Here we roll again.
The Langley Lawn Bowling Club kicks off another year with an open house starting at 1 p.m. Saturday (April 21) at the club’s grounds at 20471 54 Ave., on the south end of Douglas Park.
Founded in 1979, the club has been in operation since 1982, when the Douglas Park lawn bowling green was built by the City of Langley, with funding from the Langley Rotary Club and the Province of British Columbia.
The season runs from late April to mid-September.
While most of the bowlers in Langley are seniors, the club welcomes people of all ages, new and experienced.
Club vice president Stephen Chandra is drawn to the competition and friendship that lawn bowling offers.
“I actually bowled myself when I was 10 years old for about six months, in Australia” said Chandra, who celebrated his 55th birthday on April 16.
“We’ve got a nice group here and everybody has fun,” Chandra said.
Longtime club member Judy Hansen stressed that lawn bowling is not just for seniors, citing Commonwealth Games silver medalist Ryan Bester as an example.
The Hanover, Ont. native –– who was edged out for gold by 26-year-old Australian Aaron Wilson in the Commonwealth final April 13 –– is 33 years old.
“He’s fairly young,” Hansen said.
Lawn bowling is a good fit for those who enjoy bocce or curling, says Chandra: “They’d probably really appreciate this game. It’s a very similar concept.”
“The more you bowl the better you get, obviously, but it’s an easy game to get into,” he added. “It’s not hard to start off with. With a little bit of coaching, it doesn’t take that long to figure it out.”
The club offers drop-in sessions on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. and 6:45 p.m., and Fridays at 6:45 p.m.
Visitors and new bowlers are welcome during drop-in times. Please wear flat-soled shoes.
Please wear flat-soled shoes.
For more on the club, visit www.langleylawnbowlingclub.weebly.com/.
Call 604-514-2695 or 604-534-7465.