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EDITOR'S BLOG

BOWLS IN DECLINE
Tough time for clubs
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

The demise of the condition of bowling greens has been dramatic in recent years, with clubs less willing or able to invest in their greens maintenance.

Without doubt it has been a very difficult year for many bowling clubs. This year’s extreme hot weather will have played havoc and affected the playability and performance of the green - especially if they had no means of watering it.

I have seen many greens that have completely dried out and become hydrophobic - that is to say they have dried out so much they become difficult to re-wet and this may lead to localised dry patches being formed across the playing surface.

Once the soil becomes hydrophobic, water will lie on the green’s surface for a long time and the soil underneath will remain powder dry and unable to support plant life. The result is large brown patches on the surface where the thatch eventually dries out so much that it becomes hard and brittle.

It will take a lot of hard work and copious amounts of rain to help the green recover from this condition - however with the bowling season now coming to a close, this year’s end of season renovation programme will be a most important one.

The extent and nature of the work will be entirely down to the condition of the green and what work you can afford to carry out. Unfortunately, one of the deciding factors that often reduces the effectiveness of these planned works is the amount of money (budget) the club has available. It can cost anything between £1500-£2000 for a contractor to come in and carry out all tasks.

Savings can be made if the club undertakes the work themselves. However, the effectiveness of the work will be determined by the equipment at their disposal.

Due to the current economic crisis, the cost of seed, topdressings and fertilisers have gone up substantially, with many clubs facing increased costs for this year’s end of season renovations.

The following activities are generally implemented during autumn renovations and usually carried out in the following order:

Mowing the sward: To prepare surfaces for renovation, lower cutting height to about 3-4mm to clean and prepare green for renovation operations.

Scarification: The removal of unwanted debris and collection and disposal 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: 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: This restores levels and improves surface drainage. Ensure you use compatible topdressing materials, sands, sand/soil mixes. The amount of dressing required is generally between 1.5-3 tonnes.

Overseeding: This 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: This provides nutrients for grass growth. Apply a low N nitrogen fertiliser product, something like an NPK 5:5:15 to help the sward through the autumn period.

These renovations are an integral maintenance operation to ensure the green can recover from 2022’s indifferent growing and playing season.

Bowls clubs facing hardship

Many clubs are facing a tough time. Speaking to a friend and ex-England bowler and bowls greenkeeper, he told me he is particularly worried about the current state of the game. The demise of the condition of bowling greens has been dramatic in recent years, with clubs less willing to invest in their greens maintenance - especially when it comes to undertaking end of season work.

I believe the lack of budget at clubs can be attributed to their dwindling membership numbers and the fact that those who do join are not being charged appropriate fees.

Also, on the competitive side there are fewer and fewer decent competitions being organised and over time the general standard of play and etiquette of players has also declined.

I have flagged this up before in several TurfPro articles, that the sport of bowls has been in decline for many years. This can arguably be put down to the truism that a majority of members are in their late 70s and coming to the end of their active lifestyle, coupled with the fact there is no national campaign by the sport’s governing bodies to encourage a new generation to take up the game.

A recent publication Is Lawn Bowls Is A Dying Sport? Or Does It Just Need Reviving? - A Complete Guide on Jack High Bowls explains the reason for sports decline. It says that the number of participants in the UK has dropped by a third since the turn of the millennium.

This is the outcome from poor recruitment and an ever-increasing number leaving the sport, either due to clubs going under, or ill health.

For me it is time that the powers that be come together to find a way of promoting this sport. I believe bowls has many benefits and if given some positive spin and linked to schools curriculums, the sport has a chance to redeem itself and be a valid community pastime once again.

NEWS

FUNDING COMMITMENT ANNOUNCED
To multi-sport facilities

Wembley grounds manager Karl Stanley with England manager Gareth Southgate, completing a PitchPower inspection - pictured on the Football Foundation's website

In our first WEB ONLY story as well as the funding announcement, the Football Foundation has launched a new web app that they say will revolutionise the condition of grass pitches in England.

A STEP CHANGE IN PHILOSOPHY
At The Leicestershire

In our next WEB ONLY story the adoption of cutting-edge technology is driving a new, long-term strategy at The Leicestershire Golf Club.

PRO DEALER EXPANDS PORTFOLIO
Into utility vehicle sector

Dealership say they will be able to offer clients the opportunity to test drive machines on the premises.

Boss ORV has announced the appointment of Abrey Agricultural Ltd. as a Corvus off-road utility vehicle dealer.

Toby Abrey and Phil Everett

Founded in 1935, Abrey is based in Saffron Walden and will represent Corvus as dealer for the Essex and Cambridgeshire area.

“Abrey Agri has been substantially extending their product portfolio in the past few years,” says Boss ORV managing director Phil Everett, “to support their further push into professional groundcare, estate management and general agriculture. The range of Corvus UTVs will add to this massively.”

Now in its third generation as a family business, Abrey Agricultural is farm based and so they say they are able to offer clients the opportunity to test drive machines on the premises. They see this as especially important in the case of testing UTVs in the sort of terrain where they will be used.

“Their professional user base all have a requirement for UTVs, so the partnership is an obvious fit for us,” says Phil. “We offer a big Corvus welcome to Toby Abrey and all the team at Abrey Agriculture.”

UK DEALERS VISIT US HQ
Of major manufacturer

The company recently took a group of UK dealers to the USA, to visit their global headquarters and tour one of their manufacturing facilities.

Toro U.K. Limited recently took a group of UK dealers to Minnesota, USA, to visit The Toro Company’s global headquarters in Bloomington, and tour one of the company’s manufacturing facilities.

The UK dealer group at The Toro Corporation HQ

Dealers had the opportunity to tour the headquarters to see first-hand the vast testing facilities and visit the manufacturer's Center for Technology, Research & Innovation. They were shown how Toro utilises cutting-edge technology in the development of new products. This included experiencing the many applications of Virtual Reality in product development and watching prototype parts being 3D printed.

The group was taken to the Toro manufacturing facility at Windom, Minnesota, where they were able to see zero-turn mowers, snowblowers and specialty equipment manufactured and assembled. Toro say Dealers were impressed by the scale of the operation, and they were able to have a Q&A session with the factory team leaders to better understand how the company has adapted and managed through the current supply chain issues the industry is facing.

Adding a bit of Minnesota fun alongside business, the dealers had an opportunity to watch the Minnesota Twins play the Chicago White Sox. Enjoying a real American institution on a glorious summer day, the dealers also saw the full Toro fleet in use at the baseball stadium in preparation for the game, before enjoying a drink and the atmosphere.

"I was so pleased to be able to take a group of dealers to visit our colleagues in the US, now that Covid travel restrictions have eased,” said Craig Hoare, sales & marketing manager, Toro U.K. Limited.

“It was not only a way for us to say thank you to our dealers, but it was also a great opportunity to expose UK Dealers to the extensive infrastructure that backs up the UK operation and to share some of the plans, investment and products coming from Toro in the near future.”

FIRST CHANGE OF SUPPLIER IN 17 YEARS
For Bathgate Golf Club

Head greenkeeper Rab Burns from Bathgate Golf Club

After 17 years with the same dealer, Bathgate Golf Club in Scotland has chosen a different company to supply it with a new to them tractor brand.

After 17 years with the same dealer, Bathgate Golf Club in Scotland has chosen Reesink Scotland to supply it with its first ever TYM tractor.

Rab Burns from Bathgate Golf Club (left) and Reesink’s Gareth Rogers

Head greenkeeper Rab Burns, who has been at the club for 29 years, says couldn’t be happier with the change.

“We’re very happy with our new TYM tractor. It does everything we need it to and is so reliable. We got it through Reesink’s Livingstone branch, whom we’d heard really good things about as a dealer, and they’ve delivered on price and support.

“It’s been a fair bet working with them, whatever we ask them to do, it’s done,” he continues. “It’s been very reassuring and a first-class service.”

The club chose the T555 model for very good reasons. Rab says, “This one has the same horsepower and similar performance as the previous tractor we had from a different brand, but the controls and the safety devices are much better. It’s easier to fix the attachments to the back and overall, it’s much more user-friendly, and seeing as everyone uses it, this was a big selling point. It’s the perfect size, spacious and easy to control. It just suits us.”

The new tractor will be used mainly for loading sand and aggregates and for transporting a debris blower to help clear the course and surrounding spaces from leaves and grass cuttings.

Gareth Rogers, area sales specialist at Reesink’s Livingstone branch in Scotland, said of Bathgate's change, "It’s a move that represents the work we’ve been putting into offering customers in the area the very best service and support."

TOP GARDEN DESIGNER JOINS MANUFACTURER
Producing regular blogs and videos

The company believes the introduction of a recognised gardening expert will expand their customer reach and add to their credentials as a machinery supplier.

British garden equipment manufacturer Handy has announced the appointment of multi-award-winning garden designer Adam Woolcott as its new gardening expert.

Adam Woolcott

Handy say Adam will be producing regular blogs and videos for them offering practical advice to retailers and gardeners, starting in September with the subject of how to revive lawns following the exceptionally hot, dry summer.

Adam has 30 years of experience as a professional gardener and has many accolades, but is probably best known for his four Gold Medals at The Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show and his three BBC/RHS People’s Choice Awards at the show which he won as one half of Woolcott & Smith.

Adam makes regular appearances on the BBC Gardeners' World and across BBC Radio, as well as a designer on Channel 5’s Great Garden Challenge. His gardens have also been featured in national media, including the Saturday Times magazine and Daily Telegraph publications.

Adam will be providing gardening advice in the form of blogs and videos across all of Handy’s brands - Webb, Handy, Q Garden and Greenworks – which the company say is a first for themselves.

“With the expansion of product lines across our brands, and increased investment in marketing and sales support, the introduction of a recognised gardening expert to expand our customer reach and add further weight to our credentials as the UK’s leading garden machinery supplier, was a natural next move,” says Mark Moseley, Handy’s sales and marketing director.

“Adam has a real connection with the gardening public; they love his garden designs as can be seen from his incredible three BBC/RHS Chelsea Flower Show People’s Choice Awards. For us, he was a natural choice to be our new gardening expert and we couldn’t be more delighted.”

Adam Woolcott said, “It’s a joy and privilege to be associated with such an established, trustworthy, and professional company like Handy. Having used gardening equipment domestically and professionally for over three decades, I can't wait to share my expertise and passion with you all”.

Adam Woolcott's new gardening blog/video feature will be live in September via Handy’s website for the trade.

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