Bowls has been given the nickname “old man’s marbles”, but don’t be fooled; there are more than a few interesting things to be learned about this sport that certainly looks to be very addictive.
Every town normally has a bowling club consisting mainly of the older members of the community. Be that as it may, bowls can be played by young and old alike, with more and more youngsters joining the fold these days. Bowlers say that once the bug has bitten you, there is no turning back and you will be hooked on this sport until the day you die or have the strength to roll a ‘wood’ along the green towards the ‘jack’. So what is bowls exactly? Bowls is a precision sport in which the goal is to roll a slightly asymmetrical ball (called a bowl or a wood) closer to a smaller white ball (jack) than your opponent’s bowl in order to score points. The player or team closest to the jack with their bowls earns one point, or ‘shot’. How do you start playing the sport? You can start by joining your local club or playing socially. It is not always necessary to join a club, since most clubs introduce ‘barefoot bowls’, where they open their greens to paying customers who rent rinks and bowls for social events. This is popular with the 20-30 year age group, who enjoy the social, informal structure. This can be a good way to become familiar with the sport.
There are also some health benefits to playing bowls, which include the following: improving fitness; improving co-ordination and skill development; increasing confidence and self-esteem; enhancing mental well-being; and fostering community interaction and support.
So with that in mind, whether you’re young or old, do you want to start rolling those ‘marbles?

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