Lawn Bowls Again Tomorrow
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325818)
Rockingham, Australia
February 23, 2017 6:15am CST
While we were viewing a retirement village in Bunbury, Western Australia, last week I took a photo of the lawn bowling green which is there for the benefit of residents. Vin and I are playing lawn bowls once a week for a month at a 'social bowls' evening in Donnybrook and quite enjoying it. I was surprised how many people had either never heard of it or had little knowledge of it.
Lawn bowls is played with 'bowls' which vary in size and weight. All have a weight on one side so if you bowl straight ahead the ball will travel straight for a while then start to arc towards the side that is weighted. There is a much smaller white ball which is set within certain distances from the bowling mat where you bowl from. The idea is to get your bowl as close as possible to the small ball. This isn't as easy as it might seem.
The small ball is called the 'jack' or 'kitty'. If you manage to get your ball up against the jack, it is called 'kissing the jack'. If you bowl too hard the bowl might go past the jack and end up in the ditch at the extremity of the green. The holding shot is the bowl closest to the jack. Tomorrow will be our final game in the social bowls competition that we've been involved in. It was supposed to go for four Fridays but rain washed out one. It's been fun but I don't really feel inclined to become a regular bowler.
23 people like this
24 responses
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
23 Feb 17
It rather sounds like what we call Bocci and I do enjoy playing it. We have Bocci courts here at our resort.
3 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
24 Feb 17
@JudyEv I like to bowl on an alley so I am sure I would love this as well.
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Feb 17
@BelleStarr @amadeo Bocci is great too. We play with friends down on our grass sometimes. the difference is that the balls are heavier one side than the other and you have to aim out to one side and hope the ball curves around. And you can't throw the balls. You have to roll them.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
23 Feb 17
Sounds pretty fun. I was a little confused last time, because we have lawn bowling here. Not the same thing.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Feb 17
@teamfreak16 No, there is a small white ball which is the 'target'. The bowls themselves are weighted. When you bowl them they go straight for a while then curve in an arc towards the weighted side so it is pretty tricky getting them to turn and get close to the jack or target. I'll try and get a photo tonight.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
24 Feb 17
@JudyEv- I might be confused still. I always set up fake pins in the grass and bowled, and have done so at a few picnics. I just kind of assumed that's what everyone was doing.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130064)
• India
24 Feb 17
I do not remember when it was that I ever stepped out to a playground
2 people like this
@allknowing (130064)
• India
24 Feb 17
@JudyEv My accident restricts me now. I do not want to take chances although I feel quite normal.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Feb 17
@allknowing Fair enough. I feel quite normal too but if I do too much my back plays up big time.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
23 Feb 17
I have enough problems with 'regular' bowling !
3 people like this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Feb 17
I can believe it. These darn balls curve and it is really difficult to send them down 'just right'.
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
23 Feb 17
@JudyEv It is hard enough on a wood flat surface!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
23 Feb 17
@JudyEv - Lawn bowling is very popular here in Southern California, too. We even have a competitive team in our retirement community, and they sometimes compete against teams in other local towns. I have never played, but some people love it!
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
25 Feb 17
@JudyEv - I feel the same way. I think it would be fun to do once in a while, but I have no interest in joining a league.
1 person likes this
@LindaCPearson (2241)
• United States
23 Feb 17
I've never heard of lawn bowl before. Sounds like a lot of fun and a good opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while getting some exercise.
3 people like this
@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
23 Feb 17
I've never heard of this...you really have some fun activities in your area. Sometimes it's best to play until you are ready to move on to something else!
3 people like this
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
23 Feb 17
That sounds like a lot of fun! Good exercise too
3 people like this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Feb 17
If you played regularly it would be good exercise as you bowl the balls towards one end then walk up that end and bowl them all back again. At our social game we do 13 'ends' so for a full afternoon you'd clock up a few kms probably.
@Linda1234 (4714)
• Houston, Texas
23 Feb 17
Sounds so interesting.It looks so beautiful .
3 people like this
@Linda1234 (4714)
• Houston, Texas
23 Feb 17
@JudyEv Yes it is perfect flat and very nice.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
24 Feb 17
Interesting. Here in the US I used to just regular bowl in the bowling alleys and for like 2 yrs I bowled on leagues even. But this sounds like Fun
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Feb 17
I'm not sure. I guess it would depend on the disability. You could probably bowl from a wheel-chair.
@Tampa_girl7 (48975)
• United States
24 Feb 17
I had never heard of this game until I meet fellow Mylotter Inlemay 
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Feb 17
I would have thought it was a well-known game but apparently not. :)
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
23 Feb 17
I saw some kids play this the other day in gym, but I had never seen it played before that
2 people like this
