m n n à President's Message Special Feature All the News That’s Wykagyl Country Club Cleans Up Its Act Wykagyl Superintendent Chip Lafferty Shares His Club’s Success With a Specially Fit to Print Funded Nonpoint Pollution Program t’s midyear already, and everyone ven if your golf course is miles away from the nearest beach, there’s still a on the board has been hard at good chance that you have drainage paths— usually a series of interconnected work. Here’s a look at what’s been streams and ponds— that lead to Long Island Sound. It’s through these happening. drainage paths that storm water runoff containing undesirable pollutants can I flowE directly into the Sound. Environmental groups refer to this as nonpoint Official Business pollution. On May 15, MetGCSA Vice President Golf courses most at risk are those with older drainage systems that haven’t Tim Moore, Treasurer Dave Mahoney, been engineered to filter nitrates and other harmful substances from storm water. and Secretary Will Heintz joined me in Fortunately, The New York Department of Environmental Conservation has representing our association at an out­ received funding to help prevent nonpoint pollution— not just from golf courses, ing at Fiddlers Elbow Country Club in but from any other potential source in Westchester County. New Jersey. Proceeds from this event go toward turfgrass research at Rutgers Wykagyl was one o f the first projects drainage system was cleaned up and University, which, right now, is prob­ to benefit from this funding. “We were reengineered to work more efficiendy ably the premier research facility in the a prime candidate,” says Wykagyl and effectively as a filtering system. Northeast. The Met has been support­ Superintendent Chip Lafferty. “The The entire process happened fast and ing this worthwhile endeavor since its main siltation basin near our 18th hole furiously. Work began April 10 and inception in the mid-90s. wasn’t functioning properly. It was so ended Memorial Day weekend. Here, On June 5, the entire board attended loaded with silt and leaves and debris Chip offers insight into the project: the the annual Met Golf Writers Dinner at that any time we had a heavy rain, the bidding process, what it took to marshal the Westchester Marriott, which, again, basin would spill over, scattering the County resources and contractors, and we have been attending for as long as debris across our 18th fairway.” the actual cleanup work itself. I’ve been on the board. Being there With the program’s funds— $167,000 The end result is one we would all among others in the golf industry gives when all was said and done—Wykagyl like to achieve: a win-win for both the us the opportunity to demonstrate our was expected to see that the storm water environment and (continued on page 6) important role in the golf community. Also in This Issue Committee Work • Membership: The big news here is (4 ) Invitational Goes to Tamarack (jj) John Carlone’s Adventures as a Tour Caddie that Committee Chairman Will Heintz (5 ) The Hamlet Hosts July Golf Meeting will be sending out our biannual survey. @ Met Meeting and Social Events. Pro Watch for it in the mail. It’s important ( 7) Member Notables Golf Events. Turfgrass Field Days that as many members as possible complete this survey so that the results (? ) A Peak Inside the GCSAA © Two-Ball Qualifiers at Centennial. Top Boardroom are meaningful (continued on page 2) Scorers in Superintendent/Manager Tourney • • jr President's Message (coni, trompg. 1) All the News That’s Fit to Print Board of Directors to our members and useful to our Club Tony Girardi and Peter McCormick Relations Committee, which relies on have been hard at work on sprucing survey results when offering counsel or up— and maintaining— the site. If you President advice to clubs requesting the would like to post something on the JOHN CARL0NE, CGCS committee’s services. Met’s site, e-mail Tony or Peter with The Meadow Brook Club As always, only those who complete the information. Vice President the survey will receive the results. If all TIMOTHY MOORE • Education: Chairman Matt Ceplo has Knollwood Country Club members complete the survey by the been hard at work gathering speakers for August 1 deadline, we hope to have the Secretary our monthly meetings and has nearly WILLIAM HEINTZ results in participants’ hands by mid- completed plans for our flagship educa­ Centennial Golf Club September. tional day, our 2001 Winter Seminar, Treasurer • Tournament: First-year board mem­ which is already booked for January 10 DAVID MAHONEY bers and Co-Chairs Jeff Wentworth and at Westchester Country Club. Siwanoy Country Club Sean Cain have done an excellent job at Past President securing sites for our monthly golf EARL MILLETT Ridgeway Country Club meetings. I know from experience that • Social & Welfare: this is among the most difficult commit­ Thanks to SEAN CAIN tees to chair. The entire membership Chairman Sunningdale Country Club Joe Alonzi should make a point o f congratulating MATTHEW CEPLO, CGCS them on a job well done. and the Rockland Country Club other Our final two meeting calendar ANTHONY GIRARDI, CGCS openings have finally been filled: Steve members o f the committee for Rockrimmon Country Club planning what I know will be memo­ Finamore of Alpine Country Club in PETER McCORMICK Demarest, NJ, has agreed to host our rable social events for 2000. Mark your TurfNet Associates, Inc. Superintendent/Green Chairman calendar now for these MetGCSA socials: ERIC O’NEILL meeting on October 10, while Tim Scarsdale Golf Club Moore of Knollwood Country Club %/ Family Picnic, Woodway Beach Club, August 7, 2000 STEVEN RENZETTI, CGCS will host our Annual Meeting on Quaker Ridge Golf Club November 14. %/ Summer Social, Old Oaks Country Club, August 21, 2000 PATRICK SISK I’m sure Jeff and Sean are actively Country Club of Fairfield seeking spots for meeting sites in 2001. ✓ Christmas Party, Mt. Kisco Country Club, December 9, 2000 JEFFREY WENTWORTH If you would like to host a meeting, it’s Pelham Country Club not too early to secure • Special Events: Our July 5 meeting at Executive Secretary The Hamlet Golf & Country Club will INEKE PIERPOINT feature our annual Scholarship & Research golf fundraiser. Matt Ceplo will once again be calling on our valued Tee to Green Staff Affiliate members to support our cause • Communications: Co-Chairmen Pat Editors Sisk and Steve Renzetti and their com­ by purchasing a tee sign or by sponsor­ PAT SISK STEVE RENZETTI mittee have been working hard on ing a hole-in-one contest on one o f the 203-254-1240 914-725-1100 ext. 132 enhancements to two very important Par 3s. Managing Editor PANDORA C. WOJICK MetGCSA documents: our newsletter • Scholarship & Research: The S & R and directory. The first to appear on the Committee, chaired by Tim Moore, Editorial Committee scene will be our new-and-improved MIKE COOK MIKE M0NG0N recently met and awarded eight appli­ BLAKE HALDERMAN SCOTT NIVEN directory, complete with tabbed sec­ cants MetGCSA scholarships. The CHIP LAFFERTY BILL PERLEE tions, an expanded cross-reference monies for this cause are raised primarily TOM LEAHY PETER RAPP0CCI0 PAT LUCAS HERB WATER0US section, and advertising. These ads will from our annual Scholarship & Research replace those in the Tee to Green, which Raffle held in the memory of Bill Photographer BILL PERLEE is also being redesigned. Watch for an Caputi. Watch for an announcement of all-new publication coming soon. Bet the winners in the next issue of Tee to Advertising Manager STEVE RENZETTI, 914-725-1100 ext. 132 you won’t recognize it. Green. Speaking of redesigns, be sure to In addition, the Met has committed TEE TO GREEN is published bimonthly by check out our website, if you haven’t $17,500 in research donations for the the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Associahon 49 Knollwood Road. Elmsford. NY 10523-2819 already. Website Committee Co-Chairs year 2000. They are: 914-347-4653. FAX: 914-347-3437 Copyright © 2000 É f e Ü É H JUL 2 n ?uuo MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY £ ✓ $10,000 to Cornell University’s Dr. Award and the Sk¡eivroocPA. Moore affect us. Right now, there are at least Frank Rossi for his Moss Exclusion Award. Anyone interested in nominat­ 26 bills before State of New York law­ Study. ing an individual for one of these makers regarding pesticides. ✓ $1,500 to GCSAA’s “Investing in awards should be sure to contact Earl. the Beauty of Golf’ Fund. This is the About Our Class Reps final year o f a three-year commitment. Class AF Rep Peter McCormick of ✓ $1,000 to University o f Massachu­ TurfNet Associates and Class C Rep setts’s Dr. Pat Vittum for her ongoing Eric O ’Neill of Scarsdale Country Club Hyperodes research. • G overnm ent have been tremendous assets to the ✓ $2,500 to the Tri-State Turf Re­ R elations: Committee Met board of directors. Affiliate search Foundation. Co-Chairs Will Heintz and Tony members should feel comfortable ✓ $2,500 to Rutgers University Turf- Girardi put together an informative calling Peter with any issue they would grass Research Center. packet on the West Nile virus that they like to see brought before the board, In addition, our restricted Scholarship mailed to all A, B, and Affiliate mem­ and any assistant superintendent who & Research funds continue to grow to bers. In the last issue of Tee to Green, would like to become involved in a support significant future research. our feature article also offered excellent committee or as a volunteer at one of This committee is near and dear to insight into the virus and how to keep our monthly golf meetings should call my heart as I feel it is one o f the ways ourselves and our courses out of harm’s Eric.