ANDOVER BOWLING CLUB

 

GUIDE TO THE CLUB FOR NEW MEMBERS

(Revised May 2021) ANDOVER BOWLING CLUB

Welcome to Andover Bowling Club. We hope the following information will help you to get the maximum enjoyment from all our Club has to offer.

We run Coaching and Practice sessions for new bowlers, details of these will be available at the start of the season.

OPENING THE CLUBHOUSE AND GREEN

You will be given a key to the clubhouse door. Important - If no-one else is in the clubhouse when you leave, please remember to lock the door.

You will also be told the combination number of the padlock on the gate to the green. Once open, hang the padlock on the hook on the outside of the shed.

The shed contains all the equipment you will need to play. The padlocks have the same combination number as the gate. Remove the locks and put them on the hooks inside the shed on the right-hand side.

Please put equipment back tidily. If you are the last ones to leave, padlock the shed, spin the numbers, and then padlock the gate to the green. Before leaving, please check the Clubhouse door is locked.

The club has its own private car park at the rear of the clubhouse and should be used whenever possible. Cars are left there at your own risk.

GREEN OPENING TIMES

These are from 1 pm to dusk on weekdays and between 10 am and dusk at weekends. Bookings for rinks are made on the Bowlr our on-line system which can be accessed via our website. You will be given a membership number and password for the Bowlr system. Competitions take preference over roll ups.

SETTING UP THE GREEN

You will be given full instructions on how to set up the green for a game of bowls.

ROLL UPS

A term to explain a friendly game between two or more players. Check the Bowlr system to make sure the rinks are free and then you can book a session. It is a good idea to stretch your muscles to warm up before any game, this is recommended by the sport’s governing body.

Casual dress is fine for roll-ups, but you must wear proper footwear on the green. You may wear flat shoes with no heel e.g. tennis shoes/plimsols when you first start playing (best to check with an experienced member). You are required to purchase a proper pair of bowls shoes before the end of your first season – the cost is approx. £30-£60 depending on taste and style.

Important to note that bowls shoes should not be worn outside the green – this ensures that disease etc is not being spread to our fine grasses.

NECESSARY EQUIPMENT

Bowls – Don’t be in a hurry to buy a set of your own bowls. They come in various makes, sizes and weights. It is better if you use the ones that the club owns until you find which is best for you. A decent second-hand set will cost around £80-£150 depending on age. A new set currently costs around £250-£350. A few equipment retailer details appear at the end of the guide.

Chalk – As you progress with you game you will need to buy spray chalk to mark bowls.

We normally have this available at the club.

Measure – You will also eventually need a bowls measure to measure between the jack and the nearest bowl. These cost approx. £10.

Clothing – If you wish to play in club competitions and/or for a team you will need to wear dark blue below the waist and a club shirt above. Club shirts cost around £25, and you should see the Membership Secretary to order one. Whilst you are waiting you may wear a plain white top. Club tournaments and our finals day require you to wear white below the waist.  We also have a stock of second-hand men’s white trousers.

CLUB NIGHTS

These evenings of bowls are great fun, and you meet fellow club members. We pride ourselves on having a friendly club and strive to keep it such.  You will be helped with any questions you may have.  Club nights are attended by all standards of bowlers, are simply for fun and designed to improve your bowling and understanding of the game.  They are usually held on Tuesday evenings, starting at 5.45 p.m.  There is a small fee and prizes are awarded. Dress is casual.

LEAGUE TEAMS

We have both men’s and ladies’ teams and due to our central location, we are fortunate in that Andover is the only club in the area that is a member of the Salisbury, Basingstoke, and the Whitchurch Leagues.

Triples – played with 3 players each with 3 woods

Rinks   – played with 4 players each with 2 woods

 

MEN ONLY LEAGUES

Basingstoke & District – played on a Friday evening, an 8 man rinks team, playing each opposing team home and away during the season. 

There is also a Triples League played on Monday evenings.

The furthest distances traveled are Alton and Hook.

Salisbury & District – played on various nights, two 9 or 12 men triples teams play other clubs in the Salisbury area.

The furthest distances travelled are Wilton and Downton.

MIXED LEAGUE

Whitchurch & District is a triples league and is played on a Wednesday evening. We have four teams playing in this league and there are 9 players in each team.

Stan Hardiman League also a triples league played on Thursday afternoons.  We have just one team

NATIONAL AND COUNTY GAMES

We also enter the National Top Club, National Mixed Top Club, County 2 Rink Knockout. And County 4 Rink.  For national games we are in the East region going out to Farnborough, for County games we are in the South region going out to Southampton.

LADIES ONLY LEAGUES

Basingstoke & District – This is a triples league for 2 rinks, one playing at home and one away.

Salisbury & District - This is also a triples league, days and times vary, some games are played in the           afternoons.

FRIENDLY GAMES

These are not league games, but fixtures against other local clubs, some of which we wouldn’t play in our league games. Fixtures are also arranged against touring teams; these friendly games are ideal for new bowlers to get involved with and gain valuable experience in a relaxed environment.

CLUB KNOCKOUT COMPETITIONS

These competitions run throughout the season and finish on Finals Day which is usually the first weekend in September.You enter and pay for your entry to the competitions when completing your membership forms and pay your membership fee. It’s important that before entering, you ensure that you’ll be available to play on Finals Day, if not, it’s best not to enter.The Novices entries are not selected until May, which allows the season’s new bowlers to take part.

Novice : This is   mixed singles competition, which is open to any player who has played for less than 3 years and has never won a singles title during that time. Sometimes the format is a group stage rather than knockout, depending on the number of entries.

Men’s and Ladies Singles – These are straight knockout competitions to find our Club champions. The winner is the first one to score 21 shots.

Handicap Mixed Singles – Players are given a handicap depending on experience and success. Bowlers start the game with the number of shots equal to their handicap.  The winner is the first to reach 21 shots.

Drawn Pairs – A novice bowler is drawn to play with an experienced member and play 21 ends.  The winners are the pair with the most shots at the end of the 21st end. If it’s a tie an extra end is played.

The District Associations also run knockout competitions, ranging from novice singles to rinks (4 players). This enables players to compete against bowlers from other clubs both at home and at other greens.

Bowls England and Bowls Hampshire also run competitions.

Rules of all Competions can be found in the clubhouse, and your mentor will help you with arranging games.  Rules are for the benefit and support of all competitors; they should be taken seriously and are strictly enforced.

PRESENTATION NIGHT

Normally at the end of October we hold a more formal evening with some entertainment to present all the trophies won throughout the season.Over the last few years, it has been held in the Clubhouse, as finding alternative venues became prohibitively expensive.Guests are welcome, but numbers are limited because of the space available.Names of current and past winners are displayed in the clubhouse.

WINTER MONTHS

Although the green closes for winter maintenance etc. the Club continues.We hold a social evening at the Clubhouse about once a month, various themes – Bingo, Quiz, Whist, Darts, and other games etc; there is usually fish and chips or a buffet style supper.

For those who would like to continue bowling during the winter months there are indoor clubs at Whitchurch, Winchester, Salisbury, and Basingstoke. Andover members play at some of these venues, although most play at Longmeadow in Whitchurch as it is the closest to us and has just been extensively refurbished. Your mentor will be able to give you more information.Andover also competes, as a club, in indoor competitions.We enter the Moreton Cup, which is a 2 rink Men’s Knockout at Longmeadow and a 3 rink Mixed Triples at Salisbury.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

There are many ways you can help both through the bowling season and during the winter months.Bill, our Greenkeeper is always pleased to see anyone who is willing to help.During the season things are busier but work doesn’t stop during the winter months. Among other routine jobs, there are always ditches to clear, and leaves to be brushed up, it all needs doing and every little helps.Our Green is in excellent condition and is a great surface to play on.Please help us keep to this great standard.

AGM

Our Annual General Meeting is held on the first Monday in November.Only Full Members have voting rights.

Smoking

We have a ‘No Smoking’ policy both inside the Clubhouse and on the Green and its surrounds.You may smoke in the designated ‘Smoking Areas’; please ensure you dispose of your cigarette ends in the boxes provided.

ENJOY YOUR BOWLING

CLOTHES AND EQUIPMENT STOCKISTS

 

Bowlswear Direct

Wey Valley Indoor Bowling Club

Lido Road

Guilford

Surrey GU1 1HB

Telephone: 01483 536337

Email: [email protected]

www.bowlsdirect.com

Cotswold Bowls Centre

32 Victoria Road

Mortimer

Reading

Berkshire RG7 3SE

Telephone: 0118 9331942

www.cotswold-bowls-centre.co.uk

 

Bowlamania

Indus Acre

Avro Way

Bowerhill

Melksham SN12 6TP

Tel: 07480 322202

www.bowlamania.co.uk