A special welcome to people keen on finding out about us.
If you thought lawn bowls was for the oldies, think again.
More and more young people are taking up the summer sport - for the social life, fun, and competition. The great bar prices are also a big plus - to be enjoyed responsibly of course!
You don't have to belong to a club to enjoy bowls. Last year over 43,000 New Zealanders played lawn bowls casually.
And forget about donning head-to-toe whites! Most bowling clubs have relaxed the dress code. You just need to wear flat-soled shoes - to avoid damaging the beautifully manicured greens. Or jandals and bare feet are fine too!
Bowls is a sport for anyone regardless of age, athletic ability, and gender. So it's no surprise it attracts a cross-section of people - from 15 to 80 year olds!
It's fast becoming the must-play game. A number of sporting and media celebrities have been known to take to the green for a roll-up.
There are over 50 bowling clubs in Southland. So you can bet there's one close by. Just click on the link to clubs to find contact details of a club near you.
Look out for "have-a-go" days. Or ring your local club and ask to book a time to have a try.
If you're up for a laugh this summer, grab a couple of mates and play in the Mates-in-Bowls (www.matesinbowls.co.nz) social league. It's a 4-6 week competition held in the summer months. It costs around $10 a game, and the club will lend you all the playing gear. Clubs also run casual bowls programmes; click on the casual bowls link to find out what’s on offer in your neighbourhood.
Bowls has a head start on the fun front - your local club is a social hub. Many clubs run their own casual bowls programmes or offer the Bowls New Zealand programme called Mates in Bowls. You can enter a team or just go along and they'll team you up. A skilled and exciting game - the competitive element really gets the adrenaline pumping. Everyone at every age will love it - and have a good few laughs along the way.
It's estimated that over a kilometre is walked over a 2-hour game, so it's great for people wanting a gentle introduction to physical activity. Bowls involves real mental stimulation. Learning the techniques and putting them to competitive use certainly fires up the spirit and contributes to all round good health. Bowls is fantastic for people of all ages - friends and stimulation guaranteed.
Casual bowls is inexpensive, and the bowls and instruction are even provided. You don't have to buy whites - flat-soled shoes (jandals and bare feet qualify) and loose comfy clothes are fine. Should you get hooked, you'll want your own set of bowls and whites, and you might want to join a club. Don't worry though: most clubs will let you have a go to see if you like it before you part with any cash.
You're in luck - lawn bowls is popular across Southland and a quick bit of research should turn up at least one club in your area, even several!
With no unwieldy gear to carry you can catch the bus, or there's generally good parking for cars. And if you're playing social bowls, you can carpool.
A game takes anything from 30 mins to 2 hours depending on the number of ends you play. Serious competitions can run for days. Casual bowls and Mates in Bowls is designed to fit around the lives of busy people so it happens in the evenings, after work, anywhere from 5pm. Of course if you want to get serious, plan on spending lots of time on the green, and in the clubhouse enjoying your new social life!
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Fun Factor
