Bowls club bankrolled for vital upkeep gear

LORNE Bowling Club is set to have a top-drawer playing surface once again after securing funding for a new roller.

Lorne Community Bank (Bendigo Bank) provided $9,900 to the club for the new greenskeeping gear and presented the club with its new machine for a practice spin this week.

The on-green progress follows the recent opening of the Lorne club’s new restaurant Little Picket that has attracted droves of diners this year.

But the recent renovations and periods of COVID restrictions impacting income such as bar sales has left the Lorne bowlers strapped for cash and struggling to maintain their synthetic playing surface, which was not able to host competition finals due to its deteriorating condition.

Club president Peter Jacobs is confident the new equipment will help smooth out the playing green

Community Bank Surfcoast marketing lead Kelly Turner was among the representatives to present the roller on Monday, and said the club was a community organisation worthy of support.

“There were flaws in the evenness which became serious and the quality of the greens were downgraded to the point where finals could not be played and the greens were downgraded to ‘B’ standard.

“It was suggested by Berry Bowling Systems that a purpose-built roller could bring the green back to the required standard.

“President Peter Jacobs was convinced the roller would be successful, but there was a problem: after two years of COVID restrictions the bank balance had been depleted and the successful renovations had left no spare cash.

“[Mr] Jacobs and secretary David Stribling met with the Lorne Community Bank representatives to ask for some form of assistance. The bank people could see, whilst quite a large request, that it was for a worthwhile community project.”