Providing workers with morning and afternoon tea for four weeks paid off for the women of the Wanaka Bowling Club when they were given first crack at testing the club's new artificial surface.
Ladies' day at the club was rescheduled last week to coincide with the completion of the surface, a reward for all the baking the women produced for the volunteers and contractors who worked on the project.
After throwing out their jacks, en masse, to christen the surface and playing a match or two, the verdict from the group was unanimously positive.
‘‘It's absolutely great,'' Gwen Hannan said.
‘‘You could play with confidence on it, there were no bumps or lumps, it's nice under your feet and I felt I could handle my bowls on it.''
‘‘We're delighted with the result,'' club president Colin Nyenhuis said.
‘‘Until they finish you don't know, because there's always an amount of uncertainty with artificial greens but this one is running true.''
The idea to convert the natural green into an artificial one was floated two years ago.
The old surface had been down since the club was established 80 years earlier and was becoming difficult to maintain.
‘‘We were having problems with it and something had to be done,'' Mr Nyenhuis said.
‘‘The ground got tired and sour and no matter what we did we couldn't get a good surface to grow.''
Maintenance of the green was becoming a full-time job and because of the facility's proximity to town, the club was running into problems with restrictions on the use of sprays and chemicals required for maintenance.
Fundraising began and money was raised by club members through catering, raffles, garage sales, auctions, cake stalls and other means.
Central Lakes Trust gave a grant of $100,000 and smaller amounts were given by the Community Trust of Otago, the Callis Trust, a private Wanaka development company and Wanaka Masonic Lodge.
Mr Nyenhuis said the total cost of the project was in the vicinity of $250,000, which included the conversion of the green (which has been enlarged to a full-size playing surface), new fences, new lighting, alterations to the green surrounds, irrigation and new gardens. Some of the work is still to be carried out.
Stage two of the project will involve renovating the clubrooms for which fundraising is already under way.
The surface conversion was overseen by former greenkeeper Stuart Hurley, who held the role for more than a decade.
‘‘He put in a tremendous amount of time and effort and the support we've had from our members has been unbelievable.''
Mr Nyenhuis said the time taken from when the digger arrived on site through to completion of the artificial surface was only four weeks, despite being a project that would usually take closer to six.
‘‘It's gone so smoothly.
‘‘There's been basically no pitfalls whatsoever.
‘‘It's gone like clockwork really.''
Mr Nyenhuis said the men and women of the club had ‘‘combined and excelled''.
‘‘[During] some of the working bees we had more than 20 men working. They just turned up day after day.
‘‘The North Island and Australian contractors hadn't experienced such camaraderie; people came from everywhere to help.
‘‘Some weren't even club members.''
The men took care of the physical side of things and the women made sure there was ample food to go around.
‘‘Every morning and afternoon tea, the women just about had a competition to see who could bring the best baking.''
Mr Nyenhuis said the playing surface would require little maintenance in comparison to the old natural green.
He hoped the new facility would attract new players, particularly younger ones, to boost the club's existing membership of 120.
The club plans to hold an official opening in April.
