MORNINGTON Bowling Club has officially opened its two new synthetic greens, marking the end of a project nearly three years in the making.
The opening ceremony on 21 January saw more than 80 members gather with guests including Mornington Peninsula Shire deputy mayor Cr Paul Pingiaro, major long-term sponsor O’Brien Real Estate, and Mt Martha Community Bank representatives.
Current singles champions Deborah Wood and Chad Muir rolled the first bowl to inaugurate the new greens.
Established in 1917, the club has been a central hub for bowlers and the local community for over a century, celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2017.
The $755,000 project replaced two aging grass greens with all-weather synthetic surfaces and included new surrounding paths, removal of contaminated soil, reduction of one green by a rink, and installation of new sunshades. Susan Gullidge, chair of the club’s board of management, said the old greens were “a bit past their use by date.”
While construction initially faced expected delays due bad weather in NSW in sourcing materials, the synthetic greens were installed by the end of November.
She said club members were delighted and “chuffed” with the upgrades.
“We’ve got seven new shades and seven new seats. We will be ordering another seven new seats to replace the old white benches,” Gullidge said.
She also acknowledged community support, noting “we were very grateful to Mt Martha Community Bank” for providing a grant that funded four new scoreboards.
The club continues to focus on community engagement, hosting barefoot bowls throughout the summer and a wide range of events, from birthday celebrations and other events. Gullidge said “moving forward, we want to enhance more of the community as we can and just update our facilities and make us our club the best club on the peninsula.
“We’re doing very well with new members – we’ve got 180.”
The synthetic greens are expected to save the club about $40,000 annually in maintenance costs while making the sport more accessible to players of all abilities.
First published in the Mornington News – 27 January 2026