Lawn bowlers take league, host open house
Lawn bowling club captain Aaron Zangl, Gil Gillespie, Jan Andrews and Don David show off the championship trophy. Other team members are Morris Lane, Julian Katz and Mike Collins.
by Andréa Zenewitz
The Hermosa Beach Lawn Bowling Club topped a comeback season by capturing the Winter Coast League title with a 23-7 victory over the Beverly Hills Lawn Bowling Club last month.
It was Hermosa club’s first league championship in 29 years, and followed a finish last season in the back of the pack.
The club will host an open house with one-on-one instruction, and free food and drinks, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 8, as part of a nationwide lawn bowling event. The club is located along the 800 block of Valley Drive, in the Clark Field area.
In addition the club has open hours at noon Tuesdays and Thursdays, and at 10 a.m. Saturdays. All necessary equipment is provided. The Hermosa club has members of all ages and the game is easy to learn.
The club was founded in 1935, when former mayor and club president John Clark brought the game to the beach cities. It has produced a number of world-class bowlers. The current and four-time United States Women’s National Champion, Rosa Gandara, can be seen honing her skills on the local green, and one of the most decorated bowlers in America, Neil McInnis, was also a member.
In the 1980s the club dwindled to one member, and lost one of its greens to make room for tennis courts. Since then, the club has grown through the determination of its members.
Lawn Bowling is a game of accuracy and control. Players roll a four-pound “bowl” down a 40-yard green, similar to that of a golf green. The target is a small white ball, known as the “jack.”
The object is to place your team’s bowls closer to the jack than any of the opposing teams. One point is scored for each bowl. The bowl is weighted asymmetrically, so a bowl will naturally curve and the bowler must learn to compensate for this.
Bowlers play in non-competitive pickup games, or local, regional and international tournaments. ER