Dennis & SISIS have concluded their spring 2013 series of educational events with the recent bowls seminar at Meole Brace Bowling Club in Shrewsbury. Committed to educating greenkeepers on how to maintain and look after bowling greens, the British manufacturer was pleased with the event which saw over 50 people attend the day which encompassed a mix of technical presentations and demonstrations ‘on the green’.
The programme for the day was started by Toby Clarke, the company’s Area Sales Manager, who welcomed delegates from around the county before handing over to Matt Gresty of Limagrain, one of the UK’s leading plant breeder and seed producers.
In his presentation, Matt discussed grass seed for fine turf surfaces, fertiliser application, germination, disease management and what to avoid when renovating a green before opening up the floor for a lively Q&A session. This was followed by an informative talk by Charles Henderson of Sports Agronomy Services (SAS) on measuring and identifying organic matter. Charles’s presentation centred on achieving quality greens on a more consistent basis stating that the more organic matter you have, the more prone to disease you will be.
“Clubs spend a considerable amount of money each year managing organic matter – sand dressing, renovations etc”, said Charles. It can also cut the playing season short. That is why managing organic matter is so important”.
The morning session was completed with an outside demonstration of Dennis and SISIS turf maintenance machinery by the company’s Field Support Team Andy Walker and Ben Lloyd. Despite the cold weather, a wide range of machinery which could be used on the green was shown including spikers, scarifiers and a range of mowers.
After lunch, Charles Henderson talked about successful renovations for bowling greens, from choosing a renovation type to the terminology which has recently grown and become confusing which can often lead people in the wrong direction when choosing a maintenance programme.
The day was concluded with a talk about machinery servicing from local Dennis and SISIS dealer Jim Clarke Machinery before the now infamous ‘Turf Clinic’ – a question and answer session.
“The day today has been extremely enjoyable and very informative. Looking after a bowling green as I do takes a lot of time, effort and money. It’s always good to find new ways of maintaining the green and improving it for the years to come”, said Mike Below from Montgomery Bowling Club.
Sentiments echoed by the Head Groundsman of Bridge North Bowling Club who said: “The seminars give me a lot of food for thought. They are put over in a very user-friendly manner”.
Further bowls and cricket seminars are planned for later this year. For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis and SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com.
