Roehampton Club, a prestigious multi-sports and social club in southwest London, has embraced sustainable practices with the introduction of two Dennis ES-860 battery-powered mowers.
Head Groundsman Simon Bailey and the grounds team have welcomed these new additions, which have helped improve the club’s maintenance of its tennis grass courts and croquet lawns.
Roehampton Club, with its vast range of facilities including an 18-hole parkland golf course, 28 tennis courts, croquet lawns, and other sports amenities, requires high standards of upkeep. The introduction of the ES-860 mowers has made a significant difference in the grounds team’s operations.
"We've been using Dennis mowers for over 15 years, and when it was time to upgrade, the move to electric felt like a natural step," says Simon. "The Dennis ES-860 battery mowers are perfect for us. Being in London and surrounded by houses, we need to be mindful of any noise. These battery-powered mowers allow us to start working at 6am without disturbing our neighbours – that’s a big win for us."
The ES-860 is a 34-inch battery-powered turf management system, designed to handle a variety of tasks using its 13 interchangeable cassettes, including cutting, scarifying, brushing, and verticutting. For Simon and the team, the flexibility of this system is one of its most valuable features.
“We use the ES-860 on our tennis courts and croquet lawns. On the tennis courts, we use them mainly for mowing, while on the croquet lawns, we use the verticutting and scarifying cassettes. The wide cutting width makes the job much quicker, and because we have two of them, we can cover a lot of ground fast,” Simon explains.
Environmental consciousness is a key focus at Roehampton Club. "We’ve got solar panels on all our roofs, and we’re committed to making our operations more sustainable, so switching to battery-powered mowers was the logical choice," Simon says. "These mowers reduce our fuel costs, and with no hydraulics, there’s a reduced risk of spills and mechanical issues."
Simon also highlights the impressive battery life. “We maintain 0.7 hectares of lawn tennis, and even after completing all the work, we’ve used less than 50% of the battery. What’s more, the battery performance remains consistent, whether we’re mowing, scarifying, or verticutting. It’s very reassuring.”
The adaptability of the Dennis ES-860 is a major advantage for Simon, allowing the team to change cassettes quickly and efficiently to suit the task at hand. "The best feature is the ability to swap the cassettes out in minutes. One minute, we’re verticutting, and the next, we’re mowing. This flexibility allows us to get more done in a day.”
Simon also praises the mowers for their quality of cut and ease of use. "The quality of cut is exceptional. We can control the speed and cassette speed easily, allowing for precise work without leaving marks when turning. The performance is always consistent, and we’re very happy with how they’ve enhanced our work."
With the addition of the Dennis ES-860s, the grounds team at Roehampton Club have not only improved their day-to-day operations but have also taken a significant step toward greater sustainability. “If you’re looking to reduce costs, noise, and emissions, while maintaining a high-quality playing surface, the Dennis ES-860 is the perfect solution,” Simon concludes.
