The Ontario Lawn Bowls Association 2022 Senior Triples tournament will be hosted by the Muskoka Lawn Bowling Club in Bracebridge.
Graydon Bell, Tournament Director for the Muskoka Lawn Bowling Club, says there will be 14 teams and 42 players from “all over Ontario” competing on Aug. 30 and 31 at the club’s course on the Muskoka Highlands Golf Course. The matches start at 8:30 AM on both days.
That will include Bell’s team which consists of himself, Bill Dickie, and Allan Taylor. “For our own members and for the community, it’s nice to have a local team entered in the tournament,” Bell says. He adds they became a club five years ago and currently have 70 members, mostly seniors.
He explains they are one of over 100 lawn bowling clubs in Ontario. They, Bell continues, are broken down by districts. Each district is sending a representative to play in this tournament.
The winners of the tournament will travel to Victoria, B.C. for play in the national championships in Sept.
“Muskoka being a popular place to come for a few days for recreation was, I think, appealing to the Lawn Bowling Association,” Bell says.
Bell says matches last around one-and-a-half hours. “It’s curling on grass,” he explains. The idea of the game is for teams to bowl the closest to a target – called a “jack” – that is rolled out before each match starts. The target can be moved if hit by a bowl. Bell explains the bowls don’t go straight, they curl. The target is between 80 to 100 feet away on a flat, golf-green-like surface. Bell says teams get one point for each bowl closer to the pin than their opponents. Depending on how many people are playing, there could be between 18 and 21 ends.
The tournament will be free to attend and Bell points out there is seating around the green. “We hope this inspires people to try the sport,” he adds. Bell says the club offers lessons to those interested. He points to their website as the place to go to sign up.
“We’re looking forward to a good competition and having people visit from all over Ontario,” Bell says. “It will be good for Bracebridge and good for our club.”