Grant for synthetic bowling

Abandoned bowls games due to brief rain showers will be a thing of the past at the Drouin Bowling Club from the 20202021 season.

By then both of its greens will have synthetic surfaces.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing last Thursday announced that the club would receive $208,000 towards the cost of replacing its remaining grass green with the new surface.

The grant was from the Latrobe Valley Authority’s community and facility fund.

Drouin Bowling Club president Russell Dawson was delighted with the news of what he believed was the first government grant the club had received.

The club will provide the balance of the funds needed – about $42,000 – which equated to about the cost of maintaining the grass green for just one year, he said.

The life span of a synthetic green is up to 14 years. Mr Dawson said it was planned to start work on the new green as soon as the current bowls season ended in March.

He said synthetic greens had rapidly grown in popularity because of their lower maintenance costs and ability to allow bowls games after rain.

“Games on the grass rinks generally have to be called off when there has been rain but play can recommence on the synthetic surfaces about 30 minutes after the rain stops”.

Already this season there have been many cases when events have been cancelled or stopped because of rain, Mr Dawson said.

The Drouin bowling club had converted one of its greens to synthetic three to four years ago.