Tag Archive for: Maldon

Maldon Bowling Club: An Award-Winning Tale

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Maldon Bowling Club: An Award-Winning Tale: Mark Piper, the Greenkeeper at Maldon Bowling Club, Essex, has overseen a remarkable transformation in the quality of the club’s green. Thanks to a range of Dennis and SISIS machinery, particularly the SISIS Supaturfman and the Dennis FT510, the once-struggling surface has become a point of pride, earning Mark the prestigious Bowls England Greenkeeper of the Year Award.

Three years ago, Maldon Bowling Club’s green was plagued by bare patches and moss infestations, rendering it barely playable. The situation was disheartening for long-standing club members, prompting Mark to take action.

Maldon Bowling Club: An Award-Winning Tale

Maldon Bowling Club: An Award-Winning Tale

“It was very demoralising, especially for the people that had been at Maldon for a long time – this club has been a big part of their lives,” says Mark. “The local authority was managing the maintenance, and we weren’t really getting anywhere with them. I thought that the only way forward was to do it ourselves.”

Recognising the need for comprehensive maintenance solutions, he turned to a range of Dennis and SISIS machinery from the Howardson Group.

Key to the transformation was the SISIS Supaturfman, an independently powered heavy-duty aerator renowned for its effectiveness in sports turf maintenance. Mark credits the Supaturfman with tackling the persistent moss problem by addressing its underlying causes rather than merely treating the symptoms. Through regular aeration, the green became healthier and more resilient, laying the foundation for long-term improvement.

Complementing the Supaturfman, the Dennis FT510 emerged as an integral part of Maldon Bowling Club’s maintenance equipment. Offering a 51cm working width and versatile interchangeable cassettes, the FT510 provided unparalleled flexibility and performance.

Maldon’s members are particularly impressed with the verticutting cassette according to Mark: “The more experienced bowlers like it when I use the verticutter because it gives them the pace that they want.”

Mark also highlights the FT510’s roller clutch drive and variable clip rate, which ensure a smooth finish and precise control, essential for achieving the desired playing surface quality.

Mark’s dedication, coupled with the reliability of the equipment, propelled Maldon Bowling Club to new heights, earning accolades and fostering a thriving community of bowlers.

“Membership has gone up approximately 30% in the three years that we have been doing the green, and I like to think our work has contributed towards that,” says Mark. “The club is certainly getting a much better reputation and it was nice to be able to turn it around – the Dennis and SISIS equipment has massively helped.

“What I would say to clubs who find themselves in a similar position to what we found ourselves in, is to try and go it alone – it is not as difficult as people think. If you have dedication and commitment, then the Howardson Group can help you with the rest, in terms of equipment, advice and training.”

Despite the remarkable progress, Mark remains committed to ongoing enhancement. Challenges such as excessive sand content in certain areas present opportunities for further refinement. Hosting prestigious tournaments like the Essex County 4’s Finals attests to the green’s newfound acclaim.

Through the integration of the SISIS Supaturfman and the Dennis FT510, Mark not only revitalised the green but also the spirit of the club. His story serves as an inspiration to greenkeepers everywhere, demonstrating that with determination and the right tools, even the most daunting challenges can be overcome.

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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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

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

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