Tag Archive for: SISIS

Dennis & SISIS Prepare For Waterloo

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Dennis & SISIS Prepare For Waterloo: Mark Audin is preparing the green at the Waterloo Hotel, Blackpool, for the biggest national tournament in the crown green bowling calendar, with the help of the Dennis FT510 and SISIS Dart.

Regarded as the ‘Wembley’ of crown green bowling, The Waterloo Hotel has been hosting tournaments for well over 100 years. In particular, The Waterloo Championships has been in existence since 1907 and this year it sees a phenomenal 512 entries from all over the country. Qualifying starts in July and concludes with the final 8 competing to get their hands on the famous trophy on 26 September.

Dennis & SISIS Prepare For Waterloo

Mark Audin has been working at The Waterloo for 10 years and for the last 5 he has held the position of bowls manager. He has a number of tasks under his remit but Mark’s main priority is to focus on the fabulous green at The Waterloo – which is a year round job, as he explains.

“Out of season when the green isn’t being played on, I cut down to about 7-8mm and during the winter we can leave it slightly longer at 10mm. From May onwards I like to keep it at around 7mm and that will gradually go down to about 6mm and possibly 5mm depending on how it is playing towards the end of the season. There is a misconception that you need to take the grass on a bowling green right down and scalp it, but that really isn’t the case as long as you regularly verticut and generally look after it all year.”

For the essential task of verticutting, Mark relies on the Dennis FT510, which is an interchangeable cassette cylinder mower. It offers the operator ultimate versatility by having the option of fitting twelve different cassettes including scarifiers, verticutters, brushes, spikers and slitters as well as 5 or 10 blade cutting cassettes.

“In the lead up to the Championships we will verticut with the FT510 once every four days in four different directions so that the playing surface will be completely smooth. Therefore, going into the Championships the green will become quicker and quicker to play on.

Dennis & SISIS Prepare For Waterloo

“We’ve got the sorrel roller cassette, the 10 bladed cylinder, the scarifier and verticutter Tungsten tipped cassette and it is all we really need here – it’s my complete maintenance tool. The FT510 is fantastic and it is so easy to use – one cassette out, one cassette in and off you go. In the past we have had machines which take half an hour just to change one cassette.

“I also really like the click adjustment on the FT510 for the height of cut, it is easy to set-up and is adjusted by 0.25mm with every click. Again, with other machines you will have to get a spanner out but on the FT510 it is adjusted in seconds. The fuel consumption also seems to be better than any others I have used in the past too.”

For reducing turf compaction at The Waterloo, Mark uses the SISIS Dart – which is an independently powered vertical action aerator. This popular bowling green aerator has a working depth of up to 100mm (4 inches) which can be easily adjusted from the operator’s position using the balanced depth control lever. Powered by a 6.5hp engine, the unit can also be fitted with a wide range of interchangeable tines to meet the operator’s requirements making it ideal as a bowling green aerator.

“We normally start using the SISIS Dart in July when the ground starts getting hard. We have a number of various interchangeable tines and we tend to go about 3 inches deep into the surface. It does a brilliant job at breaking the surface up, enabling you to get some moisture in and it really helps to reduce thatch and compaction. We’ve always had a bit of an issue with compaction because we have so many people on the green throughout the year,” he said.

“I would say that it is arguably the most used green in bowls and with all the games throughout the season, the green stands up remarkably well. That is, in part, due to the quality of the machines – I’ve tired others in the past but none are nearly as good as the Dennis and SISIS equipment.”

Dennis and SISIS are proud supporters of the Waterloo Championships and have a long history of supporting the sport of bowls. The British manufacturers of turf maintenance equipment host an annual series of free educational bowling green seminars throughout the UK, which have significantly grown year on year.

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

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SISIS Flexicomb Perfect For UKC

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SISIS Flexicomb Perfect For UKC: Lee Ballard, senior groundsperson at the University of Kent (UKC) in Canterbury, believes that his newly purchased SISIS Flexicomb is the perfect tool to help extend the life of one of the synthetic sports surfaces at the University.

Canterbury in Kent may well be known predominantly as the place of Thomas Becket’s murder at Canterbury Cathedral or for Geoffrey Chaucer’s 14th-century literary classic The Canterbury Tales, but it also boasts an internationally recognised university.

SISIS Flexicomb Perfect For UKC

Ranked in the top 10 in the UK in a national student survey, with over 5,000 students from different nationalities, the University of Kent has a reputation for academic excellence. It also has outstanding sports facilities, which includes two grass football pitches, two grass rugby pitches and synthetic sports surfaces.

Overseeing the maintenance of the sports pitches is Lee Ballard, who admits that one of the synthetic surfaces requires extra special attention due to its age and heavy usage.

“We’ve had one of the pitches for nearly 12 years now and that houses full-size football games, four five-a-side pitches and lacrosse games. It gets a lot of usage and is used from 5pm until 10pm seven days a week. You have the students who use it as well as local sports clubs and Gillingham FC’s academy teams.

“The pitch has had years of not having the best machinery to get deep enough to give it a good clean and we are trying to extend the life of the surface as much as we can,” he said.

The common misconception is that synthetic surfaces are maintenance free. Just like natural turf surfaces, synthetic surfaces require maintenance as soon as they are constructed if they are to perform to the standard expected of them. Regular brushing along with periodic aggressive brushing and maintenance is required to ensure that the playing surfaces achieve their full life expectancy, and to help Lee with this task he chose to purchase the SISIS Flexicomb.

“When I first started in this role my aim was to improve the synthetic surfaces. Previously we were using a machine which just had tines on it and it never seemed to do a very professional job. So, we started looking around and I saw an online video of the Flexicomb being used at Tottenham Hotspur. It looked great so I took all the details down, passed it further up the chain to say this was the machine we needed, and luckily there was money in the budget to purchase it.

“We obviously had a demonstration before we bought it but if I’m honest I knew that it was the tool we wanted because when I saw the video it just ticked all of the boxes.”

Designed primarily for use on synthetic surfaces, the Flexicomb ensures even distribution of infill materials and lifts the pile. The adjustable setting ensures the effect of a rake, but with the softness of a brush, reducing the risk of damage to the fibres. The bristle sections are replaceable and the Flexicomb is designed for a long working life with minimal maintenance.

SISIS Flexicomb Perfect For UKC

Furthermore, it can be used with SISIS Singleplay, Twinplay or Quadraplay mounting frames, which can all be connected to any tractor with 3 point linkage and utility trucks with suitable frames.

“We tend to use the Flexicomb three times a week depending on the maintenance schedule and make sure we give the surface a good brush after every ten hours of usage,” says Lee. “Sometimes we will double brush it both ways if time allows.

“It has so many good features – I like how easy it is to set-up and how simple it is to use. It does such a good job and leaves you with a great finish which is important because presentation is key. I also like how you can be slightly more aggressive on the ground and get in and move some of the crumb about and get rid of some of that compaction.

“The pitch is our front window so we try to look after it as much as possible and the more you put into it the more rewards you reap. The SISIS Flexicomb plays an integral part in helping us to achieve this.”

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

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Dennis & SISIS Announce Seminars

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Dennis & SISIS Announce Seminars: Dennis and SISIS have confirmed key dates and locations for their 2018 series of bowling green maintenance seminars.

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 Announce Seminars

The informative, educational and interactive seminars combine insightful seminars and practical tips while a number of industry experts also take to the stage to discuss a wide range of key topics.

Attendees can expect tips on early spring maintenance of bowling greens, grant funding support, and choosing the correct grass seed. A complimentary lunch, which signals the halfway point, offers great networking opportunities before attendees make their way outside to an on-the-green demonstration. The demonstration not only provides a perfect opportunity to see some of the sport’s best maintenance equipment in action but also brings together the morning education with the practical elements of applying it to the greens.

In the afternoon, delegates can gain a greater understanding of chemicals and fertilizers before the day concludes with the hugely popular Turf Clinic Q&A session – allowing attendees to ask advice about their own projects or any issues that they may have.

Dennis & SISIS Announce Seminars

The seminar schedule can be found below:

  • April 17th – Herne Bay Bowls Club, Kent
  • April 18th – Townsend Hook Bowls Club, Kent
  • April 24th – Exonia Bowls Club, Devon
  • April 25th – Oxford City & County Bowls Club, Oxford
  • April 26th – Ye Olde Knowle Bowls Club, Solihull
  • May 15th – Hunmanby Bowls Club, North Yorkshire
  • May 16th – Roundwood Sports & Social Club, Rawmarsh
  • May 17th – Tadcaster Magnet Sports & Social Club, Tadcaster

All seminars start with registration at 9am. To register for the FREE and highly informative seminars, please contact Roger Moore on 01332 824777 or email roger.moore@dennisuk.com.

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

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Dennis & SISIS Announce Seminar

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Dennis & SISIS Announce Seminar: Dennis and SISIS’ first bowling green maintenance seminar of 2018 has been announced and will be held on Tuesday 13th March at the Ipswich & District Indoor Bowls Club.

Dennis and SISIS have a long history of supporting the sport of bowls and the seminars which are designed to ultimately help club greenkeepers and volunteers maintain their bowling greens, have significantly grown year on year.

Dennis & SISIS Announce Seminar

Combining practical tips, demonstrations and key information from industry experts, the 2018 seminars are set to be well attended yet again.

Dennis & SISIS have now revealed the programme details for the first of these events and it provides all delegates with a taste of what to expect throughout the series of seminars.

Chris Humphrey from Collier Turfcare will deliver a presentation entitled Chemicals and Fertilisers in which he will be revealing how to get the best value and best results no matter what the budget is. Chris will be followed by Luke Hunt from Barenbrug who will proceed to advise on Choosing the Correct Seed for a Bowling Green.

Following a mid-morning break, Chris will return to the stage to explore a number of ideas and methods titled Controlling pests in the future.

Before a complimentary lunch, an open question and answer session called the Turf Clinic will take place – presenting all delegates with the opportunity to ask any pressing questions relating to their own situations.

The afternoon will see all attendees head outside to witness an On-Green Demonstration. This demonstration not only provides a perfect opportunity to see some of the sport’s latest turf maintenance equipment in action but will also offer guidance in the way you prepare greens and provide delegates with advice on how to get the very best out of their equipment.

Dennis & SISIS Announce Seminar

The seminar will start with registration at 9am. To register for the FREE and highly informative seminars, please contact Roger Moore on 01332 824777 or email roger.moore@dennisuk.com.

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

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Dennis & SISIS At GIS

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Dennis & SISIS At GIS: Dennis & SISIS have announced that they will be in Texas on February 7-8 to exhibit at the Golf Industry Show (GIS) at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

Over recent years Dennis & SISIS have enjoyed huge success at GIS and this is set to continue at the show in 2018.

Dennis & SISIS At GIS

Visitors to the Dennis & SISIS stand (booth 22112) will be able view and find out more about the British manufacturers’ leading range of world-class turf maintenance equipment.

For thatch removal…

The SISIS Veemo HD is a tractor-mounted de-thatcher used for removing thatch from large areas of turf, such as golf course fairways. The Veemo’s strong cutting blades are designed for minimum surface disturbance and maximum thatch removal via three floating heads which are independent from the main frame. The Veemo HD has been built following the same concept as the Veemo MK2 but with some enhancements such as more powerful hydraulics, increased pressure/power and twin oil coolers to improve the cooling process in hot climates.

The SISIS Rotorake 600 HDX is a superb thatch remover for regular routine use when used at a shallow setting, but with the capacity to work deeper where severe thatch problems occur. A range of interchangeable blades are available for year round use. The HDX incorporates the well proven SISIS Rotorake contra-rotation principle, whereby the reel rotates at high speed against the direction of travel. The blades therefore cut upwards continuously throwing the thatch forwards rather than pushing it into the surface.

The SISIS Auto Rotorake MK 5 is a self-propelled heavy duty de-thatcher for removal and control of thatch on fine and other quality turf. It works on the successful contra-rotating principle for a clean, consistent performance with a selection of blades to suit key seasonal tasks.

For aeration…

The SISIS Javelin Aer-Aid 1500 is tractor mounted vertical action aerator. This popular machine injects air directly into the root zone speeding up the aeration process, moving air uniformly throughout the root zone for complete aeration and not just where the tines have penetrated the surface. Those operating the Javelin Aer-Aid have the flexibility to alternate tines for other operations such as hollow coring prior to top dressing. Other benefits include a fast forward speed for excellent productivity, minimal maintenance and a smooth and quiet operation.

For the perfect cut…

Versatile, precise and comfortable: The Dennis G860 cylinder mower comes with an extensive range of unique features and benefits. With the interchangeable cassette system; the user has the option of fitting 11 quick changeover cassette including de-thatchers, verticutters, brushes, spikers, and slitters as well as 6 or 8 bladed cutting cassettes. The mower also features a large diameter front roller with an adjustable scraper which has been designed for a precise height of cut control, giving an excellent finish on every occasion.

For carrying out a number of key maintenance tasks…

The SISIS Quadraplay is a compact and versatile maintenance system. It can significantly speed up maintenance tasks by carrying out more than one operation simultaneously. This single pass maintenance system incorporates a mounted frame for up to four implements such as: grooming rakes, spikers, slitters, rollers and brushes.

The SISIS Twinplay frame, which enables the user to incorporate two implements, will also be on display at GIS.

The company’s experienced and knowledgeable staff will also be on hand to offer valuable advice to superintendents, owners, technicians and other golf management professionals about golf course maintenance and the machinery best suited.

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

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