Tag Archive for: Park

St George’s Park chooses Dennis E-Series

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St George’s Park chooses Dennis E-Series: Andy Gray, Head of Grounds and Estates at St. George’s Park, believes that Dennis Mowers got everything absolutely right in producing its new range of battery-powered mowers – the E-Series.

Built in 2012 and set in 330-acres of stunning Staffordshire countryside, St. George’s Park is the home of England’s national football teams. Overseeing a team of fourteen members of staff, Andy Gray is the man responsible for the upkeep of all the pitches and landscaped areas.

St George’s Park chooses Dennis E-Series

St George’s Park chooses Dennis E-Series

Andy joined 21 months ago from Southampton FC, where he had responsibility for St. Mary’s Stadium and the Staplewood training campus. Throughout his tenure, both were highly regarded as outstanding football facilities, and he admits there were not many jobs to tempt him away from Southampton FC.

“I was never actively looking to leave Southampton FC,” he said. “However, I always saw the position at St George’s Park as one of the top jobs in this industry, so when I saw it available, I thought it would be good to prove myself somewhere else.”

Once settled into the position Andy felt the time had come to start exploring the idea of introducing battery-powered mowers.

“There were a number of reasons for wanting to go down the electric route,” he said. “The real motive though was for employee welfare in terms of noise and vibrations. There were also the emissions to consider, as well as the environmental impact, the sustainability, and the rising cost of fuel.”

As a long-term user of Dennis Mowers, Andy was quite certain on what brand of battery-powered mowers he wanted.

“I have used the Dennis G860 cylinder mowers since 2001 and when I moved here there was already a fleet of nine G860’s and four Dennis PRO 34R rotary mowers. I felt it was a no-brainer to stay with Dennis.”

Leaving no stone unturned, Dennis Mowers spent three years working with carefully selected partners to develop a range of quality battery-powered equipment befitting of the Dennis badge. The aim was to provide a reliable and long-lasting solution with the ultimate performance that helps professionals meet sustainability and environmental initiatives, reduce carbon footprint, emissions, running costs and noise without any range anxiety.

“It was obvious Dennis took their time to do their homework, due diligence, and all the testing to make sure they got it absolutely right. This was really positive from Dennis – they made sure they were selling the finished article.”

Andy chose to purchase two Dennis ES-860 cylinder mowers from the ES range.

This 34” battery powered turf management system delivers maximum versatility and the range of 13 interchangeable cassette options provide a solution to many day-to-day maintenance tasks such as cutting, scarifying, brushing, sorrel rolling, and verticutting.

Furthermore, traditional G860 cassettes will also fit the ES-860, meaning that customers will not have to purchase additional cassettes.

A robust LCD keypad screen is an integral feature of the handlebar console providing the operator with a multitude of information options including speed, clip rate, service checks, lifetime running reports and battery information.

“We use them daily in the same way we use the G860’s, whether it be for cutting, brushing or verticutting. Battery range is so important because if you are over the far side of the site and you’ve got two or three pitches to cut, then it is imperative that it lasts. The ES-860’s haven’t run out on us yet.

“They have also come in handy when the England senior team are here,” Andy continued. “Media activities take place on the indoor pitch which is right next to the senior team’s training pitch. We would always be preparing the pitch for their next training session and would be constantly asked to stop because the mowers were making too much noise. With the ES-860’s, we no longer have that problem.

“As a company, Dennis is fantastic – the factory is nearby and the service, backup and parts department have always been second to none.”

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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John Deere fleet at St George’s Park

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John Deere fleet at St George’s Park: For the grounds team at St George’s Park, the home of England football, maintaining a world-class venue is a 365-days-a-year, 24-hours-a-day passion.

Located six miles from Burton in Staffordshire, the park is home to 14 pitches and sprawls across 330 acres with 150 acres actively maintained by a 15-strong team.

John Deere fleet at St George’s Park

John Deere fleet at St George’s Park

 

Andy Gray, Head of Grounds and Estates, is in charge while 10 take care of the pitches and four work on the wider estate.

“The sheer size of the estate is the biggest challenge,” says Andy, who joined The FA from Southampton FC.

A key part of his job is to foresee issues that will crop up in the future and putting a strategic plan in place to meet these potential challenges.

“I’m also responsible for making sure my team has all the tools they require to do their job effectively,” he adds.

To help them in their quest to continue delivering world-class excellence, the centre has invested in a brand new fleet of John Deere mowers, gators and tractors to maintain the England teams’ pitches and the wider estate.

The pitches

“It’s a high-pressure environment because you’re constantly trying to meet everyone’s expectations and when you have a small team on both sides it is hard,” says Dan Oliver, Assistant Head of Grounds.

Adaptability and responding to the UK’s unpredictable weather patterns is key. “The weather is the biggest thing,” adds Dan. “There are peaks and troughs, depending on how wet or warm it has been.”

With major Premier League and European teams plus sides from further afield making the journey to train at St George’s, Dan and the team feel the pressure to deliver a world-class experience.

“We constantly compare ourselves to other venues. A lot of the players will be coming from excellent facilities, so we do our best to mirror what they’re used to, and hopefully deliver more. This should be a step up.”

The estate

Management of the wider estate covers a range of tasks from woodland management to protecting and enhancing biodiversity.

Matt’s estates team is made up of him and three other people. This equates to an approximate ratio of one person per 25 acres to actively maintain daily.

The team’s existing equipment lease deal expired in January 2020, leading to a re-evaluation of what was required.

“That fleet was the same one that was set up in 2011,” Matt says.

“The ride-on mowing equipment we had didn’t suit our estate’s undulating terrain. The nature of the site means that you’re never sure what you’re going to come across and because of the soil makeup the ground is often wet.”

After an extensive demonstration process of the machines available to them, the team decided to go with John Deere because of the extra support the brand can provide.

“One thing that really impressed me from the start was the support John Deere gave us during the transition when the old fleet was going out and the new kit was still being built,” Matt says. “As it was transferred in we still had access to whatever equipment we needed.

“For us, one of the most important things was what would happen if something broke down. Our arrangement with John Deere means we can get answers quickly and get equipment back up and running.”

The team’s new John Deere fleet comprises three compact tractors in the form of a 2036R and two 4066R models, two TE and three HPX Gators, three 2750 E-Cut triplex mowers, two X950R riding mowers, one 7400A TerrainCut and a 8000A mower, one Progator and a HD200 sprayer.

All the equipment was supplied by John Deere dealer Farol through Area Sales Managers Jacob Shellis and Tom Spencer. With their support, full training was given to the workforce on how to set up the machines to operate with maximum accuracy and performance.

The fleet is fully connected and all machines are remotely monitored by Farol under Deere’s PowerGard protection plan. A maintenance agreement means work is carried out at scheduled times according to the service manual. This ensures performance is maximised and reduces the risk of breakdowns. The deal is in place for five years.

Nathan Page, one of the operators at St George’s, said: “A big difference is the 2036R and 4066R tractors. They are all-weather, comfortable and capable of pulling everything we need them to.”

His colleague Michael Bristow added: “The main thing for me was the training when the new kit arrived. We have been shown the right way to operate it all. The ride quality is also really good, which is important when you’re working on these machines all day.”

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Waterscapes keeps Triplets Park pristine

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Waterscapes keeps Triplets Park pristine: Waterscapes Limited, the UK’s leading water feature and irrigation specialist, is playing an important role in maintaining the landscaped areas at the Triplets Park and Viaduct development, Kings Cross.

The company provides on-going maintenance of the irrigation system on behalf of the estate’s landscape maintenance company. This includes attending the site weekly during the main season to carry out inspection and preventative maintenance work which ensures the continuing efficient operation of the Rain Bird irrigation system.

Waterscapes keeps Triplets Park pristine

Waterscapes keeps Triplets Park pristine

Designed to create a diverse public realm landscape, Triplets Park features borders with a wide array of plants, shrubs and trees as well as lawns, pathways and seating areas. The landscaping was completed as part of the project which included the regeneration of the original iconic Victorian gasholders, that were moved alongside the Regent’s Canal, and the re-erection of the historic columned triplet frame around a series of apartment buildings.

Waterscapes originally completed the extension of the site-wide irrigation system in several phases. Rain Bird irrigation products were specified to meet the diverse watering requirements of the site. These included flexible XFD surface Dripline for borders and narrow planting areas, 1806 Pop Up Spray Heads and PGA Series Control Valves. These were all connected to an existing Rain Bird ESP-LXD two wire controller with remote access through IQ Central Control.

Triplets Park and the Viaduct areas border the Coal Drops Yard boutique shopping destination and foodie hotspot. The main logistical challenge for Waterscapes was the implementation, timing and coordination of the underground services including pipework and control cables, to enable each area of the development to progress smoothly and on time.

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Walking on air in Greenwich Park

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Walking on air in Greenwich Park: The oldest enclosed Royal Park, Greenwich covers 74 hectares on top of a hill where visitors enjoy sweeping views across the River Thames to St Paul’s Catherdral and beyond.

There has been a settlement on the site since Roman times, and Greenwich has always had a strong association with royalty. Historic tree areas date from 1660 when Charles II was king and eleven original trees from the period can be found in the park. In 2019, the park had over five million visitors and with its view and attractions – there’s even a Saxon burial mound – it is no wonder when the pandemic struck there was a massive increase in visitors in the first year of lockdown.

Walking on air in Greenwich Park

Walking on air in Greenwich Park

“It was like bank holiday every day,” says Adam Stoter, Greenwich Park’s Technical Officer. “Greenwich Park offered an open-air space when there were few places people could go. The trouble was, the added footfall compounded the growing problem of compaction in and around the tree areas.”

The Royal Parks’ flagship project ‘Greenwich Park Revealed’ had already begun to restore the 590-year-old park to protect and share its heritage. They aim to go above and beyond in tree care and management and it was a natural progression to bring in the specialist services of Terrain Aeration’s Tree Division. The company has been treating tree areas in Royal Parks for many years and, in the case of Greenwich this year, applied their technology across 15,000 square metres. Where there is heavy compaction it is essential to break up the soil at a depth greater than the tree roots, other than the main tap roots which go straight down, to allow excess water to drain away and help stop anaerobic conditions and rotting of the root system.

The Terrain Aeration Terralift machine sends a probe to a depth of one metre where compressed air is released to a maximum of 20Bar (280psi). This blast of air fractures the soil and creates fissures which interlink as the Terralift repeats the process on a grid system of two-metre spacings. As the probe withdraws at the end of the air blast, dried seaweed is injected which sticks to the fissure walls, expanding and contracting with moisture content in the soil to keep the area ’breathing’. In most cases, the area treated will be one-metre inside and one-metre outside the canopy drip line to reach beyond the growing roots, increasing the percentage of oxygen intake and allow maximum drainage. In all, Terrain Aeration treated around 15,000 square metres to help ensure the future of the historic tree areas where visitors will literally walk on air.

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Sale secured at Trevalgan Touring Park

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Sale secured at Trevalgan Touring Park: When Neil Osborne, a partner of the family-owned caravan touring park in St Ives, Cornwall completed his research into the Ventrac package he was considering, it didn’t take long for the local dealer, Devon Garden Machinery (DGM) and the UK distributor, Price Turfcare, to spring into action.

Rob Read of DGM takes up the story,

“It all started with a call from Neil: he had already completed some in-depth research on-line and was looking for prices for a Ventrac tractor unit and a range of attachments. We had a short timescale in which to organise a demo as the end of the financial year was fast approaching.

Sale secured at Trevalgan Touring Park

Sale secured at Trevalgan Touring Park

“I put in an urgent call to Rupert Price, the UK distributor, and a demo was scheduled for the following Thursday. Rupert, his sales demonstrator Tony Doe and myself arrived at Trevalgan with Ventrac’s 4500 tractor unit, an Aera-vator with overseeder, a Finishing mowing deck, Power Broom and Front Loader and put each attachment through its paces. This enabled Neil to see the versatility, safety and efficiency of the machine.

“Within a couple of days, we had refined the package and secured the deal, with all the equipment delivered within 10 days of the demonstration.”

Neil Osborne added,

“The main reason I was interested in the Ventrac package was because of the ease of changing the implements safely and quickly on my own. The compact size and manoeuvrability of the machine is ideal for our busy campsite and enables me to get in to all the tight spaces.

“The overall quality of the machine and implements are excellent. I have been very impressed by the Area-vator as this helps to relieve the compaction of the pitches caused by a five-month season of continual use by tents, caravans and motorhomes. At the end of the season, this versatile implement can also re-seed the pitch at the same time, which makes the Ventrac very time efficient and I have been more than pleased with the end result.

“It also works really well to fluff the bark around the play equipment. The mower and broom attachments are regularly used and perform their tasks well. I would not hesitate in recommending Rob from DGM and Price Turfcare and look forward to dealing with them again in the future.”

About Trevalgan Touring Park

Trevalgan is an award-winning, luxury, five-star, family camping and touring park with stunning coastal and countryside views, just two miles from St Ives. The Park, which is owned and run by Neil and Annette Osborne, is surrounded by open farmland, with gorse and heather covered hills behind, and is within walking distance of the rugged and beautiful South West Coast Path.

The latest recognition for the stunning facility was made at the Cornwall Tourism Awards 2021/22, when the park was awarded Camping and Caravanning Park of the Year – Gold.

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Top-Brush improves Woolley Park GC

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Top-Brush improves Woolley Park GC: When a Redexim Top-Brush was unloaded from the trailer for a working demonstration at Woolley Park Golf Club in September 2021, Head Greenkeeper John Rowbottom was so impressed that it never went back on! 20 minutes spent on the 18th fairway of the West Yorkshire club were enough to convince John and his team of the improvements the Top-Brush could make to course presentation, and the role it would play in the non-chemical control of worm casts.

The complex, now consisting of 27-holes, was built by John’s father and grandfather and opened to the public in 1995. John has been involved since its inception and has witnessed many changes when it comes to maintenance tools and techniques in that time – particularly recently with the restrictions on chemical controls for worms. He explains, “We’ve been looking for new ways to manage, what is, a problem not just for us as greenkeepers but for our customers too. We’d read about the Redexim Top-Brush and so organised for Andy O’Neill, together with our local dealer Cheshire Turf, to bring in a demo unit which seriously impressed!”

Top-Brush improves Woolley Park GC

Top-Brush improves Woolley Park GC

“The day of the demonstration came at the end of a particularly warm spell so, despite not struggling with worms at the time, it’s potential was evident. We ran it over one of our fairways and it gave us an instant improvement in definition and overall presentation.” Since September, the Top-Brush has been used up to three times a week, going out ahead of the fairway mowers to stand the plant up, dry the plant out and improve the quality of cut. When worm activity then increased significantly during October & November, the 6m working width of the Top-Brush meant casts were quickly and effectively dispersed.

“Using the Top-Brush to disperse the worm casts has also helped to prevent damage, wear and tear to our equipment than can otherwise occur when casts are fed into them – we noticed that we weren’t having to constantly re-sharpen the mower blades for example.” John adds, “Redexim have come up with a fantastic solution to what is now a major problem for Greenkeepers, with a piece of equipment that doesn’t just come into play during the autumn but brings benefit to plant health and course condition year-round.”

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Thonock Park chooses Ventrac

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Thonock Park chooses Ventrac: Thonock Park, situated in the heart of the Lincolnshire countryside, is the home of two stunning 18-hole courses and the PING Academy, a multi-purpose coaching studio. They are the latest club to appreciate the benefits of Ventrac, purchasing a 4500 all-terrain compact tractor with a Contour deck and Turbine blower from Rotherham-based dealer, Russells.

Rob Acheson is the Course Manager and has been in the post for the past two years. He began his career at Hillsborough Golf Club, then spent 10 years at Wortley Golf Club followed by five years at Worksop before being appointed to his current role. He manages a team of 10 greenkeeping staff.

Thonock Park chooses Ventrac

Thonock Park chooses Ventrac

Commenting on the purchase of the Ventrac package he said,

“We wanted a machine that was versatile and value-for-money; a machine that could be used for multiple tasks and, if possible, operate in wet conditions.

“We contacted Russells and they suggested we have a look at the Ventrac. They came over for the demo on a very wet day, when even our fairway mower was struggling; in fact, it was stuck out on one of the courses! It was unbelievable, it worked brilliantly without causing any damage to the turf, and everyone was impressed. We placed the order shortly after the demo and it arrived a few weeks later.

“The Contour deck has a dual use; we maintain the semi-rough and around the bunker edges. It leaves a fantastic finish and the float of the outer cutting sections of the deck means we can get close to bunker edges without damaging the turf.

“The Turbine blower is a great piece of kit for clearing the autumnal fall on the Park course and for a small blower it easily rivals our tractor-mounted blower. It’s manoeuvrability and light weight allows it to get closer to the treeline providing more effective clearance.

“We recently hired in the Trencher attachment from Russells to create drainage bands on the fairway of the 4th hole on the Parks and it proved to be a really great asset. So much so, that we have now placed an order to buy one.”

General Manager Ben Hatch added,

“From a management perspective the Ventrac’s ability to operate on steep slopes up to 30 degrees and in seriously wet conditions, ensures that we can continue to maintain areas of the course in adverse weather and, most importantly, it allows the team to operate safely; a serious consideration when working on steep undulating terrain. Sometimes it’s the only machine we can get out of the shed during very wet weather.

“Overall, it ticks all of the boxes from a health and safety perspective and its versatility makes it excellent value for money. Rather than buying a dedicated mower to perform a single task, we have effectively purchased three machines for the price of one competitor machine. Financially, the numbers really stack up. It’s a great addition to our fleet.”

About the courses

After being played on for over 90 years, the Thonock Park course was revamped in 1985 by former Ryder cup player, Brian Waites. At 6223 yards (par 70), it is not the longest of courses but, with its tree-lined fairways, true greens and stunning views of the Lincolnshire countryside, it offers a great day’s golf for members and visitors alike.

Aptly named after Karsten Solheim, the founder of PING, the Karsten Lakes course was opened in 1997, after being crafted by legendary English golfer, Neil Coles. At 6900 yards (par 72) from the back tees, it offers a very different challenge to the Thonock Park course, with strategically placed bunkers and prominent lakes and water features on many holes providing a great test for all abilities.

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Mansfield Sand relied on at Wollaton Park

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Mansfield Sand relied on at Wollaton Park: From bunkers to greens, Martin Scothern – Head Greenkeeper at Wollaton Park Golf Club has long relied on a range of products from Mansfield Sand.

Wollaton Park Golf Club in Nottingham is widely regarded as one of the finest parkland courses in the East Midlands. A traditional members’ club, the course is set in 140 acres of the 516-acre Wollaton Park and is overlooked by the magnificent 16th century Wollaton Hall.

Mansfield Sand relied on at Wollaton Park

Mansfield Sand relied on at Wollaton Park

Designed by Tom Williamson and opened in 1927, it has been sensibly upgraded over the years to provide a challenging and enjoyable test for golfers at all levels.

The course has a reputation for play on full greens year-round and this is testament to the work of Head Greenkeeper Martin Scothern, who has been working at Wollaton Park since 1989. After leaving school he went straight into greenkeeping which was no surprise considering he used to work on his local golf course during the school holidays.

Martin’s use of Mansfield Sand stretches back to long before he started working at Wollaton Park, as he explains.

“Mansfield Sand has been used at every club I’ve ever worked at, so I was always aware of the company,” he said.

For the past 32 years Martin has been using Mansfield’s MM35 Golf pure silica sand for top dressing his greens which brings a number of benefits such as improved recovery, firmness, smoothness and an improved rootzone.

“We normally like to topdress every 4-6 weeks just to give the greens a light dusting,” he said. “I like my sand delivered at 6.30am in the morning when we are topdressing and without fail the Mansfield Sand delivery drivers are always on time. They will tip it off, we will apply it to the 20 greens, and it is job done. However, we will always make sure that we have a bit left over for any bunkers that need topping up throughout the season.”

As Martin says, MM35 Golf also makes for a great bunker sand as it has fantastic playing characteristics as well as being aesthetically attractive. In fact, Martin and the team are currently working on a long-term project to reconstruct all the bunkers and MM35 will be used in combination with rubber crumb and astro-turf.  “We have always used Mansfield Sand for the bunkers and will continue to do,” he said.

Bunkers and topdressing aside, Martin used a Fibre Reinforced Rootzone from Mansfield Sand to build a new short game academy green back in 2019. This natural sports turf sand dominated rootzone product is reinforced with polypropylene fibres. This is achieved by mixing the Mansil 40 silica sand, a screened topsoil and polypropylene fibres to create a completely homogeneous blend to be used as the upper rootzone. Consolidated to a typical 100mm depth the fibre reinforced rootzone can then be fertilised and seeded to produce the final grass surface.

With Mansil 40 in mind, Martin revealed that he will be trialling this product on his fairways in the not-too-distant future.

“We are going to start some work on three fairways that get a little bit wet in certain areas,” he said. “We’ve got some old pits underneath the golf course and the subsidence has caused some issues over the years. Therefore, we are looking for a coarser sand such as the Mansil 40 to brush in with some hollow coring and vertidraining. My hope is that by doing this regularly, it will help them to be more playable through winter.”

Martin will be joined by Sharon Morris, Golf and Football Sales Manager for Mansfield Sand, for the fairway trials, and he admitted that he would not be without her.

“I can call her up at 9:30pm and say Sharon, I forgot to call you today, I need some sand in the morning! I know that the sand will be there the very next morning. It is first-class customer service,” he said.

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

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Verti-Drain helps Rudding Park

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Verti-Drain helps Rudding Park: The recent delivery of a Verti-Drain 7416 from Redexim is proving key in the pre-winter preparations at Harrogate’s Rudding Park Golf Course.

According to Head Greenkeeper Richard Hollingworth there has barely been a day since the Verti-Drain arrived in August that it hasn’t been out – the versatility of 1.6m machine making it ideal for work on all areas of the course including greens, fairways and surrounds.

Verti-Drain helps Rudding Park

Verti-Drain helps Rudding Park

As a corporate golf course and part of the Rudding Park resort, not only does the club have a very active membership, the surfaces have to be fit to sustain play 364 days of the year… which equates to somewhere in the region of 40,000 rounds annually! “Because of the volume of rounds, when it comes to aeration it is critical that we’ve got equipment that is not just fit-for-purpose on the greens. We need to be getting some holes into the clay-based fairways to deliver the perfect course on any given day” explains Richard, who heads-up a maintenance team of nine.

“We had the 7416 on demo last year from our local dealer F. G. Adamson & Son and used it on all 18 greens, and throughout that extensive trial period we could tell it was going to suit us and the various requirements of our course. It was light enough to aerate the greens with minimal surface disruption, yet strong enough to be effective on fairways and surrounds.”  The superior build quality of the Verti-Drain 7416 makes it ideal for the full-range of aeration tasks; a range of tine options delivering flexible and accurate aeration down to depths of 350mm.

“To date, we’ve aerated all of the greens surrounds and multiple weak fairways with ¾” tines, as we tackle compaction and dry patches ahead of the arrival of winter. We’ve also purchased ½” tines for the deep, pre-winter work on the greens and needle tines for the summer.” Richard adds, “Spanning double the acreage of most regular courses, getting the job done well and quickly is so important. In my view, the Verti-Drain still leads the market in terms of ease-of use and performance, all backed-up with excellent support and service from Redexim and their dealer network.”

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S500 Plus performs at Victoria Park

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S500 Plus performs at Victoria Park: Mike Finch of idverde has praised the performance of the Dennis S500 Plus seeder which he uses on the five greens at Victoria Park in Royal Leamington Spa.

idverde was appointed by Warwick District Council in 2012 to undertake grounds maintenance and horticultural services within the district and has been doing so ever since.

S500 Plus performs at Victoria Park

S500 Plus performs at Victoria Park

Under their remit, idverde maintains a staggering 43 football pitches, 20 tennis courts, various hard surfaces and running tracks. All these sports facilities are overseen by the vastly experienced Mike Finch, who spent 24 years as head groundsman at Coventry City FC.

Whatever the nature of the sports surface Mike has the knowledge to maintain it, but he admits that the bowling greens at Leamington Spa’s Victoria Park are particularly precious to him.

“My main interest is the bowling club,” he said. “Bowling greens are very precise animals – they need a lot of attention. Greenkeeping isn’t about time – it is about dedication and precision. I take it seriously every single day and I don’t allow myself to play second best. My drive is passion and excellence and I always try and exceed expectations.”

This is certainly evident at the prestigious Victoria Park – the home of English Bowls. Always striving for perfection, Mike was pleased when he was recently offered the chance to purchase some new equipment and it is a process which he does not take lightly.

“Using the wrong equipment or using it at the wrong time can do a lot of damage and that is why I do a lot of research,” said Mike. “I make a point of listening to what other users have said and see what their experiences are; I will never rush into a decision. I’ve been doing this for 37 years and I like to think I know which equipment works best for the sites I am looking after.”

Mike chose the Dennis S500 Plus seeder. Ideal for bowls, cricket, golf and other fine turf and ornamental lawn areas, this dual-purpose machine has a 510mm (20″) operating width complete with interchangeable spiker and slotter reels. The spiker reel punches through the ‘surface pan’ allowing air, water and fertiliser to penetrate the root zone, while the slotter reel creates ideal seed germination pockets thus reducing seed wastage. Using the optional seed box attachment will ensure grass seed is dropped onto the ground at the prescribed rate and brushed into the pockets.

“I was on the lookout for a good pedestrian seeder and I came across the S500 Plus. We looked at various machines, which included second-hand ones and hiring them, but it was the S500 which stood out.

“Jason Briggs (area sales manager for Dennis and SISIS) brought it to us for a demonstration and it imprinted really well – we purchased it straight away.

“I like the way the seed is dragged in with the brush which is also attached to the S500. It drops the seed into all the slots, which makes the perfect seedbed, therefore allowing the seed to get top dressed and filled in.

“For general overseeding on established greens, it works very well and I’m incredibly pleased with how it performs.”

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 or 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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