West Haddon Bowls Club Continues a 100-Year Legacy with Trusted SISIS Equipment
For more than 100 years, West Haddon Bowls Club has been at the heart of its local community, providing a welcoming place for bowlers of all abilities. Today, with around 30 playing members, the club continues to thrive thanks to the dedication of its volunteers-particularly those responsible for maintaining the bowling green.
Among them is Richard, a playing member who, alongside two fellow volunteers, has taken on the responsibility of green maintenance following the retirement of the club's long-serving greenkeeper.
"We've only been looking after the green for less than 12 months," Richard explains. "The previous greenkeeper retired last year at the age of 92 after around 40 years in the role. We've certainly got big shoes to fill, but we're learning as we go and doing our best."
Supporting the team is a range of trusted SISIS equipment that has served the club reliably for decades.
Versatility That Makes a Difference
One of the standout machines is the SISIS Auto Rotorake pedestrian scarifier, a compact yet highly versatile machine that has become an essential part of the club's maintenance programme.
"One of the biggest advantages is the interchangeable cassette system," says Richard. "We can quickly swap between brushes, verticutting cassettes and scarifying cassettes depending on the job we need to do. For a club with limited storage space, having one machine that performs multiple tasks is invaluable."
The Auto Rotorake's lightweight design, simple controls and wide tyres also make it easy to operate. "It's exceptionally straightforward to use. The cassette changes are simple, it's easy to manoeuvre, and the wide tyres mean it doesn't mark the green when turning."
Preparing the Green for the Future
At the end of each season, the scarifying cassette plays a key role in renovation work.
"We use the scarifier to remove organic matter and prepare the surface before overseeding," Richard explains. "Getting that thatch out improves drainage and aeration, which means any liquid seaweed, fertilisers or wetting agents can penetrate much deeper into the rootzone." Healthier roots ultimately lead to stronger, more resilient turf for the following season.
Encouraging Better Playing Surfaces
Throughout the playing season, the verticutting cassette helps maintain a consistent, high-quality bowling surface. "Verticutting helps remove lateral growth, where the grass spreads sideways instead of growing upright," Richard says. "Once that's lifted, we can mow it off, encouraging the grass to grow thicker and more vertically."
The result is a denser sward that delivers a smoother, more consistent bowl. "Reducing lateral growth improves the quality of the playing surface and creates a more even roll, which is exactly what bowlers want."
Proven Reliability Over Decades
The club's Auto Rotorake has been in service for well over two decades, with Richard estimating it could be approaching 30 years old.
"It's an essential piece of equipment because of its versatility. It doesn't take up much room in the shed, and with all the different cassettes, it's something every greenkeeper would benefit from having."
Aeration for Long-Term Turf Health
Alongside the Auto Rotorake, the club also relies on its long-serving SISIS Supaturfman aerator to maintain healthy turf throughout the year.
Fitted with chisel tines during the playing season, the machine allows regular aeration without affecting the smooth roll of the bowls.
"The chisel tines let us aerate the green while play continues because they don't disrupt the surface," Richard explains. For more intensive maintenance, the team can swap to solid tines , pencil tines or hollow tines depending on the time of year.
"Using hollow tines during renovation allows us to remove cores and apply top dressing, improving both drainage and aeration."
Richard believes regular aeration is one of the most important aspects of greenkeeping. "The more we can improve airflow and water movement through the soil, the healthier the roots become. It also means the products we apply—whether that's fertiliser, wetting agents or liquid seaweed—reach the rootzone instead of just sitting near the surface."
Built to Last
Like the Auto Rotorake, the club's SISIS Supaturfman aerator has stood the test of time. "We've had this machine for around 30 years," says Richard. "It gets serviced every year and it's still running brilliantly. Hopefully, with regular servicing, it'll still be going strong in another 30 years."
For a volunteer team learning the craft of greenkeeping while continuing the legacy of those before them, dependable equipment has become an invaluable partner.
At West Haddon Bowls Club, it's helping ensure that over a century of tradition continues to be played on a surface maintained to the highest possible standard.
