BOWLS

Southland Times, Issue 22490, 26 January 1935, Page 13

BOWLS

(By

“Kitty.”)

Hats off to Farquhar, Brooks, J. A. Wesney and Swift, s. (Northend) who, in the Northend v. Southland game last Saturday, defeated such strong opponents as Fraser, Brass, Ayling and Torrance, s. by the almost collosal margin of 34 points to 8. Whew! WAIHOPAI NOTES. On Thursday last the flag on the Waihopai pavilion was flying at halfmast in respect to the memory of the late Mr Frank McChesney, who was a much respected member of the Waihopai Club. A large number of his clubmates attended at the graveside. Waihopai players were somewhat surprised one evening recently when, with bagpipes in full blast, a band of bowlers marched on their green. On being received it was found that they had come to contest their annual match, Butchers versus The Abattoirs. The teams were captained by Messrs P. Winders and A. Adam. After a very friendly and even game the purveyors of steak and sausages ran out the winners. The selectors this season have been given the job of choosing the Champion Shield rink. They intend doing so by playing certain players to oppose each other and then selecting the rink to represent the club. In previous years Waihopai have not made much of a showing in the Shield competition—mostly the same players being chosen each season. For my part I would like to see other promising players given a chance in order to bring the bacon home. The following rink would give general satisfaction to the club and with a great chance for success—Wilson (lead), Duncan, Speirs and Mills (skip). In regard to the Waihopai green, I clip the following from a northern paper: I visited Invercargill at New Year and took part in the Southland Centre’s annual tournament, and had the good fortune to be drawn to play on the Waihopai green in one of the events. I agree with the Southland correspondent in his estimate of the green. It is certainly the most perfect surface I have played on this season. The green, which is, I understand, 120 feet square, is “grassed” from bank to bank with a fine weed which makes the whole of the surface like a great carpet. There did not appear to be a pitfail on the whole of the playing area. The green was “weeded” in a rather’ unusual way. Instead of the usual method of dibbling or plugging in the weed, the whole surface was scarified and roots of the weed were spread thickly. A heavy top-dressing was then applied, and the weed was quickly established, the result being the perfect surface enjoyed by the Waihopai payers to-day.

DEMOCRACY OF GREEN HAPPY RELAXATION. Lacking the boisterous atmosphere and quaint nomenclature of its cousin, the “roarin’ game” of curling, bowls

has other qualities that place it in the company of lawn tennis and golf as a favourite outdoor sport, states an article in the N.Z. Herald (Auckland). If all the bowlers in New Zealand could be mustered on one piece of ground they would make, in numbers, a good-sized army. That could never be done, but in lieu of it Auckland is having just now a fine demonstration of the game’s popularity, in the 22nd annual Dominion tournament. With more than 500 competitors, drawn from nearly every corner of both islands, and playing on 19 greens, it is the largest tourney in the history of New Zealand bowling. A game that can command such an entry must have some very solid, merits, and no one who watches play this week could have failed to divine them. A bowling green in full use has an atmosphere all its own. There is the broad level green—rather parched just now, but the green nevertheless—in its pleasant setting of hedges, rockeries and hospitable pavilion. Often it is a really beautiful place. Good-bye to Care.

The free-and-easy garb of players and onlookers, the many coloured “blazers” and • hat-bands, all help to give a holiday air. No sound breaks the afternoon quiet but the voices of the “skips” giving directions, the woody impact of bowl on bowl, and now and then a small burst of applause for a good shot. In such surroundings the every-day cares of business drop unnoticed from a man’s shoulders; the easy, relaxed attitudes and happy sun-burned faces of the players proclaim it. No wonder that even the hardest-fought tournament games are carried through in a friendly spirit worthy of the oldest and best traditions of British sport.

Statistics tell how the span of life is being gradually lengthened. An hour at a bowling match should convince anyone that hwls has contributed not a little to the result. In an age of in-

creasing wear-and-tear on brain and nerves, it is a boon beyond price to thousands of business and professional men. A Democratic Game. There are many other reasons why bowls more than keeps pace with the growth of population. Not even tennis requires such a small area of ground, relative to the number of players who can use it at one time. Tire individual player’s outfit consists of four bowk, which if well chosen will last him a lifetime. A green, properly formed and maintained, means a fair outlay, but considering its possible use the cost is not high. Thus bowls is within the reach of almost any man. On the green all are equal. The social good that results cannot be measured, but beyond doubt bowls is one of the factors that help to make New Zealand a happy family. Tournaments like the present one do good in their special way by drawing all parts of the Dominion together. At each of them new friendships are made on the green and old friendships are renewed. Along with a tournament is always much hospitality; visitors are billeted by resident players, and there is a round of social gatherings, official and private, large and small.

Visitors’ Wives and Families.

This year—a sign of returning prosperity, no doubt—more visiting bowlers than usual have brought their wives. Many nowadays arrive in cars, even

from the South Island, with wives and children, thus making the tournament the nucleus of a summer holiday tour. The local bowlers and their wives provide entertainment fo_ all—croquet for those ladies who play the game, excursions, tea-parties and evening gatherings.. Altogether, this year’s tournament makes it clear that at the present rate of growth the whole affair may soon become so unwieldy that it will have to be divided or reduced in size. Even if that is done, the game of bowls will not suffer. It is too deeply rooted in the Dominion’s life.