LAWTON RESERVE NO.2 SOCCER PITCH
Frankston City Council
November 2019 - January 2021

Lawton Reserve is a 7 hectare recreational reserve managed by the Frankston City Council and located in the suburb of Langwarrin.  The reserve is primarily used as a soccer field and is the home to the Langwarrin Soccer club one of the largest clubs in the municipality.
Lawton Reserve’s No.2 Soccer Pitch had a problematic playing surface that was in continually poor, patchy, substandard condition and unable to sustain the amount of use it was receiving.
Frankston City Council engaged Endeavour Turf Professionals (ETP Turf) to oversee and assist with the redevelopment of the No.2 Soccer Pitch including the initial site investigations, design and provision of specialised agronomic consultancy to ensure a positive outcome. Council capitalised on the timing of the ground works to also request facility infrastructure improvements.
Site investigations uncovered the substandard condition of the pitch was primarily due to the poor quality of the subgrade soil and ineffective irrigation and drainage.   As a result, the knowledgeable and collaborative team of agronomists and designers at ETP Turf conceptualised an upgraded and re-shaped pitch with a one-way fall, a new sand based profile, a new network of subsurface, perimeter and collector drainage and an automatic irrigation system. It was recommended the pitch be grassed with warm season Santa Ana couch turf known for its drought tolerance and wearability.
In addition to the ground and surface works, ETP’s expert sports field design team applied infrastructure upgrades to the site including new fencing, goal screen, access gates, concrete edge strips to the perimeter of the pitch and synthetic covered concrete pads in high use areas.
A key consideration for this project was ensuring the revamped design was achievable within the existing footprint of Lawton No.2 Soccer Pitch.  Additionally, ETP consultants and designers were skillfully able to develop a model with appropriate levels while also minimising soil removal from the site.
Frankston City Council are extremely pleased with the newly redeveloped Lawton Reserve No.2 Soccer Pitch that now features a re-shaped pitch with a full sand-based profile and superior drainage and irrigation network that can handle ongoing, year-round use.  Additionally, the pitch has been modernised with infrastructure upgrades to improve the usability of the space for tenants of Lawton Reserve and the broader Frankston community in the years ahead.