WHAKATĀNE Bowling Club is not long from unveiling a new bowling green.

With their old green 14 years old and on its last legs, replacement work was set down for 2025 but a change in the Tiger Turf Team schedule has them in Whakatāne now, putting down the new surface.

It comes thanks to a $75,000 grant from NZCT and plenty of fundraising by the club.

In total, it has cost the club just over $200,000.

“It was very worn out and we think it would have struggled to last the entire season,” former Whakatane Bowling Club president John Chelley said.

“We were meant to get it done by the middle of next year, but Tiger Turf got in touch saying they had an opening, so we took it.”

It’s the front green that is being replaced.

Chelley said the old green played incredibly well.

“It was a very good green. We have had 13-and-a-half years out of it. It’s been fantastic but the carpet was starting to tear and wear out in places, so we decided to replace it with the same carpet.”

When complete, the green will be ready for use immediately.

“You can bowl on them straight away, which is good. As soon as it’s completed, we will be out there using it.”

“The company does them incredibly well … They do a great job. I bowl a bit in Tauranga, and they have about four new greens and they bowled well, immediately.”

Luckily the club has two greens, so bowlers have been able to use the second green, which is 18 months younger, in the meantime.

That green will also need replacing eventually.

“It’s starting to show its age a little bit, but it’s still got two or three years left in it,” Mr Chelley said.