BOWLS.

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 57, 1 December 1923, Page 18

BOWLS.

(By

“No. 3.”)

COAHNG TOURNAMENTS. Wellington Centre—Dec. 26 to 29. Wanganui Centre —Dec. 26 to 29. Dunedin Centre —Dec. 20 to 29. Auckland Centre. —Deo, 26 to 29. Dominion (at IChristchuroh) —Jan. 9 to 17. Rotorua (No. 1) —Feb. 4. Itotorua (No. 2) —Feb. 18. Presidents’ Gala Day (Wellington) Feb. 13.

Wellington bowlers were greeted with fine weather at last on Saturday, thanks to which the pennant games, postponed from the previous Saturday were played off, which brings tho games up to time-table. The play in tno pennant games was generally fair, but not yet have tho best of our local bowlers fallen into their stride and tournament form, as far as I have been able to observe, has not yet been reached. There was a very good tussle on the Petone Central green between Central and Johnsonville. I noticed that Charlie Beynon was playing No. 3 for Pawson. It is the first time I have noticed Beynon other than in command (usually chewing a cqprosma leaf). Does this mean a big rink from Central for the Christmas tournament? Pawson. though handicapped, played rather remarkable bowls last season, and is doing well this year. Wellington Club had a bye in the pennants, and so pushed on with its club rinks, playing two games during the afternoon. I suppose there is more criticism to the round hour in this club this season than in any other. The greens are worse tnan they have been for fifteen years. I have never seen the lower green so bad since I have known it. Even in November it has patches of bare ground, and coveys of grass stalks which play all sorts of tricks with the bowls. The newly relaid middle green is even worse. Already it has the dry, brown, frizzled look of late March, where it should have a rich mantle of plushlike young grass. There is some irony in the remark of some member* that the best rinks tire now to be found on the old tennis court at the back of the property. These rinks do play reasonably true, though they are not really good rinks. Veteran Tom Ballinger (who, by the way, donated the original pennants banner) is still able to play a good game of bowls. On Saturday last he skipped a rink, which achieved a win from another skipped by the redoubtable Porteous (who some* four years ago was unbeatable). Bowls and billiards arc affinities. Most good bowlers are able to play a good game of billiards, and «. duffer at bowls is generally an indifferent snooker player. During the last five or six years most of the bowling clubs have installed billiard tables with satisfying results. With a small charge made for each game it does not take very long to pay off the capital involved in the installation of one, two, or three tables (according to the dimensions of the room), and besides acting as a healthy, an 4 fascinating recreation during weather which makes bowls impossible, it helps in a great measure to keep members in touch with one -another during the winter months. Billiard tables are now provided by tho Wellington, Tliorndon, Newtown. Victoria, Hataitai and gelburn Clubs. Island Bay is to get one for its new pavilion, and the Seatoun Club is contemplating falling into lino in its new pavilion, now approaching completion. “Even up hero we can’t get away from ‘shop,’ ” said one dentist bowler to another on tho Wellington Club’s green the other day. “Wo are always saying: ‘Drawl’ or 'Take this out!’ or Fill up this gap!’” Entries for the Wellington Bowling Centre’s annual tournament close with the secretary (Mr. R. W. Shallcrass) on Tuesday next.