Committed to educating greenkeepers on how to maintain and look after bowling greens, Dennis and Sisis delivered two extremely informative, educational and interactive seminars to greenkeepers in Scotland and England.

Firstly, the Dennis and Sisis team travelled to Dalbeattie Bowls Club near Dumfries to give expert advice to over 25 delegates. Speakers included top greenkeeping expert and Bowls International columnist Dave Bracey on how to look after your green, highlighting the importance of regularly rolling, spiking and swishing the dew back into the green as well as many other useful tips.

Bowls International Editor Patrick Hulbert was also present at both events in his capacity as a junior international player, explaining what an international player would hope for and expect before getting to the bowling green, and when turning up, highlighting the importance of care, colour and consistency.

For the event in Keswick, Bowls England Development Officer Alistair Hollis was invited to give an update from Bowls England, in particular on the Bowls England maintenance scheme.

DALBEATTIE

A very informative and useful talk by the symbio company on the importance of soils and disease prevention was followed up by legendary Bowls International columnist Dave Bracey, focussing on the importance of aeration and the reason why grass dies. Throughout the seminars, Dave highlighted the need for regularly swishing the dew back into the green, as well as rolling the green (particularly in March) and to spike as regularly as possible (particularly in winter). With the hosepipe ban looming when he did the seminars, he explained how water is lost by not regularly swishing the dew back into the green which will give the green much water it needs without having to water it.

This was followed by a short talk by Lloyd finance on how to pay for the machinery over a period of years and this was very informative for the greenkeepers.

Before lunch, Dennis and Sisis did a demonstration of the products, showing a wide range of machinery which could be used on the green including spikers, scarifiers and a range of mowers. The demonstration was informative and helpful, and the glorious sunshine certainly helped.

After lunch, Dave Bracey gave another one of his legendary seminars, explaining what should be done at different times during the year to your bowling green.

KESWICK

Dennis and Sisis then travelled to Keswick to spread the greenkeeping word to keen parties. Over 60 people attended this event and enjoyed and listened to the advice Dennis, Sisis and Dave Bracey had to offer.

The structure was similar to the day at Dalbeattie and the people who turned up found it thoroughly interesting. Instead of Symbio, British Seed Houses gave a talk to the bowlers and greenkeepers, explaining what Browntop Bent and Annual Meadowgrass is amongst other things.

Dave Bracey talked about the three different water types – combined, gravitational and hygroscopic, as well as reiterating to SWISH THE DEW BACK INTO THE GREEN!