Southers Marsh News

Wiilie Stearns Interviewed on WATD

On Sunday, July 25, course owner and superintendent Willie Stearns was interviewed live on the radio by Liza Churchill on WATD. Despite the pressure of being on live radio, Willie was able to battle through and talk about the history of Southers Marsh Golf Club and what it takes to run a golf course.

Fast forward to the 10 minute mark to hear the interview.


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Battling the Heat

Posted by Superintendent Willie Stearns - July 14, 2010
How about this weather? I’m sure many of you are looking at your lawns and wondering, “What do I need to do to get this lawn back to the beautiful green color it was two weeks ago?” All I can say that with a weather pattern like this, it is going to be a struggle. Normally turf can withstand 3-4 days of any kind of weather, but when we’re working on day 11 of hot weather, with no end really in sight, things start to get a little dicey. The most concerning part is that we still have 6-8 weeks of summer to get through before we find relief in the form of short days and cool nights.

There is really only so much you can do with irrigation, which is great as a supplement to natural rainfall, but can never completely take the place of rain. With weather like this, you will see deficiencies even with a perfectly laid out irrigation system. The worst thing you can do for turf in hot and humid weather is to over-water it. Burned turf (to a point) will come back when it gets water, sodden turf in this weather can be killed permanently. So how can you give a steep slope right next to a green enough water without over-watering the green? The only answer is to bring out a hose and water that spot on its own. We have been using our hose about 8-10 hours each day for the last 2 weeks. Unfortunately, it is inevitable that there will be some crispy spots here and there that get hit by the irrigation system, just not sufficiently.

You have to be very careful with fertilizers and herbicides at times like this. If in doubt, avoid them. A product for crabgrass may be perfectly safe for turf when it is not stressed, but in weather like this might take out your desirable grass. Let the crabgrass be for now, at least it is green.

So far, we are winning the war, but we have the benefit of a state of the art irrigation system, and a tireless grounds crew. If nothing else, this weather makes for some fast and true greens, to the point where we need to back off on mowing height and rolling just to keep them from getting out of control, speed-wise. To paraphrase Carl Spackler, “So we’ve got that going for us, which is nice.”

Check out some tricks of the trade for dealing with the heat.

Doug Blank Ties Amateur Course Record

On June 29, in Tuesday League play, Doug Blank, a caddie at Old Sandwich Golf Club in Plymouth and Seminole Golf Club in Florida, fired a four under par 57 to tie the amateur record set by Leigh MacKay in 2007 and later equaled by PJ Schneider in 2009. Doug had 5 birdies against only 1 bogey on his round. Great round, Doug!

Ladies Golf Free on Mother's Day

Once again, ladies (ages 18+) will be play completely for free on Mother's Day, including a golf cart. We are happy to recognize how important all our mothers are, and all they have done for us. Plus, what better way to spend the day then spending 3 and half quality hours with your Mom on the golf course?

Cheri Allan

We will be hosting a Memorial Tournament in Cheri's honor on Wednesday, August 4.

Cheri Allan passed away on Monday, April 12, 2010, at Boston Medical Center after a short illness surrounded by her loving family. As you all know, Cheri has coordinated the Wednesday Women's Golf League for several years and was a beloved friend to all of us here at Southers Marsh.  She always worked very hard to make sure that the league was enjoyable for everyone.  We will really miss her smiling face and her enthusiasm.

For her full obituary, click here. 

Great Drainage is No Accident

Wednesday, March 31, 9 AM - The golf course is open today! Southers Marsh is ranked #1 in Massachusetts for value, but possibly should be ranked #1 for great drainage as well. While many courses are severely flooded from record breaking rainfall this month, Southers Marsh opened for business this morning, a day after another 5+ inches of rain on top of a possibly record high water table. The course is built on a sand base, so water can drain easily, but what makes our course so unique is that the 32 acres of cranberry bogs serve as an elaborate drainage system for the entire property.

As cranberry growers, we put a lot of effort into keeping the bog canals free flowing to insure proper drainage, which is absolutely essential to raising a good crop. All water on the property drains out naturally under Federal Furnace Road, into a system of neighboring cranberry bogs that serve as the headwaters of the Weweantic River. On our property, we have a system of pumps, flumes, drainage pipe, and canals that allow us complete control of how water flows through the property. Under drought conditions, we can collect all the water that falls on the property and funnel it into storage reservoirs, or in heavy rains we can release it. Usually, we are doing some combination of the two, depending on the weather and a variety of agricultural practices and environmental concerns. We recently received certification in Environmental Planning from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (more on this at another time).

Most of these water control structures were in place long before there was a golf course on the property, but the course is the beneficiary of a system that is much more elaborate than could be justified strictly for turf management. Come out and see us today – there may be a few puddles here and there, but we are open, and that puts us ahead of the game.

Comparing Great Winter Vacations

By Big Will

I had spent the past few months jealously listening to course ranger Paul Ruzycki rattle on and on about his upcoming trip to the Westin Resort & Villas in the sun-drenched US Virgin Islands (only 63 days to go). So much so that I decided to plan a little vacation of my own, right nearby at the Lahey Health Club & Spa located in Burlington.

My check-in time was January 12 at 11:00 and I was right on time. The friendly staff took my bag and provided me with their own one-piece outfit. I was escorted to the main assembly area and joined other guests about to embark on comparable experience. Around 12:30 the first round of what the staff referred to as a “special cocktail” arrived; something to settle our nerves. Wow. I have no idea what was in it, but a resulting warm feeling of euphoria immediately enveloped me. I have a faint recollection of people hovering over me, intent on whatever it was that concerned them, but I could have cared less about anything. I may have been there physically but mentally I was cruising in another dimension. Then everything went blank. My winter vacation had officially begun.

I began to resurface hours later and heard muffled voices talking about when my accommodations would be ready for me to move in. I was actually perfectly happy where I was and saw no immediate need to go anywhere. I was still cruising in my alternate dimension without a care in the world.

Suddenly we were on the move. Two staff members at my side rolling me down a hallway, into the elevator, down another hallway round n’ round till we ended in a room with even more equipment and wiring than we have in the SMGC pump station. I was living in my own little world, oblivious to the conversation and activity around me. Still feeling gassed and without a care in the world, I decided take another nap.

I awoke to pain, real pain, in my right knee. Fortunately, a member of the staff was close at hand and she quickly responded to my complaint. Once again, the euphoric feeling swept over me and I drifted into the parallel dimension. What a great vacation. I didn’t know where I was or what I was doing there and didn’t care in the least. It was hard to believe that Ruzycki could possibly be enjoying himself more than me.

The next time I reached some level of consciousness, two members of the staff had me sitting up on the end of the bed and were trying to get me to stand up. I was delirious, nauseous, and in great pain. What had happened to happy land, my alternate dimension, the wonderous paradise I’d grown so accustomed to? Who were these people so rudely interrupting the peaceful tranquility of my new life?

“How about you try to take a couple of steps for us”, suggested one of the vile perpetrators.

I’m quite certain I responded with something like, “When the men on the chessboard get up and tell me where to go, I’m with you. Until then, get the hell out of my room and leave me alone.”

That confrontation ushered in a whole new set of rules that I had no choice but to go along with. The congenial, entertaining staff suddenly turned on me. There were now expectations and criteria that I was to pursue. Challenges to face like sitting in a chair, taking a few steps in a walker, and getting to a real bathroom (with assistance). Pain pills took the place of morphine injections. Jesus, reality was settling in; the honeymoon was ending. Ruzycki and I were both primarily on liquid diets but no doubt he was enjoying many voodoo juice cocktails at Snorkel’s pool bar while I was sipping on ice water in Burlington.

On the afternoon of day 4, I graciously announced to two of the nurses that they didn’t need to move me to a new room everyday; that I was perfectly happy staying in the room I currently occupied. They looked at each other and then back to me as one of them responded, “Thank you Mr. Stearns, but we haven’t moved you once since you arrived here.” I knew that. I was just testing them.

It took until day five before I finally adjusted to my surroundings, the staff, and their rules. I was finally able to accept my situation, modify my behavior, and conform to my environment (a less needy, more cooperative patient). I even stopped shutting off the bed alarm so the nurses’ station could monitor my whereabouts. Of course that’s the day they asked me to leave, to head for home to be with loved ones who might be more willing to put up with me.

I’m now six weeks out and well on my way to full recovery. I walk without pain or a noticeable limp. I’ve been through the visiting nursing, at home physical therapy, and I’m thriving in outpatient physical therapy. I’m down to only two 500 mg Vicodins at night and I’m giving serious consideration to having a real cocktail (Fleischmann’s whiskey of course).

So how does my vacation stack up against Ruzycki’s? The Westin in St. John’s vs. the Lahey in Burlington? We both had great accommodations, cable TV (mine included Celtics games), and great internet service. He was able to order drinks from poolside or the beach without leaving his chair, and charged them to his room. I was able to order morphine without getting out of bed and never signed for it. His villa had a kitchenette so he could make himself three meals a day while my room service included every meal served to me in bed with no dishes to wash. We both had fresh linens daily and very accommodating service. One major difference however was that my all-inclusive package included all gratuities, while his did not. Further, I saved a bundle on travel costs.

In conclusion, I am looking forward to playing golf on my new knee this spring, have lost about 12 pounds (due to pain meds and the associated nausea), and have almost completed rehab. Ruzycki is at home trying to justify the $3,000 he spent, the 12 pounds he gained, and is checking into High Point next week to address his exacerbated liver problems.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Every year Pocasset Golf Club invites the club champions of golf courses in the area to participate in their Best of the Best Tournament. This year the event was won by Southers Marsh's champion, Leigh MacKay. He shot an even par 72 to beat Dick Kick of Old Barnstable and Hyannis GC and Bill Tribou of Poquoy Brook by 1 stroke and Herb Aikens of the Pinehills by 2 strokes. Leigh continues his excellent play this season, after last month teaming with his wife Vicki to win the WGAM's Stone Cup. Congratulations to Leigh and thank you for representing Southers Marsh so well on the local golf scene.

Thursday, September 24, 2009


The victorious Ryder Cup Team! From left to right: Team Captain Will Stearns, Sr., Steve Buffington, Bob Adams, Art Keddy, Victor Lahtiene, Paul McAuliffe, Dave Campbell, Jr., Emil Giordano, and Mark Chalas

The red team took home the Ryder cup this year in dramatic fashion. For the first time in the four year event history, the matches didn't come down to the wire on the second day. After taking a 2.5-1.5 lead on the front nine on Saturday during the better ball matches, the lead was lengthened on the back nine to 5.5-2.5 at the end of the first day. After holding even on the front nine Sunday during the scramble matches, the blue team needed some magic on the back nine to claw back from a 3 point deficit. That didn't happen. Some blame poor conditioning on the part of the blue team, some blame poor coaching. Whatever the reason, it was ugly, as the blue team only managed to halve 2 of the 8 matches and lost the rest. Red cruised to an eventual 14.5-5.5 victory, and losing captain Will Stearns, Jr. had to go for a swim in the pond by the eighteenth hole. After four years of play the score is now even between Will, Sr. and Will, Jr. at 2 wins each.


The Red Team (Records in parentheses)
Steve Buffington (4-0)
Paul McAuliffe (4-0)
Victor Lahteine (3.5-0.5)
Artie Keddy (3-1)
Dave Campbell, Jr. (3-1)
Bob Adams
Mark Chalas
Emil Giordano

The Blue Team (Records in parentheses)
Andy Rosen (3-1, the lone bright spot in a dismal showing)
Stu Thompson
Paul Hachey
Gary Alshiemer
Ken Ferreira
Dave Campbell, Sr.
Dan Campbell
Jim McCulloch


The names have been omitted to protect the innocent.