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Hoard of Directors
M e t G C estS 1959
A
...

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, CG CS

Centennial Golf Club
Treasurer
DAVID D U D O N E S

Orienta Beach
Club. Site of the
Summer Social!

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

GlenArbor Golf Club
P ast 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
Class “ C ” R ep
G E O R G E CH A V EZ

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

I^ n th is Issue

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

Som e ‘Super’ S u ggestion s for E n h an cin g
the Fun Factor on Your Course

Tee to Green Staff

............................................. 2

Grooming the Course for the Fun of I t ............................................................. 4

E d itor
JIM PAVONETTI
203-531-8910

An Organization Dedicated to Making G olf More Fun ..............................5

M anaging Editor
PANDORA C.WOJICK
Editorial Com m ittee
ADDISON BARDEN
STEVEN MCGLONE M
SCOTT NIVEN 1
MATT CEPLO
I KEVIN COLLINS
TODD SALAMONE
I BILLCYGAN
RYANSEGRUE |
i CHIP LAFFERTY
GREG WOJICK I

I

I

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, Elmsford, NY 10523-2819
914-347-4653, FAX: 914-347-3437, METGCSA.ORG
Copyright ©2014

Departments
S corecard ................................................................................................................ 6
U p c o m in g E v e n t s ................................................................

7

M em ber N ew s .................................................................................................... 7
Spotlight ................................................................................................................ 8

A Surefire
Cure for
Summertime
Stress
Kick Back at the M et’s
Extra-Special Summer
Social Events!

n talking with association members,
it seems that most made it through the first
wave of Hyperodes with little damage and
are now preparing to do battle with the next
generation, not to mention the “dog days of
summer.
If it’s any consolation, the Met board is
right there with you. In addition to battling
Hypes and the rapidly climbing summer
heat, were trying to plan a few fun-filled
activities that will take your mind off course
conditions for an afternoon or evening.
(Even if we can’t help but compare notes all
night!)
Here’s a quick rundown on the social ac­
tivities that are fast approaching. Your
Social Chair, Bob Wolverton, and Scholar­
ship Chair, Glen Dube, have put together
a special lineup of activities with family fun
and R & R in mind, so please mark your
calendars!
Summer Social: The fun begins with the
Summer Social on July 14 at Orienta Beach
Club in Mamaroneck, NY This all-new
waterfront venue offers the perfect getaway-from-it-all ambiance, with a pictur­
esque clubhouse and beachfront area. Put on
your casual summer attire (collared shirts for
men required, but shorts and flip-flops are
allowed) and bring your significant other,
friends, and assistants—this is an adults-only
event—for a lobster/clambake and libations
on the beach.
Family Picnic: This year, Met members will
be returning to Bedford Village Memorial
Park in Bedford, NY, on July 28 for an even­
ing of family fun. This event is designed
with our kids in mind, but even “empty
nesters” will enjoy the food, fun, and games.
There’s something for everyone! So please
plan to break away from work for a few
hours and join us. It’s the perfect opportunity
to spend time with family while mixing it
up with fellow members.

Brendan, son of Brae
Burn}s Blake Halderman,
at last year’s Parent/ Child
Tournament.

Annual Scholarship & Parent/Child Tourn­
ament: This is the highlight of my golf sea­
son: being able to get out and play a nine-

Blake Halderman, C G C S
M etGCSA President

hole scramble with my children on the kidfriendly Mosholu Golf Course in the
Bronx. Scheduled for August 5, Superin­
tendent Dave Moffett has graciously agreed
to host this event held in honor of our
deserving scholarship winners. Read more
about this combination scholarship and fam­
ily-fun golf tourney on page 8. And please
be sure to take advantage of this unique op­
portunity to show your children a good time
on the golf course.
Other events worthy of mention: Our two
regional field days. UConn will be holding
its biannual Turfgrass Field Day on July 15,
and Rutgers will be hosting its annual
Turfgrass Research Field Day for Golf and
Fine Turf on July 29. There is no better way
to learn than by seeing, firsthand, the tu rf
trials being conducted by area universities
and then speaking to regional specialists.
I hope to see you at all of these great
events!
continued on page 7

Tee to Green June 20 1 4

by Steven McGlone

f you’re like most superintendents, your
primary concern on the job is course condi­
tioning: ensuring the course looks and plays
its best with the hope that our members or
daily fee golfers find their rounds enjoyable.
While this will always be a first priority, right
now, with golf participation on the decline—
The National Golf Foundation estimates that
the core golfer (someone who plays at least
eight rounds a year) has fallen off by as much
as 25 percent in the past decade— it’s also
important that we work with our pros, club
officials, and green committees to find ways
to put more fun into the game to draw more
golfers of every level.
Keeping the game fun will not only en­
courage greater participation from golfing
members—old and new—but also contri­
bute to our golf facility’s bottom line and the
overall health and welfare of the game of golf!
So how do we make golf fun for more peo­
ple? Here are the ideas that a number of
MetGCSA members and I have already put
into practice with a good measure of success.
Keep in mind: Even though, at this point,
the member calendar, tournament schedule,
and outings have been booked for the year, it’s
not too late to make a few key moves that will
allow players of all abilities to appreciate the
course.

The Short tourse Alternative
Have you ever played a course where you shot
20 shots over your normal score and walked
away saying the course was fun? Most likely
not. Creating a short course within a tradi­
tional 18-hole layout is one way to appeal to
golfers of all levels: beginners, juniors, and
families. It’s a great alternative to playing the
forward tees or just teeing it up in the fairway.
Chip Lafferty at Rye Golf Club has re­
cently installed yardage plaques on his fair­
ways and considers them a huge hit: “I con­
tinually see families playing the tees; however
I have yet to see a score posted. I keep telling
them that the first score is the course record,”
says Chip with a smile.
This type of setup is becoming popular
among area courses and helps to make kids
feel confident playing from the same tees as
their moms and dads. Adults and juniors have
different pars. For instance, if the hole is a
500-yard Par 5 from the normal men’s tees
Tee to G reenJune 2014

and is being played from the fairway at 350,
it becomes a Par 4 for the men, and a Par 6
or higher for the children. Chip also adds to
the fun by having short-game scorecards
available.

generally adds up to a decent booty. This
game usually requires that a person be avail­
able to fix the extra ball marks on the
green—and stand guard over the ball mark­
ers to keep the players honest!

Cross-Country Golf

Surprise Course Setups

I think every course not hemmed in by
overplanting of trees or a nearby housing
development should have a cross-country
competition. Though it can be bit tricky, it
will certainly offer a very different view of
the course. This type of setup involves using
the normal tee boxes, but the holes are
routed to different greens. Hardhats are
optional for safety since balls will be flying
everywhere once players see the different
alleys where they think they can thread the
ball through.
You can set up this fun event in late fall or
winter with putting necessary only on the
final hole. Or you might even kick off your
clubs Invitational by having a derby to play
from one point to the clubhouse in the
fewest strokes possible, alternate shot, and
with a host of onlookers, enjoying the cama­
raderie and laughs.
This could also be a great way to raise
money for charity by having people pledge
dollars for every shot hit.
In any case, a temporary scorecard can be
drawn up and will certainly be a novelty
with the possibility of a 1000-yard Par 9 or a
40-yard Par 3!
It’s time, isn’t it, to return some whimsy to
a sport that can take itself too seriously?

Whether you call it “Superintendent’s Re­
venge Tournament” or “Course Apprecia­
tion Day,” these events require that the su­
perintendent mastermind a special course
setup, generally one that is designed to chal­
lenge and test the patience of even the best of
players.
We held this type of event for the first time
last year at Siwanoy and utilized extra-tough
tee locations and the hardest pin locations
for each green. (Remember, there’s no rule
stating that the cup has to be on the green!)
Other challenges we factored in were
8-inch-diameter cups on extreme slopes,
greens mowing equipment and other para­
phernalia on the green as true hazards, and
we required players to tee off from bunkers
and even use an opposite-handed club for a
short Par 3.
This type of tournament is usually best
held in the late fall after the course has
relaxed and players need more bait to get out
there and play a late-season round. We com­
bined our event last year with an Octoberfest
Brats-n-Beer at the turn and it ended up
being the third largest golf-round day of
the season! The caddies also really appreci­
ated the opportunity to take in some lateseason loot.

Fulling Fun Into Womens Flay
For our various women’s golf events here at
Siwanoy Country Club, we’ve taken a few
special measures to ensure everyone has an
enjoyable round of golf. At some of our past
women’s tournaments, for instance, we’ve
installed small flowerpots in place of the red
tee markers for a colorful and attractive al­
ternative. We use a standard cup cutter to
recess the four-inch pots into the tees, and
though this adds significant time to course
setup the morning of the event and the fol­
lowing day when were replacing the plugs,
this is special touch our women tourna­
ment-goers appreciate and enjoy.
On Wednesday Women’s Days, we try to
keep it fun by having the course play as short
as we can (without it seeming too short), and
were always sure to keep the pins to the mid­
dle of the greens. Setting up new, tough pin
locations is certainly not the way to show
our female golfing population a good time!
Interestingly, these simple measures have
helped to shed a more positive light on
course maintenance and have actually led to
better relationships between the Greens De­
partment and the Women’s Golf Associa­
tion at the club.

a precipitous 16.7%
decline.
The L-C-R Setup
Another way to make a round of golf more
enjoyable is to vary the course setup. Not to
be confused with the LCR dice game, the
L -C -R course setup plan involves varying
hole locations. For instance, pins on holes 1 6 can be placed on the extreme Left; on
holes 7 - 1 2 , the pins can be located in the
Center; and on holes 13 —18, they can be
placed on the far Right. This simple shift in
course setup can add an interesting twist to
the day’s rounds.

Th<* Money Gall Lure
Another on-course changeup to make your
golfers’ rounds more interesting is to play a
game called Money Ball. This entails plac­
ing a basket of brightly colored balls at a cer­
tain distance—usually 150 yards from the
18th green—in the middle of the fairway.
When a group approaches the basket, they’re
surprised to find a sign indicating a game
they can play. Here’s how it goes:
Players select a ball from the basket, pay­
ing $10 (or any other amount deemed
appropriate) per ball. Each player gets one
shot from the 150-yard spot on the fairway
to the green. Ball markers are available along
with a Sharpie® that is used to inscribe play­
ers’ names on their marker.
The closest marker to the cup at end of
the day gets the money in the basket, which

Night Golf Competition
A true novelty, a night golf event can be a
midsummer hit, especially when accompa­
nied by an on-course open bar. It’s amazing
how many products are available online to
illuminate cups, tee markers, creeks, and fair­
way and bunker lines, as well as flagsticks
and balls.
O f course, safety is a priority, so it’s a good
idea to play only a few holes, mapping out a
course close to the clubhouse and away from
pond edges or streams—true hazards!

Practice Green Putt-Putt

SuperJim Pavonetti and his son, Vincent,
enjoy a round of mini-golf on Fairview's
practice green.

Another great way to entice players to come
on out is to transform your practice putting
green into a mini-golf oasis. Using standardissue white string wrapped around golf tees,
you can lay out a miniature golf course in less
than an hour. Create obstacles within each
hole using masonry block, tee markers, sand
piles, fescue hex plugs, firewood, or small
branches. A scorecard with Par 2s and 3s can
be made up and placed at the start of the
mini-course.

Tee to GreenJune 2014

is followed by wine and light fare in the
club grillroom.

Big Hole/Little Hole
Another quick change to course setup that
can make a round more fun for players is
called Big Hole / Little Hole. This entails
having nine, large 8-inch cups and nine,
small 2-inch cups on the typical 18-hole
setup. This challenges the putting game and
will surely be a topic of conversation in the
clubhouse.
To add to the excitement, betting is en­
couraged, and scores are kept all day and
posted. The lowest scorer wins a prize, usu­
ally a putter. This is a great addition to the
practice round of a multiple-day member/
member or member/guest.

The Lure of Play for R I M .
Holding a tournament that supports Play for
P.I.N.K. is not only a worthwhile endeavor,
but also a crowd-drawer. Many people have
been touched by breast cancer either person­
ally or through friends or family members
and are eager to come out and support a
cause that promotes finding a cure for breast
cancer.
There doesn’t have to be a special tourna­
ment or course setup; the cause, itself, will be
the lure. A simple email blast notifying
members/players that this event is taking
place is generally all it takes to encourage
participation. While for many, the primary
fundraising is accomplished through an indi­
vidual fee for the golf, some clubs hold a raf­
fle, and others simply leave a donation basket
at the starters’ table.
Taking off across the globe, this event
spices up the golf course with such items
as bright pink cups, flags, and tee markers.
Seeing bright pink accessories on the course
is a welcome change and a nice contrast to
the deep-green colors found on the course
landscape.
This type of event is one that grows bigger
every year, particularly with the right
amount of planning.

Vine and

Wine

At Pelham Country Club, Superintendent
Jeff Wentworth has found the club’s Nine
and Wine event a nice draw for mixed
couples.
Player-friendly, this event takes a typical
nine-hole setup and turns it into nine indi­
vidual Par 3s, with golfers playing most holes
from the fairway. Both husband and wife hit
from the same tee, supporting the social
aspect of this event, and the Par 27 round,
which takes less than two hours to complete,

Tee to Green June 2 0 i 4

A Lesson in Course History
Working as a superintendent in the Met
Area, chances are you’re employed by a club
that has a long, and even colorful, history
with its roots in classic golf course architec­
ture. Using this to your advantage, you can
educate and inform your often unknowing
golfing population about your facility’s his­
toric past. Treating the course as you would
a museum, you can place a card near tee
markers with fun facts about the hole, renovation/restoration information, or back­
ground on the original course architect. If
well done, this can be a much-appreciated
added touch to a round of golf, while send­
ing the signal to members that your knowl­
edge and attention to detail extend well
beyond turfgrass management.
O f course, you could also offer to host
on-course meetings to educate players
about the course maintenance, management
schemes, or tournament preparations.

Communication Is Key
No matter how you choose to make your
course more enjoyable to your players, com­
munication is key. Players appreciate ad­
vance notice of the day’s plans so they can
decide whether or not to participate in a
particular event. The last thing you want to
happen is to have a longtime regular mem­
ber show up with seven guests on a sunny
afternoon to play a relaxing 18 holes and
then find the course set up for a fun, but
quirky event.
Thinking outside the box and introduc­
ing golfing experiences that a range of
golfers can enjoy, will increase the likeli­
hood that they will get out more often and
play and perhaps bring a family member or
friend out on the course too. It’s a win, win,
win. The more golfers, the better your facil­
ity’s bottom line, and the more the golf
industry will thrive. Now that’s fun—for
everyone!
Steven McGlone, a member of the Tee to
Green Editorial Committee, is superintendent
of Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, N Y

Grooming the Cou
the Fun of It
^

e

’s face it. Golf is difficult,
and what should be an engaging challenge can become
unreasonably tough given certain course
maintenance practices. Golf course superin­
tendents play a key role in the enjoyment of
the game and, therefore, have to be attuned
to what keeps the game fun for the majority
of their golfing members.
At Fairview Country Club, Superinten­
dent Jim Pavonetti alters daily course setup
and maintenance routines to ensure Fairview members’ rounds are enjoyable.
Among the adjustments he makes to ac­
commodate golfers of all levels:
Reasonable Rough: “We slightly lower
the height of the rough to make it easier to
find balls and make the shot,” says Jim. “This
also significantly reduces the time it takes to
play a round.”
Jim will also direct his staff to mow rough
more frequently, especially when the tu rf is
growing at a fast rate.
“The practice of maintaining champi­
onship rough on a daily basis is pretty much
a thing of the past!” says Jim.
Keeping It Dry: “We find it best to main­
tain relatively dry fairways. This produces
more ball roll and allows carts off the path
more frequently,” says Jim.
Finding the Best Speed: “If you want your
players to enjoy their game, it helps to try to
identify the green speed that satisfies most
of your golfers most of the time and is agronomically achievable,” says Jim.
Adjusting for Weather: “On windy days
or during wet conditions, we will set up the
course a little shorter,” says Jim, “to help
J

t

rse for
make what could be a long round more en­
joyable and less arduous.”
The objective, after all, is to enable even
the less-skilled golfer to post a reasonable
score.
Keeping Hazards as Un-hazardous as
Possible: Jim and his staff make an extra
effort to keep golf course hazards in check
so members won’t end up killing their
round.
“First, we make sure to keep the banks of
steep sand bunker faces Firm enough so that
most balls roll to the bottom for an easier
shot,” says Jim. “We’ve also cleared out un­
derbrush in areas where players’ balls fre­
quently land.”
Jim also has drop areas for ponds to give a
bailout area for beginners and less skilled
golfers.
“These accommodations cost little or no
money, and though they may seem insignif­
icant,” says Jim, “they make a big difference
in members’ enjoyment of the game.”

Till1Ultimate Benefit
Combinations of these practices will help
decrease the length of time it takes to play a
typical round of golf. “Speed of Play” is
ranked among the top reasons people leave
the game or choose not to take it up, so
doing what it takes to shorten the time it
takes to play a round should be a goal we all
strive for in our maintenance practices.
“If we can make the game more fun and
increase participation,” says Jim, “were not
only ensuring the longevity of the game of
golf, but also our livelihood!”

An Organization Dedicated to
Making Golf More Fun
ave you heard about
' Hackgolf? It’s a $5-mil­
lion initiative from TaylorMade Golf, the producer of high-end
golf products. It’s objective is to fund the
collection and examination of new ideas to
foster the growth of the game of golf.
Under this umbrella is the website hackgolf org, where TaylorMade is soliciting
ideas for making the game more fun.
The organization’s chief executive Mark
King—hosting a symposium that included
PGA of America president Ted Bishop,
National Golf Foundation chief executive
Joe Beditz, and noted business advisor Gary
Hamel—announced the funding at the
PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando this
year. “Our game lacks innovation,” King
said. “I’m talking about new ideas, new
motivations, new reasons to get off the
couch and play the game.”
King unveiled two specific programs,
which he’s agreed to fund with $1.5 mil­
lion during the next 18 months. The first,
and the centerpiece of initial efforts to
grow the game, is a 15-inch cup. The nor­
mal cup is 4.25 inches in diameter, so the
15-inch version tends to look like a washtub to most players.
“It saves time; it saves strokes,” King said.
“It makes golf more fun for a lot of people.”

In an informal tournament at Pine
Needles Golf Club in Southern Pines, NC,
King said players averaged 11 strokes lower
than their normal average scores. In addi­
tion, the average playing time for foursomes,
holing out every putt, was 3 hours and 10
minutes. You would theoretically have two
holes on every green, a regular size and this
new larger size.
The second program uses a new ball and
new clubs invented by TaylorMade engi­
neers. The ball is oversized, and so are the
club heads (the set includes only four clubs,
one of them a putter).
According to King, it’s easier to hit the
ball. “It’s a great way to get started in the
game,” he said. “The ball goes about twothirds the distance of a normal ball.” Players
with the bigger set of golf equipment would
use the 15-inch holes.
TaylorMade has made a commitment to
reengineering and reinventing the customer
experience. And shouldn’t we all, in our own
way, do the same?
You could start by checking our feature
on page 2 to see what fellow supers are
already doing on their courses, but also have
a look at TaylorMade’s website, hackgolf.org.
You never know what innovations you
might discover there to make golf more fun
for the players on your course!

Tee to Green June 2014

o

Dave Mahoney Two-Ball Qualifier: Detter Late Than Never!
by Ed Brockner, MetGCSA Executive Director

rainy day postponed our
season-opening Dave Maaoney Two-Ball Cham­
pionship Qualifier, which was originally
scheduled for April 30 at GlenArbor but was
held, instead, in better weather on May 19 at
Centennial. We would like to thank GlenArbor for working long and hard in trying to
find an alternate date for the event. And
special thanks, too, to Superintendent Glen
Dube and Centennial Golf Club, who agreed
to host our outing, on short notice, when
dates at GlenArbor didn’t work out. The golf
course at Centennial looked and played
exceptionally well, which made for a great
day for everyone.

And Now for tho Result Highlights. . .
Pelhams Jeff Wentworth and Quaker’s Tom
Ashfield took home Low-Gross honors by
shooting a team score of 69. Rye Golf Club’s
Chip Lafferty and Powelton’s Bob DeMarco
came in second with a score of 70, while
Rockland’s Matt Ceplo along with Mon­
tammy’s Jim Swiatlowski rounded off the
top three with a 74.
Taking home first place in the Net Divi­
sion was Manhattan Woods’Jesse Shannon
and Seeton T urf’s Zach Brooks, shooting a
60. Seeton T urf’s Brian Bontemps and Steve
Loughran of Rock Ridge came in second
with a 64 on a match of cards, which
put Wee Burn’s Doug Drugo and M etro­
polis’s Dave McCaffrey in third place.
In the Skills Challenges, we gave away

four Closest to the Pin prizes to Quakers
Tom Ashfield, Harrell’s Scott Tretera, LAF
member Dan Cancelled, and Pelham’s Jeff
Wentworth. The longest drive prize went to
Metropolis’s Dave McCaffrey.
Please visit our website, www.metgcsa.org,
to view all the matches in the Two-Ball
bracket, and good luck to all of those who
made match play!
Reminder: For those who are playing in
the Two-Ball, please remember that the
winning team from each match is required
to report its score to Tony Hooks at
ahooks@dueprocessgolf.com. If you have a
story to share about your match along with
any photos, please send those along too, and
we’ll run them with the results in the Tee to
Green!

Due Process Stable Takes Home Invitational Trophy
by Ed Brockner, MetGCSA Executive Director

une 17 was a picture-perfect
J day for our Invitational Tourna1ment, which was held at Man­
hattan Woods Golf Club in West
Nyack, NY The course was in outstand­
ing shape thanks to the work of our superin­
tendent host, Jesse Shannon, and his crew.
We’d also like to thank PGA Professional
Dick Smith Jr. and the entire staff, along
with Club Founder Ken Lee and President
John Koh, who also participated in the
event.
The team from Due Process Stable, led by Manhattan Woods SuperJesse Shannon (left)
Tournament Chair Tony Hooks, took home joins the winning team from Due Process Stable
the Net Championship with a 58, win­ (l to r): Pro Chris Mazzuchetti, Green Chair
ning on a match of cards to Jim Biordi and Dan Marino, COO Bill Costigan, and
his team from Dogwood Knolls. Mike Bru- Superintendent Tony Hooks.
nelle’s team from Upper Montclair scored a
a truly memorable day for everyone who
60, rounding out the top three.
Chris Mazzuchetti, the PGA professional participated.
Now for a full account of the results:
from Due Process, won the prize for Low
Pro with a one-under-par 71.
Scott Apgar from Metro T urf Specialists Net Team Winners
had the Low Sponsor team, with a very im­ 58 Due Process Stable
Tony Hooks, Chris Mazzuchetti, Bill
pressive net 53.
Costigan, Dan Marino
Thanks again to Manhattan Woods for
(won
in a match of cards)
hosting our Invitational and making it
58 Dogwood Knolls Golf Course
Jim Biordi, Tony Destephano, John
Gero, Wayne Wells
Tee to Green June 2014

60

Upper Montclair Country Club
Mike Brunelle, Kevin Mackey, Thom
Rivela, Mark Shewbrooks

Gross Team Winners

67

Canoe Brook Country Club
Jamie Devers, George Dietz, Woody
Garavente, Greg Russo

Low Sponsor Team

53

Metro Turf Specialists
Scott Apgar, Ernie Steinhofer, Cal Fowx,
Jason Gordon

Individual Low Pro

71

Chris Mazzuchetti, Due Process Stable

Longest Drive

#15 Richard Gold, Sponsor Guest
Closest to the Pin

#7 Lou Venditto, Sponsor Guest
Closest to the Line

#12 Tom Torpey, Green Chairman,
Rockland Country Club
Closest to the Line

#12 Tom Torpey, Green Chairman,
Rockland Country Club

Upcoming Events

Educational Events

Rounds \ Research Update
2014 University of Connecticut
Turfgrass Field Day

Calendar
Update
Family Picnic

Tuesday,July 15
UConn Plant Science Research and
Education Facility, Storrs, CT
The field day will offer guided tours of a
variety of research projects underway at
the university followed by a delicious lunch
and an opportunity to connect with fellow
tu rf professionals. Exhibitors from across the
region will also be present with product
and service information for the turfgrass
industry
Watch the website for further details as
the date approaches: wwwturfuconn.edu.

Monday,July 28
Bedford Village Memorial Park
Bedford, NY

Rutgers Turfgrass Research Field Day
(Golf & Fine Turf)

Summer Social

Monday,July 14
Orienta Beach Club
Mamaroneck, NY

Scholarship & Parent/Child
Tournament

Tuesday, August 5
Mosholu Golf Course
Bronx, NY
Host: Dave Moffett
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
Nine and Dine Event

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

Tuesday, November 4 (tentative date)
Rye Grill & Bar
Rye, NY
MetGCSA Winter Seminar

Wednesday,January 14,2015
Westchester Country Club
Rye, NY
Host: David Dudones, CGCS

President’s Message continued from page 1

Tuesday,July 29
Horticultural Farm II, New Brunswick, NJ
Visit www.njturfgrass.org or call 973-8126467 for further information.
Turf & Grounds Exposition

Wednesday-Friday, November 12—14
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 (tentative date)
The Patterson Club, Fairfield, CT
Host: Jason Meersman

I want to take this opportunity to thank
everyone who donated rounds for this great
cause. With your support in 2013, the
MetGCSA generated more than $13,000.
Our association has continued its participa­
tion in the Rounds 4 Research program
during 2014.

For those who aren’t familiar with the
program, Rounds 4 Research is based on
golf facilities donating rounds of golf that
are then put up for public auction. At least
80 percent of the proceeds raised by the
MetGCSA will be distributed for use on
New York’s Best Management Practices
(BMP) manual/self-auditing guidelines,
and in the future, money raised will
go toward research-based programs, such
as education, scholarships, advocacy, and
agronomic research. The more rounds we
secure, the greater the revenue we can
generate in support of our members and
chapters.
The June auction is now complete and
we are currently accepting rounds for the
August auction. Please contact MetGCSA
Research Chairman Glen Dube, or visit
our website, www.metgcsa.org, for further
information.
Blake Halderman, CGCS
President

39th Annual New Jersey Green Expo
Turf and Landscape Conference

Tuesday - Thursday, December 9 - 1 1
Trump Taj Mahal Resort Casino
Atlantic City, NY
The New Jersey Green Exp offers a compre­
hensive educational program providing cut­
ting-edge applications and tactics to guar­
antee green industry professionals’ success
on the job. Offering one of the largest trade
shows in the tri-state area, the expo also pro­
vides attendees with the opportunity to
view the latest and greatest products and
services on the market.
For further information, call 973-8126467 or visit www.njturfgrass.org.

Member News
New Members

Please join us in welcoming the following
new MetGCSA members:
• Erik Frederick, Class C, of Fairview
Country Club in Greenwich, CT
• Kayle Fuilforth, Andrew Collier, and
Sean Charles, all Class C members of the
Round Hill Club in Greenwich, CT

Tee to Green June 2014

Mosholn Welcomes Back Scholarship &
Parent/Child Tourney
by Ed Brockner, MetGCSA Executive Director

r

J n August 5, Superintendent Dave
y Moffett will welcome MetGCSA
—^ members to Mosholu Golf Course in
the Bronx for the fourth Scholarship &
Parent/Child Tournament, honoring this
years Met scholarship recipients.
As those who have attended in the past
may recall, the scholarship reception and
awards ceremony will be accompanied by
an afternoon of golf at Mosholu’s nine-hole
course. Not your typical golf outing, a
member and child are invited to play in a
nine-hole shotgun scramble on the 2,400yard, par 32 public course, that has im­
proved every year with its involvement in
The First Tee of Metropolitan New York
program—and ongoing renovations to the
entire facility.
Priority will be given to MetGCSA
members whose children have received
scholarships. The remainder of the field will
be filled with other association members
and their children. The event, as always, is
free of charge—and designed for golfers of
all levels. No experience required!

supported the new organization at Mosholu.
“We created an initial budget and scope of
work to get the course in shape and also
reached out to Met members to donate
equipment to help maintain the course,”
notes John. “In addition, we had a ‘volunteer
day’ where everyone brought chainsaws and
other equipment to get the area around the
clubhouse in shape.”
Since that time, the sitting president of the
MetGCSA has served on the board of The
First Tee of Metropolitan New York and,
among other things, has been instrumental
in identifying its golf course superintend­
ents: first, Erik Feldman, and then, Dave
Moffett, who has been leading the course’s
reconstruction and maintenance efforts for
the past two years.

A Facility Transformed

The transformation of the facility since its
inception 14 years ago has been dramatic—
thanks, in part, to major funding from New
York City, which decided to build a 13story, underground water filtration plant
where Mosholu’s maintenance facility, driv­
The First Tee Is Born
ing range, and clubhouse were located.
With this plan on the horizon, Mosholu
Back in 1997, The First Tee was an initia­
tive launched to introduce youth from had little choice but to rebuild the course on
diverse backgrounds to the game of golf, a smaller footprint. With the guidance of golf
while also teaching positive values, such as course architects Stephen Kay and Doug
honesty, integrity, and perseverance. Finding Smith, the course was reconfigured with a
a facility for the program in New York City, focus on making it more fun and strategic,
however, proved challenging. It was not not just for the kids, but also for the general
until several years later, in 2001, that the public. A new clubhouse and state-of-the-art
MGA and MetPGA, along with the support driving range are set to be completed by
of the Rudin family, New York City real 2018. The range will be built on top of the
estate developers, and other donors, were water filtration facility, which will be the
able to secure a home for The First Tee’s largest “green” roof in the world.
Those playing in the scholarship event
Metropolitan Chapter at Mosholu Golf
will see the major upgrades that have taken
Course in the Bronx.
While the course was located conve­ place over the years as part of the partnership
niently at the terminus of the “4 Train” and between The First Tee and the MetGCSA.
had ample driving range space, the club­ Dave has continued the tradition of main­
house and course conditioning left much to taining the course at a standard not com­
be desired. The MGA and MetPGA reached monly found on municipal courses in New
out to John Carlone, president of the York City or, for that matter, anywhere else
MetGCSA at the time, and asked the Met to in the country.
“The First Tee of Metropolitan New York
become involved as one of the founding
at Mosholu is a flagship facility that we can
partners.
From the very beginning, the MetGCSA all be proud of,” says Blake. “And I am
pleased that two of our members, first Erik
Tee to Green June 2014

Dave Moffett
Feldman and now Dave Moffett, have ac­
cepted the challenge of transforming this
facility to a proud public links devoted to the
growth of the game of golf.”

Moffett Makes His Way to Mosholu
Dave admits that when he first found out
about the potential opening at Mosholu, he
was skeptical. “After I did a walkthrough of
the course,” says Dave, “I recognized that it
offered a great canvas and was excited about
the possibilities it presented.”
A native of Littleton, CO, Dave pursued a
degree in horticulture at Colorado State
University after working summers at a local
golf course. He traveled cross-country to
complete his internship at Trump National
Golf Club - Westchester under then Super­
intendent Blake Halderman and then re­
turned to Trump after graduation, touting
Blake as a great mentor. Dave’s next stop was
Ardsley Country Club, where he worked as
an assistant under Matt Dutremble. “I was
fortunate to work for such a talented individ­
ual and to be involved in a variety of in-house
projects during my time there,” says Dave,
who’s hands-on experience prepared him
well for the extensive project work at
Mosholu.
O ff the course, Dave’s kept busy with all
that goes into raising a young family. He and
his wife of seven years, Tina, enjoy time
together with their 3 -year-old son, Jack, and
the newest addition to their family, 6-monthold, Samuel.
Dave’s looking forward to hosting
MetGCSA members and their children again
this year at Mosholu.“It will be great to share
with the membership the many improve­
ments we’ve made to the course,” says Dave.
“It’s a nice place for kids to play, and it’s been a
perfect venue for The First Tee Program,
which benefits thousands of young people in
our community every year. I hope to see you
all out there on August 5 enjoying the course
with your kids!”

Patrons listed on this page are supporting our association.
You are encouraged to support them.
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
m errickl 60@aol.com
www.AGEnterprisesonline.com

O A ll Pro H orticulture
54 Railroad Avenue
Copiague, NY 11726
John Seib: 631-789-6680
Fax:631-789-5711
john@allporthort.com
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
pet er.j acobson@basf. com
© Bayer Environm 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

D eLea Sod Farms
Bentgrass, Fescue, & Bluegrass Sod & U.S.
Silica Topdressing
Mike Hollander / Scott Geiser
800-344-7637
© 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
© Em erald Tree Care, Inc.
26 Fox Meadow Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583
Steve Farrelly: 914-725-0441
Kevin Wyatt: 203-422-2441
© Evergreen O rganic R ecyclin g
1160 Mamaroneck Avenue
W hite Plains, NY 10605
James Amodio / Raymond Colasacco
914-949-9030
EvergreenOrganicRecycling.com
© E xecutive T urf Products
92 Vine Road, Stamford, CT 06905
Ken Gentile: 203-496-0891
executiveturfproducts@gmail.com

© P innacle Turf, Inc.
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
© Playbooks for G olf
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
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 row th Products, LTD
80 Lafayette Avenue
W hite Plains, NY 10603
Howie Gold: 800-648-7626
Fax:914-428-2780
hgold@growthproducts.com
© H arrell’s
“Growing a Better World. Partners
for Success”
Scott Tretera: 914-262-8638
stretera@harrells.com
www.harrells.com
LaBar G olf R enovations
Richard S. LaBar Jr., President, CEO
Cell: 973-600-9249
Ofc: 908-502-5253
labargolfreno@gmail.com

©

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© LaCorte Equipm ent ~
John D eere G olf
“Your Trusted Northeast John Deere Golf ©
Dealer”
Jim Calladio / Scott Ferguson
800-560-3373 ext 4 / Fax: 631-591-3447
golf@lacorteequipment.com

© M etro T urf Specialists
“Customers, O ur TOP Priority!”
Scott / Ernie / Todd / Rich
203-748-4653
www.metroturfspecialists.com

© Tom Irw in Inc.
“W ith Tom Irwin, You Are Not
Alone”
Rob Larson / Jeff Houde
800-582-5959
Fax:781-273-4804
© Turf Products LLC / TO RO
Toro Irrigation & Equipment
Pat Cragin
Cell: 860-874-2812
Ofc: 800-243-4355

Pocono T urf / Synergy T urf Supply
Bobby Steinman, CGCS: 860-488-2822 © U nited Phosphorus, Inc.
“Phoenix Brands by U PI”
bobby7777@aol.com
Mike DelSantro: 484-862-2155
Q uali-P ro
mark.delsantro@uniphos.com
Quality T urf and Ornamental Products
© Valley Green, Inc.
Phil O ’Brien: 856-252-4725
205 Wilson Avenue
PhilO@quali-pro.com
Norwalk, CT 06854
Seeton T urf Warehouse, LLC
Greg Moran
Brian Bontemps: 845-239-7959
Cell: 845-901-1358
Brian Gjelsvik: 973-670-7139
Ofc: 203-831-9748
brianbontemps@seetonturf.com
g.moran@valleygreenusa.com
Soil Solutions, LLC
© Valley V iew W holesale
Aerification Professionals
Greenhouses
7 W hittemore Place
229 Smith Ridge Road
Ryebrook, NY 10573
South Salem, NY 10590
Anthony Decicco / John Decicco
Frank Amodio: 914-533-2526
914-393-0659 / Fax:914-939-5010
Fax:914-533-3059
Stein G olf C onstruction
wgh@aol.com
17 Cedar Hill Road, Bedford, NY 10506
© Westchester Tractor, Inc.
Jeff Stein: 917-273-4099
60 International Boulevard
Jeffrey@steingolf. com
Brewster, NY 10509
Steven W illand , Inc.
John Apple / George Risley /
“Quality T urf Equipment”
JeffUnderhill
4 Production Drive
845-278-7766
www.wtractor.com
Brookfield, CT 06804
George Corgan: 914-213-3622
© Westchester T urf Supply, Inc.
georgecorgan@charter.net
“Serving the MetGCSA for
www.StevenWillandInc.com
38 Years”
Syngenta
Bob Lippman: 914-447-6257
bobwestturf@comcast.net
23 Roslyn Drive
Ballston Lake, NY 12019
Dave Lippman: 914-447-5192
Fred Montgomery, CGCS
westturf@comcast.net
info@westchesterturf.com
518-424-0760 / 518-399-6588
Fred.Montgomery@syngenta.com
O Westwood O rganic
Tanto Irrigation, LLC
R ecycling
“Serving the MetGCSA for 40+ Years
James Scoli: 914-949-3244
W illiam Bartels: 914-347-5151
Fax:914-517-2703
jscoli@westwoodorganic.com
1'$ m
Fax:914-347-6323
wbartels@tantoirrigation.com
www.westwoodorganic.com

O L eggette, Brashears & G raham , Inc. © The Cardinals, Inc.
Hydrogeologic Consulting &
Environmental Engineering Services
Rob Good:860-678-0404
rgood@lbgct.com

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

Complete Distributor of Golf Course
Accessories & T urf Maintenance Supplies
John Callahan: 800-861-6256
Fax:860-673-8443

© W ilfred M acD onald, Inc.
South Hackensack, NJ 07606
Glenn Gallion: 201-954-5878
ggwilmac@aol.com
W infield Solutions, Inc.
Eric Bresky, CGCS: 845-849-8640
EABresky@landolakes.com
Winfieldprofessionalproducts.com

© The Care o f Trees
Mike Cook: 914-345-8733
Jeremiah Green: 914-241-8110
Ken Clear: 203-863-0900
Greg Gutter: 914-241-8110
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Denotes M e tG C S A member

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