Volunteer Team Transforms Historic Finedon Town Bowling Green with the Dennis FT Range

Dedicated volunteers at a historic bowling club have transformed the quality of their playing surface after investing in the versatile Dennis FT Range, proving that the right equipment and knowledge can make all the difference.

For Martin Pickering and the small volunteer grounds team at Finedon bowls club, maintaining a high-quality green is a labour of love.
Established in 1922, the club has long been a focal point for the local community. Martin, who has been a member for around 15 years, is one of three volunteer greenkeepers responsible for maintaining the green throughout the season.

"We just take it in turns with the mowing, rolling and whatever jobs need doing," Martin explains. "Every morning we decide who's doing what and just get on with it."

Taking Ownership

Five years ago, the club faced a significant challenge when local authority funding came to an end.

"It used to be council-run. They looked after the green and everything else, but about five years ago they stopped all the funding," says Martin. "Since then we've funded everything ourselves through the club and carried out all the work ourselves."
The extra responsibility has paid off. "Ever since then the green has come on a lot better than it was."

Investing in Better Turf Management

Looking to improve the standard of the playing surface, the club invested in the Dennis FT Range, the industry's leading interchangeable cassette mower system for fine turf maintenance.
For Martin, the decision was straightforward. "We went for the Dennis mower because of the ease of changing the cassettes, the reliability and the value for money. You've got a whole range of cassettes that let you do everything you need on the green."

The investment marked a huge step forward from the club's previous machine.

"We'd been using an old Royale mower that was about 30 years old. It just cut the grass. There was no front rake to lift the grass before cutting and no interchangeable cassettes, so we couldn't really do anything else to improve the surface."

From Basic Cutting to Complete Turf Care

The versatility of the Dennis FT Range has enabled the club to adopt a comprehensive maintenance programme rather than simply mowing.
"Before, all we were doing was cutting. The green was full of thatch and it was slow."

"Now we've got the different cassettes, we can scarify, verticut and carry out all the jobs we couldn't do before. It's taken the thatch out, the green is quicker, the grass is thicker, greener and overall it's made a massive difference."

Today, the volunteers follow a structured maintenance programme throughout the growing season:

-Mowing at 6mm three times a week, increasing frequency ahead of competitions.

-Verti-cutting every two weeks to remove thatch and encourage upright growth.

-Sorrel rolling twice a month to allow better penetration of air, water and nutrients

-Seasonal scarifying, followed by overseeding and top dressing to prepare the green for the season ahead.

Every Cassette Has Its Role

Martin says each cassette has become an essential part of their maintenance programme.

"The verticutter has made a huge difference. It removes the thatch and gives us a much more level playing surface. It thickens the grass and improves both the speed of the green and the quality of the surface.

The benefits extend beyond presentation.

"We used to have problems with moss and weeds, but regular verticutting has helped get rid of a lot of them. We've got no moss now and it's created a much better playing surface. It also helps lift and cut the lateral growth that slows the green massively."

The brush cassette also plays an important role.

"We use it for clearing worm casts, leaves and morning dew, while also standing the grass up before mowing."

Meanwhile, the 10-blade cutting cylinder delivers the high-quality finish bowlers expect. "We usually cut at around 6mm, although the cylinder can comfortably go lower if needed." Ahead of the season, the scarifier cassette removes winter debris and prepares the surface for overseeding and top dressing, helping ensure strong, healthy turf growth.

Easy to Use, Easy to Maintain

For a volunteer team, simplicity is just as important as performance. "The FT is very easy to handle and easy to turn at the end of each run," Martin says. "Changing cassettes is incredibly quick. It's basically just two knobs and you're done- no tools required."

Height adjustments are equally straightforward.

"With the old mower you needed spanners and it was much heavier and more awkward. On the Dennis it's a simple click adjustment without tools, so changing the height of cut is really easy." The interchangeable cassette system also reduces the need for multiple dedicated machines, allowing the club to carry out a full range of turf maintenance tasks using a single power unit.

Learning Alongside the Machine

Alongside the purchase, the team also attended Dennis and SISIS bowls seminars to maximise the machine's potential. "We signed up for the Dennis and SISIS bowls seminars and it really opened our eyes. It explained what we should be doing, how to do it properly and it's made a heck of a difference."

A Complete Solution for Bowling Clubs

Reflecting on the club's experience, Martin has no hesitation in recommending the Dennis FT Range to other bowling clubs looking to improve their greens.

"I'd definitely recommend it. It's easy to use, the different cassettes mean you've got one machine that does all your bowls maintenance, and it's made a huge difference to the quality of our green."

For volunteer-led clubs balancing limited budgets with high expectations, the Dennis FT Range has provided exactly what Martin and his team were looking for: one reliable, versatile machine capable of delivering professional-quality results throughout the year.
Find out more