New blue surface at Playford
The Playford Bowling Club has become a see of blue, with the installation of the first of three new blue playing surfaces.
The club’s C green has been replaced, with work ongoing on both the A and B greens to complete the project.
Club president Geoff Wooddeson said good progress is being made with the major project.
“Everyone is very upbeat,” he said.
“It is all still cordoned off at the moment, but it is going along very well.”
Geoff said the club does not yet have an estimated finishing date for the laying of the new greens.
“These people doing the greens come from New South Wales and they have got flooding and things like that over there at the moment,” he said.
“They are flying in out to do work when they can.”
Geoff said the Playford had been contacted by an interstate club for advice on implementing blue carpets.
“We got a phone call from a club in Brisbane yesterday asking about the greens and the blue option,” he said.
“They are going to put them in because we told them they look absolutely fantastic under lights.”
Coming to the idea of replacing their greens with blue carpet was something Geoff said came about as a result of a few reasons.
“We went to another club in South Australia that has them and we saw it under lights and it looked great,” he said.
“We put it to the club members and we thought why not?
“All the reactions from pennant players, who came out and saw the samples, they were very impressed with it.
“They are all looking forward to the new greens.
“The last couple of years we have had to put up with some negative feedback from pennant players, because our greens weren’t really up to what we wanted them to be.
“The new greens are running at about 14 seconds at the moment, which will speed up over time.”
Geoff said he was proud of the efforts by everyone involved to get the self-funded project up and running.
“We have not received anything from anyone, it has just been down to our members and volunteers and we are in a very good financial position.
“We have been going for three years, but it has only been in the last 12 to 18 months that things have really got going.
“Due to COVID, that has been pushed everything back.
“I think if it wasn’t for COVID we would have it all done by now.”
Geoff said the club will hold an official opening when all three of the new greens are up and running.
To check out some photos and keep up to date with the project, check out the Playford Bowling Club’s Facebook page by clicking this link https://www.facebook.com/playfordbowlingclub.