The Osoyoos Lawn Bowling Club welcomed clubs from across B.C.’s interior at an open house on Saturday. (Vanessa Broadbent / Osoyoos Times)
By Vanessa Broadbent
Osoyoos Times
Osoyoos lawn bowlers wouldn’t let a little rain get in the way of their open house this weekend.
The Osoyoos Lawn Bowling Club hosted its Interior Lawn Bowling Association Open House on Saturday and welcomed over 50 members from clubs across the Okanagan and Kamloops.
But the falling rain throughout the day didn’t just make the bowlers a little damp; members Cliff Hutchison and Eleanore Dempster said it makes the game more challenging as well.
“Everything changes,” Hutchison said. “It’s way slower.”
“And the bowls are wet and they’re hard to hang on to,” Dempster added. “It’s different, that’s for sure. But playing in different conditions adds to the challenge of the game and we’re up for that.”
The club considered cancelling the event, but no one wanted to, Dempster said. Instead, only one game was played instead of the usual two.
“People love to lawn bowl. It takes a heck of a lot to keep them off the green.”
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The club hosts an open house every year, and attends about one a month throughout the season.
While playing with lawn bowlers from across B.C.’s interior helps club members hone their skills, it’s a social pastime as well.
“Whatever you want to get out of it, you have that opportunity,” Dempster said.
“We appreciate the social aspect but we also appreciate the challenge of the game and learning to play the game well. There aren’t very many people who don’t try to improve their skills, or who want to play better.”
The Osoyoos Lawn Bowling Club is looking to recruit new members and is offering three free introductory lessons to newcomers until June 20, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:45 p.m. at the green at Gyro Park.
