How Topsham Bowls Club keeps its green intact

By Alistair October 1, 2020 06:17 Updated

John Brand, greenkeeper at Topsham Bowls Club in Exeter, insists that the Dennis FT510 and the Dennis Razor Ultra 560 are helping him to keep the reputation of Devon’s finest bowls green intact.

Founded in 1928, Topsham is one of the most premier clubs in Devon. Its full-size green is also considered to be one of the best in the South West.

John has been at the club for over ten years and has seen a continuous rise in membership, with more and more prestigious tournaments being held at the club. This is perhaps testament to just how good the playing surface at Topsham Bowls Club is.

He admits that the maintenance of the green has been made that bit easier through a range of Dennis Mowers. These mowers, from the British manufacturer, are used at thousands of bowling greens in the UK and can be found maintaining greens and lawns in many countries overseas helping greenkeepers to achieve their desired surface.

John chooses to use his trusty Dennis FT510 cylinder mower, which he has had for over a decade, as well as his newly purchased Dennis Razor Ultra 560.

The Dennis FT510, a 510mm (20”) cylinder mower fitted with the innovative interchangeable cassette system, is unrivalled as a mower and turf maintenance machine on all areas of fine turf. A range of 11 cassettes mean that one machine can be used for several key maintenance tasks including scarifying, verticutting or brushing.

John’s most recent addition, the Dennis Razor Ultra 560, has been developed specifically to meet the demands of fine turf such as bowling greens, golf greens and cricket pitches. With a 560mm (22”) cutting width, the Razor Ultra 560 incorporates many key features including an 11 bladed cutting cylinder, ultra-short wheelbase for undulating surfaces, tungsten tipped groomer, compact handle design for extra maneuverability, click height adjusters and stub free transport wheels for easy transport from site to site.

“The green is in great condition and that is partially because of these two mowers,” said John. “We’ve had the FT510 for a long time now and it has never let us down – I’ll still use that for verticutting.

“The main reason we purchased the Razor Ultra 560 was because we wanted the grooming facility to get rid of the long ends of the grass. It has worked wonders and it has really helped in thinning the turf which makes the bowl move more quickly across the green.

“I really like the weight of the Razor Ultra too and it is doing the rolling at the same time. We normally cut down to 4mm and it offers a fantastic finish every time – the presentation is unrivalled.

“I would suggest that both of these mowers are essential for any greenkeeper.”