8 The National Greenkee per September, 1932
Daddy Erickson's tool house was that more or less we all learned a few things that will be of some
well- known character, Scotty McLar.en. True to benefit to us in future years. Swanlund can show
his race, he rode the middle of the bus to save all of a lot of the boys a course that is enviable from the
the bumps possible. maintenance point of view, and he was very much
The boys were very polite to each other as usual. pleased to do so.
A few light songs led by our vocal geniuses, Vic
Very few arguments that lasted over an hour, and
Larson and Leonard Bloomquist, shortened our ride
very few men who did not have a part in the dis-
back to Minikahda. Other events of this home-
cussions. No black eyes were in evidence when we
ward trip are not for publication, but to our
climbed off at Rochester, but Frank Anderson lost
brother greenkeepers let me suggest that you grab
his set of clubs en route, and Emil Picha ate a very
some Minnesota boy at the Chicago convention
light dinner, so there must be some cause and effect
next winter, and get the story straight.
in this old world.
This man was too busy to note all that happened
Swanlund has the inside track with the chef at on the homeward journey. I do remember that
the club, and we certainly did take advantage of Rochester didn't get any operating practice on any
this opportunity. Everyone felt the Rochester C. C. of us, and for a severe headache I can think of no
excursion was one of the best. We didn't get into a better. remedy than a session with Dr. (?). Ed
formal discussion of greenkeeping problems, but Swanlund, G. K., Rochester, Minn.
Comments [rom An Old-Timer
B:y JAMES O'NEILL, Pro-greenkeeper, Cleveland
WELL do I remember when I first reported for
duty as a golf professional and greenkeeper at the
very much run down, but thanks to Mars Black and
A. W. Shell, who were on the Green committee at
Portsmouth Golf Club, Portsmouth, Ohio, in the that time, they worked with me in every way pos-
year 1899. There were not many greenkeepers in sible. In fact I have been in their homes until very
those days. The professional had to take charge of late hours at night trying to figure how to bring our
everything pertaining to golf. In truth the farmer course back into shape with what money we had to
was the green keeper. I, for one, depended a great spend at that time.
deal on his judgment as to raising grass and course You may be sure we lost many members as Gran-
maintenance. You gave him an idea, of course, of don Road Country Club, where the MacCormick
what you wanted and made him your foreman. Brothers were, was right up to snuff in every way;
I remember at Portsmouth we had to build a hole also the Clifton Club, these being the only other
through an apple orchard and still save some of the golf clubs in Cincinnati at that time. I went to
orchard. As I look back the entire orchard would Cincinnati on September 1, 1900.
not make one standard fairway of today. In fact, Getting back to greenkeeping. We raked, cross-
the whole golf course was laid out in a ball diamond raked and then raked some more. And, brother
and fruit farm combined and would not make the greenkeepers, imagine the howl from the members
good golf holes of the present day. (No reflec- when they saw how my greens were torn up. In fact
tions. ) I did not know whether or not I was going to get a
Because officers and members of the club worked contract for the following year or not.
just as hard those days for the good of the club, if TOPDRESSING AND SEEDING DID THE TRICK
not harder than they do today. The golf club was I
.
one happy family. No worries a b out b.d ge partIes,
n HUNTED around and finally found some old rot- I
dinner parties and teas. At Portsmout h we h a d two ten manure that I mixed with some good top soi
sand greens because we thought turf was too expen- h my greens about one and one-half h
and h covered h
inc es wit t is mixture, sowing my greens wit
sive at that time. two-thirds of A grade redtop and one-third of
MY FIRST BAPTISM IN GREEN KEEPING Kentucky blue grass. Sowing heavy in the fall and
FROM Portsmouth I went to the Avondale Ath- a light topdressing with light seeding in the spring.
letic club, Cincinnati, Ohio, and it was here I got That surely did the trick. High-powered fertilizers
my first baptism in greenkeeping. The course was in those days were unknown.
10 The National Greenkee per September, 1932
I remember in those days it was rake, shake and had no idea of it. I will leave that for someone else
roll, but I must confess I never did believe in too to think about. True we had worms, winter kill
much rolling at any time. We would not have so and scald. Which makes me think of an instance
many hide-bound greens today if it were not for so that happened to me at Avondale pertaining to
much heavy rolling in the spring. scald.
Well, imagine just how you would feel when the If it was not scald it may have been brown patch
members start coming back to play and telling you or dollar patch. At any rate my No.4 green had a
how well your course looks, especially those whom number of spots on it and they were increasing, so I
we believed were lost to other clubs. And here let's gave one of my workmen a shot gun and put him to
mention to secretaries and chairmen of golf clubs, work nights to catch this particular dog or dogs.
don't forget to give your greenkeeper a boost once After the third night he still had no dog and the
in a while. It surely lightens the burden he has to patches were increasing. I started doubting whether
carrying during a playing season. When I say or not he was on the job faithfully and called his
burden I mean exactly that, regardless of weather hand. The next night he had a dog at the side of the
conditions. green with half of his head shot off. There was no
Now when I look back-while we seeded more blood on the dog or anywhere else as far as I could
often in those days our greens were very good, both see. I still believe he found a dead dog somewhere
for the old hard ball and the rubber ball when it and brought him on the course and shot him. At
came out. We did not water nearly so much those any rate, Tom, if you are still alive and see this arti-
days. Two to three times a week depending on the cle I will give you the benefit of the doubt, and the
time of the season. joke is on me.
As I mentioned before, high-powered fertilizers
and fungicides were unknown. Good, old, rotted I WONDER IF WE DO NOT WATER TOO MUCH
manure and top soil were used. A heavy dressing
spring and fall with a light dressing in July. The
C;; ETTING down to present-day greenkeeping and
construction of golf courses I sometimes wonder if
manure discharged bacteria gradually and gave us a we do not water too much and I wonder if we give
uniform turf at all times. enough attention to the construction of our courses.
If we were bothered with brown patch, pepper A few tile here and a little surface drainage there
patch, ferry ring, Japanese beetle or phythium I would seem to me a saving of double the cost of ren-
(PATENTED)
A Necessity For Best Results From
Reseeding, Fertilizing and Top-Dressing
A Spike Disc Cultivator doubles the effectiveness of reseeding and fertilizing.
Seed and fertilizer settle in the close perforations made by the knife-like blades
and are not blown or washed away. No ugly holes with hardened edges as made
by old style implements eq~ipped with round or square spikes. Spike Discs are
used on leading courses throughout the season to aerate the turf and produce
a moisture retaining mulch that offsets the effects of drought and hot sun. Order
now and gain full benefit on the necessary Fall work.
For Greens
Write For Details and Prices To Your Golf Equipment Dealer Or:
Single-Handle
Model, $25.00 JOHN H. GRAHAM & CO., INC., Sales Agents
113N Chambers St .• New York, N. Y. 268 Market St., San Francisco, Cal.
Two-Handle 565 W. Washington St., Chicago, Ill.
Model Illustrated, Manufactured by WILDER-STRONG COMPANY, Monroe, Michigan
$30.00
For Fairways
Tractor Model
Illustrated, $120.00
Horse Type,
$120.00
September, 1932 The N atiol1al Greel1kee per 11
ovating in later years, to say nothing about in-
creased green fees and the goodwill of your mem-
bers.
By the way, what has become of the old compost ~
pile that we used to think as much of as we did of
our greens? Our fertilizers, seeds and power equip-
ment is all very good today. All I can say is that
when we find what suits our course best, stay with it
and leave well enough alone. Too many changes is
not good either for golf course or pocketbook.
The Green Section of the United States Golf As-
sociation has done us. Too much praise cannot be
given our president and editor of the NATIONAL
GREENKEEPERfor his tireless efforts to make the
NATIONAL GREENKEEPERwhat it is today. This
goes for the officers of the N. A. G. A. and district You needn't take our word for it, Mr.
members also. Without their help we would be lost.
Greenskeeper. Here's what 200 of your
I believe every golf club should have a copy of
the NATIONAL GREENKEEPERon its library table colleagues report about fighting Brown
along wi th the rest of the golf magazines, and, Patch. According to a recent survey,
brother greenkeepers, any information you may each application of Barbak is effective
have in regard to some little improvement you have just about twice as long as any other
made on your course don't fail to send it in to the fungicide. That's because it's formulated
NATIONAL GREENKEEPERbecause the NATIONAL with slowly - soluble organic mercury.
GREENKEEPERis our Webster's dictionary on golf
course maintenance today. You know what a
Never mind, brother greenkeepers, I have some 200 golf clubs using Brown Patch saving in labor that
good news for you as I got some inside dope tha t the Fungicides found that:
means ... especially
government is going to set aside a reservation in the One application of Last. Auera6e
middle of the Pacific Ocean purposely for brown since the fungicide
Inorganic Mercury 2-14 days 6days
patch, dollar patch, ferry ring, scald, grubs and a Quick Iy-soluble
must be on guard
Organic Mercury 2-13 days 6 days
hundred other pests we have to contend with. Then throughout the season
Slowly-soluble
look out, high-pressure salesmen, so until that time, Organic Mercury* 2-27 days 10days to protect your
cheer up, brother greenkeepers-the worst is yet *Barbak greens from the
to come. ever - threatening
Brown Patch. No fungicide can indefi-
Pros Will Play Keller Club nitely prevent attacks but a good fungi-
By H. E. STODOLA cide lessens the severity of violent
The Keller club, St. Paul, Minn., will be the scene attacks and wards off light attacks.
of the National B. G. A. tournament to be held in
September. Try Barbak now. You'll find economy
This is the first public course to be honored with the isn't its only virtue. It's odorless, easy to
P. G. A. tournament and we are all anxious to have the apply, doesn't cake in the can. It won't
course as fine as possible. More will be said about the burn your turf, whether watered in or
course after the tournament. applied dry with sand or soil.
::.
Midland Hills club has a problem taking care of an If you don't know where to buy Barbak, write
infestation of grubs in the roughs and banks. The State us for the name of your nearest distributor.
University is helping Emil Picha, greenkeeper, in his
problem and much experimenting is being done. AMERICAN CYANAMID & CHEMICAL CORP.
::. ::. :~ 535 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK CITY
It has been a long time since we had rain in this district
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and water is at a premium. Hillcrest club has a new ........
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water pump and Stanley Graves is so pleased he sits
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TWO ELEVEN DOUBLE XX
around the pump house nights listening to the hum of
USE WHERE THE SOIL USE WITH A BALANCED
the motor. Most of the courses have had less play this
FERTILITY IS LOW FERTILIZER PROGRAM
year, but next year everything will be going the other
way. TURF DISINFE~TANT