Bowling Green FAQ 5: Why are the bowls ‘bobbling’ in their travel in certain areas of the green?

There will most likely be some degree of unevenness present on the immediate surface. It might not be especially visible to the naked eye, but there could be some minor depression which could affect the roll and draw of a bowl.

If the surface has recently been aerated, it could have slightly disturbed the surface. This could be due to aerating in very dry conditions with the tines not penetrating very far, effectively bouncing along the surface, or the settings may not have been correct, especially if using a barrel type aerator, or tines may have been damaged or misaligned.

One surface feature to look closely at is whether any low growing, mat forming, weeds are present in clumps. Pearlwort can be a particular problem on bowling greens as it looks very much like a grass from even a short distance. Clumps of these fine leaved weeds, or other low growing weeds, can create a bobbling effect, especially as the bowl starts to slow down near the jack. Pearlwort will often be more pronounced than the surrounding grass species, especially after a day from being mown.