Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club

I can’t say enough good things about the Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club, especially if you ever want to throw a party or a private event! You get the entire place to yourself for 3 hours, at $ 20/​person, AND there will also be the most friendly, patient, enthusiastic volunteer coaches on hand to guide you through the game! The event coordinator, Ann, was such a pleasure to work with, and really went above and beyond to iron out the details to make for an afternoon of tremendous fun. A big group of us celebrated a birthday party there this past weekend, most of us having never lawn bowled before, and we all left in high spirits knowing we’d definitely be back again. This Club, specifically, has a volunteer crew of very kind and patient enthusiasts for the game, and you wouldn’t guess by these conventionally humbling qualities that most of these folks are PROS who play in the big leagues! The coaches were what truly made our time there so fun and memorable; you can tell that their love for the sport is very pure and sincere, as there wasn’t a trace of pretension from any of them, even with the numerous times various bowls would go out of bounds: p
If you come in the mornings on the weekend, you get to bowl for FREE! It’s pretty awesome to have a place like this based in Berkeley. As my friends and I were saying, this is the «epitome of a hidden gem.»

This place is ah-​mazing. The oldsters who hold classes to teach newcomers are really friendly — and patient. They are very protective of their lawn (uh, field? court? green? sorry — wasn’t paying that much attention to what you called it!) — but rightly so! The setting is beautiful, the equipment is old and super cool — and the clubhouse is frozen in time.
Go! Seriously, go. And take your kids (they prefer 12+). It is silly old timey fun!

Looking for a FREE morning of fun in Berkeley? This is it!
I went here with a group of 8 on a Saturday morning. None of which had ever tried lawn bowling before (most of us hadn’t even heard of it). We wandered in, not really sure what to expect since these days you don’t get much for FREE, and were greeted by Ray who told us he would give us our FREE lesson. We were measured for our bowls (balls…) and he explained the game to us and gave us some pointers. He was patient and made it fun. We did a couple of practice rounds and then Ray split us into teams and let us have some fun on our own. For FREE.
There was another group there (looked slightly more experienced than our own group… ha) and they didn’t seem to mind that we couldn’t keep our bowls in our own lane. Everyone was very friendly.
Lawn bowling is a lot like bocce ball… but more fun because the bowls have a slight curve to them so there’s a bit more skill involved in the roll. We were there for a little over two hours and had a blast. We would definitely do this again!
Did I mention this was all for FREE?

Lawn bowling is a lot like curling that got a fair amount of attention during the Winter Olympics. The object of the game is similar, the two sports share many of the same terms. Lawn bowling is just curling without the ice — or the brooms. The Berkeley Lawn Bowling club (
) is holding an open house on May 8^th to introduce the game to all who are interested. Check it out on the website!
No need for special clothes, just wear flat soled shoes and come have a good time. The game is suitable for everyone over 14! An the ladies compete with the guys on an equal basis. The game involves a lot of skill, strategy and fun.

I don’t know if all Lawn Bowlers are as friendly as the people in Berk, but this place was a blast. As soon as we arrived, I was greeted with plenty of smiles and hellos, followed by an order to go inside and grab some breakfast. There was a tourny going on, but in between matches the players made an effort to come over and talk to us. During the matches, a few old timers on the sidelines chatted us up. Overall, a very nice experience I have a soft spot in my heart for strangers with pastries.

«Come on in!» «But I don’t have the clothes for it!» «That’s okay! We just have these because we sell ice cream during the week!»
I stopped by because the building, a 1962 structure, and the white-​wearing players caught my eye. I was welcomed, invited in, taught the rules of the game, allowed to watch a tournament, and offered free ice cream. These are proud, kind, old-​fashioned people. If I lived nearby I would take them up on their warm invitation to join the club and play this weird game starring oblate spheroids.

I didn’t wear white, or the dorky hat, I’m not pushing 100, but yet, FUN!
A lot of fun!
There’s more to it than meets the eye. There’s skill, strategy, offense, defense, and revenge (the way I play. heh-​heh-​heh.)
We had a free lesson. Informative and not at all boring. Then a little practice and then we played a few «ends» which is what they call a game. They have all sizes of bowls you can borrow. Membership is a bargain! And you can save a fortune if you buy your personal bowls from them. They have a nice old clubhouse that dates back to c.1928. The dedicated members keep it alive, not city funds.
Now, admittedly, we would have had a little less fun if we hadn’t broken the following rules of etiquette.
1. When an opponent (enemy) bumps your ball and gets you a free point, you aren’t supposed to say «thanks sucka!» and dance around. But it’s funner if you do.
2. They call them bowls, not balls. Much funnier sentences result from calling them balls. «Hey Chrissy, keep away from my balls.» or «Your balls are too small to knock me out. «
3. Non-​sportsman-​like stuff like obscene gestures, laughing when someone goes in the ditch. Gloating. All that good stuff.
There weren’t any other players around so we weren’t ruining anyone’s day.
Definitely going back.

Lawn bowling is an incredible sport. Although it has not received the attention bocce ball has, it has a long history; in fact, the city of Bowling Green, Kentucky was named after this very popular sport in colonial america. It is very very popular in Australia. Having said that, it is a challenging game that requires not only physical skill but a strategic mind. It is played on a lawn that is 120′ long. Call them to find out the times for free lessons and get hooked.

Date No. 4:
Escape the fog and head to Berkeley. I recommend getting dressed up for lawn bowling. I am not a professional, but suspect that it should involve bowling shoes, soccer socks and a large amount of plaid. Take your lovely lady (or laddie) to Telegraph to pick up appropriate attire from the local street vendors and thrift stores, possibly eat a strawberry and chocolate crêpe as well, and then head to this quiet residential neighborhood setting for lawn bowling. It is an activity that ranges somewhere between croquet, bocce ball, and of course, actual bowling.