Archery's impact on a pitch

[TJ Mason]

Does anyone have objective data about the impact of archery on a pitch, please? In particular, whether flat soles are more damaging to grass than studded boots.

[Furface]

Oh dear, this doesn't sound too good Another move for Phoenix on the cards?

[Trunkles]

Bowling Greens are always in tip top condition and they wear flats.

[not dead yet]

surely boots make holes and rutts etc. flat soles just , well flat soles...

whats rugby or ####ball doin on your archery field. clear them off

[bimble]

We have a 24/7 field that has archery done on it pretty much everyday (baring weather) and the rabbits do more damage then the archers.

[clickerati]

we share our pitch with london welsh rugby and they take so many liberties it's disgusting. the day before the pagoda, just as we were getting ready to work on laying out the field, the women's team barged over to the windsor field and basically destroyed it, turning it into a mud bath for the poor archers the next day. had they stayed on the pitch they were told to stay on, it wouldn't have been as bad. then during the summer, they won't cut the grass shorter than a certain level, which means we spend wasted time looking for arrows. that said, it looks the best during archery season!!!

so yes, i'd say flat shoes are much kinder!!

[Dave]

Not sure what grass and/or drainage you use on the above fields but it took 30 or so flat soled archers shooting a York yesterday to leave behind a large mud patch that used to be our field It was interesting looking at all the little islands of grass that were left where scopes and tents had been

[mk1]

Well that's it really - it depends on the weather leading up to the event, and how good the drainage on the field is.

If the field is good you'll hardly know a tournament has taken place. If its been wet and the pitch is soggy - it'll be brown with a few green islands after the event.

[General_Lee]

I trained as a groundsman. both sports will damage a pitch, but archery should be much less damaging as there is no running in studs which rips at grass roots and causes divots. If you are having conflicts of usage on a pitch try to make sure that the shooting line where almost all of the wear will occur is not infront of the goal mouths (football) or on the 22yd line (rugby). Find every arrow before you go home. Find time to speak to the groundsman. Tea and good biscuits help!
I'm going to have a look and see if i can find tech data for flats vs studs

[phil_r_58]

I shoot at Friskney a lot and there it's moles. If blocking the drainage drowned the moles I'd do it. They make rugby players look like saints. You look for the metal distance marker plates and spend half an hour moving mole hill soil, looking for the right place.

Sarah would also take exception with the cows in the deer shoot field next door. One left a LAKE of poo, all round the juniors peg last year.