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The requirements of Lawn Bowling Greens is unique in the field
of sports turf. They have a requirement to be 100% flat, while
having good drainage, have a good healthy grass cover, a need
for speed and be able to take a lot of usage - all of this on
a restricted budget, as generally Lawn Bowling Clubs operate on
restricted budgets.
Before construction can commence some decisions need to be made
in relation to the makeup of the green. The one off most important
decision is in relation to the growing medium of the green, in
other words what will be used to grow the grass in. Generally
speaking the growing medium should be a free draining material,
with good moisture and nutrient holding properties. The best way
to know if your preferred growing medium is suitable for use is
to have it sent away to a certified laboratory for testing. The
laboratory will carry out certain tests in relation to air space
within the soil, its drainage capacity, its compaction capability,
and its moisture holding capacity all with the aim of predicting
its ability to grow grass in a Lawn Bowling green situation when
placed under pressure. A secondary test that the lab will carry
out is the soil nutrient status including its current nutrient
status, including its organic content and its ability to hold
nutrients. Once the tests have been carried out the soil will
be analyzed to see if it falls into the ideal range for turf construction
and the lab will recommend if it is suitable for use.
Drainage is another consideration for the green that must be
looked at during the planning stages. The movement of water into
the green and down through the green's profile is crucial not
only to ensure that bowls matches are not effected through green
closure, but to ensure that the green does not remain wet for
prolonged periods effecting the health of the turf and closure
of the green. As long as the growing medium itself is a free draining
material, it is only a matter of designing and installing a drainage
system that can discharge the water out from underneath the green.
There are multiple options when it comes to drainage design and
should be designed to meet the requirements of each individual
site.
| Like all other turf constructions, it is important that
the sub-base work is carried out in a way that it is cable
of supporting the installation of the drainage and growing
medium, ensuring that there will be no movement of the sub-base
in the future. Whatever the depth of growing medium is chosen,
the sub-base should be excavated and leveled below the chosen
depth. Depending on the designer's preference the sub-base
can either be flat or have a sideways fall on it to direct
water into the installed drainage - studies have shown it
does not matter a great deal if the base is flat or has a
fall, the drainage will work equally well either way. |
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Undoubtedly one of the most important factors in maintaining
quality Lawn Bowling Green's is the correct management and scheduling
of irrigation. Based on this, serious thought should be given
to the planning and installation of an irrigation system in a
new green. Due to the shape of the bowling greens it is very difficult
to design an irrigation system that will give a 100% even distribution
of water over the whole area. The consultation of an experienced
irrigation designer is important to ensure that the best possible
outcomes are achieved. Other important aspects need to be considered
including water availability, water quality, pumping system and
pipe work.
Once all other perimeters of the green have been covered, the
laying of the growing medium needs to be planned for and carried
out. The two main factors that needs to be adhered to when laying
the growing medium is to ensure no prior work is disturbed and
ensure that the growing medium is laid in layers of no more than
150mm to ensure that it does not sink or move at a later date.
Usually, the growing medium will be placed using heavy earth moving
equipment , and roughly leveled out using a skid steer loader
(with tracks) or an excavator assisted by laborers. Once placed,
each of these layers should be rolled using a 4x4 tractor with
wide tires (moving across the area slowly in all directions) to
consolidate the green and watered to firm the surface. During
the laying of the growing medium every effort should be made to
get the green's levels as close to finished level as possible.
One of the most crucial tasks in completing a new green is the
final leveling of the surface - a Lawn Bowls Green must be 100%
flat with no surface fall whatsoever. There are many manual methods
that have been used successfully over the years, however, an easier,
more effective method to level a bowling green is the use of a
machine mounted laser level - a laser level is a process of smoothing
the green's surface flat from its average level using laser-equipped
drag blade. This practice uses large horsepower tractors and soil
movers that are equipped so that the soil can be moved either
by cutting or filling to create the desired level.
Selecting a suitable grass for a Lawn Bowling Green should not
be taken lightly - a turf variety needs to be selected that has
a proven track record on bowling greens, is cable of handling
the stresses of bowling greens (low cutting height, moisture stress,
compacted soils, high wear) regardless if the grass type is of
a warm or cool season nature it doesn't matter as long as it is
suitable to that environment, ensuring the selected grass can
handle the local conditions, and it has good recovery abilities.
Generally speaking, the grasses that fit these requirements are
both stoloniferous and rhizomes. It is easily possible to fail
the construction or reconstruction of a bowling green through
choosing the wrong grass species.
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