TYPE OF SURFACE Our greens carpet is a “Dales "Pro Green Plus" Artificial Bowling Surface”. It was laid during November–December 2010 and replaced a sand-filled artificial carpet. The carpet is a compressed polypropylene fabric about 9 mm thick and is laid over a carpet underlay, a 5mm layer of fine gravel and a solid, but porous, gravel and cement mix sub-base.
SPEED OF GREEN A feature of the greens carpet is that it expands and contracts with heat and this affects the speed of the green. On a cold day the greens will run relatively fast while on a hot day they will be relatively slow and they will vary during the day even during the course of one end being played depending on the sun and cloud cover.
WATERING The greens are watered regularly early in the morning to keep the sub-base damp, however, unlike sand-filled greens, watering has only a limited and very temporary affect on green speed so as a general rule the greens are not watered during the day between games.
GREENS POLICIES Following the installation of the new greens a set of policy directives was developed and approved by the club executive to govern the management and maintenance of the greens as well as to set out player responsibilities. The Greens Manager has responsibility for managing the greens in line with the policy directives.
PLAYER RESPONSIBILITIES The section of the policies relating to player responsibilities is now a permanent feature in the club’s annual handbook. Please ensure you read and comply with them because they are aimed at maintaining our greens in top condition for many years. Using flat soled shoes and not dropping or dumping bowls on the greens are key responsibilities for players.
DIRECTION OF PLAY The greens have been set up to play mainly in one direction (North-South) unless exceptional circumstances occur which require East-West play. The decision to play mainly in one direction was made to protect one set of side rinks so they will continue to play as well as the centre rinks without being subjected to uneven compression from constant foot traffic and dropped or dumped bowls. To ensure evenness of wear the rinks are moved across the green on a regular basis.
PRACTICE PLAY & FRIENDLY GAMES To assist with spreading wear and tear across the greens, members are asked to centre their practice and private games on the rink boundary pegs as stated on the sign by the front entrance to the club. This will ensure that otherwise unused strips of green will be played on.
THE FUTURE Provided we look after our greens in a responsible way they should last for 15 to 20 years. They represent a big financial investment by our club but if we all treat them with respect in accordance with the Player Responsibilities mentioned above they will serve the club well.
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