West Haddon Bowls Club Team Embraces Greenkeeping Challenge with the Dennis FT Range
When West Haddon Bowls Club's long-serving greenkeeper retired after four decades at 92 years old, three volunteers stepped forward to take on the challenge. Armed with enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and a trusted Dennis FT Range, they're proving that volunteer-led clubs can deliver playing surfaces for the community to enjoy.
For Richard and his fellow volunteers at West Haddon Bowls Club, maintaining the green is about far more than cutting grass-it's about preserving the future of a club that has been at the heart of the community for more than 100 years.
"I've been involved with West Haddon Bowls Club for about four years," Richard explains. "I look after the club's social media and also volunteer on the green, trying to keep it looking good and playing as well as it can."
The club currently has around 30 active members and continues to attract new players, but behind the scenes, just three volunteers are responsible for maintaining the green.
Stepping into Big Shoes
Until recently, the club relied on an experienced greenkeeper who had cared for the surface for around 40 years.
"Our previous greenkeeper retired last season at the age of 92," says Richard. "Myself, Stefan and Damian decided we'd try to take on the role between us. We'd never looked after a bowling green before, so we've been doing it for less than 12 months and learning as we go."
Despite their inexperience, the trio embraced the challenge.
"It's great to be involved in a small club. I've volunteered in other roles within the village before, and helping to keep this club going is incredibly rewarding. Seeing people out playing regularly and knowing you've had a small part in making that possible feels fantastic."
Volunteers Keep the Club Alive
Richard believes many members of bowls clubs don't realise how much work goes into producing a quality bowling surface.
"Quite often what we do behind the scenes doesn't get noticed until something goes wrong," he says. "If volunteers weren't putting in the hard work every week, there wouldn't be a green to play on. Without the green, you don't have members—and without members, you don't have a club."
For Richard, the measure of a successful bowling green isn't simply appearance.
"I think a good bowling green is one that plays consistently across every rink. You don't want some areas fast and others slow. Of course it's nice if it looks good as well, but consistency is the most important thing."
Tackling Ongoing Challenges
Like many volunteer-run clubs, West Haddon faces its share of maintenance challenges.
The team has been working hard to overcome a long-standing localised dry patch in the centre of the green while also dealing with significant shade from neighbouring trees.
"We've stopped the dry patch getting any worse and we're turning the corner, but there's still plenty of work to do," Richard explains. "The trees create shade, drop seeds and debris onto the green through the winter, and can affect drainage as well."
One Machine, Countless Jobs
Helping the volunteers manage those challenges is the club's trusted Dennis FT Range. Remarkably, the machine itself has been part of the club for more than three decades.
"We've had this Dennis mower for over 30 years," says Richard. "I'm not even sure whether we bought it new, but we service it every year and it's still going strong."
The interchangeable cassette system has allowed the club to carry out a wide range of maintenance tasks using a single power unit—an ideal solution for a club with limited storage space.
"We've got quite a small shed, so having one machine that does lots of different jobs is a massive advantage. It's very easy to swap from one cassette to another, it doesn't take up much room and it's easy to maintain."
The Dennis FT Range is designed specifically for professional fine turf maintenance, with a choice of 12 interchangeable cassettes that can be changed in seconds. From mowing and scarifying to verti-cutting, brushing, spiking and slitting, the system enables clubs to carry out year-round maintenance using a single machine, reducing both storage requirements and machinery costs.
Every Cassette Plays Its Part
Throughout the season, the volunteers make full use of several FT cassettes to keep the green performing consistently. The sorrel roller is used during routine maintenance to create shallow holes in the surface. "It allows rainwater, wetting agents, liquid seaweed and fertilisers to get deeper into the soil while also letting air into the rootzone."
The brush cassette is invaluable throughout the year. "We use it for brushing the grass, clearing leaves, seeds and debris from the trees, removing a bit of moss and tidying up after scarifying."
Regular verti-cutting also forms an important part of the maintenance programme. "We normally use it about once a month. It removes lateral growth, stands the grass up for mowing and helps remove thatch, which encourages thicker, healthier turf."
Combined with the FT Range's precise cutting cylinders and simple height adjustment system, the interchangeable cassettes allow the volunteers to maintain a consistent, high-quality playing surface despite having relatively little greenkeeping experience.
Built for Volunteers
Ease of use has been another major advantage for the team.’’We find the Dennis really easy to use. It manoeuvres well around the corners and is surprisingly light when you're turning at the ends." That simplicity has also made it easier to involve other club members when extra help is needed.
"It's an excellent machine for inexperienced people. If someone comes down to help, it's easy to show them what to do and they pick it up very quickly."
Built to Last
After more than 30 years of service, the club's Dennis FT Range continues to perform reliably thanks to regular servicing and careful maintenance.
"Even with the original Honda engine, it's still going strong," says Richard. "We look after it every year and I think it'll continue looking after us." For Richard, the machine has become an invaluable asset in helping volunteer greenkeepers produce the best possible playing conditions.
"For anyone looking to upgrade or invest in a new mower, I'd definitely recommend a Dennis. It cuts brilliantly, the interchangeable cassettes make it incredibly versatile, and it's an excellent piece of kit for any bowling club."
