Ever played barefoot lawn bowls? - By: Lance Peters

Bowls is an ancient sport. It is known to have been played in the 13th century, but it may have begun even before that. It is most frequently played out of doors on a carefully levelled, rectangular, manicured lawn. It is sometimes also played indoors on a synthetic surface.
Very simply put, a small white ball, called a 'jack' or 'kitty' is rolled to one end of the green and a mat is placed opposite to it at the other. The players are divided into two 'sides', which may be 'singles', 'doubles', or 'triples' or 'fours'. Members of these sides take it in turn to roll the bowls, the object being to get as close as possible to the jack. These bowls, also called 'woods' [from previous times when they were made of wood] are not symmetrical but 'biased' on one side, so that they roll in a curve. This bias is taken into account by skilled bowlers, who use it to curve around other bowls and get in closer to the jack.
There are various ways of deciding the outcome; it may be when a singles player reaches a specified number of shots, such as 21 or 25. It can also be decided when one side has a higher score after a specified number of 'ends'.
There are a number of other rules for serious bowls that don't apply for barefoot bowls.
Bowls is a highly skilled game of accuracy and judgement and can be played by people of all ages. Difficult as it is to imagine, some vision impaired bowlers are up there in the top league, their other senses intensified to make up for their lack of sight.
For these players bowls is serious but highly enjoyable.
Barefoot bowls is another form of this game. This is intended for pure fun and slots in beautifully with barbecues and barefoot bowling parties, corporate team building, and all kinds of informal social gatherings.
Some clubs have an extra green just for the barefoot fun lovers, and others allot a certain time for them. Many of these clubs cater for these social activities, and can include barbecues and live or canned music as well as catering facilities.
The rules governing barefoot bowls are simpler than those of serious competition bowls. Here are a few rules that you will find in most clubs that you visit.
• Within the boundaries of the rink is where your bowls must stay. If they go out, or go past the jack and into the ditch, they are removed to the 'bank'.
• The other bowls are scored according to how close they come to the jack.
• Each side gets a turn to bowl alternately.
• Respect the greens, the club, and the members and don't expose the green to anything that will harm it, such as food and drink, heeled shoes or bowling too hard or roughly.
Your barefoot bowling experience may even lead to a deeper interest in bowls as a sport, but whether it does or not, enjoy the party! Enjoy the bowls!

About the Author

Where i live it is very popular to play barefoot bowls for social events and corporate gatherings. lawn bowls Melbourne is not just for the elderly any more.

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