DENVER — A Denver lawn bowling club has rolled on for 100 years and hopes to continue rolling into the next century.
The Washington Park Lawn Bowling Club has gathered at Denver's Washington Park for quite some time. The club is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.
Longtime members say they're happy that they’ve been around for so long, but finding new members is the key to its success.
“We think it’s just a great sport and don’t want to see it go back to how it was 20 years ago… back down to two, three, four people and no money and in disrepair,” said club president John Tanner.
The sport of lawn bowling has been around since the 1500s and became very popular in the United States during the 1920s.
“In the 20s, there were a lot of private bowling greens. I think the Broadmoor may have had one. Stanley Hotel Country Clubs would have them. But this was the first public bowling green, and still is the only public bowling green in Colorado,” said club member Suanne Dell.
Players will roll their ball, known as a bowl, as close as they can to the “jack,” a small, white ball that is also rolled down the lawn. The bowls are biased on one side, meaning that they will turn as they move their way down the grass.
“The scoring is three, two, one,” explained vice president Steve Maher. “Closest, next closest, third closest. So, one person could get six points."
The Washington Park Lawn Bowling Club members are hoping to score some points with potential players. The more players, the better they can upkeep the lawn and necessary equipment.
“We have a membership drive and dues that are paid. We have the upkeep of the green. We probably require about four or five thousand dollars a year to maintain the green and the clubhouse,” said Tanner.
Club members are hopeful that if someone just tries the sport, they will like it.
“I think it’s lasted so long because it’s social. It’s a nice game to play, and once people find out about it, then they want to learn about it. They want to come play, “ said Dell.
If you’d like to join the club, or just learn more about lawn bowling, you can join them any Tuesday at 6 p.m. for a free lesson. The club will provide all of the equipment you need. You can also learn more on the Washington Park Lawn Bowling Club website.
