The oldest known bowling green is believed to be in Southampton, England and dates at least to 1299, although other greens claim to be older. Henry VIII, himself a bowler, in 1511 banned the sport among the lower classes and levied a fee of 100 pounds on any private bowling green to ensure that only the wealthy could play. Queen Mary took this rule one step further in 1555 and stopped even the poor playing the game at Christmas. This Act remained in place for another three centuries until 1845 under the reign of Queen Victoria when it was abolished. By the early 19th century, many of the inns in England had established bowling greens, presumably as a way to attract customers.

Today the sport is played in over 40 countries with more than 50 member national authorities. The home of the modern game is still Scotland with the World Bowls centre in Edinburgh.

RULES OF THE GAME: 

The rules for indoor bowls are simple: 

• Players must keep one foot on the mat when bowling
• The jack must travel a minimum of 23 metres without going over the rink boundaries
• Bowls that land in the ditch are considered out of the game, unless they touch the jack before coming to a stop – in which case they are considered ‘alive’ and can still be played
• If the jack goes over the rink boundaries, it is replayed
• If the jack lands in the ditch it remains in play
• In singles and pairs games, each player bowls four times per end; for teams of three, each player gets three bowls; teams of four get two bowls per end.

HOW DOES SCORING WORK? 

Generally, the game ends once a player or team has reached 21 points. Games can also be played for 18 or 21 ends, with the highest scoring team crowned the winners. 

CHOOSING YOUR BOWLS:

When buying your bowls remember that:

•  The bowl must not be too large for your hand
•  A composition bowl is heavier than a lignum bowl
•  You will need a set of four
• The set should be a “matched” set – check by looking for the set number which will be stamped on each bowl
• First quality new bowls are expensive, but a good second-hand set can be obtained at a reasonable price.
• A full set will have been cut from the same log – they will be identical in weight and balance and any variation in weight due to natural shrinkage of the lignum will be uniform
•  Well known firms are to be preferred
•  The advice of an experienced player is invaluable

If you fancy having a go at bowls, you can! You have Ashby Bowls Club right on your doorstep. In fact many of you might have had a go on the Ashby Sport Funday.

Ashby de la Zouch Bowling Club has been established since 1889. The club is a friendly, welcoming atmosphere for all age groups and genders and love to encourage new people to play. They have a nationally recognised qualified Level 2 Coach Bowls coach to provide tuition and support for all age groups.

You don't have to be an expert to start playing the game. Ashby Bowls Club hold practise session nights which take place every Friday evening after 6:00pm.

So, if you have a passion to try something new and are looking to join a successful and friendly local team, please get in touch on 01530 417522 or visit www.ashbybowlsclub.com