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FT510 turns it around at Maldon

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FT510 turns it around at Maldon: The Dennis FT510 cylinder mower has been integral to Maldon Bowling Club’s team of determined volunteers and has helped to improve the green according to Greenkeeper Mark Piper.

Maldon Bowling Club is a friendly and progressive club situated in the Blackwater town of Maldon in Essex. It has a wide playing membership of approximately 90, with bowling abilities ranging from novice to international standard.

FT510 turns it around at Maldon

FT510 turns it around at Maldon

The Club is pleased to boast former English and Essex County Champion Andrew Squire as a member. Does a player of Andrew’s calibre put pressure on Mark and his team of volunteers?

“Not really,” he said. “I put more pressure on myself because I have my own standards and if I know the greens not up to scratch then we work hard to improve it.”

The green has indeed seen significant improvements after the Club decided to take over the maintenance themselves.

“It was the best decision we made,” said Mark. “It made sense financially and because we can dedicate more time to it, the green has improved no end.”

Mark assembled the team of volunteers and it was soon time to look for suitable equipment to maintain the green. After a lot of research into various machines, he decided that the Dennis FT510 cylinder mower was the best option.

The Dennis FT510 has become the ‘must have’ piece of turf maintenance machinery at bowling clubs around the country and it’s easy to see why. With a 51cm working width, the FT510 provides its user with comfort, flexibility and excellent performance. A true sense of control is obtained through the unique roller clutch drive for a smooth take-up and a variable clip rate helping to create the desired finish.

Available with five-bladed and ten-bladed cutting cylinders the machine can be matched to any situation and the interchangeable cassettes can be changed without the requirement of any tools. The range of 12 different cassettes mean that one machine can be used for several key maintenance tasks including scarifying, verticutting or brushing.

After initially being sceptical about whether Maldon Bowling Club could afford the Dennis FT510, he was delighted when Dennis and SISIS pointed him in the direction of some funding opportunities.

“I hadn’t even thought about whether funding was possible,” said Mark. “However, after speaking to Dennis and SISIS, funding was a very realistic option. All the staff at Dennis and SISIS were instrumental in helping us with the funding package and we were delighted when we received the funding from SUEZ Communities Trust.”

It wasn’t long before Mark was the proud new owner of the Dennis FT510, and he is of the opinion that it has significantly improved the green at Maldon Bowling Club.

FT510 turns it around at Maldon

FT510 turns it around at Maldon

“Robert Jack (Dennis and SISIS Area Sales Manager) brought the FT510 to us at Maldon and he gave us a very good demonstration,” said Mark. “He stayed with us most of the day and went through all the information thoroughly. By the time he left, we were all greatly confident that we could use the machine.”

“I mainly chose the FT510 because of its ease of use,” he continued. “What I really like, is that with just one power unit I can do all the different jobs throughout the year with the cassettes. We bought what we thought were the most essential cassettes – the 10 bladed cylinder, the scarifier, the verticutter and the sorrel roller. I believe that it certainly saves us a lot of money because otherwise we would have had to purchase all the equipment for these tasks separately.

“Ultimately, the FT510 has gone down very well – it is so comfortable to use and everybody is very happy with it. In the short amount of time we have had it, it has already made a difference to the green.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

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

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Portable power whenever you need it

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Portable power whenever you need it: The new Nexus Escape PAD1500E from EGO provides access to power whenever and wherever it is needed. With a 240V AC power outlet and two USB ports, the new unit can be used to power a range of equipment, from laptops and mobile phones to TVs, outdoor lighting and other equipment that requires access to a flexible, portable power source.

With a long history of creating cordless power tools and gardening equipment, EGO have harnessed the power of their industry-leading 56V Arc Lithium batteries to create a multi-purpose power source, which offers low-noise and zero emissions. The Nexus Escape can be paired with any of EGO’s 56V Arc Lithium hand-held batteries, which range from 2.5Ah to 10Ah.

Portable power whenever you need it

Portable power whenever you need it

EGO offer the industry’s highest energy capacity in a portable handheld battery. The innovative arc design and ‘keep cool’ technology ensure that battery temperature is kept low and prevents overheating. Recharge times vary depending on capacity, but average around 80 minutes with a standard charger, or 30 minutes with a rapid charger. Once charged, the batteries simply click into the Nexus Escape to provide a reliable, quiet and portable power source.

Weighing in at 0.5KG, with an integrated carrying handle, the Nexus Escape is easy to transport and small enough to fit into a backpack. Its compact size and low weight mean the Nexus can be used as a temporary power source for anything from business trips to beach visits, festivals and camping trips. With enough power to charge 5 laptops for ten hours (when paired with a 7.5Ah battery), the Nexus is also a great solution for home offices or small businesses looking for reliable back-up power.

The Nexus Escape PAD1500E retails at £84.99. It is also available as a kit, complete with battery and charger, at only £219. Visit www.egopowerplus.co.uk for more information.

EGO Power+ products come with extended domestic warranties up to five years when registered within 30 days of purchase.

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The men who made it happen

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The men who made it happen: When Malcolm Campbell struck the official first drive to open Dumbarnie Links in early summer it was a proud moment and one that he sometimes felt he wouldn’t be around to see.

Malcolm, a respected golf writer, who had the dubious pleasure of being my boss in the mid 80s, had been the driving force behind the golf course and the man who had experienced first-hand the highs and lows of turning a dream into reality.

The men who made it happen

The men who made it happen

“We moved to Lower Largo in 1993 and had a disused railway line at the bottom of the garden. One day we walked about a mile along it towards Elie and I came across land that I thought was just waiting to have a golf course built on it. It was all fescue bent on pure sand and you could see where sheep had dug out what could have been old fashioned bunkers,” recalled Malcolm.

In many ways, however, having identified the land for a potentially world class golf course was the easy bit. Who owned the land? Could they be persuaded to turn it over to a golf course? Who would invest the type of money required to build such a course? Would it get through planning? Will the various pressure groups be appeased? Who could design a golf course to fulfil the potential of the land?

That last question was the only one with a straight-forward answer.

Malcolm had long been friends with Clive Clark, the former Ryder Cup player, BBC commentator and award winning golf course architect.

“I visit Clive every year at his home in Palm Springs, California and one evening we were sitting having a gin and tonic and I started telling him about this piece of land. I told him that he’d make a great job of it but that we’d need to find a developer, investors and convince the owner,” explained Malcolm, who had by this stage found out that Lord Balniel, the owner of Balcarnes Estate, was the man who would need to be persuaded.

One might have thought that dangling the carrot of a new Fife links course in front of potential investors would have drawn quite a crowd but Malcolm and Clive found it harder than they had hoped and the initial investor actually pulled out when the project was well into the planning process.

“It then took another year for Clive to put together another group of private investors and we had to start the planning process again from the very beginning.”

Having been persuaded that his land would make a world class golf course, Lord Balniel was on board, even agreeing to free up more land when Malcolm showed him what moving the original site up to some higher ground could offer.

“It was a huge site and from the escarpment the views were incredible stretching all the way from Elie across the Firth to Edinburgh. When I visited it with Lord Balniel he said we could take what we needed. So I went back to Clive and we reappraised the plans and he did a fantastic job on the newly agreed land, with 13 holes looking out to sea and only two holes, the 7th and 17th playing uphill,” explained Malcolm, who had ladled more pressure on his old friend by saying that it needed to be a course ranked in the world’s top 100.

“There was no use just building another golf course. It needs to be ranked in the top 100 to tap into the American market and, let’s face it, if you are going to build a links golf course near St Andrews it would have to be in the top 100 worldwide.”

But judging by the now completed and opened course, neither Malcolm nor Clive need worry. It is stunning and there is one other course somewhere out there, which is going to drop out of that elite listing.

Due to Covid, Clive couldn’t make it over to the grand opening so it was left to Malcolm to play the opening shot but while he was disappointed not to have his old friend there doing the honours Malcolm revealed that they had played many rounds the previous summer, with only minor tweaks being made by Clive along the way.

Malcolm can rest happy that golf course he “discovered” is now being shared by golfers and will be for as long as golf continues to be played.

Brush-Pro keeps it clean at Worksop Town FC

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Brush-Pro keeps it clean at Worksop Town FC: After a new synthetic pitch quickly turned fortunes around for Worksop Town Football Club, the club’s attentions soon turned to the maintenance of their new pitch. Life president and groundsman Keith Ilett explains why they chose the SISIS Brush-Pro.

It is safe to say that over recent years, Worksop Town FC had fallen on hard times. In fact, the club was close to liquidation and arguably, no-one was more saddened than life-long fan, Keith.

Brush-Pro keeps it clean at Worksop Town FC

Brush-Pro keeps it clean at Worksop Town FC

“It was a very difficult period,” said Keith. “I’ve been supporting the club since 1954 and I was four years old when my dad and my grandad started to bring me along to watch the games. I then got more involved with the club in the 70’s and actually celebrated my 50th year at the club just a couple of months ago.

“Fortunately, Pete Whitehead (new owner), came in and he has completely turned the club around.”

One of the first actions under Pete’s new ownership was to remove the natural grass pitch and install a new synthetic pitch in a bid to make the club more self-sufficient.

“The revenue that the club receive from hiring the pitch out to the local community will hopefully keep the club surviving,” said Keith.

With a tremendous amount of usage building on the pitch, Keith required a machine to keep the surface at the highest possible standard, and this led him to the SISIS Brush-Pro.

It is a very common misconception that synthetic surfaces require very little attention but just like natural turf, they require maintenance as soon as they are constructed if they are to perform to the standard expected of them. Regular and periodic upkeep is required because it ensures a safe playing environment, retains the performance characteristics as well as prolonging the longevity of the surface.

The SISIS Brush-Pro is a ride-on brushing system comprising a pair of mid mounted oscillating units and three rear mounted brush units that that have been specifically designed for maintaining synthetic surfaces.

Brushing synthetic surfaces is essential to keep infill mobile, lift the pile and prevent algae accumulation, surface compaction and loss of porosity. The Brush-Pro has been designed for maximum manoeuvrability and operator comfort with features such as an electric start, hydrostatic drive for forward/reverse and its brush combinations – oscillating for thorough periodic work and rear mounted brushes for routine frequent work which cause less compaction than conventional drag brushes.

Brush-Pro keeps it clean at Worksop Town FC

Brush-Pro keeps it clean at Worksop Town FC

“I’m so happy with the Brush-Pro,” said Keith. “It really does leave you with an immaculate pitch once you’ve used the machine and we tend to give it a good brush after every ten hours of usage.

“I like to take it nice and slow when I’m using the Brush-Pro and I tend to brush in different directions in order to get the best results – it is fantastic breaking up any compaction which could potentially cause problems.

“It’s so comfortable to use as well – it is highly manoeuvrable and just a joy to use.”

Keith is now looking forward to a brighter future ahead.

“This is the start of new beginnings. We’ve got a great new pitch, brilliant equipment and a new owner who knows his football and knows his business – we couldn’t be in a better place.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

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

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It’s Always Terrain When It Pours

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It’s Always Terrain When It Pours: Enable Leisure and Culture (ELC) is a registered charity, contracted by Wandsworth Council to manage and develop the council’s parks, commons and playgrounds. Working in conjunction with sub-contractors such as idverde.

ELC takes responsibility for monitoring the grounds maintenance across a total of 200 sites. Enable also advises Wandsworth Council on its responsibilities with respect to legislation relating to biodiversity and best practice in the ecological maintenance of parks. Among the sites under their watchful eye are the sports pitches, of which there are 95 football pitches, 10 cricket squares, bowling greens and running tracks.

It’s Always Terrain When It Pours

“A lot of the sites are on made up ground and experience major problems with drainage,” says Andrew Green, Enable’s Parks Officer, Sports Provisions. “We have carried out aeration down to 300mm but it’s not enough to get to the pans.”

Andrew called on the services of Terrain Aeration whom he has used for around 20 years to deal with waterlogging problems, most recently for Tooting Common, with its six senior football pitches which became waterlogged in the winter season; along with Garratt Park and Fishponds Playing Fields. Terrain Aeration’s Terralift was brought in to apply deep penetration aeration to relieve the problem. The machine uses a JCB road breaker hammer to drive a hollow probe one metre into the soil. This is needed, especially on made up ground, because it is usually so compact at depth it requires the hammer to get through. Once the probe reaches the optimum depth, compressed air is released up to a maximum of 20Bar (280psi). This blast fractures the compacted soil to allow drainage and deep aeration.

It’s Always Terrain When It Pours

The probe is withdrawn and, in the case of the work for Wandsworth, the process repeated using one and a half metre spacings on a staggered grid pattern. This means each shot interconnects the fissures. On the tail end of the blast, dried seaweed is injected which sticks to the walls of the fractures and fissures. Over time, this expands and contracts with the moisture content in the soil to effectively keep the ground drained. At Wandsworth the 1½” probe holes created by the Terralift machine were backfilled with Lytag aggregate to provide a semi-permanent aeration/ventilation shaft, helping to keep the whole aeration process working. Put simply, Andy Green says: “We wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work. We find the Terrain Aeration process is a cost-effective solution, without the need to dig up pitches and lay drainage.

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Smoothly Does It At Ganton GC

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Smoothly Does It At Ganton GC: Ganton Golf Club in North Yorkshire has upgraded its irrigation system with Toro Lynx central control and Infinity sprinklers on the greens and aprons.

And it was an installation which went “almost too smoothly” according to deputy head greenkeeper Mathew Wormald thanks to the combined efforts of Reesink Turfcare and Green Irrigation.

Smoothly Does It At Ganton GC

“It’s so rare in life to have something deliver exactly what it says it will and this irrigation system does just that. From the start everything has worked well, performed and delivered exactly what we want, where we want it. Working with Peter Newton from Reesink and Rob Green from Green Irrigation has been a pleasure, in fact, installation went almost too smoothly, I kept thinking it can’t be this easy!”

The sandy course in the rural Vale of Pickering, which is one of the top 80 golf courses in the world, was once a North Sea inlet. Over the years the original characteristics of the heathland and links course have changed, and undulations have been lost due to woodland and heathland growth. As a result, the greenkeeping team of nine have been restoring the more traditional aspects of the course. Some of the aprons have been made larger to widen the areas of play.

And it’s this that instigated the decision to replace the irrigation system, says Mathew: “The previous system was over 20 years old so we were coming up to the time to replace it, simply to take advantage of the technological improvements a new central control system, such as Toro Lynx, would offer. But really the upgrade was made all the more urgent after the work implemented to update the course.

“Basically, the old sprinklers didn’t have the capabilities to throw the arc of water as far as we needed with the changes we’ve made to cover the bigger area of play on the greens. Full uniform coverage is so important, and we simply weren’t getting the reach.”

Mathew had a diverse CV before joining Ganton with stints in Belgium and Hong Kong, all of which bought valuable experience to one of the very few clubs to have staged the Curtis Cup, Walker Cup and the Ryder Cup.

Having previously used Toro irrigation, Mathew says: “I’ve used Toro irrigation before, so I was aware how easy it was to use and how precise. We don’t rely heavily on our irrigation system here, mainly because the grass is deep rooting so we can push it a bit more and that’s another thing that appealed so much about the Toro system – we can be as accurate as we need to be, tackling only the areas that need it. This will be far more efficient for us long-term.”

And it’s not only Lynx and Infinity that are working so well together, as previously mentioned the relationship with Reesink and Green Irrigation delivered too. Mathew concludes by saying: “It was a project that didn’t just bring us a solution to a problem, it introduced us to some really knowledgeable people in the industry and from start to finish was problem-free.”

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Keep It Sharp With Toro Blades

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Keep It Sharp With Toro Blades: Switch out the old and bring in the new. With grass growth fast and furious make sure you and your machines are ready for high season with Toro’s rotary blades and guarantee a beautiful finish.

Too often, we talk about how important it is to have a good quality mower and forget that, just as important as the mower, are the parts you put in it. Now, with grass growth at its peak, is the time to be vigilant and ensure rotary blades are sharp and ready to deliver the best cut possible.

Keep It Sharp With Toro Blades

Reesink Turfcare’s parts manager Michael Hampton says: “Spring sees greenkeepers tackle large areas of grass much more frequently than other times of the year; activity that can quickly dull rotary blades. Here we look at how to prevent unnecessary downtime and out-of-action machines, with proper maintenance and parts stock planning.”

Maintenance best practice includes checking all blades to ensure they are not twisted or bent as they require more horsepower to operate, damage the turf, create vibration and noise, and shorten spindle life.

Michael comments: “To stay on top of maintenance while mowers are being used more regularly, I highly recommend Toro customers stock up on replacement rotary blades now, rather than waiting until there is an issue. In order to prevent damage to your machine and ensure operator safety, when signs of wear are identified, the blade must be replaced immediately – making on-hand spares extremely useful.”

Choosing blades produced by the manufacturer of your machine is recommended, as is “choosing blades with a toughened steel microstructure to improve wear resistance”, says Michael. “Choosing a generic blade that is not precisely manufactured for the mower may result in poor quality of cut due to incorrect blade angle and height.”

Toro’s precisely engineered blades fit the cutting unit perfectly, but each is carefully crafted to specific turf needs. For example, the ‘No Sail’ (flat) blade is a good choice in high summer working well in very dry and dusty conditions and across areas that are not mowed as regularly, plus these blades make quick work of cutting down weeds.

The ‘High Sail’ is best used early in the spring season when the grass is still thin and wispy or prone to falling over a lot, or if you’re missing grass leaves with other rotary blades.

An ‘Angled’ blade is usually what is supplied as standard with the machine, giving the best all-round cut and the ‘Atomic Sail’ is what’s best later in the season, perfect for mulching up leaves or for use with a recycling deck to mulch the grass.

Genuine Toro rotary blades are designed to work harder for longer, reducing the risk of unexpected wear and breakages other non-genuine parts can suffer. They will not need replacing as often as ‘will-fit’ parts and mowers will deliver a sharper cut for a beautiful finish for longer.

To find out more or place on order, contact Reesink’s parts department on 01480 226870.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Polaris Has It Covered

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Polaris Has It Covered: Now is the perfect opportunity to make a great saving on a new Polaris Ranger Diesel. These robust and powerful Rangers boast Polaris Active Descent Control for smooth, controlled hill descents, automatically braking all four wheels (when switched to the appropriate setting) on steep inclines for greater safety. Handling and ease of driving is made lighter and smoother as well with Electronic Power Steering fitted as standard, making all-day riding a more comfortable experience.

Add to this there is currently a 0% finance offer available on the Ranger Diesel and to make life even more comfortable you can have a free half cab, with a limited period offer. Purchase a new 2018 Polaris Ranger Diesel HD EPS EU or Ranger Diesel HD EPS Tractor from selected Polaris dealers between 1 October 2018 and 21 December 2018 and you can receive the free half cab promotional package. The package includes 1x fixed glass windshield, to keep the weather at bay, and a washer/wiper kit with battery connection kit.

Polaris Has It Covered

The Polaris 0% finance scheme is available over two years with 2 + 22 monthly payments up to a maximum of 80% of the Recommended Retail Price. So you can take advantage of lower monthly payments and Polaris also has one of the widest ranges of accessories available. The 0% finance can include up to £1,000 excluding VAT on genuine Polaris ATV and UTV accessories, although of course you are already part of the way there with the half cab promotional package. Naturally, terms and conditions apply to both the 0% finance offer and the half cab promotion and you can find out more by contacting participating Polaris dealers.

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GKB Combinator Does What It Says

GKB Combinator Does What It Says

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GKB Combinator Does What It Says: Landscape and sports surface contractors Mumby Landscapes have taken delivery of a new GKB Combinator. Based at Deeping Gate just north of Peterborough, the company undertakes projects over a wide geographical area and initially purchased the Combinator for a project in Wales. Working with grass seeding, natural and artificial turf, Mumby Landscapes Ltd. regard the GKB machine as an essential addition to their range of specialised landscaping equipment.

“We tried the Combinator last year and were immediately impressed. It’s very well made and does everything it says. It’s an easy machine to work with and matches all our expectations.” Says Mumby’s Director, Mark Dew. The Combinator is a multifunctional fraise mowing machine with the option of three types of blade or chisel used in conjunction with the CombiRotor. It offers the capability of fraise mowing the surface layer of a natural sports pitch, or the natural grass and surface layer of a hybrid grass pitch without damaging the remaining synthetic fibres. You can also use the rotor shaft for scarifying and there is also a special brush for synthetic turf which enables you to remove sand, cork and rubber infill. Material removal is by way of conveyor belts and the working depth of the Combinator is easily controlled with the pendulum system of the conveyor rollers.

GKB Combinator Does What It Says

“The Combinator is such an all-round machine it’s ideal for our type of landscaping and sports pitch contracting,” says Mark. “We currently have plans for a joint venture in artificial pitch maintenance and the Combinator will be used for rubber and sand surface work. We’re confident the machine will stand the rigours of what’s ahead.”

For more information, visit: www.gkbmachines.com

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