• Geoff Behrent writes:
I have said it before and I will say it again and again and … again; bowls is certainly a very easy game to play! That’s a fact! I mean, all you have to do is roll your bowls on a beautifully manicured lawn to get them closer to a target than your opponent! What could be easier?
It is also very much a family game. That’s another fact! It is not uncommon to find grandchildren, children, parents, and grandparents (and even great-grandparents!) all playing at the same time. Remember that the actual bowls come in a wide range of sizes, one of which will be ideal for the size of your hand – no doubt about it! Sizes start at a small 000 and get slightly bigger each time the size goes up the scale to 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. One manufacturer even provides its range of bowls in half sizes.
Bowls can be played by able-bodied people, those with physical disabilities (eg wheelchair-bound individuals), or those who are blind, deaf or who are autistic. That’s yet another fact! It has been a very special honour for me to play with and against many blind, mute and wheelchair-bound players.
At one end of the age scale there are players in their 90s while at the other end, there are children 12 years old (or younger) playing the game. That is just one more fact among many! Recent calculations show that an average of some 70 people a month are being registered as players with Bowls South Africa which clearly shows that the game is becoming ever more popular in South Africa.
Within the game itself there is a wide variety of game formats and scoring so it’s not a case of playing the “same-old-same-old” all the time. Some bowls club’s greens are even floodlit at night which makes the game accessible to working people during the week.
Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu, Tswana, Hindi and Urdu speakers, and so on are all equally catered for. I have enjoyed the game at over 40 different clubs and have had the pleasure of playing with or against people from Switzerland, the USA, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Australia and Germany, to name a few. So that just goes to show that bowls is a truly international game and one that welcomes everyone into its ranks with open arms. OK, to be fair my bowls career spans some 20 years now but, hey, just like more experienced bowlers than me I had to start somewhere as a complete novice (and sometimes still play as a complete beginner even after all these years!) So what is stopping you?
But for me by far the nicest part of playing bowls is that you are always welcome to join in a game with people of varying skill levels. The more experienced players go out of their way to integrate the complete novice smoothly into the game. Certain members in clubs are certified as coaches who have undergone intensive training to achieve that status so that they can provide any training that a player may need, whether a raw beginner or one with many years of experience.
Furthermore, you quickly make an ever-expanding circle of new friends. A bonus is that it is an affordable game, with green fees (the amount paid to play a game) at most clubs a mere R20 and also very reasonable club membership fees.
Speaking of “most clubs” there are indeed many bowling clubs situated to the west of Johannesburg. So why not start 2024 trying out something new, eh?
