Hazel Wightman

John G and Tim B, please comment on this memorial at Newton Cemetery.

Jeff's New Gloves

Blower and Fescue

A couple of improvements that you might not notice. 

Neil is using a Stihl backpack blower that has low emmisions, uses less fuel and is significantly quieter than older versions.  It also vibrates less which makes long use much easier on the operator.

The parking lot/Route 9 embankment is planted with hard fescue.  This grass likes to be mowed only once a year and it requires little or no fertilizer - it also has attractive flowers.  Maintenace has been reduced and the embankment looks better. 

UMass

University of Massachusetts turf management faculty came by for a visit.  Dr Scott Ebdon, Mary Owen and Jason Lanier.  Scott and Jason checking out rooting on the grass courts.  Mary discussing mowing patterns with Jeff.

Rabbits

Wondering why there is a short fence around the clubhouse graden?  Rabbits have been munching on the flowers.

Compost

Composting of organic material generated on the property - the breaking down of the leaves, grasses and thatch that have been added to the area is generating a lot of heat as Andrew turns it over with the tractor.

Pictures

Pictures from this glorius morning.  The penultimate picture is of the lads marking the porch row for the first time this season.  The last picture is a sign tennis pro Magnus made for the clay courts.  Two LCC teams playing each other, so Magnus thought he would cheer on both teams with his sign - notice the fine workmanship.

Charles

Two items on assistant superintendent Charlie Bartlett.

*Who is with him in the picture taken in the crew room today?

*Below is Charlie's bio/acceptance speech from last Sunday when his longevity and hard work were recognized at the LCC opening party.

Although he may now seem the picture of stability, Charlie Bartlett arrived at Longwood 31 years ago after a number of other aborted career attempts. He had worked, by the age of 23, at a resort in Santa Fe, as a maid in a motel, in a factory in Allston, as an intern at a tree forestry in South Africa, insulating houses, as a carpenter’s assistant in New Orleans, among others. When he responded to former head Groundskeeper Mike Humphrey’s ad in the Boston Globe in 1981, he didn’t realize he’d found his career, but he did know he enjoyed the colorful cast of characters he’d landed in.


“We had a lot of different types of people in those days: younger kids, non-English speakers, the occasional ex-convicts,” Charlie says. “Humphrey and I used to love those guys. The more eccentric the better and we have the pictures to prove it.”
Charlie has changed a lot in 31 years and so has Longwood and the entire grass court and country club industry. Technology and turf science have advanced and become more complex and so are more interesting and challenging. This has coincided with Charlie’s growth professionally and personally and is one of the main reasons he’s still here. It’s been nice to see the grass become healthier and thicker even as his hair has gone in the opposite direction.

The tournament was also one of Charlie’s favorite parts of the job. It epitomized everything he liked about Longwood – the festive communal atmosphere while keeping the courts in unparalleled condition for the second largest tournament in the US, and supervising a crew of over 20 for 18 hours a day. Of those tournament days, Charlie says “those matches could go on way past midnight and the crowd could get pretty rowdy. One year the East Stands would start chanting my name every time I stepped onto Center Court to sweep the lines, trying to get me to do a little dance, which I would gladly oblige.”

Nowadays things are a lot tamer for Charlie and the Club and the most interesting and rewarding part of the job for him is trying to keep the grass alive in July and August, and he’s grateful to work outdoors in such a beautiful place where people just come to relax and have a nice time.



Terrace

Andrew and Nate lining grass courts on the terrace-first time this season.  Paul Noonan taking notes on their work.

5/7/2012 Pics

Nate and Andrew layout pool row grass courts.  Jeff, Charlie and Wilson get post holes ready.

Greenhouse

Nate, Jeff and I went to visit Tim at the Newton Cemetery and check out their greenhouses.  They are ready for summer - the flowers are mature and beautiful. 

The last two days of rain has allowed the crew to catch up on some painting and machine maintenance.  Wiilson, Vic and Andrew did a lot of painting and Charlie, Nate and Jeff worked on changing oil, adjusting belts, etc. on machinery.  Neil comments below.

Quiz

Who is this and what is he doing?  Where?  There are plenty of clues in the picture.