Editor’s note: Ever wonder about the small Mini-Me bowling green next to the mat shed. Read on for greenskeeper Patrica Erwin’s glimpse into spring initiatives to keep our green in tip top condition.
Since the Spring ‘drill and fill’ workday various bowlers have asked the BLBC greenskeepers if we got some time off since the green was closed. In fact, the work on the green has continued at a brisk pace, but with different tasks and more flexible timing while it was closed for bowling.

Following the drill and fill, the greenskeepers diligently dragged and swept the green daily. In a few areas, they filled holes one by one with sand. As the sand settled, regular watering was conducted to prevent the green from drying out due to the extensive sand distribution. Careful walking of the green was essential to search for and remove weeds, particularly during the spring season. In the photo, Poa (annual meadow grass) is being removed. Poa requires proactive control to prevent it from overrunning the green.


Another specific area of focus is supporting challenging areas such as the western corners. In mid-April, the team harvested a section of the nursery to replace an approximately 3’x4’ area in the southwest corner. This process, sometimes humorously referred to as a ‘surgery’ on the green, involves delicately cutting a section from the nursery, peeling off the grass and roots, and then ‘grafting’ it into the green. The grafting process requires meticulous attention to detail, including carefully removing the damaged area and placing the new section from the nursery just so. It is then leveled with a layer of sand and seed to enhance its strength. We place wire nets over the grafted area to prevent critters from digging and to mark the area for daily misting to aid seed germination.

The nursery has also received recent care. Damaged areas that were excessively dry or mossy were removed and then refilled using some of the thousands of plugs removed during the aeration process. Currently, the nursery is regularly watered, weeded, and supported to promote its growth and health. This will enable us to continue using sections of the nursery as needed on the green in the coming year.