BOWLING

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 17, 19 July 1929, Page 3

BOWLING

PROGRESS IN AUCKLAND

"■The game of bowls is most popular in Auckland," stated Mr. Claude Allan, a bowling critic of that city, now visiting \\ cllington. "In the province there are I now 01 clubs with a total membership of 40-14 players. This largo number of devotees of the game is split up into three controlling centres—North Auckland, ! Auckland, and" South Auckland. But it is in the Auckland centre, which takes in an area in and around the city, that the greatest advancement has taken place. Instead of new clubs being formed to meet the increased demand for playing space, the city clubs have extended iv a most amazing manner. The Remuera Club at the close of the summer season had 182 members, which number constituted a record membership for the Dominion, and has been further added to during the past few months. The playing area of this tine club allov.-s 3(3 rinks, which is a record for the world iv regard to playing space for any one club. Carl ton, another city club, has laid down 30 rinks and has ISO members. The Auckland Club comes next with 23 rinks, with provision for a further six. This club, wliieh recently celebrated its CSth birthday aud is the oldest bowling club in the southern hemisphere, has 163 members. Mount Eden has just formed three full-sized greens—24 rinks— and has a membership of 100 players. There are also a number of other clubs w:th over 100 members apiece." The clubs mentioned above have thus a total playing area of 113 rinks, which could have comfortably provided room for such a tournament as the recent Dominion tournament played in Wellington during January last, 'when SOi players took part. MORE TOURNAMENT PLAY. The main reason lor the increased popularity of the game ii< Auckland,, stated Mr. Allan, was the increase in tournament play. Indeed, a long list of fixtures is provided for the bowlers there giving unlimited scope for bosvling over 52 weeks of the year. The Auckland Centre stage tlie following '"blue ribbon" tests of the game for members of the centre: The Christmas rink championship, for the champion banner of Auckland; the Easter tournament, comprising the Easter fours; the executive fours, and the first-year players' competition. Other events include the champion pairs tournament, the champion of champion singles competition, the champion of champion rinks competition, and an open singles competition will be added to the already full list during the coming summer season. In addition to the above is the interclub pennant competition, which* absorbed no less than 1008 players. This -vent is recarded more in the light of a huge interclub "friendly" competition. Moreover, it is a fact during the summer season bowlers can enter tournaments which run almost consecutively from Christmas through to Easter. The Kotorua Club holds two tournaments with a week's intermission during February. The week between can be filled in by a tournament conducted by the Tauranga Club. Other important tournaments are conduct crl annually by the Hamilton Club, the le Ivuiti Club, and the Thames Club. In addition to the above, one-day tournaments are conducted throughout the year by most of the clubs throughout the centre. "This form of tournament is I understand, practically unknown in the other provinces of the Dominion, and the inauguration of them in Auckland was brought about in a simple manner Une ot the suburban clubs desired to increase its revenue. It hit upon the plan ot inviting a number of members from other clubs to participate in a one-day event. The games played being five games ot twelve heads each, the "final aud intersection games being fought out at times elected by those that came through the sections. This style of tournament immediately became exceedingly popular Moreover, friendly bowling- and the sociai sid or the game is not overlooked in the very full programme arranged annually During the winter months a number of players from various clubs calling themselves the 'Xomads' have been visiting many clubs in Auckland. It was their practice to visit one club on each occasion, but the ranks have been so swollen with increased membership that the Aomads arc now split up into two bands with wandering proclivities. Also a lon- i list of interclub fixtures are arranged a'j"i j xare, °f purel-r Mendly bowling. Added to the above the Press v Printers is an annual match during the winter months, while most of the commercial associations have a day annually. Auckland therefore claims to be the bowler's paradise. With 52 weeks of the year to Play the game on six days of the week, tlie yearly programme is full enough to more than satisfy the most ardent devotee ot tlie game on the green."