March 1980

Published monthly by the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association

MEETING NOTICE:

Date:
Place:

Wednesday, March 26
Westchester Hills Golf Club
White Plains, N.Y. 10605
12:30P.M.
South: On coming to Rt. 684 con­
tinue south onto the Hutchinson
River Parkway and take the North
St. exit. Continue on North St. a
quarter of a mile to Ridgeway, take
a left at Ridgeway. Club is on left
side.
Coming from 287: take exit 8 to
Westchester Ave. Come up to a set
of lights. Make right at light onto
North St. At 4th set of lights, take
right onto Ridgeway; Club is left.
Mark Millett, 914-948-5020

Lunch:
Directions:

RSVP
COMING EVENTS:

March 18
March 26
May 27-June 1
May 29
June 12-15
June 26-29
August 14-17
September 25

USGA Green Section Regional Meeting,
Westchester Country Club
MGCSA Monthly Meeting,
Westchester Hills C.C.
Golden Lights Tournament,
Wykagyl Country Club
MGCSA Monthly Meeting,
<
Fairview Country Club
U.S. Open, Baltusrol Golf Club,
Springfield, N.J.
First U.S. Senior Open Championship,
Winged Foot Golf Club
Westchester Classic, Westchester C.C.
Invitational, Elmwood Country Club

MGCSA NEWS
Congratulations are in order on the election of Mel Lucas
as President of the GCSAA and Bob Osterman on his election
to the GCSAA Board of Directors. Details of GCSAA
meeting in St. Louis follow in GCSAA News.
Congratulations also go to Ann and Danny Higgins on the
birth of their 8 lb. boy, Daniel Patrick Higgins born on
January 14,1980.
Dick Allen, formerly of Sunningdale Country Club is
assuming the position of Superintendent at Woodway Golf

Vol. X, No. 2

Club. Dom DiMarzo is assuming the position of Super­
intendent of Sunningdale Country Club.
At the MGCSA Board of Directors meeting held at the
Fairview Country Club on January 16, 1980, the following
committee assignments were listed:
Membership—Peter Rappoccio, Paul Caswell
Program—John Wistrand, Michael Maffei
Golf-Dennis Flynn
50-50 Raffle—Mark Millett
Public Relations & Publicity—Ted Horton
Tee to Green—Pat Lucas and Ted Horton
Christmas Party—Position open
Welfare—Bob Alonzi
Scholarship & Research—Michael Maffei, Sherwood
Moore, Roger King, Dr. Andrew Virtuoso
By-Laws—Dick Allen
Advisory—This committee dropped.
Voting Delegates—Terry Mulligan, Dave Marmelstein
Roster—Updated by Mike Maffei and John Musto
Nominating—Assigned later in year
Please take a minute to fill out the attached Post Card so
we can update our roster.
In this issue, we are reprinting a notice about ball marks
from last year. With soft greens this spring, this article is just
the right size to cut out and place on the locker room bulletin
board.
GCSAA NEWS
LUCAS, BAVIER, OSTERMAN AND TIMMERMAN
ELECTED BY GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS

Melvin B. Lucas Jr., CGCS, superintendent of Piping
Rock Club, Locust Valley, L.I., N.Y., was elected president
of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
during the association’s annual meeting February 20 in St.
Louis.
Michael R. Bavier, CGCS, superintendent of Inverness
Golf Club, Palatine, 111., was elected vice president for 1980.
New members of the association’s board of directors
elected during the meeting were Robert W. Osterman, CGCS,
superintendent of The Golf Club of Aspetuck, Easton,
Conn., and James W. Timmerman, CGCS, superintendent of
Orchard Lake (Mich.) Country Club. Osterman and
Timmerman will serve three-year terms.
President Lucas appointed James A. Wyllie, CGCS, super-

EDITORIAL STAFF
Pat Lucas, Co-Editor

Office 203-637-3210
Home 203-637-3939
Office 914-967-6000
Home 914-937-3613

Ted Horton, Co-Editor

OFFICERS
President ................................. Robert Alonzi, Fairview Country Club
Office 203-531-8910; Home 203-531-1930

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

Treasurer........................... Sherwood Moore, Winged Foot Golf Club
Office 914-698-2827; Home

Reprint permission is hereby authorized providing credit is
given to Tee to Green . . . unless author states otherwise.
Publication deadline for Tee to Green is 21 days before the
regular meeting.

intendent of the Bayview Country Club, Toronto, Ontario, to
serve as secretary-treasurer. Lucas also appointed Paul
Boizelle, CGCS, superintendent of Fiddlers Elbow Country
Club, Far Hills, N.J., to fill the remaining two years of
Bavier’s term as director.
Other members of the Executive Committee are David C.
Holler, CGCS, superintendent of Gulph Mills Golf Club,
King of Prussia, Pa. and Edward F. Dembnicki, CGCS,
superintendent of Arcadian Shores Country Club, Myrtle
Beach, S.C. Immediate Past President Charles H. Tadge,
CGCS, superintendent of the Mayfield Country Club, South
Euclid, Ohio, will remain on the Executive Committee
through 1980.
The association’s annual meeting and election was held
during the record-setting GCSAA 51st International Turfgrass Conference and Show held Feb. 16-21 in the Cervantes
Convention and Exhibition Center in St. Louis. More than
7,000 attended the activities which included the show,
business meetings and a wide array of educational sessions.
Attendance was the highest in the 51-year history of the event,
and records were set in the number of exhibitors, amount of
exhibit space sold and in attendance at educational sessions.

Something to Think A b o u t . . .
IMPOSSIBLE
What a man can imagine or conceive in his mind, he can
accomplish. Impossibles are impossible as thinking makes
them so.
—Henry J. Kaiser

Lately it appears that our area has been invaded by differ­
ent types of suitcase peddlers making pilgrimages to our
clubs. The products for sale range from soup to nuts. A main
reason for these sale calls may be the slowdown in other in­
dustries. Whatever the case, many of these companies are just
discovering golf courses and their possible selling potential.
Many are determined to sell to golf courses in spite of the fact
that they know little about our wants or needs.
These mail order firms have a secret tonic said to cure any­
thing on your course. And you are entitled to that ‘free’
watch or coffee maker with every 55 gallon drum of product.
If you happen to ask these order takers what is in the product,
the usual answer is something to the effect of “ lots of good
materials.” But in more cases than not, they just happen to be
out of specimen labels.
We are fortunate in this area to have many good commer­
cial members who call on us. People who handle nationally
advertised products, whether they be equipment, chemicals,
or turf supplies. People who attend our meetings, advertise in
Tee to Green, and support our association. You know the
people I am referring to, people who are concerned with our
problems and how to solve them. People who we will see
throughout the year, not just in the spring. People we can
trust.
I think it is these individuals and firms who deserve our
support.
—Pat Lucas

FOR SALE
Used Buckner Model 8286 (Febco Model 86)
gear driven irrigation sprinklers. All in working condition.
Variety of nozzle sizes available. Large quantity available.
Sprinkler alone: $10.00 each
Sprinkler w/casing & cover: $15 each
Contact Mike Maffei, Back O’Beyond, Brewster
Phone:914-279-7179

WANTED

Mechanic
Call Gene Grady at Tamarach CC: 203-531-8719
Home: 55 Locust Rd., Greenwich Ct. 06830 (914) 693-0507

S U P P O R T O U R A D V E R T IS E R S

PRESIDENT MEL LUCAS, JR.
A MAN AND HIS DREAM

WHY ACCIDENTS HAPPEN

Accidents are generally thought to be a result of bad luck or
an act of God. However, an unsafe act, a hazardous condi­
tion or some combination of the two must occur before an ac­
cident can happen. Of these two conditions, unsafe acts or
work practices are a contributing factor in 90 percent of all
accidents. Here are some of the factors which can cause
workers to commit errors leading to accidents.
Lack of proper training can be a major cause of accidents.
Employees must be trained to do their jobs safely, and care
must be taken to ensure that they continue to perform as
instructed.
Ignorance of a hazardous condition can result from lack of
experience or poor communications.
Indifference or laziness resulting from fatigue, a poor
relationship with the boss or a lack of motivation can make
an employee take an unsafe short cut.

New York, New York,
Is a proud Town;
Our Man has won,
A glittering crown;
Some year’s ago,
In a profession
which challenges an undying Sun,
A n d the mini-creations
In Earth’s tangled run;
An unwavering Boy,
Inspired by a Father’s glow,
Stood Tall on virgin-grass,
Caught in the thunder o f Nature’s grasp;
Planning with maturing skill,
Masterfully mounting a meaningful hill;
Engrossing knowledge, as tho ’ a stream,
Perceiving, even then,
His Dream; —
O f one day, H e’d seek,
A Stellar-Peak.
—

—

—

Now a couple decades later,
Delegates amass,
A t the t(G C SA A ’s Internat’l Turfgrass, ”
For Executive-Seats;
A s the voting completes,
Uttering voices leaving the Floor,
Sprung-open a jubilant door;
Its echo, now clean and deep;
”M el’s President;” Ah, A youthful leap,
Outstanding, is this year’s keep;

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Bad examples set by other workers can be imitated by less
experienced employees. New workers have a higher injury
rate than more experienced employees.
Undue haste caused by supervisory pressure, an overloaded
schedule or a desire to complete an unpleasant task as quickly
as possible can make workers bypass important safety steps
or processes.
— Fore Front, January 1980
GOLFERS TEED OFF AT THE GEESE
Mayor Alan M. Parente of Glen Cove, L.I. sent six marks­
men out to the city golf course this week with orders to shoot
birdies—the kind that fly, that is. But things did not work out
the way the mayor planned.
It began when the 10-member golf committee complained
to Parente that about 300 Canadian geese had found a home
on the course and were makeing a nuisance of themselves.
The birds, the committee said, interfered with chip shots, tore
up greens, and dug fairway divots. Robert Hornosky, the

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* warden for the North Shore bird and game sanctuary, said,
“ It’s so dirty on the golf course that you just can’t putt.”
Parente asked the local rod and gun club for help. The
marksmen turned up and opened fire and bagged three geese,
but made so much noise the area residents complained—and
then bird lovers decried the whole idea.
Parente has canceled two more shootouts planned for this
weekend but said he was worried about how to deal with the
birds.
—Daily News, January 17, 1980
AND THE FIGHT GOES ON . . .
Maggie Polk, the Mayor’s administrative assistant, said the
shooting session turned out to be something of a wild goose
chase. “ The geese didn’t show up until 3:30 and the shoot
ended at 4,” she said. “ And they landed on the pond instead
of the golf course, where the hunters were.”
So city officials began looking for less drastic measures,
and some esoteric suggestions landed on Mrs. Polk’s desk.
One was to prepare a mixture containing Tabasco sauce
and leave it in buckets on the greens. It was said to be so foul­
tasting that the birds would flee.
Another was “ egging” which involved sending a posse of
game wardens out, finding the nests, shaking up the
unhatched eggs and putting them back. “ To me that was
almost like abortion,” Mrs. Polk said.
An inventor offered a metal clapper attached to a two-byfour and connected to an electric timer that would set it off
every once in a while to scare the birds away. “ But if a golfer
lines up a putt and that thing went off,” Mrs. Polk said,
“ that was worse than having a goose wander by.”
A more plausible suggestion was to wait until mid-June,
when the geese would be flightless while another year’s worth
of feathers was growing in, and carry them off to a more
hospitable spot. “ If you don’t take them when they can’t
fly,” explained Ann Radiloff, president of the East Island
Civic Association, “ they’re home before you are.”
Helium balloons and rope stretched across the shorelines
were mentioned as means of disrupting birds’ flight patterns,
and although the ornithologists said these do not always
work, Mr. Parente said they might be tried.

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Whatever happens, Mr. Parente said that he did not see
geese as a major item on the municipal agenda when he was
elected last November as Glen Cove’s first Republican Mayor
in a dozen years.
“ I thought I would dazzle the people with the brilliance of
my logic,” he said. “ Instead, I am up to my neck in geese,
and some people are mad at me because I allowed a few of
them to be shot. The golfers are mad at me because I won’t
shoot any more. The only ones who aren’t mad at anybody
are the geese. They’re still there.”
—NY Times, March 3, 1980
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PAYS
PUBLIC RELATIONS DIVIDENDS

Effective public relations is an art which has been defined
as 90 percent doing the right thing and 10 percent telling
someone about it. Generally, nobody will notice how well you
do your job unless someone tells them, and, in most cases,
that someone will have to be you.
This can be a serious problem, especially for golf course
superintendents. Turfgrass managers, no matter how profes­
sional they may be, are not exactly in a position to be noticed
by the general public. It is often difficult enough to convey
the importance and professionalism of their work to their
own club members and golfers.
So how does the golf course superintendent get public
recognition for being the professional turf expert he is? One
good way is by voluntarily sharing his expertise, by getting in­
volved in community activities. Although many country

clubs, concerned about their image in the community, have
rules that limit their employee’s contact with the media,
chances are great that the club and its membership would take
pride in their superintendent if he, as an individual, wanted to
do something for his community. For superintendents to be
recognized in their communities as the horticultural experts
they are, some effort will be required. However, this
community involvement will pay dividends not only in local
visibility but in personal satisfaction as well.
Invite representatives of the local media to your course for
a round of golf. When they see what you do for a living, they
will be much more likely to use you as an authority. However,
you should not expect or demand any special treatment as a
result of this. Newspaper space or air time is reserved for
news, and the editor must be the sole judge of what makes the
news his audience wants to read or hear.
Never pass up an opportunity to send a news release to your
local media. Even if they don’t use your material, at least it
keeps them informed about your activities. It can help to
establish your credentials so they will think of you when they
need expert information.
These community activities take time and effort, and some
may pay greater benefits than others. However, if you
become involved in local activities, your community will be­
come a better place in which to live, and you will have a
feeling of personal satisfaction for having helped to make it
that way. And remember, when one golf course
superintendent gets a chance to tell his story, the entire
profession benefits.
—Fore Front, January 1980

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Please Don’t Destroy Trees!

WhatGod giveth, let no man destroy.
Don’t destroy a tree that took years to grow. We can transplant it for you.
Move it to a place on your course where it will add value and beauty. And
a tree gives more than just beauty, it is life supporting; it will use your
waste carbon dioxide and give back oxygen.
We will transplant trees from 3” to 12” in diameter, at prices you can
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We use the best transplanter made — BIG JOHN. It has patented digging
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Pat Lucas, Editor
87 Tomac Avenue
Old Greenwich, Conn. 06870
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