Bryanston has bowls
BRYANSTON – While some bowls clubs are struggling, Bryanston is on the up for a few reasons.
No one is as enthusiastic about lawn bowls than those who come to play at Bryanston Country Club.
While the sport as a whole is dying slowly in South Africa, this club has seen its membership grow from 25 to 100 people in the past three years.
And the club’s quality has increased with its quantity, as both the men’s and women’s teams earned promotion from Johannesburg Bowls Association’s fourth leagues to third leagues last season.
Chairperson of bowls, John McLeod puts this success down to being able to attract bowlers through the excellent facilities on offer at the country club, as well as the club spirit.
“We play socially three times per week and every time there are at least half our members [playing] because everyone loves playing together,” he said.
The club has installed floodlights and members play twilight bowls from 5.30pm to 7.30pm and floodlight bowls from 6.30pm until 9pm some nights.
A restaurant and bar also make the club fun to visit, apart from the golf course, driving range, tennis courts and swimming pool.
Also read: Bryanston voted the greenest golf club in SA
A member, George Browse said he played bowls because he loved the competitiveness and would play at the Commonwealth Games if he could.
Gloria Erasmus, on the other hand, loves being outdoors and seeing her friends.
Choosing to play bowls on his 86th birthday, Gunther Rugheimer joked that bowls was a game for all ages, even people as old as him.
McLeod invited anyone interested in bowls to contact the club, or contact women’s captain Judi Mair directly if they would like to join the free lessons.
Details: Bryanston Country Club 011 7061361; Judi Mair 073 449 0153.
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