Bowling green Annual Staffing Requirements

How many hours does it take to maintain a bowling green?
This is actually a challenging question to answer because there are many variables which can influence the answer, and these have been identified above. However, a useful starting guide can be given to provide a range of inputs for different expectations from greens.

We can start with an early estimate from the late 1960s to provide a baseline figure, although we need to remember that machinery wasn’t as efficient as today, for example, for mowers, the width of cut, drive mechanisms and engines have advanced significantly over the years, as has powered aeration and scarification equipment.

a) Local authority maintained to a good standard:
• Playing season (23 weeks – May to September): 552 hours.
• Autumn (4 weeks, 20 days, 2 people) - mainly renovation, including turfing ~300 ft²: 320 hours.
• Winter (minor attention): (2 hours per week for 16 weeks): 32 hours.
• Mid-March to Mid-April: (2 hours per day; 4 days per week; 4 weeks): 32 hours.
• Last two week of April (12 hours week x 2 weeks): 24 hours.
Total = 960 hours

(Note: An additional 90 hours were also allocated for transport time, of equipment and materials from different areas of a park, locality to the bowling green. This has been excluded from the given total as most greens now have equipment and material on site or delivered by a supplier direct to the bowling green site).
(Howell, W. (1968) ‘Bowling Greens. Construction and Maintenance’)

b) Nowadays routine renovation will rarely require turfing, so even if a week (40 hours) is set aside for complete bowling green renovation this would reduce the above total figure to 680 hours. With improved mechanisation of equipment this might reduce the figure further for a modern-day comparison by 10% -20%, although increased activities such as verticutting, grooming and other different or extended processes might increase it back up again. As a general guide it might be in the region of 600 hours.

c) Minimal inputs to reflect relatively low club membership and low usage for a general, basic bowling green, which will typically play on the slow side and will have a patchy appearance which may include more than one of the following: thin, bare areas - especially at ends, patches of different grass species, weed and moss presence, rabbit scrapes, disease scars, etc. There will be times, especially during good growing weather, when the green is looking quite good. Mowing will typically be on 3 occasions per week during main growth periods: 300 – 350 hours.

d) Good inputs to produce a mostly visually attractive green, which plays from slow to medium pace at different times during the year. Club membership will be viable, with good to fair numbers, although green condition will vary somewhat from similar to that with minimal inputs to having very good ground cover. This is probably the commonest inputs for most greens. Mowing will typically be on 4, sometimes 5, occasions per week during main growth periods: 400 – 600 hours.

e) High level of inputs to maintain premium type greens, whether for top clubs in a county or for championship greens. Surface conditions should be very good and will typically be maintained by a contractor (private or local authority) with good greenkeeping experience. Mowing will typically be on 6 or 7 occasions per week during main growth periods: 600 – 800 hours+.