Summer Sports - Bowls
A succesful bowls club is not just about its clubhouse, membership or hanging baskets but, most importantly, its playing surface; that patch of green that some bloke mows occasionally!
Laurence gale MSc asks ...
Is it time that bowls woke up?
Members need to understand that there is a cost to providing a good playing surface
most importantly, how the facility is run and managed. That’s a lot of factors to get right to ensure a club remains successful and solvent. However, the most important component of any club are the people within it; they can have the best machinery, clubhouse and resources available, but it is, without doubt, the ability, knowledge and commitment of individuals that brings success. I still find it ironic that the one major asset of any sports club - the pitch, green, playing surface, call it what you will - is, by and large, given the lowest priority when it comes to funding, management and resources.
T 78 PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013
he success of any natural grass sports facility is down to a number of key factors; its location, the state of the playing surface, the ambience of the clubhouse and,
Bowling clubs are a prime example. In
recent years, the sport has suffered a downward spiral of club closures and a loss of members. Much of the cause for this, I believe, is clubs not investing in their main asset - the green - whilst the people who are tasked with looking after it are rarely given the support and financial backing to make a difference. It is vitally important that clubs put aside an allocation of funds for the maintenance of their greens. I see far too many bowling clubs whose greens are in a poor condition due simply to the fact that not enough work is done on them. At the end of the day, there is a basic cost for materials and specialist operations. A typical end of season renovation, using a competent contractor, will cost between £1600-£2000; this would usually include the cost of the labour and materials - scarification, aeration,
To achieve a surface of this quality requires an understanding of the science involved. This one is at the Hurlingham Club
topdressing and overseeding. Some contractors will offer a yearly maintenance programme which will allow for spring and end of season renovation work, plus a number of other relevant cultural practices, such as regular aeration, and applications of fertilisers, wetting agents and fungicides, to keep the green in good condition; this might also include some winter mowing regimes. However, it may be that the contractor, unless asked, will not normally carry out the regular mowing duties during the growing season, but will always be available to offer advice and knowledge as required.
The cost for this would be in the region of £6000-£9000 depending on circumstances, location and condition of the green. All of the above costs are only a guide.
Obviously, many bowls clubs do the
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