Canadian Greens Maintance Expert

My blogs attempt to supply you the Lawn Bowls junkie with Internet location of information which may be difficult to locate. Recently a question crossed my e-mail of "What is a good Green's Speed ?".  Don't look far and you find different opinions based upon the country which you visit.

Golf Hall of Fame Greens Gordon Witteveen

Greens Maintenance and Care is another difficult subject to find information for free.  Publication are available and even joining a e-mail site but with the exception of going to Golf Course Maintenance there is not a lot that I have found.  I tell my students and new bowlers that Lawn Bowls Greens are more closer cut and maintenance at a level of perfection higher than Golf putting or Course Greens.

"The all-important consideration in lawn bowling is the 'pace of the green', or its speed. On a bowling green, speed is expressed in seconds. The number of seconds for a bowl to roll 90 feet from its point of deliverance to where it comes to a rest is defined as its speed. A speed of 12 seconds is acceptable but for competitions bowlers require much faster greens. It requires greater skill and expertise to bowl on a fast green." was written by Gordon Witteveen in December 7th 1993 Sport Turf Newsletter.   As always another great gem of publication stored away in the library Archives (MSU.edu)

Twitter Screen Capture of Youtube video

On December 6th 2010, Canada lost one of its Greatest Green Maintenance Experts when Gordon Witteveen died at age 76, in Newmarket Ontario. Gordon Cornelis Witteveen ,immigrated to Canada at age 20, from the Netherlands and studied at the Ontario Agricultural Collage to become one of Canada's Horticulture specialists. 

His books serve as textbooks at many Horticulture Schools and although he wrote little about Lawn Bowls Greens his lectures and conferences on Greens Maintenance drew may   of the best Canadian Greens keepers. (Of which we don't have  a lot) I know that our Canadian Bowls Association had published a Greens Maintenance Manual  in the late 20th century; but I now must research if Mr. Witteveen was a contributor or consultant.

We don t follow or allow sufficient respect and acknowledgement to our Lawn Bowls green keepers and as they retire often it is just a club party and a hand shake with a honorary membership. An interesting Article in the Golf Turf and Recreation Magazine by Mike Jiggens shines some light on this man who gave his live and love to great green care.