A BOWLS club is replacing its hallowed turf after almost 80 years of service. A new green, costing �21,000, is being laid at Royston Bowls Club. The grass will bed in over the winter months and be ready for the start of the 2010 season. Brian Pepper, from

A BOWLS club is replacing its hallowed turf after almost 80 years of service.

A new green, costing �21,000, is being laid at Royston Bowls Club. The grass will bed in over the winter months and be ready for the start of the 2010 season.

Brian Pepper, from the club, said: "This project will no doubt provide the county with a green to be proud of, and will initiate a new era for the Royston Bowls Club."

The founding members of the club laid the first grass at their premises, on Green Drift, in 1927.

Seventy-seven years later, the green is being replaced because it has developed "runs" - undulations in the flat surface of the grass.

Mr Pepper explained: "A bowls green requires the surface to be flat in order that the bowl will travel in the arc that it was designed to perform, thus enabling a contestant to execute a desired shot to achieve a suitable result.

"When 'runs' develop, delivering an accurate bowl is a matter of pot luck as the bowl will tend to follow the run - a very frustrating situation for players."

The new turf is being laid using laser controlled equipment to ensure a true playing surface for years to come.

The Brian Leslie Racher trust is providing �10,000 towards the project, and the bowls club hopes North Herts District Council will also make a contribution.