BLBC is preparing for the Annual Fall Workday for the Green, scheduled for Sunday September 14, 2025. This aeration (tining), seeding and sanding is critical for maintaining a healthy green.
Work day on Sunday, 14 September, 2025
In preparation for the upcoming fall Greens Maintenance workday, nearly 6 tons of special sand was delivered to the club. The greenkeeping crew helped guide the truck onto the premises and the sand drop was perfect. At $1700+ for the load, it was important that nary a speck was lost. So, the stage is set and we could use some help.
Tight quartersSand at the ready
The Greenskeepers need your help with various steps including plug removal and sand application/removal, among other tasks. There are also some light duty tasks in addition to those that are outlined below. As many of you know, this is a great opportunity to learn more about how our green is maintained and to meet other members you may not know.
We will be providing pizza and light snacks for those who volunteer, please let us know if you will join for that.
Below is an outline of main tasks and timing. We hope to be done by early afternoon and can use your help even if for a short period of time.
Starting around 8:30 we need 6 volunteers to shovel the plugs from Jose’s tining into wheelbarrows.
View of tining plugs, numbering over 200,000, being swept up for removal.
Starting around 10:00 we need 4-8 volunteers to shovel sand into wheelbarrows and then use buckets to dump the sand into the mechanical spreader. The larger number of volunteers would allow for breaks.
Starting around 10:30 we need 2-4 volunteers to sweep sand into the plug holes along edges and corners only. Jose will use the tractor with a broom/mat to sweep the sand from most of the green.
The club has most of the equipment, but we could use snow-type shovels and sturdy dollies. Please bring them along if you have those.
Spreading sand to fill the holes created by tining.
We do have some work/gardening gloves, but please bring your own if you have those.
Please reply to the Greenskeepers via email (greensblbc@gmail.com) by Sunday September 7 to let us know that you can join and what time slot, or to let us know any questions.
Following the workday the green will be closed for approximately one month for continued maintenance.
Income from rental events helps balance our annual BLBC budget. I know it is inconvenient to have the green closed from time to time but rental events are great outreach to the community, and we rely on the income they generate. So far in 2025, the Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club has hosted 7 rental events.
Rental events introduce lawn bowling to an bunch of folks.
Our events have included two large corporate outings of 40-60 guests and a handful of smaller functions ranging from birthday parties to smaller corporate team building gatherings. Several have involved returning customers including Caribou Bioscience and Ava Community Energy, who you may notice on your PG&E bill.
InstructionCateringEnthusiasm
A great time has been had by all, bowlers and BLBC coaches alike. We have produced some amazing first or second time bowlers! This is a fine endorsement of our awesome volunteer BLBC coaches who have given their time and expertise to make the events so successful. These include alphabetically:
Sarah Allday, Cris and Claudia Benton, Gordon Beveridge, Ethan Bortman, Annie Brillhart, Russell (Rolly) Coe, Cathy Dinnean, Leslie Engler, Patricia Erwin, Phil Grattan, Janie Hillyer, Judy Hillyer, Martin Kershaw, Art Kotoulas, JoAnn and Marty Lorber, Charlie McFerran, Cindy Moss, Glenn Nunez, Ben Steinberg, Ashok Verma.
And then there is special thanks to Sarah Allday who is our head coach and Ethan, Patricia and Janie who occasionally fill in for Sarah.
If you are interested in coaching one of these rental events or know of someone who would like to host an event at the BLBC, please contact Claudia Benton at 510-384-4255 or chbenton@sonic.net.
The 2025 4-Bowl Pairs took place on August 23, with a full house of 28 bowlers filling the seven playable rinks on the green. Bowlers were assigned positions–Skip or Lead–by the Tournament Committee (TC), taking account of preferences to the extent practicable. The TC also assigned a limited amount of handicaps.
Skips drew their Leads, and first round rink assignments, by random draw. Thereafter, we used the strength v strength format, with the top two teams after each round facing each other, third v fourth, and so on.
Tournament scoring (click to enlarge)
By the conclusion of the third round, only two teams had won all three of their games, so the Final pitted Cris and Janine against Mo and Judy. The result was as closely contested a 10-end game as you could get without it actually resulting in a tie. The first nine ends were won with single points, each side outdoing the other with superb bowling along the way. But Mo and Judy had taken six of those ends to Cris and Janine’s three, leaving the latter down three going into the final end. Cris and Janine were holding two in the final end when Mo, with characteristic calm, drew the third shot. It came down to the last bowl but Cris’s efforts to best Mo’s shot fell short. So, Mo and Judy won the game 6-5 and with it the tournament.
Mo Shooer and Judy Hillyer smiling broadly after a fine day of bowling
Congratulations to Mo Shooer and Judy Hillyer as BLBC 2025 Pairs Champions!
And thanks, as always, to our greenskeepers, and to our wonderful hospitality crew
As bowling greens in the Bay Area go, Berkeley is looking pretty good. We enjoy bowling on a fast rink and our green attracts dual members from across the Bay Area. It’s hard to overstate the energy and dedication required to keep the green in good shape. Take, for instance, rolling the green to improve its speed and consistency. Our current crew of Greenskeepers have been selflessly performing this task multiple times a week and my introduction to the process this week reveals that it is far from trivial.
Greenskeepers Patricia and Janie instruct our rolling neophytes
On Monday, six green rolling newbies (Cris, Charlie, Mark, Glenn, Philip, and Janine) attended the first of three training sessions led by Greenskeepers Janie and Patricia. The goal is to have a trained team who assume green rolling duties by the end of the year.
The gas-powered roller
We are currently using an older gas-powered roller, but will soon receive a new electric model from Australia. Rolling the green involves several steps. Arriving at 8 AM, the process begins with a walking inspection of the green. It’s important to clear debris, often dropped from neighboring trees, from the green so that it doesn’t get embedded in our turf by the rolling machine. On some days, this is a quick process but on others, say after a brisk wind, it could be a two-hour job. Nevertheless, it must be done before rolling and it makes sense to have two or more people in the rolling crew.
Simple but effective logbookThe equipment shed
Rolling proper begins with opening up the equipment shed, hauling out the roller, and making notations in a small logbook about direction and date of rolling. After a close inspection, the somewhat heavy roller is then wheeled onto the green through a gap in the backboard. The machine is lowered onto the green by carefully rotating a big yellow frame. One then adjusts the choke and throttle to start the machine’s engine, and then rolling begins.
Patricia coachingPhilip at the joystick
As one sits on the roller, it moves left and right perpendicular to the body position of the operator. This takes a bit of getting used to. It also has a turning radius that is wider than that of an automobile. So maneuvers to change direction require some forethought. The roller is first run around the perimeter of the green where tolerances in missing the ditch are tight. It is then reversed back-and-forth in parallel paths to cover the entire green surface. This requires approximately 80 passes and can follow an orthogonal or diagonal pattern depending on the day’s bowling direction and prior rolling.
Groping for thatchA look under the machineThatch harvested from rollers
Driving the machine is challenging at first, but also kind of fun. Not fun is stopping to clear thatch that accumulates on the rollers. When the rollers pick up debris, the machine must be stopped, turned off, tilted back onto its transport wheels, and carefully cleaned by hand which requires (for me) lying on the ground to reach underneath. On good days this might happen once or twice, after a verticutting session it might happen a half dozen times (groan.)
Lifting the machine to clear thatch
I have come away from my inaugural training with great admiration for the effort our Greenskeepers have put into their rolling program to date. It’s a good thing that we have folks signing up to help out for this aspect of greenskeeping alone is a significant job. Here’s a pat on the back for those who have volunteered.
Today, August 16th, we joyfully celebrate the 104th birthday of Ted Crum—an exceptional figure in the history of the Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club.
Ted joined BLBC in 1994 and quickly distinguished himself as both a talented bowler and a devoted volunteer, serving in numerous club roles. Yet, what truly stands out is his legacy as a mentor and coach. Ted has introduced many newcomers to lawn bowling, patiently guiding and inspiring players to improve and enjoy the sport.
His vitality and enthusiasm have long amazed us. Until quite recently, Ted could be found tending his garden, managing household tasks, and driving himself on errands. Four years ago, at his centennial party, he delighted us by bowling a full fourteen-end draw game, displaying his enduring skill and love for the sport.
Photos from the club’s celebration of Ted’s Centennial birthday.
Ted’s contributions reach far beyond athletic prowess. He embodies the ideals the club holds dear: graciousness on the green, camaraderie, thoughtful leadership, and a warm, engaging presence. During challenging times in the 1990s and early 2000s, Ted helped rejuvenate BLBC, making it a vibrant, welcoming community for all.
Though Ted can no longer bowl with us in person, his influence is felt in every corner of the club he helped shape. We are grateful for his decades of service, spirit, and friendship.
Happy Birthday, Ted! Thank you for everything you have given to BLBC. We wish you continued happiness and good health.
Berkeley Prevails at First PIMD “Battle of the Rinks”
Rinks play or Fours is not a very popular form of the game of bowls in the USA, especially at the club level. Most players prefer the opportunity to use three bowls in Triples or four bowls in Pairs and Singles. But Rinks is widely played overseas and is commonly, these days, the third format in the “big” Open tournaments in the USA—the South Central, Southwest, and US Opens.
Partly with the aim of raising the visibility of the Rinks format—and partly just for fun (that’s what we’re here for, right?)—PIMD decided this year to institute a new tournament: rinks format with the quartets each representing their home club. No dual member ringers allowed. This is the first time, at the PIMD level, that clubs rather than individual bowlers have faced off.
The Berkeley team : Russ, Janice, Rob, and Jim.
With Santa Cruz LBC agreeing to host the inaugural event, held on Saturday August 9, we were guaranteed a fast and relatively true green—not to say there weren’t tricky patches occasionally. In addition to the BLBC foursome—Rob Hoey (skip), Jim Corr (Vice) Russ Leonard (Second), and Janice Bell (Lead)—there were entrants from San Jose, Palo Alto, and San Francisco, which fielded two teams. Attempts to put together a second BLBC team proved unsuccessful for a variety of reasons—bowlers out of town, bowlers with other commitments that day, bowlers not keen on the travel to the outer reaches of the PIMD universe, etc etc.
Berkeley did well in their first two games in the morning, defeating the home team by 5 points over the 12 ends played and Palo Alto by the maximum plus points of 7, each player contributing to the overall team performance. In the afternoon, a bit of the after-lunch blahs set in and BLBC struggled in the early stages against the San Francisco “A” team but managed a comeback to pull off a 2-point win in the third game. At that juncture both San Jose and Berkeley were the only two teams with three wins, and the luck of the draw had them face each other in what was, in effect, a Final, winner-takes-all.
Berkeley had three points on the board after the first two ends, but San Jose (Jon and Tom Burnoski, John Johnson and Reggie Banares) responded with a run of winning ends, including four on the fourth, to establish a powerful 9-2 lead at the halfway stage. At this point, Rob, who had been playing some fine “skip shots” throughout the day to save many an end for BLBC, called a quick team conference. His pep talk (who remembers the actual words?) was Churchillian in its effect as Berkeley went on to storm the remaining 6 ends and pull off victory by 13-9.
And so BLBC has the honor of winning the first PIMD “Battle of the Rinks.”
BLBC members may have observed an unusual, dark, and mossy patch in the northeast corner of the green. A few weeks ago, we aerated the area and applied a light dose of seed and sand to level the section and introduce new grass. The outer perimeter responded favorably, but the interior of the section appeared to deteriorate further.
Harvesting turf from the nurseryRemoving turf from the greenPatching the nursery woundExposed wound on green
In consultation with Jose, we decided to perform surgical intervention on the green to remove and replace the affected area with bent grass from the nursery. Jose provided and sharpened a specialized tool resembling a cheese slicer, which enabled the removal of rolls of sod approximately 5 feet long and 10 inches wide from the nursery. The same process was employed in the impacted area on the green.
Upon removing the mossy patch from the green, we discovered a lump of dirt containing a redwood tree root. The root had a diameter of approximately 3 inches and was situated just below the green’s surface. Its removal was necessary. Jose collaborated with us to saw the root into two sections and extract it from beneath the mossy patch.
The exposed redwood rootlaying nursery turf on the greenPost surgery patchingRoot section removed
Subsequent steps involved the placement and leveling of sand, followed by the rolling out of the sod harvested from the nursery to patch the affected area. Light watering was applied to saturate the sand beneath, which will be continued for the next few days. The nursery area was also filled with plugs, sand, and seed to restore the removed section. We remain optimistic that the removal of the root and the installation of the new bent grass sod will yield positive results. In the interim, please exercise caution when bowling in the affected area.
The annual Meat Axe Challenge between Berkeley and Palo Alto has been played nearly every year since 1958. It has always manifested the best of lawn bowls competition, with a combination of competitiveness, joviality, and good sportsmanship. This year’s edition was no exception.
Palo Alto traveled north, keen to avenge last year’s loss on their home turf. The schedule called for five 12-end triples games in the morning and afternoon sessions, with the trophy going to the side with the most game points … three for a win, one for a tie.
Exceptional hospitalityThe pre-match brief
The unseasonably chilly, misty weather did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of both squads. Like liposuction, the contest was nip and tuck all the way. In the morning, the visitors captured three of the five matches, winning two of them quite handily. It was nervous times for the Blue and Gold as Palo Alto seemed to have the upper hand. They only had 15 bowlers, so their teams could remain the same. We had 25, which demanded a juggling act to add 10 new bowlers in the afternoon. Only our five skips bowled both games.
They had stability, we had depth. Ultimately, depth prevailed as we won four of the five afternoon matches to secure an 18-12 victory. The Meat Axe remains where it seems happiest … in our clubhouse.
Everyone on the same pageHanging on to the Meat Axe trophy
Once again, kudos to our greenskeepers for the beautiful and speedy green, and to our Hospitality Committee for the yummy snacks and barista-quality coffee. And an extra shout out to our Tournament Committee for arranging and rearranging the team assignments.
President Engler with the trophy.
Moreover, we swept the season’s three inter-club matches for the second year in a row.
Update: Eleven hearty and willing bowlers gathered to clear the path to our old bowling green which runs behind several of our neighbor’s homes and Charlie Dohr Mini Park. The path has not been cleared in recent memory and was buried in leaves from our magnificent oak tree and ivy. We were cheered on by our neighbors with offers to help and much appreciation. All told, we removed two dozen large bags of debris from the alleyway.
Debris be goneCrew at workThe cleared pathNeat and tidy
Many thanks to Janine and Phillip Andrews, Cris and Claudia Benton, Annie Brillhart, Russell (Rolly) Coe, Leslie Engler, Patricia Erwin, Janie and Judy Hillyer, and Martin Kershaw.
Meanwhile Ethan Bortman, Glen Nunez and Gary Samonsky were hard at work making repairs on our sand shed to keep it dry in the upcoming rainy months.
All and all it was a very productive morning of work at the BLBC with even a little bowling afterwards.
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