Lawn Bowling Reaches Out to Just About Everyone
By Priscilla Lister

Consider these attractions:

It’s an outdoor activity that is open to just about everyone.

It is not based on strength but rather on skill, finesse and strategy. Therefore, there is no advantage if you’re male or female, if you’re tall or short, if you’re young or old, if you’re big or small.

The players are invariably friendly, polite, and from all walks of life.

The annual dues are $150 for regular members, or only $12.50 a month. Greens fees are $2. Lessons for beginners are free and arranged according to their schedule.
And you must wear white only on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

You can also go just about anywhere in the world and find a lawn bowling game to join, and you can play the game all your life.

“It’s a young person’s game an older person can still play,” says the Web site of the San Diego Lawn Bowling Club, a fixture in Balboa Park since its founding in 1932.

The local club is a member of the Southwest Division of the United States Lawn Bowls Association, and one of the strongest clubs in the region. “We have one of the top two teams in the country,” said Howard Harris, a member of the San Diego club as well as this year’s president of the Southwest Lawn Bowls Association. The other top team is Newport Harbor, whose club began in 1939. Laguna Beach has another competitive club, formed in 1931.

The history of the game itself goes back much further, to the 13th century in England. It remains very popular in the United Kingdom today, as well as in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. They say one of every four people in Australia are lawn bowlers.

The game is played with asymmetrical balls calls “bowls.” The weighted, elliptical bowls always curve when you roll them. The object is to roll them as close to the “jack,” as possible — the jack is a little white ball that is the target.

The game is played by completing sets of “ends,” similar to innings in baseball. When all the players deliver their bowls — three or four from each player — in one direction of the green, that completes the play of one “end.” Then players deliver their bowls from the opposite direction of the green, completing another end. The game typically consists of 14, 16 or 18 ends.

The game of triples is most common in this country. In triples, there are three bowlers on each team, and each player delivers three bowls in each end. There are three positions on each team: lead (he or she starts the bowls rolling), vice skip (he or she plays second), and the skip (team captain).

I watched a game on a recent Tuesday and found every player delighted to talk to this newcomer about the sport.

“If you like sports, puzzles and competition, you’re hooked,” said Bill Brault, 51, a self-employed security systems expert who is also a champion in national and international tournaments, most recently in Malaysia.
“This game is for everybody to play,” said Duxie Smukler, who originally hails from South Africa. “It’s easy on the limbs and a challenging game.”

“The best part is the comradeship,” said Bill Hiscock, a lawyer in Coronado who’s been a member of the Balboa Park club for more than 20 years. “Lawn bowling people are exceptionally friendly, from all economic brackets whether a neurosurgeon or a bricklayer.”

“It calls for a lot of patience and focus,” added Tom Anderson, a semi-retired computer programmer and member of the local club for 22 years. “It’s a nice gentle sport with a lot of friendly people. And it gets to be addictive.”

For Harris, the regional president and a real estate professional, “It’s a wonderful way to be outside, get some exercise and have some competition.”

“They say after you’ve finished a game, you’ve walked two miles,” noted Jean Elson, who is also involved with the Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol in Balboa Park.
The local club is trying hard to reach out to younger members. “We have to be honest. We have an image of being only old retired people,” said Georgie Deno, the local club president this year. “But we have members ranging from their 20s to their 80s.”

The local club’s membership has risen steadily during the last few years, and now counts nearly 130 members.

Deno herself had been looking for an outdoor activity where she also might meet new people. She tried lawn bowling about four years ago and fell in love with the game immediately. “The game stays interesting. The score can change with every bowl that’s rolled,” she said.

While beginners can arrange lessons at their convenience, a player’s level of participation is also up to them. “Unlike a bowling league where you have to show up every week or get a substitute, we simply form teams with whoever shows up. There’s no pressure, so it’s very good for people with flexible schedules,” said Deno.

Teams are also chosen by the random draw system so there are no cliques. “It’s a great way to get to know people,” noted Harris.

“This game is a great stress reliever,” said Deno. “It’s played in a beautiful setting, it’s a very relaxing pastime, and we’re just enjoying ourselves.”

And while wearing white is a lawn bowling tradition that goes back centuries, it’s also just smart in Southern California. You get a lot less hot wearing white while you’re in the sun for a two to two-and-a-half-hour game.

“It’s just a great game,” said Smukler.

TO LEARN MORE:
Check the San Diego Lawn Bowling Club’s web site for free beginners’ lessons, weekly game times, membership dues levels (there are additional memberships that are even less expensive than regular), group play opportunities, tournaments and more: www.sandiegolawnbowling.org.