IROQUOIS–The Iroquois Lawn Bowling Club opened its season with a big to thank the participants of the Garry Banford Memorial Fishing Derby for the $1,000 donation to the club.
“This was a wonderful surprise and very timely because the Iroquois Lawn Bowling Club needed financial support,” said Ron Beaupre in a press release to The Leader.
“Our club membership has dwindled over the last few years, and we are looking for people in the area to get out and give our game a try.”
Play at the Iroquois lawn bowling court located next to the trailer park on Carman Road at Elizabeth Drive is three evenings a week, Mondays, Wednesday and Thursdays beginning at 7 p.m.
This location, affords a beautiful view of the St. Lawrence, and often enjoys a beautiful summer-time breeze off the water, making it an idyllic spot for the sport.
This year the club has plans to buy a set of bowls for juniors that will enable families to come out together for a game.
The club is also encouraging local businesses to consider family days for their employees that would include golf, swimming, tennis and lawn bowling with picnic lunches at the Iroquois Lawn Bowling clubhouse.
Coffee clubs, school groups, service clubs and sports teams should consider coming out for a game just to have a new experience.
The Iroquois Ladies Lawn Bowling Club was organized in the old village on June 30, 1934. After the Seaway moved the town back from the river, the new court was built and maintained by the Village of Iroquois and later the amalgamated township of South Dundas.
However, when the Iroquois Golf Club was privatized, the greens keepers, who also maintained the lawn bowling green were no longer available.
Although the club was able to hire the golf club staff for one year thanks to a 50 percent subsidy from the Township Recreation Department, the next year that subsidy was reduced by 33 percent. As a result the lawn bowlers hired one man to cut the court regularly.
This year there is no financial support from the township, even though the court is still their property,” says Beaupre. “We are now left alone to find a way to pay for maintaining the green, which will cost about $4,000 this year. There are only three lights left in service, which will restrict our playing time early and late in the season.”
Beaupre explains that club has purchased mowers and yearly expenses are for fertilization, aeration, top dressing and insect (ant) control on the court. In addition there are the costs to maintain the motorized equipment and the sharpening of the mower blades ($200).
Lawn bowling is much like curling on grass. You pitch the bowl off to one side or the other, giving it just the right weight to get it near the “jack,” a small white ball.
The bowl will curl a few feet just as it slows down.
“After a few games, you will find yourself enjoying this game and the company of a group of very friendly people,” says Beaupre. “We have lots of extra sets of bowls, and we enjoy helping new members learn the game. Our court is in excellent condition thanks to the hard work of our club members.”
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