1. sports
2. golf

January/February 2015
Web Edition
2015 RIGCSA Scholarship Recipients
The Rhode Island Golf Course Superintendents
Association awarded $12,250 in scholarships for
the year 2015 to the following students. Each
student received a scholarship of $1,750.00.
RIGCSA Scholarship Recipients:
Lauren Callahan
Thomas Colombo, Jr.
Melissa A. Costa
Nathan A. Eichner
Catherine Felicetti
University of Miami
University of Mass.
Rhode Island College
Methodist University
Ithaca College
Ryan Reynolds Legacy Scholarship:
Randi Tella
Rhode Island College
The C. Richard Skogley Memorial Scholarship
was awarded to Kyle Mast who is a student at the
University of Rhode Island.
Save the date for the 33rd RIGCSA Scholarship and
Research Tournament on October 6, 2015 at
Sakonnet Golf Club with Kirk A. Whiting, CGCS as
our host for the day.
Pictured from L-R: Catherine Felicetti, Thomas Colombo,
Jr., Mark Richard, CGCS, Randi Tella and Melissa Costa
Pictured left: Scholarship recipient
Nathan Eichner
Inside this Issue:
President’s Message ..…………….….……....…... 2
NERTF Show ……………………….……… ….…… 3
Kevin Doyle’s GCSAA Corner ..………...…...….. 4
From the Grill …………….…………………………. 7
January Meeting Photos …...…………….………. 8
PBruins Family Event …...…………………….…. 10
Member News ………...……..............….……….... 11
Page 2
Surf ‘n’ Turf
RIGCSA
Board of Directors
President
William Coulter, CGCS
Swansea Country Club
(508) 379-9741
Vice President
Andrew Cummins
Agawam Hunt
(401) 434-0980
Treasurer
Dean Chase
Carnegie Abbey Club
(401) 683-5148
Secretary
Christopher Coen
Newport Country Club
401-847-5903
Director
Patrick Hogan
SODCO
(800) 341-6900
Director
Henry Olstynski, Jr.
Hillside Country Club
(401) 477-2053
President’s Message
I hope you are all
enjoying a nice break
with the snowy winter
we have had. Some
downtime is nice but
boy cabin fever sets in
fast! On a positive
note, the area golf courses are getting a
well-deserved break and hopefully spring
will arrive early regardless of what the
groundhog says.
We had a very productive and informative Annual Meeting. Thanks go to
Tom Fox for again leading us through a
bylaws change with skill and professionalism. Thank you also to John LeClair,
CGCS and Ben Bleu for graciously hosting us at Warwick Country Club. I was
encouraged to see so many members
attend even with some unexpected snow
in the forecast. Thank you also to outgoing President Mike Whitehead, CGCS
for his leadership, guidance and dedicated service to the RIGCSA. A special
thanks also to Jerry Noons for agreeing
to stay on the Board for another year as
Newsletter Editor.
Speaking of snow, the 2015 New
England Regional Turfgrass Conference
and Show suffered a setback with the
weather this year when a blizzard hit the
area on Tuesday. Although attendance
was down, the show pressed on with
most vendors still making the effort to
support the show despite the unfortunate
weather. Many speakers were asked to
switch timeslots or speak on short notice
but somehow it all worked. I’d like to
personally thank Executive Director Gary
Sykes and the entire NERTF Board for
their positive outlook throughout the
week and for making the best of a difficult situation. I talked with many of them
at the show and was impressed with their
optimism. I have no doubt the NERTF
will return as one of the nation’s best turf
conferences in 2016.
Our March meeting will be held at
Hillside Country Club. Henry Olstynski
will be our host and the meeting will feature our 2015 Distinguished Service
Award and will be our retiree appreciation day. Please join us for this event and
make an effort to attend as many meetings as you can this year. We can all
gain something from the knowledge and
experience of other superintendents and
vendors. The strength of our association
lies in the interaction between its members.
Think Spring,
Bill Coulter, CGCS
RIGCSA President
Director
James Ritorto
Lake of Isles
(860) 312-2092
Past President
Michael Whitehead, CGCS
Bayer Environmental Science
Pawtucket Country Club
(508) 761-7657
Newsletter Editor
Jerry Noons
The Back Nine Club
(508) 947-9991
Chapter Executive
Julie Heston
phone: (401) 934-7660
fax: (401) 934-9901
[email protected]
www.rigcsa.org
Building on an already solid foundation of
proven products to help you succeed.
Brian Giblin
(508) 439-9809
[email protected]
January/February 2015
Page 3
New England Regional Turfgrass Conference and
Trade Snow!
What a week to pick to have a trade
show in Rhode Island. After spending
the last 10 months preparing for our 18th
annual Conference and Trade Show, I
was feeling pretty good about our plans
right up to Saturday Morning on the 24th
with more than 1100 pre-registered for
the show. We then saw the development of one of the biggest storms to hit
the Providence/Worcester area in a
long time. Nothing in the past 18 years
has nearly come as close as this storm did in shutting us
completely down. Speakers have already been flying into
Providence and exhibitors had been organized for early
move-ins to accommodate the challenges of opening
such a big event in only one move-in day.
Mondays forecast was as good as we expected, the
rest seemed like hyped speculation at first, but began to
grow into what can only be termed “b---ugly” for Monday
night and Tuesday. What to do? This is not something
we can just postpone or send everyone’s money back as
most of our expenses come before anyone arrives onsite.
Besides, we are mostly all New Englanders….we can
take it! As we worked our way through Monday planning
to host more than 400 seats in 10 seminars, we were
hoping for improved forecast updates. Instead, we got
Mayor de Blasio talking about an “Epic Storm” approaching New York and flights being cancelled all through the
northern east coast. At this point we had to make some
decisions and did not want to put anyone in a dangerous
spot. Travel would be restricted by the weather, but by
how much? When the Mass. and RI governors decided
to announce a state of emergency and then issuing travel
bans for Tuesday, it became obvious that the trade show
would not be ready to open. So immediately, we announced the trade show would not be open Tuesday, that
the USGA day would go on as planned with many staying
the night in Providence, our Keynote Speaker who would
not be able to travel from Boston with the ban and that we
were still hoping for at least a partial Sports Turf Program
scheduled for that day. We posted that the trade show
would open at noon Wednesday, hoping that everyone
who still needed to get there would be able to travel and
be set at 12 noon. Some speakers who were already
continued on page 6
Page 4
Surf ‘n’ Turf
Kevin’s GCSAA Corner
By Kevin Doyle, GCSAA Northeast Field Rep.
As of the writing of this article, the
snow blower has just been put away
and the snow continues to fall. That
does not exactly narrow down the
timeframe much around here lately
does it? This winter came in like a lamb
in New England, and apparently Mother
Nature is trying to make up for lost time.
Late February may offer superintendents something to look forward to. In just a short time,
many in the Northeast will attend the Golf Industry Show
and are very much looking forward to San Antonio. With
temperatures in the 60-70 degree range, it will be a welcomed respite from the snow. But as we prepare to visit
the home of the Alamo, perhaps this is a good time to not
just remember the Alamo, but the Buffalo!
Think that is a strange reference? Imagine this: areas
of Massachusetts have recorded more than 60 inches of
snow in the last four weeks. The folks just south of Buffalo
recorded that in just two days, with some spots in the region topping off at 7 feet in just four November days. I had
the pleasure of visiting four Buffalo-area superintendents
the same day winter storm Juno began to dump snow on
the greater Boston area.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. It was scary,” was the
opening salvo from Drew Thompson, superintendent of
East Aurora CC, and 20-year-member of GCSAA.
Thompson was the winner in the snow total sweepstakes,
having accumulated 6 feet at his home and 7 feet at the
course. Joining Thompson were superintendent colleagues Gale Hultquist, CGCS, of Wanakah Country Club
and a 37-year GCSAA member; Robert Kelly, CGCS, of
Orchard Park CC, a 24-year GCSAA member; and Eric
Tuchols of Harvest Hill GC, an 11-year GCSAA member,
all of whom put their course totals at or near 5 to 6 feet of
snow.
The weather event was confined to a narrow path and
began on Monday, Nov. 17. The final snowfall stopped
during the afternoon of Nov. 21. A rare weather pattern of
very cold air moving across the warm water of the Great
Lakes created the flow of moisture. The fact that the wind
direction hardly ever shifted kept the bulls-eye on the area
just south of Buffalo.
Getting around during the event was a challenge. Tuchols got 3 inches of snow at his home less than 20 miles
from Orchard Park, the golf course location.
“I got a dusting and when I drove into it, it was holy cow,”
he said.
He notes that he stayed off major highways and was
stopped by police and the National Guard on his way to
the course. Thompson’s description of his commute to the
club on Wednesday was a little more colorful: “It was
apocalyptic. There were abandon cars all over the road,
it was eerie.”
Meanwhile, New England continues to get pelted with
snow, and stories of the challenges faced by others won’t
lighten the mood. What it might do is shed some light on
the perseverance necessary to not only survive but to
thrive as a golf course superintendent in the Northeast
region. Look for pictures and the complete story about
our colleagues in Buffalo on my blog at:
http://www.gcsaa.org/community/regions/northeast/ .
I hope to see you in sunny San Antonio, and don’t look
forward to the shoveling I will probably have to do upon
my return to New Hampshire.
GCSAA Resources and Deadlines
you Get Cool Stuff from your Association Already:
It Is Scholarship Time!!!
Scholarships have been a part of the EIFG's focus since
1955 when the organization was first founded as the
GCSAA Scholarship and Research Fund.
continued on page 5
January/February 2015
GCSAA - continued from page 4
Scholarships funded by the EIFG provide financial assistance to students who are pursuing a career in golf course
management, future researchers and educators, as well
as children and grandchildren of GCSAA members.
Deadlines are different, but some are due in March so
DON’T DELAY!
For turf students
Page 5
2015 MVT nominations open
Does your turf equipment technician deserve a day in the
sun, a tip-of-the-cap for all the hard work and the vital behind-the-scenes role they play in the success of your golf
facility? If so, then nominate them for GCM's Most Valuable Technician (MVT) award program, presented in partnership with Foley United. Submit your nomination by
March 27. Click on the headline above to try and bring
the MVT to the Northeast region for the first time!
Dr. James Watson Fellowship Program
Don’t Forget Nor’Easter Ski Day March 5th at Killington Resort, Killington, VT!!! Go to vtgcsa.com to
register NOW!!!
For GCSAA members
Upcoming FREE webcasts:
Garske Collegiate Grant Program
Royal Spanish Golf Federation Scholarship
Mar. 18: Triple Trouble Series - Part One: Shade
Mar. 25: Triple Trouble Series - Part Two: Drainage
Mar. 26: Water Quality of Virginia Golf Course
Streams – A case study
Apr. 1: Triple Trouble Series - Part Three: Air Movement
Apr. 9: Phosphite: Fertilizer or Fungicide? (or Both)
GIS Silent Auction now open for bids
Again, if I can be of any assistance, please feel free to
contact me.
Save on items for your course with the online GIS Silent
Auction. More than 100 items are available for you and
your golf facility, all donated by our generous industry
partners to benefit the EIFG. Bidding closes on March 9.
You can also stop by the Silent Auction display in the
Association Clubhouse at the Golf Industry Show.
Kevin Doyle
GCSAA Field Staff
[email protected]
Follow me on Twitter @GCSAA_NE
GCSAA Scholarship Competition
GCSAA Legacy Awards
Other opportunities
Valderrama Award
Page 6
Surf ‘n’ Turf
NERTF - continued from page 3
here were looking for ways out of town before the storm arrived others were
delayed in stopover cites waiting for the next flights. Meanwhile, the convention center was trying to get answers from us on what was going to happen to
all the food we had ordered for the week? Speaking of tight spots!
The storm hit, but it did not seem so epic in Providence at first. Winds
kicked in that complicated things that night and the travel ban helped to keep
people off the streets and out of the ways of plows. This seemed a great advantage that could help to get roads cleared and open for Wednesday. Planes
were waiting for the runways to be cleared and resumed their routes on at
some point that morning. Thanks go out to the USGA and Mary Owen for making the best out of a stormy situation and for those that hung in there for the
Tuesday program was appreciated. Our hopes were still up that Wednesday
would be doable as long as the storm didn’t linger and speakers and attendees
could get in at least for some of the day. Crowds were thin, our programs had
to be adjusted, but we went through the morning still hoping for arrivals. Snow
reports were impressive especially as Worcester recorded its deepest single
storm accumulation in history at 34.5 inches. Just what we wanted to hear!
Providence was in an eerie silence as business was not as usual in the capital
city. Hotel restaurants had nearly 2 hour waits at one point.
Wednesday did finally come. Educations programs had to be altered and
volunteers were filling in for empty speaker spots. A few speakers actually did
get in on Wednesday. One who was stranded in Michigan, did his presentation
at a later time that day by computer from his home. Our Show Manager David
Rosenberg was directing the trade show’s preparation as it was progressing
with the hope that it would be open at 12 noon and it did! Food is a custom on
the trade show floor during our opening, so attendees and exhibitors were welcome to a show floor reception with the hopes of conveying appreciation to
everyone who was there. Education proceeded through the afternoon and the
show ended with the auction to one of our smaller groups but was still a very
successful event. Manny Mihailides and Danny Calise, our auctioneers, where
a little snow is no match for a Foster resident, made it down and entertained
buyers! Things did wrap up that night over at the Omni where a sponsored
reception by Harrell’s and Syngenta was greatly appreciated by many before
dinner.
So, this brings us to our concluding day, Thursday. Education and the trade
show was mostly back on schedule. Our hopes were that others who could not
come on Tuesday and Wednesday would show up to take advantage of our
last day. Some did actually, but many never made it. We tried to thank everyone for making the week the best we could. Exhibitors and sponsors, we thank
you all for making the best lemonade we could out of the lemon of a week we
had! One of our heroes, Dr. Pat Vittum, had been recognized earlier for receiving this year’s USGA Green Section Award, went from not being on the program at all, to substituting in 4 places during the week! That’s dedication!
Mary spent three days revising and re-revising the education programs but miraculously kept it moving. Others had to sacrifice travel schedules and time to
be a part of our program. For everyone it was a tough week, but nobody
worked harder than the people at the convention center to make it work for us,
and we sure appreciate them for that. For all attendees we are glad you made
it and for your support of our decision to keep the show going. We hope everyone got something out of the show at some point. We had to do a lot of cutting
and pasting, more cutting unfortunately, but we did get it mostly done! As we
look forward to our next year, we will consider what we can do to lessen any
losses from our 2015 experience. For myself, I have learned my lesson, no
more snow scenes on the cover of the brochure! Let’s hope for an early
spring!
By Gary Sykes, Executive Director
RIGCSA 2015 NEWSLETTER
SPONSORS
ALLENS SEED
(401) 294-2722
(800) 527-3898
Celebrating over 60 years of servicing
Golf Course Superintendents with products
for managing quality turfgrass. When you
need fertilizer, control products, premium
grass seed, equipment repair and parts call
Adam Allen, Al LaPrise,
Erik or Paul Hagenstein, or Peter Lund for
more information.
A-OK TURF EQUIPMENT
Wiedenmann, Lastec, Graden, Agrimetal,
Baroness, Salsco, Sweep N Fill, Turf Pride,
Stec, Pronovst, Lely, Maredo, Classen, and
Used Equipment.
www.aokturf.com 401-826-2584
ATLANTIC GOLF & TURF
Michelle Maltais
(401) 835-0287
[email protected]
www.AtlanticGolfandTurf.com
BARENBRUG USA
Producers of RTF, Turf Blue HGT,
Supercharged Bentgrasses and
Regenerating Perennial Rye
Great in Grass
Bruce Chapman, Territory Manager
401-578-2300
[email protected]
BAYER ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Building on an already solid foundation of
proven products to help you succeed
Brian Giblin (508) 439-9809
[email protected]
Baked by Bayer
THE CARDINALS, INC.
John Callahan (800) 861-6256
Complete distributor of golf course
accessories; seed, fertilizer, chemicals, wetting agents, safety supplies and other turf
related specialty products.
THE CHAS. C. HART SEED CO.
(800)-326-4278 www.HARTSEED.com
Mike Carignan
Cell: 603-540-2562
[email protected]
Independent distributor of quality turfgrass
seed, fertilizer and Turf care products.
Authorized distributor for Bayer, Syngenta,
Aquatrols, Griggs Bros.
January/February 2015
Page 7
From the Grill
This issue’s question posed by our newsletter editor, Jerry
Noons was…
How has this year’s snowfall affected your maintenance schedule i.e. tree-work, drainage, irrigation etc.
and what happens next?
RIGCSA 2015 NEWSLETTER
SPONSORS
COUNTRY CLUB ENTERPRISES
Club Car Utility Vehicles and Golf Cars
Sales - Service - Parts
www.ccegolfcars.com (800)-662-2585
Keith Tortorella 508-982-4820
Mike Turner 508-245-1268
CROP PRODUCTION SERVICES
All of our tree removals were completed but we were cut short 3 days on
pruning. We were not able to get the stumps ground this winter so it
looks like it will be a busy spring.
Mark Daniels
Golf Course Superintendent
Wannamoisett Country Club
Our schedule hasn't been impacted much at all. We were fortunate to
complete a number of big projects just before the first big snow storm hit.
Our winter tree work involved the removal of approximately 250 large oak
and pine trees. When spring comes we'll have some stump holes to deal
with, but we're essentially done with the clearing.
We had a culvert collapse on our second hole which was replaced about
the same time our tree project was taking place. With the frozen ground it
made for a quick completion time and minimal course damage. We also
completed the reconstruction of 11 bunkers and a couple green expansions so we're in good shape with projects.
Fertilizer, Seed, Chemicals
Jim Pritchard (401) 258-5472
[email protected]
Mike Santos (401) 793-1639
[email protected]
DGM SYSTEMS
Golf and Sports Turf
Specialty Products and Services
Visit www.dgmsystems.com
Office (401) 647-0550
Manny Mihailides (401) 524-8999
David Mihailides: (401) 742-1177
GARDNER + GERRISH, LLC
Golf Course Design
Offering over 15 years of golf course design
experience including; feature renovation, tree
analysis, cart path layout, master planning,
construction observation, planting design and
landscape architecture.
Contact RIGCSA member Tim Gerrish, RLA
at 401-263-3784 [email protected]
HARRELL’S
Currently we're awaiting the start of a 12 acre land clearing project which
will become the site of our new practice facility. Despite having 3' of snow
on the ground, our land clearing contractor will be commencing shortly. I
got a good look at their equipment and it looks like they can go through
just about anything so I'm confident things will progress as expected.
Going forward we'll be finishing up our equipment prep for the spring and
waiting things out on the course. We don't remove snow and ice from
the greens as I've found its best to leave it alone and allow Mother Nature
to take care of it. Hopefully everything we did last fall serves as a proverbial layer of battle armor for our turf this winter. With that said, I'm guessing course openings will be later than usual given the current conditions
in place and time required to melt everything off.
Mike Luccini
Golf Course Superintendent
Franklin Country Club
(401) 397-5500
Service - Knowledge - Experience
The superintendents’ source for high-tech turf
care products, contact Michael Kroian.
NEW ENGLAND GOLF CARS
Sales, Service, Rentals
Scott Cookson, Paul Amorin, Jon Cookson
(508) 336-4285 Fax: (508) 336-4762
www.NewEnglandGolfCars.com
Yamaha Golf Cars / Yamaha Utility Cars
NEW ENGLAND SPECIALTY SOILS
1mm & 2mm. Top Dressing Sand
Rootzone Mixes, Buff & HD Bunker Sand
Divot Blends- Bulk/Bagged delivery
Ed Downing 978-230-2300
[email protected]
Dave Harding 978-230-2244
[email protected]
Page 8
Surf ‘n’ Turf
Annual Meeting Photos
RIGCSA 2015 NEWSLETTER
SPONSORS
SHAWNMARK INDUSTRIES, INC.
“TOMORROW’S Chemical Needs TODAY”A
complete line of specialty turf products as well
as engine degreasers, equipment maintenance products, aerosols and ice melt. Call
Matt Howland at (401) 295-1673 for personalized service 24 hours a day or visit our website at www.shawnmark.com.
SYNGENTA PROFESSIONAL
PRODUCTS
Melissa Gugliotti 860-221-5712
Email: [email protected]
www.syngentaprofessionalproducts.com
TOM IRWIN, INC.
Greg Misodoulakis • 508-243-6166
With Tom Irwin, you’re not alone.
TUCKAHOE TURF FARMS, INC.
(800)-556-6985
Offering a selection of putting green quality
bentgrass varieties. Also, blends for tees,
fairways, bunkers and roughs.
Washing available.
Contact Steve Donohue or Joe Farina.
TURF ENHANCEMENT ENTERPRISES
Tom Fox
508-450-9254
Featuring Floratine Products,
Analync Soil Testing and Analysis,
JRM tines and bedknives and
Greenleaf TurboDrop spray nozzles.
TURF PRODUCTS CORPORATION
(800)-243-4355
Carrying the complete line of TORO
equipment. Call Dana Dubois for
demonstrations. For your TORO irrigation
needs - sprinklers, pipes, fittings, Otterbine
aerators and wire trackers,
contact Tim Berge.
WINTERBERRY IRRIGATION
Complete irrigation and pump installation and
service throughout New England.
Matt Faherty (860) 681-8982
[email protected]
www.WinterberryIrrigation.com
Photo Credit - Michelle Maltais
January/February 2015
RIGCSA Annual Meeting - January 15, 2015
Photo Credit - Michelle Maltais
Page 9
Page 10
Surf ‘n’ Turf
January/February 2015
Page 11
MEMBER NEWS
Announcements:



Our condolences are extended to the Rybka family on
the unexpected passing of RIGCSA retired member
Joe Rybka on February 25, 2015. Joe was the superintendent at Thorny Lea Golf Club for 40 years and
retired in 2005. He was still an active member of the
RIGCSA and will be missed by many.
Congratulations to Thomas Colombo GCSAA certified golf course superintendent at the Hyannisport
Club and Mark Richard GCSAA certified golf course
superintendent at Kirkbrae Country Club who have
recently completed the renewal process for maintaining their status as a Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS) with the Golf Course Superintendents
Association of America (GCSAA).
Congratulations to Dr. Patricia J. Vittum, of the University of Massachusetts’ Stockbridge School of Agriculture, who was the recipient of the 2015 USGA
Green Section Award. Presented annually since
1961, the USGA Green Section Award recognizes an
individual’s distinguished service to the game of golf
through his or her work with turfgrass.
RIGCSA 2015 Board of Directors
Elected at the RIGCSA Annual Meeting on January 15, 2015
PRESIDENT: William J. Coulter, CGCS
VICE PRESIDENT: Andrew Cummins
TREASURER: Dean Chase
SECRETARY: Christopher Coen
PAST PRESIDENT: Michael Whitehead, CGCS
DIRECTORS:
Patrick Hogan
Henry Olstynski
James Ritorto
NEWSLETTER EDITOR: Jerry Noons
Welcome New Member:

Alan Hubbard, Assistant Superintendent, Agawam
Hunt
Save the date:
April 20th, 2015
The 11th Annual Joseph Troll Turf Classic at
TPC River Highlands Golf Club, Cromwell,
CT with Tom DeGrandi Hosting and Honoring Dr. William Dest, Professor Emeritus
University of Connecticut
Save the date for the 33rd RIGCSA Scholarship and Research Tournament on
October 6, 2015 at Sakonnet Golf Club with
Kirk A. Whiting, CGCS as our host for the
day.
Congratulations to our 15 and 25 year
member pin recipients:
25 Year Members:
Serafim Costa
Michael Coty
Matthew C. Howland
John Paul Jones
Michael S. Kroian, Jr.
Michael Pajolek
15 Year Members:
Christopher Coen
Jonathan B. Colt
Scott Gabrielson, CGCS
John LeClair, CGCS
Jeff Lefebvre
John Lombardi
Manuel J. Oliveira
Michael Parks
Dr. Joseph Troll
RIGCSA March Meeting
Retiree Appreciation Day
March 18, 2015
Hillside Country Club
Host: Henry Olstynski
11:00 am:
Registration
12:00 pm:
Business Meeting
12:30 pm:
Lunch
*The RIGCSA Distinguished Service Award will also be
presented.
Cost for day: $40 payable to RIGCSA /
Retired Members are free of charge
Please visit www.rigcsa.org for
more information or to register