Sawdust Greens Worry Bowls Council

Chronicle (Levin), 30 June 1949, Page 3

Sawdust Greens Worry Bowls Council

Press Assoctation)

(Per

s CHRISTCHURCH, June 29. A contentious chapter in the story of saAvdust and earth bowling greens, was epded this morping when the Ne>v Zealand Bowling Council, following a ruling from the International Bowlijig Ppard, decided to grant affiliatiop to Coalgate (Canterbury) and P,atearpa doubt as to whether the council, ae.ting primarily for lawn clubs, could clp (Gentral Otago) Clubs, both of whjeh have sawdust greens. There h^d beph this. The motion was carried by 13 votes to. 7 after a lively discussion. The question of prohibiting championship play on earth greens was deferred. Supporting the Coalgate application, Dr. W. S. Seed (Christehlirch) sgid the greens filled the need in pdtlying areas. The time might come, Jiowevgr, when the couneil would have to define wjiere sawdust greens could be established. The council had to consider that nipn bowlers were interested ip sa>yv.du&t greens, said Dr. R. E. Austin (Central Otago)., Mr J. H. Marwieh (Northland) claimed that the council could not grant afliliation as the rules- sta.ted that only cljibs with ' 1 greens ' ' could -be affiliated. The president- (Mr J. R. Smith): Th.e rules do not say what a green is. Sawdust surfaces were still experimental and affiliation should be delaved until something definite had been settled, said Mr T. Grant (Waikato). "Let us stick to grass," declared Mr W. F. Hadwin (Wellington) who contended that small clubs could afford to establish and maintain grass greens. The council faced now the same problem as arose in tehnis with the development of hard courts, said Mr R. H. Taylor (Christchurch). The council, he felt, had to face up to the position. Uuless the couneil took control of these greens, a separate association wnuld be formed in opposition. Size of Greens The council decided 'to support a renit from the Taranaki Centre asking 'hat greens shonld be not less than 1J0 feet by 60 feet,;pand not more than 121) feet by 120 feet", and should be divided into spac'gs called rinks whi.ch should not be less than 12 feet and not more than' 20 feet wide. This does not affect clubs already affiliated to the New Zealand Bowling Association, Supporting the remit, Mr D. McCormick (Taranaki), said small clubs did n.Qt have opportunities to build larger greens and that if the remit was riot carried, many small clubs in the country districts wopld not be able to affiliate with the association because their greens were not the preseribed dimensions. A Testing of BpAvls A motion by Mr M. J. Walsh (Auckland) suggesting the use of two standard bowls for testing bowls five inches and over and bowls under five inches,

was lost. A letter from an Australian manufacturer of bowls said that all the trouble experienced in New Zealand over the testing of bowls could be eliminated if the conditions eet out in the motion were adopted. "I think we ought to leave well alone, ' ' said Mr W. 0. Clark (Dunedin). "It is no good having test bowls for each size of bowl. " Mr Clark was supported by Mr W. F. Hadwin (Wellington) and Mr W. Efford (Christchurch). Mr A. E. Rodger was appointed official bowl tester for the next Dominion tournament. Tournament Dates. The dates for the Dominion tournament were fixed by the New Zealana Bowling Couneil at the annual meeting. Play will start in Christchurch ,on Monday, January 9, and the ord.er and system of play will be unchanged. The tournament will start with two days of singles play, followed by pairs on January 13 and 14. Section play in the fours will start on January 16, and eontinue for four days with post-section games on January 20 and 21, and the finals over the opening days of the thira week.