How Much Do Bowling Greens Cost in Perth? [Price Guide]

Looking to build or upgrade a bowling green? Bowling greens are a significant investment for clubs, governments, boards, and enthusiasts, but price can’t be the sole consideration. While a new synthetic bowling green can cost between $150,000 to $200,000, you’ll also need to factor in maintenance, performance, and the likelihood to drive revenue.

Is it time to rebuild or replace your bowling green?

If you’re like most bowl club owners or board members, you’ll be weighing up the pros and cons of an artificial green over natural turf.

Synthetic grass bowling greens were introduced to Australia over 30 years ago and have helped revolutionise the game. Offering year-round play, with minimal maintenance, an artificial surface can help bowling clubs retain their appeal in hot summer months as well as cooler conditions, an artificial surface helps to maintain interest and generate revenue from January to December.

Across performance, maintenance, and the all-important ability to generate revenue, synthetic surfaces offer clear advantages over turf.

But what should you pay for a new bowling green for your Perth club or latest project? And how can you find the most cost-effective green installers that share your passion for crisp, professional surfaces?

At Evergreen Synthetic, Grass we’ve got over 30 years of experience to help us answer those questions, and we’re sharing all of our insider knowledge with you.

How much will a new bowling green cost to install?

If you’re starting from scratch, a new synthetic bowling green typically costs between $180,000 to $200,000 (including all construction extras like pre-formed ditches, irrigation systems, and a stable sub-base).

This cost comes down if you’ve got a grass green and you’d like to convert it to a synthetic surface, with the price ranging from $130,000 to $170,000.

When speaking to bowling green installation experts, make sure you’re getting an “apples for apples” comparison. As there are many different synthetic grass products and a variety of construction inclusions that you may or may not need, ask for a specific breakdown of what’s included so you can compare prices and find the most cost-effective way forward for your club or project.

Don’t forget to factor in bowling green maintenance

The price of a new bowling green in Perth isn’t just about your upfront costs. Like any addition to your bowling club, you’ll need to factor in maintenance costs too.

When it comes to caring for your green, a synthetic surface is significantly cheaper than natural turf. Caring for live grass is likely to cost you around $25,000 per year, while caring for synthetic grass of the same size will only set you back $10,000 to $15,000 per year (depending on surface type).

As a rule of thumb, maintaining a synthetic bowling green costs half as much as maintaining a natural grass surface. That means you save on the following costs:

✔ Less equipment required
✔ No petrol needed for mowers
✔ Less chemicals needed for grass health
✔ Less water needed to maintain grass surface

A synthetic surface still needs to be kept clean, but this requires significantly less manual labour and helps reduce the overheads of your club.

Bowling green price comparison [synthetic vs natural]

What synthetic grass surfaces can I choose from?

At Evergreen Synthetic Grass, we offer five leading choices for your artificial bowling green surface, so there’s guaranteed to be a product that suits your budget and needs.

Gold 12mm

Gold 12mm Gold is proudly designed by (and is exclusive to) Evergreen Synthetic Grass. Gold 12mm Gold is an innovative product because it’s the world’s first multi-coloured bowling green surface, delivering a highly appealing surface for bowlers of all ages and experience levels.

 Woven carpet

This two-part system (turf and underlay) is a great choice for small clubs and enthusiasts. Used worldwide for 30 years, it’s incredibly reliable and takes absolutely no work to maintain: sand, grooming, or rolling (which means more time enjoying the green).

Ultra Plus 12mm

This dense, advanced-quality grass is the latest development in synthetic bowling greens and needs very little rolling to achieve the right speed quickly. As the latest in bowling green grass, this surface is fast becoming the professional greenkeeper’s first choice.

Master-pro plus

This excellent sand-filled surface is the best at standing up to variable weather including heavy rain. It offers even, controlled speeds and uniform running.

Why make the switch from real to synthetic grass?

Installing a synthetic bowling green can feel like a major investment, particularly if you’ve been using real grass before – but the advantages on offer outweigh the hassle of a one-time switch.

When it comes to your patrons, a synthetic surface is likely to offer a more consistent playing experience from day to day. This gives your bowlers more opportunities to improve and increases the likelihood of return visits.

Natural grass can’t handle play 7-days a week, 12-hours a day – but synthetic turf can. Increased revenue from constant use is key to your club and should always be factored into the price of a new surface.

If you’re a club owner, then a synthetic surface is easier to maintain and enjoy all year round. Not only does this mean you’ll have customers through winter months (when some grass surfaces become increasingly difficult to maintain), but by spending less on green maintenance you’ll have more funds to invest elsewhere in your club.

Win-win.

How long do synthetic bowling greens last?

This depends on the type of grass used for your green.

When it comes to lush, green and bowl-friendly surfaces, you’ve got two options:

• Natural grass
• Synthetic turf

Natural grass can vary in terms of their root zones (e.g. soil or sand), as well as the type of turf used (e.g. warm or cool-season grass varieties). The longevity of these natural surfaces comes down to the climate and the skill of your greenkeeper.

In contrast, a synthetic grass surface offers year-round use with minimal damage to artificial grass fibres. Although a synthetic green still requires a little maintenance, you can expect to enjoy an artificial surface for up to 10 to 15 years with the right care.

What am I paying for when I invest in a bowling green?

Let’s talk about the process of building a new bowling green.

Whether you’re a club owner or looking to build a bowling green on your own property, understanding the construction process will help explain where your money is being used.

Here’s the step-by-step process to building a new bowling green.

Step one: Site preparation

Step two: Drainage and reticulation

Step three: Base Installation and new ditch walls if required

Step four: Laying bowling green surface

Looking to source a quote for your next bowling green upgrade?

At Evergreen Synthetic Grass, we’ve been helping clubs, boards, and bowling enthusiasts create enjoyable greens that are designed to last and generate revenue year after year.

We understand that a new artificial green is a significant investment, so we trade and direct wholesale prices for a premium new surface at affordable rates. With over 6,000 satisfied customers around Perth, our track record speaks for itself – but we’d rather speak to you.

We’ve laid over 290,000 square metres of synthetic grass, so we know what it takes to deliver a stunning, highly playable, and cost-effective bowling green that meets your needs.Reach out and speak to a member of our customer care team on (08) 9303 2130 or click here to request a quote online (we’ll get back to you within 24 hours – guaranteed).