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Ontario isa force
tobe reckonedwith
in the lawn bowlingworld, and there are a
greatmanyclubs in theEscarpmentarea. The
excellent gameof lawnbowls has been cen-
turies in the making. Played by kings and
courtiers, it has something for all… and not
everyone knows that.Well, it’s time you did.
So, consider…
It'shealthy.Under thewideopensky,you'llex-
ercise your muscles and your powers of con-
centration, breathing in the freshest,
oxygen-richair you'll findanywhere.
It's social. It puts you in touchwithothermem-
bers of the species of all ages in a situation
where relationships blossom easily. Every
gamebeginswith a handshake, andaword
ofwelcome.
It'scompetitive. Itgives rise to theurge todom-
inate the competition with the stunning bril-
lianceof your expertiseandyour delivery. A
little trash-talking isn't out of place. Politely,
mindyou.
It'sa teamsport.Youarenotalone. Team-play
pairs youwith partnerswhowill gladly offer
support, adviceandencouragement. You're
in it together.
It's skillful. Therearemounting levelsof know-
how that will challenge your judgment and
eye-hand coordination as you vie for length,
depthanddirectionon thegreen.
It's givingandaccepting. It attracts sponsors,
volunteers, and stout-hearted soulswho culti-
vate kindness and compassion… on and off
thegreen.
It's stylish. There'sgraceon thegrass,andele-
gance in delivery. The age of wearing all
whites is longgone. Nowyoucanbea fash-
ionplate.
It'swell-mannered. There'sa traditionof cour-
teous counterpoint between competitionand
restraint. We're gentle and kind, but our
heartsarenot faint.
It’sexploratory. It offers the joyof traveling to
other clubs,othergreens,other townsanden-
joying the hospitality of one’s not-so-different
neighbours.
It’s distracting.We all have our worries and
preoccupations. Andweneed to takeabreak
from them. Thebowlinggreen is a changeof
focus -aplace forclarityof thoughtandpeace
ofmind.
It's rewarding.Match-playdistributeswinnings
to thewinners; soputadollar in,andyou'llget
more thanadollar back. Youwon't get rich,
but you'll feel it.
It's entertaining. There's a fellowshipof fun in
thepleasure tingedmood that ripples across
the green in enjoyment of good-natured ri-
valry. Games can takeanhouror two.
At a competitive level, they can keep you
buzzingall day.
You might think that lawn bowls is only for
those in their golden years. Thinkagain. The
best players in theworld (thosewhowin the
worldchampionships thatarecontestedbyat
least adozencountries)aregenerally in their
30'sand40's. Manyclubshave thrivingmem-
bershipsof teenagersandyoungadults.And,
yes, there are older folks, too. It's one sport
you can keepplayingandplayingandplay-
ing. But the only way to do that is to start
NOW!
In theGeorgianTrianglearea, youcan finda
little patch of heaven in Barrie, Chesley,
Collingwood, Dundalk, Hanover, Meaford,
Midland,Mount Forest,Orillia,OwenSound,
Sauble Beach, Southampton, Stayner or
Walkerton.
May there be glory on the greens in your
bright andcolourful future.
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LawnBowling isa lovely,
languid, leisurepursuit
thatgetsyououton
greengrass, andunder
blueskies... enjoying
the thrill of skill and the
challengeof competition
whereevenbeginners
canbewinners...
To findoutmore informationabout thepopularsportof
LawnBowl, pleasego t
Playing Lawn Bowl in Collingwood - L-R - JaneMoore, Andrew Crighton, George Kimber, JimHudson, WarrenWicks
Story|AndrewCrighton Photo|ClayDolan
glory in
green& blue
ESCARPMENT
®
OUTSIDE
