Artificial green on the way for Wanganui East Bowling Club

Wanganui East Bowling Club greenkeeper Roger Neilson is eagerly anticipating the arrival of new artificial turf for the front green. Photo / Bevan Conley

Wanganui East Bowling Club greenkeeper Roger Neilson will soon be trading his lawnmower for a vacuum cleaner.

The club was eagerly anticipating the installation of a new artificial turf surface, and when it is in place, Neilson will be hoovering the new surface rather than mowing it.

The century-old club has two greens that they use year-round, and Neilson said the new surface would require regular vacuuming to remove debris.

“There will be windblown leaves, twigs, and particles from people’s shoes that will have to be removed,” he said.

“We will no longer have to worry about weeds and things like grass grub, which is the main reason we need to replace it. The green was infested with nematodes, and they are impossible to get rid of once they take over. There are some small patches in the other green that we’re managing to control.”

The club had received 63 per cent of the $27,600 needed to pay for the replacement lawn from funding via The Four Regions Trust, New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT), the Grassroots Trust, the Lion Foundation, and the TAB.

Club members had organised fundraising events, and a number of Whanganui businesses had also lent their support.

Neilson said there were only two businesses in New Zealand able to supply and install the artificial turf, and the club had anticipated having the new surface in place by now.

“The weather was against us and we’ve had to wait longer, but it will be fantastic when we can finally use it. We anticipate that it will be finished by the end of January.

“The installers will level off the surface and take off around 250 millimetres of topsoil, and then they’ll put down underfelt before laying the lawn.”

It is estimated that around 500 New Zealand bowling clubs have replaced their natural surfaces with artificial turf, and the advantages provide bowlers with durable, weather-resistant surfaces with good drainage.

The Wanganui East Bowling Club has over 90 active members who have continued playing on the second green while awaiting the new installation.

On Wednesday, there was a well-attended rollout and a men’s tournament against the Laird Park Bowling Club in progress.

Phyl Jones is a life member at Wanganui East, and said she generally attends at least once a week.

“I joined in 2000, and it’s a really nice club with friendly people,” she said.

As well as bowls, there are regular games of cards and mahjong held in the clubrooms, and there are social events throughout the year.

The club’s front fence in Helmore St was decorated with a mural painted by Whanganui artist Sonia Forsey in 2020, and in 2021 there was a celebration to mark the centenary of the founding of the club in 1921.