Bowling Green FAQ 7: How often should we move rinks?

This does depend on the amount of use, type of use (in particular quality of delivery from players and number of divots) and ground conditions, whether it is dry or wet, the density of the sward, etc. as this will all influence how often rinks should be moved.

Altering the direction of play might be on a minimum of weekly, but 2 or 3 times per week can help spread wear more evenly. It is important to keep your eye on the effects of play on the sward and use that as a guide to moving rinks rather than sticking to a rigid pre-planned schedule that doesn’t reflect usage and wear.

Moving rinks sideways slightly to new marks can also help to spread wear slightly but will primarily help to reduce the likelihood of ‘bowls runs’ developing, creating a minor depression into which bowls will fall and follow a pre-determined trajectory towards the jack, reducing the ability of players to demonstrate their skill. New marks for each day will be a typical occurrence, with the aim for rink movement being to provide a surface that is consistent and gives a good and fair playing experience.