The Orillia Lawn Bowling Club is rolling out the "green" carpet to help grow the game locally this summer.
The club, located at 5 Commerce Rd., recently hosted free lessons during which more than 90 people tried their hand at lawn bowling.
Greg Irvine, a member of the Orillia Bowling Club's board of directors, says the initiative was an opportunity for people to try the unique sport for the first time.
“It’s a very social sport,” he said. “I compete around the province in tournaments, but a lot of folks just do it for the social aspect.”
People from the Gravenhurst, Midland, and Coldwater areas attended the recent free event, he explained.
“COVID hit out membership members,” Irvine said. “Last year our membership levels rebounded quite a bit, but this year we really wanted to get people involved.”
While curling in the winter months, Irvine heard from many folks that they were looking to try something new this summer.
“Lawn bowling is an opportunity to stay in touch with people you know from playing winter sports,” he said. “It’s also a chance to meet new people.”
Irvine says the sport is closer to curling than indoor bowling. It’s not high-impact, but it’s good exercise, he explained.
“If you play in a tournament during the day, you are usually walking anywhere between 10,000 to 12,000 steps,” he said. “There is a health aspect to it.”
The sport can be competitive at times, Irvine says, but everyone at the club puts sportsmanship first.
“That’s what makes it a lot of fun,” he said. “I can’t play competitive squash or basketball anymore because of my knees, but this is a fun way to stay competitive.”
Irvine says seniors make up a large portion of the demographic at The Orillia Lawn Bowling Club, but they would like to start growing the sport through the next generation.
“We have junior bowls for the young people who want to come out to play,” he said. “We are looking to get more juniors involved in the game.”
Lawn bowling is a great hobby for youth to get involved with once they are out of school for the summer, Irvine says.
“Some of the best competitive bowlers in the province and country are very young people,” he said. "Many of them had parents who played which is how they got involved with the game.”
Already, The Orillia Lawn Bowling Club has around 70 members signed up for the season. Irvine says the growing number will likely end up being one of the highest membership rates that the club has had in recent memory.
“We are very excited about that,” he said, noting that events take place at the club nearly every day through the summer.
For a list of events and more information about the club, click here.
