaranteed a wonderful time as you
experience some great hospitality on this
course superintendent.”
very well-maintained little gem tucked
up in Northern Norwalk. Hope to see you
What to Expect
there!
If you’ve never played Silvermine, don’t be
fooled by the scorecard, which makes the Scott Niven, a member of the Tee to Green
course appear on the short side. Though it’s a Editorial Committee, is property manager of The
par 70 from the men’s tees and measures just Stanwich Club in Greenwich, CT.

atron Directory
Patrons listed on this page are supporting our association.
You are encouraged to support them.
D eLea Sod Farms
Bentgrass, Fescue, & Bluegrass Sod & U.S.
Silica Topdressing
Mike Hollander / Scott Geiser
800-344-7637

360GOLF
“Rebuilding Golf Courses From All
the Right Angles”
Chad Lemere: 914-625-0676
www.360golfonline.com
© A .G . Enterprises
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201-488-1276
Fax:201-489-5830
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www.AGEnterprisesonline.com

© D ryject N .E . / TurfPounders
“Your Aerification Solution”
Kevin Collins / Steve Jordan /
Bob Lippman
914-672-6029 / Fax:845-228-1728
mcc 10512@yahoo.com

© A ll Pro H orticulture
54 Railroad Avenue
Copiague, N Y 11726
John Seib: 631-789-6680
Fax:631-789-5711
john@allporthort.com

© Em erald Tree Care, Inc.
26 Fox Meadow Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583
Steve Farrelly: 914-725-0441
Kevin Wyatt: 203-422-2441

A qua-A id, Inc.
Surfactants, Verde Cal, OARS, Root
Pruner, Drill & Fill
Bert Brace: 570-510-4996
Bert@aquaaid.com
info@aquaaid.com
© Aquatrols Corp. o f A m erica
1273 Imperial Way
Paulsboro,NJ 08066
Kevin P. Collins
NE & Mid-Atlantic Territory Mgr.
609-841-2077
kevin.collins@Aquatrols.com
A rgento & Sons, Inc.
1 Prospect Avenue
W hite Plains, NY 10607
Louis Argento: 914-949-1152
Fax:914-948-0255
louis@argentoandsons.com
© A tlantic G o lf & T urf
9 Industrial Boulevard
Turner Falls, MA 01376
John Garcia: 203-996-6267
jngarc@gmail.com
© A tlantic Irrigation
Specialists, Inc.
R ain Bird & All Related Supplies
Ray Beaudry / Tim Marcoux
800-878-8873
BASF
Specialty Products Department
Peter Jacobson: 919-530-9062
peter.jacobson@basf.com
© Bayer E nvironm ental Science
“Backed by Bayer”
Dave Sylvester: 860-841-3173
© B lue R id g e Peat Farms
133 Peat Moss Road,
W hite Haven, PA 18661
Gene Evans / Chuck Evans
570-443-9596 / 570-947-5888
© C ustom G olf, M ike G iacini
Golf Course Materials
Michael Giacini: 631-433-4494
nmgiacini@verizon.net
© D avisson G olf, Inc. ~ est. 1991
Knox, Nitrozyme, Mikro-Pak,
& Sand
Tom Tuttle: 215-431-0393
800-613-6888
www. davissongolf. com

© Evergreen O rganic R ecycling
1160 Mamaroneck Avenue
W hite Plains, NY 10605
James Amodio / Raymond Colasacco
914-949-9030
EvergreenOrganicRecycling.com
© Executive T urf Products
92 Vine Road, Stamford, CT 06905
Ken Gentile: 203-496-0891
executiveturfproducts@gmail.com

o

Grass R oots, Inc.
Ryan Batz, Tech. Sales Rep.
Cell: 631-872-5357
Ofc: 973-252-6634
Ryan.Batz@GRIturf.com
www.GRIturf.com

© G rowth Products, LTD
80 Lafayette Avenue
W hite Plains, NY 10603
Howie Gold: 800-648-7626
Fax:914-428-2780
hgold@growthproducts.com

© Pinnacle Turf, Inc.

© The Terre C om pany o f
N ew Jersey, Inc.
Seed, Pesticides, Nursery Stock,
& Fertilizer
Byron Johnson: 973-473-3393
Fax:973-473-4402
bfleury@terrecompany.com

Steven Renzetti, CGCS: 914-384-9227
srenzetti@verizon.net
www.Pinnacleturf.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

©

Tom Irw in Inc.
“W ith Tom Irwin, You Are Not
Alone”
Rob Larson / Jeff Houde
800-582-5959
Fax:781-273-4804

©

T urf Products LLC / TORO
Toro Irrigation & Equipment
Pat Cragin
Cell: 860-874-2812
Ofc: 800-243-4355

© PIaybooks for Golf
Chem/Fert Coverage System, Golf
Course Field Guides, Assistant Search
Services, Career Development
Greg Wojick: 203-219-0254
Matt Leverich: 913-221-8052
www.goplaybooks.com

© Pocono Turf / Synergy Turf Supply
Bobby Steinman, CGCS: 860-488-2822
bobby7777@aol.com

© Quali-Pro
Quality T urf and Ornamental Products
Phil O ’Brien: 856-252-4725
PhilO@quali-pro.com

© U n ited Phosphorus, Inc.
“Phoenix Brands by U PI”
Mike DelSantro: 484-862-2155
mark.delsantro@uniphos.com
©

© Seeton Turf Warehouse, LLC
Brian Bontemps: 845-239-7959
Brian Gjelsvik: 973-670-7139
brianbontemps@seetonturf.com

Soil Solutions, LLC

q

Aerification Professionals
7 W hittemore Place
Ryebrook, NY 10573
Anthony Decicco / John Decicco
914-393-0659 / Fax:914-939-5010

© Stein Golf Construction

Valley Green, Inc.
205 Wilson Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06854
Greg Moran
Cell: 845-901-1358
Ofc: 203-831-9748
g.moran@valleygreenusa.com
Valley V iew W holesale
Greenhouses
229 Smith Ridge Road
South Salem, NY 10590
Frank Amodio: 914-533-2526
Fax:914-533-3059
wgh@aol.com

17 Cedar Hill Road, Bedford, NY 10506 ^
Westchester Tractor, Inc.
Jeff Stein: 917-273-4099
W
60 International Boulevard
Jeffrey@steingolf. com
Brewster, NY 10509
© H arrell’s
© Steven Willand, Inc.
John Apple / George Risley /
“Growing a Better World. Partners
“Quality T urf Equipment”
Jeff Underhill
for Success”
4 Production Drive
845-278-7766
Scott Tretera: 914-262-8638
Brookfield, CT 06804
www.wtractor.com
stretera@harrells.com
George Corgan: 914-213 -3622
^
www.harrells.com
Westchester T urf Supply, Inc.
georgecorgan@charter.net
“Serving the MetGCSA for
www.StevenWillandInc.com
LaBar G olf R enovations
38 Years”
Richard S. LaBar Jr., President, CEO
© Syngenta
Bob Lippman: 914-447-6257
Cell: 973-600-9249
23 Roslyn Drive
bobwestturf@comcast.net
Ofc: 908-502-5253
Ballston Lake, NY 12019
Dave Lippman: 914-447-5192
labargolfreno@gmail.com
Fred Montgomery, CGCS
westturf@comcast.net
© LaCorte Equipm ent ~
518-424-0760 / 518-399-6588
info@westchesterturf.com
John D eere G olf
Fred.Montgomery@syngenta.com
^
Westwood O rganic
“Your Trusted Northeast John Deere Golf
© Tanto Irrigation, LLC
R ecyclin g
Dealer”
“Serving the MetGCSA for 40+ Years
James Scoli: 914-949-3244
Jim Calladio / Scott Ferguson
William Bartels: 914-347-5151
Fax:914-517-2703
800-560-3373 ext 4 / Fax:631-591-3447
Fax:914-347-6323
jscoli@westwoodorganic.com
golf@lacorteequipment.com
wbartels@tantoirrigation.com
www.westwoodorganic.com
O L eggette, Brashears & G raham , Inc. © The Cardinals, Inc.
©
W ilfred M acD onald, Inc.
Hydrogeologic Consulting &
Complete Distributor of Golf Course
South Hackensack, NJ 07606
Environmental Engineering Services
Accessories & T urf Maintenance Supplies
Glenn Gallion: 201-954-5878
Rob Good: 860-678-0404
John Callahan: 800-861-6256
ggwilmac@aol. com
rgood@lbgct.com
Fax:860-673-8443
W infield Solutions, Inc.
O Metro T urf Specialists
©
The
Care o f Trees
Eric Bresky, CGCS: 845-849-8640
“Customers, O ur TOP Priority!”
Mike Cook: 914-345-8733
EABresky@landolakes.com
Scott / Ernie / Todd / Rich
Jeremiah Green: 914-241-8110
Winfieldprofessionalproducts.com
203-748-4653
Ken Clear: 203-863-0900
www.metroturfspecialists.com
Greg Gutter: 914-241-8110
©

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