Come and try ... lawn bowls at the Murray Bridge Lawn Bowling Club
Denise Menzies invites you to try out a sport that is suited to everyone, but warns that once you start, you'll find it hard to stop.
Murray Bridge Lawn Bowling Club has been around since 1912, and after chatting to a few of the members, you can soon understand why.
President Denise Menzies said that she originally didn’t think much of the sport, but when she started, she found it impossible to stop.
If you’re looking for an activity that will get you out and about, is full of strategy, and will introduce you to some new faces, then this is the club for you.
When did you first get involved with the Murray Bridge Lawn Bowling Club?
I used to live in Victoria, and my mum would ask me to play bowls and I told her “no, I’m not playing”, and my sister was the same. Then I moved to Murray Bridge and I started playing the night owls, which is a more social game, and I became addicted. I’ve been playing ever since.
What do you spend your time doing each week?
We have bingo on Monday afternoons, and every night we have eight-ball games. On Wednesday and Thursday nights we play night owls. The men play pennants on Wednesday, and the ladies play Thursday. On Saturdays we have our main competition, and everyone plays.
What do you get out of your involvement?
The friendship, and interacting with people you might not normally. I help organise the tournaments. We send flyers to the other clubs, so that people from around SA come to our club to play games. Then we go visit them when they hold a tournament. So we get to meet people from all around the region and the state. And everyone here is good to have a joke and a laugh with.
What is your fondest memory of your time with the club?
Probably winning my first finals around 2013, and getting an eight-bench on an end. The girls got all excited, but we only won by eight shots overall. I’ve also really enjoyed competing in tournaments. I love the people we play with, even the opposition. You try your hardest each time you put the bowl down, you envision where you want it to go. But once it’s left your hands, you can’t do a damn thing.
Why should people join the Murray Bridge Lawn Bowling Club?
Not everyone is into football, basketball or netball. You don’t have to be a very sporty or fast person to play bowls, and we have good banter together. If you’ve never played before, come out to one of the night owls sessions to see what the game is like.
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