Outdoor Bowling (2021: Green opens on 17th April and closes TBA September)

[subject to the current Coronavirus situation - see Home Page for News]

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The outdoor bowling season runs between April and September. The green is open to members to use for practice and play whenever rinks are not being used for official fixtures or green maintenance. Club "roll-ups", where members can get together for a friendly match and some practice, are held at non-league times.

 

There is a busy schedule of mixed Friendly fixtures on both Saturdays and Sundays, most weekends. Interspersed with these are various days devoted to internal club matches or competitions. The ladies section has Friendly matches on some weeks, usually starting at 2.30pm and mainly on Mondays. The club is also involved in a number of local leagues. The ladies play in the North Hants. League on Tuesday evenings. The men play in the Basingstoke & District League on Monday evenings. The Whitchurch & District League plays mixed matches on Wednesday evenings and, due to the popularity of this format of the game, the club fields two separate teams. We also have three teams entered in the mixed "Stan Hardman" Thursday afternoon League (Southern, Western and Central Divisions). There is also a men's BDBA rinks league on Friday evenings.

 

We run a range of internal club competitions each year. More experienced Members also enter into District and County competitions.

 

At 126 feet square the green is capable of being set up for seven county standard rinks. However it is more usually set up for six. The rinks are moved by approximately half of a rink's width each day and, at the end of each week, turned through ninety degrees. This spreads the usage evenly and helps to prevent annoying runs developing. The green is maintained by a combination of professional contractors and our own Member volunteers, under the watchful eye of the Club Green Supervisor. (see a video on the "More" page of this web site for a good explanation of what can be involved in bowling green care and maintenance)

 

Novice bowlers are welcome and there is free coaching available at flexible times, by prior arrangement. Novices are able to use the club's sets of bowls for a trial period. There is also a licensed bar, which is run by Members, where bowlers are able to relax with a much needed drink after a hard match.