Derby West End Bowls Club Relies on SISIS Rotorake Scarifier for Year-Round Green Maintenance

With a history spanning more than 100 years, Derby West End Bowls Club takes pride in maintaining its two bowling greens. Bernie Greenough has been responsible for looking after the greens for the past three years and, having been a member of the club for 10 years, has a strong understanding of the demands involved in maintaining the playing surfaces. This is particularly important during periods of dry summer weather, when keeping the greens healthy and in good playing condition can be challenging, requiring careful management of watering and maintenance to prevent the surfaces from drying out.

Working alongside a core team of five or six volunteers, Bernie and the wider green team undertake the club’s annual programme of cutting, verticutting and general green maintenance.

For a club operating with limited funds, equipment that can provide multiple functions is particularly valuable. The SISIS Rotorake pedestrian scarifier was purchased primarily because of its interchangeable cartridge system, allowing the team to carry out a range of maintenance operations with one machine.

“This particular machine was purchased primarily because of its cartridge system, because at the time we had limited funds, and it’s a very good workhorse.”

The club has a selection of cartridges, including a scarifier, brush and sorrel roller, which are used at different stages throughout the year.

“We have a number of cartridges – scarifier cartridge, brush cartridge and sorrel roller – that we use in equal amounts over the green for the year. So, it’s proven to be a very important part of the club, and will be going forward.”

Versatility across the maintenance programme

The Rotorake’s interchangeable cartridge system allows the club to adapt the machine according to the requirements of the greens throughout the season.

The scarifier cartridge is primarily used during end-of-year maintenance. Although the club also has a Dennis verticut cassette in their Dennis FT mower, the scarifier provides an important role in removing accumulated dead plant material and thatch from the base of the grass.

“We use the scarifier to basically refresh the grass, remove thatch and provide a medium for the new seed to take root going forward. Removing this material helps create better conditions for new grass growth by allowing air and water to reach the soil and developing roots and it will enable us a base for the new grass to get access to the air and the water and the soil, and provide a good growth for the next year.”

Supporting healthy grass growth

Verticutting provides a finer form of surface maintenance, helping the team to remove thatch, lateral growth and improve the conditions around the grass plant.

“Verticutting again is a finer version of scarification. It basically enables us to comb the grass and remove the thatch, but it also helps to lift and cut the lateral runners. The grass has rhizomes and stolons, so the verticutter lifts those runners and cuts them, which encourages the plant to produce new growth. It also enables the water to penetrate the ground and allows air to get to the roots, which basically encourages the grass to grow.”

The brush cartridge then provides an efficient method of collecting the material removed during scarification and verticutting.

Previously, the team had to collect this material manually using a rake.

“Before we used to have to manually pick it up with a rake and people, but now we can do the same job in a lot quicker time by using the brush attachment.”

For a small greenkeeping team, this ability to complete essential maintenance more efficiently is a significant advantage.

A reliable, maintainable machine

The Rotorake has also demonstrated considerable longevity. Despite being an older machine, Bernie says its straightforward construction and accessibility have contributed to its continued reliability.

“It’s a very old machine, but again, it does what it says on the tin. It’s an early post-1985 Auto-Rotorake Mk4, and it’s still doing exactly what we need it to do. It’s got a good, sound system, it’s straightforward to maintain and it has proved to be a very reliable piece of equipment for the club.”

Routine maintenance is also straightforward, with the belts readily accessible should they need to be replaced.

“All the belts are easy to access, so on the odd occasion that we have had a belt snap, that’s been easy to change. The adjustment for the height is easy as well. We’re also only about 10 minutes from the Dennis factory, so parts availability is very good, which makes maintaining the machine straightforward and means we can get what we need when we need it.”

For a club where equipment needs to be reliable without creating unnecessary maintenance demands, this simplicity is highly valued.

“It’s a sound piece of equipment that’s doing a very good job for the club.”

Looking to the future with SISIS

Despite the age of the existing Rotorake, its reliability and versatility have made it an important part of the club’s maintenance equipment.

The club would like to invest in a newer mk5 version in the future, but Bernie says the positive experience with the Rotorake means SISIS would remain the preferred choice.

“It’s a very old piece of kit and the club would really love to get the newer version of it, and we would definitely stay with this device because it is just amazingly reliable.”

For Derby West End Bowls Club, the SISIS Rotorake provides a versatile and dependable solution for maintaining its two bowling greens, with its interchangeable cartridges allowing the team to adapt the machine to different maintenance requirements throughout the year.

“It’s easy to maintain, so it’s again very, very key for the club as a very important part of its equipment.”