AT HOME IN TACOMA
A blog about all the little things that make Tacoma
home.
Tacoma Lawn Bowling Club: Reviving Tradition
- By Sharon Benson
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- 08 Jun, 2018
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Whether or not you've ever put on your summer linens and taken to the green for a game of lawn bowling, rest assured, someone has been doing so for a very long time. The historically natty leisure sport has existed, in one form or another, since as far back as the 13th century, with some theorizing that it may go back even further. To put in very simple terms, lawn bowling (or “lawn bowls,” or “bowls” if you're into the whole brevity thing) combines elements of croquet, shuffleboard, and bocce, with players competing by rolling balls on a finely appointed patch of green grass.
In Tacoma, lawn bowling was introduced in the 1920s, with an official Tacoma Lawn Bowling Club formed soon after, calling the gorgeous Wright Park its home. After many decades, though, the Tacoma Lawn Bowling Club ran out of steam, closing down in 2014. In a bit of cosmic coincidence, three strangers – all relative newcomers to Tacoma – met in 2017, all with the desire to see lawn bowling return to Wright Park.
“I had moved to the other side of Wright Park, and I kept walking through the park going, 'Man, what is that amazing lawn in that fenced-in area? We need to figure it out and utilize it again!,'” says Alaina Cozby. “One day, I was walking by, headed to the Hob Nob for breakfast with a friend, and as we were walking back through, there was a couple on the lawn, rolling bowls. And this is when I met the person who is now the club president, Kane Tobin, and his girlfriend, Lauren Donnellan, who is now our treasurer. They said that they'd just moved to Tacoma about two weeks before, from Vermont, and they saw the lawn. Kane knew what it was, called Metro Parks, and arranged to rent it. The equipment was still there, from back in the day, in a little shed.”
From that moment, these three new partners worked to restore the Tacoma Lawn Bowling Club to its former glory. Crozby, who now serves as the club's vice president, says that by the end of last year's season, the newly-formed Tacoma Lawn Bowling Club had gained 36 members! Now in its second year, the club is now officially a program within Tacoma's Metro Parks, with seasons recognized by national and international bowls federations. More than just getting getting back on its feet, though, the new Tacoma Lawn Bowling Club strives to break with stodgy, exclusive tradition, welcoming a greater diversity of members, as well as bowlers of any skill level.
“We wanted to make it so kids can come, and people with disabilities can bowl,” says Cozby. “If you can get onto the lawn, you can bowl. We really want it to be friendly for the entire community. It's pretty much all beginners' level, because we're still learning as we go. But we do officially have a guy who is trained to be a coach, he's been USA bowls certified, so we have someone who can officially teach. But if anyone wants to walk on at any point in time that we're there, you pay $10, you fill out your waiver, and you're up and bowling. We'll get you set with equipment, and we'll teach you.”
A one-time fee of $10 per session grants you access to the greens, while $60 gives you unlimited access to play during the season! Sessions take place in the evenings on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, with late morning/early afternoon sessions on Sundays. For more information on how to play and how to become a Tacoma Lawn Bowling Club member, visit tacomabowls.org.
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