Manicured Lawns and a Wobbly Ball
It is enough to shame almost any kid who thinks he’s a pretty hot pitcher or a deadly stick at 8-ball.
After all, what can a kid say after he sees a bunch of retired folks, some of them well into their 80s, who can pick up an out-of-round ball that weighs about 3 pounds, roll it maybe 100 feet or so in a widely curving arc and get it to stop an inch or two away from a tiny, predesignated spot?
It isn’t easy, of course, but then some of Orange County’s lawn bowlers have been at it for several years. Nearly every day, somewhere in the county, the bowlers arrive at immaculately leveled and cut lawns to carefully and patiently play their favorite game.
In fact, the seven clubs in Orange County that are recognized by the American Lawn Bowls Assn. form the largest geographic division of the group in the country. The Southwest Division, which takes in much of Southern California, contains about 2,400 members, according to Howard Davis, president of the Santa Ana Lawn Bowling Club.
The seven Orange County clubs and two others in Long Beach are members of the Coast League, a designation within the Southwest Division.
Learning the game is fairly simple, Davis said, but perfecting it can take years, although he said, “If you work every day, you can be a pretty fair bowler in a couple of months.”
The tools of the game are four oblong weighted balls called bowls that usually are carried in a small case. The object of the game is to roll your bowls within designated lanes, or rinks, toward a white object ball, called a jack. Points are scored by the players whose bowls come to rest nearest the jack. The individuals or teams with the most points at the end of 14 turns, called ins, are the winners.
Most clubs in the county, Davis said, offer free instruction to anyone interested in learning the game, and most have sets of bowls that novices can borrow to practice. Becoming a member of a club, he said, usually involves nothing more than paying the yearly dues, which can range roughly from $20 to $100. Some clubs, he said, also charge a nominal daily playing fee in addition to dues.
Equipment also is fairly inexpensive, Davis noted. A set of new bowls and a carrying case can cost nearly $200, but many players buy them used for less than $50, he said. White clothing is required for tournament play and shoes without heels are required at all times.
Lawn bowling is considered somewhat arcane in the United States, Davis said, and generally is played by older people, although he added that two members of the Santa Ana Lawn Bowling Club are 12 and 14 years old, while another member is 92.
In Australia, however, the country that is considered the center of the lawn bowling world, many players begin when they are still in grade school or high school, according to Davis.
“In the United States,” he said, “people get involved mostly by word of mouth or by coming down here by chance one day and seeing what’s going on. We don’t get that much exposure. Everybody knows baseball and football and tennis, but how often do you see a lawn bowling game on television?”
For those who do find their way to the bowling greens, one of the rewards is reciprocal privileges at most clubs throughout the world, Davis said, although “the attraction, first of all, is that you’re outdoors” and get exercise.
“But,” he added, smiling, “it’s often said that it’s the trickiest game ever invented by man.”
LAWN BOWLING IN ORANGE COUNTY AT A GLANCE
The following Orange County clubs are members of the Southwest Division of the American Lawn Bowls Assn.:
Costa del Sol--24351 Via Aldeniz, Mission Viejo.
President: Joe Gron--(714) 768-3504.
Private community; must call first to arrange to play or watch.
Laguna Beach Lawn Bowling Club--455 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach.
President: Page Beckett--(714) 494-2628.
Public.
Leisure World, Laguna Hills--5480-A Paseo del Lago, 368-B Avenue Castilla and 3106-O Via Serena, Laguna Hills.
President: George Robinson--(714) 581-9722.
Arrangements for play at the Paseo del Lago and Avenue Castilla locations should be made through Lloyd Barnett--(714) 586-3168. For the Via Serena location, call Dick Talt--(714) 830-9281.
Public.
Newport Harbor Lawn Bowling Club--1550 Crown Drive North, Corona del Mar.
President: Max Bartosh--(714) 548-3610.
Clubhouse phone--(714) 759-9966.
Public.
Santa Ana Lawn Bowling Club--Santiago Park, 2615 Valencia St., Santa Ana.
President: Howard Davis--(714) 973-1740.
Public.
The Groves Lawn Bowling Club--5200 Irvine Blvd., Irvine.
President: Gene Tatro--(714) 730-3468.
Club phone--(714) 730-0787.
Private community; must call first to arrange to play or watch.
Meadows-Irvine Lawn Bowling Club--14851 Jeffrey Road, Irvine.
President: Helen Buckley--(714) 551-1048.
Private club open to residents; visitors welcome.