This week I thought it relevant to talk about the current state of bowling clubs - particularly crown green bowling clubs who, in recent years, have faced many challenges in response to low memberships, reduced income streams and club closures.

Talking to several Midlands groundsmen and contractors who look after bowling greens, there has most definitely been a decline in the number of bowling greens in existence. These have been lost due to closure, reduced memberships and a lack of maintenance funds.

Bowling was once one of the nation’s most popular pastimes and the bowling green has been part of the fabric of our towns and villages since the 1940s. Back in the late 1950s, early 60s, most large public parks, working social & sport clubs and pubs had a bowling green.

However, during the last twenty years, we have seen a steady loss of these facilities. When I worked for Birmingham City Council back in the 1980s I myself looked after several greens - only one now remains. Likewise, when I worked for Telford and Wrekin Council we manged several bowling greens within the borough, however, due to the austerity cutbacks, many have now been passed over to the individual clubs to maintain and manage.

An article in the Sunday Post, back in 2015, spoke of this worrying trend, stating that, “Bowling clubs are closing at a rate of one a month leaving the future of the popular pastime in peril. In some cases it’s because committee chiefs have struggled to maintain membership numbers. But in others the closures are down to members voting to sell off grounds to developers in exchange for huge cash windfalls. Dozens of prestigious greens, including one previously considered Edinburgh’s best, have been sold to house builders clamouring for town centre land. In total, 50 bowling clubs have closed since 2010, and there were 13,000 fewer registered players last year when compared to five years earlier.”

Having spoken to a number of local bowlers and greenkeepers in Shropshire where I live, they have said that there had been several clubs closed in the Shropshire leagues due to loss of membership and the fact they struggle to find the funds to maintain the green. I read with interest a blog on Bowls Central, that was published in 2018, that concurs with the current state of bowls and has suggestions on how we can increase membership and retain these valuable assets.

One of the biggest problems for clubs is the ongoing cost of maintenance of the green. When I was managing some council greens back in the late 1990s, the annual maintenance for the upkeep of a council bowling green was around £6,000 per year, which included end of season renovations.

There is no doubt the cost now is a lot more. A typical end of season renovation is likely to cost around £2,000 alone. At the end of the day, like all of our sporting facilities, there will always be a cost to bear, to maintain a natural grass playing surface.

Whether you hire in contractors or do the work yourselves, there will always be a price for time and for resources required to undertake the work. The key for me is that clubs need to have a good look at themselves and see how they can raise the amount of money required to complete the maintenance of their facilities.

In my opinion, too many clubs are not charging enough for membership fees. Quite often many clubs only charge between £30-£50 per year and a match fee. This clearly limits the amount of capital clubs could raise. In essence, they are far too cheap for the club facilities on offer.

Clubs need to address this and look at ways of increasing funding by both membership fees and other fundraising initiatives, while at the same time finding ways to bring in new members.

Bowls England, the sport’s governing body, promotes the opportunity for clubs to seek a number of funding initiatives. Every year, millions of pounds worth of grants and awards are available, which could help clubs to buy new equipment and improve their facilities.

Bowls England helps affiliated clubs to find out more information on the funding opportunities available to them by providing a comprehensive report that highlights potential funding opportunities that clubs might be eligible to apply for.

Bowls England also recommends that clubs speak further with their council and/or local Active Partnership for information on additional funding streams and to potentially assist with any funding applications that clubs may make.

Other funding options could be:

Sport England offers a number of funding programmes that are open to sports clubs. 

National Lottery - Lottery Funding is a joint website run by all Lottery funders in the UK. Use the website to search information on current funding programmes across the UK. Alternatively call for details on 0845 275 0000.

The other issue facing clubs is ensuring that they have a better understanding of the value of their greens. If they ever had to replace it, a new green would cost in excess of £150,000. Therefore the £8,000-10,000 that it would cost to maintain a green annually, is really a good investment.

One of the most important tasks of the year is to carry out appropriate end of season renovations, these should be based on an agronomic inspection of the green.

The following activities are generally implemented during autumn renovations and usually carried out in the following order, when conditions allow. The sequence of operations and their intensity will vary from green to green according to the condition of the green at the end of the season.

Mowing the sward, preparing surfaces for renovation. Lower cutting height to about 3-4mm to clean and prepare green for renovation operations. The mower can then be used to clean up the green after scarifying has been completed.

Scarification, removal of unwanted debris. Collect and dispose of arisings. Depending on the severity of the thatch, you may need to scarify several times in different directions. However, in most cases if regular verticutting / grooming has taken place during the growing season, you would probably only be required to scarify in two directions.

Aeration is the decompaction of soil, improving air and gas exchange in the soil profile. Depending on the turf's condition, you can choose to carry out hollow or solid tine spiking. Hollow tines are generally used on a bi-annual basis or when you have a severe thatch problem. Depth of aeration will be determined by the depth of your soil profile and what problems you want to rectify. Hollow tining is best achieved to a depth of between 75-100mm. Solid or slit tines can be set to penetrate deeper, ideally between 150-200mm.

Topdressing restores levels and improves surface drainage. Ensure you use compatible topdressing materials, sands, sand/soil mixes. Spreading can be achieved by several methods, utilising pedestrian or ride-on disc or drop action top spreaders - or by hand using a shovel and a barrow. Best carried out in dry weather. It is important that the topdressings are spread uniformly.

Overseeding restores grass populations. It is important to ensure a good groove or hole is made to receive the seed; good seed to soil contact is essential for seed germination. Good moisture and soil temperatures will see the seed germinate between 7-14 days.

Fertilising, provides nutrients for grass growth. Apply a low N nitrogen fertiliser product.

Investing in your green is an important task to ensure you have a decent playing surface to play bowls on.

Toro and Reesink Turfcare have announced they will be sponsoring the SALTEX College Cup 2019, managed by the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG).

The SALTEX College Cup is a student-led sports turf challenge, testing teams of students on their turf management knowledge with paper-based questions, a presentation and live test samples. The competition held during SALTEX at the NEC Birmingham from 30-31 October, presents a real challenge to its young contestants but with the promise of big rewards.

To celebrate the inaugural partnership, a once-in-a-lifetime prize with Real Madrid Football Club has been planned. The winning team of the 2019 competition will travel to Spain at the end of February 2020 for an invaluable groundscare work experience placement at the club’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in the run up to a major international game.

Working to raise awareness of academic rigour in turf management, the organisers describe the SALTEX College Cup as a fantastic way to reward those dedicated to and passionate about the industry while promoting the importance of education.

Commenting on the challenge, Dan Prest, Head of Member Services - Learning and Consultancy at the IOG, said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for turfcare students to witness the working practices at an elite venue and draw inspiration from Paul Burgess, a respected UK grounds manager. The winning team will have proven their knowledge in the competition and will also be able to add to their practical skills under the guidance of Paul and his team at Real Madrid.”

Reesink Turfcare’s marketing manager Rochelle Bedford said, "By sponsoring the SALTEX College Cup, we are demonstrating Toro and Reesink’s long-term commitment to the development of the industry and providing valuable learning opportunities for the brightest young groundsmen out there, which we hope will help them further their careers. Young talent and excellence in the groundscare industry is where the future lies and this latest partnership with the IOG will, we hope, help ensure progression in the sector. We are delighted to be involved.”

Cheshire’s Adlington Golf Centre has recently undergone major construction works to create a brand new 9-hole par 3 course.

With a new bypass rendering the old site non-viable it was back to the drawing board for owner & managing director David Moss. One thing that hasn’t changed however is the choice of Johnsons Sports Seed mixtures, from DLF, which he says are delivering strong coverage as they prepare to open the course to the public.

Aerial view of the new 9-hole, par 3 course

Open to players of all ages and abilities, Adlington Golf Centre comprises of a 40-bay driving range, 9-hole pitch and putt and a 9-hole par 3 course, a site totaling 125 acres that is seeded wall-to-wall with mixtures from DLF. “When we built the previous Par 3 course in 2003, we used seed from DLF and that’s where my working relationship with John Hughes really began” explains David. “With the new course constructed as a like-for-like replacement, John and I decided to stick with the same mixtures we had used previously in order to minimise the changes in both playability and appearance.”

MJ Abbott Ltd commenced the major works in May 2018 and by October, it was ready for seeding - with Johnsons Sports Seed, J Rye Fairway and J Green mixtures.

One of the newly constructed greens

“While these are the same mixtures as we’ve used before, we now benefit from the improved cultivars thanks to the DLF breeding programme. J Green has always given us fast, true greens while the Rye Fairway mixture has proven to be very hard-wearing on the high-traffic areas. Both have continuously delivered strong colour for fantastic presentation. We are delighted with how the ‘grow-in’ phase has progressed, with reps, suppliers and the course architect alike, all commenting on the impressive coverage and appearance. We have also incorporated some DLF Wildflower mixtures into the outlying habitat areas to add colour, diversity and interest.”

Here, John recommended a bespoke mixture of Species Rich Grassland plus Wildflower.

David concludes, “With years of consistent results under our belts across the two courses and driving range, there was no question that we would turn to DLF to deliver the reliable results we needed on this project. The seed coming through strong, once again, means we’re on track for opening the new course this August.”

In what turned out to be the hottest day of the year, the 2019 ICL Independent School Seminar, held at Cheltenham College, saw a record-breaking number of attendees soak up a memorable day of knowledge, networking and first-class cricket.

Over 70 turf professionals made their way to the historic spa town of Cheltenham to network and enhance their education on a variety of different turf management topics in a seminar tailor-made for those working within the Independent Schools sector.

Christian Brain, Head of Grounds at Cheltenham College, was the first to take to the stage and proceeded to offer a glimpse into the College’s rich history in which he reflected on the years, the great changes that have taken place, and the significant marks that history has carved in its life.

It was then down to business as Henry Bechelet, ICL Technical Sales Manager UK & Ireland, delivered his thoughts on The Future of Fertilizer. After nearly two years of negotiations the European Parliament have agreed on a new regulation for fertilizers. Set to commence in 2022, many questions have been raised as to how the new regulations might affect the industry and Henry was on hand to clarify the situation.

“The whole point about the regulations is to protect the end user,” he said. “The other key aim of the legislation is to bring into play added transparency and more sustainable and circular economy ingredients. At ICL we view the new regulations as being progressive because we can always demonstrate the performance of our products, but they are going to have a big impact on how some companies sell their products. No longer will companies be able to falsely market their products – which is a step in the right direction because hopefully it will take out of the marketplace those companies that don’t have the evidence to support their product claims.”

After addressing the new forthcoming fertilizer regulations, Henry discussed the use of the new Pearl granules that ICL is incorporating into the renovator grades in the SierrablenPlus range.

Attendees then got the opportunity to receive a tour of the grounds and Christian explained how he and his team prepare for the Cheltenham Cricket Festival. At over 140 years of age, Cheltenham is the world's oldest cricket festival and has, over the years, witnessed some legends of the game such as Wally Hammond, Allan Border and WG Grace. Taking place every July, over a two-week period, the festival now features a selection of T20 Blast games – something which the delegates would later enjoy.

As everyone gathered back in Thirlestaine House and re-took their seats, student Tamsin Williams captivated the audience with an insight into ICL’s unique four-year research project which is exploring the effects of seaweed products on turfgrass plant parasitic nematodes.

The project, which is taking place at Royal Holloway, University of London, was founded due to the apparent rise of nematodes. As it stands, there are few options available for the turf manager who has a nematode problem but ICL is currently researching whether seaweed could offer a solution. Tamsin is of the opinion that when the right seaweed is applied to a grass plant it could change the resistance of the plant to disease and insect attack and she revealed her current findings.

At the 2018 ICL Independent School Seminar held at Edgbaston Stadium, Andy Richards, Grounds Manager at Shrewsbury School revealed how he uses data recorded from his weather station and moisture metres to improve playing conditions and to identify what equipment he needs in order to continue to make improvements. Inspired by Andy’s seminar, Glenn Kirby, Syngenta's Technical Manager for UK Turf & Landscape unveiled a year’s worth of recorded data which undoubtedly piqued the delegates’ curiosity.

“The talk from Andy last year ignited my excitement to get out there and have a look for myself,” said Glenn. “It was an opportunity to talk to the delegates about the limitations I have found within some of the data and how I feel it could help people manage their turf moving forwards.

“Weather conditions are changing all the time and due to this turf managers are becoming under increasing pressure so having a really firm hand on exactly what is going on in the soil can only help them. It is going to be very challenging and will be very different to what they have seen before.”

The day was rounded off in style as the delegates joined a sell-out 5,000 strong attendance to watch Gloucestershire inflict a first defeat on Middlesex in this season's Vitality Blast.

Organiser of the event, ICL’s Emma Kilby, first launched the Independent School Seminar back in 2011 and is pleased to see just how far it has come over the years.

“This is a huge sector and consists of a very particular group of people that look after schools which have a multitude of different surfaces - all of which require very different approaches.

"When I first joined ICL eight years ago I just felt that they were not receiving the kind of support they needed. It was at that point I started discussing the idea of an event with various school groundsmen and we launched the first seminar in 2011 at Radley College.

“The event has run every year since at different venues and the bar is raised each time. These guys are real experts in lots of different disciplines and their requirements are quite individual so to actually focus on them and to get them along to an event where all the seminars are aimed at topics they are interested in is one thing but also the opportunity to get them all together so they can talk with one another and network is invaluable.”

Cyril Johnston & Co have become the latest pin in the dealer map of Charterhouse Turf Machinery.

Operating from their Carryduff depot, they are now responsible for the sale and service of the Redexim range of products, for both natural and synthetic surfaces, in Northern Ireland.

Charterhouse’s Ian Lauder (left), with Cyril Johnston professional sales rep Ian Ellis

Established over 60 years ago, Cyril Johnston stock a wide range of leading machinery for the amenity, golf and landscape sectors. With a team of over 40, they are well placed to offer professional support to a range of customers throughout Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and a number of the border counties.

Commenting on their appointment, sales manager Brian Mitchell said, “We are over the moon to have been appointed as a Charterhouse dealer and to have added such a varied selection of equipment to our portfolio. The performance of the Redexim products is outstanding and, as such, we are expecting fantastic uptake with professional users in our area, both old and new.”

Northern territory manager for Charterhouse, Ian Lauder added, “Cyril Johnston is a well-respected dealer, with a reputation built on providing excellent customer service to a broad range of customers. With so many years of experience and knowledge under their belts, we look forward to working with them to offer a more localised service across this area.”

Charterhouse are currently planning a number of Synthetic Turf Open Days held across the region, in conjunction with Cyril Johnston, the details of which will be announced in due course.

Following its launch at The Arb Show in May, the first batch of EVO 165 woodchippers recently left the GreenMech factory for dealerships across the country.

Jonathan Turner (pictured front) with members of the GreenMech design, engineering, production and sales team as the first batch of EVO 165 chippers leave the factory

The culmination of three years in design, testing and production, the new series is pictured above at despatch with a handful of those who took the machines from concept to completion.

Managing director Jonathan Turner said, “We’ve been overwhelmed by the reaction we’ve received to the new series. It’s been fantastic to see all the hard work come together, with the wealth of new features contributing to our most efficient chipper of this size to date.

"Now that they’re out with our dealers, we’re keen for more potential customers to see just what they can do.”

Timberwolf have introduced what they describe as an industry first - a five-year manufacturer’s warranty.

The option to increase the standard three year warranty up to a total of five years is available across the entire Timberwolf range, and can also be applied to older machines still within their original three year warranty period.

Combined with a support network featuring 17 dealers and over 250 Timberwolf trained technicians operating from 38 depots across the country, the company believe this warranty further strengthens their customer support offering.

Guy Marshlain, sales and marketing director at Timberwolf, said, “We work hard to build strong relationships with customers and dealers to ensure our products and services are at the forefront of our industry, offering power, strength and support.

“After speaking with customers, we developed our new warranty option to provide complete peace of mind, extending our warranty cover for longer, so customers can focus on their businesses, safe in the knowledge they won’t be facing unexpected repair costs."

Club Car say they have upgraded their customer experience with the launch of a new online car configurator, which allows prospective customers to design, build and view their vehicles online before purchase.

Designed to engage customers early in the purchasing journey with an interactive experience, the configurator interface integrates with the Club Car website, enabling customers to customise a model and create a car to fit their lifestyle and needs. The integration of photo-realistic rendering provides customers with a step-by-step visual representation of their selected vehicle options from both front and rear angles.

Club Car Configurator - Colour Option Build Page

Working from CAD data, the Onward 2, 4 and 6 passenger vehicles can be fully customised with a choice of exterior colours and material seat options, right through to powertrain, suspension, canopy, tyre and wheel assembly choices, and a further 27 accessory options. Once designed, the custom configure-price-quote (CPQ) generates a unique code that encourages customers to share their customised Club Car with friends or return to easily edit selections at a later date.

Pierre Lhernould, Marketing Leader EMEA at Club Car, said, “This type of configurator software is paving the way for the future, not just in the automotive industry but in a variety of sectors, such as our own.

“Buying habits have transformed in recent years, and research has taught us that people today usually prefer to get their information online before speaking to a representative. The configurator allows for that in a comprehensive and visual way.”

The online configurator, available worldwide in seven languages, uses GEO-IP recognition so that the language is recognised automatically to provide the best user experience for customers.

There are currently two product lines available for online configuration, including the all new consumer-targeted personal transportation vehicle range, Club Car Onwards.

Rochelle Bedford has been appointed the new marketing manager for Reesink Turfcare.

Rochelle Bedford

Overseeing marketing activity for all the turfcare machinery and equipment brands in the Reesink portfolio, Rochelle says it was Reesink’s established reputation, values, great work ethic and ideas sharing culture that appealed to her most about the role, as well as working in a new industry.

“Reesink Turfcare is a well-established company and its reputation preceded it,” she says. “With a great work ethic, the values of the company and the way staff are encouraged to share their ideas to come up with new solutions for ongoing projects was an exciting aspect of taking on the role. Plus, my marketing experience with commercial vehicles and dealer network support lends itself well with this new and interesting industry.

“With the marketing machine fully up and running, I was excited to get stuck straight in to see how it all worked. Over the past couple of months, I have seen great potential for how the marketing department can be developed, in supporting the business as a whole and taking it to that next level.”

Rochelle has already recruited another member to the team and Nichola Spinks joins the company as marketing assistant.

Reesink’s marketing department is a vital part of the business, as well as coordinating all of Reesink’s turf marketing programmes in the UK, it also organises all the shows and events the company attends throughout the year too.

Rochelle concludes by saying: “There’s no question there’s definite potential for future growth for the team!”

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY'S EDIBLE GARDEN SUCCESS
2006 - present

HAIL THE GRASS MASTERS!
Boorish media comments about pitch quality are wide of the mark

CONTRACTOR SEES MULTI-DISCIPLINE SUCCESS
360 Ground Care serving professional facilities

BUSY TIMES
Judging the Green Flag Awards

TAKING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
What does it all mean in managing turf surfaces?

UNDER PRESSURE
Dry weather conditions continue to keep turf managers focused on moisture management

EDDIE SEAWARD
Death of Wimbledon’s influential grounds manager

MAJOR NEW IRRIGATION PROJECT
At Top 100 classic Berkhamsted Golf Club

NEW HORIZONS FOR THE HATTERS
Investment paying off at Kenilworth Road

ELIZABETHAN RESTORATION
At Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

WHAT IS BIOPHILIA?
The vital impact of parks and green spaces on health and well-being

WORM CONTROL
Without carbendazim

THE TRUE COST OF PETROL
Battery-powered outdoor power tools are now turning the heads of professionals

SANDS OF TIME
Sand-based pitches are now the norm in professional sports

WHY DO WE DO THE RIGHT THING?
We must maintain industry standards

CHASING GRASS PERFECTION?
11 things you need to know . . .

MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Q&A with BASIS ceo, Stephen Jacobs

STRI RESEARCH DAY 2018
Hosted at research trial grounds in Bingley

THE MECHANIC
Leicester City FC invest in new role

LORD'S 'GRASS-GUVNOR' TO RETIRE
Mick Hunt bows out after 49 years

HOLLOW CORING & DEEP SCARIFICATION
Is it really necessary?

GEARING UP FOR THE RUGBY SEASON
Starts in less than 3 weeks

PREPARING FOR GOLF COURSE WORK
Renovations on tees and greens

PLANNING CRICKET RENOVATIONS
There are some basic aims when renovating a square

A FEAST OF SPORT
With turf professionals playing an integral role

THE CURRENT STATE OF GOLF
Courses must adapt to survive

TEEING OFF WITH JOHN DEERE
Partnership with Wentworth Club launched

WEATHER CONTINUES TO SURPRISE
During one of the busiest times of the year

BERNHARD LAUNCH TRAINING ACADEMY
Educating the next generation

THE NEXT GENERATION
We must inspire and recruit a new generation of turf professionals

OPTIMISATION OF WATER RESOURCES
Better understand the soil / water relationship

HARD WORK & DEDICATION
Ever changing playing surfaces

OBESITY MEASURES
Turf professionals have a vital role

TIMELY ADVICE
Rugby renovations

PLANNING AHEAD
Renovating grass surfaces

FROM WINTER TO SUMMER SPORTS
April is a busy period

THE VALUE OF TREES
Trees bring real benefits to our cities, health and well being

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Choice of fertiliser products will be influenced by many factors

A WONDERFUL INDUSTRY
But we need to be encouraging the next generation

THE VALUE OF PARKS
Facilities must not be taken for granted

A VERY BUSY MARCH
Plenty of work for turf professionals to be getting on with

SHARING KNOWLEDGE
At the Dennis & Sisis groundcare seminar

INSECT DECLINE
A cause for concern

HELP IS AT HAND
Seek advice from industry bodies

SPRING RENOVATIONS
February is a good time to start planning

BTME 2019 REPORT
Great start to the year

BTME WEEK IS HERE!
Harrogate time again

THE VALUE OF PLANNING
Benefits for pitch sustainability

HAPPY NEW YEAR
Opportunities & challenges in 2019

View all of 2018's blogs here