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How Oundle School’s Grounds Team Met Record Demands

September 2, 2025/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

How Oundle School’s Grounds Team Met Record Demands: With 257 matches and extreme weather to contend with, the team share how planning, machinery choice and adaptability kept standards high. It has been a season like no other at Oundle School. The grounds staff not only prepared surfaces for the school’s extensive fixture list, but also […]

POGO Turfpro announces new appointments

August 29, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

POGO Turfpro announces new appointments: POGO Turfpro, a division of Stevens Water Monitoring System, specializing in soil and turf management data insight solutions, is pleased to announce the three new POGO Business Development Directors. These individuals bring extensive experience as superintendents and turf managers, further strengthening POGO’s growing team. These professionals underscore POGO’s ongoing commitment […]

How Oundle School’s Grounds Team Met Record Demands

September 2, 2025/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

POGO Turfpro announces new appointments

August 29, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

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How Oundle School’s Grounds Team Met Record Demands

September 2, 2025/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

How Oundle School’s Grounds Team Met Record Demands: With 257 matches and extreme weather to contend with, the team share how planning, machinery choice and adaptability kept standards high.

It has been a season like no other at Oundle School. The grounds staff not only prepared surfaces for the school’s extensive fixture list, but also supported Northants Cricket Academy, a testament to the quality and reputation of the school’s facilities.

How Oundle School’s Grounds Team Met Record Demands

The workload placed on the team has been immense:

257 cricket matches hosted,
60 pitches prepared across eight squares,
plus ongoing upkeep of 11 rugby and football pitches.

These achievements came against the backdrop of one of the most challenging starts to the year for grounds professionals nationwide. The first half of 2025 was marked by prolonged dry spells, minimal rainfall and increased pressure on irrigation resources. Across the sector, grounds teams have reported increased difficulty in maintaining turf quality under these conditions, with fixture demands often compounding the pressure.

To help meet these challenges, the Oundle team reviewed their equipment and invested in a new battery-powered mower to support both performance and sustainability.

For Sam Wyles, who has been part of the grounds team for over a decade, the season highlighted just how important reliable and versatile machinery was in coping with demand.

“I’ve been here for 10 years and we’ve always had a lot to manage, but with 257 matches this summer, it was on another level. We knew early on we needed a mower that could handle long days, give us flexibility and help us reduce the strain on the team. The ES-510 hasn’t disappointed.”

The decision to switch from petrol-powered equipment to a battery-powered mower was not made lightly. The team carried out research, spoke to colleagues at other schools and tested options. After a successful demonstration from Dennis’ sales manager, Jason Briggs, the school chose the ES-510.

“We did some research and found that the ES-510 had a really good battery life. We’ve had friends and colleagues in other schools that have used the machine and it came highly recommended; it hasn’t disappointed. It’s built to last and robust.”

For the team, the benefits quickly became clear: low noise, zero emissions, reduced HAVs and long-lasting battery power.

“We use a lot of petrol-powered machinery and we’re finding that we need to reduce HAVs wherever we can. So, we’ve moved to battery-powered equipment and this has not disappointed. The ES-510 doesn’t need much of a grip to hold onto it, so there’s less strain on your wrists and the reduced handle arm vibration levels have really been noticeable.”

Noise reduction has been another benefit in a busy school environment.

“Noise levels are an issue for us. The quieter machine has made it a lot easier. We can start a bit earlier without affecting anyone else around us.”

With zero emissions and a full day’s battery life, the mower supported the school’s sustainability ambitions as well as its practical needs.

“We’ve been using this mower to prep our cricket wickets. We used to use petrol equipment, but we found that we can get a full day’s running out of this with the batteries.”

Time was at a premium all season and versatility quickly became one of the mower’s standout strengths.

“The versatility of the ES-510 has made a real difference. We can quickly swap between cassettes, brushing wickets one moment, then switching back to a cylinder the next, which means we need fewer machines to do the same range of jobs. The ability to adjust the cylinder or the cutting height without tools is really easy and saves time. Importantly, we can set the walking speed and the clip rate separately and the machine automatically keeps the clip rate consistent even if the speed changes. That gives us a better, more uniform finish while ensuring everyone on the team can work at the same pace.”

Even with the packed schedule, standards were never allowed to slip. The built-in back-lapping feature in the controls allowed the team to keep the mower and grass in peak condition all through the season.

Grounds Manager Gary Peden reflected on the decision to invest:

“The school is deeply committed to becoming more environmentally friendly and sustainable. After chatting with Richard at Oakham School, who uses this particular model, we went for the Dennis ES-510. It has given us the confidence to maintain the highest standards across every cricket pitch and square while using electric power. Its battery performance, low noise and versatility have allowed the team to work more efficiently; it’s been a huge step forward for us.”

Looking back, Peden says the investment has given the team confidence to maintain the highest standards across every pitch, while also moving towards more sustainable working practices. For schools and clubs facing similar fixture pressures, he believes the lessons learned this season will be invaluable.

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POGO Turfpro announces new appointments

August 29, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

POGO Turfpro announces new appointments: POGO Turfpro, a division of Stevens Water Monitoring System, specializing in soil and turf management data insight solutions, is pleased to announce the three new POGO Business Development Directors.

These individuals bring extensive experience as superintendents and turf managers, further strengthening POGO’s growing team. These professionals underscore POGO’s ongoing commitment to advancing agronomy practices and scientific approaches through data-driven decisions in turf performance, health, and irrigation management for golf courses, sports turf, and turf industry professionals.

POGO Turfpro announces new appointments

POGO Turfpro officially welcomed Jonathan Dees, Kevin Neal, and Richard Douglas with a full product demonstration at Rock Creek Country Club in Portland, Oregon. The event showcased POGO’s capacity to deliver instant, science-driven insights into turf health, enabling managers to make more informed and sustainable agronomic decisions.

Jonathan Dees, leading support in AZ, CO, NM, TX, WY, New Zealand, and Australia, is a former golf course superintendent with extensive experience in golf green construction, irrigation system design, and agronomic planning for championship tournaments. He holds degrees in Turf Management and Horticulture.

Kevin Neal, leading support in CA, HI, and NV, is a former Certified Golf Course Superintendent with a strong background in golf course maintenance, regional operations, and business development. Neal successfully launched a golf division that grew brand recognition and sales momentum through strategic partnerships with organizations including the GCSAA, USGA, CMAA, and major water districts. He holds a degree in Botany and Plant Sciences.

Richard Douglas, leading support in GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV, and specific sport turf management properties, brings years of experience as a professional sports turf manager across Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, and NCAA athletics. Skilled in turfgrass science, irrigation management, and high-performance field maintenance, Douglas also holds degrees in Business Administration and Turfgrass Science.

We are pleased to welcome Jonathan, Kevin, and Richard to our team. Their extensive expertise and firsthand experience in managing premium playing surfaces will enhance POGO’s capacity to support turf professionals and property management. Their insights will contribute to optimizing turf health and developing innovative features to advance the quality of golf and sports turf maintenance.

The POGO team thanks Tom Keenan, Superintendent at Rock Creek Country Club, for hosting and allowing for a live demonstration of the POGO Turfpro system’s powerful turf insights.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

How Oundle School’s Grounds Team Met Record Demands

POGO Turfpro announces new appointments

How Oundle School’s Grounds Team Met Record Demands

POGO Turfpro announces new appointments

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

How Oundle School’s Grounds Team Met Record Demands

How Oundle School’s Grounds Team Met Record Demands: With 257 matches and extreme weather to contend with, the team share how planning, machinery choice and adaptability kept standards high.

POGO Turfpro announces new appointments

POGO Turfpro announces new appointments: POGO Turfpro, a division of Stevens Water Monitoring System, specializing in soil and turf management data insight solutions, is pleased to announce the three new POGO Business Development Directors.

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