Basics of Lawn Bowling

Rinks

The game is played outdoors on a carefully maintained grass bowling green that can be divided into 6-8 parallel lanes or “rinks,” so that multiple games can be played at the same time. In our climate, lawn bowling can be enjoyed from May through September, except when it is actively raining.

Bowls

The bowls are slightly asymmetrical (or “biased”), which allows them to follow a gently curved path when rolled across the green toward a smaller target ball called the “jack.” The bowls come in a variety of sizes and weights to accommodate different size hands, but are roughly 4.5 to 5 inches in diameter and weigh between 2.75 and 3.5 pounds apiece. The goal is to have your bowls finish as close as possible to the jack, and the team that places one or more of its bowls closer to the jack than the closest opposition bowl wins a corresponding number of points for that round or “end”. The teams then reverse directions and bowl back toward their original starting point, with the typical game consisting of 10-14 ends.

WARNING: Lawn bowling can become addictive to those who are exposed to it!