Ponsonby Bowling Club

Lawn bowls is not just for Grandparents, it is a seriously good time! Seriously. We went for a work Christmas function and it was the best one in years. Firstly you get to dress up (optional of course) but everyone turned out in their finest whites; hilarious. The staff are wonderful and helpful and give a demo on arrival. And then the games begin. Bowls is very competitive but anyone can be good at it. It was great to see the receptionist beating the office jock for instance, ha! The drinks are cheap and the BBQ that was cooked for us delicious. We had such a great time at the work event that a few of us even started our own social team and play Thursdays. It’s such a fun thing to do with a group of friends, and a perfect way to spend a sunny summer evening

I have to admit, this was way more fun than I was expecting. Not that I thought bowling would be boring, by any means, but it turned out to be even more tense and competitive than I’d have thought. The fact that you can drink while you play probably has something to do with it, and it should be noted that the drinks are the Ponsonby Bowling Club are ridiculously cheap. There’s a really nice feel to the place too, something between an old fashioned club and lazy afternoon drinks at a mate’s house. The staff and members do very well at making newcomers feel welcome, and the slow, sun-​soaked pace of the sport is a perfect way to spend a day.

I happened upon the Ponsonby Bowling Club when invited to a welcome back event organised by a friend. We all rolled up in our whites, got excellent and humorous instruction from the staff and bowled our way through an entertaining afternoon with cheap drinks in hand.
The Club is very accommodating to folks new to bowling (myself included) and as a casual player you pay for your session which entitles you to one year’s membership and you can come back and pretend you’re awesome and know all the sweet bowling techniques. I promise it’s not just for old people (although they might frown upon you and your novelty «skills»).
They open at 3pm and their closing time depends on how many people are there.

We came here for an end of year work function and boy, was it a laugh and a half. We all dressed up in bowling gear and got our game faces on. It’s awesome because the actual Bowling Club members showed us how to play and they were great to hang out with.
A big plus is that the alcohol is rather cheap and you can bring your own food. We had a huge BBQ with salads and snacks, it was a brilliant way to spend a beautiful summers afternoon.
We also were allowed to sign up to the club, so we can go back and play again at any time.
One thing to note, no stilettos on the field, they are very, very protective of it.