We Are Now Open For the Season

Dave Pritchard receives a vibrant painting from Shan Eccles, painted by Shan Eccles, that she donated as the raffle prize on our opening day of the season. The proceeds from the raffle kick-start the Club’s fundraising towards an Irrigation System for the green. Congratulations to lucky Dave P and many thanks to Shan for her generous donation.

Marina Roberts, Chairman, thanked Ian, John B, Dave L, Dave T and others in presenting the green in such an excellent condition for the start of the 2026 season.

Photographs from the Opening Day can be found here in the next couple of days so please keep checking back.

Opening of the Green for the 2026 Season

Message from Elaine, Club Secretary, about arrangements for the green opening on Saturday 21st:

  • 1.30pm – Club open
  • 2.00pm – Our Club President, Diane will bowl the first jack and bowl to declare our new bowling season open.
  • Followed by members having time on the green as 4-5 blocks will be available at half-hour intervals up to 5pm; book in with Ian on arrival.
  • You’re invited to bring some snacks, a few sandwiches or cakes, etc. which will be well appreciated and, of course, eaten.

I wish you all good luck for a great season.

Elaine

Diary Date

The Opening Day of the season will be on Saturday 21st March. Volunteer members, in harmony with Bobby, have taken great care of the green during the Autumn and Winter. The green is looking very healthy and living up to its name of “green”.

6th March

The comedian Frankie Howerd (link opens in a new tab. IMDb – website information on people and movies) was born on this day in 1917. He died 19th April 1992, the day before the death of fellow comedian Benny Hill.

Team Shirts, etc.

Clothes for Work supply our club shirts, fleeces, etc. and the company has recently moved into space above Darcey’s Interiors shop in Craig y Don. This year’s prices are awaited but, in the meantime, Click Here to see last year’s prices as a guide. The sponsor’s logo will no longer be added to new shirts.

An Investment in the Future

Calling all Club Members and Other Friends: The club committee has identified that an Irrigation System is the club’s top priority for funding over the next 12-months and we hope that you will give your full support to this project. During the 2025 season, it was not possible to water the green as often as the green needed it and, as a result, the green was stressed and difficult to play on as the season wore on. A regular system of watering would help preserve the green for future generations as well as benefit us, and our visitors, now.

The current manual system takes 6-hours to run, in 3 two-hour runs across the green, from 6am to midday on the days it can be operated. There is very little control over the amount of water it distributes.  This gives Ian an early morning rise and regular attendance during those 6-hours to relocate the tractor for each of the 3-runs it needs to water the whole green.

An automated irrigation system, however, would take just 20-minutes to release an exact amount of water to the green, and it could be run overnight with no attendance required on site. And especially no early morning for Ian, or others!

A project team has been set up to progress the work needed to obtain an automated system. However, the club needs to find matched-funding for a grant bid to stand any chance of success. Please watch this space to find out how you could help the club attract the additional funds necessary to install this irrigation system, perhaps as early as the Winter of 2026/27. In the meantime, if you have any ideas, or questions, and can help this project be the success that we hope it will be, please contact any of the team members: Marina, John B, Elaine, Ian or Diane. Thank you all.