Bungalows celebrate five decades of fun on the green
After half a century of bowls matches, Bungalows Bowling Club is still going strong. It will celebrate 50 years' success on April 26 with a game of bowls and a delicious lunch, along with selected former members, presidents and current players from Lowveld clubs.
Bungalows was established at Sabi River Sun in 1964, and the clubhouse and green officially opened on April 26, 1965. The president at the time was John Reston and the vice-president Ivan Bruckman.
The club had a total of 65 members and annual membership fees were only R10 per person. At present, there are 16 Bowls South Africa affiliated members and one social player. The oldest member is Peggy Kuschke (86) and the youngest players are Marlet Ireland (34) and Christie Cross (34).
In the past 50 years the club have produced several bowlers with great potential, including a junior Springbok, two master bowlers, open and senior singles champions, as well as district and Mpumalanga team players. The club have also had a Lowveld selector and a provincial and district team manager.
Although they are small, they compete in the various Lowveld club competitions. This year one of their members represented the province at the Bowls South Africa Interdistrict Tournaments.
Twenty districts of all over South Africa took part and each one entered two women and two men’s teams to participate in each of the open, B and senior sides.
The club’s activities include social bowls on Wednesdays and Saturdays, at 14:00 and 17:00. The matches are concluded with drinks and socialising. On Wednesday casual clothing may be worn, but on Saturdays all bowlers must either wear their uniforms or white bowling clothes (which are called “whites” in bowling terms). Flat shoes are worn to protect the greens.
The club’s largest annual event is the Nornan ladies tournament hosted on July 4 and 5 and from November to the end of February, the club hosts twilight bowls on Fridays from 16:00.
Besides tournaments, it also offers team-building days for corporates. They supply the bowls and a player can be arranged to give coaching and tips.
New players are encouraged to join social days and can borrow a set of bowls from the club until they decide to join and obtain their own set. Although a set of bowls can cost a few thousand rand, it will last you for many years. If this seems a bit expensive for your pocket, you can look for a second-hand set, which will cost you much less.
Enquiries: President Darryl Cross on 013-737-8173, secretary Marlet Ireland on 083-469-6806 or competition secretary Larry Ireland on 083-700-4939.
