October 1979 Published monthly by the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association MEETING NOTICE: Date: Tuesday, October 16th Second Round—Supt. Championship & Tournament for B & C members Place: Vol. IX , No. 9 February 17-22 GCSAA’s Conference & Show, St. Louis, Missouri February 26-29 Penn State Turfgrass Conference Hershey, Pa. Salem Golf Club, Bloomer Road, North Salem, N.Y. 10560 Hosts: Superintendent: Robert Bruce Club Manager: Richard Miller Golf Professional:Clarence Fogal Greens Chairman: William Iller Club President: George Lawrence Telephones: Superintendent: 914-669-5959 Clubhouse: 914-669-5485-5486 Golf Shop: 914-669-5551 Golf: 12:30 p.m. Carts:$14.00 ; should be enough for everyone. Caddies: none. Lunch: 11:30 Cocktails: 5:30 to 7 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres Dinner: 7:00 p.m. $15.50 Directions: from south—take 1-684 to Exit 8. Make a right on Hardscrable Road, follow it to end. Turn left on Route 124. Go two blocks. Turn right onto Bloomer Road. Club is Vi mile down road on the right. From Connecticut—take Route 84 to Exit 121. Make a left on Route 121. Go 3 miles. Look for a Citgo station on the right. Make a right just past the station onto Bloomer Road. Come over hill and look for sign to your left. Directions from north—Come to Brewster. Take Route 6 and 202 East to Route 121, and follow the above directions from Connecticut. COMING EVENTS: October 16 MGCSA Monthly Meeting, Salem G.C. Second Round, Supt. Championship November 13-15 N.Y.S. Turfgrass Association Conference & Equipment Show, Syracuse November MGCSA Annual Meeting Nov. 26-29 New Jersey Turfgrass Expo ’79, Cherry Hill December 12 O.M. Scotts Golf Course Seminar, Hartford December 13 O.M. Scotts Golf Course Seminar, Armonk December 14 MGCSA Christmas Party, Brae Burn Country Club MSGCSA NEWS Our big event for the season was the Superintendent’s In­ vitational Tournament held at Dan Verelle’s Ridgeway Country Club in White Plains. A total of 32 teams from the area competed using net best ball of foursome with 80% of handicap. The weather couldn’t have been better. The course was groomed to perfection. I hit well over a hundred shots that day and never had a bad lie. And I did note the quick coupler valves over the entire course. The remarkable condition of the course “ coupled” with a manual irrigation system against the hot summer which we just got through speaks for itself. First place was captured by the Burning Tree team consis­ ting of Superintendent David Enos, Professional Stan Mosel, Jacques Issacs and Angie Mainero, both Co-Green Chair­ men. First place net score was 63. Second, third, and fourth place were decided with a match of all cards since three teams had 64: Second Place—Round Hill Club with 64 Gus Powell, Tom Kochan, Lyle Ramsey, T.A. Remsen Third Place—Westchester Hills Golf Club with 64 Mark Millett, Kevin Morris, John Rego, Joseph Christiano Fourth Place—Pelham Country Club with 64 Terry Mulligan, Chuck Deedman, Richard Naclerio, Val Taubner, Jr. And the food! Manager Fred Richter had his people set up every three or four holes keeping us well fed. Everyone did, however, manage to find room for the terrific steak dinner after the cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres. Our thanks also to our commercial members who volunteered their time in assisting in our shotgun start. After dinner, Dr. Haruo Tashiro, of the Entomology De­ partment at the Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York gave us an update on developments concerning pest control. He also reminded all of us to alternate our choice of chemicals against the various insects to guard against immunity or tolerances buildup. Chuck Martineau 914-273-3755 Ray Twomely 203-869-1812 If you wish to be a candidate to serve as a director or to nominate someone, please contact one of the above. Editorial Staff Ted Horton, Co-Editor Pat Lucas, Co-Editor President Office: 914-698-2827 Home: 914-937-3613 Office: 203-637-3210 Home: 203-637-3939 OFFICERS Robert Alonzi, Fairview Country Club Office 203-531-8910, Home 914-531-1930 Vice-President Michael Maffei, Back of Beyond Golf Course Office 914-279-7179, Home 914-279-7895 Secretary Paul Caswell, Greenwich Country Club Office 203-869-1000, Home 203-661-8949 Sherwood Moore, Woodway Country Club, Inc. Office 203-329-8257, Home 203-322-0004 Treasurer Not copyrighted. I f there is good here, we want to share it with all chapters - unless author states otherwise. Publication deadline for Tee to Green is 21 days before the regular meeting. Comedian Burt Lee had everyone’s sides splitting with his comics covering all aspects of life. Thank you everyone at Ridgeway. And those who missed it, missed it! A meeting of the MGCSA Board of Directors was held on September 5, 1979 at the Fairview Country Club. The following membership applications were voted upon: Richard J. Schock, Sterling Farms Golf Course, Class B Earl F. Millet, Whippoorwill Country Club, Class B Clifford L. Belden, Lakeshore Equipment Co., Class C Mark Sosnowitz, Sprinklescape, Class C Joseph Auresto, Banksville Golf Club, Class A WELCOME TO MGCSA! The Chemical Manufacturers have established a Pesticide Safety Team Network, with a 24 hour toll-free phone number. PSTN also has trained teams who are available to help with cleanup and disposal of spilled pesticides. Dial 800-424-9300. The Greens Chairmen list of the Tee to Green mailing list will be updated this fall. The Penn State Turfgrass Conference will be held February 26-29 at the Hershey Motor Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, Pa. For more information contact Arthur B. Wick, P.O. Box 362, Sewickley, Pa. 15143. —Pat Lucas ACTION NEEDED FOR EXTENSION SERVICES The Federal Government is cutting their budget and exten­ sion services will probably be greatly affected. This situation is now being reviewed by a National Agricultural Research and Extension Users Advisory Board. It began preparations of a report to the President and the Secretary of Agriculture at a meeting on July 10. This Board is currently made up of 21 appointees representing enviromental interest groups, agricultural production and nutrition with no representation for the turf and ornamental horti­ culture industries. Without a representative for the non-agricultural Green Industries our concerns run the risk of being over looked. In order to avoid, or at least lessen, the impact of further cuts in extension services falling on those specialists serving our industry rather than the strictly agriculturists, it is impera­ tive to make our feelings and positions known NOW while this report, scheduled for completion in September and submission in October, is still being formulated. We must point out not only the tremendous service the extension turf and landscape specialists perform in helping improve the en­ vironment through research and assistance to improve industry practices and efficiency, but also that the President is destroying his own budget if he discontinues programs that will generate more tax revenue through increased efficiency and output. Please send your personal views on this issue to James Meyers, Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Research and Extension Users Advisory Board, Room 349-A, U.S. Department of A griculture, W ashington, D.C. 20250. Enough letters for our side of the case CAN have an influence on this report. When you write, you might also consider sending a copy to your Congressman. Credit: GCSAA September Chapter Newsletter Sterilized Top Dressing EGYPT FARMS iMsôüà I WHITE MARSH, MD. 301 - 335-3700 EGYPT FARMS EXCLUSIVE! am top dressing ingredients are thoroughly mixed and sterilized by indirect heat in our special pro­ cess. The sand particles are actually coated with a mixture of top soil and peat humus for a completely homogenous mixture that will not separate during handling and spread­ ing. Egypt Farms top dressing is formulated especially for the transition zone to specifications recommended by the United States Golf Associ­ ation, Texas A&M , Penn State, North Carolina, and the University of Maryland. Many years of research and testing by these leading universities have produced a soil mixture for superior growth; to maintain the best bal­ ance of percolation; to resist compaction; for good aeration; and for the retention of usable water and nutrients in the growing medium. *Green and tee construction materials and mixes conforming to U.S.G.A. specs are also available. NOMINATING COMMITTEE The following members have been named for this year’s Nominating Committee: Al Caravella 914-946-1074 D ISTR IB U TED BY: METRO-MILORGANITE, INC. THETER R ECO . WAGNER SEED CO., INC. (914) 769-7600 (201) 843-6655 (516) 293-6312 Winning team from Burning Tree (left to right): Angie Mainero, Co-Greens Chairman, David Enos, Superintendent, and Jacques Issacs, Co-Greens Chairman. Missing from photo is Stan Mosel, Professional. Our hosts at Ridgeway (left to right): Tom Joyce, Professional, Monroe Schaffer, President, Dan Verrille, Superintendent and Alvin Anderson, Greens Chairman. Mark Millet presenting awards to the 2nd place Round Hill Team: Mark Kockan, Professional and Gus Powell, Superintendent. Missing from photo are Lyle Ramsey and T.A. Remsen. 3rd place Westchester Hills team: Joseph Christiano, Ridgeway Manager Fred Richter, Mark Millet and John Rego. Missing from photo is Kevin Morris. Our entertainer for the evening, comedian Burt Lee, flanked by Ridgeway manager, Fred Richter on left, and MGCSA Tournament Chairman, Mark Millet on right. Mark Millet presenting awards to 4th place Pelham C.C. Terry Mulligan, Val Taubner Jr. and Bob Buckley. Missing from photo is Professional Chuck Deedman. GUS POWELL RETIRES Gus Powell, retiring superintendent of Round Hill Club on his 14th Green. On September 26th, Ted Horton and Pat Lucas spent some nostalic moments with Gus Powell at his Round Hill Club. Gus is retiring October first. The following is our attempt to reiterate what Gus shared with us about some of his experiences: “ My getting started is the funniest thing in the world. I was 17 years old, had a driver’s license, just finished high school and was caddying at Round Hill. At that time Molly Straza was the Superintendent. One day I was walking up the 9th fairway toward the green and Molly’s father, Pete, was up there with a crew unloading some sand into a trap. The truck rolled back into the trap and he said to me, ‘Hey kid, come here and drive this truck out of this trap.’ I told him 1 didn’t work there but he said if I drove the truck out, he would see that I got a job on the crew. I did and Molly started me out on tennis court maintenance. Three years later 1 started cutting roughs with a Worthington Model “ A” steel wheeled tractor.” “ After five years I became Molly’s assistant. At that time, I attended Stockbridge Winter school under Professor Dickinson. I went there for four years in a row in the winter. Then in 1944 or 1945 I went to Rutgers winter school under Ralph Engel.” “ I remember during the depression I felt lucky to have a job. I worked a seven day week then for $19.00 and was glad to get it. We kept seven men on during that time.” “ I’ve been a Superintendent for 20 years. I took the job when Molly left in 1959. I realized early that I enjoyed working outside. I found that battling nature and winning was the most enjoyable part of my job. To be up against something tough, like in my second year after taking over when we had a bad winter kill and I worked on that and it came out well. That is when you can really feel good. I remember that Frank Bria and I working together were the first to use hydrated lime to control black algae on greens.” “ Today a Superintendent works just as hard as when I started but he has many more tools to work with than we did. We had a budget of $30,000 or $40,000 and only worried about greens. Our greens were South German Bent. That was a good brand of grass. Today though you have a more educated golfer who wants to know what this spot is here or that blemish is there. And they worry about everything, fairways, roughs, everything.” “ The biggest drawback used to be communication with greens chairmen. They were only elected for one year. Then we went to two years and just recently five years. There wasn’t much of a chance to get to know each other and build communication. If I had to make a change for today, I would say it would be to improve communication between the Superintendent and the club officials. My advice to those just entering the profession is THINK TWICE, IT’S A TOUGH PROFESSION!” Gus is married, has two daughters and three grandsons. He has been a member of the GCSAA for 19 years and the BLUE RIDGE PEAT FARMS, INC. WHITE HAVEN, PA. 18661 SERVING THE PROFESSIONAL TURF INDUSTRY SINCE 1903 JL JOHNS-MANVILLE/BUCKNER IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ PUMPS, VALVES, CONTROLLERS FUNGICIDES HERBICIDES INSECTICIDES FERTILIZER ANDREW WILSON INC. 1170 U S ROUTE 22 MOUNTAINSIDE, NEW JERSEY 07092 (201) 654-5800 Sales Representative — Brian Makar (914) 969-5932 Golf Course Topdressing Peat-Humus Gene Evans, Owner Professional Engineer (717) 443-9596 We supply over 400 golf courses in a six state area with topdressing and related products. Call or write to find out how we can supply your requirements. hension of opposing thoughts, criticize ideas instead of people, accept criticism of their ideas, be able to risk offering new thoughts and reason logically and constructively. Above all, make sure disagreements and bad feelings stay in the conference room. Don’t take them back to the office. Credit: Sept. 1979 Fore Front 6 ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WE NEVER THOUGHT YOU’D ASK (BUT DECIDED TO ANSWER ANYWAY) Yes, GCSAA can help you become a bet­ ter superintendent. One way it does this is through educational seminars and con­ ference sessions it sponsors each year to help you become better informed about turfgrass diseases, pesticides, landscaping and management practices. I 3 Gus Powell with incoming superintendent Craid Wistrand. MGCSA close to 30 years. He tells us our organization is good but we must continue to look for new members. His plans for the future? “ One year of taking it easy and playing some golf. Then we will see.” DECISIONS BY COMMITTEE Committee decisions have been the butt of jokes since men have had committees, but they can be effective if the right ground work has been laid. Committees allow members with differing backgrounds and opinions to weigh alternatives and decide on the best solution. But without careful management, decision making groups can turn into battlegrounds. Members should be guided to accept and offer opposing points of view, communicate clearly, feel free to disagree without malice, listen and use feedback to check compre­ GREENHOUSE 2 Yes, GCSAA is helping to further the ad­ vancement of the turfgrass industry. Through the GCSAA Scholarship & Research Fund, Inc., GCSAA provided more than $13,500 last year in research grants to leading turfgrass programs. GCSAA also provides educational opportunities to turf­ grass students through annual turfgrass scholarships. Each year, GCSAA sponsors an annual conference and show for its members. Last year more than 6,500 educators, in­ dustry representatives and members from all over the world attended. GCSAA's executive committee decided at its last board meeting that the conference experience is so valuable that first-year members should be encouraged to attend by being given free admission. 5 Yes, GCSAA provides each member with a life insurance program. Supplemental insur­ ance, disability and pension programs also are available. 6 No, GCSAA can’t help you with your golf handicap. You’ll have to work on that yourself. Yes, GCSAA offers recognition for superintendents. Through its p u b lic re la tio n s e ffo rts , its magazine, and its award programs, GCSAA helps promote the image and the profes­ sionalism of the superintendent. GCSAA also provides information to superintendents about how they can use public relations to promote their own image to their course, their community and their association. 4 Yes, GCSAA provides a meeting ground for superintendents. # GCSAA The association that offers you more than just a name. 1617 ST. ANDREWS DRIVE • LAWRENCE, KANSAS 66044 913 / 841-2240 NURSERIES One Stop Wholesale Center D istributors o f • EVERGREENS • TREE STAKES • FLOW ERING TREES • R A ILR O A D TIES •S H A D E TREES • MULCHES I • G R O UND COVERS • CO NTAINER • FENCING M A TE R IA L • F IR & PINE BARK • T U R F CHEMICALS •H O L L Y T O N E • GRAVELS •S P R A Y IN G • GRASS SEED EQ UIPM ENT • ARBO RIST SUPPLIES * A D-S-DRAINAG E SYSTEMS W eather TRUE TEMPER TOOLS T U R F M A IN TE N A N C E SUPPLIES H O M ELITE CONST. EQ UIPM ENT !mafic. Lawn Sprinkler Systems Safe-T-Lawn Lawn Sprinkler Systems EMANUEL SHEMIN - HORTICULTURIST 1081 KING STREET, BOX 64, GLENVILLE STATION GREENWICH, CO NNECTICUT06830 (203)531-7352 (914) 937 4644 7 Cottage Street Port Chester, N Y. 10573 (914)937-5479 (914) 939-2766 • TRAP SAND • SCREENED TOP SOIL • SCREENED CLAY FOR TENNIS COURTS & BASEBALL DIAMONDS • SAND FOR BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION • TRAP ROCK • GRAVEL Get government out o f the business. There is an energy problem in this country—not because we have run out of oil. natural gas and coal—but because for 25 years the private sector's ability to find and produce those resources has been disappearing as the federal government became more and more involved in the energy business. • Since the Federal Power Commission began to regulate the price of natural gas in 1954. there have been shortages of gas in the consuming states and surpluses in the producing states. • Since the Federal government began to control the price of oil in 1971. domestic production has failed to keep up with the demand and today accounts for only about half of the crude oil we use. • Since those price controls were put on oil. OPEC has charged 2 to 3 times as much for its oil as American producers are paid for theirs. • Since the Federal government began to allocate gasoline, supplies have not shown up where they are needed, when they are needed. No wonder the country has an energy problem. The government Congress and our Presidents —have been applying political solutions to roblems which require common sense free enterprise responses. They have een trying to repeal the law of supply and demand! A reading of events of the last 25 years should indicate the essential first step in sound energy planning...get government out of the energy busi ness while there's still a chance to solve tne problem. Amway Corporation, Ada. m i . 49355. Am w ay One of a series of messages to stimulate public dialogue about significant national issues. GASOHOL AND SMALL ENGINES With the recent rise in gasoline prices, gasohol, a mixture of 10 percent alcohol and 90 percent gasoline, has been receiving widespread publicity. In some parts of the country, it is widely available at service stations and some resourceful people are distilling their own alcohol to mix with gasoline. While the use of gasohol in automobiles is still a matter of controversy, scientists at the Tecumseh Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, Michigan, warn that it can have serious effects on small engines. Tecumseh scientists say that most gasohol contains grain or methyl alcohols which may react with the water content of the fuel to form strong acids. These acids can corrode metal parts and eat rubber and plastics. Except for cold-weather starts, automobile engines do not use a rich fuel-to-air ratio. Small engines, however, do run on a rich mixture and they are frequently stored for long periods of time. This is particularly evident in the case of turf maintenance equipment where both the equipment and the fuel supply may be stored during the off-season. If you want to use gasohol or any other synthetic fuel in your equipment, you should check first with the dealer or the manufacturer. Credit: Sept. 1979 Fore Front Something to think about . . . We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done. Longfello vv WELFARE: Please contact any member of the Welfare Com­ mittee regarding any hospitalizations, etc. of members of the MGCSA; Dennis Flynn (914) 636-8700; Pat Lucas (203) 6373210; Peter Rapoccio (203) 438-6720. Reprinted by permission of Amway Corporation, Ada, Michigan, U.S.A. SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS T R C PRODUCTS FAKTAC G O LF CO U RSE T O P -D R ESSIN G We screen out oversized particles and " d u s t " to give you a uniform product, w ith water stable aggregates, heat sterilized, 75% sand by weig ht (not by volume), w ith balanced organic content and balanced water retention and drainage. D IS TR IB U TE D BY: LU B R IC A TIN G EQ UIPM ENT JAMES M AXW ELL/M AXW ELL TU RF, INC. 516-265-3580 O N LONG ISLAND JAMES C A R R IE R E & SONS/J&B T R U C K IN G THE REICHERT COMPANY 914-937-5479 WESTCHESTER, ROCKLAND, PUTNAM, DUTCHESS & FAIRFIELD COUNTIES (203) 637-2958 M A IL P.O. BOX 273 R IV ER S ID E, CT. 06807 COPING WITH STRESS In the modern pressure-cooker world, stress and fatigue are daily problems. The tension starts to mount when we tackle the morning paper, and, for some people it never lets up. Many executives and people in management positions feel that they have learned to live with stress. Some even claim that they need it to work at peak efficiency. However, a recent study produced these statistics on the effects of stress on businessmen earning more than $40,000 yearly. • One out of five suffers a heart attack. • Two out of five are divorced. • Three out of five die before their wives. • The average life expectancy after retirement is only four years. • Most are asked to retire five years before the mandatory age. If pressure is indeed necessary for these people to succeed in their jobs, they pay a high price for success. In fact, experts say that pressure and the fatigue which result from being constantly on edge are responsible for mistakes, oversights and generally lowered efficiency. We become more suscep­ tible to disease, we forget important steps in complicated processes, we ignore safety procedures and our personal relationships suffer because we don’t have time to properly maintain them. For example, headaches are the most common of all physi­ cal complaints, with an estimated 42 million chronic sufferers in the United States alone, and tension is a factor in all but a few types of headaches. There are ways of fighting stress. It is possible to control and redirect it so that mental and management capabilities are unimpaired. By learning to live with it, you can anticipate up­ coming problems, have time to avoid them and escape the ultimate stress—personal failure. These four suggestions are ways supervisors can deal with the pressures of everyday life. 1. Keep your mind outwardly directed. Under stress, we lose the ability to see problems for what they actually are. We lose touch with reality, and our decisions no longer deal effectively with the problems at hand. By staying in touch with the people around us, we can get a clearer picture of problems and can anticipate future ones. 2. Ask questions. Don’t do all the talking. Never assume that your employees will tell you when something is wrong. You must seek out problems and their causes for yourself. 3. Keep your sense of reality. Try to read between the words and into the true meaning of what people are telling you. Just as we are rarely able to communicate what we actually mean, we are seldom able to correctly interpret another person’s thoughts from the words he says. 4. Schedule your time so that you concentrate on stressful activities when you are at your peak and try to include plenty of time for less stressful activities. Find something which allows you to escape the pressure, such as exercise or a lowkey hobby. And be sure to get plenty of sleep. Crec%^Sept. 1979 Fore Front (u$S) Vertagreen ^—' _ A product for all reasons U n ifo r m p a rtic le s t h a t f lo w s m o o th ly a n d s p re a d e v e n ly . Vertagreen 4 8 % o f th e n itr o g e n in s lo w re le a s e fo r m . T o u rn a m e n t P lu s U n ifo r m b a la n c e o f s e c o n d a r y a n d m ic r o n u tr ie n ts . Special Turf Food Formula for Fairways A ll p o ta s h d e riv e d fr o m s u lfa te o f p o ta s h . 1 9 -5 -9 Agri-Chemicals Division of United States Steel P.O. Box 16 8 5 A tlanta, Georgia 30301 v n x jff yjà UH — ' PÖI 3300 3 5 3 7 1 Pat Lucas, Editor 87 Tomac Avenue Old Greenwich, Conn. 06870 First Class MELVIN B LUCAS JR P I P I N G ROCK CLUB LOCUST VALLEY NY 1 15 60 ▲ BRANCH OFFICES: Bronxville Chappaqua Brewster Greenwich New Canaan New York MAIN OFFICE275 Knollwood Road White PlafTis, N.Y. 10607 Phone : 914-948-0101 914-337-2271 914-238-4400 914-279-3421 203-661-8014 203-323-7245 212-543-7200 Your authorized dealer for: Homelite Chainsaws Asplundh Brush Chippers TREE CARE,INC. 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