LONDON
Hyde Park Tennis and Sports Centre
Londoners who fancy giving bowls a go can do so in Hyde Park, where there are six bowling greens. There is no club to join, so no dress code or etiquette rules. Just call the centre and book a green, and borrow their bowls.
Where Hyde Park Tennis and Sports Centre, London W2.
When 8am to 9pm daily.
Cost £5 an hour.
Contact 020-7262 3474
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Chesham Bowling Club
The fact that national bowls tournaments used to be sponsored by Steradent dental- fixing cream doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be grey to enjoy the game. At Chesham Bowling Club there are players as young as 10 and coaches available to teach children. The club holds free taster sessions for beginners. It also claims to have the best green in Buckinghamshire.
Where Bury Lane, Chesham.
When 1pm to dusk, weekdays; 10am to dusk weekends.
Cost Annual membership is £15 for children and £85 for adults.
Contact Pat Rogers on 01494 785579; visit www.cheshambowlingclub.org.uk
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Meldreth Bowls Club
Bowls may not qualify as a sport for thrill- seekers, but it does have health benefits. The aim is to roll your bowl closer to a small white ball, called the “jack”, than your opponent so it improves your hand-eye co-ordination, as well as giving you a chance to get some fresh air. Meldreth Bowls Club, which was founded in 1932, has six outdoor greens, and welcomes participation by people of all ages.
Where North End, Meldreth, Cambridgeshire.
When Daily, during daylight hours.
Cost £50 a year.
Contact Ken Singleton 01763 260604.
CORNWALL
Chacewater Bowling Club
At Chacewater, the inviting motto is “we can accommodate anyone old enough to hold a ball”. The club even has youth sessions, held on Sunday mornings at 10.30am. Adults can enjoy a free taster session, provided that you book first. The club might not attract the same action-adventure types as the surf schools down the road, but it’s still a great way to enjoy the Cornish countryside.
Where Falmouth Road, Chacewater, Truro.
When Daily, 2pm-dusk.
Cost £55 a year.
Contact 01872 561082
LEICESTERSHIRE
Goodwood
Goodwood won the England Bowling Association’s Club of the Year in 2005, and it’s not surprising. While all clubs take pride in their immaculately manicured lawns, this one offers disabled players special wheelchairs that don’t damage the green. Expect a similarly exemplary attitude towards play: members must wear white above the waist and grey below, even on “chummy night”, when new members can try out the game. All ages are welcome — the youngest member of the club is 10 — and Goodwood is particularly keen to add to its 180 members.
Where 276 Uppingham Road, Leicester.
When Daily, 10.30am to dusk.
Cost £100 a year.
Contact 0116 2414737
SUSSEX
Popes Mead Bowls Club
Most bowls clubs are busy only in summer when there is less chance of the weather spoiling a game. Popes Mead, however, offers bowlers the chance to play all year round, as it has an artificial green as well as a grass one. It has a membership of 150 regular players, and a large clubhouse and bar. Taster sessions are available by arrangement.
Where Popes Mead Bowls Club, Willoughby Fields, Ifield Avenue, Crawley, West Sussex.
When Daily, midday to dusk.
Cost £60 a year
Contact 01293 513650
HERTFORDSHIRE
Datchworth Bowls Club
The sedate confines of a bowling green may seem like an unlikely battleground for a war of the sexes but, according to some, there are still a few clubs where women are treated like second-class citizens. Datchworth claims to have equality of the sexes enshrined in its constitution. There are cake and coffee mornings, and even a Christmas disco. New players can play for free at its open evenings.
Where Datchworth Bowls Club, Turkey Farm Recreation Ground, Brookbridge Lane, Datchworth, Hertfordshire.
When Thursday evenings 7pm to 9pm, or by prior appointment.
Cost £60 a year for adults; £10 for children.
Contact 01438 817360, www.datchworthbowlsclub.co.uk
LANCASHIRE
Bolton Flat Green Bowling Club
This club offers all-year-round bowling, thanks to its use of synthetic turf. You have to be a member to play regularly, but it offers two free taster lessons to learn the game. If that’s not enough of an incentive, this club also claims to be the best bowling green in Lancashire. Children and teenagers are catered for with mini-bowls lessons on Monday evenings.
Where Gorses Road, Bembridge Drive, off Radcliffe Road, Bolton.
When Any time, by appointment.
Cost £60 a year.
Contact 01204 362712, www.boltonflatgreenbowlingclub.com
WALES
Cardiff Athletics Bowls Club
Bowls is not a game normally associated with athleticism, but this club shares the excellent facilities of the city’s well-equipped Cardiff Arms Park athletics centre. The membership price includes social events such as cheese and wine evenings. There is a league for under-18s.
Where 20 Caryton Crescent, Whitchurch, Cardiff.
When Fridays from 6pm, and by appointment.
Cost £100 a year for adults, £70 for over-65s, £25 for 11 to 18-year-olds and £50 for students.
Contact Bob Williams 029-2062 6638, www.cabcbowls.co.uk
