Tee to Green June 2019 cov.qxp_Tee to G dec 2010 cover 7/2/19 8:13 PM Page 3 May/June 2019 VOLUME 50 NUMBER 3 Published by the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association Is Your Maintenance Facility Up to Par? Discover How-To Solutions on Page 2. Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page ii Board of Directors President KEN BENOIT, CGCS Class A Vice President ROBERT B. ALONZI JR. Fenway Golf Club Treasurer BRETT CHAPIN Redding Country Club Secretary MICHAEL BRUNELLE, CGCS Upper Montclair Country Club Past President DAVID DUDONES Westchester Country Club Directors DANIEL COUGHLIN Trump National Golf Club-Westchester CHARLES LAFFERTY Rye Golf Club STEVEN LOUGHRAN Rock Ridge Country Club DANIEL ROGERS Wykagyl Country Club JESSE SHANNON, CGCS Manhattan Woods Golf Club STEPHEN WICKSTROM Burning Tree Country Club Class “C” Rep ANDREW BAXTER Fairview Country Club Class “AF” Rep TODD APGAR Metro Turf Specialists Executive Director MIKE McCALL, CGCS Executive Secretary SUSAN O’DOWD Tee to Green Staff Co-Editors CHIP LAFFERTY DAN ROGERS 914-760-3331 914-400-5918 Managing Editor PANDORA C. WOJICK Editorial Committee TODD APGAR ANTHONY MINNITI MATT CEPLO BOB NIELSEN KEVIN COLLINS SCOTT NIVEN ANDY DROHEN JIM PAVONETTI STEVEN McGLONE GREG WOJICK Designer TERRIE YOUNG Advertising Manager DAN ROGERS, 914-400-5918 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 © 2019 Cover: The Stanwich Club maintenance facility. n this Issue I Feature Building a New Maintenance Facility From the Ground Up ......2 The Stanwich Club’s Approach, From Start to Finish The Devil Is in the Detail ....................................................6 Selling and Seeing a Maintenance Facility ............................7 Through to Completion Departments Scorecard ............................................................................10 Member News......................................................................12 Upcoming Events ................................................................12 Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 1 P resident’s Message All That Our Association Has to Offer D uring a conversation with a fellow MetGCSA superintendent a couple weeks ago, I recognized the need to write about an important, but often underutilized consulting service available through our as- sociation: Our Club Relations Committee. This group of individuals is available to lend a helping hand to any and all MetGCSA superintendents who find themselves in need of professional advice. Whether you’re seeking agrononic input, career development or legal advice, or just a fellow superintend- ent who can serve as a sounding board for an idea or concern, the committee is ready and willing to provide confidential help. As a past chairman of this committee, I can attest to how rewarding it is to help a peer through a difficult situation. And as a superintendent who has been in need of advice, I can attest to how comforting it is to have this resource available during a stress- ful period. Thankfully, most members will rarely, if ever, need to take advantage of this service, but it’s reassuring to know you have a qualified team at the ready if you need assistance. To take advantage of this wonderful FREE benefit, all you have to do is reach out! On the BMP Front In environmental news, the New York Golf Course Foundation (NYGCF), curator of the New York State Golf Course BMPs, has recently drafted a facility BMP document that is intended to give every maintenance operation the opportunity to build their own set of BMP documents. As part of the process of revising and updating the BMPs, Cornell and the NYSDEC are reviewing the document, and the NYGCF is encouraging every superintendent in New York to re- view and provide feedback on the document as well. The document and reviewing in- structions can be found here: http://nysgolf bmp.cal s.cor nel l.edu/f aci l ity-bmps - review/. Bear in mind that this document is intended to ref lect actual BMPs being used at golf facilities across New York. You may someday be held to these standards, so take Ken Benoit, CGCS MetGCSA President the time to review them and provide the type of feedback that will ensure the final document includes standards you are willing and able to put into practice. Foursomes 4 the Foundation Update This year, 40 clubs donated foursomes that raised nearly $35,000 for the MetGCSA Foundation, which funds critical research, environmental efforts, and other industry- related projects. A big thank you goes out to all of the Met- area clubs that generously donated rounds of golf to the program and to our executive director, Mike McCall, for his tireless work in generating the donations and organizing the project! Joining Forces to Lobby for a Cause Since my last President’s Message, I partici- pated at a town hall meeting hosted by the Meadow Brook Club. The intent of the meeting was to discuss the facts regarding recently proposed tax changes targeting golf courses statewide. It was great to see superin- tendents, golf professionals, and general man- agers in the same room lobbying for the same cause. I am happy to report that the proposed bill has lost momentum, in large part because of the efforts of a collective group of golf industry professionals. This type of proposed legislation, however, will likely reappear in the coming years, so it would be prudent for us to remain closely connected to the political scene, as well as key industry associations so that we can con- tinue to be proactive in combating these types of negative proposed law changes. continued on page 5 Tee to Green May/June 2019 1 Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 2 eatureF Building a New Maintenance Facility From the Ground Up The Stanwich Club’s Approach, From Start to Finish by Scott Niven, CGCS 2 Tee to Green May/June 2019 Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 3 Bird's eye view of The Stanwich Club's maintenance facility under construction. p Ie nish f you are setting your sights on building a new-and-improved grounds maintenance facility, it can be a long and tiresome road, requiring everything from a dazzling presentation justifying your re- quest to researching, planning, and ushering the project through to completion. Every budget is different, every building has its unique character, but the legwork before and throughout the project is basi- cally the same. It will take an unexpectedly large part of your time, but the payoff is well worth the grand effort. Your inefficient, often below-safety-code, “barn” will be transformed to a state-of-the-art hub of maintenance activity. facility—or at So if you are contemplating building a least new maintenance remodeling your existing one—here is a step-by-step account of The Stanwich Club’s building project. Its once rudimen- tary “barn” has been transformed into a top- notch facility. Making the Best of a Barn For my first 32 years at The Stanwich Club, our maintenance facility consisted of a few buildings that had once housed farm ani- mals on what used to be the Holmes Estate. The estate would have marked its 110th anniversary had it not become The Stan- wich Club in 1962. We added to and retrofitted the old build- ings to accommodate our needs, but as the years went on, our f leet of equipment grew, and the staff numbers tripled from 10 to nearly 30. Over time, the buildings deterio- rated; we needed a new rinse pad and wash area; the storage, as well as staff common areas, had become crowded; and our proxim- ity to the Stanwich summer camp was too close for comfort. It was time for a new facility. An Easy Sell Our biggest selling point, it turned out, was not the need for a better-equipped building, but rather the fact that we were sharing space with the club’s summer camp. When the club started its summer camp about 30 years ago, they needed a place to house the roughly 100 member children. Their solu- tion was to have us share one of our build- ings with the camp facility. Only a wall separated the camp-goers from our fertil- izer storage area. They also shared the same access road that we used to get to and from the golf course with our carts, dump trucks, backhoe, and other equipment. Needless to say, there was some risk associated with our vehicles and the camp kids sharing use of the same road. So when we mentioned the idea of contructing a new grounds maintenance building, along with a separate camp facil- ity, complete with a sizable play yard, the children’s mothers were more than willing to give the project a thumbs up. They were also pleased that our plan would eliminate the need for campers to share our access road—not to mention the building where we housed our fertilizer. In the end, it was the mothers of those kids who were most instrumental the in pushing roughly $6-million project. through Another ace in the hole was that the club had a war chest of funds that would cover the cost of the project and eliminate the need for a membership vote, which is always a challenge for a project of this nature. All in, we were granted about $6 million, which included roughly $1 million for the day camp building and play yard, as well as increased parking for both the camp and tennis. Another $1.3 million went toward excavating the hole for the maintenance building, and then an additional $3.7 mil- lion for the building itself. Due to some cost overruns in drainage needs, we did some value engineering to try to keep the costs down, cutting roughly $250K from the bot- tom line. We eliminated a row of skylights, an 8-foot overhang the length of the build- ing, and opted for more economical lights, doors, locks, and windows. It’s All in the Planning Planning was essential to the project’s suc- cess. To start, I read everything I could find on the subject, took a seminar at the Golf Industry Show, and visited about a half- dozen new facilities to learn firsthand the do’s and don’ts of building a new mainte- nance facility. In the end, I could see that all the facilities have their own personalities, generally governed by budget, site size and slope, equipment f leet size, and location on the club grounds. As expected, the working components are all very similar, but my research gave me clearer insight into the key elements that would be most essential for our particular maintenance operation. After gaining a firm grasp on our needs and wants, we began working with an archi- tectural firm. James G. Rogers Architects was a shoe-in for the job since the club had done many projects with this company in the past and was pleased with their work. I spent a good amount of time with the architects tweaking all the details of the building, from the capacity of the utilities to the size and layout of the rooms, color of the paint, f looring materials, lights, locks, and doors. One thing I knew, but confirmed straight out was that it’s never too early to begin the permit process. Though we started the process with the town of Greenwich as soon as the Board of Directors approved the proj- ect, we were still held up a good two months from starting when we had hoped to. The contractor, A.P. Construction Company, Tee to Green May/June 2019 3 Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 4 The Stanwich Club's original maintenance building to the left and Day Camp to the right. which was selected from three competi- tive bids, did all they could to get the pro- ject started ASAP without predating the applications. Logistical Challenges We finally broke ground early November, accomplishing a good deal through the win- ter months, even in the worst weather conditions. A real challenge for us was that the new building was going to be constructed on the same site as the old one. That meant we had to find a place where we could operate for nearly a year while the new facility was being built. We chose the caddy parking lot (10,000 sq. ft.), which was next to a bank of two tennis courts (14,000 sq. ft.). We rented a 60-foot trailer as our com- mand central. It included space for my office, the administrative assistant, and assis- tant superintendents. We also had another small 25-foot trailer for the contractor’s project manager. The trailers had heat and air conditioning and worked quite well for us. We used our old self-contained pesticide storage building and rented another 60-foot storage trailer to store miscellaneous items until the new building was ready. We also constructed a makeshift rinse pad for clean- ing equipment, which allowed us to separate the clippings and filter the water before it made its way to a storm drain. To avoid creating a point source pollution area, we moved our mix-and-load procedures around the course and sprayed out all rin- sates and excess spray material in the rough as usual. The parking lot served as a staging area and place for our gasoline and diesel tanks and our all-important port-o-johns. On the tennis courts, we set up two 120' x 40' tents and, between them, two 40' x 60' tents. The larger tents looked like a couple of circus tents and were used for equipment storage and miscellaneous golf course maintenance supplies. The two smaller tents in the center were used for the equipment repair shop and staff lounge. Both had plywood f loors; the lounge was carpeted. Those tents had all the equipment needed to maintain our ma- chinery, as well as many of the comforts of a well-equipped staff lounge, including a fridge, microwaves, TV, and lockers. The utilities were brought into the site from nearby sources. We had an electrical service with plenty of amps to run all the lights, gas pumps, and appliances, as well as fresh water. The Stanwich Club's Day Camp under demolition. 4 Tee to Green May/June 2019 4 Though more than serviceable, the tents did pose a few challenges. It would get a lit- tle toasty during the summer and sometimes chilly during the winter. We had to rent a number of propane heaters for the winter months to not only keep us warm, but also help melt the snow that accumulated on the tents. When it snowed particularly hard, we used snow rakes to pull the heavy snow off the tents. Of course, the winter of 2014 hap- pened to be a very snowy, cold winter—so snowy, in fact, that a very heavy snowstorm brought down one of the large storage tents. Fortunately, we had insurance to cover the cost of a new tent, which was replaced post haste. Overall, however, we survived the 10 months in makeshift quarters quite well. The Real Work Begins Despite the significant disruption of relocat- ing our operation and having to keep a watchful eye on the construction, we didn’t miss a beat on the golf course. Conditions, fortunately, were as good as ever, prompting one member to say, “If the golf course is this good with the grounds staff in the tents, just think how nice it will be once they get into the new building!” By August, after nearly10 months of con- struction, the building was near completion. A real stroke of genius was to construct the grounds maintenance building down into the ground rather than up on the existing grade where the old one was located. It would have looked like a Home Depot had sprouted up in the middle of the club if we had put it at the same elevation as the old buildings. We made a 20-foot cut into the ground, removing about 75,000 cubic yards of fill, which was deposited out on our six-acre practice range. Because the building is cut into the side of the hill and is extensively landscaped, even with its proximity to the center of the club grounds, you can hardly see it as you travel around the property. Its footprint is 65' wide x 305' long, totaling about 20,000 sq. ft. of inside space. To make use of the large roof area, we entered a state lottery for a subsidized solar energy installation and luckily won the right to cover all of our roof space with solar pan- els. That federal program allowed us to part- ner with a company that owns and installs the panels, maintains them, and gets a piece of the power production. The cost to the club was zero; we just enjoy the energy sav- ings. Not a bad deal! A temporary Certificate of Occupancy was a moving target that we finally wran- gled from the town late summer. We chose to delay moving in, however, until the fall, when our course duties slowed down. We Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 5 We use it for daily staff scheduling, as well as for safety and training videos and photo demonstrations, for viewing major golf tourna- ments, and just watching the news or another program during coffee and lunch breaks. Given the size of our staff lounge, the 87" screen is My favorite item: The 87" SMART Board. useful for viewing from the rear of the 25' x 35' room. dismantled the tents and started to move into our new home in the middle of Oc- tober, when the golf course was just starting to go dormant. Outfitting the new building and moving in was a Herculean effort that required the lion’s share of our attention. We had all of the shiny gray epoxy f loors lined with red paint to signify the entry driveways and designated parking areas for all of the equipment. Installing all the equipment was the easy part. Going shop- ping for the bevy of items needed to outfit all of the rooms with the required furniture and storage items was a time-consuming challenge. Among the items on my shopping list were refrigerators, microwaves, a SMART Board TV, computers, a whiteboard, tables, chairs, desks, lockers, file cabinets, shelves, signage, hose reels, macro-shelving for fertilizer, etc., shop lifts, storage containers of all sizes, trash bins, dumpsters, a com- pressor, compressed air hose and fixtures, fire extinguishers, tool storage containers, parts washer, wall board organizers, mops, brooms, hanging organizers, display cabi- nets, decorative pictures, and the list goes on. The Unveiling Before we moved in, most of the members who had caught a glimpse of the building made the assumption that it was far larger than we needed and that we had wasted the club’s valuable funds. In some circles it was cleverly referred to as “the Taj Garage.” Of course when we moved in all the equipment, it was filled to capacity on day one, and we still had to store our large equipment outside, including our backhoe, dump truck, and pickup truck. The formal unveiling of the shiny new facility involved a cocktail party with a bar and hors d’oeuvres set up in the repair shop. The assistants, equipment manager, and I all gave tours of the various components. We had 67 members in attendance, and I have to say it was the best PR event we have ever had. The members were impressed with the shiny new f loors and complexity of the operation. Most had no idea that there was so much involved in managing their golf course and club grounds. Since then, we have given many tours to other members, superintendents, and inter- ested parties from other clubs. And I have to say, of all the reactions to the facility, the most surprising was the membership’s. They were actually proud of their new grounds maintenance facility. Who knew? The Work Is Really Never Done With the project complete, the only regret I have is that we had to succumb to the value engineering. We have been in the building for only four years and we have already had to replace some of the lesser-quality items that were used. Of course, in the scheme of things, this is nothing to complain about; it’s a wonderful facility. In general, even a new, state-of-the-art facility requires regular maintenance to keep it in top form. Besides the regular cleaning, there are a number of items that require extra funds for upkeep and mainte- nance. For instance, the doors, which are handled daily with soiled hands, need to be repainted frequently; once a year during the winter, the f loors need to be restored to their original luster; the recycling Carb- trol system must be maintained, which is a time-consuming and costly process; and we are replacing all door locks with a more durable model. You don’t want to be caught off guard with the additional costs of run- ning a new facility. When all was said and done, I have to say that this project was the most challenging of any I’ve been involved with in my 40-year career as a golf course superintendent. It’s a lot to take on when you are still handling all the typical duties of managing the golf course. In the end, however, the satisfaction of completing the project and then benefit- ing from all that the new facility has to offer is more than worth the effort. Scott Niven, a member of the Tee to Green Editorial Committee, is property manager at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, CT. President’s Message continued from page 1 Taking Time for Well-deserved R & R As challenging as mid-seasons are, the intensity can’t be sustained if it’s all work and no play. With that said, I hope you were among those who came out to enjoy this year’s Summer Social at Orienta Beach Club. As always, it was a great night for socializing with friends old and new and for enjoying the lovely water views and superb lobster clambake dinner and carving station. Once again, the club outdid itself! Another opportunity for some serious fun is our annual Parent/Child Scho- larship Tournament at Mosholu Golf Course on July 25. The scholarship reception and awards ceremony is ac- companied by an afternoon of golf at Mosholu’s nine-hole course. Not your typical golf outing, members and their children are invited to play in a nine- hole shotgun scramble on the 2,400- yard, par 32 public course. Though priority is given to MetGCSA members whose children have received scholar- ships, 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. It’s relaxing, fun, and no experience is required! There’s yet another opportunity to kick back and have some fun. Next month, on August 14, we will be holding our annual Family Picnic at Bedford Village Mem- orial Park. We hope you and your family and/or coworkers will join us for some fun and games and great food. All four of my objectives, as stated pre- viously, will be addressed in each of my forthcoming President’s Messages. And in an effort to be held accountable by the membership, I will list my stated objec- tives at the end of each of my President’s Messages: 1. Association unification 2. Supporting environmental initiatives 3. Ensuring every member has a voice 4. Boosting member participation. If you believe I, or the board of direc- tors, could do a better job in any of these or other areas, we want to hear your thoughts! See you at our upcoming events! Ken Benoit, CGCS MetGCSA President Tee to Green May/June 2019 5 Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 6 The Devil Is in the Detail A Snapshot of The Stanwich Club Maintenance Facility’s Special Features W ity is put to good use. hat follows is a snapshot of how the 20,000 sq. ft. Stan- wich Club maintenance facil- Utilities: (cid:129) A 600-amp service to be sure there is enough power in the event electric-powered vehicles become prevalent in the future. (cid:129) Septic is pumped into the large existing system located out in the practice range. (cid:129) The HVAC system is propane powered. (cid:129) Potable water is piped in from the club’s primary well. (cid:129) Irrigation water is used for filling spray tanks and washing machines. (cid:129) A pump room for fire prevention equip- ment uses our swimming pool water as its water source. Security System: Silent Watchman has been installed for fire and burglar alarm sys- tems. There are 10 cameras, which allow nearly all of the building areas to be moni- tored on cell phones or computer. Staff Lounge: Houses a SMART Board TV, 2 refrigerators, 5 microwaves, cabinets, and 3 tables with 24 chairs. Size = 25' x 35' Office Space: Includes 4 offices, all with desks and computers. One is for the superin- tendent. Two offer space for two assistants each, and another is for the administrative assistant. The irrigation system and light- ning detection hardware is located in one of the assistant offices. Total Size = 12' x 20' (super.), two @ 14' x 13' (assts.), 15' x 8' (admin.) Storage Bins: There are 5 covered storage bins to house bunker sand, mulch, divot mix, topsoil, and sand topdressing. Dimensions = 14' x 18' 6 Tee to Green May/June 2019 6 Staging Yard: Used by staff to park and prepare for the day. The space is also allo- cated for trailers used in transporting machines and for the trash and recycling dumpsters. Size = 62' x 270' Locker Room: A total of 30 staff lockers occupy this room. Size = 12' x 15' Restrooms: (cid:129) The men’s room has 3 urinals, 2 toilets, 2 sinks, 1 shower; all are automatic. Size = 12' x 17' (cid:129) The women’s room has 1 toilet, 1 sink, 1 shower, 2 lockers. Size = 12' x 12' Grinding Room: Houses reel and bedknife grinders and offers storage space for other miscellaneous items. Size = 13' x 20' Oil Room: Used for storage of all types of oil. Size = 8' x 10' Course Supplies Room: Dedicated to items used in setting up the golf course and also offers ample space for staff to work in the winter. Size = 15' x 25' Repair Shop: Location for equipment manager to maintain all machines. It has 2 skylights, 2 garage doors, 2 equipment lifts, parts cleaner, compressor outlets, shelving and cabinets for storage. It also has an adjoining office, parts room, and restroom for the equipment manager. Size = 60' x 46' Irrigation Room: Houses all components used to repair the irrigation system. Size = 14' x 14' Tool Room: Dedicated to storage for all types of hand tools. Size = 14' x 14' Equipment Storage: Houses all ma- chines and utility vehicles (all staff get their own cart). A caged-in area with shelving contains all of the small ma- chines, including string trimmers, chain- saws, backpack blowers, and generators. The room has 6 skylights and propane heaters for use when needed. Size = 60' x 147' Chemical/Fertilizer Storage Room: Storage for the Carbtrol system for the wash pad, chemicals, fertilizer, and mix- and-load tanks. The room has 100 per- cent containment within the f loor drains and is heated. There is a forklift to move pallets and drums. Size = 60' x 40' Rinse Pad: The rinse pad has an adjacent area with 4 compressed air hoses for blowing off clippings before using the rinse area with the Carbtrol system. Each corner has a hose reel with an 80-psi noz- zle. Gasoline and diesel tanks are located on one side, and it has a roof with lights. Size = 33' x 54' (rinse) + 29' x 54' (blow) Collection Area: Used as a catchall area for storing the trucks and backhoe, drainage and irrigation pipes, as well as for staging various items during projects. A hose depot is also located in this area. Size = 7,500 sq. ft. Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 7 Selling and Seeing a Maintenance Facility Through to Completion Six Supers Share Their Lessons Learned N o matter what shape or size your new maintenance facility is destined to be, it will undoubt- edly come with its own set of hurdles, par- ticularly when it comes to selling the idea to your club. To help you get off to the right start, and then avoid some of the unantici- pated pitfalls in building a new facility, we spoke to six superintendents who have been there, done that. What follows are their experiences from selling to execution. We hope these personal testimonies will serve you well in showing the powers-that- be at your club that a new maintenance facility is not just a nice-to-have capital ex- penditure, but rather a proven necessity for running a productive and efficient mainte- nance operation. Tim O’Neill, Country Club of Darien Darien, CT Our original maintenance building was a tired, 30-year-old facility that was inade- quate in just about every way. It was only 5,500 sq. ft., and its lunchroom and lockers could barely accommodate eight employees, let alone the 18 crew members we now have on staff. In addition to being undersized, the building was environmentally challenged. There was poor ventilation for workers, especially those involved in mower sharpen- ing. And it lacked fire protection, adequate material storage and pesticide storage and handling, as well as storm water runoff and equipment wash areas. After many discussions and meetings with members combined with numerous and repeated consultant recommendations, the club recognized that it was time to modernize the maintenance facility. Even- tually, the maintenance building became part of a much larger capital project. The club voted to replace the maintenance facil- ity at a time when the golf course was reno- vated, the staff house replaced, and the clubhouse and roads and parking lots were revamped. Overall, the approval process with the membership took more than a year to complete. first summer. It actually took almost a year to be fully comfortable with the new build- ing setup. It was well worth the time and effort. Today, the members—and our employees— are very proud of the building, which con- tinues to serve the club’s maintenance needs. Recommended Resources Architect: David Woods of Culpen & Woods Architects, Stamford, CT. Site Contractor: United Construction & En- gineering, Inc., Litchfield, CT. Engineer: AKF Engineers, Stamford, CT. Aerial view of the Country Club of Darien's new 14,000-sq.-ft. maintenance facility. We broke ground in September of 2009, and by June 1, 2010, our brand-new, 14,000- sq.-ft. maintenance facility was completed. It included state-of-the-art equipment stor- age and washing facilities, up-to-date chemical storage, handling, and cleaning capacity, a dedicated, ventilated room for mower sharpening, and a comfortable lunchroom and office and locker facilities for the entire staff. In our case, the new facility was built in the same location as the old building. Therefore, we had to build a temporary facility to be used from Labor Day to Memorial Day. We constructed a facility in our driving range on a paved surface that included three large storage containers, two tension fabric structures, and two trailers that had electricity, potable water, and heat. We also transported our equipment lift from our main facility and an air compres- sor. Everything was completely fenced in for privacy. This was a major undertaking made all the more challenging because the golf course was still busy for many of those months, and then routine winter equipment maintenance had to continue. Also important to consider is that the move from a temporary facility to the new building is not easy. We moved the end of May, in the midst of our busy time on the golf course, and moving is disruptive, time consuming, and labor intensive. We learned to work out of boxes and containers that Matt Severino, Scarsdale Golf Club Hartsdale, NY We began construction the fall of 2016 and opened our new facility at Scarsdale during the summer of 2017. All told, the project took nine months. The old maintenance building had been rebuilt after a fire many years before and was extremely inadequate. The entire com- plex was less than 3,000 square feet! There were no special areas for petro- leum, chemical, or fertilizer storage. Much of the equipment was permanently stored outside due to lack of interior space. And the maintenance shop had one small bathroom that was used by the grounds staff, as well as members as a restroom pit stop. We started the sales process by visiting a few area clubs that had completed projects The new 12,000-sq.-ft. maintenance facility at Scarsdale Golf Club. Tee to Green May/June 2019 7 Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 8 similar to the one we envisioned at Scars- dale. We wanted to get their input on cost, challenges, and any suggestions on what they would do differently. Making sure we were informed on the details of the process was an important first step in selling the idea to the membership. We began our formal sales pitch for a new facility by offering a couple of member tours of our existing building, along with ques- tion-and-answer sessions. Once everyone was well aware that the facility needed major improvements for both the safety and functionality of the operation, the member- ship voted and approved the project by more than a two-thirds majority, which is an exceptionally high number for this type of project. What seemed like a relatively easy sell, however, encountered a few snags: The proj- ect was slated to be done in conjunction with two other capital projects, but then it was put on the backburner because of cost overruns. The challenge became making the finances work in conjunction with the mar- ket correction and a backlog of other proj- ects that were sexier. The hardest part, however, was convincing not just the board and the general member- ship, but also myself that the cost of this type of project was truly justified. Fortunately, our architectural firm, James G. Rogers, was instrumental in helping sell the project. Having built numerous maintenance facili- ties in the Met area, they were well equipped to field any questions, not to mention design a superb facility. Another thing I found really helpful in smoothing the way for the project was that the club appointed a member to become involved in the planning, bidding, value engineering, and financing details of the project. Once this person got up-to-speed on all the complexities of the project, he was able to help us communicate the details, issues, and challenges to the board and gen- eral membership. Also invaluable was that we assembled a panel of members who were either in construction, architecture, real estate, or engineering to help educate the membership and serve as credible sources of information concerning the project. Once complete, our facility was 12,000 sq. ft., outfitted with an Environmental Center for storage of fertilizer, chemical, and petro- leum products, an equipment wash station, an employee locker room and break room, and a new member restroom and comfort station. In the end, the time and effort we spent communicating and educating our member- ship made all the difference in the percep- tion and support we received throughout the project. The other lesson I’ve learned is that build- ing a new turf care facility in the same loca- tion is challenging. We are phasing the project over an almost two-year period, which is very difficult and costly. We under- estimated a number of expenses that we incurred during the different phases of the project but that were necessary for us to operate at full capacity and not skip a beat on the golf course. For instance, because we’ve had to shift from one building to another to continue the various aspects of our operation throughout the project, we needed almost constant assistance from an electrical con- tractor to hook up power to these temporary structures. It was an unanticipated part of the project that resulted in many change orders and significant added expense. But as they say, hindsight is 20/20. Don’t be afraid to ask probing questions—about every step of the process, before you sign on the dotted line. Recommended Resources Architect: Rogers McCagg Architects, Norwalk, CT. General Contractor: Claris Construction, Newtown, CT. Site Con- tractor: Cortese Construction, Yonkers, NY. Engineer: Tietjen Venegas, Rye, NY. Paul Gonzalez, Whippoorwill Club Armonk, NY Our new maintenance facility was built in 2015. It took one full year to complete, but 10 years to get approved. My first green chairman, who was in construction, tried to start the ball rolling. He saw that we were operating out of three, inadequate locations: one 2,000-sq.-ft. pole barn, which had a tiny heated area for the crew and the rest for equipment storage; space below the cart barn, which was allocated as a garage for the mechanic; and a small trailer for my office, where we would convene now and then for staff meetings. He recognized that we needed to invest in the infrastructure of the maintenance operation, but his testimony still couldn’t inspire action. Whippoorwill’s three maintenance operation locations turned into one state-of-the-art 15,000 sq. ft. facility with an additional 2,000 sq. ft. for chemical storage. Winged Foot’s 39,000-sq.-ft. turf care facility: A work in progress. Recommended Resources Architect: James G. Rogers Architects, S. Norwalk, CT. Engineers: Beth Evan Associates, Bethany, CT, and Tietjen Vene- gas, Rye, NY. Steve Rabideau, Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, NY We started the project 18 months ago and are scheduled to complete our turf care facility in October. When all is said and done, the facility will be 39,000 sq. ft., which is fitting for a facility that has to accommo- date 57 employees and two golf courses. The building will be equipped with everything from radiant heat in the repair shop to an indoor wash bay for the equipment, Carbtrol wash system, and a backup generator for the entire turf care facility. Getting the go-ahead on a new facility was no easy task. It took four tries over the course of six years. As is the case at most clubs, funding a new maintenance facility was low on the priority list. Few members have ever seen the facility let alone under- stand what it takes to run a grounds mainte- nance operation safely and efficiently. What finally clinched the deal was invit- ing the Green Committee and club president to a presentation in the old maintenance building. After taking the not-so-grand tour, they were appalled by what they saw and agreed that a new facility would be a more-than-worthy investment. The next step was to sell it to the entire membership. What helped was that our building project was bundled with a few others, like a dining room renovation, which were sure to be well received. Because the members’ vote was for all or nothing, our building proposal passed with f lying colors. I have learned a lot through this process. If I were to do it over again, I would have asked a lot more questions, and I would have built in a more sizable contingency number than I did. We had a number of unexpected change orders that I might have been able to avoid had I pressed the contractors for more de- tailed information. 6 Tee to Green May/June 2019 8 Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 9 Even with the obvious inadequacies, and the fact that the facility could be built with- out a member assessment, it was still a tough sell. It wasn’t until “the powers that be” joined me on a tour of some of the new-and- improved facilities in the area, that they rec- ognized just how deficient our facility was—in every way. Probably the biggest selling point was that everyone realized we had no choice but to bring our facility up to code. Fortunately, one of the board members was vice president of a construc- tion company. When he spoke, everyone lis- tened: the members, the contractors, en- gineers, and architects. He knew what to ask and held everyone accountable with weekly meetings. One thing I realized after completing this project was that there are bound to be sur- prises, and they’re often things you couldn’t have anticipated. Excavating the site, for instance, we hit far more rock than we ever thought possible, and of course, that led to cost overruns. I also realized that even if you think you’ve started the permitting process early enough, you probably haven’t. It took us almost two years to secure our permit from the town’s Planning Board. Next, don’t shortchange any part of the building process to save a few dollars. That was one advantage to having someone in the construction business watchdog the project. He saved us from having any regrets down the road. Last but not least, I realize now that even if you build a large facility, it’s never big enough. Our facility is 15,000 sq. ft. with another 2,000 in chemical storage and we still have equipment outside. Not that I’m complaining! Taking on a project of this magnitude is a lot of hard slogging work, but there’s no doubt the juice is worth the squeeze. Recommended Resources Architect: Sullivan Architecture, White Plains, NY. Engineer: John Meyers Con- sulting, Armonk NY. Site Contractor: Wernert Construction, Cos Cob CT. Kevin Seibel, Century Country Club, Purchase, NY We built our new maintenance facility in 2014, but we had begun the approval process 11 years earlier. When I started at the club in 2003, my green chair saw that our facility was inadequate. It was a 5,000-sq.-ft. cin- derblock building with two separate build- ings that were used for cold storage, a maintenance repair area, and sprayer equip- ment storage. Hundreds of thousands of dol- lars of equipment sat outside year-round, causing undue wear-and-tear on the machinery. Century Country Club's two-level, 18,000-sq.-ft. maintenance facility. My chairman supported bringing a few members to see area club’s new facilities, but it wasn’t until years later, when our gen- eral manager, Burton Ward, supported the project, that we got the go-ahead for a new facility. Once a year, the GM would tour the prop- erty with the board of governors, and one of their stops would be the maintenance facil- ity to show them just how inadequate our facility was for a 23-person staff and the magnitude of our operation. I had also brought to their attention the facility’s inadequacies. The USGA was par- ticularly helpful here. When Dave Oatis would visit the course, I would bring him to the shop, where he could view, for himself, the building’s many shortcomings and safety issues. He included them in his report to the club. I also emphasized to the club that the facility was a liability not just in terms of its safety issues, but also because it was so unap- pealing that it was driving current employ- ees to quit and preventing others who in- terviewed from taking the job. They could, after all, find clubs with more comfortable and better-equipped working environments. This clinched the deal. We broke ground in October of 2012 across the property from where our original building site was. This made things a lot easier, since we were able to continue our operation without con- structing a temporary facility. The project took a year-and-a-half from start to finish. Progress was delayed initially because of an issue with our original site contractor. Ad- mittedly, we had a difficult site. Our soils had a high silt content, and we were excavat- ing for a 6,000-sq.-ft. lower level. This required more work than our initial contrac- tor was staffed for. We had to hire a second contractor, Shawn’s Lawns, who got us back on track. Much of the project logistics were left to our general contractor, Lee Lasberg, and we would check in regularly with a subcommittee, that included the two of us, along with the GM, my green chair, and club president. That way, there were no surprises. Our facility was completed in March 2014 and includes 18,000 sq. ft. of f loor space, with a 12,000-sq.-ft. footprint. The lower level is a 6,000-sq.-ft. drive-in base- ment that houses all the utility vehicles and smaller equipment. The upper level includes large equipment, the mechanic’s repair area, and an admin area, complete with offices, a break room, and locker room. On the other side of the yard is an En- vironmental Center with a Carbtrol wash water recycling system and also a Plant Star chem mix-and-load plant. On each side are wash pads and gas and diesel storage tanks. Adjacent to the building are four covered bins. When the project was completed, the club had a dinner and then shuttled members by bus to tour the new facility where there was a full bar setup to celebrate the success of the project. Needless to say, all were im- pressed, not just with how the building was outfitted, but also with the cleanliness of the facility. As part of the package, we were given a dedicated employee charged with keeping all 18,000 square feet clean and orderly. He’s been a great asset and one I would recommend to anyone with a sizable facility. Looking back, I would emphasize that it’s key to have a good working relationship with your general contractor because this may well be one of the most labor-intensive projects you’ll ever undertake—more labor- intensive than installing a new irrigation system or managing a course renovation. And if I were to offer a lesson learned, it would be that you have to pay close atten- tion to the instructions for finishing your shop f loor. If you don’t apply the epoxy under the absolute proper conditions—the concrete must be 100-percent moisture- free—and according to label directions, you’ll find the paint will begin to peel within a few years. And redoing the finish is time consuming and costly. It pays to have someone from the paint company advise you when the time is right. In the end, this has been one of the best things the club has done. Aside from reduc- ing the wear-and-tear on the equipment, one of the maintenance operation’s most essential assets, it has been great for moral and the efficiency of the operation. Recommended Resources Architect: James G. Rogers Architects, S. Norwalk, CT. General Contractor: Lee Lasberg. Site Contractor: Shawn’s Lawns, Stamford, CT. Engineer: Insite Engeering, Surveying, & Landscape Architecture, Carmel, NY. Tee to Green May/June 2019 9 Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 10 Nick Lerner, Bonnie Briar Country Club Larchmont, NY Our original maintenance building was a 2,000-sq.-ft. cinderblock structure with a f lat roof and no running water, which meant our only bathroom facility was a port-o- john. My office was in a rented trailer. Conditions were deplorable and a liability in every way. Pesticide and fuel storage areas weren’t up to code. Most of our equipment sat outside, subjected to the elements, and the pieces that were inside were sitting in an area that often f looded. Our mechanic would often have to stand in water to work on the equipment. Had a local government agency come in to inspect our facility, they would have required immediate remedial action and imposed significant fines. A costly proposition. In early 2003, about six months before I came on board, the club had hired an agron- omist, Ed Etchells, to consult. He had informed the club of the deficiencies, as did the visiting USGA agronomist. The USGA gave the board and green chairman their lit- erature on properly outfitting a mainte- nance facility. That was the start of the approval process. At that point, the club was also serious about elevating playing conditions. They realized that, if they wanted us to improve conditions, they would have to take what we do seriously and fund a new-and-improved maintenance facility. We would need more sophisticated equipment, which couldn’t tol- erate being out in the elements, and we would need a facility that would promote pride among employees in their work while improving efficiency. A new facility would also be more apt to attract and maintain the kind of staff that would be capable of taking the course to the next level. Everyone at every level enjoys a work environment that is pleasant and well equipped. We broke ground in June of 2006. One of the first things I did was stress that the club get an independent construction manager to rep the project. That way, there was someone other than me who could manage the vari- ous contractors and subcontractors and watchdog their work to keep them on track and make sure they weren’t cutting corners. The other positive step we took was to hold what we called an Owners Meeting every two weeks. The meeting included a member representative who was involved with the project from the start, the club’s 6 Tee to Green May/June 2019 10 From highly inadequate to highly functional: Bonnie Briar’s new 7,200-sq.-ft. maintenance facility. general manager, construction manager, contractor, architect, engineer, and me. We would hash out just about every aspect of the project, any unexpected expenses or change orders and schedule changes. Because we had a construction manager on board, I would be free to focus more on running the course than on the day-to-day details of running the project. By April 2007, our new 7,200-sq.-ft. maintenance facility, with separate chemi- cal storage building, separate chemical fill station, petroleum storage tanks, equipment wash water recycle system, and equipment lift was up and operational. The facility is small, but it’s a far cry from what we started with. And believe it or not, building a new facility has actually resulted in some cost savings. By having the ability to house much of our equipment indoors, there’s been a drop in the cost of repairs and equipment replacement. We have also eliminated the rental costs on the port-o-john and office trailer. Now being able to purchase fertil- izer by the pallet rather than by the bag also helps the bottom line over time. All in all, the new building has been a win-win for the club and certainly our maintenance operation. Recommended Resources Architect: Bulter Rogers Baskett, South Norwalk, CT. (Tony Panza was our day-to- day contact on this project.) Construc- tion Manager: RBI Consultants Inc., New Canaan, CT. Site Contractor: William A. Kelly & Company, Katonah, NY. Engin- eer: TRC Raymond Keyes Associates, Hawthorne, NY. Scorecard Picture-Perfect Day for Two-Ball by Steve Wickstrom W e couldn’t have asked for better weather for the 2019 Dave Mahoney Two- Ball Qualifier. The soaking rains that seemed to define our winter and early spring took a break on April 29 for our annual qualifier. It was a picture-perfect day, and Dan Coughlin and his team had Trump National ~ Westchester in great condition. We would like to thank Dan and the entire team at Trump National for a great event. Special thanks to Assistant Pro Tim Gaskin for handling all scoring and prizes exceptionally well. Noteworthy Plays There was some good golf played across the field, but the highlight of the day went to Plant Food’s Tom Weinert who left his tee shot just 4 inches from the cup underneath a 60-foot waterfall. That kick-in birdie, along with the solid play of partner and Rolling Green Golf Club Super Brian Cha- pin, gave the team the Low-Gross win of 72. This exceptional gross score also gave them the Low Net, but they were gracious enough to let three scores of 68 go to a match of cards to decide the First- and Second-Place Net winners. They will have the second seed in the First Flight behind last year’s champions, Due Process Golf & Stable’s Tony Hooks and Pelham’s Jeff Wentworth. The team of Dave Lippman of West- chester Turf and West Point Golf Course’s Steve Whipple came in a stroke behind for Second Place Low Gross with a 73. The Second Flight first seed goes to last year’s champions Willow Ridge’s Josh Haugh and Fisher & Son’s Mike Weber. Burning Tree’s Steve Wickstrom and Beaver Brook’s Jon Knol are the second seed in the Second Flight after posting a Net 68. By Jon’s 18th hole, he was loosened up enough to really let one rip off the tee. It was good enough to qualify for the longest drive of the day by a couple yards. In a match of cards, Plant Food’s Dave Conrad and Rockville Links Super Luke Knutson took the First Place Low Net with a 68 of their own. Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 11 orecard ect Day Stay Tuned Season matches are already underway. Log on to metgcsa.org and download the MetGCSA app, where the season-long Two-Ball match brackets and round win- ners are prominently featured. Just as important, be sure to send an email to Co-tournament Chair Steve Wickstrom at stevewickstrom@hotmail.com with all match results and any noteworthy photos and stories about your round that we can run in an upcoming Two-Ball recap in the Tee to Green. We are looking to have a very competi- tive qualifier next year. Please make sure to have your GHIN up-to-date and record every eligible score! Download the My MGA app, and it will take only seconds to enter your score after your round. Match Deadlines In the meantime, if you are in this year’s event, note that all matches should be com- pleted by the following dates: First Round ~ June 30 Quarter Finals ~ August 11 Semi-Finals ~ September 15 Finals ~ October 20 Mt. Kisco's Andrew Agnew, Finch Services' George Corgan, Manhattan Woods' Jesse Shannon, and Tuxedo's Casey Klossner enjoy some friendly competition at the Dave Mahoney Two-Ball Qualifier. Closest to the Pin #6 Jon Heywood Morris County GC #8 David Dudones Westchester CC #13 Tom Weinert Plant Food Company #15 Steve Hicks, Guest 4' 4" 14' 7" 0' 4" 7' 0" Event of the Day Results Gross Team Winners 72 Tom Weinert/Brian Chapin Plant Food Company/Rolling Green GC 73 Dave Lippman/Steve Whipple Westchester Turf Supply/West Point GC (won in a match of cards) Net Team Winners 68 Dave Conrad/Luke Knutson Plant Food Company/Rockville Links Club 68 Steve Wickstrom/Jon Knol Burning Tree CC/Beaver Brook CC (won in a match of cards) Longest Drive #9 Jon Knol, Beaver Brook CC Steve Wickstrom is a MetGCSA Tournament Committee co-chair and superintendent at Burning Tree Country Club in Greenwich, CT. Weather Breaks for Nine & Diners by Brian Conlon T he threat of thunderstorms on June 10 pushed the Nine & Dine at Burning Tree Country Club off until the following week, which after the sun peaked through the cloud cover, turned out to be a great afternoon for golf. Though a few groups couldn’t make the rain date, we were able to fill their spots and more, giving us, in the end, a sizable turnout for the event. The format of the day was a Nine-hole Shamble, with teams using the top 2 out of 4 scores from the group. Accuracy off the tee outweighs distance at the hazard-heavy Burning Tree, and our winners kept it straight. First place went to the foursome from Westchester Country Club with a score of 71. Austin Sevcik, Tyler Sandefur, Andrew Jacobs, and Trevor Bendig edged out another Westchester powerhouse club by one stroke. Steve Rabideau’s team from Winged Foot Golf Club, which included assistants Steve Brazer, Ethan Spatol, and Kevin Crill, recorded a respectable 72. The Tournament Committee would like to remind all these outstanding young par- ticipants to register with the MGA and establish a GHIN so they can participate in more MetGCSA golf events. Job Well Done Burning Tree Super and MetGCSA Tourna- ment Committee Co-Chair Steve Wicks- trom and his staff had the course in great shape. Despite the rain-filled week prior to the event, the greens were fast and true. Many thanks to Burning Tree Country Club General Manager Gerard Conway and the entire clubhouse staff for setting the stage for a wonderfully relaxing post-golf experience on the back patio, where Nine & Diners were treated to Chef Raul Torres’s finely roasted pig and smoked brisket. Special thanks as well to Head Pro Todd Wingerter, who stuck around to hand out prizes and share a bit of his fine wit with the crowd. See you all at our other season events. And keep an eye out for the possibility of a Su- perintendent/Guest makeup date. Brian Conlon is an assistant superintendent at Burning Tree Country Club in Greenwich, CT. Tee to Green May/June 2019 11 Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 12 Member News Remembering Garry Crothers I 27. He was 86. t is with deep sorrow and regret that we announce the passing of Garry Crothers on May A great supporter of the MetGCSA and our industry, Garry was a past president and our association’s 12th Sherwood A. Moore Award winner. Having started his turf career at Winged Foot under the tutelage of Sherwood Moore, himself, this award had special significance to Garry. A member of the MetGCSA since 1970, Garry is remem- bered by those who knew him as a hard- working association member and a pro- gressive turfgrass professional. Garry served as coeditor of the Tee to Green, guiding its growth from hand- cranked mimeographs to a printed publica- tion. After moving through the chairs on the Met board as a director, treasurer, and then president, Garry put his talents to work outside our organization, participating on the original that founded the Tri-State Turf Research Foundation. Add to his list of credits that he was also the first superintendent to earn CGCS status in the Metropolitan New York area, a status he maintained for nearly 50 years. steering committee “Garry was often underestimated be- cause of his quiet, unassuming manner,” says longtime friend and MetGCSA member Ted Horton, “but he was one of the best golf course superintendents that I knew, and I was fortunate to call him ‘friend’ for my entire career.” Garry received a B.S. and a master’s in agronomy from Penn State University, put- ting his knowhow to work as superintend- ent on golf courses around the world. In addition to providing invaluable training and assistance to industry professionals in the Northeast, he contributed immensely to the growth and education of superintend- ents in Japan, Indonesia, and Micronesia. Bob Alonzi remembers Garry as being on the cutting edge of technology and environ- mentalism and, as Bob notes, “He was al- ways doing something to help our or- ganization and its members.” Never a recog- nition seeker, Garry’s contributions to the association and industry members were driven purely by his interest in seeing others succeed. Garry did keep a daily diary for most of his years as a superintendent, chronicling not just his practices, but also the progres- sion of the turf industry over the past 60 years. It was Garry’s concern that his diary live on for the benefit of future generations. Far from one to sit idle, in later years, Garry’s idea of retirement was to assume a position at the nine-hole Montague Golf Club in Randolph, VT, where he had the opportunity to redesign, build, and grow in nine new greens. An inspiration to many, Garry has left a lasting impression on all who knew him. In addition to working to educate the community about our profession, Garry served the community as an active member of the Rotary Club for nearly 40 years, believing the Rotary was an excellent op- portunity to tie the business of golf course management into the local business envi- ronment. So dedicated to the cause, Garry hadn’t missed a meeting in all his years of service. When selected for the SAM Award, Garry was asked how he would like his col- leagues to remember him. In true Garry form, he said, “as a good superintendent, one who tried to help young people to develop themselves.” There is no doubt Garry can rest in peace knowing he’s earned that honor . . . and much more. Garry is survived by his daughter, Sherrie Crothers Tucker, and his ex-wife, Sharon. Both live in Vermont. In Sympathy Our condonlences to longtime superin- tendent and MetGCSA member Ed Walsh on the passing of his beloved wife, Mary, on June 6. She was 71. Those interested in helping to com- memorate Mary’s life can make a dona- tion in her memory to Hope Hospice. Please feel free to send your condolences to Ed’s home at 21 Fawn Circle, Charlestown, RI 02813. 6 Tee to Green May/June 2019 12 Upcoming Events Parent/Child Scholarship Tournament Thursday, July 25 Mosholu Golf Course Bronx, NY Host: Dave Moffett Rutgers Turfgrass Research Field Day (Golf & Fine Turf) Tuesday, July 30 Horticultural Farm II New Brunswick, NJ Save the date, and watch for details. Visit www.njturfgrass.org or call 973-812- 6467 for further information. Family Picnic Wednesday, August 14 Bedford Village Memorial Park Bedford, NY The 15th Annual Dr. Joseph Troll Turf Classic Tuesday, September 3 TPC Boston Norton, MA This year’s UMass Alumni Turf Group fundraiser will be hosted by TPC Boston in support of turf education and research at the University of Massachusetts. Mary Owen of the UMass Turf Extension Center is this year’s event honoree. Please plan to attend this worthy fundraiser. Entry forms and additional information are available online at www.alumniturfgroup.com. The Poa Annua/Met Championship/Met Team Qualifier Tuesday, September 10 Bedford Golf & Tennis Club Bedford, NY Host: Bob Nielsen, CGCS MetGCSA Invitational Tournament Monday, September 30 Quaker Ridge Golf Club Scarsdale, NY Host: Tom Ashfield Met Area Team Championship Tuesday, October 8 Morris County Golf Club Morristown, NJ Host: Jonathan Heywood MetGCSA/CAGCS Fall Seminar Thursday, November 7 The Patterson Club Fairfield, CT Host: Jason Meersman Tee to Green June 2019.qxp_tee to green Dec 2010 7/3/19 1:17 PM Page 13 P atron Directory Patrons listed on this page are supporting our association. You are encouraged to support them. ✪ Executive Turf / Synergy Turf & Pocono Turf Supply “Nano & Micro Carbon Technologies” Ken Gentile: 203-496-0891 Tim Joyce: 631-601-5394 executiveturfproducts@gmail.com ✪ Finch Services Inc. 522 Edwards Avenue Calverton, NY 11933 George Corgan: 914-893-0868 Ofc: 631-727-8700 gcorgan@finchinc.com / www.Finchinc.com Northwestern Mutual Associate Wealth Management Advisor 2515 South Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Joshua Weinerman: 845-224-0027 Joseph Small: 845-224-0015 ✪ NuFarm Americas, Inc. “Helping the World to Grow a Better Tomorrow” Bryan Bolehala: 201-874-8060 bryan.bolehala@nufarm.com Jim Santoro: 518-207-2094 jim.santoro@nufarm.com ✪ A.G. Enterprises Rick Gordon ~ Staff Uniforms 201-488-1276 / Fax: 201-489-5830 merrick160@gmail.com www.AGEnterprisesonline.com ✪ All Pro Horticulture, Inc. 80 East Gates Avenue Lindenhurst, NY 11757 John Seib: 631-789-6680 Fax: 631-789-5711 john@allprohort.com Aquatrols Corp. of America “The World Leader in Soil Surfactants & Wetting Agents” 1273 Imperial Way Paulsboro, NJ 08066 Tom Valentine: 610-299-4470 tvalentine@aquatrols.com ✪ Atlantic Golf & Turf 9 Industrial Boulevard Turner Falls, MA 01376 John Garcia: 203-996-6267 john@atlanticgolfturf.com ✪ BASF Corporation “We Create Chemistry” Paul Ramina: 908-413-2944 paul.ramina@basf.com Twitter: @pjramina ✪ Bayer U.S. “Backed by Bayer” Dave Sylvester: 860-841-3173 ✪ Blue Ridge Peat Farms 133 Peat Moss Road White Haven, PA 18661 Gene Evans / Chuck Evans 570-443-9596 / 570-947-5888 ✪ Carriere Materials, LLC U.S. Silica Topdressing & Bunker Sand, VFB Bunker Sand & Partac Topdressing Bill Carriere: 914-939-4884 bc1000@verizon.net Club Car CT / Metropolitan NY 72 Grays Bridge Road Brookfield, CT 06804 Paul Schwab: 203-943-6898 Ofc: 203-740-1458 Paul_Schwab@clubcar.com ✪ Cushman ~ E-Z-GO Nick Roberto: 845-637-7641 Reed Williams: 516-662-3554 Chris Larizza: 203-605-0554 DeLea Sod Farms Turf, Topdressing & Root Zone Scott Geiser: 631-484-1211 sgeiser@deleasod.com Dylan Wyatt: 631-796-6757 dwatt@deleasod.com ✪ Evergreen Organic Recycling 1160 Mamaroneck Avenue White Plains, NY 10605 James Amodio / Raymond Colasacco 914-949-9030 Ray@EvergreenOrganicRecycling.com ✪ Fisher and Son Company “Servicing the Green Industry Professionals Since 1928” Mike Weber: 347-486-0480 mweber@fisherandson.com ✪ Grass Roots Turf Products, Inc. “Serving Turfgrass Professionals Since 1978” Ryan Avery / Keith Kubik / Nick Alley Ofc: 973-252-6634 www.GRIturf.com / sales@GRIturf.com Twitter: @GrassRootsTurf ✪ Harrell’s LLC “Growing a Better World. Partners for Success” Scott Tretera: 914-262-8638 stretera@harrells.com Fred Montgomery: 518-813-7814 fmontgomery@harrells.com Helena Agri Enterprises, LLC “People . . . Products . . . Knowledge” Tim Gerzabek: 609-221-9240 Sean Kennedy: 802-558-4009 Twitter: @TimG_Helena / @GrnMtTurfGuy18 K & J Tree Service Removal, Pruning, Planting, Stump Removal, & Plant Healthcare Edward Grant: 203-298-8074 Ofc: 203-722-7316 / Fax: 203-909-6506 edward@kjtreeservice.com LaBar Golf Renovations 170 Mount Airy Road, Suite A1 Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 Rich LaBar: 908-502-5253 rich@labargolf.com ✪ Metro Turf Specialists “Customers, Our TOP Priority” Scott / Matt / Rich / Todd / Ted 203-748-4653 (GOLF) www.metroturfspecialists.com MTE Turf Equipment Solutions, Inc. 115 Franklin Street Ext., Derry, NH 03038 Ben Mancuso Ofc: 585-356-2770 bmancuso@mte.us.com ✪ Noble Turf Full-Service Agronomic Supplier Brian Bontemps: 845-239-7959 Brian Gjelsvik: 973-670-7139 Zach Brooks: 914-309-2373 Matt Lapinski: 978-551-0093 Bill Cimochowski: 609-923-4045 ✪ The Terre Company Full Golf Turf Supplies & Masonry Building Supplies Jim Calladio: 973-518-8834 jcalladio@terrecompany.com ✪ Tom Irwin Inc. “With Tom Irwin, You’re Not Alone” 13 A Street, Burlington, MA 01803 Jeff Houde: 203-731-1776 Ofc: 800-582-5959 jeff@tomirwin.com ✪ Turf Products LLC ~ TORO Irrigation & Equipment “Servicing Our Customers Since 1970” Pat Cragin: 860-874-2812 Bill Conley: 860-360-0503 Shawn Donovan: 203-910-9114 Peter Hull: 860-305-2525 Jim Staszowski: 413-237-1467 ✪ Valley Green, Inc. “Serving the Industry since 1990” 205 Wilson Avenue Norwalk, CT 06854 Greg Moran: 845-901-1358 Ofc: 203-831-9748 g.moran@valleygreenusa.com ✪ Westchester Tractor, Inc. 60 International Boulevard Brewster, NY 10509 John Apple 845-278-7766 sales@wtractor.com www.wtractor.com ✪ Westchester Turf Supply, Inc. “Proudly Serving the MetGCSA Since 1976” Bob Lippman: 914-447-6257 Dave Lippman: 914-447-5192 info@westchesterturf.com ✪ Wickes Arborists 11 McNamara Road Spring Valley, NY 10977 John Wickes: 914-906-3264 Ofc: 845-354-3400 Fax: 845-254-3475 john@irawickes.com ✪ Wilfred MacDonald, Inc. Smithco / Turfco / Baroness Glenn Gallion Ofc: 888-831-0891 Fax: 973-487-1333 sales@wilfredmacdonald.com Twitter: @wilfredma @glenngallion ✪ Winfield Solutions, Inc. “Service, Solutions, Insight” Rob Saunders: 203-249-5059 Jim Masone: 516-818-9852 www.winfieldpro.com W & B Golf Carts / Yamaha 3391 Route 9, Hudson, NY 12534 Jason Hommel / Michael Behan Ofc: 518-851-2266 pgagolfcar@gmail.com ✪ Denotes MetGCSA member ✪ Denotes MetGCSA member Ocean Organics Fertilizers ~ Biostimulants ~ Surfactants Kevin Collins: 914-621-1151 Kevin@oceanorganics.com Twitter: @kcseweed PBI-Gordon Corp. Growth Regulators ~ Nutrients ~ Fungicides 22701 W 68th Terrace, Shawnee, KS 66226 Bill Affinito: 508-250-3821 Ofc: 816-421-4070 baffinito@pbigordon.com / www.pbigordonturf.com ✪ Pinnacle Turf, Inc. 40 Skyview Lane New Rochelle, NY 10804 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 Golf Mobile Coverage System, Conditions App, Golf Course Field Guides, ezPins, Consulting, Career Development, Professional Search Services Greg Wojick: 203-219-0254 Matt Leverich: 913-221-8052 www.goplaybooks.com SiteOne Landscape Supply “Stronger Together” Chad Mathieu: 914-539-5675 cmathieu@siteone.com Soil Solutions, LLC Drill & Fill / Aerification Professionals Anthony Decicco / John Decicco 7 Whittemore Place, Ryebrook, NY 10573 914-393-0659 soilsolutionsllc369@gmail.com Sygenta “Manufacturer of Plant Protection Products” John Bresnahan: 413-333-9914 John.bresnahan@syngenta.com ✪ Tanto Irrigation, LLC “Golf Course Irrigation Specialists” Steve Kubicki / Paul Guillaro info@tantoirrigation.com ✪ The Care of Trees Mike Cook: 914-345-8733 Jeremiah Green: 914-241-8110 Ken Clear: 203-863-0900 Greg Gutter: 914-241-8110 Tee to Green June 2019 cov.qxp_Tee to G dec 2010 cover 7/2/19 8:13 PM Page 2