JUNE 2022 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 2
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Talking Ocean Organics with Ethan Haveman, Superintendent of The Muttontown Club, East Norwich, NY (Long Island)
Our second edition of 2022’s “Talking Ocean Organics” Newsletter takes us to The Muttontown Club on the North Shore of Long Island, NY. Our article will focus on Ethan Haveman, superintendent at the club since 2018.
We’ll talk about Ethan’s personal and professional journey, the property he looks after, and how he’s incorporated Ocean Organics products into his agronomic programs.
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About Ethan:
Ethan was born in Hull, a small farming town in northwest Iowa. Ethan’s dad Ed is a farmer and Ethan’s mom Noella is a hairdresser. When I say “small town,” I’m not kidding. The population of Hull is 2,384 (as noted in the 2020 census).
Ethan was the youngest of the four Haveman children. Like many of our prior subjects for the newsletter, Ethan started early in the turfgrass industry. “When I was a sophomore in high school, I worked on the crew for a local 9-hole municipal golf course, Rolling Hills GC, mainly so I could play as much golf as possible,” Ethan recollected.
When it was time for college, Ethan enrolled at Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls SD to pursue a degree in Psychology. By the time his junior year came around, Ethan had decided to change majors and enrolled in the two-year turf program.
His first internship took him to the East Coast to work for Pete Rappoccio at Silver Spring CC in Ridgefield, CT. “It was an eye-opening experience working at a private club providing great conditions for the members and focusing on that attention to detail,”
Ethan remembered.
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“It was an eye-opening experience working at a private
club providing great conditions for the members and
focusing on that attention to detail.”
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Upon graduation, Ethan’s first job as an assistant superintendent was working for Steve Cook at Oakland Hills CC in Bloomfield Hills, MI. “I went to Oakland Hills in 2008, the year they hosted the PGA Championship. Working with Steve was a great experience. He subsequently left Oakland Hills and now is the superintendent at Medinah CC. Steve was, and is, an important mentor in my life. We still keep in touch on a regular basis,” Ethan stated.
In 2012, Ethan headed back to the East Coast working for a year at Fenway GC in Scarsdale, NY before landing an assistant’s position the following year working for Ted Steffenson at Muttontown. In 2018, Ted resigned and Ethan became Muttontown’s new superintendent.
The property is owned and managed by Concert Golf, owner and operators of upscale private golf and country clubs nationwide. “I enjoy working for Concert Golf,” Ethan explained, “They let our department heads do their jobs without micro-managing. I work closely with my GM Chris Bell and our regional agronomist. “
Under Ethan’s watch, projects continue to improve the playability and aesthetics on the course. Bunker work, drainage, and the addition of six acres of fescue to reduce chemical and fertility inputs are just some of the projects undertaken.
On a personal note, Ethan and his wife Heather tied the knot 4 years ago. Their dog Koda, a husky mix that they rescued, completes the Haveman household.
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The Muttontown Club
The golf course was designed by Alfred H. Tull, a prolific architect with courses all over
the eastern United States, including Long Island’s Bethpage Blue and Yellow. Tull had started his career working with famed architect Devereux Emmet before branching out on his own. He believed in a free-flowing design that punished poor play but rewarded good shots. Muttontown plays 6533 yards from the back tees and has a slope and rating of
70.3 / 128.
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Muttontown’s layout is characterized by rolling hills and large well- bunkered greens. It is a fun course to play.
The course opened in 1962. The last owner of the former estate the club is located on, Howard C Brokaw, made it known that upon his death he wanted the property to become a country club. It took just a few months after his death in 1960 to fulfill his wish.
An elegant 44-room Georgian mansion, completed in 1919, serves as the clubhouse. It was dubbed “The Mad Chimneys” for the 26 fireplaces and 13 chimneys set among its 44 rooms. A new dining wing was added in the 1990s to accommodate the members.
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An elegant 44-room Georgian mansion, completed in 1919, serves
as the clubhouse. It was dubbed “The Mad Chimneys”...
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Ethan and Ocean Organics
Ethan uses an array of Ocean products in maintaining the course: (So, as described by Ethan…)
Surfactants: “I use Nautilus on my greens. I played around with the rates for a couple years. I couldn’t seem to get it dialed in. The greens were prone to LDS. I finally settled on 6oz/1000 every 21 days. It’s worked well. The greens are easier to manage, they are firmer and faster, and the dry down is super predictable. It’s bulletproof.”
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“I finally settled on 6oz/1000 every 21 days. It’s worked well.
The greens are easier to manage, they are firmer and faster,
and the dry down is super predictable. It’s bulletproof.”
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“I use Mariner on my fairways and tees. I’ve liked this chemistry from the start. I put out 3oz/1000 every two weeks. I have no phyto and it’s very consistent. I will use it to spray the greens surrounds once or twice a year.”
“I also like the Mariner Bio-Tabs. I will use them to augment the liquid surfactants. After tournaments, like our club championship, you can get some stressed-out turf. The Tabs definitely help with recovery.”
Liquids: “I order a tote of the Guarantee Natural. I put out about 3-4 applications at 6oz/1000 in the spring and fall on fairways, tees, and greens. The color is better and it drives those roots down.”
“I use NuRelease on greens, tees, and fairways every 3 weeks to mine nutrients in the soil. It mixes well.”
“I use Stress Rx on tees and fairways. I do about 4 apps. During Covid, when you had one person per cart, I mixed it with Bayer’s Fiata to treat the beat-up areas because of all the extra cart traffic. It helped with stress and also helped cut down on hand watering.”
“I use XP on my greens. I like the micronutrient package and the product is well-balanced. My greens like it. It makes for a happy green.”
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“I use XP on my greens. I like the micronutrient package
and the product is well-balanced. My greens like it.
It makes for a happy green.”
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SeaBlend Granular Fertilizer: “I use the SeaBlend 14-2-4 early spring to wake things up on tees. The color is fantastic. I put it out at a ½ lb. rate. SeaBlend 12-4-5 is my go-to spring and fall aeration fertilizer. It breaks down well. I use SeaBlend 12-0-12 on my greens in the early summer. I love the SeaBlend 5-7-5. It’s fantastic with establishing sod.”
Well, there you have it. Thank you, Ethan, for your time and insights.
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Visit our website for more about our products |
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NuRelease®
Soil and Fertilizer Additive
SeaBlend®
Granular Fertilizer
Stress Rx® Foliar Fertilizer
XP® Foliar Fertilizer
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Guarantee®
Natural Kelp Extract
Turf Surfactants
with a Difference
Helmsman • Mariner
Nautilus • Privateer
Ocean Organics high-performance surfactants optimize nutrient and water use efficiency while helping boost plant fitness. Each formulation contains a surfactant, an infiltration agent, and a biostimulant.
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“Thanks for Making Me Look Good.”
– Al Choiniere
“From May through Labor Day, I can sleep at night.”
– Matt Kowal
“The color is fantastic.”
– Ethan Haveman
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Superior Strategic Stress Management
Ocean Organics, The Industry Leader
45 Years in the Golf Industry
Best Seaweed Processor — The Mother Ship
All products manufactured in Waldoboro, ME
Superior Surfactants:
Mariner® Privateer® Nautilus® Windjammer®
Superior Liquids:
XP Extra Protection® Stress Rx® Guarantee®
Superior Granular Fertility:
SeaBlend®
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Need information? Want to chat?
Email or call your local distributor
or Kevin Collins
914-621-1151
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Manufacturers of High-Performance, Science-Based
Plant Strengthening and Fitness Materials for Growth, Protection, Stress Tolerance and Recovery
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