2014

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Mal McLaren Award
Government Relations
Scott Brickley
scottb@bunkerhillgc.com
330.725.2829
VICE PRESIDENT
Strategic Planning/Historical
Mark Figurella
mfigurella421@gmail.com
330.562.1691
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Sean McHugh, CGCS
spm@clevelandmetroparks.com
440.232.7247
CHAPTER ADMINISTRATOR
Finance/Communication/Benevolent
Michelle L. Frazier-Feher, CGCS
mlfrazier@aol.com
216.469.9287
TRUSTEES
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Golf & Tournament
Bryan Fitch
bry_fitch@hotmail.com
440.934.6217
Website
Charles (Chuck) Hayes
chuckshcc@gmail.com
330.933.4673

Did you attend this Vendor Day? If not you

missed a very successful event! Thank you
to Bryan Fitch, Matt Kilpeck, Lenny Marino,
Jason Bennett and Mark Figurella for all your
hard work in making this event such a
success!
The committee is already on working on next years vendor day and making a
few tweaks to the event. If you have any suggestions please dont hesitate
to contact a board member! Thank you again to the Fitch family for donating
their course for the day and to John Miller on his informative talk on the new
Hazard Communication regulations.
Also , a big thank you to everyone who attended the Scholarship & Research
tournament at Ridge Top Golf Course. We had a great turn out and lots of
fun. Thank you to the Greg Bobbs and the staff at Ridge Top for another
successful event!

Scott Brickley
NOGCSA President
Scottb@bunkerhillgc.com

Membership
Tobin (Toby) Lane
tlane33sgc@yahoo.com
330.332.9095
Program & Education
Sam Leatherberry
sam.leatherberry@ourclub.com
678.414.7714
Social/Assistant Relations
Eric Snodgrass
eric.snodgrass@tamoshantergolf.com
330.477.5111
ASSISTANT GCS RELATIONS/ Program & Education
Dave Willmott
dwillmott2001@sharongc.com
330.239.2383
INDUTRIAL RELATIONS
Scholarship & Research
Jason Bennett
330.416.0908
osu23jb@hotmail.com
Matt Kilpeck
mkilpeck@agrium.com
440.724.1223
Lenny Marino
l.marino@bakervehicle.com
216.401.1152
Mission Statement
Promoting the profession of the golf course superintendent
through education, camaraderie and cooperation among
fellow members in Northern Ohio since 1923

Schedule of Events
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Annual Clambake Highlights
By The Board August
On The Road with the USGA
October Joint Meeting Notice
Vendor Day Highlights
GCSAA News
GCSAA Field Staff Update
OSHA News
Rounds 4 Research
Family Picnic Highlights

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October 15, 2014

NOGCSA HALL OF FAME
INDUCTION CEREMONY
Canterbury Golf Club
Cost: $30/person
October 20, 2014
Joint Meeting with NW PA GCSA
Youngstown C.C.
Host: Tim Cunningham
Program: TBD
Cost: $45/person
Points: TBD

November 12, 2014

Annual Meeting
Portage Country Club

November 21, 2014

Night at the Races
Northfield Park Rocksino
Host: NOGCSA
December 9-11, 2014
OTF Conference & Show
Kalahari Resort & Convention Center
Sandusky, OH

This years Annual Clambake and Scholarship & Research

Tournament was a great success! Gregg Bobbs and his staff at
Ridge Top Golf Course had the course in great shape! We had
beautiful weather and over 100 participants!
A special thank you to all of our hole sponsors and special shout
out to out Hole In One Sponsors - Perk Air, Lake Erie Golf Cars,
Southeast Golf Cars, and Century Equipment. This year we
didnt have a skins winner so the $510 in skins was donated to
the Scholarship & Research fund! This brings the total raised
for this years tournament to $2,470! THANK YOU!!

Barrington Country Club

President Brickley called the Board of Trustees of the
Northern Ohio Chapter of the Golf Course
Superintendents Association of America regular board
meeting to order at10:12 AM.
ROLL CALL: Bennett, Brickley, Feher, Figurella, Fitch,
Hayes Kilpeck, Leatherberry, Marino Willmott present.
Leatherberry, McHugh and Snodgrass Absent
Vice President Figurella moved to accept the minutes
from the July 16, 2014, regular meeting. Trustee Hayes
seconded. Motion passed
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Budget & Finance Chapter Administrator Feher
reported that there was currently $6,568.69 in the
checking account, $33,545.45 in the scholarship &
research account, $35,291.71 in the money market
account, $2,745.20 in the 100th Anniversary account
and $307.30 in the Pay Pal Account. The Profit & Loss
through August 4, 2014 shows Net Income of $7,412.65.
Feher also noted that we still needed to send an
additional check to the Environmental Institute for
$500.
Program & Education No Report
Editorial No Report.
Golf & Tournament Secretary/Treasurer Fitch needs a
list of winners to date from Feher. Fitch will get with
Leatherberry on the final meeting information and 2015
dates.
Membership & Welcoming We received the info from
Lane who resigned. The Board discussed and decided to
resend all packets from 2013 & 2014. Once completed,
the Board will hand deliver the packets if need be.
Social The Board discussed Clays park for 2015. It
was decided to stay with the same weekend. Feher will
confirm dates of 7/25 & 7/26 for next year.
Strategic Planning No Report
Historical & Benevolent Chapter Administrator Feher
reported that the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is
scheduled for October 15 at Canterbury C.C. The cost
will be $30/person.
Public Relations President Brickley reported that
Camp Cheerful is August 30 at 8 AM. We will send an e-

August 5, 2014
blast out to the membership asking for additional
volunteers.
Industrial Relations Vendor Day - The Board will call
courses to drum up more participation. We will resend
the e-blast and extend the deadline to Thursday due to
technical issues with the website.
Assistant Relations Assistant Liaison Willmott
reported he still wanted to do a meeting this winter.
Employment Relations The Brookside C.C. job was
filled by Chuck Zaranac. The Board also discussed
raising the rates for job posting for non-members. We
will increase it to $50
Mal McLaren Award No Report.
Scholarship & Research Chapter Administrator Feher
Need to get the Tee Sign letter out to affiliate. The
shotgun time has been moved to 11:00 this year on
9/18.
Government & Environmental Relations No Report.
Website Trustee Hayes reported on the issues we
were having getting emails out. We still do not have the
new platform that was promised to us in June. Hayes
will begin to look at other website companies and get
pricing.
Bylaws & Ethics No report.
OLD BUSINESS
Regional Impromptu Social Gatherings
Hayes & Snodgrass Snodgrass will discuss with Hayes
Committee Members Chapter Administrator Feher
reported that Bill Farhney and Alan Clark would like to
help. The Board will decide where to utilize them.
Joint Meeting with GPGCSA Kilpeck reported Happ is
on personal leave. Kilpeck will touch base with
Leatherberry to see where we are with finding a
replacement. Chapter Administrator Feher still needs
the contract from Youngstown Country Club. Once all
information is received, the notice can be sent to
Northwest PA GCSA.
continued on page 7

NEW BUSINESS
Chapter Administrator Feher presented the following
applications for membership:
Gerald Cox
Glenmore C.C.
Class C

The next Board meeting is set for September 18, 2014 at

8:00 A.M. at Ridge Top G.C.
President Brickley adjourned the meeting at 11:25 A.M.

Chapter Administrator Feher presented the following

members for reinstatement:

Chapter Administrator Feher presented the following

members for reclassification:
Jack Hopkins from class A to AA
Trustee Hayes motioned and Industrial representative
Marino seconded to approve the above members for
reinstatement and reclassification. The motion passed.
There was no correspondence.

WHEN CREW SIZE DWINDLES, PRIORITIES CHANGE

By Ken Happ, director, North-Central Region
October 1, 2014
Students are back in school and for most superintendents
that means a reduction in their workforce. Therefore, it is
not realistic to expect the same course setup tasks
performed during the summer with a full crew to be
continued in the fall with fewer employees. Maintenance
priorities need to be adjusted as do golfer expectations.
Often the maintenance focus is shifted to the center lines
of play with out-of-play areas receiving less attention.
However, all courses are not created equal and neither are
the maintenance budgets to prepare them for play.
One seasonal task during fall is removing leaf debris. When
it comes to prioritizing this work, begin by removing leaves
from bunkers. The rules of golf provide relief from leaves
on putting greens but not in hazards. Once the bunkers are
cleared the leaves on greens, fairways and finally rough can
be addressed. Work with the pro shop to post priorities for
daily preparation of the course during the fall when there
are fewer employees to complete daily tasks. Communicate
what can and will be done to prepare playing surfaces
rather than discussing what cannot be accomplished.

Maintenance must also consider Rule 23 (Loose

Impediments) if the ball lies in a hazard, the player must
not touch or move any loose impediment lying in or
touching the same hazard. Loose impediments are natural
objects including twigs, branches, leaves and stones,
although a Local Rule can be implemented that changes
the status of a stone to a movable obstruction.

Finally, the long-term weather forecasts are predicting drier

conditions for most of the North-Central region. This means
good golf weather, but it also means that leaf drop may be
more rapid and require intensified debris removal efforts.
As stated in our last update, fall is a great time to play golf.
An enjoyable time can be realized by all even with a
necessary shift in maintenance priorities.

Source: Keith Happ khapp@usga.org

Information on the USGAs Course Consulting Service
Contact the Green Section Staff

WHAT A HUGE SUCCESS!! The committee worked really

hard this year to make this and event that was successful
for our affiliate members and the members and their staff
who attended!
The day started off with John Miller from the GCSAA giving
attendees and update on the new Hazard Communication
Standard. From their the attendees got to see demos from
our three big iron contenders; Century Equipment, Baker
Vehicle and Shearer Equipment.
Once the demos were done everyone split up into their
assigned groups and rotated around to each of the vendors,
listening about their products and being treated to lunch by
the NOGCSA.
After visiting all the vendors the attendees were treated to
golf by the Fitch family! Thank you to the entire family for
opening their course to the NOGCSA members and staff for
the day!
If you missed this event make sure you schedule time to
attend the 2015 Vendor Day! If you want to see the demos
visit our the NOGCSA Facebook Page.

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GCSAA Board extends affiliation agreement through

Dec. 31, 2015
All chapter presidents and executive directors will be
mailed an extension agreement which will be due by
the end of 2014. The GCSAA Board of Directors
extended the current affiliation by one-year in order to
address member standards and classifications, as well
as, provide time for a Chapter Affiliation Task Group to
meet in 2015. For additional information regarding the
affiliation agreement please contact Steve Randall,
associate director, chapter outreach.

Chapter delegates meet in Lawrence

On Oct. 14 and 15, 87 delegates representing 91
GCSAA-affiliated chapters met in Lawrence, Kan., for
the 2014 Chapter Delegates Meeting. Over two days of
meetings, the delegates heard presentations from
candidates for the 2015 board of directors and
participated in small group and town hall discussions.

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Field days of summer

It seems as though the summer has flown by and fall
is rapidly approaching. In the Great Lakes region, that
means aerification. Most of the chapters in the region
have limited, if any, chapter meetings during the
month of September due to the amount of aeration
that is going on and how busy the superintendents
are during this time of the year. One other thing that
late summer and fall brings are field days from our
nearby universities. I try to attend as many field days
as possible, due to the fact that I see superintendents
that are unable to attend monthly meetings due to
their schedule, so field days are a great way to make
contact with members that I don't get to see very
often. This year, I attended the Wisconsin Turfgrass
Association and Ohio Turfgrass Foundation field days.
There is a lot of great research being done by these
two associations on turfgrass, but a couple of things
stood out this year. At the WTA, Bruce Schweiger
hosted a stop on "Calibrating Your Walking Speed"
and at OTF they introduced us to the new
Bermudagrass trials they will be conducting to see if
any of four chosen varieties will do well enough in
northern climates to be used in such places as
football fields, soccer fields or driving range tees.
Schweiger's stop included comments about who
calibrates their spreaders and sprayers. Did you know
that being off by 1/2 mile per hour will make a 16.7
percent change in the rate, and being off by 1 mile
per hour will make a 33.3 percent change in the rate?
In lawn care this can be substantial to the bottom line
but in golf it can be the difference between control of
an insect population or damage to the turf, properly
fertilized healthy turf or lean, hungry and unhealthy

John Miller, CGCS

Great Lakes regional representative

turf. It is easy to calibrate knowing that three miles

per hour is equivalent to 4.4 feet per second or 44
feet in 10 seconds. Just set up an area where you
have 44 feet, put weight in the spreader to equal the
weight of the product, and have your applicator walk
the 44 feet while being timed. It should take them 10
seconds if they are walking three miles per hour.
At field days you can also learn about new products
coming to the market and how they are performing.
There are also updates on niches in the industry such
as pigments, the effects of brushing and rolling and
new ways of controlling pests. Also this year, at the
OTF field day, there was a presentation on "Pesticide
Safety Near Pollinators" that touched on one of this
year's hot topics and was very well covered. It is
information like this that makes the field days so
valuable to superintendents.
Hopefully you saw the last post on my blog about the
First Green. I am happy to report that the First Green
will be coming to the Chicago area with Medinah
Country Club and Superintendent Curtis Tyrell
hosting this fall. Since a presentation at the August
meeting of the MAGCS, others have also committed
to hosting a First Green event at their golf courses.
Once the events have taken place I will report back
through the blog and give everyone highlights. If you
and your golf course would like to host a First Green
event please contact me and I will help you get it
arranged. I hope that aeration goes well for everyone
and that you have a great fall!

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(Jerry) Gerald E Husemann

Senior Sales Specialist
Phone: 937-492-8597
Mobile: 937-604-5617
gerald.huseman@basf.com

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Rounds 4 Research
The Rounds 4 Research program was designed to address a
critical shortage in turfgrass research funding by auctioning
donated rounds of golf online.

This years family picnic was a little wet, but

everyone who attended had a great time! The
weekend was filled with laughs and fun.gifts for
the kids, swimming, miniature golf, camp fire,
smores, squirt guns filled with pop, caddy shack,
wet sleeping bags, take it someplace else, the
nail game, volley ball, fishing and tons of food!

The program is administered by the Environmental Institute for

Golf, the philanthropic organization of the Golf Course
Superintendents Association of America.
Rounds 4 Research allows GCSAA chapters and turfgrass
foundations to participate as fundraising partners with the vast
majority of proceeds going back to those organizations. In this
way, these organizations can direct the proceeds to specific
projects that will have the most significant impact in their local
areas.
The EIFGs Rounds 4 Research is an expansion of the innovative
program that was introduced by the Carolinas Golf Course
Superintendents Association. After the Carolinas GCSA realized
the programs scope had grown beyond what it could
administer, it offered the program to GCSAA. As GCSAAs
philanthropic organization, the EIFG was the natural choice to
oversee this exciting fundraising effort.
Why is it important?
In order to operate successfully, todays golf facilities need
resources in place to fuel innovation, address challenges
brought on by Mother Nature and respond to regulatory
pressures. The Rounds 4 Research program is addressing the
critical shortage of funding for ongoing, university-based
agronomic research, education, advocacy programs and course
operations.
With your support, you can help us keep the future of our game
green.

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2014 Advertiser Directory

Arms Trucking
Brian Bates
800.362.1343

Baker Vehicle Systems

Harland Baker, Rick Baker,
Kevin Kroll, Lenny Marino
330.467.2250
BASF Corporation
Gerald Husemann
937.604.5617
Century Equipment
Norton Brick - Tim Hughes Ryan Miller - Ron Smolik
800.522.8676

Harrells Turf Specialty

Glenn Omori
440.439.1393
H & S Stump Removal
Jack Hopkins
330.654.2347
Perk Air
Bob Doty
330.296.7307
Precision Golf Construction
Mike ODonnell, CGCS
440.285.2117

Shearer Golf
805-GOLF-909
South East Golf Car Co.
888.684.4653

Walker Supply
Mike Sekula - Bill Walker
800.792.5537
Wolf Creek Company
Scott Knowles
937.854.2694
denotes new advertiser
Remember to thank our
advertisers for supporting
you!

NOGCSA
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-Mail: info@nogcsa.com
Website: www.nogcsa.com
1106 Royce St. NW
Uniontown, OH 44685
(216)469-9287
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