Lawn Bowls

In contrast to the fast moving game of Aussie football,we were privileged to watch the game of Lawn Bowls. Just as Aussie football seems to be a combination of sports, so does Lawn Bowls - curling, bowling, shuffleboard, and horseshoes! We were hoping to watch Brian in a competition, but the timing did not work out, so we only saw a practice, but this game, despite its calm, relaxing atmosphere, takes much skill and can be equally exciting. The game is played on a square rink that is generally comprised of a grass similar to that used on golf greens. It is mown very closely, watered many times a week during the competition season, and very carefully tended. A lane is twice as wide as a regular bowling lane, but it is about twice as long. A rink contains multiple lanes. Each team has its own unis - and some people, such as Brian, play on more than one team. This particular uni is a team that Brian periodically plays for, and he was practicing with them.

Lawn balls weigh about five pounds, are not perfectly round (I would call them orbital in shape), and they are biased and so will naturally curve when thrown. Each player owns two balls, and when it is the player's turn, s/he will very slowly release the ball in an attempt to get closest to a white ball. The experience it takes to know how hard to roll the ball, how it will curve, and what angle it will take takes many years to develop, and because it is a slow-paced game, it appeals to the older generation - though one should start young to become good at it.

I wonder if it is a game that would work on the tennis court at the Ranch?