New synthetic surface serves up a feast of opportunities

Attention all Eyre Peninsula bowls-lovers: the township of Cowell has revamped its bowling green and is raring to go!

Gone is the old lawn grass… in its place there’s a brand-new synthetic green.

The biggest advantage is that the playing surface will now be available almost all of the time; previously, maintenance requirements restricted opportunities.

Vulnerability to the weather was another problem. According to the Cowell Bowling Club:

“The ability to hold tournaments was always subject to the weather being kind.

“Wet weather is now not a problem and on hot days we can play early in the day as the grass does not have to be cut and rolled some hours before play.”

Less maintenance also means there’ll be more time for club members and volunteers to enjoy their game:

“We expect an 80% reduction in the workload required of our volunteers - and expect a huge financial gain due to the reduction in water, fuel and chemical inputs.”

Plans are already well-advanced for more sessions per week (including night owls), and an extended playing season. More tournaments are also a distinct possibility.

There’s even talk of squeezing in another rink (the section of green where an individual game is played).

Not a bad return for the $100,000 it cost to install the new surface (courtesy of the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing through our Sporting Surfaces Program)!