Only a few weeks ago, Stoke Bowling Club greenkeeper Don Carter was accoladed by Sport Tasman, receiving recognition for a Lifetime Contribution to Sports in the region at the ASB Nelson Sport Awards.
It was a great night for lawn bowls. Shannon McIlroy won the Sportsman of the Year and also took out the ultimate accolade, the Sportsperson of the Year.
But for Don, it was hardly a ‘lifetime’. The Motueka-born bowls lover is only 82, and still plans on continuing many years with his association with the game.
He’s only been the ‘official’ greenkeeper at the Stoke Bowling Club for 52 years. Since 1967. And he has no current plans to turn his penetrometer or soil meter over to someone else. There’s more greenkeeping to be done.
But whilst he continues to tend the beautiful game, he gave up playing bowls 10 years or so ago. Despite the fact that in his day, Don was regarded as the fear of Tasman!
“I was managing an apple and berry orchard for a bloke that was a keen bowler,” recalls Don, “and one Christmas he gave me a bag and a set of bowls, and corralled me along to the Stoke Bowling Club. I loved it, and became hooked immediately.”
That was 1960. And before long he was also helping out topdressing the then one weed green at the club. Don became something of a dab hand at nurturing the green, and before long he was encouraged to turn his back on growing and caring for apples and berries, and concentrate on growing and caring for the weed at the club.
The sixties were the heyday for lawn bowls in New Zealand. And for a still young club like Stoke, only founded in 1949, they were eager to add a second green. Don became the driving force behind number two, and when it was completed in 1986, it became known as the Carter Green.
But Don wasn’t just making a noise in the greenkeeping world. He was also playing a mean game of bowls as well, picking up 30 club titles, 16 centre titles and representing the province at national level for 18 consecutive years.
“I never won a national title,” says Don, “The nearest I came was in 1978 in Christchurch when Harry Todd beat me in the semi-finals. No regrets. He deserved the win on the day. I think Robson may have gone on to beat him in the final.”
“I was part of a Stoke Bowling Club team that went to the Nationals every year for 8 years. We played in the Singles, the Pairs and the Fours. And only once did we not qualify. We were proud of that. For a lot of bowlers at the Nationals, that’s what they’re trying to do. Achieving more in the finals is just a bonus.”
Don never worried whether he won or lost. It was all about playing the game.
Which is strange when considering the competitive reputation that stoke Bowling Club has today. The club won this year’s televised Bowls3Five with its Stoke Thunder wonder team of James Pugh, Kirsten Edwards, Leigh Griffin, Peter Hodson, Robbie Reed, Selina Goddard and Shannon McIlroy and has headlined countless achievements over many years.
But Don has always been more concerned with always helping out with the 130 full member club. Not only with the greens which he primps and preens from 6:30am each day, but other roles in the club including President – three times (1973-1975, 1982-1983, and 1990-1991). Coach for 9 years, and Selector for 3 years.
Don has been made a Life Member of both the club (1981/1982) and the centre (1993), and he’s now the Stoke Bowling Club Patron.
That’s not to mention all the dedication he has put into doing what he surely does best : greenkeeping. “I’ve been a member of the Nelson Greenkeepers Association for 42 years,” he says,” and attended 15 South Island Greenkeepers Conferences.”
Don is the longest continuously-serving greenkeeper in New Zealand. He received a Certificate of Merit in 2017 from the New Zealand Greenkeepers Association for his outstanding contribution.
Even today, Don continues to make his own chalk. With three parts hydrated lime mixed with one part of plaster powder poured in a little plastic drinking mould … and left to dry and set in the sun for 3 weeks.
He’s still a weed man. “The club talks about a carpet green from time to time, and some may be waiting for me to disappear off the scene to improve the odds of that. My response to that is to make the maniototo even better, running quicker and truer, so there’s no reason to even consider synthetic.”
Good on you Don, you’re a true legend.
by Rob Davis
