Lawn Bowling Season Begins!

By Louise Manga

The lawn bowling season in Greater Victoria runs from April to the beginning of October!  Although it may seem that mostly older adults play, it is not just a game for retirees.  Lawn bowling is a game for all ages and all genders.  Traditionally it was played by everyone - even to the point of having been banned by the King and Parliament of England!  The Canadian national lawn bowling team members range in age from their twenties to their sixties.

Lawn bowling is a game of strategy and provides many health benefits such as improved fitness, coordination, and skill development.  Games can be social or competitive - the choice is up to the players.  Clubs have daily draws where teams are made from those who show up.  Clubs also hold their own tournaments, and there are tournaments at the local, regional, provincial, national, and international levels for competitive players. 

At the national level, there is a Canadian Junior Tournament for boys and girls 18 and under, and a Canadian Senior Triples for players with a minimum age of 60.  There is also a Canadian Mixed Pairs Tournament, a National Tournament, where the winners of the men's singles and the women's singles compete in the Champion of Champions at the international level.

Canada has 234 lawn bowling clubs, with BC having 52, Greater Victoria having 9 clubs, and 8 others being on Vancouver Island. Why not check out a lawn bowling club and see if it is the sport for you? 

Paintings have depicted lawn bowlers, and perhaps you have noticed the print in the RBC Museum (3rd floor) of Sir Francis Drake playing bowls.  There are also references to the game of lawn bowling in literature from at least the 1500s, including plays by William Shakespeare and novels by Honoré de Balzac.  Lawn bowling also inspires modern poets.  When lawn bowling was over for the season, Norma Alison of the Victoria Lawn Bowling Club wrote the following poem.

Bowled Over, Gently

The air is fresh, the grass is green;

The competition can be keen.

Lawn bowling continues in sun and rain.

It's simply a friendly, skillful game.

No quick-twitch muscle or brawn is needed.

Your body with sweat will not be beaded

That is unless it's extremely hot -

And Victoria weather is usually not.

All sexes of varying ages -

Though currently upward graded --

Deliver bowls down the trim grass rink

Towards a little white ball - so easy you'd think.

Alas, that "jack" may be wicked aside

So a different strategy must be applied.

The bowl that counts is nearest the jack

Add total points scored - the final fact.

Handshakes all round for a game well won

Then refreshments too, to complete the fun.

Lawn bowls may relieve you of worry or should...

Roll a few bowls gently, it's healthy and good.