Tag Archive for: Bowls

COMPO is top of the range for bowls greens

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COMPO is top of the range for bowls greens: Ian Dickson, a bowling green contractor, believes that COMPO EXPERT products have proved to be top of range without the premium price tag.

Ian originally started his career in greenkeeping but switched to bowling green maintenance ten years ago. While admitting it is a completely ‘different animal’, Ian says he quickly got an appetite for maintaining bowls greens and has done so ever since.

COMPO is top of the range for bowls greens

COMPO is top of the range for bowls greens

He explained how he first started using COMPO EXPERT products on bowls greens.

“In my greenkeeping days I used to order a lot of products from Agrovista Amenity (the exclusive national distributor of COMPO EXPERT’S turf products in the UK) and my representative was Ramsay MacGregor. I stayed in touch with Ramsay when I switched to bowls because he is very knowledgeable, and he gives valid reasons behind using products.

Ramsay is genuinely interested in a plant’s health and his advice is key to my operations.

“Ramsay came in and looked at the bowls greens I was working on. He suggested using some COMPO EXPERT products and explained how they had been getting great results on some golf courses, so I decided to give them a try.”

COMPO EXPERT believes in sustainable, integrated turf management by focusing on modern fertilisation concepts, consistent regeneration of growth and optimal support of the plant’s own physiological processes. All of which promote vitalisation, stress tolerance and root development while providing optimum turf quality.

The innovative product range includes specialty mineral and stabilized fertilisers, slow and controlled release fertilisers, water soluble and liquid fertilisers as well as biostimulants, trace elements and soil conditioners.

The first product Ian tried from the COMPO EXPERT range was Fertilis® Speed, an NPK complex fertiliser with emphasis on nitrogen for spring and summer application to promote growth and a quick green-up.

“The green where we applied the Fertilis® had a lot of bare areas and the growth has been tremendous,” said Ian. “We applied it in May and had a full 12 weeks out of it. There has been less disease, the sward is a lot thicker, and even during a big drought period the greens performed superbly.”

Ian also maintains a sand-based green which is prone to leaching. For this green he applied Floranid® Twin Eagle K – an extra fine granulated slow-release complex fertiliser of excellent solubility.

“The nutrient levels on this green are very hard to maintain. With the Twin Eagle K, you don’t get the flush of growth in the way you would from the Fertilis®. Instead, you get an even, consistent growth. I judge the consistency of it by looking at the amount of grass cuttings I take from the mower each week. We get three boxes of cuttings three times a week and that underlines how consistent the Twin Eagle K is. Again, we get excellent results.”

Ian claims that he has been very impressed with the longevity of the products and believes that there isn’t much on the market that can beat COMPO EXPERT products in terms of performance and price.

“A lot of other fertilisers just don’t have the longevity that these do,” he said. “We were using a cheaper fertiliser in the past and I was applying twice as much product, so it ended up costing me more.

“The COMPO EXPERT products are top the range, but you don’t pay top of the range prices for them. They are very fairly priced compared to their competitors.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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Bowls England Supports GroundsFest

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Bowls England Supports GroundsFest: Bowls England, the national governing body for lawn bowls, is supporting GroundsFest and will be running a dedicated education programme at the event which will be held at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on 20 – 21 September.

In a dedicated theatre on the event floor, the Bowls England education programme, sponsored by Dennis and SISIS, will run on both days of GroundsFest. The programme will combine insightful seminars and practical tips while Bowls England’s Expert Advisor Alan Lewis, will take to the stage to discuss a wide range of key topics.

Bowls England Supports GroundsFest

Bowls England Supports GroundsFest

Alan will be on hand to share his advice on end of season renovations to ensure that greens receive the required treatment. He will also be discussing best practice including tips on cutting, brushing, scarifying, spraying, verticutting, aerating and watering. Furthermore, there will be essential information about grant funding support, and choosing the correct grass seed.

A machinery workshop will give delegates an opportunity to see several turf maintenance techniques in action and will allow them to gain some hands-on experience with a variety of equipment.

Later in the day attendees will receive a tour of GroundsFest giving them the chance to speak to leading manufacturers and industry experts. The education programme will conclude with a ‘Turf Clinic’ question and answer session, where delegates will get the chance to ask some of their own questions to Alan.

Commenting on Bowls England’s decision to have a presence at GroundsFest, Jon Cockcroft, Chief Executive, said: “Bowling Greens truly are the beating heart of our sport.

“We are committed to helping clubs create the best possible environment for its participants to enjoy a superb bowling experience and are keen to work with industry specialists to educate clubs and provide them with the relevant information to achieve this.”

For more information, please visit www.groundsfest.com

You can also follow GroundsFest on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @GroundsFest for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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

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Dennis & SISIS conclude bowls seminar programme

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Dennis & SISIS conclude bowls seminar programme: Dennis and SISIS recently concluded their annual bowling green maintenance seminar programme, and by all accounts it was another huge success.

Committed to educating greenkeepers and raising the standards of bowling greens, Dennis and SISIS have long supported the sport of bowls. Their bowling green maintenance seminars continue to go from strength to strength with delegates praising them for helping make an improvement to their greens.

Dennis & SISIS conclude bowls seminar programme

Dennis & SISIS conclude bowls seminar programme

The 2023 programme saw renowned Turf Consultant Alan Lewis kick-start each seminar. In his presentation, which focussed on renovations and maintenance, Alan discussed best practice including tips on brushing, scarifying, spraying, verticutting, aerating and watering.

The experienced Stuart Yarwood, North West Technical Manager for DLF and Johnsons Seeds, then advised attendees on how to choose the correct grass seed and top dressing before the focus turned to mowers.

Delegates stepped on to the green to hear from Andy Walker, Field Support Manager for Dennis and SISIS, on how to get the best performance from a mower. In this popular ‘Mower School’ feature, Andy drew upon his 40 plus years of experience to provide tips on everything from operation to the maintenance of mowers.

Dennis & SISIS conclude bowls seminar programme

Dennis & SISIS conclude bowls seminar programme

After a complimentary lunch, an on-green demonstration was carried out and all delegates got to see many of the maintenance tips both Alan and Andy mentioned in their presentations performed by a range of Dennis and SISIS turf maintenance equipment.

The seminars were rounded off with the popular ‘Turf Clinic’ question and answer session, where delegates got the chance to ask some of their own questions to the experts.

It was the first ever seminar for Peter Jones from Ponciau Park Bowling Club in Wrexham, after recently taking over the maintenance from the local authority.

“We found as a club, probably due to budget constraints, that the green had been neglected so we have started to have more member involvement,” he said. “Today has been very informative, I picked up lots of tips, and I wish more of our members could have attended.”

Brian Sullivan, from Hargrave and Huxley Bowling Club in Cheshire, said: “The seminar was very detailed and there was so much information to take in. It was informative, enlightening and I learnt a lot.”

Dennis & SISIS conclude bowls seminar programme

Dennis & SISIS conclude bowls seminar programme

Echoing Brian’s thoughts was Jonathan Brown from Broughton Holdings in Stafford. “It was great from start to finish and there were so many excellent speakers. I particularly found the machinery set-up session to be beneficial and it was brilliant to see some equipment in action.”

Further information about the range of bowls maintenance products available from both manufacturers can be found by visiting www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisMowers and SISIS @SISISMachinery. You can like the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK and www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest Dennis and SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers and www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery.

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

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Bowls Greenkeeper of the Year Announced

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Bowls Greenkeeper of the Year Announced: Graham Instone of Dunnington Bowls Club, York, has been crowned as the Bowls England Greenkeeper of the Year.

In the hotly-contested Greenkeeper of the Year category – sponsored by Dennis and SISIS – Graham took the honours, largely for his innovative roadshows, sharing his knowledge with local clubs.

Bowls Greenkeeper of the Year Announced

Bowls Greenkeeper of the Year Announced

He has been a member of his beloved Dunnington for over 40 years and has been looking after the green for the past 15 years. Graham, 80, and his right-hand man ‘Big’ Jim, 88, have a consistently busy schedule of fixtures and work hard throughout the year to keep the green in a superb condition. In fact, the impressive green has become the talk of the Yorkshire bowls community and it is for this reason that Graham decided to undertake a series of roadshows.

Graham visited various bowls clubs throughout Yorkshire to help other volunteer greenkeepers raise the standards of their greens. Following the roadshows, Graham continues to offer advice to most of the bowls clubs he visited.

The Greenkeeper of the Year Award received over 120 entries and Graham was one of five shortlisted finalists. Joined by family and friends, including ‘Big’ Jim, at the award ceremony, it was a moment that Graham will never forget.

“My name was called out; my picture went up on the screen and I was shell shocked. I can’t really put into words how I feel if I’m being honest. I normally get very emotional, so everyone was worried that I would get on stage to collect the award and cry. Fortunately, I kept it together!”

“It is the achievement of a lifetime, but this award just isn’t for me as an individual. It is for my team, for the club, and for my family.”

Award sponsors Dennis and SISIS have long supported the sport of bowls and are committed to educating greenkeepers and raising the standards of bowling greens. For over 20 years, they have been organising and hosting educational maintenance seminars throughout the country which are designed to ultimately help club greenkeepers and volunteers maintain their bowling greens.

Further information about the range of maintenance products available can be found by visiting www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisMowers and SISIS @SISISMachinery. You can like the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK and www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest Dennis and SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers and www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery.

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

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Dennis & SISIS partner with Bowls England

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Dennis & SISIS partner with Bowls England: Dennis & SISIS and Bowls England have announced a new five-year partnership which is aimed at improving playing surfaces, increasing participation and helping to safeguard the future of the sport.

Passionate about helping everyone get the most out of the sport, Bowls England recently unveiled a new strategy, ‘Fit For The Future’, which has been designed with the ultimate goal of getting more people playing and enjoying bowls.

However, to entice more people into the sport, there must be a focus on the playing conditions; and this is where Dennis and SISIS come in according to Bowls England’s Chief Executive Jon Cockcroft.

“What is absolutely critical for us is that the bowling greens up and down the country are in superb condition for people to play on,” he said. “Over recent years there has been more strain on our clubs, and the challenges of maintaining greens are becoming greater.

Consequently, this partnership with Dennis and SISIS will allow us to support our clubs, and our amazing volunteers, who work tirelessly to look after the greens.

“The partnership will add value to our members and ultimately improving the quality of the surfaces is going to make the playing experience better which will help grow our game and get more people playing bowls.”

Also committed to educating greenkeepers and raising the standards of bowling greens, Dennis and SISIS have long supported the sport of bowls. For over 20 years, they have been organising and hosting educational maintenance seminars throughout the country which are designed to ultimately help club greenkeepers and volunteers maintain their bowling greens.

The pandemic inevitably put a temporary halt to the seminars and as a result the two British manufacturers launched an innovative Virtual Bowling Green Maintenance Seminar Portal. The free online portal was an instant success bringing seminars to a much wider audience and also allowing members to benefit from a wealth of knowledge.

Roger Moore, Sales and Marketing Manager for Dennis and SISIS revealed his delight at the new partnership.

“The sport of bowls has played an important part in the history of Dennis and SISIS,” he said. “We want to be associated with Bowls England particularly at such an exciting time as they launch their five-year strategy.

“The plan is to continue next year with the live seminars and provide access to Bowls England members to the online seminar portal, which has monthly updates from experts, funding opportunities, and access to other partners. Whether you are an experienced greenkeeper or new to the industry the portal is an invaluable resource.

“The partnership will allow both parties to explore and develop other initiatives going forward and we hope we can play a part helping Bowls England’s achieve their goals It also allows us to give something back towards the future growth and sustainability of the bowls market.”

The partnership comes ahead of an exciting year for both Dennis and SISIS and Bowls England; 2022 marks the centenary year for the Dennis brand and it is also the year of the of the Commonwealth Games, in which the greens at Victoria Park in Leamington (also the home of Bowls England) will host the bowls tournament.

“There is a wonderful synergy to this partnership,” continued Jon. “Firstly – heritage; the heritage of our sport and the heritage of the Dennis and SISIS brands. Secondly, both have an appetite for quality. Thirdly, bowls as a sport and the Dennis and SISIS brands are quintessentially British; and last but certainly not least, both Bowls England and Dennis and SISIS have a desire to give back to communities. It is a perfect partnership.”

For further information please contact Dennis and SISIS on 01332 824 777

Further information about the range of maintenance products available can be found by visiting www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and SISIS @SISISMachinery You can like the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK and www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery

You can also view the latest Dennis and SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers and www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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

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